DocBauer

Actually glad I was working today and couldn't watch the game. I don't think my nerves could have taken it after the last two games, LOL. Kudos to Gordon! Every once in a while that bat speed of his will send a ball to the gaps or over the wall. But my goodness, he really tattooed that ball! There's a reason he's on this team, he's very useful as the last man. I liked Smeltzer his rookie year and thought he had a chance. After a pair of poor/injured seasons he looks to be back, and maybe I wrong, but is his velocity up a tick or two? I'm not quite sure how he's doing the job he is with such low K numbers, but he's getting the job done for sure. Except for the AZ game he's throwing 6 IP+ and keeping the opposition at bay. With what's on hand, what's coming back next year due to current injury, what's developing/coming up in Winder, Balazovic, Varland, SWR, etc, plus potential trades and FA, I can't predict his future. But are we still at too SSS, OR, do we tip our cap at this point and just say: "yep, solid ML starting pitcher"?

I haven't even read the OP or anything else at this point. I am beyond disappointed and incensed at the moment. I always try to be even keel and see the big picture. I believe in day by day in a 162 game season. And I have been a a believer in Rocco, even when I've disagreed with him at times. In fact, I've often defended him and shook my head at some of the vitriol sent his way that I think is unwarranted and misguided. But a 13yo little leaguer could have managed Wednesday's game better! Tell me I'm wrong? I actually kinda like Pagan and like the improvements he's made. I just want him in the 6th and 7th, not the 8th or 9th. And while I remain flabbergasted as to the pitch sequence that seemed to cause the lost lead on Tuesday, I give him kudos for coming out tonight and just dominating the 8th. Retribution! But who in their right mind believed Pagan should have been sent out for a 2nd inning after pitching last night? Especially when you had other options, including an already warmed up, veteran arm sitting on the bench presumably ready to go. Pagan is done. Jax is thrown in to an almost impossible situation. Rocco lost the game. He should be apologizing to his team, and the fans, for how obtuse he was. And he should be explaining to his bosses what the hell he was thinking. This is not a personal attack on Baldelli, especially considering it comes from someone who has largely believed in and supported him. But Wednesday's debacle of mismanagement deserves to be rattled out loud on top of a soapbox. (Heavy sigh)

Just adding my $.02. I really appreciate the work and the opinions presented. For the most part, I think your grading is largely fair, though, of course, arbitrary. Obviously a lot of thought and consideration is applied here. I do agree that ignoring drafting and development beyond the 3rd round is missing and important in the grand scheme, but also almost impossible to rank and quantify without making it a full time occupation, so I get that and recognize the structure of what you are looking at. I think your grade on Lewis is too low. There is nothing to predict his 1st knee injury vs his 2nd. In fact, he should almost receive "bonus points" for missing 2yrs of competitive play for what he's shown in 2022. I also think you are too low on Jeffers, as has already been discussed, debated, and argued at length, so I'm not going to go there other than to say...I see better defensive value than you do. College player or not, he was pushed up on 2020 and did great and is now a "victim" of his success that season. I never bought in to that year for 2021 when pundits speculated the Twins had the best catching tandem in MLB. I expected regression and future growth. Only 25yo and less than 600 PA, I still expect growth. Like Garver, he hit in college, he hit in milb, he's going to hit at the ML level. How well he hits is open to debate. But as a hitter, he is NOT a finished product yet. I never liked the Cavaco pick, despite helium and athletic talent. I thought it was a reach. Youth, covid, injury, still very young and talented, he might still harness ability at 3B or OF, but, he was a real reach/flier IMO. And I never got the Sabato selection. OK, I DO understand drafting BPA and projection. And his bat projected well. But IIRC, there was a collection of at least a few arms who projected as being at least mid rotation talent. I like a lot of the choices the FO has made, early and late. But I agree they reached on Cavaco and Sabato and may get burned by both.

Not crazy about Wallner's proclivity for SO. But for the most part, I think you generally accept a certain amount of SO for a power hitter. But as Dman alludes to, there is a difference between SO vs also "accepting" the BB a pitcher offers you. In other words, don't swing at stuff out of the zone when being pitched around. As much as we question Wallner's SO and contact ability, he has a career OB of .370 before his .408 thus far in 2022. Career AVG is .264 vs .270 so far this year. I'm OK with the SO if he keeps walking when the BB is offered. I think the bat plays, and the power is certainly there. It's not so much the SO, but to keep hitting and still maintain the BB to the degree where you take what's offered and not flail. (Hello Mr. Sano). I confess to never having been able to watch him live or see his defense. I know from all reports he's got a gun for an arm, as a former pitcher. A large individual, I just don't know his range. And routes and reads are about as important as range. But even with pitchers not holding runners well at AA, or lesser arms from catchers, if a man as big as he is can steal/sneak 7 SB, I'd like to think he can move well enough to play the OF to an acceptable degree. He doesn't have to be Kepler to be a solid RF. He needs to read and react and move decently and use his arm as needed. Personally, I think Wallner is a part time OF and DH as Larnach will EVENTUALLY move to RF and Martin, or potentially someone else, will take over LF with AK being the primary 1B. But that's all so very fluid and at least one year away, if not two. But Twins or someone else, he's going to be a regular in a lineup by 2024.

