DocBauer

Just popping in for a few minutes Howdy everyone. Missed the 1st inning. Guessing Varland had some nerves or wasn't in a groove after only 1 game at St Paul, but impressed by most everything he did. 3 bad pitches but really good otherwise. Impressed. Offense needs to step up and make something happen!

Apples to oranges. Paddack was a bit of a risk that didn't turn out, but he sure looked good early. But Gray wasn't his normal self. Ryan was a rookie. Maeda was in recovery mode. A seemingly healthy Mahle wasn't even with the Twins until the second half. And Lopez was in Miami. And Ober was great when healthy, but missed the entire middle third of the season. Yeah, early 2022 returns were based a lot on luck and smoke and mirrors. And they didn't have Varland and SWR...and Ober as of now...for depth. This is almost an entirely different rotation. The great K numbers will probably drop some. And the ERA's may climb a little. But the rotation and the entire staff is very different, more talented and deeper, than 2022.

What's been nice is the "bench" players have been performing well, including the now injured Farmer. And Jeffers, now a reserve, has been playing well also. I've been disappointed in Gordon. He's been a slow starter before, and I have hope things will begin to click soon. He could be very important if the bat starts heating up. Also disappointed in Wallner, even in SSS. I haven't given up on him as a prospect by any means, I was just hoping he'd take advantage of this opportunity to do something. It's nice to have someone like Garlick as a 6th OF option instead of being a potential opening day addition. But I did wonder if Lamarre would have been the choice based on defense, CF ability, while still being a RH bat. No complaint on Garlick, just thought it might have been Lamarre. Really wish Helman had been health this spring because I thought he had a chance to be a non 40 man option that might force his way on the roster at some point. Maybe later in the year? Call me crazy, but I kinda like Castro as a "prospect project". I don't know that I expect much, but Detroit hasn't exactly been a hotbed for player development the past few years. And he's talented enough and young enough to still have potential as a nice utility player. I think he'd be better served at AAA for a while, but I like having him as a useful last man on the bench right now. There is a good chance that over the next month or two, a roster crunch might happen. But I love that possibility. Echo the fact that it's great the injuries haven't hit the staff. I think the Maeda move, with Varland coming up for a game, was calculated based on opportunity. And it seems pretty smart. Use Sands, send him down, bring up a top prospect for a game, extend Maeda a bit by missing a turn, then swap put Varland for another arm. Just not sure who that will be. But a nice way to play with the staff. But I really don't want to test the depth any more than we already have. Can't wait to see guys come back soon, and can't wait for June until we have even more options ready or near ready.

I think this early in the season, any "NAILED IT" comment might be a bit hyperbolic. But bench players who provide depth are such because they generally aren't good enough to be starters on winning ball clubs. If they were, they wouldn't be bench players. And that's not any sort of indictment of anyone. Farmer, Salono, and the surprising not mentioned Taylor have all been decent, solid starting players at times in their careers. They make great reserves! I'd rather have any and all of them instead of White, Soto, or Lamarre. It's not nearly optimal to have all 3 playing daily due to injuries, but would you rather have the AAA infield/OF instead??? Castro is nothing special. And he made the roster out of necessity. But he's fairly talented, has ML experience, can do a little bit of everything, can play decent defense almost anywhere, and still has some potential at not yet 26yo. I'd rather see Helman in his spot, but he's been injured thus far. But you could do a lot worse than Castro as the last man on the bench. Unfortunately, Farmer is going to be out for a while after his awful beaning. And a month from now, it's very possible injury returns from some talented players could provide a nice roster crunch. But yes, the FO has done a really nice job of building their bench.

