DocBauer

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.

I'm really surprises by the vitriol presented here. 1] The Twins have one of the best rotations in all of MLB. Something we haven't seen in YEARS. 2] The bullpen build wasn't great. Pagan should have been gone, and they should have added ONE arm they believed in to guard against Alcala not being ready. And despite some struggles from Jax and Lopez, we know thier stuff. It's up to the coaching staff to help them find their stuff on a consistent performance self. If they can do that, and add a healthy Thielbar back, a much improved Moran, and the surprising Stewart, could make a really good bullpen. I know it's not EASY to see this, but it ain't hard to see it either. A few runs here and there don't make a bad pen. And rolling through a few guys here and there isn't a bad idea either. This pen can be really good If a couple arms can "settle down" and they can find the right mix. Remember, a couple bad games skewes what a RP does. But the pen DOES need to ramp up a bit. 3] Let's be honest and admit the offense has been the issue. Forget historic ineptitude with bases loaded, the inconsistent offense has been the issue. Double digit, or close to it, in runs produced with a 3 game series of 5 or 6 runs doesn't cut it. You can't win consistently with an offense that yings and yangs between 1 run and 7. And that's been the problem, not the pen. Just a little better pen results and an offense that can create any sort of consistent competitive environment would have this team 10 games above .500. And then, pundits would be proclaiming the Twins as one of the top 6 teams in the AL, not the leader of an also ran division. There are no wins granted for coming close. But how many games have the Twins had the lead, or been neck and neck, and lost a game so far? You want to blame the pen for the Twins losing a game 3-2 because they couldn't score a single run past the 2nd inning? Yeah, go ahead and blame the pen on that one. My biggest worry coming in to the season was the offense. And it wasn't the loss of Arraez, or the signing of Gallo, who's been pretty damn good. It was Kepler, and the hopeful health and improvement and debut of Larnach, Killeroff, Waller and Julien, and Lewis. I trusted Correa, and Polanco, Buxton, Miranda, and Gallo, (to a degree). Larnach, despite ups and downs, is amongst the HR and RBI leaders before his pneumonia IL stint. AK and Lewis are off to great starts. Julien is flashing early like a keeper. What more does Wallner have to do for an offense deficient team than scream potential production over someone who can't produce? You DON'T want to be impressed by the Twins? Fine. You obviously aren't watching the games, and only focusing on how "close but not quite" box scores. This team is inches away from being 10 games above .500 and right in the mix if the offense can just find ANY kind of CONSISTENT production.

Never quite understood Cavaco as the 1st pick then and still don't know. I guess it's exciting to hear about a young player with tools gaining "steam" and looking like a steal. But shouldn't the scouting department been smarter than that? (Remember, it is the scouting department that primarily makes these selections). I'm still disappointed they didn't see a safer, more well known and scouted player with a high ceiling available instead of the mystery kid riser. But the rest of the draft was pretty darn good! Jury is out how good Wallner might be. The defense needs work/polish, but he's got the range and arm. Offensively, he's always going to K a lot. But he's shown the ability to actually hit some, and still BB walk some, to go along with huge power. He's also only 25 still and inexpensive. I already know he'd be a more productive run producer than Kepler. Time to find out how good he might be. Varland is already a part of the rotation and looking better and better the more experience he gains. Julien just might be the best player out of the entire draft for the Twins. I'm starting to really like what I'm seeing and reading about Headrick and I think he's permanent part of the Twins pretty soon. I'm saying the pen as a reliable 3rd LH arm. I think Lawyerson has a chance to find a role as the 6th-8th man in the pen. A solid, funky delivery arm with good control who can give you 1-4 IP, whatever you need on any given day. Canterino...crossing fingers...will end up a really nice back of the pen arm once he gets back and gets in a good flow. His stuff is just so nasty, a healthy version of him at 90% his old self could still be a hell of a pen arm. The rest, I'm really not sure if anyone steps up or not at this point. Without Cavaco, this looks like a great draft. Had they selected someone who wasn't such a risk, and was turning out, it would have been a tremendous draft.

Great to see Miranda have a good night. The start of a run? Sure hope so. Wallner has the physical ability to be a decent OF if he can just learn to read the ball better and take better routes. He's very fast for such a big man, just takes him a step to get going. His arm is special. He can be decent, but he needs work. Other than that, a roughly 30% K rate us acceptable if he also hits a little, continues to put up good BB rates, and mash when he barrels up. When veterans play because they are veterans and provide little to no offense at all for a team struggling for runs, you need to look at a prospect who might jump start that offense. I'm not saying Maeda is done as a SP. Nice to see his velocity back at 91, even though his game has never been about pure velocity. But even though his incentives are tied to GS and IP and the such, would he consider a move to the pen in order to be part of a winning team? Struggle in the rotation at 35yo or possibly excel in the pen? Tough luck for Enlow last night. Should they have kept him in for 1 more batter and try to finish the inning off? His pen sure didn't help him. Severino has a ML future if the K's don't rise any further and he can be solid at 2B/3B.

