Dman

Really nice to see Sands pitching well again. If he keeps it up he could help out in the MLB rotation or pen if needed. I hope he has figured something out and becomes a viable MLB option. Have to say Cave is starting to impress me. He is hitting for more power, taking walks has the long on base streak going. wondering if he is trade worthy as I still don't see room on the roster for him but if he keeps this up he will make a 40 man somewhere. Holy Moley Jullien was on fire last night. I really like the guys with a good eye at the plate as they seem to always eventually produce well with the bat. Martin finally seems to be getting his groove back as well. Sure could use a big second half from him to turn his prospect status around. Festa is still pitching well. It looked like he lost his control that last inning and he finally gave up some runs but it doesn't look like he will be at High for long if he keeps this up. Much better pitching and hitting throughout the system. Much more fun in the box scores today.

For a top 10, round 1 pick, taking a guy with an average to possibly slightly below average hit tool is not ideal so I could see Green falling to 8. If you want a window into a guy that only needs his bat to come around to be a 5 tool player look at Keoni Cavaco as a cautionary tale. Green is incredibly talented, essentially Buxton 2.0 with suspect contact skills. He is very young and things could change but without the bat his 4 other plus skills won't completely make up for it. I don't know enough about the swing and miss to know how concerning the issues really are but if Green is still there at 8 they have a tough decision to make. If Greens hit tool does come around he is likely a perennial all star player. He was considered as a 1, 1 pick at times early in the season until Johnson and Jones became darlings with you guessed it better bat to ball skills. Still if he is there at 8 I would probably take on that risk as that star potential is likely too tempting to pass up. We will see if he falls that far as most mocks have him in the top 5. Still like I said and this mock anticipates I wouldn't be surprised to see the player with the lowest rated hit tool fall to the guys with plus hit tools. It makes sense because the guys with the best hit tools have the best chance of making it. The other skills are nice and all but if you can't hit you can't move up and if you can't move up you can't make it to MLB. Maybe someone can refresh my memory on what the grade Buxton's hit tool was. I am not sure it was plus and he turned out just fine, but maybe he was a better hitter out of high school than I remember. At any rate if Green falls I would bet the Twins take him over Neto.

Yeah Law see's him as someone who likely is plus defensively with a plus hit tool and arm. I still think he can grow into plus power but that might be a but too high of an expectation. I really think he could be a solid four tool guy in time. Ultimately he will not be plus runner but still likely above average. His ceiling is very close to a five tool player IMO. His Floor is Nick Gorden with better defense at short which is a little scary. I think he has a better eye at the plate and can be more patient than Gordon and I think he will have more power as well but who knows. Wood bats can change things. Still his skillset and ability to be a fast mover intrigue me and having a plus bat that can stick at short would be huge for the system so I think Neto at 8 is a solid pick. I like everyone in the top 7 a bit more but Neto is my pick for 8 if those are all taken.

Right now Ushela is the primary 3rd baseman so he can't play there. Polanco is back and he and Arraez will cover 2nd base. Arraez and Kirilloff are covering 1st base. Where exactly are they going to play him? Sure they can mix and match some but he looks like the odd man out right now and a good bat for the DH spot. Probably split it more with Garlick and Buxton to some degree. When facing righties they probably go with one of Kirilloff and Arraez for 1st base and DH. It just points out all the more that they don't really need a bat only player right now. Especially a righty bat only player. If Cruz was going to replace someone it would probably be Garlick but again why? Garlick costs far less and as of today his production so far this season is better than Cruz. Cruz is great in the club house but from what I understand the Twins already have the best club house ever and great leadership from Buxton and Correa. They don't really need Cruz for that either. Again I like Nelson Cruz. I think very, very highly of him. It is nothing personal at all but I don't think he raises the bar on the team we have right now. For a bat only player he needs that OPS in the high 800 to low 900 area to move the needle for me. He isn't there. Unless that changes I would just pass.

He didn't help the Twins win 1 playoff game in 2019 or 2020 and he didn't help the Rays in the playoffs much either. So yeah I will take a rookie with really good bat to ball skills in that spot. He can't do much worse than that. Heck I would even take Garlick in that spot especially against lefties. I like Cruz but the way this team is constructed he doesn't fit well IMO.

Jose Miranda for the Month of June .313 / .353 / .531 (.884 OPS) got it covered.

