Dman

I have no problem with  Rocco.  Managers in baseball get too much credit when things go well, and too much heat when things go poorly.
The manager doesn't get to pick his roster, the manager doesn't decide who to call up or send down (hopefully does have influence), the manager is not a doctor and can't decide who is too injured to play.
He simply puts the best possible roster together of the players he is given.  When given a poor BP, he can only send out poor quality pitchers he is given.
He's not the one who keeps striking out, or the one who decides Buxton should only be a DH.
I know a lot of Twins fans will disagree with me, but he is part of the process of using advanced analytics that this Front Office has chosen to use to try and win a championship.  Since that is the philosophy they are going to go with (which I support), then better to have a manager who also believes in it instead of an old school, rub some dirt on it type of coach like they could bring in.

I too gave them a C.  The starting pitching has been what I had hoped for so far but everything else is so maddeningly inconsistent it boggles the mind.  They are in first place though so couldn't give them a D even though that is probably more how I feel about the team.  My emotions are probably clouding a more rational response so I voted C.

Those are my feeling as well.  Need to make sure this is for real before he heads to AAA and the Twins need 40 man space so there would be no reason to add him unless a dire need due to injuries or continued bullpen underperformance. 
I watched him on MiLB last year a few times and he was giving up a lot of hard contact. Have not watched him this year but the results appear much better.  From the Box score perspective everything looks good with a solid WHIP, ERA, K and Walk rate.  Only issue I see is his ERA is overperforming his FIP and xFIP so there could be some possible regression coming but there are just so many good signs it is impossible to not be optimistic that he is back on track.
His efficient outing last night where he didn't K many guys but got weak contact and quick outs bodes well as it means guys are having trouble squaring his stuff up.  I hope he just keeps getting better and better as the year goes on.

I can agree fan sentiment is fickle.  I over-react all the time.  I let my emotions cloud my judgement because I am a fan and free to feel the painful or joyous moments the game provides and comment on them.  The FO cannot afford such a free feeling state.  They generally are using cold hard numbers, track record, and sometimes a feel for recovery from injury to make there decisions.  As most of us know no FO makes quick decisions on players as baseball can be a game of slumps, injuries and psychology. The trick is to determine when a player is at the end of their production or needs more time to get back to the player they were.
Hicks with the Yankee's is a prime example.  HIs production has been poor enough for long enough that they just let him go even though they still owe him money.  
I do think the the Trades for Paddack and Mahle were risky knowing the arm concerns for both players but in Mahle's case maybe desperation played into it.  The Twins had no chance to recover without better starting pitching and he was likely the only affordable pitcher with fairly high upside they could get for the spare pieces they were willing to offer.  His arm was a problem early in the season and he had recovered from it so maybe they thought he could tough it out?  Hard to say and maybe fan sentiment played a role in applying pressure but as stated above it seems unlikely.  The FO has to make sound decisions or they lose their jobs. It was more risk than they should have taken on so maybe a mistake but hindsight is 20/20.
 
Fans often identify problem trends and or player performance but it usually takes a much longer time before the FO acts on most of that information.  All clubs have certain ways of operating and I doubt the FO puts fan opinion on a level that would over-ride their processes and procedures.  Fans might create some pressure but if the FO is any good they won't cave to the every emotion of roller coaster fans.

Can only go by the "eye test"--but what I saw in person last in his start against SF Cardinals was very good!
6 IP---6 hits--1 ER---zero walks on only 76 pitches was very good. 
If he can sustain his recent solid outings over the next 6 weeks, I can project a deserved promotion to SP.
He has the ability to be a viable part of Twins rotation/bullpen by 2025.

Those are my feeling as well.  Need to make sure this is for real before he heads to AAA and the Twins need 40 man space so there would be no reason to add him unless a dire need due to injuries or continued bullpen underperformance. 
I watched him on MiLB last year a few times and he was giving up a lot of hard contact. Have not watched him this year but the results appear much better.  From the Box score perspective everything looks good with a solid WHIP, ERA, K and Walk rate.  Only issue I see is his ERA is overperforming his FIP and xFIP so there could be some possible regression coming but there are just so many good signs it is impossible to not be optimistic that he is back on track.
His efficient outing last night where he didn't K many guys but got weak contact and quick outs bodes well as it means guys are having trouble squaring his stuff up.  I hope he just keeps getting better and better as the year goes on.

OK... What do we have. Assuming no other injuries and we should never assume that. 
Lewis possibly returning on Monday? 
Correa possibly heading to the DL. 
That looks like a simple 26 man roster spot switch but we will have to get through the weekend. So we will need a rental. 
Lewis is coming off the 60 day so someone will have to go off the 40 man to accommodate. 
Who is that guy? 
 
Kepler coming back soon? 
Gallo... Who knows is current health status but he is still on the roster. 
That would be a simple roster spot switch but maybe Gallo doesn't need extended time off. 
Someone will have to go down to clear 26 man room for Kepler if Gallo is OK. 
 
