JADBP

-1 OAA is not horrible...its just not great. Just below average. That's a significant improvement over what we had at SS so that's probably why he looks so good. Technically, Buxton has been our best fielder with 3 OAA. Monthly totals are not yet available but he did play most of August. I DO like the idea of DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE MONTH! Keep it up! Keaschall is well at the bottom of the list for the year with -11 OAA. Ouch! Was a rock at 2B.

Yes, Joe Mauer was the best Catcher prospect ever for the Twins--maybe the most elite prospect the Twins ever had. But, even though he had 55/60 grade power, he just didn't use it much--except one year--2009, when he hit 28 HRs. But that was his contract year--and he put on an MVP year to push up the price of his long term contract. Then he sat back. He averaged just under 8 HRs for the rest of his career. After the first year of his contract, his productivity fell off a cliff (yeah, bilateral leg weakness). He had plenty of pop, just rarely ever turned it on. He had plenty of hit tool but his BA just slowly went down. He moved away from his best position (C) but he was still a very good 1Bman. One he got that big 9-year contract, he just sat back and coasted. aka Maueritis. But, luckily, coasting for the immensely gifted Joe Mauer was still very very good. Do you ever see Joe Mauer at Twins training camp helping out young Catchers or hitters? Do you ever see him helping the team in any way? I see him once in a while for an single appearance like Twins HOF day or something... With Joe, sadly, it was all "Just show me the money!" He could have been better than Pucket or Killibrew...if he only cared.

Fedko has been DFA'ed and is no longer with the team. He badly injured his knee, so he gets to recover over this winter and see if he can catch on somewhere...anywhere. He was 0-16 when called up to the Twins, so I guess I can understand not giving him a lot of chances.

Ross and Acton promoted to the Twins. Fedko has been DFA’ed

No...sorry....I should have phrased it better. Smart companies know that living at the bottom or the middle or top can be profitable...but that you have to spend smartly in any category. In sports, not spending to develop and field a competitive, attractive team will not bring fans to the your game. The Twins are seeing that over the last few years. Taking for granted that the Pohlads are not super smart baseball people (they know plenty, but probably not enough to run the team well), they hire smart managers to run the team. This is no different than, say, 3M buying an interesting small company. They want to make sure that they have the best possible management running this subsidiary--up and down throughout the sub--to make their investment pay off. Its very different in the sports world but the same basic investment approach applies. The Pohlads want the best possible baseball people running their baseball investment. Obviously, Joe Pohlad didn't cut it--but I have hope for the far more experienced businessman Tom. But he still has to invest in the organization and make sure the management is rock solid. Its tougher in a small market, but it is what it is. He has to find a way to make it work, profitably. So, the Twins have been shrinking the budget over that 3-4 years. And the results speak for themselves. BAD management. They have found out that no matter how hard they try, they keep losing money on the team. A big part of the reason they are losing money is that they are still carrying a lot of debt from building the stadium back in 2010. They just kept pushing that into the future. Bad management! It backfired on them. They can blame Covid or George Floyd, or downtown building vacancy rates or whatever, but businesses have twists and turns and they failed at it. Maybe they just don't understand the baseball business well (or at all)? So, bottom line, Pohlads screwed themselves because they didn't now well manage their investment over the last 10-20 years. Sucks for us!

