Dman

I like him in the pen as well. He throws strikes and has good command. Hopefully his velocity would tick up and he still needs an out pitch or he will be a pitch to contact guy. Still I think he fits best in the pen especially with power arms that are coming up.

Our higher profile pitchers (Winder, Canterino, Enlow, Vallimont and Sands) have all been doing well to start the season. With Duran finally out there and hopefully Balazovic soon as well we have have a stable of guys who throw 95-100 with very good secondaries as well. Count me in the excited group. While I was not impressed when I saw Funderburk in 2019 he is off to a very good start in 2021. I still see him as a reliever but who knows maybe he can be a starter. I know Austin Schulfer has been blown up a few times this year but I still think he has great stuff. He might not be starter material either but I think his floor is bullpen setup man. I go back and forth on Jax. He gives up too many hits and yet he doesn't walk anyone but he is the kind of the pitcher that seems to give up the 'big" inning a bit too often for my taste. Still I love how he relentlessly attacks and generally has success with his approach. Maybe finding a pitch that can miss bats when needed is all he needs to make it. Still haven't seen Laweryson and Rijo this year and they have been good in the past and obviously Balazovich. So there is more to look forward to. Other than Dobnak we still haven't seen any of this FO's pitchers make it but they all look like they have the velocity and the pitches. They will also need to find ways to get the best of the best out at the MLB level which is no easy task. Still I think they have a good group up and down the levels.

This is a good point. Generally 4 to 5 players max but your players have to be better matches or better deals than players from the other 10 to 15 teams likely out of it. Also if the players you want to trade are not playing well why would a contender want them and if the return is so low why trade them anyway? So you have a point there might not be a market for Happ or Simons or Colome etc unless they start performing better. Also if you "are" thinking about trading Berrios or Buxton and can't get a return you can live with then maybe no deal there either and you keep them another year for the trade deadline or for draft pick compensation. The Twins would want an overpay to move either player early and would be looking for players to fill weak spots in the farm. If it doesn't work it doesn't work. Right now Pineda and Cruz are the only two I could see that other teams would be very interested in trading for. Maybe Happ and Simons depending on how they play down the stretch. Then you have to decide on Berrios and Buxton. The other guys might be tradable but I doubt the return would be anything more than a lottery ticket type player. So yeah I agree with you I doubt they can trade all seven guys and they won't move guys with more than one year without an overpay. Might be lucky to see 3 guys move in the end unless all 7 start producing soon.

I like what Wallner has done to start the year and it does give me hope that he has a chance to make it but his hot start has been mainly fueled by his BABIP which is at 500 right now and the average is under 300 his K rate is right around 40% and if it remains there I would expect some serious regression in his batting average and OPS. I know these players can only work on so many things at once and it sounds like he working on hitting to all fields and getting comfortable with the velocity he is seeing at the higher levels but at some point he is going to need to get that K rate or he will never make it. 40% of the time you are an automatic out and cannot make contact can make you a liability in a hurry. Right now he is arguably the best hitter if the team but I predict a mighty fall if some of his numbers don't change.

I guess I hadn't gotten to the point of punting on 2022 and using it as a development year but after reading this article it seems the most likely coarse of action. The Young pitching is coming soon but probably not in time to make a real difference in 2022. It seems like the guys we were banking on in Polanco, Kepler and Sano have never really turned into the star players we hoped they would be so probably time to turn to Kirilloff, Larnach and Lewis. Maybe Miranda and a few of the college bats show up and guys like Celestino and Urbina are ready sooner rather than later for a second run at finding star players.. If they can get some top 100 prospect's in trade for Berrios and or other players that just accelerates the process. Hate to lose a good pitcher like Berrios but if they can get the right pieces back in trade they probably should do it. The Twins won't have Happ or Shoemaker or Pineda next year most likely so losing Berrios hurts but it would give the Twins a chance to develop Winder, Canterino, Balzovic and Duran. Also would have Thorpe, Dobank and Ober as possible 5th starters with Smeltzer and maybe Sands, or Jax as depth pieces. So the cupboard would not be bare, but would be very, very light on MLB experience. Sad to think the first window might be shut but I guess that is the way things go sometimes.

