DocBauer

Shout out to Kelly for such an intelligent response. (I chose not to copy it). My response would be to appreciate and generally agree with him that Sanchez has been the standard in recent years. BUT, that doesn't mean Garver isn't better NOW, at least for 2019.

Honestly, I think rotation and pen are no worse than a push either way, regardless of how you tilt the table in comparison. It does feel the Yankees have more of the "been there" and that can absolutely be a factor. While we can't be sure how Berrios is going to perform, we know what he can do, has done before, and he has absolutely looked much better as of late. I'm with Brock that my biggest concern is the offense limping in to this series. Even if close to 100%, how rusty are Kepler and Marwin? And is the ankle good enough for Arraez to be himself?

Great article, Seth. Thanks! Big fan of Garver and believer. Even when there were questions about his defense last season, I saw enough to like. Time and hard work have really paid off for him.

There is no such things as a curse. Sometimes a team is just better, or matches up better. Let's be honest, once in a while luck of a bounce makes a difference. Past history means nothing to this post season, as stated Personally, despite the Yanks winning the season, I thought both teams looked pretty evenly matched. But even still, both teams are different now than they were earlier in the season. Our bullpen alone, for example. Just be excited and see what happens!

This! Sano is OK at 3B with the potential to be better. As was mentioned, and as I have preached tirelessly before, think Gaetti and Koskie early in their careers. He will probably move, eventually, but there is no reason for said mkve any time soon if his dedication is real. I agree 4/50 might be a little low. I like the 4/60 for both sides. Really, everyone wins. If Sano wants to bank on higher potential earnings vs potential loss, then that is on him.

Stupid, unfortunate crap happens. As you say, and Carol stated, you have to put players on the field to play the game. Someone could have caught a spike somewhere and the same thing could have happened. It's just tragic and unfortunate, especially with all that has transpired the past 30-40 days. Let us all hope a few days of rest and therapy will make this a "no big deal" event. Attrition sucks, but is part of a season in any sport. Just stinks we've had a ton of it so late in the season. Still, you don't win over a 100 games by being a weak team without depth and resolve. And this is not the first time we've had to adapt to a wounded player this season. A healthy Marwin and Kepler will go a long way. And IF, Arraez is hurt worse than we hope, how great is it to have a guy like Schoop to step In? Never had that depth before.

I have watched Smeltzer pitch a few times thjs season and remain impressed. It's still early, but he attacks the zone, mixes pitches, speeds and location and just seems to knkw how to "pitch"! And that is something so often undersold in today's game or power. And when you see it in a young prospect, you wonder if he's just getting by, or if be bas that "it" factor and will get even better. Smeltzer hasn't just pitched against poor teams or in games with big leads either. I'm impressed and hopeful. Despite some runs and a not so great ERA, I've been very impressed by Thorpe as well. Truth is, be bas better pure stuff than Smeltzer. The way he's been used, there have been a few games where he looked dynamite, as a rookie, for an inning or two, then allowed a couple runs to inflate his ERA. I don't think he's quite there yet and hasn't yet reached the level of "pitchability" that Smeltzer has, but shows a higher ceiling, IMO. What chagrins me to no end is I read about Dobnak, including this OP, and I read nice comments like tbe one from jimbo here, and I see box scores, but I have only seen 1 or 2 IP TOTAL from Dobnak so far. I keep missing hjs appearances! I want to hear more reports about velocity and location and secondary stuff. I want to believe he just might be the Twins version of Kluber, as was opinionated/hoped. In every sport, there are those unjque and special stories about guys who come out of nowhere, overlooked, etc, who turn out to be good or even great. I just feel like I'm on the outside looking in until I get to actually see more myself. Someone, please, tell me what I'm reading about looks real. Tell me what you are all seeing from Dobnak. Because between him, Smeltzer, Thorpe and Graterol, I'm really wanting to believe in 2020 and depth as well as the 4th and 5th rotation spots moving forward.

Crazy how we had injuries during the season but nothing really bad and nothing we couldn't overcome with depth. And then suddenly suspension and bad injuries at the end! Who ticked off the baseball gods? Someone grab a bucket of KFC please!

I think I agree with dbminn on Celestino to give the team a true CF, bump Rooker to DH and bump Snyder to the bench. I also like Thrylos's choice for Raley as the CF, but I'd probably pick Celestino due to how much time Raley missed. Dobnak is the clear RHSP choice, but an awful lot of deserving choices behind him. These lists are a lot of fun, but one of the really neat things is how many top prospects aren't even included on this team. Makes you feel good as a fan.

