DocBauer

Two sides to this debate: SIDE A: With all due respect and years of previous fan support, Kepler is an excellent defensive OF and a great overall athlete but is, at best, an average offensive player. And his OPS has been declining for 3 straight seasons. He is what he is, and he isn't getting better. Do you know what Wallner is going to bring? Do we know how he's going to develop and end up? Nope. But he's young, talented, somewhat projectible, and isn't a 29-30yo veteran on the decline with no room for improvement. This all applies to Larnach as well. And while I believe it's generally true it can take a few weeks, even months, for any prospect to rise and fall before begining to "find" themselves and hopefully begin to produce at a more even keel level, how are they supposed to ever do that sitting in AAA behind a "mediocre" veteran who isn't part of the future, and doesn't seem to be helping the present much either? SIDE B: Larnach, and Krilloff were both coming back from injuries to begin this season. Wallner had about a half season of AAA, even though he looks pretty damn good, he still only had a half year above AA. Was Gordon's 2nd half in 2022 for real? And for a team believing they had a real contending ballclub, it sure makes sense to bring in Gallo to nudge the offense, and to keep the old standby in Kepler for another year. Did we really want to see AAAA guys filling up the OF as they did the last couple of months in 2022? Or were we better off with a little "too much depth" to give injuries and kids time to heal and mature? Both sides can be right. And IMPO, they are. Gallo will probably be gone after thus season, very possiblybwirh a QO attached to him. And Kepler should also be gone, making room for the "kids" and freeing up a roster spot and $. Me personally? Despite appreciating the want to error on the side of depth and caution for 2023, I would have rolled the dice and moved Kepler in the offseason and rolled through the younger players to provide opportunity for immediate and future results.

Great to see Cossetti and Mathews move up so quickly. They sure seem ready and need the challenge. I can only assume Cory Lewis and Zach Veen aren't following them immediately as you can't just promote half the team all at once. And Ortega should be right behind those guys. So far, the 2022 draft is looking awfully good, even with Prielipp off to a guarded start.

Full confession, despite following the entire system with great detail, I often lose track of the Twins international signings once the ink dries. They are 16-19yo and spend at least one season in the DSL, if not two, before they reach the FCL, the former GCL. At that point, I begin to read about them here at TD, and occasionally elsewhere, and memory starts to click in. But even then, draft choices have writeups before and after the draft and are much easier to gather information on and refresh or better commit to memory. So I tend to forget, at times, about prospects like Aguiar. He absolutely is performing at a pretty solid level for Ft Myers this season, and offering optimism at his age 21 year. And in regard to time in the system, and other similar age prospects, 21yo is not old for low A. Further, international signings are not only adjusting to whatever level they are at, like any prospect, but they have been adjusting the last year, or two, to a different country, language, culture, etc. So sometimes they might need a little more time to figure stuff out. No excuses, it's just that every young prospect is different than every other prospect, but international kids have different adjustments to also make. Aguiar is nothing close to a finished prospect, and I have zero information as to the injuries he's had previously, but being healthy now and getting all these games played leads to a logical reason as to why we're now seeing some quality results. Will he be ready for a promotion at some point this season? Hmmm...maybe. But I doubt he does anything this season to make him a rule 5 loss risk. I'd just like to see him continue doing what he's doing now, and let things play out. But he has looked encouraging so far in 2023.