Yes, the Twins need production from the OF and there is plenty of hope and ability there. And I'm pretty optimistic. Larnach just needs to stay healthy. The good news? Neither of the injuries he suffered in his first 2yrs were related or appear chronic. Buxton also needs to be as healthy as possible. Nothing new there. Despite being well conditioned and a great athlete, he's had a series of leg injuries. I don't believe for a moment he's DONE in CF, but I'm 100% OK with more time at DH to just save on his legs. While he bring great value defensively, the Twins have a tremendous substitute for him there. And Buxton's bat is special, so I'm OK if he loses overall WAR by playing less CF in order to keep his bat in the lineup. Unfortunately, I could see a Molitor-esque move in the future to more of a full time DH role. But I don't think it's time yet. Considering past production, still under 30, great as recently as 2021, I had real hope Gallo would turn it around with this fresh start. So far so good. Hopefully his muscle issue is mild. At least it's not an oblique, which can linger. I just don't know what to expect from Kepler. At some point, all the nice looking metrics and "unlucky" BABIP is just reality and I don't have hope of a renaissance from him. ANY improvement, with his defense, makes him a viable lower order bat. I just don't have a lot of belief at this point, and that makes me sad. I have hope Gordon is going to get going soon. And he could be really helpful as a regular contributor. He's looked better the past couple of games. I have no illusions of Wallner being another Gallo defensively. But he moves very well for a big man, surprisingly, and has a cannon for an arm. Like Gallo, he takes walks and has great power. The continuous improvement he's shown the past couple of years tells me he might be a better HITTER than Gallo, similar power, decent OB, and just needs to be OK defensively to warrant a spot. But right now he's behind the others, and still needing to prove himself. I hope continued development and opportunity will see that happen as Gallo is probably 1 and done, and we don't know if Kepler will be back either. Yes, I do think Lewis might help the OF as well. So might Martin at some point.

There are games when a SP struggles but gets the win anyway. And there are games when said SP just DEALS and loses or gets a no decision. Such was the case for Lopez tonight. Man did he deserve the win tonight! But stuff happens. I'm sure Duran feels terrible. But what's most important is the win. Sorry, but I find it incredibly ironic as there is a thread about Buxton at DH and he delivers a big shot, and his "fill in" also has a HR and lays down a winning bunt, albeit with some help from the Sox. Tremendous start from Lopez. Great bullpen efforts from Thielbar and Jax. Duran had a small hiccup. It happens. And then he took out his frustration on the next 3 batters. Honestly, not a lot to dislike here. Now, Gray and the offense need to win Wednesday and take this series!

I've never liked the mantra that Houston turned Pressly in to something the Twins couldn't/didn't. He wax pretty good with the Twins and certainly flashed. He might have been just as good with the Twins, and who knows about a re-sign possibility. I didn't like the trade at the time as I thought the Twins were not as bad as they looked that season and would be better going forward. And they were. Pressly would have been a nice bullpen piece. All that being said, do we really have to view Alcala as a direct replacement/comparison? These things are always fluid. While acquired in a different deal, isn't Duran really the "replacement" for Pressly in this scenario? So at this point, shouldn't Alcala be viewed individually as a potentially valuable bullpen piece unto himself? He's certainly got the stuff and has flashed enough to show he has the potential to be a major part of tne pen for the next few years. Celestino still has a chance to be a really nice 4th OF who might even be a good trade piece to another team if his 2023 allows him to relax, work on his game, and start to reach his potential. It's always hard to evaluate trades, even a few years later. Even if Alcala becomes a top set up man and Celestino brings good value to the Twins, would they have been better keeping Pressly and maybe/hopefully re-signing him? The easy answer is YES, and they shouldn't have made the trade. But I just don't know if it's that easy. How valuable might Alcala and Celestino be over the next couple of years? And if Pressly is hurt, or fades, does that change the complextion of the deal? I didn't like the trade and even today I don't think I would have made it. But I don't think there is an easy answer until we see how much "value" comes from Alcala and Celestino over the next few years. I don't know if there is a "win" for either side ultimately. But I don't think the book is finished yet.

So the OP is about Julien, not the OF, but I absolutely appreciate the context in regard to how he fits in the lineup. (FWIW, I'm really hoping he will add LF to 2B/1B to his flexibility and be passable there). I am OK selecting offense over defense at all 4 corner spots. Now, I love and want good defense everywhere I can get it, but I feel offense trumps defense in the long run. But even with changes in the game, I still believe in strong "middle" defense from catcher to CF. Taylor is not Buxton...one of the best CF I've ever seen...but he is outstanding in CF. We can debate how many outs may be made from the CF in an average game, but a high quality CF is GOING to make a few special catches every few games that can be real difference makers. He's going to cut off balls that might otherwise be doubles, potentially run scoring doubles. And he helps cover for corner OF that lack range. So NO, Gallo should not be a primary CF as he's only OK there on a fill in basis. I DO think Gallo is a quality corner OF. I also think Larnach is vastly underrated defensively. He moves well for a big man, takes good angles, and has a great arm. Wallner is a large human being who is a good athlete and seems to run really well. And he has an absolute cannon for an arm. If he can just learn to read the ball better and take better routes, I have little doubt he'll be at least solid defensively. (I don't know that he's there yet). While Wallner projects to very "Gallo-esque" offensively, I think he has a chance to be a better HITTER than Gallo, with similar power. I'm excited to see what Wallner might become. I love Larnach. I like the 1yr shot with Gallo. But in no way do I want to see that as a regular starting OF. There's just not enough range to prevent a series of big hits that the potential offense just won't cover. And so, I have to repeat my previous comment that the player who probably needs to be moved is Kepler. Gallo can cover 1B until a better full time option appears, but can spend more time in RF. Wallner might move up and down at different times to adjust the roster. And this is where room is found for Julien on the roster, and in the lineup.

