DocBauer

He's not going to help the Twins in 2023. Too long of a road to MLB coming off injury and getting roughly half a season in which to do so. But he can prepare for 2024. The reason he stuck at SS for as long as he did, from what I heard many month ago, was simply to get more time and more chances playing in the dirt, and just work on the basics of fielding and throwing. From there, he could take that experience and slide easily to 2B/3B, positions he's more familiar with and played in college. The Twins weren't wrong in trying to increase his power. You have to realize, working to increase power isn't about turning everyone in to a 20+ HR slugger. More power also means doubles and triples if you have speed. Low power from a hitter means pitchers can challenge more, with less fear, and even good contact and good BB rates doesn't equal production if a quality ML pitcher can just overpower you. There are very few Arraez types who have limited power and can succeed. And even he has developed a little more pop over time. You end up with Ben Revere with little or zero pop in the bat. Virtually every single team will look to make adjustments for more power to make a batter more dangerous. Doesn't mean you are trying to develop a slugger. Such is the case with Martin. If his arm holds up, or recovers well after any potential surgery, I think it's very possible he still plays 2B as well as 3B on a utility basis. Depth is a good thing. But he never has to, or should, play SS again. And he doesn't have to with Correa, Lewis, and Lee sometime in 2024. Heck, Farmer will likely still be with the Twins next year as well. Someone commented months ago from the Twins that they felt Martin to slide to the OF "tomorrow" and be just fine, and that he was a natural out there. Hence part if the reason they kept him in the INF for as long as they did. And that's where he's going to end up. I DO think he could be a RH Gordon, and that's not a bad thing. It just means he could cover 2B/3B as well as the OF, not that he'd necessarily be a "reserve", just versatile. If and when he reaches MLB, he's going to be a LF and/or CF. Not sure about RF as I believe that's going to be Larnach or Wallner, unless Lewis moves out there. Then again, I wouldn't be shocked if Royce still ends up in CF either. Is Martin going to be a starter somewhere? Potentially yes. He has the bat and OB skills and speed and athleticism to be a fine OF with top of the order potential, even with mostly doubles kind of power. (I think he has enough natural strength to settle in as a "teens" HR hitter naturally). But it's up to him to get healthy, and prove he can hit and get OB and run at the ML level. It's not like there isn't competition. He could be the Twins starting CF or LF fairly soon if his close to 2022 and AFL performance is legit. He'll play both, but other players might determine where he slots in best. He and Julien could make a hell of a 1-2 to get the offense going! He could also be a daily player who moves around. He might also end up a really good and versatile veserve. Said it before and will again, NOBODY with the Twins is ruling Buxton out of CF in the future. Even as a part timer out there. But the simple truth is his body might never allow him to be a fixture out there again and you're hoping he pulls a "Molitor" and finds ways to stay prepared and engaged to being a successful DH. That means CF might be open. I could see, potentially, Taylor brought back for 2024. I could also see someone else brought in via FA or trade for a short term solution. It's really unfortunate that BOTH Celestino and Martin had lingering injuries this year as BOTH might be solid options to be primary CF in 2024. Let's not forget that Celestino is still quite young and has some good tools. In the short time he's been at AAA...after his too soon, emergency promotion...he's raked there. The best thing that could happen for both of them is to be healthy and ready for AAA ASAP, and get ready for 2024. But I do like Martin better as a possible long term solution there. He just needs to be healthy. If he needs surgery, it doesn't eliminate him from the future, but it continues to delay and possible future.

ONLY 5? OH, I get it, just the WORST 5. Surprised he isn't at the bottom of the WPA! I thought I had heard he was the worst in the last 5yrs. Guess there's reason for optimism huh? Lol But seriously, how can virtually everyone on the outside looking in see how bad he is and those closest to can't? IF he was going to be kept...and he was...he should have been the 8th guy to pitch multiple innings to "take one for the team" here and there. Which, honestly, has seldom been needed. Shouldn't have been brought back. Should have been cut after the Jay's game. Almost anyone could be better than he's been.

The simple truth is the team we began with for 2023 is not that bad. The problem is poor performance from those on that roster, as well as some injuries, and some stubbornness from the FO that defies logic. How do you trade for a 1B when Krilloff is healthy...thank the baseball gods something went right for once...is one of your best performers and finally looking like he's ready to get his career rolling. Of course, he can play a decent corner OF...so you COULD play him more there, but.... A healthy Gallo has really done everything asked of him, and has looked just about like his past All Star level previously with poor AVG and good OB and power and production. He's back in a day or two. Despite his struggles and a bout with pneumonia, Larnach has frankly out produced Kepler, while playing good defense generally and still flashing his arm. Wallner is the Twins reigning milb hitter of the year and destroying AAA, while looking at least decent at the ML level so far, and we'd want to sacrifice MORE milb talent for an OF bat before we'd see what the prospects can do, along with Gallo? Lewis is a stud and going nowhere. Correa needs to step forward, unless he just can't, pun somewhat intended, but he's recently starting to look like that might be happening. Polanco is a great ballplayer, but right now, we just don't know if or when his legs are going to be ready. In the meantime, Julien is just getting better and better, though he's a step down defensively. Other than replacing the not great but solid and generally productive Salono with a re-snergized Miranda...which MIGHT happen...there is no INF addition that makes sense. Unless it's at 1B, and then we look at the previous 1B/OF crunch previously mentioned. The offense still has real potential. Especially if Correa is ready to take off and Buxton and Gallo come back soon to be their normal streaky but dangerous and productive selves. If you hadn't noticed, AK and Julien and Lswis are starting to lead this team. Jeffers has really improved this season. And again, Larnach has out produced Kepler. What might Wallner do? The rotation is fine. The pen is not as bad as some make it appear to be. When the offense is as poor and unpredictable as its been, ANY run allowed, or bad day, will make the pen look worse than it really is. Despite simply being human, Duran is a stud. Jax went through some early season crap, but has been looking like his normal self as of late. Moran has settled in and has been pretty damn good. Stewart has been a godsend and doesn't appear to be just a flash. He's a former top arm who went to hell and back and found a new career in this role. Same as Thielbar. But speaking of Thielbar, they need to get him RIGHT. An oblique injury can linger. Eventually, he's going to fade. But I don't think he's ready to do that. Considering the upcoming schedule, they need to get him ready for the balance of the season in July on. Let him rest and get ready for July on. Speaking of former top prospects who get healthy and adapt to a pen role, DeLeon has looked pretty good. I'm not going to trust him right now in a crucial 8th or 9th spot, but he's looking good in the middle innings. I'm NOT saying the pen is perfect. It's not. Fully healthy, WITH Thielbar eventually, even with the improvement of Jax and Moran and the surprises of Stewart and maybe DeLeon, that's a POTENTIAL 6 you MIGHT rely on. The problem is...even with a healthy Thielbar... the Twins are still holding on to Pagan for reasons only THEY seem to understand, and the standard 8th pen arm that is a rotational piece. I GET the 8th arm rotational arm, but how often have we needed it this year? Further, how long can the FO just ignore having the WORST RP in all of baseball and Twins history as the 7th man? I understand the season started with arms like Winder and Henriquez hurt who might have helped. And Sands was looking better in his role before he also got injured. And Alcala is out, but he too might be back before the year is done. But even if you want to leave the 8th spot open for "whoever" , you can't trust SOMEONE to be better than the worst RP in all of MLB for 5yrs running? Dump Pagan tomorrow, a year too late, and bring up Ortega, or give Balazovic his first ML shot out of the pen. Or, I don't know, even though we want Headrick to be the next SP in line, maybe he should be up with Thielbar out. The BEST THING the Twins could do right now, besides dumping Pagan for ANYONE, is trying to fix Lopez. The velocity and stuff is there. Maki and Suggs need to get in his head and fix it, or his mix, and get him right again. If they can do that, the entire pen changes. If not, we need to add an arm at the deadline. The bite is, even with a few bad performances from said pen, the lineup is why the Twins aren't a good a 10 games above. 500 or more. And I honestly don't know who you sacrifice in trade value to improve on what you already have if they just tweak on what's available, make the one tough call, and give a chance to what's on hand.

