Dman

Well every MLB player starts out as a Rookie so technically they are the "miracle cure". I don't have anything against Simmons but he can't help this team get to the playoffs and his current negative war means he isn't part of the future either. A rookie might not perform any better but at least they would have a chance to be a part of the future and that is greater than any value Simmons can bring to the Twins at this point IMO.

Personally I think the Twins should try out Palacios at the MLB level. I like Gordon but the lack of power, lack of walks and his error rate at short don't give me great confidence he will stick there. Palacios has power 16 HR's on the year and counting. His K rate is only 22% and his walk rate is close 100 points above his BA. It looks like a pretty solid profile to me. From I have heard not seen he seems to be OK defensively although some think he profiles better at 2nd. I know those nice stats will take a dive at the MLB level but given where he is at if they want to keep him they would have to add him to the 40 man at the end of the year anyway. With Simmons so poor at the plate and not as great as he once was defensively Palacios can't do much worse. If they don't like what they see with Palacios then they can DFA him as he would have been lost to rule V anyway. If he looks solid then they would finally have a legit shortstop prospect who they know can handle the position and fill in as needed in 2022. I think they can afford to take that kind of chance on a player who has all the required skills at short and give him some MLB time to see where he is at. He could be the solution to short they have been looking for.

I like your write up on Vallimont and feel the same. I just don't understand how he can walk the first two guys and be nowhere near the strike zone then potentially K the side in the same inning. He has great K rate but the walks are killing him. I hope he figures things out because we need him as a starter. Happy to see Louie this high on the list. He has been dominant from the start of the season. It looks like he still needs work on those secondary's but reliever looks like his floor now instead of his ceiling. Thank you for moving Sabato down. I think from what we have seen he could have been even lower than this. The eye has been good at strike zone management which is important but terrible when trying to get the bat to the ball. He swings and completely misses everything far, far too often. Hard to believe a top pick could be this bad. He has a ton of work to do and hopefully he is ready and willing to do it or his career will be sunk. I don't really consider Nick a prospect anymore and while he can and likely will be a good utility player I think the Twins have too many guys in front of him to make it work. I have been high on Jullien since early in the season. His eye was really good to start the season. Still he too seemed to struggle getting contact at times. For an 18th round pick though he looks like a steal right now. Glad the Twins upped the anti to get him to sign. He might make up for the poor Sabato pick in 2020.

Yeah I agree. I know in baseball sometimes you have to play the long game and buy players some time to develop but the three guys you mentioned look cooked to me. Burrows has never been good and looking at his flat fastball and not so great slider make me think he likely never will be. If this is their way of getting back at Detroit for stealing Baddoo then they are cutting their nose off to spite their face. Let's get some guys up that might have a chance. That actually have a plus pitch to work with and see what they can do. Borrows is not that guy and he more than proved it last night. Simmons looks old out there and is a huge liability and rally killer in the batting order. I mean they couldn't even get a team to take him off their hands at the deadline. If that doesn't tell you his status I don't know what does. Take a dang chance and try someone like Palacios out there. Yeah he might not be any better but honestly his bat can't be much worse than Simmons right now either. Have some balls do something crazy and see what you have in this lost season. Cave had three to four years to prove he could be the guy and he is pretty much the same player he always has been which is not good enough. His options are up and he will no longer have the coveted 4th outfielder flexibility he once afforded this team. I know they are hoping he can catch fire and maybe increase his trade value but it will be too little too late to do that anyway IMO. At this point I would rather see Contreras take his place. Mark is a plus defender in the corners has power and a decent OPS in AAA. Do I expect him to be better than Cave out of the gates no but at least he gets some MLB time and can be ready to fill the 4th outfielder outfielder role next year. Cave is far too inconsistent to be the answer. Maybe he can turn things around but that is a big maybe IMO. I think it is time to cut the cord there.

So just for reference you are saying that Palacios has the 2nd best OPS in his league for SS behind only Bobby Witt who was taken number 2 in the draft and is currently the Royals number 1 prospect The guy closest in OPS to him who also fields slightly worse is Houston's number 2 prospect (Leon) and we don't think Palacios needs to be on the 40 man to be protected from the rule V draft?

I agree with you. I think Thorpe's best chance to stick is in relief and he should have enough pitches to get lefties and righties out. He doesn't throw that hard as it is but his arm can at least play up in the pen. I just can't see him starting anymore. Not sure what happened but as he filled out it seems like he has lost arm speed etc. As seen this year we could use all the good pen arms we can find. If he can be good there it solves one more spot.