Quick question, and maybe I missed something, but why is it a lot of recent OP posts have been blocked for a day or two to make contributions? Updates being made, a glitch, or just time for us to reflect before being allowed to comment? I really, really wanted to comment on this particular OP the minute it was posted. THIS TEAM HAS ME MORE FRUSTRATED THAN ANY TWINS TEAM I CAN THINK OF IN RECENT MEMORY. Sorry for shouting in CAPS. But I not only LOVE the Twins, I absolutely love this team and how it was constructed, with very few exceptions. EXCEPTIONS: 1] I wanted a powerful OF/1B bat from the RH side. I quickly changed gears when Taylor was brought in as I saw the reasons why. It made sense to me, defense and speed and help for Buxton. 2] Pagan should have been gone for many reasons. Forget decent low leverage results to end 2022, and decent numbers so far this year, despite a couple of horrific performances. His $3.5M should have been used, along with a couple $M more, for a shot at a possible improvement as to deepen the pen and not automatically assume Alcala was going to be ready. That's about it in my EXCEPTIONS to the offseason A recent TD poll asked us to rate the Twins performance so far. The overwhelming grade was a "C". I almost agreed due to frustration, but I went "B" in my grade. Why? Becausn while there is seldom such a thing as a "moral victory", it has a place in the right context. Let me explain with recent context. Despite the fact that our beloved Twins were EGREGIOUSLY screwed on a number of poor umpire calls in their recent west coast swing that SHOULD have allowed reprimands, demotion, or similar, they were IN those games to win, despite the egregious calls. Crap happens. You win a few, you lose a few. I don't care about the state of the ALC as a division. This is MY OPINION of the Twins: 1] The rotation has been one of the best, if not the best, so far in MLB. The best the Twins have had in YEARS, despite the Mahle and Maeda situations. 2] While they SHOULD have said goodbye to Pagan and spent his $ elsewhere on a hope, he isn't the biggest problem, though he surely hasn't helped. Duran, Jax, Lopez, Theilbar was a great start to the pen. HOPE was Moran and Alcala filling in the 5th and 6th spots. Moran is starting to look good. Alcala looked OK for 1 inning at a time, but blew apart going more. Was he misused? Maybe. But now he's out. Take away 2 horrific appearances by Pagan, and I guess you have an acceptable pen arm. But history has proved how bad he really is. They should have added SOMEONE to be a better potential arm than him. So if the Tsins can just settle down Jax after some extreme bad luck and possible lack of confidence, get Lopez back in a groove, and these guys have previously shown what they can do, and then factor in Thielbar healthy in a couple weeks, along with Morzn suddenly finding himself, and the surprising Stewart, suddenly this pen looks damn good. And there are a possible few helpful arms Ike DeLeon who might help as well. A few bad games from a RP are magnifed....not talking Pagan level implosions...but they can do better. And the good news is they CAN do better and actually have some good arms to work with. But even the best pens will allow a few runs here and there. So where is the offense? 3] The loss of Arraez, no matter how good of a player/hitter, does NOTHING to excuse the variance of offensive performance from game to game. WITH Arraez, the Twins still had an up and down offensive performance in 2022 before their eventual collapse. I grant you Polanco missing the first couple of weeks, raking on return, slowing, then getting hot again before his recent IL stint doesn't help. But Correa has been cold except for a few games. Miranda unexpectedly imploded. Where do we even begin with setting records for ineptitude with the bases loaded? With a mix of veterans and young talent, I don't expect the BOMBA SQUAD of the past. But there's still too much talent here to be so damn poor and inconsistent with production. It usually takes a while for the young talent to settle in. A silver lining for some of the recent injuries might be the audition and experience of the prospects. Truth is, the pen might not be that hard to fix. The biggest problem is an offense that can't support its pitching staff, despite opportunity, and despite talent. The Twins should be about 10 games over. 500 right now, if the offense hadn't let them down and disappeared in so many critical times. The pen needs to get right, but they've got some arms to do it. The lineup needs to PRODUCE way better than they have been, especially based on talent. The offense has cost more games than the staff has. The Twins should be a 92+ win team with this rotation, and the potential of the pen and lineup. To me, it seems easier to right the pen by getting Jax and Lopez right. Do we get the lineup better by playing the kids? IDK the answers, but damn projections, this SHOULD BE a 90+ win team. It almost feels, at times, like they just realize how good they are, or might be,

I agree there is mystery surrounding Buxton and his health. And it has been discussed and debated previously in other articles as to how forthcoming the FO should be about a player's health, and I won't get in to that debate. But there are a couple rather obvious factors that come in to play. 1] Buck is one of the best CF I think most of us have ever seen. And he loves to be in CF and would like to there. The Twins know how great he is out there. Wouldn't they put him out there if they thought he was ready? 2] From various opinions and even personal observations, if you watch Byron on the basepaths, legging out XB hits or stealing bases, you can see the tremdous speed he still has, but you can also see him "galloping" once in a while instead of streaking. You can see him needing a moment to collect himself. At least for now, he's OK for short sprints. It's the wear and tear of chasing balls on the fly that is the concern. The general pounding on the knees that come with doing so. Right now, as a DH, he's on pace to play the most games he ever has, and probably have his best ever offensive season. MY OPINION is he WILL play CF again at some point. Whether that is in the playoffs, or next season, or whenever, I just don't know for sure. As to how transparent the FO has been, or should be, again, is a different argument.