I thought Petty might have been a steal, and I hated to see him go. But any time you can move a HS pitcher for a proven ML SP of the quality of Gray, you make that move. This trade turns even better if Gray is re-signed, but is almost as good if he accepts the QO for 2024. If he doesn't, they get a top pick in the next draft, which is no guarantee to turn out, but a nice bonus for the 2yrs we got. Jury is still out on Miller, but the defense plays already. I don't know that I would have pushed him so hard to CR this year. No matter what he does, I wouldn't be surprised to see him start 2024 at the same level. If the Twins are patient with him...he's so damn young and malleable...they might have something. I loved trading for Mahle as I thought he was just at the right point in his career where he was ready to take the next step, especially getting out of the band box he was throwing in in Cincinnati. I didn't like moving Steer, ECS, and Hajjar to do it. And I believed they made that trade because they believed Mahle was going to make the jump that I saw, and were going to offer him an extension similar to the one Lopez got. Alas, this one is probably going to hurt in the next few years. Where I find solace is even now, I'm not sure where Steer and ECS would fit in the future plans of the Twins. Even IF Polanco isn't in any plan for the future, the Twins have Correa, Lewis, Lee, and Julien to place, PLUS Kirilloff at 1B and maybe some OF still. And even assuming a season at mostly DH for Buxton in 2023 to help his legs, he might, AT LEAST, end up with quite a bit of time at DH in the future. I'm kind of expecting/hoping at this point he follows the career path of Molitor and learns to embrace the DH spot, find the right mental/physical adaption needed, and just rake in that spot going forward. I don't think the Twins will, ultimately, "miss" having Steer or ECS, but what they will "miss" is not getting better value for them than the eventual TJ version of Mahle. The Povich trade...along with a couple low level IL signings...hurt. I thought they got a steal in Povich. But again, trading young arms so low in the system for a big arm ssemed right at the time. Unfortunately, we may lose this trade as well. Jorge Lopez was having an absolutely tremdous 1st year as a recent convert to the pen. Then, mid convert season, and worried about family matters outside his control, he was average at best post trade. I had high hopes for him to begin this season and he looked GREAT the 1st month. Since May 1st, he's been a wreck. I never expected his 2022 version to be back. It was unsustainable. But 85-90% of that would have still been excellent. The velocity and stuff is still there. I don't know if it's his mix, or a confidence issue, or mechanical. But Maki and Suggs had better figure a way to reach him and get him RIGHT, or we not only lose this trade, but the 2023 pen continues to miss an arm that could make a major difference. They seem to have gotten Jax back on track, and Moran. Now it's time to get Lopez right. The rest of the draft remains very, very interesting. Macleod has some real potential as an injury signing, but he's old enough that he has to figure it out pretty quickly. But then again, he's coming off a missed year due to TJ. Not sure what to think about Adams. Not sure he should have been pushed this far up for 2023, but I do appreciate the thought to challenge him as a college arm. He's not old, and he's flashed a little. But any 2nd half improvement needs to begin pretty soon. Festa might be a key for this whole draft. He only threw 8 innings when drafted. He then raked in 2022 at A ball, slipped a little, and then finished strong. Now, in AA, he's certainly flashed while being inconsistent. But he only recently turned 23yo and seems to have some electric stuff. Interesting to me that catchers Cardenas and Winkel were drafted in that order, but Winkel has been moved more quickly. Not that 1 round makes a big difference. Winkel hasn't shown much power yet, and hasn't set the world on fire, but makes decent contact and has done a really good job so far with BB and OB. But it's always been my understanding Cardenas has more power potential and as good of contact and OB ability. I'm guessing Winkel moving up earlier is due to defense? I feel no need to rush catchers, but Cardenas, although at a lower level, has a better BA, OB, SLG, and OPS than Winkel. With Cossetti now at CR, does Cardenas get moved up to AA soon? Nowlin is a late round blessing and mystery. He's a 22yo LH with a somewhat less than perfect build who has velocity and at least one great breaking ball who has induced 12.5K numbers in his brief milb career. His hits per are fine. His BB are not fine. I confess to not recalling exactly what he throws. He's throwing 5IP per start, which is about right for a young arm. It might be optimistic to believe he's a future SP as a 19th round pick. But if he can harness his control and secondary stuff as he moves up, why wouldn't you leave him in a rotation for now? You just never know. BUT, he just might be someone a year to two from now that might be knocking on the door as a LH arm at the ML level to make a difference in the pen along with Moran and maybe Funderburk or Headrick. The 2021 draft is going to come down, potentially, as one that brought in ML talent for the Twins via trade that is going to be a mixed bag of not getting enough for Mahle, perhaps not enough for J Lopez, though that story is not yet written, and at least 2 very good seasons of Gray. Jorge Lopez getting his act together might just make all the difference in how this draft is perceived in the future in regard to "talent lost". He gets his act together, along with the Gray addition, the whole complexion changes, despite the Mahle loss. There is a reasonable chance at this point that Festa might just be another Ober, Varland kind of rotation find, given a little more time. Forget high ceiling, how about high floor, decent ceiling, they might have a dangerous LH arm for the pen in Nowlin. And they just might find a solid ML catcher in the LH Winkel, or the more promising, IMO, of the RH Cardenas. Despite "loses" and lost opportunity, we might look back at the 2021 draft and be pretty happy with what we traded for, and what we kept and developed. Of course, we won't know for a couple of years.