Sorry, years and dollars are just too much for this to happen, much as it would be fun and I've turned in to a big Correa fan. But I can and will play along. I understand the whole 10yrs and $35M per since it's been handed out to a similar player. But I have to say, just because it's been doesn't mean someone will do it again. I mean, you only need one team, but that team might have been the team that did so last year. Plus, you may have your choice of 3 very good ones again this year. Regardless, Correa is already playing this season for $35M, so he's really looking at a 7-9yr deal if/when he opts out. If the market just isn't there for 8 or 9 years, the Twins could go 7 and not feel bad about themselves. And as Brandon addressed earlier, the Twins would be in a position the next few years to front load the contract. This allows greater flexibility down the road for extensions and signings, and doesn't handcuff the payroll in Correa's final seasons when he will inevitably begin to decline. That's about the only way, 7yrs and front load the first few years.

While not firing on all cylinders all the time...and I'm not sure anyone does...this Twins term IS a quality, winning, contending team. Health and injury has bogged the Twins down a bit in early June, but health is returning. And it will, hopefully, be that much better over the next week or two as guys ramp up to 100% and Polanco and Winder get healthy, though Winder MIGHT stick at St Paul for a little while to build his arm back up. Hopefully, we get a healthy Alcala back by the end of July. I believe this team is in BUY mode, for sure, with some caveats. Let me try to phrase this properly. I like this team an awful lot. They are a great mix of young and young-ish players, with only a couple exceptions, who are going to be around for at least a few more years to come. Contracts and payroll are largely under control, offering flexibility. The milb system is having an OUTSTANDING season, even as a few prospects have struggled, or are just getting it going. And yet, others have clearly jumped up as well. Kudos! Unfortunately, a couple, potential, important pieces have struggled a bit thus far. Balazovic hasn't gotten going yet, Canterino has has, hopefully, a mild setback, Lewis is done until mid 2023, Sands has only flashed a little, and 40 man Strotman has almost detonated. On the other side of things, Larnach and Miranda are growing up right before our eyes along with Celestino and Winder, before injury. Kirilloff SEEMS to be getting it together, and there is real hope he's past issues and is here to stay. All very good things! I believe the Twins are a very good team that is just about to put it all together. And yes, I mean even this year, despite having some holes. I still believe 2020 and some injuries...Lewis and AK to be sure...have slowed the development of a few very good young players that still impact 2022. You build the best team you can, and you NEVER FEAR anyone. The Yankees are on pace to maybe break W-L records? Maybe. But we blew their doors off in 1 game at home and nearly did the same, or at least win, if ONE BP arm stepped up that 3rd day. And who knows, maybe the Twins wouldn't face the Yanks in the playoffs this year. Anyone can beat anyone in a short series. Witness various Doger losses, and the Braves winning it all just recently. I feel the Twins, still building with so many talented young pieces, are a quality team that might not hit their peak until 2023-24, but are good enough to challenge that it would be a HUGE disappointment not to buy and augment the current roster! Barring a collapse that I feel could only happen due to mass injury, Correa isn't going anywhere. To do so would only open a HUGE hole and offer no immediate return. And we don't need prospects for one of the top players in all of MLB while we're contending. If not beyond, Correa stays for 2022. Unless you are trading youth and potential and control, there is no major offensive gain to be added by a trade for a position player on anything short term, Unless you are trading youth and potential and control, there is no major SP gain to be added by a trade for a short term addition, IMO. Are you really going to get someone better than Gray and Ryan to add? You'd better. And he better have at least another year, if not more, for what it would potentially cost in what you give up. So unless, unless some more, with all due respect to the guys who have held the pen together with duct tape and potential, what this team really needs is a pair of quality RP options for the pen. You can do like 2019 and trade for a couple short term, quality arms and trade from the back end up the prospect pool, OR, you can trade more from the front end of the talent pool and grab a couple live arms from losing teams that have at least one more year of control. If you do that, you potentially finish 2022 STRONG in the pen along with what you have, believe in your offense, trust in your rotation, and have a pen mostly constructed for 2023. Either could work. One way or another, the Twins need to be buyers. Anything can happen for a good and potentially dangerous team with a better pen. But I don't feel this is the year for any sort of MAJOR trading sell off to buy.

