JADBP

Falvey just fired 40% of the team! I’m sure he will find more to blame this fall, now that he has pushed the team into the dumpster and lit the match. Players are smart—they see this too so few will sign here with the current administration (and maybe even ownership). I for one DO lay some blame on Popkins. Hitting was his department. He probably got strategy from Rocco/Falvey but if the strategy was that bad then he should have stood up and explained why. If the tactics were wrong then it’s all on him. Maybe he learned what not to do here and is applying it at TO? At the end of the day, his management of the hitting department was terrible It wasn’t just the roster (all the Margot’s and Farmer’s notwithstanding). We still had everyone crater, including normally great hitters like Correa and Buxton. Now I say double-triple shame on Rocco for rolling a Margot out there dozens of times without a hit That’s not Popkins fault That’s Rocco’s insanity! But double-triple shame on Popkins for not helping Julien adjust to MLB pitchers who have found his weaknesses Or Royce. Or …fill in the blank of almost any member of the team! I know Rocco dictates strategy (and he’s lost in that department) But Popkins was in charge of hitting and it stunk

It’s official!! Twins lose 2/3 to 2nd worst team in AL. I think this makes them the WORST team in the AL right now! Disgusting . . .

Actually, the team is a total DUMP PAYROLL operation now. There is NO player making over $2-3 mill that can feel safe on this team. Even some who are not, like Varland, gets traded (an insane trade!!). So, yeah, Larnach, Wallner, Jeffers, Ryan, Ober, and Lopez are all unsafe. Is even Buxton safe? But don't be surprised if he too is traded!!! That would be SHOCKING, but the deadline madness was shocking so I'd say shocking but not surprising. Plenty of teams would gladly trade for a Buxton who sees to be in his (somewhat late) prime. Others with rising cost are also automatically on the bubble, like Royce, Topa, Tonkin, and Lee. Don't get too attached to anyone! Here are the two real problems with the Twins right now: 1) the players have lost pretty much all respect for the coaching staff and the front office, and 2) the front office has lost the respect of both trading partners and fellow owners (they proved to be patsy's at the deadline, taking sucker trades (Varland) just to keep dealing). When I say players have lost respect and trust of the coaching staff, I am not limiting this to Twins players. WHAT free agent, in their right mind, would sign with the Twins now? Falvey might try, but he just won't get any real takers in Free Agency! The penalty will be getting bottom run players while being forced to pay a premium just to get them to sign. The winter meetings are going to be very lonely with free agents quietly shunning the Twins. Falvey or Rocco walk into a room and many immediately walk out. So, they are left with only one option--start trading away players to restock a team with definite needs. Yes, we have plenty in the pipeline--particularly outfielders, pitchers--but who is our 2026 1B or C? We're likely to trade Jeffers (now with the third highest pay on the team (ignoring Vasquez)!). So, expect a couple of years of really bad baseball. Now, this all plays into the NON-SALE of the Twins. Only an idiot would believe that dumping 40% of the team, including low cost, high upside players, was attractive to potential buyers. Falvey got wound up by other GMs and couldn't resist trading away players to anyone who knocked on the door. He was definitely played. So, I have to believe that any new owner that comes in comes in with strings attached. I'd be very surprised if Rocco and Falvey make it through next year. Falvey so seriously devalued the team that a sale became impossible. He likely cost the ownership big bucks, and if not the Pohlads, then certainly the new co-owners are looking for his replacement already. And the stunning inability to translate top prospects into top players will cost Rocco dearly. Sigh....I can only blame the owners for hanging on to Falvey for so long that he cost them big bucks. So stupid of them. But it is their own damn fault.

The Twins now find themselves in a horrible situation. They tried t ok sell but no one is willing to buy outright this failed franchise. I have to believe the Pohlads asked for $1.7B with the new owner taking on $450 million in debt, meaning you are paying over $2 Billion for a failing team. That would have broke the deal to any potential buyer. Really —the best the Twins could do is clear $1.2 B. Now here are the problems: they tore down the team and repeatedly and absolutely angered the fan base over the last 2-3 years. Putting buffoon Joe in charge lead to mistake after mistake (apparently Invle Jim has to step in to save him from time to time, like with Correa). The players are confused and unsettled. Some want out (some got out). Management and coaching seems rudderless and unrespected by the players. what chance do they have at pulling in free agents? Who would want to join this mess? Total system failure has lead to the fans abandoning the team. Attendance is caving. Season tickets have disappeared. So, with declining revenues and unhappy fans and players, what do the owners do? Nothing! Just dump all the salaries and then keep doing what they have been doing for the last 10 years. Same-O same-0! Nothing changes. Pretty disheartening! But what else can I do but abandon the Pohlads???!?!!