Honestly I think Nelson Cruz's success in Minnesota had more to do with a down (many teams rebuilding) central division than anything else. Once he was moved to Tampa and faced stiffer competition he wasn't the same player. It appears to be the same in Washington. He also went silent in the playoffs as well. I like Nelson as a player and even more as a great human being but IMO I think we are better off sticking with what we have.

Everybody likes Correa. Falvey, Levine and Jim Pohlad like Correa but if a ten year deal is what it is going to take this FO isn't going to take on that kind of risk even for Correa. I am not sure if they can work out some sort of compromise for seven years but that would have to be as far as I could ever see the Twins going. I really hope Correa likes it here but like Buxton he is going to have to come to some sort of compromise if he wants to stay in Minnesota. I mean if he just has to be the highest paid shortstop in Baseball then sign him for 7 years at 35M per year with team options for years 8, 9 and 10 at 45 Mil per year. Give Correa opt outs after years 3, 5 and 7. Get creative if that is what it takes. At the end of the day if he wants to stay there is going to have to be give and take from both sides.

Man when the best pitcher at the MiLB level was a reliever you know it was a bad day for the system. The pitching for the Twins affiliates has been getting worse as the season moves on. Here's hoping adjustments are made and things get better from here on out. For a while there I thought the Muscles were going to be no hit but they did manage to get going eventually. Not sure why it is so hard to hit in that league but it sure makes Emmanual Rodriguez look like a special talent. Nice to see CES off to a good start with another Home run. Hoping the Monday (Tuesday) blues have worn off and the teams do better today.

If Collier or Parada are there I would take them but I don't think they will be there. I like Berry I really do and I think he will be a Major league talent. His being a switch hitter is a big plus for a power hitter and he should be a fast mover. The thing is the Twins have a lot of guys to play 1st base including Kirilloff who is likely plus defensively there. Also spending a top 8 pick on a 1st Base, DH guy seems like a bad move given in most drafts you can find that type of player in the lower end of the first round, Unless they think that bat is absolutely elite I would skip. I just don't care for Jace Jung or the profile. We have a ton of second base type players with good plate discipline and some pop in the bat. His limitations defensively do not appeal to me at number 8 and in the end I don't see the bat as "that" special. I think Cross is an OK pick but haven't we seen this profile play out poorly for us more often than not. Rooker and Sabato had issues with breaking balls and neither player appears to have fixed that issue. We have a pretty full outfield right now with Wallner coming up making it even more full. While there isn't a ton of depth behind Wallner and the team is very thin on Centerfield depth I still don't love the Cross pick but would be OK with it. To be honest I think Emmanual Rodriguez might be the better play than Cross in the end anyway. I am torn on Daniel Susac. Is the bat really going to work out? He is big for a catcher as well. I just don't know enough about him but I think he could be a good pick on an under slot deal at eight. He doesn't have the Buzz some of the other players have but good offensive catchers are hard to find and he looks like he would be worth the risk if the Twins wanted to go that route. I still like Neto the best though. He can stay at short and he has Arraez type bat to ball skills. He can steal bases and the best all around player the Twins could take at number 8 IMO. Finding good up the middle talent is really hard and when the opportunity is there I think you have to take it. Quality Shortstop and Centerfielders are always gone at the top of the draft. Given how this team looks we won't be picking this high for a while. If none of the other top 7 players fall then Neto would be my pick. He could be a fast mover at a position of almost perpetual scarcity in the Twins system. I think if he is there the Twins will pick him.