Absolutely not on Hendricks. 32yo, expensive and pitching poorly with low velocity....firm NO. Rogers is very intriguing if the cost isn't TOO high. But young, LH, controllable and remaining options...why on earth would they even consider moving him unless they just think he's beyond fixing. Of course, being desperate for offense COULD motivate them to be sellers. I do have some interest in Marquez, but it's kind of midling. He was good...not great...in 2018 and 2020. I hadn't realized he was still only 27yo. If the Twins and Johnson see something to unlock in him, similar to Maeda and Paddack, I think he'd come relatively cheap prospect wise. There's certainly the potential to unlock more with him. But if you guess wrong, he's really no better than anything we already have.

There's been a lot of recent conversations concerning the August trade deadline and what the Twins might need. And while any additions to assist the Twins in their drive to WIN, the Central and to advance in the playoffs to do well, if not challenge, are almost universally directed towards the bullpen and the rotation, there has been at least some talk about adding a position player to upgrade the offense, though that's clearly a distant 3rd on the list. Still, I think it's worth taking a look at. Further, there has been conversation about the number of shutouts the team has "zeroed up" thus far, and what it might mean. It's always great if your team adds an even better player than they had before at any position. But in this instance, we're not talking about a young rising prospect, we're taking about a trade option. And that means prospect capital and a debate as to "cash out" vs return and how much of a return you might receive, especially if there are other areas of greater concern. And while the idea of leading the league in something as negative as being shutout, context must be allowed. Let's say the Twins end up leading the league for the entire season in shutouts and continue to win 90+ games and are in the payoffs. First of all, all teams and all payers have good days, bad days, hot streaks, and cold streaks. To carry it further, let's just attempt a similar example of winning teams. For giggles, we'll just use the Blue Jay's. Let's say both teams win approximately 94 games and are in the playoffs. And let's say the Twins end up with...IDK...let's just say a dozen shutouts to lead the league. But a stat-head looks deeper and sees that the Jay's lead the league in losses while scoring only 1 run in 14 losses. Soooo...the Jay's have a better and more consistent offense because they were shutout less? Just saying, context folks. Unless MLB changes gears again and decides teams will be allowed to continue having 14 pitchers...or do something crazy and raise roster limits unexpectedly...rosters will soon be split 13/13 in regard to pitchers and position players. Let's examine a HEALTHY Twins player roster. OF:] Larnach, Buxton, Kepler, Celestino, Garlick INF] Urshela, Miranda, Correa, Polanco, Arraez, Kirilloff, Gordon C] Jeffers, Sanchez That's 14 players, folks, and 1 more than they can afford to have on the roster. And there's not a player, IMO, that doesn't bring something to the table and doesn't deserve to be there. So cut, injury, or demotion, it's already a crunch. So barring that, who can you add that really makes a difference to the lineup, enough, to warrant losing someone or trading someone? And if someone is traded, I can't see doing so for a rental addition in order to weaken yourself going forward. So let's look at the Twins offense as it stands today, July 17th: BA. R. OB% SLG. OPS AL: T=3RD 4th T=2ND 5TH 4TH MLB T=8TH 10TH 8TH 7TH 8TH Honestly, some of these rankings are so close that 1 day can cause fluctuations. But what this shows is two things. #1, the Twins offense is one of the top 3/4 in the AL at this point. Period. #2, there is an interesting fluctuation when the AL is compared to the NL in overall MLB rankings. Considering that cross-divisional play is still a relatively SSS, I put little stock in the NL just being better offensively than the AL. There are many factors to be considered from pitching to ballparks to weather. IMPO, I think it's a combination of all the above, PLUS, the NL having the DH for the first time. There is bound to be an adjustment period. So there you have it. The Twins have one of the best offenses in the AL despite some bad days. IMO, the only "weakness" the Twins lineup has is a number of very talented but young players who haven't been through the playoff wars yet. I just don't see where improvement is provided by any deal that makes any difference that, well, improves the offense to a degree that makes a difference vs need in the pen, and maybe the rotation