From what I had read previously about Mercedes is he isn't exactly a mature individual or follower of rules. In fact his attitude was bad enough to keep teams away from him. He is a discipline problem but he has been hitting well so he is getting his chance. Trying not to be demeaning but he probably isn't the brightest bulb to start with. I guess I can agree that not humiliating your opponent is a good strategy. Honestly you don't want to wake a sleeping dog up by making them look bad or injuring their pride. Larussa is smart to do what he can to not kick the other team when they are down. It only gives the other team greater incentive to try harder to win the next game. Having a certain level of respect is the smart play and good sportsmanship. However, in baseball the game still has to be played and players get paid based off their stats. They can't just easily throw at bats away. It is still a contest until the game is over and honestly they should be trying hard to play well until the end. While I can see the Mercedes HR on 3-0 was ill advised I still don't think he needed to be thrown at. That being said if those who believe throwing at players is the right course of action maybe the next time you do something wrong someone should throw a 90mph fastball into your ribs to remind you not to mess up again. Come on we are supposed to be evolved beings and at your place of work people don't face beatings or physical punishment when they make mistakes. Can they be disciplined sure. Can they be fired sure but we don't throw stuff at them. It just boggles my mind that we think throwing 90mph baseballs at someone is acceptable.

Winder with a sub 1 ERA and equally good WHIP looks like a guy who could maybe help the big league club. He is only 20 innings in but other than some control blips here and there has been the most rock solid pitcher in the system so far. Miranda has looked like the player have hoping for the last couple of years. The power is there now and if his eye at the plate remains good I think the Twins might have a good one in Miranda.

Tom I am with you on the curse theory. There have just been so many untimely breakdowns it is uncanny. One pitcher in the bullpen blows a game up. The defense loses games. The offense can't get hits with men on base. The starting pitcher implodes. It is just one crazy thing after another. I think it shows that in any sport a break here or there can make a big difference and if you don't get many breaks you can look like a bad team in a hurry get a bunch of breaks and you can look better than you are. It is a tough year for the Twins to have a year like this as we were all pretty starved for baseball and for them to play almost unwatchable games has not been fun. Like Sano the other night I am hoping this team finds some breaks gets some confidence and comes roaring back but if the baseball gods say no way then it looks like a long year. On the bright side if they do have a terrible year it should help the FO look at team construction differently and prepare better for next year.

I have been feeling the same way. Too early to call Wallner and Sabato, Rooker clones but it is concerning to me as well. I get that the math on hard hit rate makes it more likely to get hits and extra base hits at that but if you don't hit the ball at all or have competitive at bats I think that is an issue as well. Kirilloff and Larnach always had good contact skills and I think that is what they should have been looking at more when making those picks although Sabato was supposed to be a pretty complete hitter but lots of the younger guys look better than him right now. If he doesn't pull out of it in the next couple of weeks I would move him down and put more deserving players in that spot. HIs K rate is outrageous for his age at that level. At some point an approach change is needed because not even contacting the ball is a real problem for a hitter. It has only been a few weeks though so need to give them time but I have say I am disappointed in Sabato and Rooker the most right now.

I feel the same. I prefer my team to wear the white hat not the black but that is just me. Larussa and the Sox get the last laugh though because our relief pitchers are so bad they can't even hit a batter when trying. Pathetic and unwarranted are a few words that come to mind to me. If you aren't fired up (embarrassed) being behind in a game by 12 runs then I fail to see how trying to hit a batter from the other team gets you fired up. That is pretty flawed logic mental or psychological if you ask me. If you don't want to get shown up by the other team play better, I fail to see how hitting someone makes you a better team. In fact it makes you come off as crybabies more than anything IMO. Well in a bad start to the season I guess stooping even lower should not be a surprise.