The options are pretty limited. 
Gordon to the 60 to make room for Lewis on the 40. 
Weekend rental Miranda to the 26 -- Correa to the DL to make room for Miranda. Has to be Miranda otherwise we are dropping someone off the 40 man roster just for a potential short term rental with Lewis arriving on Monday.  
It should be Garlick that goes down for Kepler. Garlick would be a pylon on the bench with the string of right handers that are on the horizon. Maybe 2 or 3 pinch hit AB's in the next 9 games is the most we could expect and then they probably need to burn a defensive sub for Garlick if he hits. Castro would have to be held out of the lineup for that specific Garlick replacement duty. Toronto has one left hander in the pen (Mayza). Houston has 1 left hander in the pen (Long Man Mushinski). Cleveland has one lefty in the pen (Hentges... he's from Minnesota... he won't try hard because he wouldn't want to hurt us). Garlick will be a pylon. The Righthanders are coming and this platoon thing seems to be important to Rocco regardless of how everyone is hitting.  
Yes, sending Garlick down creates that Gallo, Kirilloff, Kepler, Wallner left handed thing. So they could send Wallner down for Kepler but keep in mind... Garlick will be gathering dust.      
Lewis comes up on Monday. Need to send someone down. This is where it should be Garlick if Wallner is sent down. I don't like the idea of calling up Miranda with an immediate expiration date. But if it's Garlick going down now you got that Farmer, Miranda, Lewis right handed thing.  
Julien should be safe until Polanco gets back because he is left handed and at least hitting a home run every 13 AB's.  
Whatever they do... I'll tell you this... They would have a much easier time figuring things out if Buxton could play some CF. Because the DH spot could be used for that left handed thing problem or that right handed thing problem.    
Although... I want to be clear... I don't personally think that the left handed or right handed thing are problems. WE NEED HITTERS. 
  

He's allowing his career's highest home run rate (1.1 HR/9), but it's a limited sample size to this point.  
I'm not saying he hasn't shown improvement, but you can't use the good things as proof he has improved, and the bad is just small sample size.

I too gave them a C.  The starting pitching has been what I had hoped for so far but everything else is so maddeningly inconsistent it boggles the mind.  They are in first place though so couldn't give them a D even though that is probably more how I feel about the team.  My emotions are probably clouding a more rational response so I voted C.

Enlow has a ways to go before getting an opportunity with the Twins. He has shown enough thus far that 2-5 more good outings could see him promoted to the Saints roster to show himself at AAA. Success for St. Paul points to an improved chance for MLB consideration down the line, likely in 2024. He has looked (milb.com viewings) like an improved pitcher this season.

He crept back into the Twins Daily top 20 in the latest update with a #17 ranking.
If he keeps this up, I could see him shooting back into the top ten with the mid-season update.
https://twinsdaily.com/minnesota-twins-top-prospect-rankings/

I gave them a C because I think they're doing basically exactly what I thought they'd do. Bullpen would be incredibly hit or miss. Lineup would be lacking at least 1 major bat, and have a bunch of 6 to 9 hole hitters hitting in the top 5. Starting pitching would be fantastic. That's what I expected, and it's what I'm getting so I give them a C.
My hope moving forward is that Correa and Miranda figure things out, Lewis and Polanco come off the IL as the players we know they can be, and they end the season as a B or A because the lineup put real hitters at the top instead of guys who belong in the bottom 3rd, or bench. If those 4 guys, or even 3 of them, do what they can for 100 games the rest of the way, and Rocco keeps messing with the lineup by putting platoon hitters in the top 3, and the run scoring struggles continue, I'll be the guy at Target Field holding the "Fire Rocco" sign. 
I see this as a top heavy team with players who aren't top of MLB good. The only way they can thrive is if their top guys play to near 100% of their ability. When any, let alone multiple, of them fail to live up to their potential, even for short streaks, the team falls apart because the rest of the guys simply aren't talented enough to pick up the slack. They need 5 of Buxton, Correa, Miranda, Kirilloff, Lewis, and Polanco to be good at all times or this offense simply can't succeed well enough.

I too gave them a C.  The starting pitching has been what I had hoped for so far but everything else is so maddeningly inconsistent it boggles the mind.  They are in first place though so couldn't give them a D even though that is probably more how I feel about the team.  My emotions are probably clouding a more rational response so I voted C.

I too gave them a C.  The starting pitching has been what I had hoped for so far but everything else is so maddeningly inconsistent it boggles the mind.  They are in first place though so couldn't give them a D even though that is probably more how I feel about the team.  My emotions are probably clouding a more rational response so I voted C.

I don't think it's undoable.  Teams turn around quite frequently.   Adding Kirilloff was big.  Getting Correa right would also help a bunch and he has been looking better at the plate.  Lewis will be here very soon and Julien needs to take Solano's roster spot if we get enough guys back from injury.  We also have Polanco and Kepler out.  All of this adds up to plenty of opportunity to improve significantly.

