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JD-TWINS

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Everything posted by JD-TWINS

  1. JD-TWINS
    IF Roden is deemed capable of playing CF as needed to spell Buxton, pull the trigger. Gray is frustratingly spotty at SS ……. he’s in a slump for a fair amount of time at the plate. He did hit a couple balls to the wall on Tuesday night, so…….. Kreidler can’t play SS everyday (or at all) with Buxton down. Is Arcia still hitting at AAA? Is Gonzalez hitting at AAA? They face lefty starters Saturday & Sunday. Not a great starting point for Roden ……. probably will put Martin or Fedko in CF on the weekend, with the other in LF. Fedko has to start being used or he needs to go down for a guy Team thinks can contribute, and they will use. Frankly, if he & Team think he’s ready between the ears, I am ready to pull Jenkins up after the Break!
  2. JD-TWINS
    Parades, IMO, immediately becomes a real asset. He’s respectable as a potential “longer guy”. I think any guy going to one inning v. starting picks up a little juice……….need Ober back! Rojas is back up as soon as he’s eligible. Pick em between Adams & Funderburk. I trust Funderburk more ……, zero confidence in Adams. Lawyerson doesn’t have MLB stuff. If Sands can get back in 3-4 weeks, it would push Raya into the 8th spot in the PEN…… to me, that’s an acceptable group at this point. Chris Paddack off waivers to throw an inning at a time? He’s been LIT up as a starter. Released at least twice & I think, again by Texas after one start - not positive? If he plays for minimum, he’s better than Adams!! Desperate times…….desperate measures.
  3. JD-TWINS
    Watching a game on TV and seeing that a pitch caught .2” of the corner & top of the zone and expecting the Catcher to react real time with 100% accuracy is lunacy! Caratini has been excellent with challenges overall. Lewis was squarely in front of the ball with his glove down and the ball went 20 degrees toward 2B from its original path on last hop - evident on replay and pointed out by announcers. No defense for Ryan and his desire to make “a great strikeout pitch” with every at bat. Throws way too many pitches every outing because he’s trying to be perfect and impress everyone (& himself). Pitch to contact, down in the zone and stop being in love with the High Fastball that is too often taken for a ball. I get that it’s a fine line & no pitchers are perfect, but with his stuff he should have gotten better results!
  4. JD-TWINS
    Without any $$ to spend, they have tried fringe guys with pick-ups……..nearly all poor results. Arguably, Banda & Rogers have had more positive contributions than negative but neither are solid. Gomez has been a nice addition to date. Rojas, when healthy contributed. Parades, when Ober is back, should be a positive addition. Morris, now in short stint role has looked much better. Sands being hurt has been an issue. Topa, who showed some positive contributions last year, was brutal for the most part. My point is they are trying/have tried within the $$ constraints. The overall results are not good - there are some bright spots and some legitimate issues due to injuries ……. not allowing PEN depth to be available. Sands - Festa - Ober - Abel etc. being out, have had effects on who is available for PEN duty/consideration. I get Lewis has been an overall disappointment BUT since he’s come back from AAA he’s playing a solid 1B (solved a defensive issue) and has allowed Clemens to plug another hole. Also, Royce’s offensive production since he’s returned has been as good as anyone could have hoped for in May! Keaschall is VERY fringe, unplayable defensively, and he has zero pop in his bat. Wallner isn’t worth describing at this point. Martin is who he’s always been……..Lewis SEEMS to be separating himself from these other guys - needs to keep it up.