Dejavu here as I just got done talking about Castro in today's game thread. But here I go. I think a number of us really liked signing the then 25yo Castro because he had a nice tool box of ability and potential but was promoted a bit early and never developed in Detroit. Agreed he was supposed to be in St Paul as a reclamation project who might help, added depth, and might surprise as a utility player. He really only made the club out of ST due to some injuries. But all he's done is answer the bell, play acceptable defense wherever they've put him, and that includes a few innings in CF where he, at least, hasn't embarrassed himself. This/he reminds me of Gordon a couple years ago when he got his shot and learned to play the OF/CF on the fly. Now, Cruz has played the OF before, but I think the reference is accurate. Castro seems to run the bases well, and has shown he can be a successful SB threat. He's also laid down some nice bunts...a lost art...that only he and our catchers seem to be able to do, lol. And while regression will certainly take hold any day now, let's look at his MLB page and examine his recent quad slash line: LAST 30 GAMES: .284/ .346/ .514/ .860 LAST 15 GAMES: .320/ .346/ .580/ .926 LAST 7 GAMES: .360/ .407/ .680/ 1087 OBVIOUSLY, there is no way he maintains this kind of production. Nothing in history indicates prolonged performance like this. And we're taking 74 AB. But still, he's been performing for 30 games, not just a week or two. This tells me that despite his numbers returning to the norm, he actually might be starting to become the solid ML player he was expected to be originally, now recently turned all of 26yo. He might also turn back in to a pumpkin very quickly, with no glass cleat to make him special, other than as a really nice and versatile utility player. But what would be wrong with that? I'm sorry to inform a lot of fans who haven't figured it out yet, but Buxton's days as the principal CF for the Twins are over. But that's a very different discussion for another day and another OP. Taylor has been great in CF, and produced as well as I'd hoped for. And if his back settles down, and he doesn't have to play DAILY, he just might end up having one of is most productive seasons. But Celestino and Martin...both talented and young and having possible futures...will only get a half season at best in 2023, and aren't going to factor this year. At least for 2023, Lewis will also not be a CF option. Gordon is out for a month or more, which really hurts as he's an OK CF and his bat was just starting to FINALLY heat up. And while Kepler can help give Taylor some days off in CF...and he's going to have to...Castro is going to get a shot to help there. If any part of his recent offensive development is real and true, he deserves a shot there as an occasional option. He's shown he can cover LF and help in the INF. He can work with Kepler to give Taylor a day off here and there. Make no mistake, a month from now, Castro could be flailing at the plate and be gone/demoted. But he wasn't even supposed to make the opening day roster. But so far, all he's done is do his job, help, and get better. He should NOT be an integral piece for this team. But could he continue to be a contributor to the 2023 Twins? So far, he's trending upwards.

Buxton has been giving is all at the plate, and on the basepaths. But he's not ready for CF. And honestly, despite creeping age and a sore back, Taylor has done the same, and even surprised me at times. But with Gordon out, I can see Castro in CF for Sunday with Taylor in reserve. He sure isn't my first choice, but things being as they are on the roster currently, let's see him out there.

I had to work so didn't get to see the game, though I intend to watch the abridged replay version on the MLB app later. So at this point, comments are based on a couple hilights seen, the box score, and the OP. But here goes: 1] I'm not worried about P Lopez at this point. Even the best SP have some bad days. Witness Bassit today. He was better his last turn and didn't get the win, but did today without having his best stuff. I think he's going to be just fine. 2] I don't want to come across as a misguided optimist, but we've seen how good and J Lopez can be, including times this season. When a RP has a bad game or bad stretch, those moments/times have greater magnification than anyone else on the roster. Neither is some 34yo pen arm hanging on by a thread. They have the stuff. It's up to the Twins to get them back on track and help them regain their confidence ASAP. They accomplish that, Thielbar back in a couple of weeks, Duran being Duran, Moran looking better and better, and Stewart looking like the real deal, this pen suddenly looks very different. 3] Tremendous day at the plate for Wallner and Julien. These two have that kind of ability, though ultimately, Julien will probably be the much more consistent hitter, wile Wallner might always be more Gallo-ike, which isn't a bad thing. Remember, despite being buried on the early season depth chart, Wallner had a monster of a 2022 while earning the Twins milb hitter of the year. Many seasons previously, he would have broke camp with the Twins. There will be some bad days/stretches for both of them, and Lewis when he comes up, but they don't get better, develop and improve, without the opportunity to play. I know there are questions about Wallner's defense. And I don't want to make excuses for some bad plays. But he's actually pretty athletic, and runs well for a big guy. And his arm is special. From various things I've read before, RF in Target Field isn't always easy to play based on its configuration. So some of his issues, beyond just being a young player, might involve learning the intricacies of that spot. Not saying he's ever going to be above average defensively, but work and experience CAN provide polish. He's got the tools. Not saying I'm ready to dump Kepler for him at this point...especially if the improved bat Max has been showing this season maintains...but at a certain point, you not only need to provide opportunity for a top young prospect, but potentially better offense wins out over defense. 4] What has gotten in to Willi Castro? Some of us really liked his signing, even though we didn't trust his ST numbers. He seems to be a sort of handyman who doesn't excel in any area, but can do a little bit of all things. He was promoted too quickly by Detroit and never fully developed. And he just recently turned only 26yo. So far, he's played pretty solid defense wherever he's been placed, and hasn't completely embarrassed himself with a few innings in CF. He's stolen some bases, and has even shown the ability to bunt well, which is a lost art these days. Now, it's very possible he could turn back in to a pumpkin at the midnight stroke any day now. But just looking at his MLB reference page today, he's posted the following quad slash numbers as of late: LAST 30 GAMES: .284/ .346/ .514/ .860 LAST 15 GAMES: .320/ .346/ .580/ .926 LAST 7 GAMES: .360/ .407/ .680/ 1.087 Now, we're only talking 74 AB. And we are certainly talking about unprecedented numbers based on his career thus far. But we are also looking at a 30 game stretch, not just a week or two. So unless MLB has made a HUGE error in their postings, Castro has very quietly been very good the last 30 games. I am absolutely not saying the Twins "found" a young-ish late blooming surprise gem. Regression is going to hit. But so far, he's done everything asked of him as the 13th man that was ever supposed to make the roster, contributing offensively and defensively in a limited role. Remember when he was the "easy" roster removal to make room for someone else? Especially with Gordon out for some time, he might not be so easy to just dismiss.

