DocBauer

Stringer, I can't argue with your 1st round roster. It's about what I would probably pick. But there's a couple questions yet to be answered. However, like you, I'm going to assume Stewart is going to be ready based on reports of health and velocity. Unfortunately, he only gets a couple ML appearances before the end of the season, but I'm going with him. 1] I'm of the opinion that Buxton WON'T be ready. I wish he would be, even as a RH PH who is dangerous for a LH pitcher, he could be valuable. He's also an amazing SB threat, BUT, would he be done after doing so? Or would he be healthy enough to do it next game as well? I see him as a PH and PR only, and not an OF option. 2] I think Luplow has value as a RH bat vs a LH arm. He's not great. But it's how he's carved out his career. He's at least OK. And he's a solid OF defensively. But I sure would like to have Stevenson as a SECOND PR option to go along with Castro. And he's also a fine defensive OF. But there's no room for him AND Luplow if Buxton is on the roster. But if Buck isn't ready...or even if he is...there has to be a debate about Stevenson as an extra PH option. Just no room for all 3 unless they go 1 pitcher down. 3] I'm of the opinion Funderburk, late to the team, might earn a spot for the playoffs. First round at least. But depending on who we play, a 2nd LH arm might not be as important as another RH arm. I believe Toronto is so RH, for example, that maybe it doesn't make sense. But I really do like the option of another LH arm. And despite his experience, Keuchel is NOT the LH arm you want. You want someone who can get some K's, IMO. Unfortunately, Funderburk is being, potentially, pushed a bit to prove he's deserving. But I think your roster, for the 1st round, is about right.

I guess I'm going to repeat a lot of good stuff here, but so be it. Like most, I absolutely love watching Arraez and loved his attitude/enthusiasm. I hated losing him and was bummed out when he was moved. I also was worried about the offense, even with Arraez, as we had guys coming back from injury, and young guys not yet proven...or both...to really make the offense be what it could potentially be. Honestly, not having for the Arraez for the first half, looking back, wasn't the problem with out inconsistent and often poor offense. There were far too many K's and feeble AB to say he was any sole cost.. But it was the number of those players that allowed the Twins to make this move. Lee, Lewis, Polanco, Martin, Kirilloff, Wallner, Larnach, and Miranda were all 2B/1B/DH options here, coming back, or coming soon. And that's before the whole Buxton to DH situation. Now, not everyone was going to be ready this year, or come back strong from injury, or even make it all. But when you have that many guys to work with, you have depth numbers. What's interesting is how, as of today, Friday, Arraez and Julien...who essentially replaced him...BOTH have an .842 OPS and an OPS+ of 130. Now, Arraez has been with the Marlins all season and has about 250 more AB's, but the point is while they are different players, they are essentially playing the exact same positions, hitting generally the same exact same spot in the lineup, and producing almost identically, though in different ways. So while I hated to lose Arraez for many reasons, I also would still make that trade. I also agree it's turned out to be a Win-Win for both sides. Now, with a couple prospects that MIGHT turn out, and the inherent value often placed on a top of the rotation starter, I might have to give the Twins a slight nod. NOTE: The perspective from the other side was absolutely a wonderful addition to the article.

Yes and no. I simply tossed them out without having an exact destination or return. Think about a deal for Odorizzi for a milb SS that might have been a salary dump. Ryan was acquired from TB for a half season of a DH. And they are known to look at talent and potential, and often win trades. They might salivate over a couple former top prospects just waiting for a full season of opportunity and another big bat who just needs to get healthy again. And maybe they aren't the target. Maybe the A's are looking to do the same thing as the Ray's and bring in young, cheap talent and make it work. I'm just spitballing. You say selling low. You might be right. And I don't know if the Twins are even selling. But some teams like buying low with potential. And there is room for a ton of potential here. And that's all I'm conjecturing.