He's looked great so far. I always felt he'd bounce back, even if he wasn't as purely dominant like he was the first half of 2022. His family situation isn't so drastic now, one supposes, and he's settled in as a Twin after being traded while his family situation was taking place. Further, he's now got a full year under his belt in his bullpen conversion. The stuff is great. The potential is there to be great. There's been a couple appearances where he hasn't faced the heart of the order, that being trusted to Duran or Jax, but he's not only done the job, but working on confidence a bit isn't a bad thing either. I love the first 6 of the pen, fully believing Moran is going to be just fine. I understand and appreciate the last spot being a rotation one in which we will see a number of guys, including Sands. I'm still looking for someone to eventually step forward and replace Duran.

So much angst over Buxton DHing right now. If the offense wasn't starting slow this season, would we be having this conversation? If Taylor, all by his lonesome, was off to a better start, would we be having this conversation? I don't want Buck as the full time DH either. Taylor is a tremendous CF, but I want Buxton out there. And I want an ever better bat to fill that DH spot on the normal rotation basis. But if letting Buck ramp up slowly, save some pounding on his legs to start the season, and some regular turns at DH during the season, can keep him more healthy for the season, I have zero problem with that. And the Twibs have been very open about this, basically stating that very thing, ramp him up, save some pounding on his legs, keep him fresh. There is nothing being hidden here. BUT, I do have to say that I've never liked a full time DH unless they were special. Think Cruz, for example. I prefer the deepest and most talented roster I can put together and rotate the DH. SO, if Buxton DID become a full time, or mostly so, DH one if these days, and the Twins plug in another high quality bat in CF...Martin, Lewis, Rodriguez, etc...might Buxton just become one of those SPECIAL DH bats? I don't think there is any sort of plan to do that at this time. But it's worth considering down the road. For now he's simply being ramped up and "saved" a bit. Correa and Gallo aren't playing a few games because they are "tweaked" at the moment. They aren't being held out to cheat the fans or because the Twins aren't trying to win. Come May, Polanco should be back, Buck will start playing more CF, and both Correa and Gallo should be OK in a day or two. I get frustration and disappointment, but come on, nobody is withholding anything or not trying to win.

I think Julien Is a potential hitting STUD. But not only has he never played at AAA until now, but he's blocked by players in front of him. 1] Polanco is actually playing and ramping up. He might need another week or two, but unless he has a setback, he'll be up soon. Castro goes down. 2] Gallo is covering 1B well but SHOULD be in RF until there is a better option at 1B. That could be Kirilloff, eventually, hopefully, but not immediate. And Julien SHOULD be able to handle 1B based on talent and some experience there. But so far, Solano has been the solid player he was expected to be. So is the block Kepler? Even as a fan of Kepler for years, and his having a good ST, at some point don't we all have to admit he's just a liability in the lineup? Even as a long time Max fan, I'd rather run with Wallner at RF and leave Gallo at 1B for now, and move on from Kepler, even though it's early. I just don't see the upside, sorry to say. Even if Wallner starts to look good, he still has options if something different happens at 1B to alow Gallo to return to the OF. Even then, with Polanco at 2B and a POTENTIAL conundrum at 1B and potentially DH, we have to evaluate Gallo and Walner in RF. And it's actually a good "problem" to have. I think, unfortunately, part of putting the best lineup the Twins could have is making a late move from Kepler to Gallo and Wallner and Salono and Julien and even AK at1B and RF and DH. Problem is, other than Kepler, who else loses AB in this scenario? It's a good problem to have for sure. Injuries happen, and will happen. And Julien will get his opportunity sooner rather than later. It's just the way of things. But it surprises me how much we focus on Julien and forget we have a potentially difference maker in Wallner, not to mention Kirilloff a month or two from now. It's OK for Julien to focus at AAA hitting and defense for now. He will get his opportunity. It just stinks, as a fan of Kepler, that the lineup has to be potentially better without him and a shuffle of the roster without him.

