DocBauer

We are in a very uncertain period in regard to 2021 and beyond. But for a moment let's pretend tbere will be a 2022 and beyond that is settled, somehow, through negotiations. I think, personally, that Astudillo is a solid catcher, and valuable multi positional player who can do some solid things. I think, healthy he is a solid hitter with pop. If you break down 2019, he hit when healthy. I really like him as the last guy on the player roster. But Garver and Jeffers offer so much as a 1-2 that could be the envy of the league. And both are controlled for the next few years. Uncommon depth, especially how Rocco uses and rests his catchers. I believe that Rortvedt has a real future. But like so many, he's losingng a full year. But if the 40 man allow a it, or Avilla doesn't have better offers, I'd be in favor of his return in some capacity for depth and options. Of course, if Jeffers continues to show and shine, this could be a moot arguement.

Sorry Mike, I have to disagree with you here. Poor performances and ravenous injuries have been abundant this year. And the Twins have had more than their share as well. But they have won 20 games because of their depth. Bailey is out after one solid start. Hill looked good again tonight. Odorizzi had a freak injury his last time out. Berrios may be settling in. Maeda has been great and Dobnak continues to be very solid. The pen has been outstanding, even with some injuries. The bullpen games are not something I want or enjoy. But they have largely turned out in the Twins favor thus far. Pineda is back next week, and hopefully Oddo is back relatively soon. The depth the FO has put in place has allowed the team to perform as well as they have. I've been 50/50 on someone like Duran getting a shot instead of a bullpen game. Part of that is just excitement to see him. But he and others are really just playing for development and emergency. Thus far, there hasn't been a "break glass" moment. Hopefully there won't be. I think the depth they built up has proven itself. Now, I have no clue how the trade market will look in the coming week. But were I to speculate...unless there is more to worry about with Oddo than we've been told...I would think a CF option like Pillar on the cheap and a bullpen option like last year's Romo deal would make the most sense. IMO.

I was not able to watch any of the game as I was tied up in an emergency, 3 night project. (So yeah I missed last night's game and probably tomorrow's as well). So all I have is a box score and a pair of write-ups. I think we absolutely have one of the best and deepest teams in all of MLB, weird season or not. But on the road, no rest days, a deep pen taxed due to injury and usage, against a good team and the best pitcher in baseball, I wasn't expecting a win here. Sorry, I'm a great optimist, but it felt like the odds were against us. VERY encouraged we hung in and had the lead for several innings. VERY encouraged by Hill's performance. That, in itself, is a bright spot we shouldn't dismiss. NOT going to get down on Alcala even a bit. He has looked fantastic and full of potential. He was put in a tough situation as a rookie and just couldn't make it happen tonight. My one hope is he will be able to shake it off for what it was...ONE GAME...and let it rip next time out.

The Royals always play us tough. I don't always know wny, but they just do. I'll be glad when we are done with them. Despite being one of the best teams with runners in scoring position, it still feels like we are not taking full advantage of opportunities presented. Of course like everyone else it seems, there are guys slumping or out with injury. I keep wondering how good we could be with a healthy team, but again, I think most teams would say the same. Nice to see Sano heating up. Easy to say we need him...but...we need him. I simply can't say enough about the pen, it's depth, and what it has done. And the expanded roster and our tremendous pen has allowed for our record and these bullpen games. But at some point, we have to find another SP to mix in with Dobnak, Maeda and the seemingly re-vitaljzed Berrios. We need Hill to be healthy, even at 5IP per start. We need Oddo to rebound after this last set back. We need Pineda back in a couple weeks, rumor has it he is healthy and being stretched out. Still a half season to go, but still can't argue with the results at this point.

They did, however turn to Jeffers when they lost Garver for a time vs Astudillo (even if he's still ramping up) or Telis. They not only like Jeffers, but have acknowledged he's probably the primary catcher at this moment. Difference from filling in to daily play. If Kepler or Rosario were out for a time, or the season, you could see one of Rooker, Kirilloff or Larnach up. Cave and Wade have experience, are solid reserve options, and already on the 40 man. It would be a shame to start service time, burn an option and lose someone off the 40 man to add one of those guys for a temporary fill in. (And baseball gods help us if the season suddenly got cancelled). But another injury or two changes the whole complexion.