Not sure about comments about his defense. He's at least average defensively with a great arm. Offensively, he's got real power potential, including opposite field power. Teams recognize that as it shows what he might yet do/be. The whole Gallo situation is tired, but also real. He's probably lost some opportunity this season as a result. But what's really hurt him is a pair of unrelated injuries that put a damper on his first 2 ML seasons where he was looking like the prospect he was supposed to be. The Twins FO doesn't like to move depth. And Larnach is depth for Wallner and Kepler both in 2024. So they aren't looking to give him away. (Personally, I believe Wallner is a better hitting version of Gallo and is here to stay). But the FO is not afraid to move talent if they get back what they need. Much like Miami looking to add bats and trading for Arraez, I could see Larnach as part of a package to a rebuilding team looking for offense. Hypothetically...while it might come back to haunt...might we see a Miranda and Larnach trade to someone like the A's for a quality arm, preferably a LH arm, to potentially surge their offense with a couple of potentially difference making bats?, Washington maybe? Just spitballing. He fits a role for 2024. But he might also fill a role to someone as a package in similar fashion as Arraez did to bring in Lopez this year.

I am, ABSOLUTELY and PROUDLY one of those obsessive fans, and have been from an early age. I'm a South Dakota/Nebraska born and raised fan that watched games on cable at grandma's house when I could, and used to pour over new and saved issues of the Trib, as well as Baseball Digest, The Sporting News, etc. I'm the guy who would sit in a car to listen to static filled games on the west coast late at night. Funny aside, during family get-togethers, when my father and I would begin to talk Twins, everyone would just leave the room and leave us alone for a good half hour or more so we could talk and speculate, LOL. While I didn't like 1 or 2 spots on this season's version of the Twins leaving ST, I still really liked so much about this team, and it's construction. I felt they were a legitimate 85-88 win team, and probably still will be. But I really and truly thought they could reach somewhere around 92 wins...MAYBE 94...if a couple things went well and the offense didn't hold us back. So in full disclosure, I'm a little disappointed in this year. They have a very good record against top teams, and were tantalizing "this close" to having an even better record against such teams. (The Dodgers series comes to mind). Which fuels my frustration with just how good the final record for this team might turn out. But the team you are in April and May is seldom the team you end of being in August and September, and beyond. And things are starting to align for this club with offense and pitching working hand in hand. I think the second half results are more in keeping with what I hoped/expected. And I agree that there is a lot to like here, and some great stories! And for the first time in a while, the baseball gods are smiling on the Twins as guys are mostly healthy, and some minor injuries are healing, and the roster is starting to look more complete than they've had entering the playoffs in a while. A few bullet points: 1] Julien and Wallner have struggled a bit recently. Not a big deal. Everyone has streaks. Julien has still set the table. And both he and Wallner hit the ball HARD and produced the last couple of days, probably coming out of mini slumps. 2] I have to disagree somewhat with the best SP 1-2 punch since Morris and Erickson. I think the best 1-2 since Santana and Radke. But why quibble. 3] I think I disagree, to some degree, on Rocco as a manager. Now, I don't think he's a great manager by any means. He does some things pretty well within his handling of the team. By his own admission, when he was first brought on board, all he had to do was fill out a lineup card and then sit back. But with the change in the roster, he's also changed how he manages. We've seen bunts, squeezes, and a huge rise in the use of the stolen base. He's growing and adapting. And IMO, doing a better job than I've seen previously. I DO THINK he's been overly aggressive in PH way too early in games. A PH can be a very dangerous thing to employ, especially early in games, as the results of a PH are mixed at best. And when you do so too early, you handcuff your lineup in the late innings if you move to early. But I think he's handled the staff pretty deftly this year. And I think he's still growing and developing as a manager. Especially as the roster has been changing with different players and athletes taking hold of jobs. I don't think that's a bad thing.