I disagree with your assumption that many companies try to spend the least amount to develop their products. There are companies that try to develop the best products and become market leaders recognized for innovative, high quality, high reliability products...some obvious names come to mind...maybe Apple, Rolex, Ferrari, the Los Angeles Dodgers and many, many more. There are also companies that live at the are perennial bottom feeders, like dollar stores, budget airlines and the Los Angeles Angels. But here is the thing: Dollar stores are very, very profitable. MLB is an odd duck. Is it a business? Is it the National Pastime? Is it supposed to be profitable or winning? Is it even a regional monopoly (anymore)? It is entertainment business and the owners rightfully try to make a profit--if for no other reason than profit sustains the organization for years (except probably Cohen, LOL). If you lose money year after year, then you end up like the Twins, with $500 million in debt and you are forced to sell the team. Because owners are usually not baseball men, it is their job to hire managers to run the team. And the Twins have been very bad at hiring management for a very long time. Falvey's decision-making was all over the place, culminating in disaster last year. Joe Pohlad was an embarrassment. Zoll doesn't give us much confidence. Twins Profitability has been very bad to non-existent for years (racking up $500 million in debt). And, as a result, they cut salaries, killing fan interest and attendance. Price slashing or "right-sizing led to the demise of RadioShack, Toys R Us, and Sears and could still destroy Boeing. Its very tough road and few succeed and it will never work in modern professional sports. Smart, well-run, small market teams are out there (Milwaukee, KC are good MLB examples). But the Twins just seem to keep flailing. Can Tom fix what Joe broke? That's the question. But, to do so, he has to first fix the fundamental problem with the Twins: BAD MANAGEMENT--up and down the organization. Just moving Falvey was not enough. Zoll is simply the new name atop the same organization. As Townshend said: "New boss....same as the old boss." Counting on increased revenue sharing with a new players agreement is just delaying more failure. It is NOT going to make a poorly managed team run better. I expect it will take years to untangle this mess at 1 Twins Way.

Well...the reason they keep deferring to Buxton is because, when he is healthy, he is one of the best players in league. Yeah, but when healthy. I agree that you can't put the blame for the season on Keaschall...but you can absolutely put at least 3-4 games on balls he missed on 2B or OF. Two in the last couple of weeks with him masquerading as a CFer. Keaschall never learned a to play 2B in the minors. He was only drafted in 23, spent lost much of one minor season to TJ surgery, and came up in 2025. His only above average skill set is hitting for average (almost no power). Royce is getting better, slowly. I think he is now finally getting the training he should have got in A, AA and AAA ball! I keep coming back to the same story over and over...the Twins are horrible at taking HS or college kids and turning them into MLB pieces. Doesn't make any difference where they draft em...they still never lean a position, never learn hitting strategies, never learn how to prepare for a game/series/season until they get to the biggs and then they flounder. BTW, this system-wide Twins problem can ONLY be laid at the desk of the front office. They run the show. Its Zoll and his minions that put the Twins in this position. At least Tom seems willing to spend a little more $$ We finally get Jenkins tomorrow...let's hope he has learned. He certainly has burned up AAA!

Ageed. GET RID OF ZOLL! He has no idea what he is doing!

A LOT!!!!

You forgot Roden...but that's probably a good thing. Keaschall should have NEVER put on fielder's glove. He has cost us two games in the OF already! For heavens sake, get him out of the OF! We still want him on the team, but he needs to find a position he where he can actually contribute. Right now, 2B looks like his only choice, but even that is tenuous long term. Larnach, nope. He's probably done as a Twin. He's earned it. Sorry, he's a good guy, just not a good enough MLBer. No, I doubt that Jenkins can ever be as good as Buxton when Buck is fully healthy. But, he will be the next All Star CFer for the Twins. By that time, Buck will be a DH, and probably a very, very good one.

Uhhhh. . . The only one that I come up with is that they have a ticking heart. Certainly not their offensive nor their defensive skillsets!

My guess is that he comes up when rosters expand.

And-f’in-lutely!!!!!!

The his topic is kind of silly! There is another topic saying Jenkins has been “Superhuman.” There is no one else that makes any sense at all. Period. Bring up the superhuman player. Really, you would rather bring up Wallner than Jenkins? Geez…that makes zero sense. Wallner is a dream that never comes true when you wake up.

Damn this hurts!!! I honestly think the fun and games of this season are over. Buxton is the heart and soul of this team and it is just sooo much weaker without him. I hope they finally make the smart move and bring up Jenkins....but, I don't trust Zoll. If he plays us for idiots and brings up, say, Wallner, instead, he will be tarred and feathered. There is no excuse now. He can't hide behind his nonsensical gibberish about bringing up to fill a specific need. Definitely best wishes to our superstar Buxton.

Wait...Julien is still on the team? WTH? Did I miss a trade back to the Twins????