Yep, that was me. FWIW, I'm also high on Cory Lewis as well, drafted a round later. My initial thoughts were I liked this pair above any other 2022 drafted arm not named Prielipp. And pretty much for the same reasons. I'm not plugged in to any special information but I just love a kid like Matthews who is around 6' 4"+ and 210 lbs...downward plane and arm extension...who already throws in the low to mid 90's with decent control and at least one other solid pitch. He was a juco kid who moved up a level and was as good or better. With pro coaching and able to devote himself full time now, how much more velocity might he gain? If I have any kind of good developmental plan, my coaches should help him refine hisbsecondary stuff and find that 3rd or 4th pitch. And I see Lewis in nearly the same light, but with the intrigue of his knuckler, which will be interesting to watch. (Pretty hard to have a good one if you don't throw it a lot).

Vally Pippmeister

My mornings are now much better, much more complete now that milb results are back! Echoing every one else, just a great day for the whole organization and what a performance by Varland and Festa! But tip of the cap to Kyle Jones and 5 strong in his 1st start after pitching a single inning post draft last year. And as it appears to be a common theme this season, he's been pushed straight to A+. And really, not a bad 1st start for Andrew Morris either after 2 games and 5 IP after being drafted last year. It's early, but I've been really excited about the early results. Young prospects being pushed, and so far, a lot of promising results.

Yeah baby!

Ugh! Just NO WAY I can pick ONE GUY at each level that I'm watching. I'm watching them all! LOL. But I will TRY to FOCUS best I can. AAA: Dobnak is not merely a feel good story. When healthy, he's been a pretty solid back end starter. But Dman is correct that he just doesn't have a "put away" pitch, and that hurt him at the ML level. He doesn't have to K 9 per. But even with weak contact and a load of ground balls, he's got to be at least 6 or 7K per. His future with the Twins will be as a middle/long man. But his career pursuit as a SP might just be with someone else. Despite not being on the 40 man, I can still see him added at some point to be a contributor at some point. Good sentimental call. But I am 100% focused on Balazovic. Still frustrated and confused why he was pitching with an aching knee that threw off his mechanics in 2022. Why? It had to mess with his head as well. But he felt better late in the year and actually threw much better his last few starts. He reported to ST early to get ready for this year. The entire "sucker punch" debacle can be debated at length, and has been. And I'm just not going to spend type rehashing all the opinions and possibilities. But you don't have his frame, his stuff, and dismiss all that potential after one bad season due to a troublesome knee. His arrival "clock" is certainly delayed at this point due to his broken jaw. At this point, I don't care if he's ready August instead of June or July because I'm still looking at the long game with him. He isn't exactly old. My #2...since we're NOT focusing on the obvous...is Headrick. HUGE season. AA numbers aren't great for 2022, but he finished strong. I was still surprised he jumped to AAA this soon, but love the aggressive approach. The Twins see something to make this move. AA: Funderburk is an interesting choice. What hasn't he done right so far? But, IMO, he screams a mid/long LH who will join Laweryson or Winder as an outstanding 7/8 man grouping in the pen who you can count on for anything from 1-4 IP and NOT feel either has to ride the shuttle as the top 6 in the pen and the rotation talent won't necessitate so much movement as we've seen in the past. But if we are choosing to ignore the OBVIOUS, which is Festa, and concentrate on the less obvious, then it has to be Adams. Drafted in 2021, apart from ONE appearance, he didn't debut until last year. Solid numbers at A- and mediocre numbers at A+. But already at AA? College pitcher or not, he's being moved aggressively. My #2 is Enlow. He was mediocre in his return from TJ in 2022. How does he look NOW? A+: OK, can't chose the obvious of Priellip? Got it! Nowlin is my guy! Top arms come various places and sometimes surprise. This kid has STUFF! Does his frame allow him to pitch multiple innings at the ML level? (Probably still filling out at is age). Can he harness enough control? His ceiling says he will fill out a bit physically to deal with the demands of being a ML SP, and he will gain enough control to be at least a mid rotation starter. His floor screams a dominate 1-2 IP RP arm. Still only 22yo, there's a lot of variance in his future. My #2 is actually my 1A. I want to see a healthy Raya..."small shoulder issue"...ready by May as reported. This kid seems like lightning in a bottle. He was my favorite 2020 draft pick and I'm riding my opinion on him until he proves me right or wrong. I think he's a combination of Berrios and Ryan and I think he's going to be a keeper. A-: Other than Priellip, the entire rotation of Ft Myers is pretty much draftees from 2022 and FCL arms. I'm OK with that. There may be some optimism with position players, and it will be interesting to watch. But I like the rotation here. Is Oliveras a potential stud coming from the DSL? The Twins have been largely in to position players regarding international signings. And they traded a few away in recent trades. But Oliveras might be one they stick with. But my #1 and #2, as of now, are Cory Lewis and Zebby Mathews. Both are long framed and have a nice build to say they are projectibale. I actually like them better than Morris, the 4th round pick last year. So they are the guys I'm looking at initially unless someone Oliveras jumps up and proves themselves.