I'm on both sides of this arguement. I honestly felt this team was built to win 90-92 games if the offense could come through. That was my biggest worry. How quickly would the kids be ready? Would Gallo and Kepler do anything? Would Polanco be his old self? It wasn't just losing Arraez, a trade I would make again. Well, we know how the offense was the first half. Probably cost us a half dozen games at least. I wasn't crazy about the pen, but it was actually my secondary concern. I had a lot of hope for Moran and Alcala. I just didn't want to bank on them. I wasn't sure who, but I wanted at least one good, proven arm to add for depth on the back end. And when that didn't happen, I was frustrated, and confused. What frustrated me all the more was a couple veterans like Hoffman and Coulombe throwing very well and deserving of a spot to begin the season sent away. And while I haven't checked on them for a while, last time I looked they were having good years. To be fair, the pen still was around league average for the first half. BUT, they could have been better with that ONE offseason addition, OR, sticking with a couple veteran fliers who looked good in ST. But they did neither. Isn't the whole point of brining in arms to audition to FIND a diamond? So why cast them aside when you find them? Stewart was a GIFT before his injury, but he could have been an ADD to a better pen, not a mid season savior! Said it before, will say it again, the FO went about 90% IN for 2023 and then just STOPPED. A decent RH bat, ONE FA BP arm, actually KEEPING a BP flier that was looking good, would have pushed the offseason to 100%. Past history shows BP arms at the deadline...not a closer, just a solid, quality arm....doesn't usually come at any great cost. Think Romo a few years ago. To do NOTHING, other than swap out Lopez for Floro, was inexcusable, especially knowing Stewart was headed to the IL. They needed to make a single, solid addition to help rectify the inattention of the offseason and mistakes coming out of ST. I DO AGREE that paying any sort of high prospect level trade for a TOP arm would have been a mistake. But I don't think they had to necessarily make that kind of deal. They just needed some help. GOING FORWARD, I honestly do see the potential for a pretty solid playoff pen. So I can agree with that perspective. Funderburk shows some promise, and could help, but I would have been auditioning him a good 2 weeks earlier. The temp move of Varland to the pen is smart. Reports are Stewart is feeling great, throwing hard, and might be back in a week or so. One of Ryan, Ober, Maeda will probably see pen time, especially if the Twins advance past the 1st round. Should that happen, Keuchel might enter the discussion as a veteran LH to piggyback off a short start for someone. Yes, the playoff pen might actually turn out pretty good. I'll grant that. There's an old joke that comes to mind here that still makes me laugh to this day: "Know what burns my ass? A flame about 3 feet high". But what also burns it is an opportunity to build the best, most complete and dangerous team the Twins could have had in years if they had just invested a little more $ on a solid RH OF bat, and ONE hopefully smart FA for the pen, and/or held on to 1 or 2 veteran flier arms coming out of ST that might have made a HUGE difference to make our pen as strong as the starting staff was. Even WITH the misguided Gallo flier, it wouldn't have cost much more for those additions. A couple HUGE missed opportunities that would have cost little. And the WORST thing that could have happened was missing on someone. THAT'S where having guys in AAA and the trade deadline come in to play. The ability to add or correct something that didn't turn out the way you hoped.

I don't know that I'm going to eat crow on Popkins. I've stated before I felt there might need to be changes made in approach and possibly coaches for 2024. The first half of this season was inconsistent, to be generous. But at the same time, the turnaround has been partially the younger players getting their shot, but also improvement from a couple veterans. So don't we also have to offer some credit to Popkins and the staff for providing a steady hand? I DO have to eat crow on both Kepler and Pagan. I wouldn't have brought Pagan back. And the trajectory of Kepler's career told me it was time to probably move on, though he wasn't bad at the very begining of 2022. While it's still hard to accept, Pagan has actually been quite good this season, with only a couple meltdowns early in the year. I'd still feel better if he was the 6th or 7th man in the pen, you just can't deny SOMETHING has changed. Don't really know what's happened to Kepler. But again, SOMETHING has changed in his approach that I can't pinpoint. He looks more confident. His sweet swing that has mostly made weak contact the past few years is suddenly barreling up on the ball with consistency. If I didn't know better, I'd almost suggest he's just seeing the ball better to get his bat squared up on a more consistent basis. We're way beyond the SSS of just a couple weeks hot streak. Hard to believe at 30yo he's actually "figured something out", but it sure looks like he has. I don't want to curse anything, but it sure looks like he's genuinely improved. And he looks like he's having more fun than I've ever seen him have before. No question his 2024 option will be picked up.

I don't know that you have room for BOTH Farmer and Polanco. That's about $18M combined. But bringing back Polanco is absolutely a no-brainer. He brings confidence, production, and experience. While he's 30yo, his legs are around 35. But he's got a couple more good years left in him, even if we're talking 100-120 games due to a IL stretch or two here and there. I'd have him play some 1B to increase lineup depth and variation, as well as a means to rest his legs a bit. He and Julien can share 2B as well as logging some 1B and DH time. Polanco can also help at 3B and e en SS, though he might not be the #2 there. Nothing says Lee is ready after 13 1/2 months of pro ball. So why push it? You try to have as many good ballplayers as you can. And when someone better/younger is ready, then you can move on. Lewis/Correa/Polanco-Julien/Kirilloff are your primary INF in 2024 with Castro splitting time between there and the OF. Do you have room for another? Maybe Solano again as a bat first utility player and DH/PH? Again, just not sure you can afford $8M for Farmer, even though I'd love to have him back. Does Miranda get right and play both corners and DH? And all the while, Lee is just getting closer and closer to being ready. But it starts with keeping Polanco as part of your INF plans.

