TJSweens

Until Joe Ryan actually finishes a season strong, I would no chance. Something always happens to Joe after the AS break. One year it was a groin strain. Then it was virus. Then it was the shoulder strain. Last year he just faded.

My guess is that the sample size of success is too small to bring a significant return. It's already been pointed out that Gomez is exactly what the Twins tend to look for...a good young arm under team control for several years. I would like to see the Twins break the cycle of continuously trading for a future that never gets here.

It's like saying...if he could just keep hitters from pounding the snot out of him he'd be pretty good.

Average age in high A is 23.

Unbelievable Sam. He's 20 years old in a league of 23 and 24 year olds and you are already moving him to the bullpen. It's way to soon to question whether can stick as a starter. Let's give them enough time to refine his mechanics and see what they have.

His speed and his arm would also grade high. I would give his hit consistency an incomplete. The tools are absolutely there. It's a matter of knowing how to use them.

Before he went to AAA, Royce looked like a hitter who was overthinking everything. His body language didn't exactly scream confidence. His AB looked very mechanical. Almost like he was going through a check list of every component of his swing before every pitch. Lewis looks more relaxed now. His swing looks fluid. Now it seems to be...see ball, hit ball. It's only a few games, but there seems to be some loud contact. His plate discipline looks improved too. Like I said, it's only a few games. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If Royce has worked it out, he still has a huge upside.

That's a .715 OPS, which is just league average. I don't think AAA will do him any good though. Get rid of Bell and move Keaschall to DH where his brutal defense won't hurt us.

The writing was on the wall when the Twins used Cody Clemens in CF instead of Outman against RHP when Buxton was nursing his sore hip.

This is straight up overthinking things. Prielipp is a rookie pitcher, who's career is 8 games old. The league adjusts. Now it's Prielipp's turn to make adjustments.

Outman peaked as a rookie and has gone steadily down hill ever since. His current OPS is below .500. Even when Buck was DH because of hip strain, they played Clemmens in CF instead of Outman. I don't think his age or how young he was when he was good matters at this point. Release Outman and give his roster spot to Fedko.

I think you underestimate the impact of that additional year of team control and Joe being a year older. The impact is at the top of the deal, not the bottom. Last year potential deals revolved around a minimum of two top 100 prospects with one being elite or even a good young major leaguer. Now they are talking about a deal built around a single top 100.

There was an article on Sim at the beginning of the year stating the opposite. He supposedly bulked up in hopes of improving stamina and pitching deeper more consistently. I was never sold on Sim being a long term rotation option. I saw him more as a guy who pitched his way back into the conversation last year.

Ryan should have been extended last off season to a 3 or 4 year deal. The Twins failure to do so was criminally stupid. It would opened their decision window on him wider. It also would have increased his value at this year's deadline. As it is, the Twins are now in a position where they will get less for Ryan this year than they could have gotten last year.

A minor point Cody, but why you site anything Charlie Walters says? I print out his column to line my bird cage.