  5. JD-TWINS
    How about the guys that the Pohlad’s wouldn’t pay for………?? The payroll “on the field”, excluding $$ spent on Correa & Pablo’s contract, is $73M. There’s not a GM/Pres./FO guy, ever, that’s building a winner with that budget. It’s not the fault of the FO now or previous FO that Lopez - Festa - Abel - Ober - etc., etc. are hurt. It’s not the fault of the FO that Emma slides into 1B and tears up his thumb and is out again for 50% of the season. Culpepper hurt for a period - Jenkins hurt for a period - Gonzalez having difficulty with consistency - Roden hurt last summer & again early this year. The “Falvey & now Zoll” stuff is old. No front office individual had anything to do with Wallner’s ineptitude - Lewis’ struggles - Joe Ryan’s meltdown in Houston. No FO individual set the BUDGET. Players play and win or lose games. The guys at AAA would be playing in the SHOW if they were capable of contributing ………. continually stating that, if they only promoted guys they’d have a better team is just not real. They are 5 games under .500 as of this morning ………. they have had more than a handful or two of opportunities (good opportunities) to win games they lost. 3 more wins over the first 87 games and they’d be a game over .500 & in the hunt, etc. etc. ……… the Team that’s been put together isn’t terrible but the margin for error is slim…….. players gotta get it done.
  6. JD-TWINS
    Not necessarily wrong on Clemens - thought it was odd he didn’t get a mention above. Kreidler is right there (not as many AB’s) for consideration. Numerous Big Hits, a bit of power, and the only guy we have that can play SS ….., and, only guy competently playing CF if Buxton is sitting.
  7. JD-TWINS
    I get the injury disgust/disappointment …… Jenkins reference is a bit off though …… he just turned 16 (5.5 years ago) …… he played 1/2 season the year he was drafted in ‘23 ….. active ‘24 & ‘25 ……… 1/2 season so far in ‘26 (3 total). I do not think either guy you mentioned can be counted on until they show they can! ……… Roden hasn’t exactly been durable since his arrival……….. because of this fact, I do not even consider trading Larnach. To me, Buxton & Larnach are the two outfielders that deserve spots and are excelling ……… the other 3 spots are wide open. No “need” to trade Larnach to make room for youth …… there’s plenty of room with Martin - Keaschall - Fedko as 3 of 5 current spots……….if they didn’t HAVE to play middle infield, both Clemens & Kreidler are better options (offense/defense combined) in OF than Fedko - Martin - Keaschall.
  8. JD-TWINS
    Keaschall has 15 XBH in 274 AB’s. He barely hits well enough to be a “defensive” middle infielder. Zero power - weak arm - poor OF instincts (granted, newness as well) combine for not a good fit! A supposedly “weak hitting” Kreidler has 10 XBH in 93 AB’s……… Larnach, in a “down power year” has 21 XBH in 60 less AB’s than Luke. Martin played/started in RF for most of 25 games or more …….. he has pretty good instincts there and has a better arm. Keaschall in LF is a good answer for his future with some occasional play at 2B, when advantageous for Team. Send him down for 2-3 weeks to get a bunch of OF reps and have a bit of a mental break. Allows time to work on some minor tweaks in offensive side, if deemed necessary……..seems to be necessary. Luke’s energy & grit are admirable and valuable …….. gotta field your position and can’t just “swing hard” and get slap hitter results. His OBP is up …… not suggesting banishing him but he seems to be in need of a re-set defensively & and it needs to happen, IMO, before there are more bumps along the way.
  9. JD-TWINS
    Keaschall - great teammate - great attitude decent speed, or better………. young……….. potentially a bright future. Clemens has earned an everyday spot! He’s the 2nd Baseman - Lewis is the 1st Baseman. No debating either. Cannot have a guy playing right that’s a mediocre outfielder (with speed) and with a terrible arm……….. add to that he has 274 AB’s and he has 15 XBH. Clemens has 250 AB’s and he has 31 XBH. Not saying he needs to be demoted, for sure BUT he cannot be the everyday RF!!! …….he can’t be the everyday 2B either. At either spot the team is subbing for him defensively in late innings……. he isn’t enough of an asset offensively to be a starter more than a couple times per week. Martin isn’t going anywhere at this point. They need to promote Roden or Mendez or Jenkins to be the RF v. RH pitching. Martin in RF when they aren’t playing (v. LH pitching). Keaschall, after a bunch of reps, should be the platoon v. lefties either in LF or 2B ….. with Clemens playing whichever Keaschall’s weakest spot is deemed. Fedko needs to go down and a young LH hitting OF needs to come up and play - now! Gotta try something other than forcing Keaschall into the line-up! Keaschall at .330 OBP is tough to ignore but the overall guy doesn’t cut it at this point in ‘26…….if “winning” is important.