Kepler is an excellent defensive RF, and was pretty good in CF, when he played there. Forgetting any metric, I don't think his defense can be disputed, and that adds value to his overall career and any Twins legacy. For his career, his OPS+ sits at exactly 100. That's exactly average. Combine that with his defense makes him a good player overall. He's been over 100 OPS+ in 2 seasons, 2019 obviously being the outlier. 2020 was also above 100+. He's had 5yrs somewhere in the 90's, which means below average at a position that is usually an offensive spot. But a little below average, combined with great defense, doesn't make him a bad player, but makes him, at best, an average to slightly better than average OVERALL player, despite being below average offensively. It's also not his fault he was often batted higher in the lineup than he should have probably been. I think that skews his perception somewhat. And despite some tame rants I've had regarding Kepler's rather obvious nosedive with the bat the past 2 1/3 seasons, and practically begging for the younger Larnach and Wallner to take his spot...both younger and with higher ceilings offensively...I've been a Kepler fan since the day he was signed. But there is little to no room to call him one of the Twins best OF simply due to longevity, good defense, and below average offense. I decided to take a moment and look at the OPS+ of several Twins OF in the past few decades. ALL of them were in the Twins OF for a minimum of 5yrs. In an attempt to be as fair as possible, I eliminated the 1st year of Denard Span as it was a SSS with a very high OPS+ of 127. And I also eliminated the first, brief appearances, of Cuddyer as they were SSS when he was still being tried out in the INF. Lawton 100 Jones 100 Span 104 Rosario 109 Cuddyer 109 Brunansky 111 Mack 132 A few of these played LF, some saw limited action in CF, and Span was a true CF. And maybe the illusive B-WAR offers Kepler points for his RF defense. But OPS+ plus indicates at least 2 long time Twins OF were evry bit as good offensively as Kepler. The other 5 ranked higher. And while Rosario was always a bit of a lightening rod concerning defensive value, his OPS+ remains greater than Kepler. But I'm not sure any of the others on this list could be described as poor defensive players when they were Twins. Matt, you are correct when you mention career reflection vs immediate relevancy changing the perspective of a player. But it's also an unequivocal fact that Kepler is on a 3yr plus downturn in his production, even including a solid 2020. And I don't think it's very debatable that his presence is blocking a pair of 4 and 5 year younger players that are much less expensive, and have higher offensive ceilings, even though they probably won't match Max's defense. But one of the top Twins OF of all time? Five plus years from the names above, who all wore Twins uniforms for at least 5 seasons seems to state, IMO at least, that Kepler might not even be in the top 10.

You can never have too much pitching. And a healthy Mahle is a pretty good rotation arm. So is Paddack, based on the early returns after he joined the Twins. But for each guy, you just don't know how they will come back. Some guys are the same. Some better than ever. And some never make it back fully. So while I have hope for Paddack in 2024 and beyond, he's no sure thing. And there's no way, right now, to predict 2025. So why not have Mahle as a possible answer/option? But repeating pretty much everyone else, the numbers have to make sense. Not sure I agree with a troubled shoulder issue in 2022, and now TJ, and paying him $5M to recover. If so, then it should shrink the 2nd year value. They can get him for 2yrs and $15M total with some IP incentives that could bump him to $17-18M, then I'm on board and the Twins should be as well. It's really not that big of a risk. But I'm also OK walking away and focusing any Mahle attention and $ elsewhere.

Watched some of the game, monitored it also on the "live" MLB page when I couldn't watch it. 1] Varland deserved better. 2] I don't want her my hopes up, but the bats at least appear to be heating up. Let's hope it's not an illusion. 3] But Correa on 3rd base with ZERO outs and all we can muster is a pair of SO and a weak...normal...Kepler grounder to 2B? 4] After the commercial break, i heard the Twins booth trying to legitimize, or explain, the called 3rd strike on Kirilloff for not being in the box and ready at the 8 second mark. Maybe, maybe AK didn't have his eyes focused on the pitcher for a moment, but he was standing on the box, head up, and bat held high at 9 seconds. Or maybe I'm going blind. That was atrocious! 5] Even with a 2 run lead, I quit watching or following when Pagan came in. I already knew what was going to happen, I didn't need to watch it. And just like last year, just like this year, he absolutely blows it. And he's done this again and again for multiple teams for 5 consecutive years. 5 years as the worst RP in all of MLB with the lowest WPA, and yet he still has a job for some reason. Not only should he not have been in the pen to begin with, but repeating the same ineptitude this season should have him gone Monday. I would trust almost anyone from AAA over him at this point. Just ridiculous.

I wasn't sure what to make of him when drafted. There just didn't see anything that jumped off the page when I read about him. A decent frame and fewer innings at a smaller school made him interesting as having a lot of growth potential. Sure looks like that is the case so far. Just about everyone from the 2022 draft is off to a great start in their pro career.