I don't think demoted is the right term. He goes back to being what he was brought in to be, which is an excellent utility player across the infield. Lewis won't play every day at first, nor will Julien, and Correa...despite his outstanding defense...has played every game except some like a half dozen, so he needs some days off here and there as well, especially with his heel being tender. So Farmer is still going to play 2-3 days a week I think. The question remains, when Correa sits, does Farmer or Lewis play SS?

120%? Really, shouldn't he just give 100 and offer the rest up to charity. (old joke) Can't wait to see him with the Twins and becoming a fixture for the next 8-10yrs!

SWR is confounding to me. I was never as high on others, despite his previous status, as part of the Berrios trade. But I was willing to wait and see due to youth, early promotion for such a young player, and the whole Olympic experience which disrupted his development. He won me over after having a really good 2022. He really looked like he was on the precipice of being a solid ML starter who could help this year at some point. I don't know that his STUFF says anything more than a mid rotation starter, but he sure looked like he was ready to contribute and gain experience as a future rotation piece. Right now? Woof! What is going on? Salas and Rodriguez? A pair of great young prospects, especially Rodriguez, IMO. The previous FO was often admonished for not pushing prospects hard enough. I don't think that has been an issue for the current FO. And I recognized Ft Myers was going to be built by 2022 draftees and FCL promotions and a few holdovers. But I really questioned Miller, Salas, and Rodriguez being pushed to CR based on age, experience, and coming off injury in the case of Rodriguez. Now, CR is often a better hitting environment than Florida. I've often said, if you can hit in Florida, you can probably hit even better in CR. But we're talking about 19-20yo players in A+. There's still a lot of season to play, and a lot of time to adjust and finish strong. But I do wonder if the Twins might have been a little too aggressive in a few of their promotions. But again, talent rises, and there's a lot of season left.

A little late to comment on Enlow, but my initial thought about him is ; "Are we surprised?" Look, HS arms are the most impossible to truly project and HOPE they reach their potential. But he was a TOP college recruit and ML draft prospect who was signed for late 1st round $. He looked pretty good early. Then, like almost all milb players, he missed 2020. Then, he really flashed early in 2021, seemingly hitting his stride and starting to reach his ceiling before TJ. Coming back after surgery, and barely throwing for 2yrs, he was a mixed bag in 2022 of poor/average, then good, then tired and finished in the pen. So this season was 100% healthy, far removed from TJ, and ready to resume his career/potential. And credit to him, he's done that. But the arm and potential was always there. Which is why I ask if we're really surprised. Pleasantly surprised by Headrick's sudden surprise, even though he's not a finished product yet, and might still find himself in the pen eventually. Not surprised, but pleased, that a healthy Balazovic is looking very good, and resembling his former top 100 prospect self. Like ANY milb arm, he might assist the pen at some point, but I want him in the AAA rotation every 5th day to continue to build himself and continue to develop himself as a starter. I'm just not sure what to think about SWR, but he's young enough you still have hope for a turnaround. And there is a solid chance that Festa, AND Enlow moving up to St Paul around mid year. My point being Enlow, and a few others, are looking like potential depth the second half, and in 2024. And a year ago, I'm not sure we would have felt this good about the depth available. I'm not expecting Enlow to make a difference this year. And I sure hope good health will prevent him from being thrust in to a ML spot this year. But he's on track to be a possible option in the near future. And that's exciting.

Just as a matter of record, I wasn't really high on any of the 3 in the OP, though I kinda liked the Bell idea a bit. The guys I wanted...once Haniger was off the market/too expensive...were McCutchen or Mancini on a 1yr deal. In hindsight, signing none of them and trading for Taylor actually may have been the best move overall. That being said, any of these 3 could suddenly get untracked and provide solid production again. I think the Solano signing, while not spectacular, has been pretty smart, IMO. He wasn't signed with any hopes of cranking out 30HR, or even 20. He was brought in to hit a decent average, show some contact, and provide some OB ability on a cheap 1yr deal and provide some OK/solid defense at 2 or 3 spots. And while he's had a couple bad games, I'd say he's done exactly that. If everyone gets cranked up on the roster and stays healthy, there's actually a chance Solano doesn't finish the season with the Twins. But he remains a solid, inexpensive, and smart signing IMO.