For me the narrative was when he first came up almost disbelief that a guy not even in the top 30 could be that good at the MLB level. I think most all fans loved and appreciated what Arraez brought to the team when he first came up. And remember this was pre Polanco when Arraez was the primary second baseman. Then he had that knee injury and with Polanco entrenched at 2nd base things\opinions started to change. He seemed to start the season OK but the knee(s) would flair up and it did seem to affect him at the plate as well. He just wasn't quite as effective a hitter. Also while he could play third it wasn't an ideal spot for him and his defense was average to slightly below at best. His numbers at the plate didn't look that great compared to other 3rd basemen either. They tried him in left but that wasn't a great fit either. He was starting to look like an injury prone OK bat with no great defensive home. Posters like me started to think about the benefits of finding a player that can OPS as much or more than Arraez and play above average defense as well and he seemed on a somewhat downward trend (OPS 2019 .838, 2020 .766, 2021 .733). Then he shows up this year in great shape. The Twins start him off in favorable Righty lefty matchups and suddenly we have the new and improved Arraez who also seems to be able to finally hit for power as well. The Narrative has changed and so have peoples opinions about how good he really is and how he can help this team. I just don't think you can hate or really be a hater on Arraez as I think most everyone respects his plate discipline and the finger wag. I think you can be a doubter though about how he has played the last two years and his all around skill set. He seems to be working out defensively at 1st and if he is needed I think he would be OK at 2nd as well. Arraez put in a lot of work this offseason that is paying off so he can stick it to his doubters this year as he once again looks like one of, if not the best bat (for batting average) in all of baseball. I hope he keeps it going.

I agree. I think the Twins are dealing with enough youth at the MLB level as it is and unless there are more season ending injuries who do you replace on the 26 man for him? There is no room right now without letting someone else go. Unless a lot of bad things happen I just don't see Steer as an option for this year. He does have to be added for next season and if he continues to be as good as he has been he will get his chances next year.

Kind of thought the Twins might lose as I thought Winder might not have his mojo back. Glad to be wrong as he looked good out there and went 6 innings which was nice. Also nice to see Jovani Moran take two innings. He likes to go 3 and 2 a lot but seems to get the job done. Nice bounce back but Cleveland has Beiber for the last game so hopefully the Twins can find a way to win tomorrow.

Changed it. Thanks!

For the most part I can agree with your OP but I think you chose the wrong words, way wrong words when you talk about people loving or hating Arraez. I can't think of a single poster that hated Arraez as a hitter and pointing out his flaws as even you do in the piece doesn't make people haters but realists. Realistically he isn't a great defensive player. He isn't a fast player and that doesn't mean people "hate" him it just means they they see him objectively. I guess I don't see anything wrong with that. Yes there were and maybe still are those that believe his lack of defense is problematic. Heck I even proposed trading him as he hadn't had an OPS over 770 in two years and his knee's seemed to be causing him issues pretty much every season. That doesn't mean I hated him but sure I can admit I didn't completely appreciate the difference maker he could be with just the bat. He is huge part of this teams success and I am glad the Twins have put him in better positions to succeed. With Cruz's help he seems to be adding power now as well which only makes him more valuable. I just don't think your love hate theme is an accurate portrayal at all.

That is some interesting analysis. The K rate is there. The walk rate is there but the hits just keep on coming making that WHIP a real problem. Gotta say I don't love guys that give up tons of hits like he is but with that K and walk rate it is tempting to see what it would cost to pry him from the A's. Still is this the kind of risk you want to take fighting for a playoff spot? If he continues to be "unlucky" is that how you want to use a 40 spot and trade capital? Not sure I am sold on the timing but I will say that it is certainly something to think about.

I think Gray is one of those pitchers that is going to be around for a while but I wouldn't ever plan on him being healthy for a full season. He really knows how to pitch and like Grienke will find ways to get guys out well into his 30's. That being said I don't know that I would be in a hurry to extend him. Certainly I would wait and see how this whole season pans out and if he remains consistent and fairly healthy then approach him with an extension. Given his age I would think there is a good chance he would take it. I know we have young guys coming up but you can never have too much good pitching and if for some reason you do it is the gold standard for trades so it can help in other ways as well.

Can't really replace a personality like Wes so that is a loss. Having an upbeat personality with lot's of positive energy really can help the confidence of those around you. That coupled with the knowledge he has of the body and he is going to be very, very tough to replace. I agree that his ability to communicate complex things in an easy manner made players more comfortable learning, growing and seeing results. He also like Rocco was really good at team building, being approachable and looking out for the health of the players. That being said there are lot's of great pitching coaches throughout the Majors and the Twins seem to be a team that can find coaches other teams overlook. Their coaches seem to get poached all the time. I hate to see Wes go but I also think the Twins will find a good replacement.

My thoughts exactly. Call me glass half empty but after the opening 11-1 win it feels like this team will get shutout with the bats going quiet the next few games. They really have a hard time staying consistent pitching or hitting and yet here they are 3 up in first place. I should probably just enjoy where the team is at but the baseball gods give and they take away. They gave a lot yesterday the take away can't be far behind.