I honestly hadn't thought of Miranda being used in a trade. I guess in my head, he was part of the next wave and wasn't going anywhere. But he does make sense with Urshela around, Arraez able to play a solid 3B, Steer's development, as well as the possibility of Lewis changing positions if the almost unimaginable happens and Correa ends up sticking around. Miranda's bat is real. He's probably going to be a solid AVG hitter with decent contact and should give you 55-60 XBH every year. He's got the arm and enough athleticism to be a solid 3B, though he needs polish. Most young guys do, especially when they're swimming in the deep end for the first time. 1B is a fallback option. He's not going to bring a TOP SP without being paired with at lest one more top 10-20 prospect. Period. And I think he's too good with too nice of a future to trade for a RP unless you're getting a dynamite one with at least a couple more years of control. Even then, with the volatility of the profession, a toss in might be needed. So yeah, it makes sense to list him as a viable trade option. But either he's part of a great deal, or you probably keep him for now.

Thanks for a great OP Jamie. I think you pretty much nailed things right on the head. I want to say I really like a lot of the comments and opinions presented here. I'd like to add a couple of thoughts overall before addressing the 3 points in the OP: 1] The goal is to win as much as you can and make the playoffs. That goal has never changed in the history of MLB, regardless of the post season structure. You can't win anything unless you make it that far first. Period. From there, anything can happen. We've seen that with our own Twins previously, the Braves last season, and various winners of the years. If the very best regular season, highest winning teams won all the time, there would be no reason for playoffs anyway. The Dogers would be a great example over the past 5-10yrs, not to pick on them. 2] I hate when the Twins offense is inconsistent. But who's offense is always consistent? Nobody's. Players and teams have good days and bad days and hot streaks and cold streaks. And I agree with Trov that perspective needs to be used in reference to the Twins having the most shutouts so far in 2022. Losing 5-0 or 1-0 remains a loss no matter what. If another comparable team has fewer shutouts but is lower scoring and has a lesser run differential, who's offense is really worse? There's a whole lot of context there to debate and disseminate. As to the OP, in reverse order of need: 1] Taking in to account what I previously stated, I question the need for a bat, as well as what it would cost and who you'd replace. AK and Garlick added, and the roster healthy, I just don't see any major holes. Sorry, I just don't with what we have now and how they produce overall. Right now the biggest problem is figuring out who to remove to get those 2 on the roster. That's a good problem to have! The only real issue I see is a number of young players such as Larnach, AK, Celestino, Miranda, who are just young and haven't been through the grinder. Talent isn't the problem. 2] Unless the Twins make a pretty MAJOR SP acquisition, I don't know that you vastly improve the rotation enough to warrant the move IF the guys on hand are HEALTHY. Fortunately, the Twins have about 6 weeks to see Ober and Winder healthy and to see if Smeltzer is for real as an option. And I'm not opposed to improving, don't get me wrong! But at what cost and to what degree of any improvement can you trade for? It better be pretty big if you do. 3] The pen is clearly the most obvious answer to seasonal and post season improvement. Getting by and being solid with what you have is different than crunch time, and that's not a shot at the guys who have gotten us here. I feel good about Duran, Jax, and Thielbar. I have questions about Pagan, but he's been looking pretty good as of late. I have a fair amount of faith in Smith if not overexposed. Barring a surprise or two over the next 6 weeks, what the pen needs is a pair of quality, veteran arms to lead the way. And I don't think you need to mortgage the future for some losing team's #1 pen arm who is All Star caliber. As i.mentioned in a different thread recently, in 2019 the Twins brought in a pair of solid, proven, veteran rentals in Segio Romo and Sam Dyson for a single top 30 prospect, another maybe top 40 one, and a couple of A ball fliers. Unfortunately, Dyson arrived injured and washed out. Romo was great, and was brought back for 2020. But something similar, two quality, proven arms as a rental would do wonders to deepen and strengthen the pen without sacrificing the future. Surely 4yrs later the cost of a pair of similar moves shouldn't suddenly be vastly more expensive should it?

So I like Gordon for his role: OK hit, speed on the basepaths, OK defense for three spots in the infield, and a pretty good OF with excellent range. He's young enough to show improvement as well. I do think his time with the Twins is limited due to Steer, Julien, and to a lesser extent, Helman and Palacios. The only problem is, while he's easy to replace as a 2B/3B/LF option, he's the #3 CF and #2 SS. Are the Twins comfortable with sliding Polanco over to cover SS when Correa is out? Are they OK with sliding Kepler over to CF as the #3 CF if needed? I'm not saying these are devastating options, or that someone can't be brought up the next day if there is a health/injury issue, I'm just stating that is Gordon's prime value to the team at the is moment, along with some PR duties. To bring on Kirilloff and Garlick, someone needs to go. Gordon is the most obvious, unless you are going to send Miranda or Celestino down, and I just don't see that happening, or as being a good idea.

