Dman

His magic when he first came up was batter's hit most of his stuff on the ground and he didn't give up many HR's. Seems like teams might have caught onto his stuff, he is too predictable or he isn't throwing the same way. Not sure which one it is but teams are having a little too much success against him this year. He has the rest of this year and this offseason to figure things out. If he doesn't I think he gets passed by. We will see what happens but I am still on the Dobnak bandwagon. He kept the ball on the ground and in the park before I believe he can do it again once healthy.

Assuming Ober and Pineda are penciled in next year. I am still not sure how many young pitchers that we have that will make it through an entire season as so many were hurt this year but I think Winder, Ryan, Strotman, Balazovich can be options with maybe Sands and SWR with an outside chance as well. I can't see Duran making it and Canterino seems like a long shot with the tendinitis issue (Maybe it clears up maybe it doesn't). Beyond those arms you likely have Dobnak and Jax to work in as needed as well. That seems like a fair bit of depth and they all are young arms as well. The Twins could still add one more vet if desired but I think that's a good group to start with. I am probably in the minority but I still think Dobnak and Jax can make it as starters. Hoping they just find an out pitch of some kind. Randy still makes guys hit the ball into the ground if he can just get that K rate up I still think he can be a mid rotation arm. If he can't get the K rate up then he is who he is and Bullpen would be the ceiling and if the K rate isn't there we might have better guys in the pen anyway. I am still a believer that both those arms can make it if they can improve just a little bit. I have to believe someone or two of Winder, Ryan, Balazovich, Strotman, SWR etc. make it and then we can build from there.

I hate to say it but in many ways I agree with this article. Until we develop at least three solid young arms we are destined to not be able to compete at the playoff level. It takes MLB experience to develop young pitching and if you are always filling it with one year arms I think you are on a treadmill trying to get somewhere. The Twins have a lot of young pitching ready to come up and they don't have a ton of 40 man space to waste so they need to know who can make it and who can't. Once you have that base of young pitching established then you can top it off with a proven vet or a one year contract on a guy trying to come back. We aren't going to compete in the market for an ace level pitcher so we have to develop our own. They have finally built up enough volume of good to great potential arms that they should find out what they can do. Maybe we get lucky and as those guys develop they hold their own and we have good season to boot. Maybe they all fail and we have to start over but best to find out what guys stuff translates to MLB and whose doesn't.

I had Gipson-Long as my Winder pick for this year as they were drafted in the same range, had solid builds and were strike throwers with Higher ERA's at lower level schools. While Gipson-Long K'd lot's of guys early he was very hittable and his WHIP wasn't that great to start the year. So I started to sour on him a little bit as Winder was pretty dominant start to finish his year in A ball. Still as the OP said he has been even better after moving up a level and seems to have really refined his pitch mix in a good way, I am starting to get excited about him again. That 2019 draft has some pretty interesting arms that were picked late in Gipson-Long, Gross, Mooney and Varland and at the top they took Canterino. So several guys that look to make a difference down the road. If the Twins can keep finding solid arms that late it would really help.

I really like Sands too I just worry about his durability. He does seem to get hurt each year he has been in the minors. He looks the most Oberesque to me as well as he likes the top of the zone and his stuff plays well at the top of the zone as well. Hopefully his arm can take the load otherwise I see him in the pen.

I get that with a pool of just 5 starters it hardly makes sense to split this in two groups of reliever or starter as your top 5 starters would likely have to include poor performer's but starter versus reliever seems like compering apples and oranges to me. So IMO this really should be parsed out as separate for reliever and Starter. The more innings pitched the better the sample size even if a month is a SSS on its own. Relievers with so few innings pitched and such a SSSS tells us very little other than they held their own for a few innings. Hands down just value wise this belongs to Ober as he pitched more innings almost as effectively as a reliever.

I tend to agree with Mike that the Twins got what they needed when they needed it with Maeda in 2020. I don't think they win the division without him so that was a big get. As always trades like this take so much time to evaluate for overall value and sometimes a team is willing to lose a trade to try and win a championship so trades can be looked at from different perspectives as to who won and who lost. That being said short term the Twins already got what they needed out of the Maeda trade. He was instrumental in helping them win the division in 2020 and with the performance based salary can't hurt them into the future financially even if he never returns. When he does return he just adds more value. Camargo has been OK at High A but his K rate is a killer. He is also only 22 so has time to straighten that approach out but the bat needs some work and he looks like a backup catcher at this point if he makes it so not much there if you ask me. For the Dodgers Graterol has been nothing special to this point certainly not the dominant reliever we thought he would be. Luke Raley who I thought might be better than Rooker, certainly better in the field, currently has a 483 OPS at the MLB level granted a very SSS but still so far nothing that great. The Dodgers look like they might have gotten a good pitcher with the 2nd round supplemental pick though as Clayton Beeter has a really nice K rate and has pitched himself up to AA already. So that could still turn the tide of this trade. Based on pure value I have the Twins winning this trade at least short term. Graterol still could be a dominant reliever and Beeter could end up being better than Maeda with more years of control so there is still future value out there to be counted. With Maeda hurt and in need of TJ it feels like the Dodgers have a good chance to win this trade on pure player value long term IMO. The Twins needed another starter badly in 2020 and found a way to get one so even if they do ultimately lose the total player value of this trade they got the immediate return they needed to make a difference in 2020 with a team whose window was wide open at the time. I think that is a trade you have to make every time as a team in that position. So I can't fault them even if they might lose out on future value.