I am most excited about Jovani Moran. If he can become another dominant lefty that will really help the big club out. Hopefully we can find a few more home grown pen arms to help fix a weakness at the MLB level.

If Gordon isn't a viable sub at short then not sure I give him a 40 man spot. We have Arraez and Polanco at 2nd or 3rd if needed and now have MIranda and Martin who can play there as well and they both project to be better players than Gordon. Until Martin and Miranda's emergence I would have said he has a chance but Martin seems like a better version of Gordon and Miranda's power stroke makes him valuable as well. Gordon has no power and doesn't walk much but he has good bat to ball skills a solid arm and decent speed. He can play center in a pinch but not sure how he grades out there defensively. To the point of this article though yes if left unprotected I have to believe he is the perfect player for a rebuilding team to pick up. You hope he hits for average and that you have a solid utility player for cheap rates the next 6 years. Best case scenario he turns into a solid 2nd baseman for a team in need of a player at that position. He could be a valuable pick up. He would be good in that position for us as well but with most of our best bats already at that position he looks like the odd man out to me.

I have my concerns as well. Right now I am blaming\hoping that his body just isn't used to pitching this much after the year off and he just isn't as sharp or maybe having a dead arm to some degree. He just needs to keep pitching and learn what works and what doesn't. Like you I was hoping he would stay dominant and give us all some much needed hope for the pitching pipeline but this year just seems devoid of all hope for whatever reason. Struggling is part of the process he has good stuff so I assume there are better days ahead.

I like Jax as a pitcher but as always I am concerned his lack of K's is going to lead to greater inconsistency in results. He got hit hard at times but the ball was right at players in the field so no damage done but on nights where the hits are falling in it can be quite a different story. Still feel like he has quality stuff just would be nice if he found an out pitch to go with his current stuff. He was brilliant last night so kudos on a well pitched game. Refsnyder might be the best hitter on this team at least until he slows down. Another great night and they didn't want to pitch to him as he walked twice.

Normally I would agree with you but the pundits already are using the SSS for Martin to prove he won't develop power and have dinged him for it. Can't have it both ways but I get your point and it is a good one. It just seems with prospects developing at a fast pace impressions can change quickly. Sabato comes to mind.

My only point was not to panic that we had no one in the top 50 when any of Lewis, Martin, or Miranda certainly could be. Given Miranda's stats he certainly looks as good as the guys in the top 50 if not better than some. I can understand not including Lewis as he is such a wild card having not played for so long. Martin's lack of power is likely going to affect his OPS some so can probably see him just outside the top 50 but like I said if you are still bullish on his skill set he could be in the top 50 as well. Just depends on who you like or don't like. There is a ton of talent outside the top 50 and even outside the top 100 and they are not always going to get it right it just seems off when someone is performing as well as Miranda is and he doesn't make the list.

It is a very nice list but my point still stands. Lots of guys outside the top 50 went on to be as good or better than some of the guys inside the top 50. It is nice to be on that list but it doesn't mean there aren't better players outside that list either. Like I said they like who they like in whatever order.?

Yeah those lists are so subjective I think those guys lose sight of things. I would put Mirnada's numbers up against anyone they have in their top 50 and say they look like idiots. He is at the highest level in the Minors and likely out OPS'ing most all of that list. Those guys like who they like just like we do.

Has Sabato finally found his stroke? His eye at the plate is good so if he can just but the strike outs down to the mid 25% level he should be OK. He has a had a very tough start would nice to see him go on a tear so we can cheer him on again. Nice to see the new guy continue to hit and hit in clutch situations. Martin is as advertised. Wichita is starting to have quite the lineup with almost everyone is around the 800 OPS mark. Pretty much every guy and punch one out and everyone is a tough out right now. If they get a bit better pitching they could be unstoppable.

I don't know what to do with Rogers but you would likely be selling low with him coming off of injury so probably better off keeping him at least until the deadline next year. If the Twins really do want to compete next year they should try to come to a better compromise on the incentives ceiling for Buxton. He could be a big part of this teams success if they can get him signed. He is the only true 5 tool player they have if he can stay healthy. I can go either way with Donaldson but if the Twins are putting in money to get rid of him I think they should keep him. He is one of the few players on this team with an 800 OPS and even if he does get injured for long periods of time the Twins have Miranda to fill in as needed. If someone took on his contract and the Twins invested all that money into a top tier shortstop then that is a trade I could get on board with. Until we better understand our outfield situation I can't see trading Max. I have hyped him on potential since 2019 and he hasn't quite gotten there yet but with Kirilloff likely at 1st base and Larnach not the greatest right fielder it seems a bit early\premature to start talking about trading Max. I think the Twins keep all those guys next year and hopefully they invest what money they have into pitching. 2022 looks like a wild card year right now with the pitching so up in the air but I don't think I would trade any of these guys if they truly want to compete next year.