While I think Lewis's full time position is yet to be determined, only injury rehab sends him back down, IMO. I just "trust" in his natural ability that he's not going to go through any massive, prolonged slumps that need a re-set of any sort. That being said, he will have bad days and bad stretches, like everyone does, and I hope we all give him some slack when he does.

Let's hope it's mils and they caught it quickly. Reat can help, and there are therapies to "loosen" the plantar ligament on the underside of the foot. There is also a rather painful shot than can speed up the process. I've had it. A bad case of it. I never got the shot. And I had it for over a year. Mark Maguire had a bad case several years ago, I believe with the Cardinals. Crossing my fingers!

I don't know what to expect from him, and I'm not going to get excited this early in his audition. But I watched his first appearance and the stuff looked good in that game. I mean, right now, Alacala out Thielbar out, Jax unable to find himself the past week or so, (he really hasn't been as bad as most of his numbers look), and Pagan STILL on the roster, there is an opportunity for him to audition and prove himself. Just like Stewart, he wouldn't be the first 30 ish former top prospect who has had injury issues, and suddenly feels comfortable in a pen role for just an inning or two. He's got a shot, because he's always had a pretty good arm when actually healthy. Side note: I know we might need him as a rotation fill-in at some point, but I'd really like to see Headrick up to help the pen from the port side with Thielbar out.

Kind of a ho-hum average week across the system, with a mix of good and bad performances. Some random thoughts: St Paul is not having as good of a season as I had expected. Feels to me like the pitching just hasn't been as strong, or at least as consistent, as I expected. I'm starting to become a believer in Headrick and his last start was great. I think we should be talking more than we are about how good Balazovic has looked, just needs to curb the BB a but and keep stretching out. SWR has been really disappointing so far. How great is it to see Lewis looking healthy and good?! Conversely, Wichita has a better season going than I initially expected. Feels like they're being lead by a nice nucleus of Lee, Severino, Keirsey, the surprising Fajardo, Enlow, and Festa despite his poor last start. Seems as though they are playing well as a team, which is nice to see. Definitely a few guys looking for promotions mid year. I was honestly surprised at CR's record. It's better than I had realized after they seemed to get off to such a slow start. Tons of young talent there and some guys struggling, but a lot to watch and follow. Not sure, right now, that there's a lot of guys pushing for promotion just yet. Might make it harder for a few Ft Myers guys to move up. But it's a long season and just so much talent sitting there. Not really surprised Ft Myers is doing well, overall, despite them supposedly starting the year with a dearth of top 30 talent. But when your roster is built primary by 2022 draft choices and young FCL grads, I think that's to be expected. But we've seen some very nice pitching performances that offer a lot of hope. But then again, you kind of hope/expect the college kids to do well at this level. There's been some good stuff coming out of Florida for sure. Really didn't know what to expect from Cossetti, but boy has he looked impressive! If his catching skills are, or will be with development, close to his early bat potential shown, might have a real steal on him.

Here is the #1, 2, and 3, and 4 problem with the pen, in reverse order. When the offense has been as confounding/frustrating, it makes every single BP run magnified that much more. An injury to Thielbar is pretty aweful.and Jax not being Jax is a poor and unexpected development. Some very poor luck has lead to bad performance. I think he's pressing and has lost either confidence, or has just the vision of his stuff and what he can do. Thielbar healthy in a couple weeks, and Jax finding his previous self, maybe a different mix of his pitches, suddenly things don't look so bad. We've seen what Jax can do. I don't doubt his mental strength, or his stuff. But it's up to him and the pitching coaches to get his head and stuff straight. And if they do, the top 4 is fine again. Then you have Moran settling down and looking better. Then add Stewart. Just being honest and real, a better Moran...which he's starting to look like lately...Thielbar back, and Stewart, this pen is potentially 6 deep. The FO should have NEVER brought Pagan back. And for some crazy reason that none of of us understand, they did. And they could have taken his $3.5M with a little more and taken a SHOT for a FA that frankly, couldn't have been worse. I understood believing in Alcala, but why not hedge your bets? So there is a real chance that Jax gets himself right, Moran keeps getting better and better, and Stewart is a real find. With Thielbar back in a couple of weeks, and Pagan HOPEFULLY FINALLY GONE, this pen actually looks pretty good. It does start with Jax finding himself again, but doesn't just end with him. But if the staff and Jax himself can figure out what's been going wrong other than some bad luck and maybe trying too hard to compensate, or pressing, or a bad pitch mix, the entire BP situation changes. We've seen what he can do. As to the OP: 1] I liked the Ortega add. I don't care about age for a BP arm. Sometimes a pitcher converts later in their career and finds a role. And he might surprise, but I'm just not expecting anything at this point other than another AAAA arm. But he surprises me as the #1 choice as he's already behind Stewart and maybe even De Leon who is "questionable" despite an OK debut. But I'm open to a live arm that might surprise. And maybe he does. 2] Balazovic. Why in hell wouldn't you keep him stretched out? I understand the Cardinals and Rays and other teams that would allow a potential SP to make their debut in the pen to get acclimated to the ML level. Makes complete sense to me. His stuff might just be too good to be the 8th man in the pen. But it's an opportunity to shine and help the club and I'm all in. But deliberately setting him up for 3-4 IP, as the FO has stated they might be doing, is WRONG. Just keep stretching him out and bring him up as needed. IF you bring him up, with his stuff, does he have to be the 8th man long arm? That might be a waste of opportunity. 3] We just might need both Balazovic AND Headrick before the year is done in the rotation. But just like Balazovic, the parent club is more important. Headrick CAN be the 8th man, long man, but does he have to be? IMO, he's flashed enough so far I would have had him up when Thielbar got hurt to add a LHRP arm to the pen to work with Moran. 4] SWR never appealed to me until he got a real chance to impress in 2022. And then I bought in. But so far, this year, I'm starting to wonder where all they hype has been. He's still very young. And I get that. And I'd leave him in the rotation for now with ZERO idea of adding him to the mix. He's going to sink or swim at some point. But he's not ready for MLB at this point. 5] I've always thought Laweryson should be a great middle man along with someone like Headrick or Funderburk. He's been having a quietly good AAA season. Always thought you should build a top 7 in your pen, ideally, with a STRONG first 5...4 RH and 2 LH...and one spot you can rotate for prospect arms to contribute and become acclimated. 6] I think there's a good chance a healthy Henriquez helps the second half. He's destined for the pen. The Twins pen isn't desperate if Jax gets right and Thielbar comes back soon. But there are a couple of options that could potentially help, no doubt. But i wouldnt want to stick Headrick and Balazovic in the pen full time right now. But if either or both could help 2023 in the short term, I'm all in.