The thing about the post season is, every series is a compacted SSS unto itself. Great players struggle and a lower level player, or bench player, often excels in the moment. While Jeffers has seemingly put it together, and is now the better "1st team catcher", Vazquez is a very good catcher a lot of teams would love to have, even in a down season. And he's been through playoff and WS "crunch time" before. That's one of those intangibles you can't put a number on. Guys like him are the type who call a great game and make a game winning hit you might not have expected. Castro is a potential Wild Card because he's good defensively wherever you put him, has had some key hits during the season, and brings a legitimate speed option the Twins haven't had before in the post season. Taylor is not a bench player. He'll probably be starting. But speed and defense and bunting ability at the bottom of the order is worth mentioning, and he might do that off the bench if Castro starts a game. Is Solano a bench player? I guess he might be with Kirilloff starting. Top PH on the team, and maybe one of the best clutch performers this season. Farmer is one of those tough guys who battles, runs hot and cold, but has a history against LH pitchers. So yes, while I hope there isn't a "too early" PH situation, he's got the ability and track record to come through. Gallo...HAHAHAHA...will play along and get a chuckle. Do the Twins go 14 or 15 players? Luplow, POTENTIALLY offers a RH bat against LHP even though he hasn't done much yet. Stevenson's LH bat is debatable, but his speed as another PR/SB option might be interesting. Not a great pair of #14/15 options. They CAN add Martin as a late promotion add for injury replacement option. Would they do that? Have they been holding him back to play daily at AAA with the idea they might add him late? Maybe, but it's hard to see. It would be akin to adding AK for the playoffs in 2020, which was due to injury, IIRC. But like Stevenson, he might be a speed option off the bench. Thing is, first round of the payoffs at least, you should expect a 14 player roster, if not a 15 man. I'm expecting 14. I'm expecting Lupow to be that guy because he's an experienced ML player and still fits a role against LHP. I'd rather make a surprise addition of Martin as an option because he's close to being ready, has to be added anyway, and might surprise. At worst, he'd be a PR possibility. But is he a better 14th man vs Stevenson sticking around? I know the Twins are HOPING Buxton might be that 14th or 15th man. And that would be great to see. But I'm sure not betting on it.

All hands on deck? Yeah, that's a good approach to have. And I have high hopes that Paddack will be amongst the Twins top 7 SP in 2024. Is that 15 GS or 25 GS is TBD. But, IMO, his best case scenario is to have a great rehab, and MAYBE throw a few IP at the ML, and IDEALLY, be strong enough to start the last game of the season. That rests someone an extra day, allows for a probable bullpen game, and offer a reward to end his 2023 before instructs begin. But I just don't see any logical reason to take a guy coming off his second TJ, who's just his control back, and then ask him to throw as hard as he can for an inning or two in the playoffs. Sounds risky and counter productive for 2024. "All hands on deck, to me, is Varland getting temporary time in the pen to finish the season, which they are doing now. It's working and hoping like hell Stewart actually IS feeling great and ready for a rehab to get ready. It's giving Funderburk, a LH kid with pretty good stuff and a mostly 2yr tour in the pen to see if he might be counted on in the middle innings. Forgetting the 1st series where you only need 3 SP, if the Twins advance, they will have to decide on Maeda or Ober as the 4th starter. The other would seem an obvious move to the pen. Ober was recently rested about 10 days and made a great start at AAA. His "demotion" was to get rest and monitor his IP. He's still part of the playoff picture past the 1st round. And Keuchel might just slide to the pen as a middle option from the port side. Just don't see a need to push Paddack to do anything at this point other than keep throwing and get ready for instructs and 2024.

You have to switch from the "dark mode" to the traditional "white mode" in order to view. (Circle on top of the banner-half shaded). For whatever reason, about a third of all the front page articles won't display in the dark mode these days.