  10. JD-TWINS
    Gomez off the waver wire has worked out pretty well………. could still use 3 or 4 more!
  11. JD-TWINS
    At this point - he gives them the best chance of good results! I’d easily take .750-.760 OPS if the SS has a decent glove. …….. others here said in Spring Training that he was “the worst hitter in all of MLB”. He sure seems to be squaring the ball up pretty often - too often to think it’s just good fortune, as you mentioned. Pencil him in 5 days/week at a minimum, IMO.
  12. JD-TWINS
    If Kreidler keeps up his production - his defense is solid……….I do not see Culpepper until they wave the white flag in August, or maybe September, if they hang around the Wild Card race. Culpepper should be in a groove before being brought up ……,seems that’s 3-5 weeks away with his current health. Kreidler is somehow hitting & hitting more……. I don’t get it, but he’s actually doing it routinely. I see no reason to move off him as long as “winning” is the goal.
  13. JD-TWINS
    Agreed. I assume the strategy is to throw his weak stuff around the strike zone, hoping for swings, prior to having to groove pitches when behind. He just doesn’t have much success with that strategy.
  14. JD-TWINS
    Truly a long shot…….but as FO/Owners, I consider taking $7M being paid to Caratini (trade him at deadline) and the $5/6M Jeffers currently makes & add $4M………extend for 3 years at $16.5M (a bunch for a catcher that’s barely OK on defense) Worth a shot! …… Depth at Catcher would be Jackson & youth. There’s no payback, IMO, that is better than what Larnach & Clemens bring to the table. What “Major League ready player” does Team get that’s better than Larnach, for Larnach?? Clemens can play 4-5 positions and makes the minimum …… he’s learned to hit over last 12 months ….. why trade that & for what return? Martin is still mediocre ……. inclusive of defense, Keaschall is looking to be, not much different in value to Martin. Neither are important pieces going forward. Both energetic and seem to have potential, but potential unrealized sucks. IMO, Lewis has found a home at 1B and could “potentially” thrive there! 😉
  15. JD-TWINS
    Adams, 🙏🤞🙏🤞🤞🤞🤞- not unlike 60% of the roster…….😁
  16. JD-TWINS
    BANDA got guys out consistently for 7 weeks - had a couple not great outings……gonna happen with any pitcher. ROGERS is piecing it together and probably effective 6/7 times out of 10 at this point - not great. PARADES into the PEN will help, when Ober is back. ROJAS is coming off injury and working to get back to where he was a month ago. SANDS has been out for couple months and that created a hole. IMO, Adams & Funderburk need to be displaced ASAP …….. Parades - Rojas are the likely candidates in another 6-10 days. GOMEZ - MORRIS - PARADES - ROJAS - BANDA - ROGERS - ORZE - RAYA by the All-Star Break ………. not perfect but guys that can generally get guys out……or have stuff to get guys out.
  17. JD-TWINS
    Down 3 ……. somebody’s got to pitch……. Down 3 ……. the dominant Adams, or Raya earlier, were the other 2 choices, which one is obviously better than Funderburk? “I think we win” …… possible, certainly, but not very likely. Funderburk cannot give in, even at 3-2 count, to a guy who’s one AB removed from a homer in 3 consecutive AB’s. 1B was open & left handed hitter on deck. Terrible pitch location!! Terrible game management in that situation….. some of that’s on Caratini & bench but 90% on Funderburk.