Managed to sneak in a couple glimpses of the game here and there. What a fun day, with getaway lineup that was more like a never arrived one. And yet they played good ball and beat up Detroit. Liked the brief glimpse of Alcala. Wish that was more the norm for Romero. Need at least 1 on KC for magic 100!

I was a no until I saw increased velocity, weak contact (mostly) and a few K's his last time out. Like others, I am now on the fence. If the Twins are thinking a 4 man rotation, then I think he should be an opener and just go all out for 2-3 IP. Otherwise, I agree a middle guy who starts an inning clean.

WHAT A SEASON! I predicated 80+ wins with a shot at 92-93 if a few things broke right. I am happy as can be that I was both right and wrong! This has been one of the most fun and fantastic season's I have ever experienced as a lifelong fan of my beloved Twins! I want 100 wins! I want the Bomba record! Yes, OF COURSE I want the magic to continue and win at least one series if not "the whole damn thing". But in full honesty, right now, no matter what happens, I am pleased and happy and just GLOWING in the season OUR Twins have had. No matter what happens, never let us forget what a tremendous season and ride this team has taken us on!

Lots of great opinions, so I will throw mine in as well. I agree with the premise of a 12 man staff. And I also agree Littell is a GIVEN. *Note on Littell: I have already decided he is a mainstay for the pen, and a good one, for the next few seasons. He is no longer the inexperienced and nervous starter who just didn't look ready in 2018. But I forget about how young he is and guys who got their feet successfully wet in the pen before transitioning back to the rotation. Am I/we selling him short for 2020??? Regardless, he's a given for the playoffs. GIVENS: Berrios Odorizzi Rogers May Duffey Romo Littell Dobnak If you don't think what we have seen from him, especially after the Pineda suspension, and think Dobnak is not a lock, especially for a bullpen game or two, then one of us is either nuts or out of touch. ALMOST GIVENS: Stashak Perez Smeltzer Stashak lacks experience, as do a few others on this list. But nobody can discount how well this kid has done. In fact, the only reason he doesn't have more appearances and IP on the season is because he rode the Rochester shuttle to bring in a fresh arm when needed. At some point, the Twins will need a second LH arm out of the pen. But, they also may need length at some point as well. Smeltzer and Perez can both fall in to this category. Smeltzer has PERFORMED in whatever situation he has been brought in to. I think his future is pretty bright, but Perez has more experience. We can bang on Perez all we want after his hot start, but after a brutal stretch, he has been better to close out the year. By no means great, but better. And he remains good against LH batters. Is there room for both? I'm not so sure. ALSO: Gibson Graterol Thorpe Let me make this clear, I LOVE the potential of Thorpe! And I love the glimpses I have seen of him. I believe he could be an outstanding RP as early as 2020 but that would be very short sighted as I think he has SP stuff and potential. And right now, crunch time, he is behind Perez and Smeltzer. Despite allowing a run the other night, I was surprised what I saw from Gibson the other night out of the pen. He was throwing 94-96 and most of hits allowed were weak or against the shift. He brings experience in a variety or roles. But is he healthy and strong enough to do that NOW come playoff time? Graterol, IMO, has a great career ahead of him. I laugh at times when some talk about him moving to the pen. You just don't do something like that with an arm and potential he has. But we are talking about contributions NOW, this year. We have seen him not yet ready, and we have seen him look outstanding. Are the Twins ready to ride this SSS in to the post season and hope for lightening? Gibson vs Graterol is your 12th arm unless they decide to leave off one of Perez or Smeltzer.

1] Chalmers is exactly the kind of flier this FO should have picked up. Re-built arm, new lease on life, new organization, he could be gone after 2020. But he could also gain better control and finish next season rocking AA ball and be in the conversation for 2021. 2] With all of his athleticism and pure potential, I love Lewis moving around in the AFL. It has nothing to do with his potential as a SS. So young, and with all his gifts, he might be rough around the edges, but the ability to play SS is absolutely there. But Polanco continues to grow and develop at SS. And I don't care about metrics anybody wants to spout. The simple fact is he is still young, still growing in to the position, and still improving. If Lewis turns out better, FINE. But the Twins will find room for Lewis. He could turn out to be an outstanding 3B with Sano moving to 1B/DH/backup 3B. When I first mentioned Lewis moving to 3B last season as a possible outcome, some told me it would be a waste of talent. Huh? To me that's like saying Machado or A-Rod playing 3B is a "waste". Makes no sense to me. Tabling the idea of Lewis moving to CF to replace Buxton at some point...a maybe, but with other CF options in the system who are intriguing...Sano is fine at 3B, and probably going to continue to improve. Ditto for Polanco at SS. Then you have Arraez at 2B. Unless traded, how about Gordon at SS or 2B, or a fine utility option. Further down the list, Javier at SS/3B. Does Bechtold figure in here somewhere the next year or two? The point being, you put the best players on the field and where they can perform the best. Haven't we all seen how much positional flexibility matters to a team? Nothing wrong with having an uber-talented infield and moving guys around.