A lot of thoughts: I'm not convinced Stevenson was stupid and lucky. I think, with his speed, he might have scored anyway. But what a weird play. NOT fan of Kuechel overall at this point, but I'll be damned if he didn't turn in another quality performance overall. He's doing exactly what he was supposed to do when signed and promoted. A couple bad performances, and a few good ones. He's filling an IP area the Twins want and need. My only complaint or conundrum is in regard to Ober. We all understand they are being pro-active in regard to his IP. That's why he's down right now. But is he really DOWN? I'm really hoping this is a respite and he comes back soon, with a rest and some bullpen side throwing to start another game or two with a piggyback. He's one of the guys to get us here, and a few extra innings only helps him for 2024. Do I have to state the obvious that Lewis is a STUD? Another good win. Shoot for 90 and make this a season to remember!

You aren't wrong about promotions, in general, from the post you just made. And NO, I'm not infatuated with prospects...at any level...other than the usual hope and expectations you place on prospects. (It's the same with Vikings rookies, or college recruits you hope turn out). Nobody promotes some prospect in baseball "just because". You draft, sign, develop, and then promote because you have a top prospect that you like and believe in. This is the vitality of not only the sport, or any sport, but maybe more so for mid and lower market teams. While it's decades now as a comparison, the Twins traded Viola to the Mets for some damn fine pitchers. They didn't all turn out, but Aguilera and Tapani sure did, and West even helped. And then they replaced the likes of Freddy Manrique and and Chip Hale, and utility player Al Newman with AA prospect Chuck Knoblach to help win the 1991 WS. But they shouldn't have given him a shot as a top prospect because other veterans were available? Nonsense! That's as misguided as saying Ober shouldn't have gotten a chance in 2022 over Bundy and Archer because he wasn't "proven enough" and only had to be brought up due to an injury. If you want to discuss top prospects who didn't turn out, I could, unfortunately, give you a long list of Twins prospects going back to the late 70's and early 80's. One of the most famous failures was in the early 90's the A's had Todd Van Poppel, the next Nolan Ryan, and a few others. And there were others. So yeah, top prospects don't always turn out. Agreed. But how do you build a team if you don't trust in your prospects and give them a chance? By your criteria, Arraez was never a TOP prospect but got his shot. And he wouldn't have if Gordon hadn't had an injury just before the Twins had a need and promoted Arraez instead as Gordon was having his very best season to that point. Yes, prospects don't always turn out. But when you have good ones, you have to give them a shot. Kepler, and even Pagan, have defied all odds of actual production previously, to be mainstays for 2023, and maybe beyond. I give credit to the FO and the coaching staff, as well as the individuals, to make that happen. But you simply can't look at someone like Gallo with any honest lense and believe he's still a viable, and valuable player. He might be a good guy, and an OK defensive player, but he literally can't hit. His BA is around .150 since the break with a 50% SO rate. Take away his one game against the Phillies and he's gotten something like 1 hit a week since the break. But he's still valuable for what reason? As a reserve 3rd alternative at a position if we have nobody else? If you want to championship veterans, then you should be talking about someone like Solano, who is long in the tooth, but having a great year. But you should be watching the games, if you can, and just look at the actual numbers of production. And you should just realize that articles about WHO DOESN’T MAKE IT is very different from those WHO DO.

I get it. We all get it. You like veterans and dislike prospects until they have an OPS of 1.000. And even then, they should never be brought up unless someone else gets hurts. And even then, they'd better look like a future All Star right away or they should be sent down. By that logic, who EVER deserves a shot? Puckett should have never been brought up in the early 80's to replace the Hosken Powells of the world. Hrbek shouldn't have been up to replace Ron Washington back in the day. Mauer should have been held back until Pierzinski got hurt. Morneau should have sat until Dougie baseball was hurt. I like veterans as well. Solano has been way more than I expected. As a fan, I was ready to move on from Kepler based on his previous 3yrs, but the FO was right to stick with him. But prospects NEVER get a chance to show what they can do unless given a chance. And when someone isn't doing their job, and you have a talented young prospect, you have to offer opportunity.