Disaster is right. The Pohlads thought they had a valuable franchise on their hands but constant mismanagement and notorious fan anger have made the team far less worthy then they expected. Best thing they can do now is fire Joe. He is a one man wrecking crew!

What Plan? There is no plan!

Yes absolutely the worst news possible from Jo(k)e! I keep saying the same thing and I can’t possibly understand how new owners would accept this: the Pohlads built this disastrous dumpster of a team by 1) running up $450 million in debt and 2) destroying the Twins Nation of fandom. And new co-owners are going to come in and presumably buy down that debt while allowing the same idiots run the team again? What BS could they have possibly pushed to these new investors to get them to agree to such a deal? This can only make sense if the new owners have substantial control immediately or a promise of full control when Joe screws it up all over again! The level or greed here is astonishing. Earlier posters are right—Joe has ZERO creditability left and the Pohlad family might not be able to rebuild it even if they push Joe aside. Same for Falvey. Same for Rocco. it’s really sad to see the longtime home of Harmon, Tony-O, Puckett, Hrbek, Mauer and so many other great teammates shredded by disgusting ownership!!!

I can understand Correa, too much money for what we got in return. But Varland? WTH is going on? I can't understand this.....

This is the most stunning sell-off that I have ever seen! The Twinkies are genuinely, randomly GIVING AWAY players now...and not just middling players, but top shelf talent! Amazing the trades! Jax, Duran, these trades make no sense. The Duran trade was seriously lopsided, but then Jax, just stunning. WOW! I imagine that another potential buyer walked away from the Pohlads, so young Joe Pohlad said "GO AHEAD, sell whatever, dump them all, let's get this team salary cost wayyyy down...I am tired of this....nobody likes me anyways so f##K them! Let them see what I can do!" I am amazed that Buxton and Jenkins, Lewis and Lee are still here!

And now there goes Jax!!! To the Rays....

I flat agree with others here—Falvey got Hornswaggled! Dumbrowski played him like a fiddle. He is soooo out of his depth making trades. A couple wins, and toms of losses. I can just imagine Dumbrowski telling him “If you have a better offer, take it! But this is our best offer and probably your best offer.” But that was well before Today when the relief pieces are almost all gone and you’re holding several of those pieces and the offers are going to ratchet up. so we traded the consensus best available RP on the planet for a #3 SP and a lottery ticket that is probably 3 years away. Again, with all the desperation out there for RP right now, I am sure there are other Gems out there that are shaking their head. And some saying “we would have topped that offer!” Maybe some did but Falvey took this stupid deal. He traded ann 80-grade for a 55-grade pitcher with 45-grade control. For comparison, the As just traded a good RP, Mason Miller (not even close to Duran) for SS DeVries, the MLB #3 prospect! Other pieces in the deal but this is massively better than Tait or Abel. so here’s what I see will happen. The Twins will run Abel out there for the next 2-3 years as a middling #5 SP or maybe convert him to a middling RP. They have to justify the trade. He will never rise up the ladder—he just doesn’t appear to have the tools and has below average control (45 grade). That takes years to learn and he’s had years and still has 45. At this point, I’m AAA/AAAA he should be ready to go with at least average control. Think Ron Davis. Just never gonna get you to the promised land. And Tait….might be a fine C someday and might be a DH. Who knows? Nobody.

Huh? I’d do this trade 1000 times out of 100 if I am Dumbrowski! Falvey was again Falveyed!

The asking price for Duran was TWO TOP-100 PROSPECTS. They got one (Abel is ranked 49) and one lottery ticket. Nice. I have to hand it to Falvey, he's doing a mighty fine job (cough, choke!). I am sure there are 3-4 other teams out there that are saying to themselves "What the H? We could have bettered that deal!" Yeah, kinda underwhelming.

Well, it was nice to dream about Painter....I am sure they tried.....sigh....but the take sounds pretty good. I was really hoping for a trade with LAD to snag Dalton Rushing....more dreaming?? LOL

If the core is good or better than good, then it HAS TO BE the coaches. There are three sides to this coaching mess: in game tactics, pregame strategy and player development/training. We all watch just the first and grumble about the continuous substitutions. I cannot comment on the pregame strategy but it doesn’t often show well. But player development and training is an abysmal failure! It just seems like every player goes great guns up to AAA then flames out in the Biggs. That lands squarely on the coaches. They are an abject failure at getting players from AAA to MLB!!! When is the last time we had a player come from AAA and STICK? Maybe Puckett? Sure there’s gonna be adjustments. That’s the problem. The players get to MLB and the coaches are helpless with adjustments. Even big leaguers like Correa can’t seem to make adjustments. How long did it take Buxton? We ave a bunch of players still trying to figure it out and some may never find it (Miranda, Julien). Look at players like Sano, Gordon. Maybe bad drafts but never converted the hype to MLB. That’s ALL coaching. the players are not held accountable and the coaches are not held accountable for these failures. Rinse and repeat. INSANITY to beloved this will change.