Measuring defense for a catcher is the hardest defensive metric to evaluate. I've always said the best part of being a catcher is how you handle the staff. There's a reason guys have played 10÷years in the league despite average or poor offense. How big of a list do you want? Forget pitch framing for a moment, does your catcher block the plate, does he receive well, does he have the confidence of your staff? I'm sorry, I don't have the link right now, but I just read recently...believe it might have been here on TD...regarding how many games Jeffers has caught this year that resulted in 3 ER or less and it was impressive. He's a quality defensive catcher, and I'm just not sure how anyone can dispute that just watching him and the results. His arm is average at best. But in the re ent Ray's game, which has been brought up, the pitcher (Sands I believe), virtually ignored the runners at 1B. That makes the job of the catcher pretty damn hard. He'll never be great throwing guys out, but work, experience, and a little help from his pitcher can hopefully make him at least decent. I NEVER bought in to his offensive success when he first came up. Too much too soon, IMO. His 2021 numbers weren't great, but there was power and production, from a position you seldom see. I didnt expect greatness here in 2022, but I expected more than we've seen so far. But much like Garver, he hit in college. He hit in milb. He was pushed aggressively through the system. Hes only 25yo with 500 AB under his belt. The offensive ability is still there, the power is certainly there. Have the Twins made a mistake? IMO, absolutely not even though he has hasn't hit yet hit like hoped for. I might eat crow, but I think his bat will come around to be at least decent with power over the next year or so. Been impressed by the improvements of Sanchez. I'd be happy to have him back next season with Jeffers, and never thought I'd say that when the trade was made. I'm not happy with what I'm seeing right now, but like any young player, I think time, experience and coaching, we're going to see a better hitting Jeffers over the next year plus.

Completely understand your frustration. I'm as big of an AK believer and fan as you will find. I think he's a major part of the Twins lineup for the next 5-8+ years along with Larnach and probably Miranda as well. But I applaud the Twins for being patient and just letting him "feel good" mentally and physically and just rake at AAA to get ready. But there is a roster crunch/concern that is real right now. Whether the Twins go to 13 position players NOW, or when they are forced to in a week, there is ONE position player spot open. Unless someone goes on the IL, or is just moved, it's either Kirilloff or Garlick for the last spot. AK seems like the immediate answer because of his numbers and his importance for the future, but Garlick is an OK OF defensively who RAKES against LHP, which remains a confounding issue for the Twins in which there is no immediate answer.

Really, daily and weekly, there's not a lot to not like with these reports. The Twins system is having resounding success and so many guys are having good/great seasons. I understand the Twins aren't exactly top heavy with TOP 100 types, but the depth is outstanding. And FWIW, top 100 players don't always turn out, or turn out to be the best. So quantity of prospects is a very good thing. Only big bummers I can come up with is Balazovic not yet looking like his expected self, Canterino on the DL, and Rodriguez now hurt for the year. A few bullet points: 1] I've been disappointed in Sands this year. After his first couple of turns at St Paul, he just hasn't looked the same. For whatever reason, the consistency isn't there like I expected. I NEVER give up on a rookie pitcher at the ML level after their debut season. History has shown it can take a while to settle in. Berrios is a great example. I've seen enough of him to know he has the stuff to succeed at the highest level, but I'm starting to see him as potentially another Jax, his stuff playing up better in shorter stints. Still, he really looked solid at times in his last start against Tampa. Not going to give up on him yet. 2] Loved what I saw of Palacios defensively when he was up. He actually hit in the low minors before his trade to Tampa for Odorizzi. And while he didn't hit a lick there, he suddenly started hitting back in the Twins organization in 2021, and even flashed some pop/power. And he's been doing the same with St Paul this year. I think his ability to hit at the ML level is clearly TBD. As is any future role with the Twins, all the more complicated by the injury to Lewis. I'm glad there was no rule 5 this year as we may have lost him. He's absolutely going to be a 40 man add this offseason for many reasons. 3] The Twins are going to have a very interest conundrum, but a good one, in 2023 in regard to bench spots. Arraez is really a regular, and isn't going anywhere, of course. Gordon has become a very useful multi-purpose player who shows potential to still get better even. But Steer is going to force his way on to the club sooner or later. I'm not saying he's better than or is going to push Miranda, but he potentially could. I think there's room for both. I wish I knew how well he can fill in at SS, because that really increases his value if he's at least OK there. I'd like to think he can learn a little 1B, despite being just under 6 foot. If so, he's a 4 position player with a bat and power and potential. And Julien is just behind him. Again, I'm uncertain as to his defense, but he's 1B/2B/3B/LF who can hit, has an amazing OB ability, speed, and decent power. He could be an excellent 10th man, potentially, with all around offensive ability. And while a bit of a late riser, and after a solid 2021 and AFL, Hellman is suddenly reaching new heights of consistent production here in 2022. The Twins are about to be flush is versatile bench options who have real offensive and potential starting ability. Might as well throw Palacios in to that group as well. 4] I really hope the Twins stick with CES at 3B for as long as possible. I understand he's not a great athlete and is a bat first player. But from all reports I've read he's got a strong arm and fairly soft hands. Are his errors due to footwork? Wild throws despite a strong arm? Lack of basic fundamentals? This is only his first year of full season work. I would never want to compare a 2nd year prospect to great players like Gaetti or Koskie, but one had hands of stone and the other was too stiff to play 3B. IMO, keep him at 3B for as long as possible and keep working with him before transitioning him to 1B. 5] I really have NO CLUE what to expect from Hamilton, Isola, or Camargo as potential future catchers in the system, but I'd sure like "someone in the know" to offer up an honest breakdown of their potential. I understand catchers are often "built" rather than drafted as high prospects. It's one of the most difficult positions to draft and project. But these 3 seem to be rising up as the cream of the prospect crop in the system right now. 6] I know that most draftees play little, if at all, once signed their rookie years. And the elimination of the traditional rookie leagues has changed normal procedures we took for granted in the past. But I'm frustrated by the draft being pushed back to July. It feels like kids are going to get a late introduction and it might make mid year promotions more difficult.