I'm not surprised by this list, for the most part. Ft Myers is filled with members of the 2022 draft class that barely sniffed the field after being selected. I'm not saying there isn't real talent and upside amongst them, but you would have expected them to perform well at low A to begin their careers. And while the Twins have shown a much more aggressive promotion strategy than we saw for decades, it probably would have been unwise to push so many of their draft class straight to high A for their pro introduction. Glad to see Mathews and Cossetti already moved up. I would have to believe Lewis, Ortega, and LH Zachary Veen should follow very soon. The problem is, there has to be an opening at the next level to do so, and then you need someone to take their spot at Ft Myers. The draft is weeks away and the FCL is just about to get underway. So the Ft Myers promotion watch is going to be interesting to follow for sure. Cardenas hasn't set the world on fire since being drafted a couple of years ago, but he's hit, and shown some great OB ability and a great feel for the strike zone. If that knowledge and feel for the zone leads to a little more aggression, we should see the BA climb as well as his power numbers. I've had my eye on him since he was drafted and think he's got a legitimate shot to be a ML catcher if his backstop skills can match his bat potential. Top 30 list next offseason? Rosario has really impressed. I thought they pushed him...and a few others...harder than I expected to high A this year. But they saw some things they really liked in ST and played him quite a bit. He's been pretty solid and looks to be improving.

I understand the Twins general belief and philosophy of drafting bats before arms. We've discussed it many times before, so no need to rehash it again here. But we're talking the #5 pick, not somewhere in the teens or twenties. But even then, they grabbed Petty 2yrs ago with their 1st round pick. So if Skenes was really available at #5...and I don't see it...I think they would jump at the chance! No offense to any media "expert", but they are looking for readers/viewers, wouldn't mind creating conversation, and are trying to play GM for every team in the league. But if the other 4 teams wanted to pass on what appears to be a special arm, I have no doubt the Twins would JUMP! As far as Gonzalez goes, every team scouts all the top players and have their preferences. Someone like myself reads mocks and some different reports, and forms enough of an opinion to almost e dangerous, lol. But all the reports I've read so far on Gonzalez has him as a fine SS...who might stick there...with decent hit and power tools, and average speed. That just doesn't sound like a #5 pick to me, especially when I have Correa at SS, Lewis and Lee who can play it, and a handful of pretty interesting A level prospects that might be ready in a few years. He sounds like a solid, safe type of pick without the upside that you'd want to grab at #5. I'd rather grab Dollander, the proposed #1 preseason pick who has great stuff but has struggled with control for some reason here in 2023.

Going to go out on a very short and fragile limb and say that Crews and Skeens are off the board. It wouldn't take a ton of imagination to see the teams picking in front of the Twins to fall in love with someone else, Dollander, Lower, Teel, the HS bats, etc, and Langford slip to 5th. It doesn't make sense to me, but then again, Lee wasn't supposed to slide last year either. So while I wouldn't bet on it, or lay strong odds, I could see it happening. Agree that Wilson looks like a "nice" player, but with a short ceiling. I don't want that at #5. Further, while you ALWAYS draft quality SS and fit them in later, again, I'm not sure I see the potential, plus, the organization isn't entirely devoid of infield talent and numbers right now. Pass for me. If I had my choice between the powerful Jenkins and the more fleet of foot CF Clark with the potentially elite bat to ball skills, I'm going with Clark. I don't want to draft in the 1st round for need, but he fits outstanding prospect profile AND need as the organization feels shirt of CF options that should STICK there. Keirsey at AA might be the best pure CF in the system right now, and he's got some really nice tools, but a bad college injury and some smaller ones as a pro has him getting old at 25-26 at AA. That's not a top prospect. He's a potential roll player. Celestino and Martin haven't even hit the field yet and it's about to turn June. So I'm kinda big on Clark right now as a strong possible #5 for ceiling as well as organization need. He doesn't have to be a 20HR hitter...though maybe he becomes one...to be very good with hit, contact, speed, and defense at his disposal. I am not out on Teel at #5 though. I've seen him pretty consistent in the top 10-12 lately. I don't want him just because he's a catcher. That's a poor way to draft. And I don't want him just because he's got "helium" as a hitter this year. But if the bat is REAL, combined with better than average athleticism for the position, and he has the tool framework to be a legitimate ML backstop, I'd be really tempted. And I know we're talking position players right now, but is Dollander the biggest potential steal in the first 10 picks? He was the probable #1 pick preseason and still had a great arm. Do the Twins go away from a bat and go for the big, upside arm for a change? Right now, my #5 pick is Clark.