  18. JD-TWINS
    Seems Martin is back to being platooned and late inning defense - pinch runner. Clemens seems to becoming a fixture in RF. Lee obviously, w/o injuries to others, will not see SS again! Early results on Lewis at 1B are very encouraging in my opinion. Jeffers probably isn’t on the Team more than another month.☹️
  19. JD-TWINS
    I’m sure coaches would say Lewis was “working hard” up until he was sent down. Wallner in RF was just a way to follow along with other’s comments here, that he should be given a chance. I can hardly watch when he’s at bat - not my favorite. He’ll never be “the DH” while Bell is on the roster. Keaschall to AAA to work on the things you mentioned - line drives - defensive consistency - these are things that, IMO, are much easier to work on outside the pressure cooker of MLB. Just 3-4 weeks to help gain some confidence & better habits. Get some mental rest as well. Mendez - Roden ……. don’t really care who the left handed bat might be for RF, so that Clemens & Lewis can man the right side of infield. Now until after the break at least. Keaschall is better at the plate than he was 6 weeks ago - no doubt. OBP has steadily climbed, more than his BA has contributed . Still swinging wildly at pitches that can’t be hit, weak contact, etc. ……… I just think he could sharpen up some if at AAA.
  20. JD-TWINS
    Mendez for Keaschall until the All-star break, then re-evaluate. Clemens to 2B. Fedko looked great in St. Paul …………
  21. JD-TWINS
    WHY would anyone want to see Matt Wallner up??? Why is giving someone else a chance more important than trying to win or playing guys that DO get the job done? What’s “a solid return” that will create more WAR over next 2-3 years than a platooned Larnach? In ‘27 he should be penciled in as a 15-20 time starter in OF and 100 games at DH. That’s 120 starts v. RH pitching (70-75% of pitchers). There’s no downside. There’s no “blocking others”. Keeping a known bat makes sense.
  22. JD-TWINS
    Keep inexpensive 29 year olds that have finally reached their potential ……. probable .260 BA - .350 OBP - .410 Slug ……. and trade some “prospects” that other teams can hope to develop ……. for players that CAN play. Larnach was where Jenkins - Rodriguez - Roden are ……. he was highly touted out of Oregon! He’s paying off now and people want to trade him so one of the 3 guys that are repeatedly hurt can come up & shine …… oh yea, MAYBE shine or fail? …….nobody here has a crystal ball on how Roden & Rodriguez or Mendez will play, if healthy, at MLB level! …… organization shouldn’t trade a known performer for AAA unknowns “just to see what they can do”. They keep the known and develop the “maybe’s” parallel, until they know. Fedko & Martin ……. even Clemens are all players that could/should be displaced by young talent in OF……before Larnach. IMO, with Bell gone, Larnach is the obvious DH for ‘27 v. RH pitching……occasionally in OF if he fits strategically.
  23. JD-TWINS
    Rojas is an asset received in “the fire sale”. …… Where was Louie at age 23? He was in the minors trying to develop a 2nd pitch. He’s 28 now and until his age 27 season, he had some pretty rough years. I’m not sure about the assessment either! As of this a.m., Abel is having elbow surgery (ouch!). However, many here are clamoring for Roden (remember, Fedko tore up ASA as well) & Rojas certainly has enough talent to be very valuable as he matures……Varland pieces from last July. Does Taj Bradley count or is he not included in the assessment above because he’s had success? Morris would probably be the 5th starter if Rojas didn’t come over in trade. Never thought I’d miss Bailey Ober & David Festa soooo much!
  24. JD-TWINS
    Not sure who you are referring to - maybe Larnach? Keaschall was who most were referencing - his OBP is .332 and he was at a high of .310 until about 3 weeks ago. His base running is OK to Good. His defense is pretty brutal. Tough to get better “with practice” when you are in the line-up nearly every night. A lot of pressure at 23. I wish Luke well and just want the Team to have best opportunity to Win “while guys develop”. One doesn’t have to exclude the other. Lewis went down for a short bit and it helped - hopefully it will continue. Wallner supposedly is doing better over a longer stretch in AAA - try Matt in right and have Luke take a break in St. Paul for 3-4 weeks to let him catch his breath. Clemens can play second OR Lewis can go to 2B and Clemens at 1B.
  25. JD-TWINS
    I agree on Luke’s approach and results (some are attributed to his speed) …… he swings to hit the ball in the gap but he often gets a base hit on a flare just on the grass - he has a few infield grounders & swinging bunts for hits, I know, make contact & put the ball in play, it’s a good thing. It’s a better thing if it’s intentional and not a poor result of the intention. Arraez is definitely intentional!
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