Enlow is looking like he needs to move up a level. He was outstanding last night. I knew he was a big kid but he looks like a monster out there. He still has his control problems from time to time but he looks dialed in right now. I questioned the Twins when they got Camargo in that trade with the Dodgers. Last night had to be what they envisioned he could be especially with the exit velocities he put up even before they acquired him. I still don't like his K rate and the lack of walks. He will need better plate discipline to be truly successful or pitchers will never need to throw him strikes or good pitches. That being said being he is a catcher and if he keeps putting balls in the seats then he might move up anyway. It was a good game for him though and I hope he continues to perform well. Just after saying Julien K's too much he goes out and has a 4 for 4 night with a walk and no K's. I think this guy is going to be a stud hitter. His eye looks good all he needs to work on is making contact more consistently. I know he doesn't really have a position and so defense is something he could stand to work on but he looks solid as a hitter to me. He might turn out to be a heck of a pickup in the 18th round for the Twins.

Seth thanks for this. Absolutely awesome condensed info on so many of the players I am stat watching. While I always appreciate how positive you are it is nice that you added some reality by mentioning players that didn't have such good weeks. That is the other part of the process and needs to be acknowledged as well. Doesn't have to overly negative but guys not making contact is a concern. Guys not walking is a legitimate concern. Granted some of those guys will improve but we all know 90% of these guys are not going to make it so pointing out some flaws they need to correct to be successful isn't criminal but more in line with what will eventually happen if they don't improve. I would love every player the Twins pick to turn into a super star that is just not how this process works. You have to be a pretty amazing player to make it to MLB. Ok onto some players I like to start the season. Palacios must just like being a Twin. Nice to see that beautiful swing back and if he has figured things out that would be great for us. While the K's are still an issue I really like what Jeffers has done back at AAA. Have to believe that once he finds his swing he will be back. Really. really liking what Urbina has been doing so far. Doing it at 19 means he might have star potential. Would be awesome if he keeps things going and earns a promotion but odds are there are plenty of ups and downs yet. Other than Winder I haven't been overly impressed with the starting pitching while it hasn't been bad I was hoping for more dominance but it is early. Some of the relief pitchers have looked really good and I hope those translate to MLB as we definitely need pen help. I have to say I am as low on Rooker as I ever have been. His issue with chasing breaking balls does not look like it will end anytime soon and his swing and miss is a huge concern. I mean waiver wire pickup Garlick has been a significantly better player pretty much all year. I don't know what he needs to change but hopefully he figure it out this year. I keep rooting for Sabato and while he has better strike zone control than Rooker he is starting to look like the same type of player without the same amount of power. For a guy who was supposed to be a polished hitter he hasn't looked the part. I mean this is his first year facing this level of competition so I need to give him a break but I was hoping for more than I have seen to this point. I know Jullien was in the lowlights but he does have 11 walks to 16 K's so not a horrible eye at the plate. He has a tough week no doubt but I see more positives with him than a lot of other players. Still way too early to establish any real trends but those are my thoughts for this week. Thanks much for this article makes it easier for me to see where guys are at and easier to stay positive because so many players do have good weeks.

Yeah I remember when I first heard those words from my varsity basketball coach. At first I didn't think he was right but upon further reflection practicing, being prepared for pressure situations, staying calm and not making unforced errors these are things that help you get "lucky" against your opponents. In Baseball you can hit a ball hard but right at someone for an out. You can throw a good pitch and still have it end up in the seats, but that stuff usually evens out. Not making errors, not swinging at bad pitches out of the zone, not giving up walks free passes to 1st these are things that can be controlled to some extent and give you chances to turn the game in your favor. Sure sometimes the competition is just better and you get beat but often times it is the little things that add up to losing. Make your own luck by being more prepared more skilled than your competition that is the only way to give yourself the best chance for success.

I feel pretty much the same you do. Nice comment!

After 1st and 3rd with no outs in 7th and zero runs scored I figured that was it and went on with my day. Came back later to read the horror story and found out they won the game. This team has had a year full of tough breaks so nice to finally see something break our way. I wish I could say I am believer but in reality I am barely hanging on, barely able to watch this team right now. Hopefully this is a start of better things to come and not some luck driven one good game back to painful losing type scenario.