I agree with you. They have about 10 guys that they have drafted or traded for that have a chance to be mid rotation starter types (i.e. throw hard enough, Have above average secondary's, Have had minor league success). If they can't get that pitching to work at the MLB level time to find guys with a better idea how to accomplish that goal. Once they have two or three solid young pitchers they should be set for another 3 to 4 year window and if they keep the pitching pipeline going maybe sustainable good to great seasons. That young pitching needs to show up though. If it doesn't the whole thing falls apart. Just like we are now talking about trying to get some the of best FA starting pitchers the Twins never pull off those deals. They need to develop it and or trade for it. They won't buy it by outbidding other teams. No idea if Ryan, Winder and Balazovich are up to the challenge next year but they seem like the most ready for 2022. Hoping Ober and Jax can also be serviceable and maybe Dobnak can return to his better self. They have young pitching options they just need to work out.

All 5 look like good possibilities but there will be steep competition to sign them so I doubt the Twins land one of them unless the price or years are in reach of what they deem acceptable. I would look at tier 2 pitchers being more realistic but I guess you never know. Still a fun list to dream on.

If this exercise came down to strictly the best bat Miranda would be my choice hands down and his OPS supports that. However, Miranda is limited defensively to likely 3rd and 2nd maybe left field. I don't know a ton about Martin other than he is a highly ranked prospect with a good eye at the plate and good hit tool. He hasn't hit for power yet and isn't likely to hit for power anytime soon. From what I read his arm isn't that great at short leaving him at 2nd is his best position and he is fast enough to play center but with a weaker arm not an ideal fit. Lewis has far an away the best defensive upside as he can play all outfield positions and infield positions. He has an arm that plays at short and center and Buxton type speed for center if needed. His hit tool is the only thing that is suspect at this point. He made adjustments late in 2019 that appeared to help but without seeing him play recently hard to say just where he is at with the bat. Given the info I have I still think Lewis should be number one until he proves he can't hit close to the other two guys. Miranda has the best bat and might be able to play a good third base I just don't know a ton about his defense. I would put him second right now as OPS rules and he has power. Once I know more about Martin maybe I will have him higher but what I see right now I put him third on my list but since he does have some speed etc he could be number 1 or 2 as well just depends on what you value most. I don't know who to pick for pitcher. Winder has probably been the most consistent and he has pitched the whole year so far. Balazovich when on looks like he might have slightly better stuff. Duran has the splinker but his results haven't been elite to this point but more slightly better than average. Don't know much about Ryan reading he doesn't have great secondary's gives me pause. SWR has control problems and backed up at AA. I think you could make a case for any of them but I still like Balazovich best with Winder next. I know Canterino has been uber dominant but it is hard to judge when you don't see guys play and Canterino hasn't pitched much at the higher levels. They all seem pretty close to me though and I could make a case for any of them right now Jordan would be my pick but that could easily change.

Kind of tough seeing no Sands, Canterino, Duran, Winder etc. in these lists but congrats to the guys who made it. Louie has been outstanding from day one. His current dominant stretch just adds to the legend at this point. Not sure how he is doing it with mainly just the fastball and some control issues at least to start the season. Still he has the best pitching line in the system. Congrats well deserved recognition. Been pretty surprised by Watson as I thought he might be done. I think a reliever role suits him best and we could really use lefties so would be nice if he can be dominant in short bursts. Had already asked Seth about Rozek because of the great success he has had and was stunned he didn't have a fastball in the 90's. Not sure if he can continue to make his stuff work all the way up but he sure pitched well this month and caught my attention. Gross is another guy who exceeded my expectations and I would like to see him move up to AA and see if he can handle some of the best hitters in the minors. He has been too good to keep at High A.

I don't know what you know about Ober but he has never had a season in MiLB where he hasn't been injured and missed time. In 2019 he stated he felt horrible for days after starting. I don't think the Twins thought he would be starting this early this year and likely already had a plan to limit his innings and try to help him to work on ways to get past the soreness he experiences and keep him healthy. I presume they feel pushing his pitch count closer to 100 is counterproductive at this point. I have no idea if it makes sense or not but so far he hasn't missed time so looks like the approach is working so far.