SWe're going to have OP's like this throughout the offseason. So it's almost redundant as well as early at this point. But I'm still going to bite on this one. The answer to the question is NO, he's never going to be fully healthy again. He has a bad knee. And trying to play and run on a bad knee has lead, IMO, to some occasional hip discomfort. Anyone who has ever hurt a knee, or ankle, knows you sometimes "tweak" another leg ailment as you limp and compensate. Now imagine that as a pro athlete. Do we really need someone from the Twins to sit down and describe his knee in detail? We really don't. He has a really bad knee. Period. Decades of watching college and pro sports and what's been going on with him, not hard to speculate he has a cartilage problem. His last surgery didn't work. Or maybe he pushed it too hard. We'll never know. Same thing happened to Polanco a year or so ago. The second one seemed to work. MAYBE Buck needs some bone and or cartilage shaved again. Maybe he has a ligament that needs repair, maybe needing a mesh brace like they're using these days with elbow injuries. And MAYBE those types of things will get him CLOSE to healthy with a long rehab that extends in to 2024. Speculation says he might be "healthy enough" to play CF on a part time basis. And if that happens, then he might still have to make the mental and physical adjustment necessary to be a mostly DH and occasional OF. Nobody complained about Cruz being a DH only because he was a special bat. Even in limited action over the past 3-4yrs, a healthy Buxton produced something like a .120 OPS plus. If he could do that as a DH/part time OF, that would be very good. And I hope like crazy he can be that guy, even if rest and recovery and rehab takes him in to mid 2024. But I believe the Twins have to be honest in their approach for next season and NOT plan on Buxton. But that's a different discussion.

Jeffers came in to this season with a little over a full season of AB's. Same with Kirilloff. Then you look at what Julien, Lewis, Wallner, and the still only 26yo (I believe) Castro have contributed and the future looks pretty bright. Then you factor in Lee and Martin sometime in 2024, possibly Larnach still, and the pretty impressive past couple of seasons from Severino, and you almost have to put on sunglasses. Oh, and how about a healthy Correa getting back to his "normal" self next year? I'm not going to go down the whole "Kepler looked really bad before suddenly improving and UGH Gallo should have been gone" road. I'm just tired of those discussions. But I do have to wonder at the FO taking so long to make some of the promotions.

Also, Jay and Silent Bob if they could be cloned together.

That friendly guy in the neighborhood, who's name nobody knows, who always wears flip-flops and an old, worn ballcap from an auto parts store and says "what's up dude?" to everyone he passes on the sidewalk.

Great catch by Martin. Seems we've seen a bunch of those the past few months. Right now, I think he's an honest contender for CF in 2024. And that's why I'm also OK letting him finish this season at AAA, in order to keep playing daily and honing all of his abilities. Now, were the Twins willing to promote him and let him play every day, we have a different discussion. Helman and Keirsey are both later developing options, for different reasons, but shouldn't be counted out as future contributors. Not predicting "starhood" for either, but Keirsey can do a little of everything offensively and is reportedly a very good CF. I can see roster scenarios where he and Martin are both on the club. (Even for short periods of time). Helman is a RH version of Keirsey offensively, with the ability and experience to plug in everywhere buy catcher. I'd be willing to bet real $ Luplow would never have been needed/claimed had Helman been healthy this year. Unless moved, Larnach, Severino, and Prato join the list of Saints who all might be part of the 2024 Twins at some point.

To a degree, Julien is a direct replacement for Arraez based on a top of the order bat, but in a different way; more power, higher BB, lower BA, more speed. But he's not a direct replacement as the Twins moved Arraez to 1B. So to a degree Julien might be considered a replacement, but so is Kirilloff. And no matter how much we/I love Arraez, the trade was a smart one. To those questioning Julien's defense, I have to ask honestly if you're watching the games? I ask that because I watch all or parts of most games through the MLB APP. He looks just fine on a bang-bang kind of play. He's looked "akward" on some more simple plays where he has time to "think" about a play. To me that's a rookie still finding his place and adjusting. And he has looked more smooth lately, which I attribute to being more relaxed and confident that he's HERE. He doesn't have to be a GG 2B to be solid. And FINALLY, they are letting him play some 1B as well. He's got experience there, and unless he just has horrible hands, it increases his versatility for him in the lineup. Has he slumped a bit offensively lately? Yes. But he's still taking good AB and walking a ton. And he does have to make adjustments. I believe he will. A couple not so great weeks is not uncommon for anyone, rookie or veteran. And he's also had a slight injury, I want to say a hamstring, that might have slowed him a bit as well. But to pick his game apart for a couple of weeks, or not realize that his defense has gotten at least a little more smooth as the season is going on, is over reaction or a determination to be stubborn, or just not watching the games. I think there's a CHANCE Julien MIGHT get a shot at LF at some point. And that might be nice. But all he has to do is be solid at 2B/1B and occasionally DH. The bat plays and will continue to play. There ARE questions as to where Lewis and Lee eventually end up, and Martin to a degree. But not only are those questions not for this season, but they are fluid for 2024. Any way you look at it, tough questions of how to fit in so many good players in to your lineup/roster is not a bad thing! I don't know that there is room for BOTH of Farmer AND Polanco for 2024, but I sure wish there was until Lee is ready. And I'm still not sure that Lewis, with all of his athleticism, shouldn't end up in the OF. But the BEST INF the Twins could put together is some combination of Lee, Correa, Lewis, Kirilloff, AND Julien. You add in someone like Polanco, and/or Castro or, maybe Prato, and you have one of the best INF in all of MLB. And a couple of those guys also help the OF depth and versatility. But any way you slice it, Julien fits!