Considering age and level, I wasn't overly concerned he might be selected in rule 5, but I was worried someone might sweep in and grab him as a milb FA. And I was VERY HAPPY the Twins re-signed him, despite some initial confusion about his namesake of a utility infielder, lol. I do believe if the Twins needed a 3rd catcher they would find a way for the vastly more experienced Wolters. Why wouldn't you add an experienced ML catcher at this point, having a solid season. Everything I've ever heard or read about Camargo is that he's a quality backstop with a good arm, and budding power. And I've been watching him pretty intently since acquired, especially since last year. He, like a lot of prospects in the system, were pushed to a higher level this year than I expected. I honestly thought he'd start 2023 in Wichita. To be only 23yo, as a catcher, pushed to AAA after little more than a half season at AA really surprised me. I know this gets old, and I'm tired of it too, but DEVELOPMENT AGE of so many prospects is really a year younger than physical age. I just don't know how anyone can dispute that logically. So Camargo is still rather young at 23yo, but is 22yo in developmental time. Even at 23yo, he's not old for AAA, and catchers sometimes take a little longer unless they are "special" prospects. It's probably the hardest position to find both offense and defense. Despite age and experience, the Twins have pushed Jair. He's responded brilliantly since his first few weeks. He's going to come down, most assuredly. And the best thing that could happen for him is for Jeffers and Vazquez to remain healthy, and for the veteran Wolters to remain the "emergency" 3rd catcher. And that sort of goes against my immediate philosophy of running with prospects at various other positions. But we're talking about a very young catching prospect just coming in to his own. I would much rather see him building up his bat, game, and approach for the rest of 2023, being added to the 40 man, and making his ML debut as the 3rd catcher in 2024. Catcher of the future? Please! I really like the kid! But he's not going to supplant Vazquez or Jeffers any time soon. Jeffers especially seems to be making a claim offensively and defensively to maybe being the #1. Time will tell. Camargo needs to focus on better contact and less K's. Right now, he's Drew Butera with more power. And that's not bad. But better contact, a better "hit" tool could propel him to being an awesome #2. But he's still a ways away from riding a hot streak at AAA from being a #1 "catcher of the future". The fun part is, what might he be a year from now? BTW, FWIW, I have no illusions about Isola suddenly becoming a true catcher prospect, despite a great season in AA. But the Twins have drafted 5 catchers in the past 2 drafts and signed a couple IL kids. So they haven't been ignoring the position. Winkel has been pushed hard to AA after only being drafted in 2021, but offers some potential. Cardenas, also selected in 2021, is behind him but looking better offensively. And Cossetti is looking pretty damn strong as a dual strength catcher as well. Baez, also drafted last year with Cossetti, was held back initially. But he's a great athlete who came to catching full time late. He's got more athleticism than you normally see in a catcher. He's rough around the edges to be sure. But if he puts in the work, he MIGHT just be one of the best selections in 2022. NONE of these options are going to be ready for at least 2yrs plus. The good news is there is potential in the system, and Vazquez and Jeffers SHOULD have the position locked down for the next few years. That doesn't mean Camargo can't be a quality ML option. It just means he has to keep doing what he's doing and continue to improve as a "hitter" and wait for opportunity.

I want to begin with this first: A] 20R/ 4DBL/ 2TRP/ 6HR/ 28RBI/ .207AVG/ .308OB/ .386SLG/ .694OPS B] 20R/ 5DBL/ 0TRP/ 7HR/ 18RBI/ .197AVG/ .268OB/ .387SLG/ .655OPS OK, now guess who players A and B are? Player A is Larnach, and B is Kepler. I am NOT on a crusade or trying to pile on anyone, but both have nearly identical games played and AB, and Larnach is outproducing Kepler despite being a work in progress. And he's 4yrs younger, almost $8M cheaper, controllable, and has room to grow and improve. He will never be as good defensively as Kepler, but he's pretty solid and has at least as good of an arm, if not better. Meanwhile, Kepler is on a 3yr slide that keeps getting worse. Do I really have to state the obvious here? And I haven't even mentioned the Twins reigning milb hitter of the year, Wallner, looking like he can play at the ML level and tearing up AAA. The Twins could, quite literally, bring up Contreras from St Paul, a fine defensive OF, having probably his best season to date, and use him to replace Kepler and probably get as much performance, if not more. Again, do I have to state the obvious here? Opportunity has to be presented and allowed. Period. AK and Lewis are, seemingly, hopefully, FINALLY healthy and ready to get on with their careers. They have already flashed and are amongst the best/most dynamic players on the roster. And they are here to stay, baseball gods willing. So there's a start, and potential start that should happen sooner rather than later. When you examine a few changes to the 2023 team, and some things happening in the minors, you see a subtle shift in regard to speed. The Twins want to take extra bases, and run a bit more. For the NOW, this team is still...primarily but not exclusively...built for power and OB and runs scored as a result, with acceptable SO numbers. The problem is they are not getting the power they expected, or the run production, and the SO's are horrible. Jeffers has lowered his K %. Gallo is essentially neutral. But virtually everyone else has seen their K% rise 20-35%. This includes guys like Vazquez and Farmer, who weren't brought in a power bats. So what gives? I think it's WAY TOO EASY to blame the FO or coaching staff for some mythical agenda. How can some players speak in glowing terms about Popkins and he's the problem? How can Jeffers, and even Castro, show real improvement but the coaching is terrible? Does this fall on the players just all pressing or having bad seasons at once? Is it a weird coincidence? If anyone wants to tell me you have the answer, I'd sure love to hear it. But I'd be willing to bet you aren't exactly 100% correct. Gallo has been exactly as hoped for when healthy, streaky, but dangerous and productive. Buxton, also streaky, has looked great when hot, even flashing some speed and great baserunning despite bad wheels, despite being restricted to DH. He's single-handedly won a few games, as has Gallo. Not hard to see both continue to produce when back, despite each being "streaky". Whether you are a fan or not, Correa is NOT this poor of a hitter, despite his much slower than normal start to this season. Is it pressure? Has his heel been affecting worse than we know? I simply don't know, and none of us do. It sure hasn't affected his great defense. Hopefully he gets right in the batters box SOON. There is NOTHING WRONG with what Farmer, Solano, or Taylor have done so far. They've done EXACTLY what they were supposed to do. Taylor probably the most. But none of them, including Castro, was supposed to be playing almost daily. What they've done is keep the team afloat around .500 or above despite being stretched. And I simply can't and won't blame the FO, or the coaching staff, for Celestino, or Martin, or even Helman not being ready to help at all at this point. Not sure I can blame them for Gordon's poor start, but then getting hot before a broken bone. Considering Miranda thrived in 2022 with the same staff, but got off to a horrific start this year, who is to blame for that? Polanco is one of my favorite Twins players, and an absolute stud when healthy. Is it the fault of the FO or the coaching staff, or the new trainer, that he was slow to recover in the offseason? Or is hurt again now? He makes a difference when healthy. And I'd have a hard time believing the Twins wouldn't bring him back in 2024 for his reasonable deal. Where I DO blame the FO is NOT in their general construction of the team, but in their seeming procrastination of changes. They wanted Kepler as a veteran floor OF due to questions? OK, I can understand that at least. But enough is enough! Unless they plan on NOT bringing Polanco back in 2024, why in hell is Julien ONLY playing 2B? Totally agree his arm should dismiss him from 3B conversation. But why not 1B? Why not LF? He's played them both in college and his 1st milb season. He's still a good athlete with decent speed. How much worse could he be in LF than previous options such as Young, or Willingham, or thrusting Arraez or Gordon in to the OF in previous seasons and expected to learn on the fly? For a team that is trying to embrace e roster and lineup flexibility, with a putrid offense that is incredibly inconsistent, why are they seemingly ignoring young talent with high ceilings and the opportunity to spark the lineup, and do things they've actually done before? I am NOT dismissing individual players who have simply underperformed. Nor am I dismissing the possibility of a poor collective approach taught by the staff. But then again, I don't know that the approach being taught is at fault, or the player's implantation of said plan is in error. EXAMPLE: are they being told to NOT swing early at a pitch that looks good early vs working the count? Or are they pressing, looking to make a HUGE impact on a pitch and getting in their own head? THAT'S on the coaching staff to figure out and work on, and communicate better. What the FO can do is make some hard or uncomfortable choices in roster construction to make a difference for NOW, as well as the future. Because what they are doing now isn't working. And I'm not going to address the pitching staff here, because really, it's the offense that is the problem. Sorry for being so long here, but dammit, this is the problem that should have the Twins 10-15 games above .500 and absolutely running away with the ALC.