Guessing Thorpe is an injury replacement. Same with Poppen. (Or was he placed on the IL?) I repeat mys3lf from a previous OP that Duran was to be used in case of emergency. Are we getting to that point? Oddo out again, Bailey not ready, Pineda still suspended...maybe instead of a traditional bullpen start we give the kid a shot. Are on giving Wade a shot. Maybe he provides a spark and gives someone else a day off. But Cave is ahead of him for a reason despite slumping lately.

Player of the game, to me, is Jeffers, despite what Berrios did. 2 for 3 with a run and a RBI in his MLB debut, and good behind the plate, despite never playing a game above AA. He looked comfortable and natural to me in everything he did. My only, small complaint, was while trying to frame pitches he "snatched" at a few balls and tried to drag them in to the zone. He needs to be a little more subtle in his movements as he may irk a few veteran umps. I was a bit surprised he was called up over Astudillo or Telis, even though Astudillo has had little time to ramp up. But it shows the belief/faith the Twins have in Jeffers. Goes along with the comments made by Falvey with the promotion. Makes me feel all the better about what is taking place at the alternate site and what the coaches are doing over there. Side note: What's going on with the idea of each team adding an additional 15 players to the reserve list? Unless I missed something, this should already be done and should have been done from the beginning.

I've never pretended to be any sort of scout or expert. But I've watched enough baseball to think I know a few things here and there. And I really hope I don't have to say these things again I about to say, but I probably will because there will be yet another Berrios article later this year, or at the start of next season. Buuut...here we go. Berrios has shown each of the last 2 seasons what he can do. Berrios faded down the stretch in 2018. NO expert, but I speculated his heavy training routine needed to be commended, but re-structured to provide endurance for a full season. He again stuttered in 2019 late before adjusting his routine, and the result was a good finish after a short bad spell. He and the Twins spoke about adjusting his in season routine going forward, along with continued experience and maturation, to maintain himself for an entire season. Flash forward to 2020 when expectation was he didn't have to worry about a full season, just let it rip for a 60 game season. Except, he's obviously been working on a few mechanical issues. But with a short ST and a short ST.2 he's been working on these adjustments on the fly. And it doesn't take a genius to look around baseball this season and see a lot of guys, batters and pitchers, have had a hard time getting in to groove/rhythm. We can debate over and over again for the next few months as to whether or not Berrios will ever develop in to a true ACE. But he is young, talented, still projectable, and every team in baseball would love to have him. I'd rather have him struggle early and get himself straight rather than the opposite.

I get disappointment and frustration at this point due to injuries, slow adaptability, etc. But we see and know the talent. Buxton was outstanding last season, as was Sano, before injury and after adjustments. I think Rocco and his staff some real hand in that. 2020 is a mess for so many in so many ways. Ask this question again this time next year when things normalize.

Can't like this post enough! Reality is a 1yr deal for a fair amount. Fair 2nd yr or option is not out of the question. But he needs to be back for 2021 for so many reasons.

We still have over half a short season to play. And with expanded playoffs...ugh...how many teams are truly out of it? I'm not sure about ransom payouts for Bundy or anyone else considering financial implications going forward the next year or 2-3, plus CBA situations that could threaten 2022. But it plays a part. And the "what if" scenario remains. I just don't see any/many scenarios where guys of quality are made available.