By all reports, Williams is a good catcher from the cerebral context of being one. There was a Saints game a month or so where he asked for a review TWICE and got the call. But he's a 3rd stringer who can play 1B and DH. Movement behind the plate, or arm, or both, he was moved from behind the plate in 2022, for the most part. Honestly, now that Isola finally found power, even at a lower level, he might have surpassed Williams. But I would have dumped Gallo a month ago to bring up Williams as a 1B DH. It doesn't matter a RH bat vs a LH bat when the LH bat is completely anemic. He would have offered a POTENTIAL bat and even allowed Jeffers to DH a bit more. He's got potential value. I'm just not sure about long term value.

Gray was excellent again, and I love the Rocco visit to the mound where Gray just told him "I got this" and then did it. He, once again, deserved the win in a wild season where he's thrown like a deserved All Star but can't get the W. Not sure he really cares that much as the team won. Jax got the W, and maybe deserves it, not only because he was good, but he was so snake-bit in the first half. Jax might be out for Wednesdays game, but Thielbar and Duran are probably available due to smaller pitch counts and a day off Thursday. Vazquez is not a great hitter. But he's better than he has been for most of this season. Just great to see him have a good game and maybe notch his confidence up a needed notch right now. I fully understand and appreciate match ups against a good pitching staff and PH at times. I do think Rocco does so earlier than I think he should at times. You WANT those moves to work. But pulling Julien and Wallner when he did concerned me for the later innings, before the Twins exploded. I don't know that he was right or wrong, but I hate removing those bats, generally, before the 8th. Farmer had a nice double, but, unfortunately, it didn't amount to anything. Statistically speaking, the Twins would have to IMPLODE to not win the ALC right now. And I don't see that happening. I'm hoping for the nail in the coffin with a sweep on Wednesday afternoon. In a weird way, what pleases me most about tonight's win is not beating Cleveland, per say, but that the Twins reached 7 games above .500 for the first time this season. There is an old adage in baseball that the team you are in April and May might not be the team you are in August and September. And I think we're seeing that now. I've watched this team beat winning teams the first half, split series they could have easily won the first half against winning teams, FRUSTRATED by offensive inconsistencies that held them back from being "better" than their record. I say again, I thought this team could be a 92-93 win team, even with a couple question marks, if the offense could come together. And there really is NO WAY you could take the second half production, lead by Kepler and the young players, and translate it to a W-L total. But I'd be willing to bet the second half offense, producing like it has been since the break, would have won a good 3-5 games more. I don't mean to disparage ANYONE, but the truth is the Twins offense has been better WITHOUT Gallo doing ANYTHING, and mostly without the super-talented but injured and disappointing Buxton. I have real hope Kirilloff is ready come the homestand starting Friday. He's looked more than ready in his brief rehab and I'm surprised he wasn't brought to Cleveland. So a move has to be made. I don't see Luplow being discarded only because he's RH and offers SOME RH threat. And Taylor is on the IL. Is this, finally, the merciful end to Gallo? I sure hope so because Stevenson at least offers speed and a LH bat to work with Taylor when he's back. We just can't keep rostering Gallo as a LH bat when AK returns, who is regulated to PR for a catcher at 3B. It's just TIME!