You're absolutely right Nick, this team is wasting opportunity like I've ever seen before. The problem and question is how to fix it? 1] No comparisons need to be made, this is a top rotation. They've done their job, even IF you want to open previous discussions...ridiculous...that they've occasionally left their starters in too long for some bad 7th innings. 2] I'm tired of the bullpen arguements. No doubt there have been some BAD days. Jax wax fine early, had some crazy bad happen, got "unglued" and has looked much better lately. Duran is still great, but not perfect. Thielbar is back. Moran has gotten on track. Stewart has been a find. Lopez looked great early, and stinks now. Can they get him right? It's important that they do so, just Iike Jax. Is it a confidence issue? Or a change in his mix? Despite the pen not quite matching the performance of the rotation, they haven't really been that bad. And there is real hope and opportunity to see the pen get even deeper and better. But when the pen allows a run or two in a close game, their "failure" becomes magnified as the reason the Twins lost. But when you CAN'T SCORE RUNS, anything negative the pen does is magnified and amplified. 3] How in hell is this offense so bad??? Correa is a STUD. He's known for slow starts. He did the same in 2022, before "waking up" and got going. Can he fight through his plantar fasciitis and still be his usual self? Buxton is also a STUD. He's streaky as a hitter, and might always be so. But he's a difference maker when remotely healthy. He had an OPS above .800 a couple of weeks ago before his recent cold streak and rib injury. These 2 guys are difference makers and not going anywhere. And the Twins NEED them. Polanco is one of the best players on the team. Solid defense and quality offense, power and clutch hitting. And NOT a K machine. Now he's injured again, but is pretty awesome when healthy. Gallo has been exactly as hoped for, good defense wherever you place him, poor BA, quality OB, great power and RBI producer. But he's better as a 6 or 7 spot in the lineup hitter. But now he's hurt. The Twins have been getting surprising results from their bench, Taylor, Castro, and Solano. But that's not how you build a quality lineup on a daily basis. The best base stealers are bench players, though Buxton has helped where he can. And our best bunters are our catchers and bench players. And the Twins have been WAY more aggressive in bunts and SB the last month, and I credit Rocco for being more aggressive. But the simple fact is this team's offense has been inconsistent, if not lethargic! TWO or fewer runs scored in 25 games played! As fans, we want changes. But what do we change? Correa and Buxton have underperformed, but we know their talent and they are not only capable of making a difference, but they aren't going anywhere. Miranda bottomed out with a sophomore jinx? Kiriloff is doing all he can do. Lewis raked when he came up, hit a couple games cold spell, but can still make a difference. Jeffers needs more playing time based on production and ironically, time with Popkins. The FO needs to just replace Kepler with opportunity for Wallner and Larnach and let it ride. They should have done this before the season started, even with lower defensive value. I LOVE Polanco. But if he's really and truly starting to break down, it's time to make a change. When your offense is bad at historical levels, you just have to try something different, especially when you have top prospects with projectible ability. Coaches can only coach so much. And any hitting coach can only do so much. And Popkins might, or might not be a good hitting coach. But at some point it's also on the talent of the players you have. And I think it's TIME to trust in the young talent on hand and let things play out. What else do the Twins do, trade MORE prospect talent for a bat or two that might not be as good as what's on hand? Its time to trust the "kids"

Really appreciate all of these pre-draft threads! Thanks again to everyone who puts in their time and energy. Obviously it's a labor of love. Going to briefly re-wind a bit. Nobody in their right mind should pass on Crews or Skenes past 3 or 4. So they are simply off my board and wish list. I am starting to believe there is a reasonable chance Langford MIGHT slip to #5 for the Twins. A] SOMEONE might play the "underslot" game in order to save $ for a comp or #2 pick, especially to nab a top HS player/arm later that might seem a tough draw away from college. Sure wouldn't be the first time we've seen that the past few years. B] High quality arms are a tremendously valuable asset to EVERYONE. I can EASILY see a team before the Twins looking at Dollander...top 1-3 when the season began...and all his velocity and potential, and simply decide stuff, and track record, makes him too enticing to pass up. He lost some control this season but still had some great numbers? Fine. A few tweaks to his mechanics and suddenly you have that top 1-3 pre-season arm in your organization. C] While HS arms are the most volatile potential draftees, perhaps followed by SS that might not stick, HS OF's with tremendous tools are the safest HS prospects to draft. Jenkins and Clark provide a pair of tremdous teenage prospects with very high ceilings, one with more power, one with more speed. Both worthy of being drafted in the top 5. To me, it's not hard to see one of the 4 teams drafting in front of the Twins salivating over the younger Jenkins and Clark, and liking their ceiling better. And it's hard to say they'd be wrong. Considering my opinion of "no chance" for Crews or Skeens...a pretty safe bet...I'm hoping for Langford, Clark as my second option, though it's close, and I'm torn between Jenkins or Dollander for my 3rd choice. I DON'T want the Twins to overthink this. And I believe they should JUMP on Langford if he's available at 5. And IF chalk happens, they should be looking at Jenkins, Clark, or Dollander sitting there at the 5 spot. Personally, I'm hoping for Clark to be available. I'd sacrifice the pure power that Jenkins has over Clark to have the more TRUE CF option, which is lacking in the system. But honestly, would Dollander be a bad pick? I mean, I want the VERY BEST prospect to be selected, PERIOD. But as I stated previously in regard to other teams possible decisions, Dollander had all of the criteria to be a very smart choice. Right now he's projected somewhere around 7-ish. If you're the Twins, and you have an arm of this ability, from a kid with a great frame, great stuff, great projectability sitting there who might just need a couple of tweaks to get his control back, do you pass on him? Langford, then Clark, and then I'm torn on Jenkins vs Dollander. NOTE: I've heard whispers that Clark might have an attitude issue. And I despise gossip. Is this a real thing? Or just some confidence vs cocky thing imagined or blown out of proportion? Anyone have any feedback?

