Western SD Fan

Is it bad to say that we can be happy to see a LHP because that means that Gray didn't get the start?

This means that you still have to trade for a starting pitcher. If you replace Matthews with Rojas and then eventually shut down Prielipp to the bullpen, your rotation is Ryan, Bradley, Ober, Rojas, and 🤷‍♂️. We have seen the results of using 🤷‍♂️as a strategy and it typically hampers our bullpen for days. Abel and Paredes aren't coming back this season. Matthews also has started every game since 2024, in Wichita. Moving a starter to the bullpen mid-season isn't all that easy, ask Sim or Lance McCullers, Jr (recently DFA'd from the Brewers after they traded for him). Sean Manea from the Mets has probably been the best at it we have seen in recent memory. The Rays prepared Jax in the offseason to start, not in the middle of the season. Same with Crochet. I don't disagree that this move may eventually need to be made. I disagree that this move can be made on the fly, in a playoff race, with no history on how Zebby will react. Now to the bullpen. The current state of the bullpen has rounded enough into shape that, unless we get a 7-9th inning reliever-type, I'm not sure it's worth trading for someone. This differs from my opinion from a couple months ago when we were running out the likes of Garcia on a consistent basis. I doubt the Royals would trade with us, but I have always like Lynch IV's stuff. Senzatela from the Rockies could work. The big arms on the market would cost more than I'm willing to pay for a marginal playoff contender, no matter how much talk Zoll or TP do before the deadline. Even in today's world, sometimes you still have to marry the person you went to the alter with.

"Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me" - I'm reasonably sure we could get a troupe to recreate this scene just from the comment section here. This is the second start in a row that Ryan has not looked sharp. Sure, there were misplays, but as the OP has stated in his article, Ryan was giving up plenty of hard contact to a team that Bradley just neutralized a day ago. In the "Hunt the Good" part of the game, Rojas, although looking shaky, was able to get through three innings and save the bullpen.

I would say that Buxton is probably closer to the same issues that afflict Royce Lewis when he comes back from injuries. I'm not sure either is as honest as they should be with the trainers and coaches, get back out on the field too early, then reaggravate the injury. We have seen it from both of them too often in their respective careers. You would have hoped that they had learned by now since this keeps happening, but I guess not.

But if you keep them as a rookie by not bringing them up until mid-August, wouldn't you keep them from Super 2 status and thus get one additional year of Pre-Arb?

Just tell them that he's setting up for Halloween early. Maybe he'll find Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin!

Not yet, but the fans in Mudville are getting distressed by the minute.

Sounds about right on when they would finally bring them up. Still in front of the September 1st deadline in case they stumble into the playoffs, but with not enough time that they still get to keep a year of control. I think that is a small issue that they want to work on in the new CBA. Their original great idea of trying to reward teams by playing their rookies all year has not worked how they wanted it to pan out. They need to give more incentive for teams like the Twins to actually bring them up when they are ready.

Detroit already has Outman so they can't trade for him.

Schrodinger's AB?

Sadly enough, as expected. Idk what it is about former pitchers that have been through our system, but they seem to be able to dominate us when they are with a different organization.

I see the Twins did the expected Twins thing and brought up Gray for Buxton. Joe Ryan is looking more hittable each time out. The defense is still in a learning curve mode costing Ryan at least one run, possibly two.

I'll play the @sampleSizeOfOne game? What did I miss?

Jim Bowden had an Athletic article that went one step worse. He suggests that the Twins trade Jeffers for Volpe and Doval, or the equivalent of a Klondike bar and a Yoohoo drink, and suggests that it works for both parties? Doval may have been useful two months ago when we were throwing out the likes of Voth, Garcia, and Topa. Now I would argue our bullpen is better than what Doval could bring. As for Volpe, if we want a long-term solution at SS, we just have to call up Culpepper. Even if they wanted to keep Culpepper off the 40-man the entire year, they would have to deal Volpe at the end of the season to bring up Culpepper for 2027.

Is it possible to get Jim Bowden banned from baseball as part of the new CBA agreement? His crazy trade rumors single-handedly feed the narrative that the mid-market teams, such as the Twins, Nationals, and Padres in his article here, are essentially extended farm systems for the Yankees. To give a short highlight, Bowden proposes Jeffers for Volpe and Doval. The link is below: Yankees trade scenarios: Bowden weighs proposals for Mason Miller, CJ Abrams and more - The Athletic This trade proposal doesn't make any cursory sense for a man who was a real GM for a team. A real GM would know that the Twins have Culpepper waiting to call up and wouldn't trade for a SS with 2.5 years of club control when they have their man in Culpepper ready to go. Volpe would allow Culpepper to stay down in St Paul the entire year and off the 40-man roster. You're still likely trying to trade Volpe or Culpepper in the offseason as you really don't need both in 2027 with Houston expected to arrive in 2028 or, at latest, 2029. Not really an efficient use of trade assets here. Doval could have made more sense in June when the bullpen was in a more desperate state than they are now. Currently, Doval would be the worst pitcher that we have in the bullpen. Not exactly someone you would trade for and giving up one of your better trade chips, no matter what your position is on trading Jeffers. A trade of this kind would definitely be a terrible trade proposal. Of course, comments from the Yankee fans couldn't contain their laughter at the trade proposal suggesting that they would drive Volpe and Doval to Minneapolis themselves to make sure they were actually gone. I get it that they need to write stories and make content, just like the great writers at Twins Daily do as well. We demanded our writers present realistic trade options and they have come through. Someone getting paid a lot more than our writers could do the same.

Of the players we are all thinking about (Jenkins or Culpepper), a 40-man roster move would have to be made. I don't think that would be difficult as I'm not sure Paredes is expected to be back this season so he could be transferred to the 60-day IL. Another 40-man option would be to DFA Go since he is currently on a 10-game suspension anyway. Since we are still slogging through all of the OF or converted OF that need playing time, I'm not sure Jenkins will be brought up prior to the trade deadline. We have Larnach, Keaschall, Martin, Roden, and Clemens could cover the OF and not enough playing time for all of them already. My preference would be Culpepper as I think he would bring a bit more offense and allow Kreidler to be a defensive replacement in the OF or at SS with spot starts here and there since he has deserved the playing time. What I actually think will happen, the Twins will do the most Twins thing ever and call up Gray to replace Buxton. Someone there will be convinced that we need a LH IF bat and he is already on the 40-man so a corresponding move wouldn't have to be made.

It will be curious to see who the Twins bring up if Buxton ends up going on the IL. If they are convinced that Paredes is done for the season, they could move him to the 60-day IL and open up a 40-man spot for Culpepper or Jenkins (most likely Culpepper). Realistically? They bring back Gray because they are twitching without a LH batter at SS.

Dobnak is scheduled to go tomorrow against Joe Ryan. Twins typically roll over for former pitchers on their staff so idk how this is going to turn out. Should be an easy Twins victory, but no victory is easy with this team. EDIT: My information was from ESPN. I do see that MLB does not have a listed starter for tomorrow for the Royals so officially @S Bart would be right.

Time to dig up that headstone. We are back to .500!

The way this lineup is hitting? Dobnak will go six innings of 1 run ball and be in line for the win.

Just delayed by a batter.

Is Kreidler reading the in-game threads? People have been begging for this for awhile now! Nice bunt hit!

Does it look like LaTroy Hawkins has aged 5 years in 5 months?