First off, I also agree the FO doesn't listen to their fans, generally speaking, nor should they. They are, generally speaking, lol, way more plugged in knowledgeable than we fans are. I do think they listen once in a while when it comes to keeping or bringing back popular players, but only if they fit, and then, they only hear whispers that shouldn't really affect their decisions. They need to build the best team they can, PERIOD. I both agree and disagree with the OP's sentiment on Lewis. On the one hand, I've felt all along...even with wanting the Twins to WIN...I've been on record that with regard to Lewis, Kirilloff, and Balazovic...that I'm more concerned about their recoveries and the long game of their careers and their performance and contributions to the Twins future. In each case, I've been fine if the Twins really felt each, or all, needed to wait until July or August for any promotion. I want them healthy, confident, and ready to go. On the other hand, Kirilloff has proven himself at every milb level, and the ML level in his brief time of good health. Lewis flashed, slipped a little due to rapid promotion and a few small, nagging but dismissive injuries. Fully healthy, everything "clicked" when he went to the AFL a few years ago. His limited AAA time in 2022, after recovery, was fantastic. While his ML time last year was SSS, he sure proved that he belongs. (Though the OB was pretty small). I do expect him to be brought up June 1st when his rehab and 60 day stint is over. And I'm OK with that, and wait with eager anticipation for him! And I'm fine with him concentrating on SS/3B for now. Even as confident as Lewis is, nothing wrong with him just being "comfortable" playing in the dirt for now. OF possibilities can wait until the offseason and ST to discuss his future position options. No problem! I think Lewis, Krilloff, Correa once he FINALLY gets in a comfortable groove, and a healthy Polanco, (possibly Julien contributing), can provide a HIT tool to augment a lineup still built as too much "power or bust" scenario that can make a difference. I'm also OK if he has a few too many 0-for days and doesn't look ready/confident in his approach and they option him to St Paul for another few weeks. Not saying it's going to happen, but I'm OK if they decide that is best to get him in a comfortable groove/approach. I think the kid is special, and can be an All Star at any of 6 positions, depending how other positions shake out. Different, but related, Headrick has surprised the hell out of me. And Balazovic has not surprised me. Headrick blossomed enough in 2022 to be added to the 40 man. His work in ST surprised me as I didn't expect the velocity jump, and generally good stuff. He's even flashed a little with the Twins in his brief time with them. Despite any opinions as to what happened to Balazovic on the eve of ST, he showed up healthy and early and ready to go. And then stuff happened, whatever it was. And while he's shaking off rust, and the BB are too high, he's looking like the top prospect he was supposed to be coming in to 2022. The Mahle and Maeda situations have depleted AAA depth right now with SWR suddenly struggling. And the Twins need both Headrick and Balazovic as rotation depth right now. But the Twins are...sorry Saints fans...more important than their AAA team. And if either is not quite ready for, or needed tomorrow, for a rotation spot, I'm OK with them adding to the pen, which is struggling with Thielbar out, and Jax trying to find himself. This team has a chance to make some real noise if the offense can finally get untracked. And I do believe Lewis has the potential to help, when ready. And I don't want to short change the future of either Headrick...who I think is a bona-fide top middle relief option if not better...or Balazovic as a potential rotation arm. But at some point you have to look at talent and need and make the move. Talent often rises, eventually if not immediately. But it only happens with opportunity.