6 games per week and 6 games for a SS. 3 guys, if including Ross, and I would, to be split. It's not as simple as 2 games each, but it's not that hard either. They all play almost daily between 2B/SS/3B and you can even rotate SS enough for each to start 3 games every 3rd week. There will be injuries here and there. At some point, there may be a promotion to AA for someone. 6 total infielders for 4 spots and 6 games per week shouldn't be that hard to get everyone a lot of playing time overall. You still have to hit and field regardless of being in the lineup at SS that day. Just rotate days and even weeks to make sure everyone is getting shared time there.

AAA: Wallner for sure. He only has half a season there and keeps getting better. He just needs to keep doing what he did last year, and polish his defense. Martin when he gets healthy. Julien is a given. And I'm really intrigued by Carmago ar catcher. There's life in his bat. Can he make enough contact? And I'm with Dman on Helman as a super utility player who can play everywhere. AA: Lee is a given. I liked the way Severino took another step last year. I think he's close to AAA. Prato might be very undervalued as a utility player and potential table setter option, but he's behind some other good options. Winkel already at AA! Always got my eyes on catchers. Just don't know what to think about Sabato. Sooner or later he has to show HIT ability. Not sure I believe in him, but I'll be watching him. A+: The question here might be is there anyone NOT to peak my interest? I hate to say it, but Cavaco has the least of my attention, though I natural hope for a sudden turnaround. I do like moving him to CR to see if something breaks free. But the INF is LOADED and the OF might be just as much. Rodriguez is another given, but does Urbina make a move and start to harness all that talent? Rosario got a long look in ST and has huge power potential. And I can't but help focus on Cardenas behind the plate. The talent seems to be there, and he knows the zone. Does the bat and power potential start to manifest itself in 2023? A-: Ft Myers is interesting but it's a complete collection of most of the past 2 drafts as well as some young international players moving up from the FCL. I'm really intrigued by the staff, and I'm not sure how the offense is going to perform. DeAndre obviously has my attention. Why are Perez and Shuffield there??? I have to believe this is a temporary assignment for both until a few things settle in above them and they are quickly promoted. But once again I'm looking a lot at the catchers. Cossetti had 1 game of pro ball after being drafted last year. He showed a good bat in college. Does it translate? Tatum as the 3rd catcher drafted in 2021 and did nothing with the bat last year. And Olivar seems to be budding as a hitter and is a much better athlete at catcher than you normally see. Can they harness that in to him being a legitimate catching option? Keep wondering where Baez in all of this?

Cory, I assume from this and previous Blogs that you are following a list from Fangraphs. And that's fine. It makes sense. After all, we're talking about non 40 man players, which make 2B look pretty damn good for now, and the future. But I do believe their list is a bit out of order, as well as missing a few options here. Right now, of course, beyond the 40 man, Perez is a "break glass" because everything went to hell player. He's only there to give the Saints a solid fill in player. And that's fine. It's beyond that where I have arguements with the list. BEYOND the 40 man, which is super deep at the moment, the list should be: 1A] Anthony Prato. 7th round pick in 2019. Plays 2B/3B/LF and some SS. Does everything well with the bat. Thought he might be at St Paul to begin the year. 1B] Severino. He plays 2B and 3B and has nice set of tools. He was one of those prospects that were declared FA after it was discovered Atlanta violated signing rules. His 2022 was his best season, and he has a chance to make a real move coming off his best season in 2022. 3] Schobel, Shuffield, Ross, Ortega, and and Perez. Honestly, make your own choice. Ross has helium due to talent, production, and independent leagues. Schobel was a 2nd round pick with a few AB that showed little in those. Do we care at this point? Suffield is older and re9ached AAA simply because they neeed someone to play and didn't think he'd be overwhelmed. To his credit, he did OK. Ortega is a big bat Dozier kind of player getting ready for 2023. Perez is a great athlete from a great family. He's shown signs of ability. Can he harness that ability? These are ALL draft picks the last couple of seasons. A couple might actually stick at SS. Any 2B prospect other than these are just too far away to project to anything.