bighat beat me to it! Agreed it should be "right now". On that premise, today, it would be Maeda. Honestly, he's looked as good or better than I hoped. And that's saying something because he pitched well for LA and was coming off his best season against LH hitters. And like everyone else, he not only went through an abbreviated ramp up, but switched teams as well. Dobnak is still a rookie. Can we all remember that for a second? He is most probably never going to uncover some hidden velocity or magic SO pitch to become/stay dominant. But he has the build to be a mainstay for GS and IP. He has low in the zone stuff to maintain ground balls, pop ups and weak to semi-weak contact. Still being a ROOKIE he needs to refine his stuff and approach to end certain AB that drag on at times. But early indications, IMO, are that he can be a mainstay, and a successful one at that, if he continues learn, grow and adapt. Again...ROOKIE. I am so frustrated by Berrios right now I could cuss. I love the kid and believe in him. I'm just frustrated. We all are. But to dismiss him in any way is short sighted if not ridiculous. His stuff and results are good to very good each of the last 2 seasons when he earned an All Star invite. His problem has been maintaining that for a full season and not 3/4 of a season. We all know this. And for the umpteenth time, he made some adjustments last season that allowed him to rebound after a rough stretch. AGAIN, he was making additional changes in his routine for 2020 to continue a season long endurance. Based on stuff and previous first half to 3/4 season results he SHOULD be dominating right now. Hence frustration. But it's also been pointed out in various smart articles here on TD that he's working on a few tweaks to his game. Can we just accept that not everyone ramped up with a short Summer Training ready to dominate? We are not yet at the half way point. I will take Berrios any day of the week as a safe bet to figure a few things out over his next couple of starts and be the guy we want and expect to close out the year. Does anyone really doubt Oddo will also continue to get better now that he's feeling good and actually pitching? He missed a lot of time folks. IMO, there is no doom and gloom here. Is there a little frustration because we want everyone healthy and ready to go and dominate from day 1? You bet. But that is the same for every team in MLB right now. Right now, today, we have one of the best teams in the league and NOBODY out for the season. But like everyone, we have guys not in sync yet and underperforming. We only need Hill for half a season. Reports are he's looking and feeling good and ready to go. Guys will get better over the next couple of weeks. Pineda will be back at some point. Let's re-examine come September 1st who is #1 and how the staff looks then.

Appreciate the numbers, graphs opinion and speculation. And I won't argue against any of it. I don't think anyone will argue that Dobnak is any kind of Cy Young candidate in any way shape or form. That would be ludicrous. Between 2019 and this season he has yet to even hit 50IP as I write this. So ANY speculation on his future is a bit ridiculous at this point. He's off to a great start and you can only do what you can do every time you go out there, no matter what team/lineup you face. Again, good so far, and he offers up optimism. And he could SO a few more. At worst, he could just put away a few more guys earlier rather than extending himself in certain AB. And I highly doubt he will be a front of the rotation SP in any way. But, even in SSS, there is enough evidence to at least suggest he can continue to develop in to a bulldog pitcher who can successfully fill the role of a quality 4th, or at worst 5th ML SP. I don't think anyone expects him to continue the numbers he's shown thus far. But when things settle down, and he proves to be an innings eater with a high 3.0 ERA who does a solid job daily, I'll take that.

There has been talk about Duran possibly Chalmers getting a shot vs having another bullpen game. Duran, for rather obvious reasons, would seem the more ready and obvious choice were that to happen. But both are also on the 40 man. My amateur scout/nonsense opinion is that both Kiriloff and Larnach have future quality big leaguer written all over them. They have impressed in the minors and they impressed in both versions of ST this year. But to expect them to come up now and provide any kind of difference in 2020 over anyone, including sometimes but solid punching bag Cave is short-sighted. IIRC, neither has to be added to the 40 man this off-season. Rooker is older and mkre experienced. Rooker has successful AAA experience. While Rooker is behind both Kirilloff and Larnach as prospects, and may never be a star, I think some people are sleeping on him. While he has struggled a bit to begin seasons, or his first weeks at a new level he has shown the ability to adjust and produce everywhere he has been. His Rochester season in 2019 was very encouraging. He is, absolutely, a 3 option outcome player: hit, walk or SO. That's in keeping with not only a lot of baseball today, but also in keeping with a lot of the current Twins roster. He has experience in the OF and at 1B. And be does have to be added to the 40 man after this season. But unless there is an injury or illness concern, once again, how does he come up this year and make any difference with only simulated games and coaching at the St. Paul facility? Now, maybe things are more intense than we know and there is real development taking place over there. (I hope so!) But the Twins roster, as is, with all it's depth, is what it is. As far as Vargas goes, don't know a thing about him other than what I've read the last couple of days and a cursory examination of his milb/ML numbers. But with Gordon having such a late start to the season I see him as cheap insurance vs Maggi, Reinheimer and Tovar.

