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mluebker

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Everything posted by mluebker

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. mluebker
    Amen. But the hunt for consistent power hitters who can’t field will nevertheless continue.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.)
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. mluebker
    But it also seems to be a red flag with guys who’ve been around for 2-3 years and keep underperforming. They keep getting second and third chances because of that magic word, continue to disappoint, and still have people making a case to give them more chances when they’ve pretty much shown us who they are and what they can do.
  13. mluebker
    I think you nailed it. He’s a guy who obviously was successful at every level he’s played. He learned how to handle that just fine, but apparently is unable to deal with things not coming naturally or easily. He’s probably been the star on every team he was part of and thought that always would be the case. And that initial success probably convinced him that was going to continue. But now everyone else out there was the best or among the best, and it sounds like for the first time in his experience they’ve figured out his weaknesses and he can’t adjust. For all the talk of his talent and tools, he seems to lack the ability to deal with that kind of adversity. Send him down to try to fix that, sure. But at this point the clock is ticking.
  14. mluebker
    The Twins have always been and will continue to be a better team with Byron Buxton on the field and in the line-up. While the statistical analysis is interesting, it’s not relevant to his real value, much of which can’t be measured by numbers, but by the confidence in and respect for him his teammates and the fans have for him.
  15. mluebker
    I love watching a guy who can use his head like that to gain an advantage. Smart baseball.
  16. mluebker
    It’s tempting to think a spending spree would have made the Twins more attractive to buyers when the Pohlads were trying to sell. But there are just too many other factors in play (detailed in the comments above) that make the Twins’ and Padres’ circumstances too different. That’s not to say I wouldn’t _like_ to see the Twins invest in more on-field talent—I think doing so probably would make the team more attractive to some buyers. But $3.9 billion attractive? Not anytime soon.
  17. mluebker
    We keep hearing about Lewis’s potential upside while he continues to perform only marginally better at the plate than Kody Clemens, with far less defensive flexibility. While I started off a big fan, it looks like he’s never going to overcome his consistency and injury issues. Unless there’s a miraculous turnaround when he comes back from his current trip to the IL, maybe it IS time to start shopping him around.
  18. mluebker
    This doesn’t happen by accident, it happens because the recent iterations of the Twins have tried to build a strong offense with little regard for defense. Too much nostalgia for the Bomba Squad, maybe. The result is a roster full of guys who have little idea what to do with a glove, too many of whom have also not lived up to the hype about their hitting skills. So except for Buxton and Jeffers, it’s a roster with too many underachieving hitters who aren’t getting on base or scoring runs who then give away outs and runs when they take the field. The best you can say is they’re consistent (just not at anything that wins games).
  19. mluebker
    It’s getting old and worn out, because both of your statements are true. This is what it means to be a Twins fan in 2026.
  20. mluebker
    Dang, there’s always someone talking sense to me!
  21. mluebker
    Oops, you beat me to it!
  22. mluebker
    Then Brooks Lee can move to third. Culpepper looks like the Twins’ shortstop of the future—no need to try to turn him into another utility player.
  23. mluebker
    Even better yet I'd say managers should take both historical data into account as well as the current game situation, and make decisions appropriately… Or best of all, have a manager who’ll put down the iPad once in a while and actually manage the team based on his accumulated experience and what his gut is telling him. I hear that used to work pretty good.
  24. mluebker
    You’re a generous man and I hope you’re right. But it feels like we’ve seen this movie before.
  25. mluebker
    Meet the new boss(es). Same as the old boss(es). Ryan’s only given up one hit and thrown 85 pitches, but he gets the hook so the Baltimore line-up won’t see him a third time? With a stitched-together bullpen where no one even has a fixed role? It’s gonna be a loooooong season.
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