First of all, just want to state that I don't believe in spending a ton of $ on FA in regard to the pen. BUT, it's a tool to be used to help yourself. It seems like a 50/50 crapshoot most years as to whether you get a good pen arm or disappointing one. It's up to the FO, and the scouts, to try and guess right. And I DO believe they should have taken a shot this offseason to add depth, and to guard against Alcala being slow to get back. (I still have a lot of hope for Alcala, BTW). I also believe you should be looking for Stewart type EVERY SINGLE OFFSEASON. If not a couple of them. Quality Twins BP arms going back decades have been fliers like these. Current Thielbar is a great example. I'm still a little worried about Stewart's BB rate and hope to see it come down. But he's been a real baseball godsend to the Twins. And let's take a moment to point out it looks like Jax has begun to right himself after some crazy stuff earlier in the season. Now, if they can get Lopez looking good again, with the improvement of Moran, thus pen can be legitimately 6 deep with room to add and roll through the St Paul candidates. But like Stewart, they've gotten some really good work from De Leon as of late. Could he ALSO provide a big lift? Has his own injury filled and disappointing career suddenly trandlsformed in the Twins pen? I trust him less than Stewart right now, but he's looked pretty solid so far.

I really don't understand what the Twins are doing with Balazovic. He's healthy and looking much more like the top rotation arm he used to look like. So now they want him in the pen? I can't imagine why they'd make this call this early, but OK. Let him cut loose and be a potential weapon for 2 innings. What's with the 3 IP idea? Long relief? Don't they have other guys to slide in to the long spot and rotate through as necessary? Seems like a waste if Balazovic's arm. Start him and groom him or make him a 1-2 IP weapon. Very happy to see both Celestino and Martin on rehab assignment. I was befining to wonder if either was going to play this year, and would we see them in July if at all? Each still gets over half a season to get their work in. That's potentially huge for both.

Lewis is in the dirt for now. The only reason the Twins are having Farmer play SS is because he's solid there, and they want to let Lewis settle down and get acclimated. And I bet you donuts to dollars we'll still see him at SS at some point fairly soon. Is Lewis the future at 3B? He might be. He has all of the talent in the world to be a great and productive 3B. And he can still cover SS easily when Correa needs a day off. But Lewis could EASILY give way to Lee in a half season or so to maybe become one of the best 2B in all of MLB. And Lee could be an excellent 3B both offensively and defensively and Lewis could be that outstanding 2B I just mentioned. And what about Polanco? He's easily one of the best Twins players. Is he moved to make room? Maybe, though it kinda stinks, but his body is aging despite his production. So even if Polanco is moved, where does Julien fit? The thing is, Lewis could be a STUD wherever he plays. His injury in 2022 was NOT hitting the wall in CF, it was an awkward landing going for a ball. Truth is, he has the ability to bs a great OF, at any position. If you want the best INF the TWINS could have for several years going forward, it would be NO Polanco, and it would be AK at 1B...still a viable corner OF here and there... and any combination of Lee, Correa, and Lewis with Kirilloff. That just might be an All Star INF by itself over the next few seasons. But there is no room for a potentially difference making bat like Julien. I say that because OF/DH, the talent of Buxton isn't going anywhere. And considering that Lewis could play ANYWHERE, Including being a possible CF option, I think there's a lot in flux. Personally, I'd love that INF! But I'd rather sacrifice a little defense for Lewis to embrace the OF and let Julien be an OK 2B defensively and put Larnach and Wallner in the corners and sacrifice a little defense.

I didn't like the 2020 draft. If I recall correctly, it wasn't considered a deep draft, and I'm sure covid had a major influence. My problem with the Sabato pick wasn't he himself, but reports were there were still a few college arms that MIGHT turn out. Sabato himself wasn't really a bad pick in the late 20's that year. He was limited to 1B/DH in the future, but when you pick that late in a questionable draft, you look for value. His college numbers indicated you might get a real BAT with power and OB. So far, all we've seen is a potential AAAA type of player. Wasn't crazy about Soularie because what I saw was an athlete without a position who MIGHT play 2B but was clearly an OF. Enough hit tool and power and speed to make a difference? Or just a LF who could do a little of everything? What I LOVED was the Raya pick in the 4th. What I saw was a kid undervalued because of his size. I saw a Berrios comp who had real stuff and potential and attitude who might be really good. He was my favorite pick that draft. I don't hold size against him, but I am worried about shoulder issues that delayed his pro career initially, and has had the Twins bringing him along slowly. Considering how young he is, I think any issues are simply youth and still growing in to his frame. IIRC correctly, he was 18yo when drafted. He had a minor issue coming in to this season. And because of that, he's been brought along slowly. I'm OK with that. They think they have a great young arm and want to build him up slowly. I'm just hoping for 5+ IP the second half of this year. He doesn't have to be a STUD at 21yo. How about we just develop him, build him up, and get him ready for 2025 and beyond? Wasn't sure about Rosario as the 5th pick. As I recall, big power potential, questionable hit tool, average OF defensively. Like most HS kids. So far, he's been pushed than most HS age kids and is starting to look really good at A+. The Twins thought enough of him to play him a lot in ST to get ready for a promotion to CR. And so far, he's responded. Can't wait to see what he continues to do, but like most young batters, have to BB more than K as much as possible. He's a real possible at this time. But man, if we can all be patient, and just give the kid some time, I think Raya might be a viable rotation arm in a couple of years. I think the IP limit is ONLY to build him up.