I never had any personal dislike for Correa, even with the Houston scandal. But I've become a huge fan. He is an absolute joy to watch in the field! He makes almost every other SS look mediocre. The bat is good. The work ethic and clubhouse attitude is excellent. He seems to bring a real professionalism and leadership. I would enjoy him being a Twin for some time. And with all his tools, I can see him being a real asset until 32-33yo or so. But even if the market is flooded a bit and down a bit and he would have to "settle" for 8yrs and $30M per, we're still talking $240M minimum and $30M per while he's 35yo. Now, you might be able to front load that deal for the first few years while such of the roster is young and cost controlled. That's the only way I see Correa sticking around. I'm just being realistic. Palacios will never be a great hitter. But last season and this one he's turned a corner and showed that some of the early potential he showed when first signed is real. He can hit and run a bit and has a little pop. The glove is legit. I'd probably run with him, probably give him some competition on a 1yr option with someone, and let it ride. I've got Gordon, Urshela, and Steer to all provide some back up. But it's only June, the Twins are having a fine and and fun season, so I'm going to enjoy them and Correa and not worry too much about 2023 at this point.

It's really easy to get wrapped up in one bad game, one bad moment. Losing game 3 to the Yankees was an absolute gut punch! Watching it, it felt like just ONE reliever steps forward and does their job the game was ours. But that loss is just one loss, albeit a bad one. Illness and injury abounding, a weakened squad went through a tough stretch against 3 very good teams and came out 5-4. So they absolutely CAN play with and hang with the best teams. We knew Maeda was out for 2022, more than likely. But in Gray, Ryan, Ober, Paddack, and Dobnak you have an entire rotation on the DL. Then you can add 3 RP, one of which might have been our primary set up man. Then add covid and Canada/covid on top of that, (plus AK basically hurt and out for most of the season so far), and we're in 1st place and headed for more than 90 wins?? Color me happy and eager for playoff time. Just give me some better health and 2 RP from SOMEWHERE/ANYWHERE and the playoff win drought may be over.