Absolutely. I'd be giving him a shot in the top 6 to see what can do. At least until Thielbar is back.

Jax has had some very bad luck that wasn't his fault. But his last couple of outings have been poor. So I believe his results have been a little skewed. Is his head right? There's a difference from a veteran like Pagan who has proven he isn't the answer, as opposed to a younger guy like Jax just struggling right now. They get Jax back on track and Thielbar back and the pen looks very different all of a sudden. I've been impressed by the "new/old and improved" Stewart at St Paul and early results with the Twins. The stuff is there, and he has experience. He gets his BB under control, they have a 5th arm in the pen who might just be for real. Moran has the ability and has been looking much better as of late. That's a potential really good 6. And the 8th spot is going to remain in flux for an innings eater who can be changed out. And that's just smart! Does the 7th spot remain in flux? Maybe. But I'd sure like to see that spot settled. And it's up to the pitchers to prove they should stick. I have a lot of hope/belief in Alcala, but I think he's been mishandled coming back this year. His stuff still looks pretty good, but he's stretched beyond 1 IP. Is that really a problem when the starters are usually going 6? To the OP directly, I like all 3 options. And to be honest, I hadn't realized Laweryson was throwing that well. I guess I was just so focused on other guys I had missed how good he's been this year. I always thought he'd be a great 1-3 IP middle guy. I think Funderburk has a future, but I don't think he's ready yet. I think Henriquez would have already been up except his season got off to a late start. But that late start, even with his late season debut in 2022, has the Twins wanting to give him a little more AAA time, IMO. But all 3 of those guys could be part of the 2nd half this season, as well as the future. I think the pen has been a question lately. But I don't think it's desperate. Again, Thielbar back and they get Jax on track, things look a lot better. Stewart might be a steal. Moran is looking better. And then you look at the 3 guys listed above and you start to feel a little better for the 2nd half at least. Hell, I know it was one game, but De Leon looked NASTY for his first couple of innings against the Dogers. I have no expectations, but if he could do that for 1-2 IP, the former top prospect might be a similar steal to Stewart. Where there is a rub is Headrick and Balazovic. The Twins need them for rotation depth, especially with SWR suddenly struggling this year. I'm not convinced Headrick has a long term future in the Twins rotation. But he might be needed this year at some point. And I am ridiculously adamant that Balazovic needs to remain as a rotation option because you just don't move a recent top 100 prospect who is healthy again and looking good again. Why on earth would you move a former top prospect to the pen when he's healthy and looking like the arm everyone thought he might be? On the flip side, the parent club is of more importance than the results of the Saints. The rotating 8th spot is a perfect option to rotate guys like Headrick, Balazovic, Winder, and Sands to show their stuff, get ML experience, and help the Twins. IMO, Headrick should have been up already to help with Thielbar out before going back to the Saints rotation. Unless he was too good to send down. And I'm OK if Jordy Blaze comes up in that 8th man spot to help at some point. But I wouldn't want him in the pen unless we are talking post season and one of the best arms the Twins have. Up and down to help is awesome. But he needs to stay as a viable SP option because I think that remains his future.

I do believe Buxton is going to play CF again, on a limited basis. Now, this is just my opinion, but I believe his days as an everyday CF are over. And it's to keep him healthy, in the lineup, on a daily basis for 120+ games per year. His bat and ability are game changing. I think the plan, going forward, is to play 2-3 games per week and DH the rest. Which means we need another quality option there. For the most part, that's worked this year with the addition of Taylor. Long term, options include Lewis, Martin, and Celestino. (I am deliberately leaving out potential options in A ball and lower.) I think Kiersey at AA has a shot with his glove and speed now that he's learning to hit and is flashing a little more pop as well. Is it possible Taylor is re-signed? Mmm...possibly. Could they sign someone or trade for someone? Absolutely. But I think they'd prefer to stick in house if possible. What's unfortunate for NOW, is Taylor's back having issues, Gordon hurting his shin, Kepler out with injury, Celestino still recovering from his hand injury, and Helman...a talented late bloomer ready for a shot...suddenly hurting his shoulder after getting a late start to the season from his spring hamstring issue, and raking for St Paul. It's not that the Twins didn't begin the season with depth and options, it's that in a bad comedy of poor luck, most of the options all got hurt at the same time. Really, really stinks that Helman got hurt at this time. (Sigh). Kepler will be back, reportedly, Monday or Tuesday. While he doesn't like playing CF, he just might have to do so here and there for a few weeks, even if not daily. If they want/need someone temporarily, I'd be looking at Contreras. He's better in the corners, but is a solid CF and having a good year, and provides a LH bat. Can they make room for him? He'd provide a temp solution with Kepler sharing CF with Taylor, allowing Taylor some rest by not playing daily right now as his back settles down. Again, I think Buxton is going to still play some CF going forward. But I think it's way to easy to just say "Buxton should just play CF". But do the Twins feel his legs are 100%, or close, and ready to go? Or do they feel he's not quite where they want him out there yet? Only they know. If Taylor can get his back healed up by not playing daily, and Kepler can fill in to help for a little while, they are still OK. And I'm just talking about this year. It can be solid with a share of Taylor, Kepler, and Buxton until Gordon is healthy again. And who knows what might happen the 2nd half with guys getting healthy and possible opportunities. To me the biggest issue is just the next few days and weeks. They can get through that, they'll have multiple options to keep CF solid for 2023.