Within the context of a vacuum, the trades mid season last year were fine unto themselves. You build a solid team, you win, you're in contention, a couple guys get hurt or simply don't perform as hoped/expected...you make some trades to try and push yourself over the tip and give yourself a legitimate shot come the postseason. Now, more guys get hurt, including one of the guys you trade for, you are just DONE. Doesn't mean trying wasn't the right thing to do. To my immediate memory, the 2022 deadline moves were the biggest in about 15 or more years, if not longer, or ever. A solid, experienced ML starter and recent All Star bullpen arm. My issue with the moves is not the moves themselves, but rather, that either or both had to be made at all. FA is absolutely not a cure all for anyone. But it's a tool to be used. And I didn't feel that particular tool was used well pre-2022 by the Twins. Now, injuries and some poor performers were part of the equation as well. But if they had been a little smarter, had pushed payroll just a little more, they might have "guessed" better and not had to make the moves they made. Or smaller moves in place of them. I think this year the entire team was put together very well, despite some results here and there that haven't turned out. Different topic, different day. And honestly, with Stewart and DeLeon looking like help for the pen, Moran rounding in to form, still a few arms in AAA and one on the IL that might still help, I'm not convinced just yet they will need to trade for bullpen help. But if they had taken a shot on a FA arm and guessed right, they probably wouldn't have to think bullpen trade at all. So we can always learn, adapt, and hopefully get smarter in the future. And reavrview 20/20 is always accurate. But the trades last year were not bad moves at the time.

Gallo-hurt and on the IL Buxton-hurt and resting Correa-hurt and resting I get it. And I can understand Lewis with a half day off and Kirilloff out if the lineup to begin the day for a day off. And Kepler is...well...Kepler. But 3 runs TOTAL in the past 2 games is why the Twins didn't sweep the series. And how about 4 runs TOTAL in 3 of those? You won't will all games, or all series. And winning 4 out of the last 7 games is fine. But it could have easily been 6 of the last 7, and that's what's disappointing.

Well written and accurate. So what is the answer? There isn't one, and that's really the point. Sometimes a coach says just the right thing, or in the right way, something clicks. Sometimes the player is stubborn or can't figure it out. And then experience, mental/emotional maturity causes that click. Maybe it's a 34yo veteran on the same winter ball team who gets the player to see things a different way. How come Detroit let Thielbar walk for nothing after he had a nice AAA season? How come Tampa couldn't recognize the future of Ryan with some tweaks...a tip of the rotation arm...but the Twins could? My only issue with the OP is timing. There's just no need for a "what if" article like this after only 2 months. While I wish him and every former Twin the best, 2 months is way too SSS to speculate any fault on the Twins part. Just like Rooker was given up by both the Twins and the Royals before having one special month with the A's so far. Remember when the Tigers grabbed a young, inexperienced A ball Badoo and the Twins were fools for not protecting him? What is he doing now? Just saying, it's an interesting debate as to when and how and why players work for one team but not another. But a couple months of quality is just too early for a viable example.

I have a hard time stating Buxton's current OPS is better than league average, and then stating he's not performing. I also disagree that his being the DH somehow has lead to injuries to other players. Huh? A couple weeks ago I did a full season breakdown of Buck as the Twins were just hitting the 1/3 mark for the season. Roughly, he was on pace for more than 100 RUNS, just shy of 90 RBI, 30 HR, 30 DBLS, and over 20 SB. The RUNS and RBI numbers might balance out differently depending on where he hits in the lineup going forward. And the OPS was definitely over .800. Not sure there was anything to complain about then. Now, he's gone from a brief slump to a longer one. But a week or so ago he was just fine as the DH. Considering he's always been a streaky performer, in a couple weeks he's hot again and has an .800 OPS again, are we still complaining?? Do I want Buxton in CF? You bet! I want him to play 100-120 games in CF, and get in another 20-25 at DH. What are the odds of that ever happening? So, OK, I'll settle for 90-100 games in CF and another 20-30 at DH. If Buxton's knee/hip/whatever was healthy and strong enough to be in CF at least 2-3 games per week, don't you think he'd be out there?? Now, if you want to debate the idea of him taking an IL stint to feel better, I can understand that arguement. But it's also possible a 10 day rest isn't going to do any good. In that case, the Twins are using him at DH to keep his bat in the lineup and waiting/hoping/expecting another hot streak. I don't think Buxton, or the Twins, have simply decided his days in the OF are just done, period, over and out. But for NOW, I think he's the DH. Now, maybe being this conservative will allow him to start seeing CF time here and there in September to get ready for October. I think it's worth considering. But I think it's naive or short sighted to just say "you aren't right, you're hurting physically, and you're giving it all you have, including some aggressive baserunning at times, but go in to CF and make it worse so we can then shut you down." And isn't that what's being suggested here? Again, an IL stint is a different arguement, and I'm not stating an opinion on said stint, just saying it's a different debate. This situation is not one that ANYONE wants, but they are trying to navigate the best way they see fit to get the most out of a disappointing situation. As far as being a DH permanently, or semi-permanently, that is not yet determined for the future. And not everyone can convert. But finding a routine that works for Buck over time might allow him to better adapt. It was very disappointing when Paul Molitor had to move to DH because he just couldn't stay healthy. But he sure became a great one. Might Buxton do the same? Nothing is written in stone yet in regard to the future. But this is how the Twins see making the best of the situation for the here and now. And I don't like it either. But I can at least understand they why of it. And if 2024 and beyond will have to be examined this offseason. But that's for the offseason and the future.

Right on cue Vazquez hits a big double tonight against the Guardians that leads to a run! He's being $10M per to be an experienced, quality game caller, defender, thrower, and staff leader. And he's doing those things. Yes, he's slumped since a good start. But he's not the only one. And while he's been slumping quite a bit lately, there's a lot of season left to start heating back up. But his #1 job is be a CATCHER. Despite being an iron man, I do think he might benefit from a more even time share with Jeffers, who is having a great season thus far. I've always liked Jeffers behind the plate, but it looks like he's gotten better. And the bat potential has always been there. Experience and some work he's put in with Popkins to make some adjustments seem to be paying off. And I heard in the pre-game the duo has thrown out 35% of attempted base stealers. That's one if the best marks in all of MLB.

After reading this OP, and reflecting on past performance, I have decided that Duran will no longer be referred to by that name, only for simple reporting stake. Henceforth, his name will be Drago. For he is a fire spitting dragon of an arm that deserves a special moniker all to his own. All hail Drago!