I do agree that the base running has been much more fun to watch. I don't think everything hinges on the whims of Baldelli. Last year the criticism was pulling starters to early. This year they lead the league in innings pitched. They are running more because Buxton feels better and they have guys like Castro and MAT. Any manager is going to green light a guy they think will be successful. 

I had to rewind and watch Matt Walner's throw from right field over and over. What a bazooka! Is that the strongest OF arm on the Twins since Aaron Hicks? Wallner may not have Max Kepler's footspeed, but the rest of his game may be better. Reminded me of Michael Cuddyer, who also had a major rifle in right. 

Good to see Lee have a good game since he's been scrabbling a bit at the plate.
Royce Lewis is something else. Apparently long layoffs mean little for him! He's definitely putting himself on track for a call-up if and when he gets done with his rehab assignment.
Enlow is looking like he's ready to reclaim his prospect status. Good for him.

I also couldn't give them a D and ended up voting C. They're in first place and above .500. That doesn't warrant a D grade, it's not as if they're the Padres.

Gleeman gave the Twins a C+.
I wouldn't go higher than a C and before I vote, I'm vacillating on whether a D is more appropriate. Yes, they're tracking right where projections had them to start the season but the way they've "achieved" that is both infuriating and promising depending on the angle you view it. It feels like the rotation has largely been wasted by poor bullpen and lineup performance... but I'm not sure how much of that to blame on the front office or Baldelli. They're putting quality players on the field, those players just aren't performing.
Anyway, give us your thoughts.
https://theathletic.com/4549233/2023/05/25/mlb-all-30-grades-memorial-day/

Thank you for the great report from the scene. They are always fun to read. Glad you got to see a fun game for the team and the prospects. 
I did meet Seth Gray's parents in Cedar Rapids early in the 2021 season. Really good people, down to earth. I've noticed that a lot with parents. They seem to be enjoying the experience, seeing their kids live out their dreams, hoping to take that dream all the way to the big leagues... They just seem to understand that their kid is very fortunate, how difficult the game can be, the ups and downs, and like all of us, love to see their kids experience success. 

Seth:  Thanks for another great report tonight.  Informative and detailed as usual.
Had the pleasure of witnessing the game in person as my spouse and I always enjoy making a short 3-hour drive from the KC area down to Springfield.
Great seeing the Surge bats consistently produce with RISP!  As impressive as the Wind Surge offensive attack was (barrage of 18 hits), I came away very impressed with the performance of Blayne Enlow.  As you noted, Enlow needed only 76 pitches (walking none!) to navigate 6 strong IP.  After escaping a 2 out jam in the 1st inning, Enlow retired the next 11 batters mixing his pitches and consistently working ahead in the count.  Hopefully, Enlow can stay healthy and continue to build on his strong start.
The final highlight of the evening was meeting the parents of Seth Gray, who had 3 hits including a ringing triple to left center leading off the 8th inning.  Extremely nice couple who are spending the week in Springfield following Seth.  They mentioned they've had the opportunity to meet you and spoke of you in good regards.  
After a rough (0-4) night at the dish last night, it was great seeing Brooks Lee go 2-4 with 3 runs scored and 3 RBI.  His opposite field 2-run HR in the 3rd gave the Surge a 3-0 lead.  As impressive as Lee was with the bat he was flawless at SS with 5 assists.
 
 
 

Enlow and Nowlin with very good games. How long do you wait to move Enlow to St. Paul. We may see him with the Twins if he keeps this up. Some good relief performances from Bentley and Grace. Headrick with a bit of a clunker.

Schobel looked pretty good last week. If I calculated correctly I think he hit .300 last week.  He had an awful April with a .600 OPS playing in cold Cedar Rapids to start the year and with the weather warming his May numbers look better with a slash of 286/397/413 for an .810 OPS.  His K rate is 20% and walk rate 10% on the season so I think his numbers could take off in the second half.  
Just when I thought Ortega was going to challenge Cossetti for the OPS lead he goes into a slump and Cossetti gets hot.  I still like both bats but with Cossetti walking as much as K'ing he is more than ready to move up a level.
Lewis off to a good start.  A bit Jekyl and Hyde to start as he either gets no hits or lots of hits per game but the overall results are really good.  I still think he can be a difference maker for the Twins so hoping he keeps the bat hot.
Severino finally came down to earth some.  Wondering if he is working more on plate discipline?  Hard to say at any rate he has an elite power stoke he just needs needs to be disciplined enough to get good pitches to hit.
Still liking what Headerick is doing.  It nice to have to have solid option tucked away at AAA.
Hoping for more breakouts especially at High A where the young guys are really struggling.

And……..Rocco basically ends up HAVING to pitch Duran in low leverage.
If I was someone who said ‘I told you so’, here is where I would say ‘I told you so’. But I’m not someone who says ‘I told you so’,…I mean, rarely…so I’m not going to say I told you so.