Ye, they should have. But the problem then is the same as now, "who"? Articles like this are interesting with hindsight. But at the time, despite looking at numbers and history and projection, it's still a gamble as to who you sign. However, that gamble is well worth it, and a much smarter avenue to go down, rather than retaining literally the worst RP in the game for the past 5yrs. I still have hope for Alcala. But I also stated during the offseason I didn't want to HAVE to count on him. HUGE error in judgement keeping Pagan. And HUGE error to not take his $3.5M and add a little more and take a shot on a FA arm you felt good about. Then you cross your fingers. That's better than the alternative.

So I'm late to this OP, but anyway: 1] SUPER ENCOURAGED by what he's done so far this year. Yes, the BB are too high, but the velocity is back, the K's seem to be there, and he seems to be looking like the top prospect he was entering 2022, and not the nightmare he was last season while struggling through his ankle and delivery issues. 2] NOT going to predict how good he might become, but you simply DON'T take a top SP prospect and move him to the pen this soon when he's looking again like the top 100 prospect he was entering 2022! As good as he's looking right now, as pointed out above, he's still getting his legs under him after missing all of ST. He ABSOLUTELY needs to stay in the rotation and keep building up and harnessing his command for the future. 3] The Twins have commented that they are sort of "grooming" him for a potential spot in the pen this year to help. They HAVEN'T said they are removing him from a potential SP role in the future. And this makes sense to me. At the drop of a hat, ANY SP from AAA can be brought up to throw 1-4 IP if and when needed. When you are a contending club having a good year, all hands are on deck and the AAA club having to fill in is just a circumstance they have to deal with in order for the parent club to have the best arms available to WIN. 4] I think point #3 also applies to Headrick. He doesn't have the pure stuff of Balazovic. But BOTH are possible rotation pieces for the Twins this season due to injury, or even double headers at some point. Personally, I have a gut feeling Headrick is destined to be a quality BP piece, but I always believe in keeping SP prospects as starters for as long as possible. And the needs of a contending parent club come first. So keep them BOTH stretched out in the Saints rotation and use them as necessary. 5] Right now, the usage of Alcala is a moot point as he's on the IL. But I've watched him a lot. He's usually looked pretty good for 1 inning. He seems to lose control, or allow that 1 big hit, when asked to go 2 innings. Coming back from a missed 2022, what is wrong with using him for just that 1 inning for NOW while he gains confidence and control? THAT has been a big mistake, IMO.

I don't dislike Pagan because he allows runs to score. I mean, every RP allows rubs to score. Our own, amazing Duran has allowed a couple HR this season. Even the very best allow runs and have bad days. Just recently, before being places on the IL, I was really liking what I was seeing from Alcala DESPITE giving up a couple HR in his last few appearances. Because I saw some nasty pitches and Ks and good outs surrounding those HR. Also, it seemed all his runs were scored on his 2nd IP, not his first. So I was feeling encouraged by what I was seeing from Alcala despite the final results. And I absolutely will admit that Pagan has been about ML solid, average since his early April blow-up. My problem is...and yes, this dates back to last year as well...he can ONLY seem to perform in low leverage spots. And even with an 8 man pen, each and every guy in that pen is going to be placed in to a higher leverage position once in a while. It's OK if they aren't great in them. But they shouldn't just look fragile and fall completely apart. And when Pagan loses it, he loses it BIG TIME with BB and grooving pitches for big innings. I didn't want him back. I thought they could have done better with just a little more investment. I'll admit he's been OK in his low/lower leverage spots this season. But I've seen enough last year and this year to know I don't want him on my favorite team unless he can only be used in low leverage situations. And that just doesn't exist. Again, everyone gets tougher spots at certain points and has to try and get through it...no fall to pieces. The problem right now, unfortunately, is Winder has looked bad. Henriquez is still ramping up. Do we want Headrick and Balazovic out of the AAA rotation right now? Sands appears to only be a long man at this point, though I hope he might grow. I'm just not sure who is available to bring up that's better. But I'd sure rather give a couple younger arms with a future a look see rather than maintain the Pagan merry-go-round. I'm just not sure there is room to remove him at this time.