Personally I thought Cabrera had the better line but he might not have had as many at bats. Twins scouts did a good job picking up Cabrera. When I watched him earlier this year I was wishing they had someone better for that position and why grab a washed up 23 year old? I guess this is why. If there is one thing the Twins system seems to be good at it is developing power. HIs K rate is high for the level but walk rate and BABIP are solid so this could be who he is at the plate. A little less swing and miss and he looks MLB bound to me. I still like Boyd better but Cabrera is right there as well in the good finds department. I love the power Cabbage has but the K's and BABIP don't look sustainable so he has work to do. HIs 391 BABIP has fueled his top hitter award but he looks like a big regression candidate to me. Hoping he can bring those K's down. Almost forgot. Nice to see Sabato's name in the honorable mentions. I have noted my disappointment many times so want to point out I can acknowledge when he does well. It just has taken some time to have something good to say.

Yeah if the Twins don't add Palacios to the 40 man if I were him I would look at one of the rebuilding teams that need shortstop help. Odds are he might get a shot at MLB in 2022 with one of those clubs. He doesn't look like he will be an All Star at Short but he looks like he could be solid there and certainly a great utility player to have around especially since he has power.

Might be coincidence but he started playing less when they acquired Martin IIRC. That certainly doesn't mean he might not be injured but it seemed like around that time he was only playing part time. With his slump and OPS at 823 not sure he makes the 40 man roster this coming year. He does look like he is going to have 20 HR's so they might need to add him if they want to keep him. My guess is the Tigers take him in Rule V just to mess with the Twins FO and get the fans to revolt.

Yeah I don't understand these types of trades for most teams not just the Twins. Often the other team just takes cash and calls it good. In fact I would have thought the Twins would have taken cash considering the year they are having attendance wise. Spit balling but maybe the Dodgers felt they got the short end of the stick on the Graterol trade and the Twins are trying to stay in good with Friedman? Or maybe they just think that they won't be adding Vasquez to the 40 man and will likely lose him in the offseason to Rule V or free agency so why not get something instead of nothing. Berman did have a pretty good 2019 but I think I like all the catchers we currently have better but then I don't know a lot about Berman. Most of these trades never amount to much of anything but I do think Vasquez has potential. When he is on he is unhittable but he has lacked consistency. Friedman has a good eye for these types of players I wouldn't be surprised to see him have success with the Dodgers.

Yeah you did not specifically state service time was an issue in your article but you did ask the question\wondering why the Twins weren't making a move after Ryans two excellent starts in AAA which was an impetus for looking for reasons why. While I agree service time as an answer was likely premature (especially because roster expansion hadn't happened yet) it would be a reason because we all know it happens. With no CBA next year it could be even more of a reason because maybe teams only get 4 years of control and starting him early counts as a full year. No one knows how it will work out so a team might want to be overly conservative. I just think it was a fair question and wanted to state it as such.

Right and Mike said gee whiz why would people think this might be a service time issue and I said golly gee whiz we all were wondering why they weren't calling him up. So I am simply stating I can see why people would think that since you literally put the same thing out like a day or two ago. That's it. Nothing that controversial I don't think.

I don't know You tell me isn't this the statement that got some of us wondering if service time might be an issue? Joe Ryan was in Tokyo pitching for Team USA until... he wasn't. And while I supported the logical step of letting him have a few starts in the Twins organization to re-acclimate himself to the cycles of American baseball and familiarize himself with his new organization, this season isn't going to last forever. Every start the Twins give to the likes of Andrew Albers into September is one fewer start they can use to evaluate the likes of Joe Ryan. The Twins were put into a really bad situation with Strotman struggling, Ryan in Tokyo, and seemingly half their minor leagues injured. I'm willing to be patient when things spiral out of the team's control and they're forced to run Charlie Barnes out there every fifth day. Except my patience runs out when other, vastly superior options become available. And as of about 8pm yesterday, a *very* attractive option became available and the Uber ride to Target Field won't even cost the team $30. Two games and this is what he has done. Never mind that he pitched to a 1.50 ERA in the Olympics, including a 4.1 IP with 1 ER in the silver medal game against Team Japan.

Right but I think the article that started those comments was why isn't Ryan in the majors or something like that. Service time would fall under the reasons why.

I think most of the service time conjecture was because people couldn't wrap their minds around why he wasn't already on the 40 man and up with the MLB club. One of the few explanations left was service time because there wasn't really any other reason for them not to bring him up. So not too surprised people would go there. Maybe a little early but we've seen it before when it doesn't make sense. Most likely MIranda will be the next one with that conjecture because he has little left to prove as well and crickets to this point.