In 2019 the Twins traded Jaylin Davis and Lewin Diaz and a couple low level fliers for Sam Dyson and Sergio Romero and Vallimont. It cost them a single top 30 prospect and a couple of fliers for a couple proven, veteran RP. Forget that Dyson ended up hurt and a not so good guy, Romero actually helped and helped a lot. If Dyson was healthy, the pen would have been that much better. Has baseball and potential trades changed so much in the past 3yrs that the Twins can't bring in a couple of solid, quality, proven BP arms similar to 2019 that would cost top prospects? Despite valid debates about consistency offensively....something I bet most teams have issues with...a healthy Twins lineup is not an issue. A healthy Kirilloff and Garlick will only help, though there would be a roster crunch.. With a healthy Gray, Ryan, Ober, Archer, and Winder, Bundy as a wild card "helper", the rotation is pretty strong. Yes, we can pine for the classic ACE that only a few teams truly have, but that's a nice rotation that can WIN. There are some solid pieces in our pen. Duran is a STUD but he would be better as a 1IP pitcher to get through the entire 2022 season. Jax shows real promise. So does Moran. Thielbar still looks good after a few bad early season games. Pagan is questionable, but has velocity and his new splitter has looked good at times. I like him as a middle guy who could set up. But unless a couple of the guys they keep rotating through suddenly step up and prove something...and I'm hopeful but realistic...the #1 thing this team needs is AT LEAST one quality BP arm. It would be better to add TWO. Reflect back to 2019, and forget Alcala will be back in 2022, if the Twins add another Dyson and Romero for a handful of 20-30ish prospects...which is equivalent or higher than 2019....the pen could be outstanding to finish 2022 and really solidify the pen for the rest of the season

I'm not going to put lipstick on a pig or paint a psychedelic silver/rainbow cloud, but despite some poor performances and keystone cops plays, the Twins went 3-3 against a pair of very good and talented teams. And they did this with a lineup just getting healthy, an FOUR SP on the IL. The pen needs help, no doubt. But that same pen helped win 2 games against the Jay's, and one against the Yankees, and could have won game 3 with the Yankees if ONE GUY stepped forward that night. So while I am MASSIVELY BUMMED about game 3 with the Yankees, I can still see some light at the end of the tunnel. The lineup is working. A few days from now, we should have some of our best arms back. Duran will be fine, Jax is looking good, Pagan can be a solid middle and set-up guy with Thielbar and Moran....but somehow, someway, they need a couple more RP for the pen for this team to truly contend.

Just an add: How crazy is timing? He doesn't play CF that day, the next day Correa goes on Covid and Lewis is the starting SS for 7-10 days and this injury probably never happens. No blame to anyone other than fate. But man, what lousy timing.

Of course, because....TWINS! I know all teams have injuries, to top players and lesser players, but looking back the last 15-20yrs, has any team had so many devastating and career affecting injuries to their top players? Taking the pity pillow off of my head, all the best to Lewis and his recovery. He's a talented and tough young man who will almost assuredly come out of this healthy, strong and ready to go and resume what should be a great career. But he sure doesn't deserve this.

I watched him in ST a couple of times and really liked his stuff. His numbers in St Paul looked good. I've seen a couple of his Twins performances and thought he acquitted himself well. I quit watching the Yankees game last night after the Duffey meltdown so I didn't see him pitch, but the box numbers weren't good. But the stuff is there to give him a shot. Not sure what else Cotton has to do to get a longer look.

I know there is no such thing as a true moral victory, but the Twins roster is just so depleted right now, and they went toe to toe against a very good Yankees team for 6 innings. When I saw Duffey come in, my heart sank and I just knew we were going to lose. Then he gets the 2 outs and suddenly I'm thinking the "good" Duffey might be back and we can still win this game. But, nope, the "bad" Duffey appeared again. I know players slump, and RP can look really awful when they do because of SSS, but Duffey just keeps doing this. I don't want anyone to fail and I don't want to see anyone lose their job, but right now Duffey looks no better than a mop up guy.

Why is Duffey getting such a long leash? Because he was great in 2019 and 2020. Because after a rough start in 2021 he adjusted, rebounded, and actually finished strong despite a drop in velocity and K rate. What's surprising to me is his sudden uptick in velocity, back up to 93-95 consistently, which he didn't have last season. But with little exception, he's not fooling anyone right now, for whatever reason. I do not believe he's around due to $. That money is spent. There is a hope and a prayer that his regained velocity and some adjustments will make his FB and curveball efficient again. But right now, I just don't see it. I'm seeing the emergence of Duran and Jax from the right side. I'm seeing Cotton, SSS, look like the re-built model of himself that pitched so well in milb 2021 and flashed a bit with the Rangers. I'm seeing reports of Alcala being healthy and throwing hard and just needing time to get ready. I appreciate everything Duffey has done for the Twins. I appreciate and understand them giving him another chance because we know that sometimes these things work out and a guy just gets right. But with no obligation beyond this year, money already spent, I feel better having Pagan come in at this point with better stuff. And I know he's scary, but I trust him and his still developing splitter than I trust Duffey at this point. And that saddens me. The Twins aren't going to make some major trade for an All Star RP. But I think they will make a deal for another Romo/Dyson that could pay dividends. They have a month for Duffey to have a "tired arm" or blister, or whatever to rehab in the minors for a few weeks and see if he can find himself again. Otherwise, he's out come early to mid July. The Twins are waiting on Alcala. They're hoping for Stashak to be healthy and flash what he shown at times when healthy. And don't think for a minute they aren't waiting for someone to step up. I think Duffey probably will get some kind of a IL stint, followed by a AAA rehab. They're not going to risk cutting bait too soon. But it will then be up to Duffey to force himself back up to the parent club. For some reason, Thielbar is always included in Duffey conversations/discussions. Not sure why. Thielbar allowed a lot of inherited runs to score in the nightmare that was 2021. But like Duffey, too little too late, he pitched much better later on. His 2022 numbers look like crap due to some early bad performances, but look really good his past couple of weeks. And I'm OK with that. I'd rather see a rough start and then settle in vs a rough start and continued bad performance. Duffey to the IL for whatever reason and then rehab. If you show something, you 'll get a shot. And that would be great. But you have to be better than Duran, or Jax, or Alcala , and a few others on the rise. And maybe/probably at least one solid traded for arm. Did I mention Smith? The onus is on Duffey to find something that works and make him an important piece again. Could be tough.