Great to see some of that pitching getting tighter. Here's hoping we continue to see more arms take off.

Normally I would agree with you but his defense hasn't been exactly stellar to start the year and if his bat regresses to his norm then I don't see him as that "special" anymore. He might bring back a top 10 prospect depending on team need at the deadline but it seems remote given his current play. Hard to say much of anything at this point though with the deadline so far away as player performance and team needs can change from now until then. I also agree with you that I doubt the Twins will even be able to find trade partners for several of the players they would be willing to trade. It takes two to make a deal and another team would have to value the deal for our players more than deals from other teams. Given what we are likely to be offering that seems unlikely.

That is a pretty solid list. I guess I don't see them getting rid of Garver just yet as he is only two years removed from a silver slugger there and catchers that can hit are very difficult to find. Even if his D is sub par his bat can still be potent. Too many years of cheap control and just too much value to give up on him IMO. If you want to see a really bad hitting catcher watch Rortvedt at the plate. I think Mitch is a long shot to get traded at this point. Also not sure on Duffey. He might come around yet. He seems a little out of shape and missing his spots to start the year. If he gains a little more gas on the ball and sharpens things up I think he could rebound but we will see. Everyone else is on one year deals so moving them would be prudent if they are out of it which seems like a near certainty right now. Robles and Colome would be addition by subtraction IMO. Yes they have been that bad. But those guys and Happ won't fetch much on the market. I would hate to see Pineda go but he is the one guy they could maybe get a good return on. Like Brock I think they would find a team maybe even a National league team that would be interested in Cruz. Probably a team that would want the inside track to sign him next year. I don't think he would be in the Twins plans for next year given the price he is likely to command so getting something would be better than nothing and if multiple teams are interested they could get a good player in return. Simmons won't have much value either so even if the Twins trade everyone of these guys the return likely won't move the needle much. If they traded Rogers, Buxton or Berrios then they could net a good return but hard to say if they are willing to take a risk like that or not.

That is a good list and I don't disagree. I am very, very happy and somewhat relieved to see Cavaco hitting well at least to start the season. A ball stats don't mean too much as the competition level is more variable but if he keeps his K rate around 20% and keeps making hard contact the Twins will getting what they they envisioned in the draft. Long way to go yet but nice to see positive development. I had been waiting for Cano to finally prove he was one of the top prospects in that international draft. That K rate is pretty insane and something the Twins could use. Not sure how fast they can move him and since there is no room on the 40 man he would be addition by subtraction so that makes things tougher but if he keeps on like this the Twins won't have much of a choice. I haven't jumped on the Acosta bandwagon just yet. He seems wild at times to me and I am not certain he will sustain this level of dominance. I would want to see more before moving him up but am encouraged by the number this year so far. We are going to need lots of prospects to step up as it looks like Phase One is flailing at the major league level and we need a big Phase two to get things back on track.

I think your grades are more than fair. Probably higher than I have for some of those players. I have primarily been watching Steer and Wallner and both have started the season off well. Wallner does K a ton though. Not having good contact skills generally is a liability as you move up. I am sure he will improve but it is concerning. I want to believe in Gray and Snyder but I am not sold on them just yet. They both have nice OPS's to start the season but again they could stand to make more contact and move that average up a little. It is very early in the season so not much to go on. I agree they are interesting prospects but need to improve to move up. Cabbage is a bit of an enigma as well. Like Wallner a ton of K's but when he gets a hold of one look out. Cabbage has been a pretty streaky hitter and about the time you think he has things figured out he will go into a prolonged slump. Maybe this is the year he makes the leap? If he does make more and better contact he looks like a major league player to me but he needs to be more consistent and a tougher out than he has been in the past. I don't know much about Carmargo either but what I read said he had the exit velocities the Twins covet. At 21 in high A he seems to be holding his own so that is good. I hope he turns out to be a good catcher as you can't have enough of those. Cedar Rapids has a good group of guys. It would be nice to have more elite hitters instead of several projects and older project's to boot but still plenty to be exited about.