I think because we need to free Beckham, Steer, Helman and Hamilton first because they all have higher OPS's than he does at AAA. While his average and OBP are good he is not hitting for enough power to play in right or left field IMO. He had a better slugging percentages when he was in the minors in 2017 and 2019. When his OPS was .985 in 2019 that is when he got called up to the Twins. If he gets back there I could see him being an option but right now the Twins are using Mark Contreras in the Jake Cave role who technically is playing worse at AAA than Jake. Maybe the Twins see some trade value left for Cave and don't want to risk adding him and losing him to wavers hard to say but I think Cave will move on after this year to an org that might need a decent 4th outfielder. I don't think the Twins are gong to have room with Larnach, Kepler, Buxton, Celestino, Kirilloff and possibly Gordon, Not to mention they will need room to add Wallner after this year. I like Cave more than most but I agree with some others who have said he was more of a break glass in case of emergency if the young guys failed to improve. It looks like Celestino, Larnach and Kirilloff have all shown enough now that he is likely not needed after this year. I would love to see him stay but I think he can play at the MLB level and just needs a chance to get back there.

For Wes this decision had to be a no brainer. Even if the Twins decided to match the salary it probably wouldn't have helped. In College he doesn't have to deal with a 162 game schedule. He won't have to travel as much so he will be home more. He will be making double what he is making right now. I think if a pitching coach can get that much money from a college program it would be almost impossible to turn down. Good for Wes he established a reputation as one of the better pitching coaches out there and now that hard work is paying off. It does stink that he is leaving in the middle of the season but I have to believe other coaches know how to use the latest technology to their advantage and the Twins have also been pretty good at finding coaches that are up to speed on the latest technologies. I will miss him but if I was in his shoes I would have done the same thing.

That is an excellent synopsis of this season so far. Thanks for that! Just when you think something good is happening something fails. Just when you resign the team to failure it finds success. Still this is much better than last year when they were out of it from the beginning. I feel for KC and Detroit but we paid our dues last year. Hopefully the Twins find a way to put it all together and take the division.

I really like Pierson Ohl so was happy to see him get pitcher of the day. He seems to be getting more consistent after his rough start. Haven't been able to see him pitch yet but would like to. I watched a bit of the Wichita game with Enlow pitching. He looked like he was giving up hard contact and having trouble missing bats. Granted he is still working on getting back on track from TJ but his stuff didn't look as good as I had hoped. He definitely has worked on his lower half as his legs are thick now. Hopefully he just gets stronger through the year and gets better movement for some swing and miss. The other team totally pitched around Wallner except for the first at bat which I missed. They even gave him an intentional walk with two men on at one point in the game. Maybe move him up to AAA where at least they pitch to him? Steer looks good. He looks like another viable option at the big league level.

If Larnach, Jeffers and Winder work out that will one heck of a draft. I still like Sands but I also still think his future is in the bullpen. I also think Schulfer has a chance yet to be a pen arm. He has been shaky at time in AAA but he still has a chance. Helman has really turned a corner and while is probably too old to be a prospect he still has the potential to make an MLB club IMO. Funderburk has pitched well the last two years. He doesn't appear to have dominant stuff but I bet he too could be a good pen arm by letting the fastball play up. I keep waiting and watching for LaRon Smith and he is off to a good start at low A. Will be interesting to see if his bat stay good as I guess I don't understand why he wasn't at Low A last year. 2018 has the potential to be a really good draft but the players have to perform well and continue to play at the MLB level before we can say for sure.

Miranda is getting a lot of Lefty Righty matchups which is helping him. I wouldn't mind seeing him get more DH time and give Urshela a rest now and then certainly wouldn't hurt as Rocco seems to rest everyone else. I think it would be nice to see him out there more since he seems to be handling himself well at the plate. The tough part about being a rookie is you need experience to become a veteran. Maybe the Twins are just trying to protect him by only finding favorable matchups to play him in. He is performing well so I can see why the Twins don't seem to be too worried about his role right now, but to the OP's point why not just completely rest your catchers instead of DH them when you have a likely better bat that needs playing time. If a moment comes up that you think is too big for him or you don't like a certain matchup then pinch hit for him. Until his bat cools down I would put him out there more.