JD-TWINS

Gotta look at & have confidence in this year’s. umbers - then it’s a YES on paper. He’s a rental though so a good pitching prospect no……one that’s got potential upside, SWR - Headrick, maybe. Writers have to quit putting Alex Kirilloff down as potential trades so we can “upgrade” …..he’s definitely in the top 3 hitters we have, if not the best. Silly to say we should trade him for Bellinger or Goldschmidt or anyone.

Cron doesn’t make sense to me when we have a better hitter on the roster in Solano…….if we need a RH bat at 1B we have one. Cron is familiar and has a nice ball juiced ‘19 but at this point Solano seems to be the right guy……been doing it most of 4 months.

He hits LH pitching well and is being compared to Michael A. so I’m pretty sure he is a right handed bat…….turns out he hits from both sides. My guy is former starter in ‘23 for the Reds, Stuart Fairchild. He’s been optioned to AAA because Friedl has to play everyday and now Steer is playing OF 50% of the time due to all their IF call ups & Votto’s return. He’s squeezed out! Fast RH bat - plays CF - 15 XBH in 156 AB’s in ‘23 - .743 OPS and he’s at AAA with no way back to big club. Can’t cost much to attain!! Basically a young Michael A. Taylor.

Gordon was our LH hitting CF going into this year…….played infield because Polanco was slow in mending. IMO, Castro should get a shot at a full-time spot in CF in ‘24. He needs some time/reps but his speed & arm are intriguing. He makes things happen on the bases. Switch hitter - with limitations. Certainly should be our 4th OF going into ‘24 with the ability to play 3 infield spots as well. Gordon may get a chance in Spring Training after some fall ball or winter ball to help sharpen timing after missing so much time. He’s an OF 90% of the time here on out. Gordon may be interesting for some other team as part of a trade? Decent upside.

Kirilloff to the OF - Gallo gone - Solano to 1B.

I sure hope guys improve at a minor league stop - may be a good baseball mind - no real opinion here v. Baldelli. Interesting thought.

Manager handles pitching changes - in game strategy - etc. …….,,hire him where his experience & strength lies - hitting coach!!!

If Maeda can hold things together over the next 8-9 weeks we should definitely try to re-sign him. He’s be a value at $12M & that’s a $5M raise. He’s 35 now but with a re-built arm he may have a couple more good years left & he’s a very adequate 5th starter!! Paddack - Varland should have the other spot covered………hoping for good health!! Ryan - Lopez - Ober are the core through ‘27!!!

Why would the Cardinals (anyone) trade an .850 OPS guy…….potential guy……..in this case, Walker?

He’s not done - surely! Trading a guy that is in his same mold, that’s 10 years younger, doesn’t strengthen the team. Cards want controlled pitching …….give them Moran - SWR - Winder…….maybe stretch to Varland v. one of the others? Kirilloff batting 3rd behind Julien with Goldschmidt & Lewis coming up sounds great!

Completely agree on the 1 for 1 trade. Timing & upside are not in our favor. Goldschmidt in our line-up for 2 playoff runs would be exciting though! By mid-August: Sub Kirilloff into LF for Gallo (released) play Polanco/Farmer at 2B batting .260 with Julien displacing Buxton (to IL) at DH, along with Solano as needed v. LH pitching….…Lewis back at 3B. We gain 70 points at 3B - 100 points in LF - 110 points at DH in batting averages. We gain an RBI guy in middle of our lineup hitting .285 & we lose Gallo & Buxton & Farmer/Castro at 3B. Moran - Winder - SWR to make it happen. Is that enough upside/depth for the Cardinals? Maybe we go deeper? This move, with some assumed health, makes us a contender in the AL!! As we all know, just displacing Gallo & Buxton with internal present options would be a good thing - with no Goldschmidt trade.

The Cardinal’s finances aren’t hurt if they finish last once every 15 years. They’ll draw their usual 3 million people. Why would we trade Festa / Varland - Kirilloff for a guy that has 1 season of control after this. The emphasis in the article seems to be written by an Assistant GM for the Cardinals. “Let’s make sure they are happy……” I’m a realist & understand the trade needs to work for both sides. Why would we trade a 1B that the Cardinals can build around for years (hence their motivation) plus 2 young arms they would like and take on a guy for 1.3 seasons??? Kirilloff is a building block in St. Louis but he sucks for the Twins future???? Goldschmidt for Varland - SWR - Moran, their pitching request, may make some sense. They get upside arms with control & we get a guy to play 1B for 2 playoff runs ………we use Kirilloff to displace Gallo in LF. No financial concerns involved. Win - Win. Kirilloff is potentially Justin Morneau - he’s in his first, healthy full year. Look up Goldschmidt’s first full year………..very similar numbers……Goldschmidt had more AB’s in 2012 - more homers - more strikeouts - same OPS, around .830. Kirilloff for nearly anyone that’s not a dynamic athlete (15 guys in baseball) is crazy IMO, at this point in his developing career! He has 35 double, gap power but probably only 30 double speed. He can hit 20 HR a season easily - has 9 now in ‘23 with 195 AB’s. I’m guessing .285 career BA. - .825 OPS and an average, at best LF & occasional 1B/DH. Would love Goldschmidt - makes us a contender immediately!!! Can’t trade Kirilloff to make it happen.