I have to admit this is a big bummer for me. When I see someone like Winder, a top 10 prospect, with increased velocity and some good secondary stuff suddenly have a "shoulder impingement" without an actual physical injury reported I think rest and rehab, get him back to 100%, and let it ride. He EARNED his shot in 2022 to be that middle/long/swing man and didn't look bad. I was confused a bit that his FB was his worst pitch, but he was a rookie, and sometimes all it takes is a little adjustment here and there in location, sequence, or grip to make a difference. Sometimes, it's actually throwing a little slower for better location and movement. This is one of those times where I wish the FO would be a little more informative and tell us what they are thinking. Do they just believe his arm/shoulder are just built better for the pen instead of the rotation? If so, he just jumped ahead of Sands and probably Laweryson as the best middle man in the pen going forward.

Not going to find a bigger fan of Arraez than me. And I miss him. And he did a great job as the leadoff hitter, doing what he's supposed to do, which was hit and get OB. But he's gone, and the Twins need to find the best option(s) to replace him against RHP until someone grabs the spot. The problem here is perception and definition: 1] The LEADOFF hitter is a term used almost since baseball began. I even use it. The problem is it should be TABLESETTER by action. And even at that, a LEADOFF hitter bats FIRST ONE TIME A GAME, guaranteed. If things fall a certain way, they MIGHT hit first an additional time in a game, maybe second. 2] There is a very logical arguement that batting your best hitters in the #1-4/5 spots makes the most sense as they get the most opportunities at the plate in a game, and throughout the season. The issue there is, even in a great lineup, your last 2-4 hitters are the "worst" of your team. So following that norm, do you necessarily want one of your best power/RBI threats to follow your weakest hitters throughout the rest of the game? And that's where the rubber meets the road. You want someone who can hit a little, get OB a little, and have enough power/pop to be not only a TABLESETTER for the bats behind him, but who can advance runners and knock in runners from the bottom of the lineup when they actually perform and get OB! As limited as Kepler is as a #1 hitter, he has something like a .760-.770 career OPS against RHP. That's not great, but it's OK. And after a good ST, a poor first THREE GAMES doesn't change that fact. Gallo has an even better career OPS overall, and can be more dangerous in that spot than Kepler, knocking in runs when/if runners from the bottom of the order are OB. But because he has more pure power, the Twins are wanting him to hit lower, behind the "better" bats ahead of him than the bottom of the order hitters. So they are looking at and hoping Kepler will simply be what he's always been, which is an OK hitter with decent contact and OB, with decent speed and good base running, and solid power, to knock in some guys, keep an inning going, and help set the table for the next few batters. I am NOT saying the bottom of the lineup stinks. And I'm not saying Kepler is anything close to being ideal in the #1 spot. I'm just stating why he's viewed initially as the best option for that spot now. He has the potential to not be great, but do a little bit of everything there for the moment. Buxton's surge as a power hitter, with speed and solid base running, without a career proven AVG and OB, makes him perfect as a run producer hitting lower than the 1 spot. It's only SSS in his career, and a great ST, and 3 games to begin 2023, but why on earth would anyone want Larnach to hit anywhere other than in the heart of the order? I can't wait for Polanco to be back. And a 100%, or close to it, Polanco is maybe best as a #3 hitter who can do everything well. That provides production, slides everyone down for a deeper lineup, but might not be his best spot AS THE TEAM IS BUILT CURRENTLY. When he's back, he might be the best #1 hitter until someone like Julien or Lewis is ready to take over. Heck, it's only been THREE GAMES. But if Gordon gets untracked, his 2022 had a .743 OPS with some budding pop and he has speed to play with. He and Farmer/Solano might be a perfect combo at the #1 spot until things change. And I'd be looking at that as an idea over the next few games.