The problem isn't fitting Kirilloff in to the lineup, or finding AB for him. The problem right now is fitting him on the 26 man roster. I'm a huge fan and believer in AK. I think he, and Larnach, are going to each be major building blocks for the Twins the next 5-8yrs, health providing. And later this month, unless there is another rule change to extend the 14 pitcher max, staffs will have to set at 13. That leaves 13 position players. So let's look at that for a moment. Jeffers and Sanchez are set at catcher. Larnach, Buxton, Kepler and Celestino are set in the OF. Arraez, Polanco, Correa, and probably Urshela are set for the infield. So 10 of 13 spots are settled. That leaves 3 spots for Gordon, Garlick, and Miranda. Miranda has produced a triple slash of .260/.288/.520 the last 15 games. His last 7 game triple slash shows .346/.370/.769. He's a top prospect with a bright future coming off an amazing 2021 and starting to figure things out. Gordon hasn't had a great last 7 games. But his past 30 games has him at .266/.296/.404. He provides OK defense at 3 infield spots and good/great defense in LF/CF. He provides speed on the basepaths, occasional pop, and versatility. He keeps getting better, but his ceiling looks to be limited to super-utility. And there are a couple guys who have higher ceilings that may bump him come 2023, but we aren't there yet, and they haven't. And if you've watched him enough, you've seen him make some great defensive plays, some nice throws, some important hits here and there, and speed that Rocco should take better advantage of. He's out of options. His trade value probably isn't much as he's not a full time starter. But I guarantee he would be snapped up in a heartbeat by another club who wants the overall value he brings. Garlick is an average OF defensively, being only a tiny bit kind there. But he MASHES LF pitching, which is a surprising weakness of the Twins considering there are still some solid RH bats on hand. He's even had a couple good hits against RH this year. I think he's important and solid until someone better comes along. How do you cut the talented, versatile and still improving Gordon at this time? (*Steer and others could replace him 2023). How do you cut a RH bat that mashes LH pitching which we remain susceptible to. And how do you demote a top prospect like Miranda who is starting to figure it out at the ML level? Injuries and covid/health issues often make hard, temporary decisions moot. But as much as I am a fan and believer in Kirilloff being healthy and bashing for years to come, it just might be fine if he continues to mash at St Paul for a couple of weeks to be even more confident and zoned in before some injury/opportunity presents itself. If you were FORCED to make a move tomorrow, I think you'd have to send Miranda down since he has options. Thankfully, we don't have to make any decision today.

The bad: 1] Despite not being as sharp as he had been previously, I thought Smeltzer should have started the 5th. 2] I had hoped Duffey had settled in after his early season meltdown. He was throwing 93-95 today, showing a definite uptick in velocity that was previously missing. But he needs middle or long relief at this point. The good: Basically everything else! The team was short handed to due injury, covid illness and covid policy and still took 2 of 3 from a contender on their home field. And everyone contributed in the wins, including then pen, with the Duffey exception Sunday. The Twins are deep and resilient and keep finding ways to win, despite some frustrating losses. Not sure what else Cotton has to do to stick. He's looked really good. Here's hoping Moran keeps it up and is here to stay. Palacios is a pleasure to watch in the field. He's figured out how to hit again since coming back to the Twins, at least at the milb level, and I think he's going to stick with someone, even if it's not the Twins. It's been fun watching this team win and grow and seeing all the kids getting a chance and mostly all succeeding. The future is looking very bright. But we have a quality, contending team right now.