I guess it depends on how players develop because Lewis and Martin might still be battling for the top spot at least in the beginning of 2023. If you are looking for younger guys then some FCL guys to like Rosario and Rodriguez look interesting. I was hoping for more from Cavaceo and Urbina. I know they are real young for A ball and with affiliates getting crunched the competition at A ball is higher but Urbina was touted as an advanced hitter and his 580 OPS doesn't scream advanced. Cavaceo's hit tool was always in question and he started the season well but has regressed as the season went on. They both can easily rebound it just doesn't look like number one prospect is in their future IMO. I like the Petty pick and would be thrilled if he climbed all the way to number 1. He has a legit chance IMO if his arm stays healthy. Also kind of hoping Hajjar is going to develop into a dominant lefty. I know Louie Varland would be a long shot for number one and he might end up a reliever but I just like him a lot so am putting on my list.

It will be interesting to see how well he does this last month at the MLB level. Hopefully his stuff plays well and we have another starter to pencil in next year.

Happy Wichita was able to split with the Drillers and maintain that 5 game lead. They lost a lot of their good pitchers early in the season but that lineup has been tough pretty much top to bottom all year so could be a special team if they can maintain it. Emmanual Rodriguez is showing the power he was drafted for. IIRC he was compared to Rosario so hopefully that bodes well for his future. Cabbage has been rock solid between HIghA and AA with his BA, OPS and Slugging pretty much the same at both levels. The interesting thing is though that his K rate spiked in AA I mean almost doubled buthis BABIP is covering for that at AA so there may be some regression there unless he gets the K rate under control. Happy to see Gross get promoted as it was long over due. Not certain he can remain a starter all the to MLB but he sure surprised me with how well he has pitched this year. We'll see if the higher levels slow him down. Another great week for a lot of guys.

I would be happy with that haul if the Twins get that done. They need up the middle depth on the farm and it looks like all three could provide it. The Twins really have trouble developing shortstop's so would like to see more emphasis placed on guys that can stick at that position in International draft as well as armature draft. Even better free agents would be welcome. Solving shortstop cold really help this in multiple ways.

Man Ober sure looks like the real deal. I did not think he would be this good this year. I thought he would be more up and down than he has been but he started a bit rough and has consistently improved from there. I haven't been on the uber Ober bandwagon as I was waiting for him to fall back down but I guess the wagon looks good enough right now for me to jump on it. Ok I admit I have been on Donaldson's case pretty much all year but recently he and Sano have looked pretty darn good in this lineup. I can see why teams were interested in trading for Donaldson at the deadline as when healthy he is a difference maker. His HR essentially won the game for the Twins today. Here's hoping he stays healthy.

Sorry I guess the comp made me think he would end up the same as Romero. Romero never did better than that season and his K rate dropped until 2019 when he got his chance at the MLB level I believe. He got shelled there never to return. I can agree Duran is too high on the top 30 as I see him as a reliever but likely an elite one if the arm stays healthy. I think his stuff is a fair bit better than Romero's although I don't think he gets enough movement on one of his fastballs and the changeup to this point seems to be more of a liability than asset. Command and control need work but that generally seems to be a problem for most hard throwers. He does not not have Kopeks K rate so they are not comparable in that way. I still think his future looks better than Romero FWTW.

I don't know his WHIP wasn't that bad in 2018 and 2019 certainly this year to start he looked pretty rusty. I don't think the OP was comparing their stuff as much as that they are both hard throwers and the fact the White Sox used him as a reliever which is what I believe Duran will eventually become. He really only has two pitches and he has been pretty hittable to this point in his career. He also seems like he might hold up better as a reliever. There is less pressure on the WHIP as a reliever so some wildness doesn't kill him there. He could be Romero but that seems a bit pessimistic as he does have a SPlinker as a plus pitch, He might be able to get by on that pitch alone as a reliever. I will agree with you that his stats do not support him as a dominant pitcher at least in the upper levels but he has an arm with elite characteristics so not a player you throw away. He still has time to move his ceiling to starting pitcher especially if can develop that changeup. I guess we will know more once he stays on the field more than a few games.

He looked good against a tough hitting Red Sox team. As stated in the article he has always had a good WHIP and K rate so that bodes well for his chances. The thing I see that might make it tough for him is he seems to live up in the zone right now and once guys realize most of those pitches are not going to be strikes and he brings the ball down to make them strikes I think he could stay homer prone. We will see if he proves me wrong. I think the league will adjust but hopefully he has the pitches to counter those adjustments. I think he already has faced Chicago 3 times and did better each time he faced them so maybe he is already getting there. If he continues to do well he might end up being better than a lot of people thought he would be.

Wiel was one of my favorite underdogs so sad to see him go. He had a promising 2019 but his OPS for a first baseman was never close to where it needed to be and the Twins have a glut at the position right now as it is. They likely did him a favor if he can catch onto another team. He has a lot of talent but it just goes to show how hard it is to get to MLB.