I have been impressed with Julien as a hitter so far. Much more impressed with his bat and approach than Sabato thus far. Cavaco has been holding his own too which is very encouraging. Like many I was concerned about his eye and bat but he is off to nice start so far. We could really use infield help so here's hoping he continues to do well. I believe Enlow started the season giving up 7 hits I much prefer the 7 K's he got this time around. I still have hope he can be a mid rotation arm this is a big year for him. Thanks goodness we have the farm to follow as the MLB team really stinks this year.

This is the Happ I sort of expected so not too surprised. This team is just hard to watch right now. From untimely errors to someone giving up the game (SP, Pen, errors, unable to score with bases loaded or from second in extra's) to the other team it is just hard to stay engaged. I kept thinking things might get better but there are too many hitters in this lineup that are black holes and too many relievers that lack any kind of consistency. There are so many things wrong this team seems destined to flop this year. I thought we had a pitching coach who could help guys get consistent and stay that way but I guess that was just smoke and mirrors. I thought pitching would be the strength of this team but that has not been the case. Well it was fun being on top for a couple of years back to the bottom I guess.

I was bummed by Gipson-longs start as I really thought he was a Winder type pickup from the draft. His draft profile had him giving up a lot of contact and it looks like that continued to pro ball. It is only one start but when it is that bad it looks like there is a lot to work on. As others mentioned I am excited about Whitefield's start. Since he moved to higher levels he has had contact issues and seeing him hit HR's well that is icing on the cake right now. Seems like he has a better bead on the strike zone this year and has been a tough out. Maybe just maybe he can be a Buxton lite type player. Still waiting to see what some of our better pitchers do. I haven't seen Rijo or Vallimont or Duran or Balazovic yet so wondering what they will look like this year as well.

It is way, way too early to talk or even really think about trading but I think those are all good trade candidates. If they want good prospect value for Berrios or Buxton and they are out of it at the deadline that would be the best time to trade them. If they are going to swallow hard and extend them then do it at that time as well. They can also ride them out and try for draft pick comp but the value they get back is less and they have to wait longer for the talent they pick to mature. Everyone on one year deals should be in play at the deadline. I don't see them keeping Cruz after this year if he has a good year this year as we will be outbid when the DH comes to the National league next year. So trade him and get some value if possible. Same for Pineda if he keeps this up with last years numbers we will likely be outbid for his services. Best to try and get something back instead of nothing at all. At this point I don't know if it makes sense to trade Rogers or not as we don't have much for lefties behind him, but if the deal was right I could see them doing it. Man what a difference a month makes. This team looked pretty good on paper and now looks so bad it might need to trade some of its better players to try and get better next year. Might be a mini rebuild coming as we transition to the wave 2 pitcher's and hitters in the minors right now.

Larnach seems like a player that could be ready. He appears to have decent eye at the plate and hits the ball hard. He is not on the 40 man though so they would literally need to get rid of Cave to add him IMO. I don't think the Twins are ready to do that yet though. Celestino still has contact problems. While he might be worth watching he looks lost to start the season. 7 K's in 12 at bats tells the story. He can't tell a strike from a ball and is getting a lot of air. Plenty of time for things to change but he doesn't look good right now. Sabato for a guy touted as a contact bat first player he has been anything but. All spring he couldn't hit and in low A ball he has 7 K's in 12 at bats. That is just tremendously abysmal for a bat first player. If I were the Twins I would want my money back for that 1st round pick. Not saying he can't get better but he has been crazy overmatched even at a lower level. I don't know what the problem is but I hope he makes contact soon or he looks like Rooker part 2 and that is not a story anybody wants to watch. Canterino looks like he could be good but I thought he was supposed to be pitcher with good control and this spring that didn't appear to be the case. He has some interesting stuff but a ways to go IMO. I get that all these guys are likely to improve and we should keep an eye on them, but several of them don't look that good right now to me. I sure hope they improve and in a hurry because if they are the best we've got then we are in trouble.