I understand your frustration with Vazquez's bat. But you have to remember, and accept, that he was signed first and foremost as a quality defensive catcher and game caller with experience. And $10M for that is not an exorbitant price. His career OPS and OPS+ aren't great, but about average for a catcher. The fact that he's about 90 points below his career OPS IS a concern. Is it him suddenly fading? Or is it "just one of those years"? While his offense has not been as hoped for, i wouldn't dismiss a turnaround next year. Plus, his greatest value is as a veteran backstop for the staff and a mentor of sorts for Jeffers. And there is value in that. There's more than a few of us who have watched Jeffers BEFORE this season and really liked what we saw, even though there was room for improvement. We also recognized the bat potential that hadn't been realized yet. And through hard work and experience, we're starting to see just how good he might be. He's EARNED a 60-65% split with game time. The Twins MIGHT look to move Vazquez this offseason,but I rather doubt it as he provides value still, might turn his bat around, and his $10M isn't going to handicap payroll. By reputation, Camargo is a good defensive catcher with a strong arm. His bat began to bloom in 2022 at AA, but I was a little surprised when he was put at AAA to begin this season. He started slow, which has skewed his numbers somewhat, but really took off a couple of months in. But he's still relatively young for a catcher, still has to lower his K numbers a bit, and might not be ready until sometime in 2024. But he's got the potential to make it as a nice 2nd catcher. Cool your jets on Isola. Like Wiliams, he's a 3rd catcher who plays at 1B/DH. Both have some hit and OB ability, Isola potentially more, but until now, Wiliams has shown much more power. That seems to be changing for Isola, but he's doing it at AA vs Wiliiams at AAA. Barring some sort of AAAA catcher sign or re--sign, Carmago will be the 3rd catcher for 2024, with Jeffers as the primary. That could change mid year. Look to Winkel, Cardenas, and Cossetti as future catchers moving up next season. But don't dismiss the value of Vazquez as a CATCHER behind Jeffers..if not a good bat..for at least part of 2024.

Have to confess I know nothing about Velez or Carr. I'm going to have to start paying more attention to them.. Would like to know more about them and what they throw. Like what I've seen of Funderburk so far, despite the one bad performance. While not on this list, I still think Headrick has flashed enough potential to suggest a viable LH pen arm in the future. While Thielbar is still very good, he's not getting any younger. Having arms like Funderburk, Moran, and Headrick as LH options for 2024 provides optimism from the port side. Does Rozek's conversion to the pen possibly offer a 4th young option?

I didn't get to tune in until Maeda was out. Obviously he had a really rough 1st inning. But it appears he settled down for the next 4 and gave the Twins a chance. Wile 3 runs in 5 IP isn't great by any means, I'll take it most days. The offense didn't quit. And it's been much better the second half even with a mediocre Correa and missing Kirilloff. It's pointless to play the "what if" game, but man, what if the offense was producing like this in the first half? I think we'd have to be 10 games above .500, yes? Taking the series is very good news despite failing the opportunity to sweep. By no means am I piling on Correa, and I'm a fan, but that double play with runners on 3rd and 2nd with 1 out really hurt. Even a decent fly ball to the OF might have made a real difference in the outcome. Here's hoping Castro gets in to a groove again. Here's hoping for a return of AK soon as well. Stinks to lose Taylor right now, but again, here's hoping Stevenson settles in and can offer some hits and speed at the bottom of the order. I can understand Martin not being up right now if he's not going to play daily, and might be sent right back down when Kirilloff comes back. But it's so frustrating to have an almost unusable player in Gallo taking up a roster spot when Martin might provide a spark. And he's going to be added to the 40 man when the season is done anyway. I think an opportunity has been missed. I'm just not going to bang on the pen in this one. While they did give up 3 more runs in the 4 innings, they didn't blow up and kept the Twins in the game still. The pen is short at least one more quality arm right now...already been discussed over and over again previously...but the "weak" front end arms that pitched today still kept the team in the game. ABSOLUTELY have to take 1 of 3 in Cleveland. But with a day of rest for the back of the pen, our top 3 starters going to the hill, and the current fighting spirit of the team, they should take 2. They are the better team. The Twins were projected for around 85 wins when the season began. And right now, that's about where they look to finish. I always thought they were built for 92-93 IF the offense could come through. Even with a pretty soft schedule going forward, that's going to be pretty tough to meet. But it's how you finish that matters, right? This upcoming series doesn't make or break the season. But taking it just might propel them once and for all for the ALC banner.