A 3 game sweep and 2 shutouts, on the road, to open the season. I don't care who you are playing, that's a great way to start things off. Add in KC being pretty good at home in 2022 and the Twins pretty lousy on the road, makes me feel even better. A few more hits here and there and I'm doing cartwheels, and I've never done a cartwheel in my life. But after the disappointment of 2022, I'm willing to learn if we keep playing this way and the offense upticks a notch.

This was the one level I've been "concerned" about as I think it lacks a degree of talent and depth due to past trades and other promotions, and some younger players not yet ready. Not saying Wichita is devoid if talent, but it feels as though it lacks in amount. I was a little surprised Headricks jumped to AAA, pleasantly so, and wasn't sure if Festa might do the same. Glad to see they feel he's up to the challenge. Definitely surprised to see Adams pushed this quickly. I hope that means they really feel he's ready. Guessing here, but I think Enlow is listed as a reliever because he finished there in 2022? While I don't doubt he'll see some innings there, as many do, I'm betting he's really in the rotation plans. Not sure what to think about the pen. Other than what MacMahon did last year, I'm not sure there's much to get excited here. Probably enough arms to work well at the AA level, but not sure I'm seeing much upside. Winkel already at AA, after being drafted in 2021, is very interesting. While Cardenas might have the better bat potential from the same draft, Winkel has been a level above him and held his own offensively so far. Does Isola face a put up or shut up season? He can hit and make contact and he's got some pop. But he's mostly aged 1B and DH and the bat doesn't look special enough for that role going forward. Time to prove he has actual cather potential, IMO. I think the INF is the strength of the club and Lee makes it pretty good by himself. I think Severino gets overlooked a lot. He seemed to raise his game to a new level last year. If he can continue on that path, both he and Lee might be at St Paul by mid season. I like Prato a lot as a do everything and play everywhere super utility that I thought had a real shot to begin at AAA. Has Gray done enough for this promotion? I guess so, even though he didn't set the world on fire since being a pretty high draft choice, with a mediocre 2022 probably being his best season so far. Sabato? Not sure what is left to say. He either discovers the ability to actually HIT, or he's going to be an organizational player only. But he's going to provide thump in the lineup, and that's a positive. I think Keirsey has a real shot if he can build on what he did last year. I don't understand the Giants making Armani Smith available. With covid, I believe he's only played 3yrs and has shown some decent numbers until last year. Can their 40 man really be that full? He wasn't exactly a late round pick. Soularie is an athlete but is he a ballplayer? He's had injury setbacks for sure. Can he finally tap in to all of that athleticism? The aforementioned Prato should help in the OF as well. Holland is super fast and can run wild on the bases. But even if he plays great defense, he has to hit at some point. I like the INF quite a bit. The OF has a shot to have at least a couple solid guys. Really going to keep my eye on Winkel at catcher. Still not sold on the amount of upside across the roster, but there is talent here. Could be a fun team if the pitching holds up and a couple of the best arms, like Festa, can continue to develop.

I hated the signing. And then I read and read some more, listened, reflected, and realized it just wasn't the bad move I initially thought it was. Not a big fan of the 3 true outcomes, but Gallo rebounding to what he was in Texas is a real threat. He's a quality defensive OF and 1B. And his signing also provides that potentially big bat and good glove at 1B for the moment. So while I don't share the enthusiasm of the OP, it was still a smart flier that only costs $. I don't know if 100 PA is the magic number for him or not, but I do know there should be a point where he's either providing that dangerous "threat" and some production, or he looks like a 1yr sunk cost. At that point, AK should be ready, possibly Julien as well, and it should be time to move on. NOT saying the negative is going to happen! But I also don't want to take AB and opportunity away from talented youngsters that are the future and will hopefully be looking good, just because the Twins cling to misguided hope.

Mildly surprised by the cut of Olsen. IIRC he was a flier draft choice with some real talent but needed TJ when drafted, or had just had it. Then, with the pandemic, he didn't return to the mound until 2021. He hasn't exactly flashed since his return, and will be 26 in May. Getting a little old to be any sort of prospect. And I'm guessing the stuff just never came back. But mildly surprised he wasn't moved to the pen permanently and given a little more time. Unfortunately, the deck was stacked against him.