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mluebker

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Everything posted by mluebker

  1. mluebker
    I’m glad to hear everyone in the lineup doesn’t need to be a power hitter. Now, if they just could decide to teach prospects to play one position well, instead of 3-4 adequately, the Twins might start looking like a team that can win, instead of a hodge-podge roster of good intentions and meager results.
  2. mluebker
    Both the article and the comments here underscore just how confusing it is to try to figure out the Twins’ roster moves mean these days. All of us want to believe there’s a plan of some kind, but what it might be remains an open question. Other than trying to assure every position player but Buxton and Jeffries can play at least three positions and never know when or where they’ll be in the lineup, I’m not sure there is a plan.
  3. mluebker
    If Lewis remains with the Twins (which assumes he rediscovers how to hit MLB pitching, otherwise he’s gone at the trade deadline), first base is his destiny.
  4. mluebker
    The biggest surprise to me is reading that Justin Verlander still is pitching and that he’s in AAA on a rehab stint.
  5. mluebker
    Yes and yes. You’d hope someone in the front office would have reached that conclusion by now. And as for defensive versatility, they have that—a roster full of bat-first guys who are mediocre to awful at multiple positions.
  6. mluebker
    Maybe it’s time for someone in the front office to ask whether it’s how the Twins develop young players that actually needs a reset. They’re getting consistent results, but not good ones.
  7. mluebker
    I was thinking the same thing. Who else is evaluating the hitters and calling the pitches? Not everyone out there is a Greg Maddux-level strategist. These days, maybe no one is.
  8. mluebker
    Any GM who’d want Bell in the lineup and on the field ahead of Clemens should be forced to resign. Oh wait, he was.
  9. mluebker
    All out of hope for this guy.
  10. mluebker
    Along with Lewis. It really should be make or break time for both of these guys. Yeah, they seem to be able to tee off on AAA pitching, but how many years of struggling with MLB pitching does that buy them? Unless the goal is making the Saints fun to watch when these guys are across town for “a reset” (and I’d argue that the guys in the prospect pipeline are much more interesting), it’s time to see if any other organization wants to take them on.
  11. mluebker
    For me, you trade him because: the Twins aren’t going to win anything this year. And the one remaining year of control is likely going to be another truncated or lost year because of a lockout, strike, or both, while they wrangle over the CBA. The Pohlads aren’t going to splurge on a winning roster for that. So they’d be wasting a valuable asset—and not doing Ryan any favors—by keeping him on a team he can’t carry by himself, and passing up the opportunity to pick up some prospects who might be ready for a better Twins roster in 2028. (And I agree with the guy above about no more “redundant LH hitting corner players that last regime liked to stock-pile & hoard.”)
  12. mluebker
    Give the guy a chance to pitch for a winner and restock the young talent for 2028 and beyond. I hate the idea, but it makes sense.
  13. mluebker
    Also known as the 21st century version of “The Twins Way.”
  14. mluebker
    Too soon, in my estimation, but people want to see him play and that can put butts in seats, at least until the next slump starts. Trying to be cautiously optimistic, but also don’t want to be that guy who keeps doing the same thing over and over and is surprised when he keeps getting the same results.
  15. mluebker
    IF there were any likelihood that the Twins were actually looking to build a team, not just put together a roster; and IF 2027 was going to be a normal season, not one shortened by a lockout or strike, it might make sense for that one year. But realistically, the current Twins seem unlikely to suddenly decide they want to win (instead of just being “competitive”) and they’d need not only Jeffers and Buxton, but upgrades at almost every other position. So no, trade him at the deadline, hope the Pohlads sell, write off 2027 as another lost year, and pray that the new owners start planning for 2028 right away.
  16. mluebker
    SWR is a throwback to the days when you didn’t need an overpowering fastball to make the rotation, just enough different pitches and the ability to use them wisely and keep hitters off balance. Clearly, he’s still working on that. But when or if he gets there, he’ll almost certainly be wearing a different uniform.
  17. mluebker
    Amen. But the hunt for consistent power hitters who can’t field will nevertheless continue.
  18. mluebker
    Unfortunately, they ARE putting the best they have out there, and it IS management malfeasance. And while the like to pretend they care about fans’ opinions, it’s pretty clear they have zero interest in what any of us are willing to accept. Our choices are 1) take it or 2) leave it.
  19. mluebker
    “His profile also aligns with traits the Twins have traditionally valued. Minnesota has often targeted players with strong baseball instincts, defensive versatility, and a demonstrated ability to improve. Lackey checks all of those boxes.” As did too many of the Twins’ recent draft choices, guys who can’t seem to find a regular position to play or spot on the roster. And as mentioned above, it’s not as though there aren’t a some decent catching prospects already in the pipeline.
  20. mluebker
    I think everyone here wants that—I sure do—but it’s pretty clear that’s not going to happen this year. And maybe not next year either, while the CPA gets negotiated and a possible lockout looms. So my point is that we might as well be pragmatic and accept that these are the 2026 Twins and find whatever positives we can in the roster they have. (Until the trade deadline, I suppose.)
  21. mluebker
    On the other hand, you could be happy that he’s been a relatively successful bright spot while guys like Lewis and Wallner are landing in St. Paul because they haven’t been living up to their alleged potential. I’d be happy to have more low-ceiling guys like Clemens—guys who play hard every time they’re out there—than guys with all the tools who’ve forgotten what to do with them. At least they’re fun to watch.
  22. mluebker
    With the Twins, it rarely seems to matter what you were, only what they want you to be. Sometimes that works, other times you end up with unhappy ballplayers who may end up in Tampa Bay’s rotation or back in St. Paul trying to relearn to hit.
  23. mluebker
    Whatever the Twins do, it's not going to be much more than the old cliche: rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. IF Lewis rediscovers how to use a bat while in St. Paul, and IF the Twins haven't decided they've had enough and try to trade him, then he's going to end up at first base eventually, if for no other reason than to reduce the possibility of him being injured playing a more strenuous position. So why not get him ready for that now, instead of bringing him back up with Twins for on-the-job-training against MLB competition that always seems to put him on edge? Even if he starts hitting again, there's pretty much nowhere else he's going to fit on a Twins team of the future.
  24. mluebker
    Fortunately for him (and Twins fans), he’s not playing for a contender. At a time when there’s little to cheer about, there’s at least one guy out there who’s exceeding expectations.
  25. mluebker
    He needs a clean reboot. Maybe get some video of how he hit in college and nudge him back toward that—too much of what hitting coaches seem do to "maximize" a hitter's swing clearly are not helping and probably are hurting. Let the guy hit the way that got him on everyone's radar in the first place, stop filling his head with advice that's distracting him, and settle for whatever his approach to hitting was on his way up. It used to look pretty good And while he's in St. Paul, start him at first base so he gets comfortable there. That's where he's going to end up eventually, at least if he's able to start hitting again. Then we can be done with all of the "How do the Twins solve their problem at first base?" articles and discussions.
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