I am not sure what to think. Likely some truth to both sides. In the recent past the Twins seemed to have some success getting a little more out of relievers they picked up from the garbage pile and made them better thinking Harper and Wisler. It seemed like maybe they helped Maeda and Pineda but they were always pretty good pitchers before they came over. Hill and Baily didn't look that great with us granted coming back from injury and obviously Colome, Happ and Shoemaker only got worse once with the Twins. It certainly doesn't seem like this is the place to become a better pitcher at the MLB level. At least looking at the latest data that I can tell. Yeah Berrios was home grown and several of my examples are guys that are past their prime and likely due for regression but still the fact remains they didn't squeeze anything extra out of them and most guys got worse not better. I don't think this is just a Twins issue though as lot's of players stats fluctuate year to year often due to injury of just plain getting older and less effective. However, teams that do a better job like Tampa end up in better positions. Even Tampa can't fix every guy that comes through their system but they seem better than maybe any other team in the league at getting the most out of guys that come through IMO. I do still feel like the Twins have improved their pitching development in the minors. You look at other teams affiliates and we are generally getting better pitching out of our teams. Pitching talent is bubbling up to AA and AAA whether it tranlates to MLB is another story but it looks good to this point to me. Obviously the Twins wanted Shoemaker to do things he wasn't comfortable doing. That isn't always a bad thing as it can sometimes lead to untapped potential but trying to teach an old dog new tricks doesn't generally work out well. AAA is way different than MLB so his stats there don't mean too much to me. The one thing I did notice the few times I did watch SHoemaker on MLB gameday app is that he often would get 0-2 or 1-2 and then throw something right down the middle of the plate that generally got crushed. Saw the same behavior from Colome from time to time. I get that you have to throw strikes to get guys out but why not work the corners more when ahead like that? Anyway like I said probably truth to both sides but let's face it Shoe was never going to be a top of the line pitcher. He was always 5th starter material at best. I think it is time for both sides to move on. Glad he is pitching well and maybe he can get a gig somewhere else or maybe he can excel out of the pen hard to say. He just doesn't have anything that looks better than the young number 5's we have already to me though.

Yeah here I thought he was a patient hitter and was able to get good contact. MLB is hard I guess.

I liked the Cruz and Berrios trades as I felt like the Twins got great value in those trades. To be honest I think they got great value out of the Happ and Robles trades as well. I mean just being able to get something for two under performing players shows they worked hard to make deals. I think, I think they made the right call on Pineda. If they kind of wanted Pineda back next year then keeping him was the best way to accomplish that. So the only way they were going to move him was with an overpay and apparently nobody wanted to do that. Trading just to trade doesn't always make sense and I think it sends a message to other FO's that they want value or they really will not trade said player. If the return was low then I give them credit for not making a move there. Pineda seems like he wants to sign here and has been a decent value for the Twins and keeping him will help make that happen. I am sure they tried to get rid of Simmons but the way he batted down the stretch I just don't see how a team would want such a black hole at the plate despite the good defense. I was not surprised he didn't get moved. His was a trade that I would have been happy with any return and or even as just a salary dump but I would guess the FO views that differently than I do. Still not sure not trading him is a fail as he would have been a very hard sell. The only Donaldson news involved the Mets and included Maeda. If Maeda was the key part of the deal and Mets still wanted money I would have said no way as well. Not sure what would have been coming back in prospects but I doubt it would have been great for the Twins considering they would have had to pay significant cash. Not having much for details they probably made the right decision there as well. For those that think Berrios will make it to FA I doubt that happens. Toronto has to know what it will take to sign him long term and I would bet they lock him up in the offseason. I will miss Berrios the most but I think the Twins did the right thing trading him. They have a lot of young quality pitching coming up so have to believe a couple of those guys will make it. They have room to add a good FA pitcher to replace Berrios for next year and with better years from Maeda and Pineda and likely better depth behind them I think their chance to be good to great are really pretty good.

I know Woods-Richardson has some control problems but he was lights out at AA earlier in the year. He has a four pitch mix and he is only 20 years old at AA. I don't think there is another 20 year old pitcher in AA this year besides him. The last pitcher the Twins had that was that young at AA was of course Jose Berrios. The K 9 is there and while the WHIP is concerning he is just 20 years old. Lot's of 20 year old's take time to reign in the control. He is in the top 100 for a reason and that is because he has good stuff already. I think this is a good get. The only other pitcher I liked better was the Dodgers Ryan Pepiot but he 23 and turning 24 soon. SWR has plenty of time to refine his stuff. FYI both pitcher's are currently in AA, SWR just happens to be 3 years younger.