Really bummed out about Maeda's performance. Guy allowed 2 runs. He looked so perfect the first few starts. [sarcasm!] Maeda may not be a stud, a #1, etc, but the guy is GOOD. Actually seems like Johnson and the Twins staff may have taken his performance up another level with some tweaks. I didn't get to watch every pitch, but the Thorpe I saw last night was more in keeping with what I have seen before and expected. Is he sent over now? Or does Thielbar go first? So nice to see multiple innings of run production and not necessarily with bombas. The whole game felt like I was watching the team I expected to see.

Really bummed out about Maeda's performance. Guy allowed 2 runs. He looked so perfect the first few starts. [sarcasm!] Maeda may not be a stud, a #1, etc, but the guy is GOOD. Actually seems like Johnson and the Twins staff may have taken his performance up another level with some tweaks. I didn't get to watch every pitch, but the Thorpe I saw last night was more in keeping with what I have seen before and expected. Is he sent over now? Or does Thielbar go first? So nice to see multiple innings of run production and not necessarily with bombas. The whole game felt like I was watching the team I expected to see.

All I know for sure is he's looked better the past few games. I think Seth summed it best of all, there is a thin line between patience and aggressiveness. Garver has been caught a little between those 2 points right now. Timing is off. Good hitters make adjustments. He has always been a good hitter.

I agree with Rocco's usage, even though it's backfired once it twice from being a close game to not so close a game. And Ash is correct that if the offense starts to perform to more expected standards, that may shift some of Rocco's thinking and usage. But 2 quick points/comments: 1] The Twins 6-9th best arms are better than most any team can throw out to the mound. 2] Used to drive me crazy Molitor would burn through our best arms to "keep it close" and then have nothing left for winable games.

I hope that isn't the case for his sake. But the Twins had an opportunity for a depth move and I honestly don't recall if Gordon has even been cleared to head to St. Paul yet. Even then, it will take him time to ramp up and even be an option.

Agreed not worth lamenting Hendricks as it was so long ago and a different staff. I think they did make a mistake in not taking a look at Anderson over others. Hate to say it, but even smart coaches and FO get it wrong sometimes. But then you pick up a Wisler and suddenly have what looks like a power arm middle reliever for nothing.

I don't even pretend to be an expert, but I think the analysis provided by Parker and Matt are BOTH correct. Better mechanics can lead to increased velocity, which is a good thing. Better mechanics can also lead to better control of your stuff. And I suspect Berrios is struggling with some of those mechanics and trying to find consistency. I think the Gibson reference is a good one considering Berrios is trying to tweak some things on the fly. But, while not true for every pitcher, it's also true that taking something off of pitches can also lead to more movement and even better control at times. Perhaps adjusting the velocity of his 2 and 4 seam pitches could make a difference?

I would slide Donaldson back only because the lineup, despite struggles currently, is good enough. Marwin and Adrianza help cover the position. Blankenhorn COULD help, and now we have another utility option with the Vargas move for depth. Pick a pitcher for #1. Oddo back and at least throwing would probably slide him down a spot. Hill back and ready for half of a half season and the playoffs is probably my #1.

I believe he's in St. Paul to continue developing and to build towards 2021. He is a "break in case of emergency" option at this point. But agree something just isn't right with Thorpe right now...very disappointing...and Smeltzer's future is best as a swing/long guy. If the Twins were to give him a shot, I'd like to see it while the pen has 16 guys. But despite some disappointments and frustration, Berrios, Maeda, Dobnak and Odorizzi is not a bad 4-sum to have right now. Does anyone really believe Berrios won't settle in? Or that Odorizzi won't do the same with some innings? And at some point, hopefully soon, Hill and/or Bailey will return and Pineda is in the back pocket in a few more weeks. We need a 5th starter and I don't really want to see a bunch more bullpen games. Only the Twins know how close to ready Hill and Bailey may be, or how good Duran is doing. But again, if they're going to do it, do it while you have the extra pen depth.

Interesting question! Considering the Twins supposedly "liked him for a while" and costs only $ and not even a single prospect, I suspect they make the move anyway. No offense to anyone, but I think it's safe to say he is a notch above a couple of the AAAA guys they have for depth over in St Paul.

Sorry, should have been more clear. Just meant more infield depth so Marwin can stick at 3B if Donaldson remains out. And so far, no Gordon yet either, yes? Wouldn't mind seeing what Blankenhorn can do.