Uhhhh....Jenkins is the highest rated, (with five above average tools) prospect that we have had since Buxton! The only other "five tool" prosect we have had since Buxton was Royce Lewis. Here's how they stacked up the last year before they made the biggs for good: Buxton: Hit: 70 | Power: 55 | Run: 80 | Arm: 70 | Field: 70 | Overall: 70 Jenkins: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 60 Lewis: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 70 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55 Larnach: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

Right now, you can conclusively say that Larnach is a better player, in all five ways, than Jenkins? Or Roden? Or Keaschall? I'd take Jenkins over any of these players....in fact, I'd take Jenkins over every Twins outfielder other than Buxton! Right now, the sum total of outfielders on the Twins team is Buxton, Roden, Larnach, and the recently transfer Keaschall (Martin on IL). Maybe you can put Kriedler out in CF...but he is mostly warming the bench...a wasted roster position. Maybe handy Kody fills in but he is used everywhere. THe problem is that most of these players are just not hitting.... over the last 15 games Buxton (ouch!): .113 (Still not the player we know, is it lingering injury issues???) Larnach: .151 (on the down elevator) Keaschall: .345 (consistent hitting, poor fielding) Kriedler: .143 (has carved out a fine career living under the Mendoza line) Clemmons: .250 (proving to be dang useful) Roden: .273 (no power, zero HR all year) I don't buy for a minute that there is not a valid reason to bring up Jenkins. You have to move Larnach or Kriedler or Roden out of the way for Jenkins. Jenkins...at AAA...is hitting .415 with 1.293 OPS and 7 HRs over the last 16 games. Sure, he is hot lately, but he is hitting 321 / .416 / .970 for the year. I know, it's AAA. So what. At some point you have to make this move or Zoll just continues to embarrass himself. I can only see his comments as trying to excuse his incompetence. But...these are just my comments....competent or not, LOL.

Well, I think the Twins need to be aerated! Jeez...what just happened? Its as if the entire time stepped onto the down elevator at the same time. I just can't believe how poorly the Twins are playing right now. Take three from the Braves, then lose three to the Padres. WTH just happened?

Geez....can't hit, poor fielder, slow....what's to like? So, which fielding team do you like for the game tonight? First, Twins, Second, SDG. Keaschall...oof!

Waiting to retain eligibility for ROY next year would be the only legitimate reason to hold him back, but that time clock has just about run out. There are two ways Jenkins can lose his ROY eligibility for 2027: if he is on the team more than 45 days or has more than 130 at bats in 2026. If he came up now, there only be 37 days and 34 games left. We only need to worry about 130 at bats...and the Twins can smartly control that. The team is averaging close to 4 ABs per game, so that in 34 games, that would be 136 ABs. Just hold him out a game or two and we are there. Its time. Holding him back because he might miss development time if there is a protracted strike is a stupid reason. There MIGHT be a work stoppage. There might NOT be a work stoppage. There might be a brief work stoppage. Who knows? He's done everything he needs to do in MiLB. He can contribute now. More importantly, he can contribute at a higher level than any other OFer other than Buxton. Finally, I look at it this way: who do you prefer in RF....Clemens or Jenkins? Roden or Jenkins? Who is the best player to spot Buxton some rest? Jenkins or Roden? I've watched Roden play the OF and he is no where as fast or smooth as Jenkins. We rarely get a chance to bring up a five tool player with the skill and talent of Jenkins. Just do it already.

I agree--they do this over and over...draft the "best athlete" who almost always is a SS or CFer. Then he spends 4-5 years being trained as a SS/CF and whoops...hey, guess what, you really didn't turn out to be a particularly great SS. Now what? Sure, move him to 2nd or 3rd base where you have never played. How do you expect ANY player to succeed with an in-season move to a position you have never played? Yeah, I have been saying...LEAVE ROYCE AT 1B!!! For heavens sake, let the guy learn the position.

This article makes it sound like the roster is big, beautiful and perfect. That adding in another talented youngster couldn't possibly improve the roster....as F'ed up as it is! Geezz....Zoll...call a friend!

My point exactly. is it bad drafting (scouting) or is it bad development? I say it’s both!

Wait . . . Falvey who? He deserved that door for about the last 5 years. Can we do Zoll next? And maybe improve the scouts?