Play-off Line-up with POLANCO & LEWIS back……. v. RH pitching: CC - SS - .231BA - .715 OPS Julien - DH - .318BA - .968 OPS Kirilloff - 1B - .285BA - .831 OPS Kepler - RF - .224BA - .730 OPS Polanco - 2B - .250BA - .741 OPS Lewis - 3B - .326BA - .827 OPS Castro - CF - .247BA - .688 OPS Jeffers - C - .261BA - .787 OPS Gallo - LF - .182BA - .770 OPS V. LH pitching: Taylor - Farmer - Solano - Buxton in & Gallo - Polanco - Kepler - Julien out……..Kirilloff to RF - Castro to LF - Farmer to 2B Looks like a competitive club to me with Thielbar & Stewart back & reasonably sound health elsewhere. 1 less pitcher, down to 12 guys in playoffs.

Seems Buxton or Julien is going to have to play 1B next year - may sound crazy but if you can’t run routinely it’s the place you end up. Check with Donovan Solano - ask Luis Arraez - ask Ernie Banks - ask the other 1,000 guys that ended up moving from SS or OF to 1B over the course of their careers.

The guys is helping us win games nearly everyday……..he allows in game moves to be made seamlessly with his flexibility ……..no reason to option him to see if we have a couple guys in AAA that can do the same things. Grass is always greener…… Castro has been a steady contributor! I don’t care if guys in AAA are getting a shot - play great and you’ll get a shot when one’s available. Play well and you’ll get that acknowledged and you’ll stay in AAA. No need to “see how guys will do”……the Big Leagues are not for experimentation unless a team is out of the race or steadily declining. It’s been acknowledged, our biggest problem is hitting in our 3 hole……..it’s not our Utility Guy!

Can’t afford a roster spot to see what Gordon may bring at this point. Best off letting him remain inactive/injured-recovering. The extra roster spot as of September 1 will not be wasted this year - it may be for the return of Buxton after a long rest - rehab?

Kirilloff has absolutely zero chance of moving down……….Castro being sent down would be nearly unimaginable……..Julien is our best hitter & not going anywhere, per Rocco. Wallner or Buxton………Gallo being DFA’d is a possibility but pretty doubtful. May just come up with a reason for Polanco to extend his healing process?

Agreed - the perpetual thought that we have guys in “our system” that will easily outperform guys on the Big Club is wishful thinking about 80% of the time. Castro, with some defensive reps in fall ball/winter league/spring training, may be our starting CF in ‘24 & going forward. I may be the biggest Nick Gordon proponent there is but Castro plays IF/OF as well, runs bases better, has a bigger frame, a great arm, exceptional speed, & more long-term power potential. Gordon - Larnach - Miranda - Sands - Winder - SWR are all pieces to group together however suitable to net some help for our Big Club.

Addition/improvement by subtraction: Buxton to IL for nearly a month…….Gallo DFA’d in 10 days if no trade by deadline. Removing two guys floundering below the Mendoza Line has to improve your offense - has to improve - right?? We see Polanco by August 4th - Lewis by August 18th. Get to add a guy on September 1 to the roster. I like our chances w/o any trades. Thielbar & Stewart would help by mid-August! Sounds like we may want to replace Sands on staff with Kuechel by this weekend or we let Kuechel walk? Interesting guy - could be as bad as our other long relievers to date or may have a little shine in 2-3 inning stints?

LEWIS #1 need at 3B - need every ounce of available offense THIELBAR #2 need in Relief - experience & depth STEWART #3 need in Relief - depth POLANCO #4 need at 2B - played 65 games w/o and only 30 games with to date. Paddack - no chance he pitches in high leverage contests in September - no roster space for him. Maybe gets a look last 2 weeks of season if race is decided.

I do think the Turner v. CC clubhouse issues would go away!! Fans don’t like Correa around the league let alone a former Dodger. Teoscar is leading the league in K’s per either a TD contributor or the Athletic today. We got that covered with Joe & Max!!

I live in Cincy - Twins guy obviously - IMO Fairchild (.743 OPS & fast) is better athlete & better upside for CF. He’s in AAA because they don’t have room for him. I suggested him & Grichuk from Rockies a couple places here………gotta say Castro is winning me over for that spot, ongoing!

Ober is our 2nd best asset on the staff…….this assumes Lopez gets his act together on Home Runs allowed. Ober showed last night that he has the character to have a bad inning (terrible inning) and come out if it composed. Retired 15 of last 18 batters faced! He did this immediately following all 3 of the guys mentioned failing to do this in the same week. Cannot trade Ober!!!! A mix of Ryan & Gray’s temperament and 3 pitches he can control in and around the zone. 6’9” - so a bit of a unicorn for the opposing hitters as well - a bonus. Team control for 5 more years.

Not personal…….Somebody has to build a case for why a team would trade for Gallo. This keeps coming up in Forum as if it just needs to be offered to the market. Has to be a reason other than he’s no good for us & we want to move him to clear roster space. I’d wait for the DFA & hope to claim him on waivers or I’d make the Twins pay 80% of his salary balance. No reason to do Twins a favor.

Rockies Grichuk at the high end - or Reds Fairchild at the low end for CF. Honestly, the more I watch I think Castro can and is growing into our CF! Can still play Taylor there late & v. LH pitching but Castro has plus speed & a plus arm…….needs reps. He may be as good or better overall option than either of the guys above? Particularly in ‘24 & beyond. Not sure if Turner & CC mesh in the locker room??? Correa is getting booed by fans in Seattle years after the cheating incident & Turner was on that Dodgers team!