I agree. I like Ballesteros and the Twins need a good C prospect, but I fully agree…for Ryan just not enough. Like all seem to say, it has to be an amazing package and this is not it.

Same thing with Royce. Then he struggles at 2B, 1B and 3B and the team can’t figure out what’s wrong with his defense! How many reps did he actually get at 3B in A, AA and AAA?

Maybe just maybe if he got consistent reps and training at one position he might develop into a fine IFer. He looks good at SS. Very good. Unfortunately that’s about all he played in the minors but then he makes the Biggs and they say “Sorry you can’t play at short (except when CC has foot probs). So grab a glove and find a position. Why didn’t they train him as a 2Bman instead of SS if they knew he was blocked! I’d put this one on Twins MISmanagement!!

Sorry “their arms…”

Nice game but again Rocco pulls an absolutely boneheaded move by pushing out Duran for the 9th inning with a FIVE RUN LEAD!!! What is wrong with this guy? Now Duran is shut down for a few days to recover from overuse! WTH was Rocco thinking? This is just so frustrating. There was absolutely no need to put Duran back out in the 9th. His over-reliance on Jax and Duran is likely to burn out there arms well before we get into September. Duran is just not built for long outings! Grrrrr!!!

Wow, shades of Kirby Puckett at Target Field! Amazing day for an electric All Star! Equally amazing was that Rocco almost pulled Buxton in the 7th inning just before his majestic HR. The bench coaches had to stop him from doing so, reminding him that Buck was one swing away from the cycle! An inane Rocco thought process made even more astonishing when you realize how disconnected from the game Rocco was. What game was he watching? There wee 25,964 fans who knew the cycle was in play, but Rocco doesn’t see that and he’s gonna pull Buck? Really? He admitted this in his post game interview!! Geez, it exactly endearing PR to admit such stupidity. Can you imagine how the fans, the team, the media and Buck would have reacted if he had pulled Buck in the 7th? Wowza!!

I am not a doctor...but....I think this all traces back to his original knee injury. During that time off, he spent his time lifting weights. He must have worked out incessantly because he came back seriously bulked up. Now, the problem is that being a baseball player isn't all about bulking up. You still have to run, jump, make plenty of quick, jerky, snappy moves. And bulked up bodies are not built that way...he is built to lift stones, not make flea flicker moves. Compare his bulked up body to Wallner or Correa or even Buxton. Sure they lift weights, but not just to bulk up. They stretch constantly and in ways to limber up those muscles. These guys can outright MOVE FAST. So, when Royce tries to run at 90 mph he pulls one of those bulked up muscles. Over and over!!!

What an stupid statement. Come on...bunting has been around for decades. It is a fine tool used when you need to push across a single run. Like in extra innings. There are plenty of good times to lay down a bunt. It takes imagination, intelligence and a quick understanding of the situation to surprise the opponents with a bunt. I can guarantee you, if Vasquez turns around and bunts on the first pitch, all his old teammates are going to say "WOAH!" No one expects that because the moron in charge decides that one of the worst hitters in the AL should swing away, every time. The most frustrating problem that I have with Rocco is that HE DOES NOT LEARN FROM HIS MISTAKES. He just keeps repeating them. GRRRRRRR!!!!!! Insanity!

JUST WHAT has this club shown over the last few years? That they can run up an astonishing $400 million dollars in debt....even while focusing on money! Hmmmm.... Think about this...$400 mill is probably twice the annual payroll--meaning they would run up $400 mill in 2 years if they had zero income, which of course is nonsense. So, this has likely been going on for several years or even decades...it takes a long time to run up $400 million debt with a company that probably has revenues in the range of $100-200 million range. Another possibility is that the Pohlad family has already been "monetizing" the Twins club by borrowing against the franchise value. And, that's a LOT of monetizing! To pull out 25-30% of the value of the organization just to pad your already bulging pockets is crazy. I am sure this is a major stumbling block in any sale...and might actually be the underlying reason for the sale! A bank is not going to allow you to continue to pile up debt indefinitely. At some point they expect the noteholder to start paying down this debt. I suspect it is with these notes might have originated with Marquette Bank, who the Pohlads sold to Wells Fargo for around $1 BILLION back in 2002. Maybe Wells Fargo is asking for some money back? What I find astonishing INANE is that the Pohlads are asking buyers to allow them to "continue running the team" after the sale!!! Whattttt? You just ran up $400 million in debt on this company and you want to keep running it? What planet are they on????

Then just DFA him! No need to worry about losing him and losing him would not be a bad end result!