Sorry but I can't put I can't place Mahle on this list. Disappointing YES. And I'm no expert, but a "tired arm" with some mild shoulder issues in 2022 is NOT related to a blown out elbow and TJ in 2023 unless someone can show me a medical condition that can relate these 2 things. He looked ready to go for 2023. 1] Miranda, easily. He finally showed in 2021 what the FO was expecting. He had a few rookie struggles in 2022 before settling in. He was ready to be an important part of 2023, especially with some hard work to get ready. 2] Jax. We've seen what he can do. He got roasted early with crazy crap. And then he either lost confidence, OR, there was a wrong pitch mix. Either way, bad luck seemed to lead to bad performance. A lot of reasons to believe he can get right. 3] Jorge Lopez. His stuff is great. He started the season strong. He's struggled in May. If he and Jax can get their sh*t together, we have a great BP with Stewart and Moran. 4] Correa. So he's a notorious slow starter who is usually OK, but not great. And then he ramps up. I get it. I'm OK with it. But this slow start has been a couple good games, and then nothing else. He's flashed at times, which is expected. And his defense has remained superlative. But I am wondering about his plantar fasciitis. It can be a temporary thing. It can be handled with a little rest and even an injection to settle the muscles and tendons down. And there is physical therapy to help as well. But unfortunately, it can be a lingering issue that lasts for months. HOPEFULLY, Correa has a mild case and rest and therapy and a possible injection will get him right over the next few weeks. 5] My number 5 is the FO. If your intention was to contend, I understand most of your moves. But keeping Pagan and Kepler instead of looking at potential instead of a "safe" variable is Inexcusable at this point. At what point do you TRUST your OWN prospects? At what point do you realize Kepler...a perfectly solid ML player...is just an average player at best? And it's time for a new direction with Larnach, Wallner, etc. When nothing is produced by what you have vs a potential improvement of younger talent, when do you finally make the commitment to younger and better?

I still believe drafting a 1B you really like, with hit and power and RBI potential has a place to be drafted, especially if he has really good defensive ability, which shouldn't ever be under estimated. And with the DH in both leagues, it does change some draft perspective across MLB. BUT MLB has changed so much the past 5yrs or so, that I would NEVER draft any 1B in the first couple of rounds unless he really and truly looked special. I kinda understood the Twins drafting Sabato a couple of years ago because it was reported to be a tough 1st round, and it was thought Sabato could actually HIT, with power and some solid OB ability. But i would have drafted any high ceiling flier over a 1B, position player or pitcher. All due respect to Killebrew, who played all around, Morneau was the Twins the best 1B ever. My memory might be failing, but I believe he was a 4th round pick as a catcher. Recent history has Arraez converting to 1B. Kirilloff is an OK OF and a potentially great 1B. Abstract thought, a bad knee Polanco could move to 1B and probably be solid there with all of his INF experience and AK spend more time in the OF. Point being, only draft a 1B for depth and a possibly big bat after the first couple of rounds, who MIGHT be special. Otherwise, ignore the spot. I DON'T mean to diminish having a quality defensive 1B, but a good bat 3B/SS/2B/OF/C might turn in to a great 1B. But DON'T draft one early at all.

A few comments: 1] To echo what chpettit19 just stated, virtually every milb prospect plays multiple positions while in the minors. This is done for 2 reasons. a] Depth in the system, and players at the ML level, means ANY prospect, even a TOP prospect, SS, CF, whatever, might end up blocked. So what then? Well, you would want them to be in your lineup. So do you transition on the fly at the ML level? Or has said prospect already had a chance to learn another spot? Lewis is a perfect example of this. b] The minors are there to try to develop ALL of your players. Now, most won't make it. Some end up being filler. But they ALL have to play to see if and how much they develop. As an example, most/many milb teams carry 3 catchers. And those catchers will play 1B/DH/3B/etc, to keep their bats in the lineup, gain experience, and let the other prospects develop. 2] Right or wrong, Julien is often compared to Arraez as a potentially great hitter...though a different one...without a defensive position, who might be an exciting bat/table setter. Arraez was tossed in to LF as a rookie with no experience there that I'm aware of. He was told to back up, keep the ball in front of him, and do the best he could. Honestly, IMO, I've seen worse OF defensively in the past, LOL. He wasn't horrible at 3B, and became a pretty good 1B on the fly, which is damn hard to do. Julien has a mediocre arm, possibly due to surgery, but is a faster, better overall athlete than Arraez. And prior to this year, he's ONLY played 2yrs of pro ball. So he's absolutely a work in progress, despite spending time at different spots in college and his first pro season. Now, full confession, I've only caught a handful of games of Julien defensively at 2B when he's been up. I've seen routine plays, a couple solid plays, and some bobbled plays. I've also seen some good and bad hilight videos. So I don't have enough information to know how good/decent/bad he might be at 2B. But why can't he still improve? I'm betting he could be a pretty decent 1B. Even with an average at best arm, isn't he athletic enough to play a little LF? Unless he just doesn't have ANY sort of tracking ability, could he be worse than Young or Willingham in LF? When the bat/offense plays, you find a spot or spots where he can play. I sort of get him focusing on 2B right now with the idea they want him to be able to actually play acceptable there, with the idea a move to 1B...maybe LF...would probably be easier. But are they doing him a disservice focusing too much on 2B only? Young, athletic, only 2yrs of pro experience, can't he get better? 3] If the Twins just want to build one of the best INF in all of MLB, it would be AK at 1B, Correa at SS, and a combination of Lewis and Lee at 3B/2B. So where does Julien fit other than being an "average" defensive player with a great bat at a couple spots as well as DH? And that's fine, but what if Buxton is going to be a "Molitor" type of DH move full time? And what about the future of Polanco? There are questions that his under 30yo body is breaking down. Maybe?? But a healthy Polanco is a hell of a good player and one of the Twins best. And they still have control of him for two more years. To be clear, having too many good players is not a bad problem. And things often work themselves out. But the Twins are going to have to make some very hard/interesting decisions really soon to fit everyone in, or move some guys. Does Lewis move to the OF fairly soon? Does Polanco get moved? Do the Twins keep Julien at 2B, or start to work him at a couple spots to attempt to increase his versatility as an "acceptable" defensive player at those spots? I don't know that there are any easy answers. And I think it's going to be fluid going in to 2024. But I DO THINK you do what you can to "polish" Julien the best you can to find a way to make room for him while working the rest of the roster the best you can to put everyone in the best spots.