1] Rosario frustrates at times but damn is he fun, entertaining and GOOD! A "feeling good" and hot Rosario, Cruz, Sano, etc, and a nursed and ready Kepler is so important. 2] Dobnak is NOT Les Straker because Straker had a full, mediocre but solid season. Dobnak doesn't have that. And while maybe I'm just drinking the right flavor of Kool Aid...or something else...i actually think Dobnak is better. He is not just a fun story at this point. I think we could say the same things about Smeltzer, but this kid just knows how to pitch, seems to have pretty decent stuff, fine control, and just doesn't show fear. Now, is he ready for prime time playoff action??? IDK. TBD. But at this point, while I think I feel more confident in him next season, I wouldn't bet against him at least being solid in the playoffs, even if he's part of a bullpen game. BUT, his story is just crazy fun and good, right? 3] Cleveland down by 2 as I write this. We could clinch tonight. What I want is everyone to play, stay sharp, audition where needed, rest where needed etc, but selfishly, I want 2 more wins in the final 4 games for 100! 4] Selfish yet again, long ball anomaly season or not, I want the Bomba record!

Just going to echo a lot of what has already been said. HEALTHY for the next 5 years or so, I would pick Buxton over Sano in a close call due to speed and defense. And that's with Buxton maintaining what he was showing this season and not improving offensively, which is something a fully expect a healthy Buxton ro do; improve offensively. I think Sano is just starting to hit his stride. I don't know that the Cruz comparisons are out of line at all, though he may not match the pure OB part of such a comparison. Again, this is a very, very close call to me. It would be easy to pick Sano as to which of them WILL be more valuable due to health concerns and just being on the field. But both of them have had injuries over the past couple of years. I just want both of them healthy for 140 games per beginning in 2020 and not argue about which great player is better than the other.

Hate to pile on the kid, but very disappointed in Romero. His stuff is HARD and NASTY, both FB and slider. His stuff has real life and good movement. But it has to be thrown for strikes more often to actually do anything. Watching him it looks like he's trying to spot the ball instead of keeping it in the zone and letting the natural movement take over. A lot of better and more experienced eyes here than mine. It just looks like "don't think, just throw the ball" might go a long way here.

And a belated Happy Birthday to you sir.

Despite his immense talent and potential, I never really saw him helping in the post season. He's adjusting to ML hitters and the ML ball in a very short period of time. Looking not so great last night is part of his very SSS. That being said, Gibson's illness now has me thinking he may make the post season roster as a wild card option, hoping he can get hot. He absolutely needs to be a SP come 2020. Working on "pitching" in general and a 3rd offering...whatever that pitch may be...is important. Between 6 man rotation options, skipped starts, and even some bullpen time, I see no reason he can't jump to 120IP or so in 2020. I hadn't honest thought about his being in the Twins pen and transitioning like Santana did. Didn't Liriano do the same??? I guess that is for ST to determine, ML level or Rochester to begin the season. As far as injury, IMO only, it's about being a large, strong young man growing in to his body. He was simply not this tall or filled out when the Twins signed him. Not even close.

Was thinking the same thing last night. Never saw so many contributions from young pitchers happening this year, and certainly not those guys. And let's not forget some nice work by Thorpe and even Poppen before he got hurt.

Not going to talk about Gibson as there is a whole new thread about that, along with one I posted, and a 3rd about being done with him. Enough! Bombas are great! But Thorpe's 4 IP were solid. Not great, but solid. His ERA doesn't show it, but if you have actually watched him pitch, this kid has stuff and potential. He could help in the post season, potentially, and I'd bet he could be a great RP for 2020. But it would be so much smarter to have him as a rotation candidate for next year.

Nick, I absolutely love this piece! I have argued for some time about Gibson, and his career, and have often felt be has been a victim of expectation. Understand, this is NOT me tooting my own TD horn, but I wrote a piece in the Forum days ago that seemed to fall on deaf ears. Were I a bit more computer say, I might include the link here. I also wonder if my post might have lead to your post. No ego, just wondering. Gibson is not only a good guy, and a good Twin, but he is simply not the poor pitcher some have made him out to be. A few moments of search will show that. Early 30's, coming off the best 1 1/2yrs of his career, he was poised to help lead the rotation for this team. But illness, double illness, possibly related, he gutted out a ML average performance before running out of gas. Whatever happens for Gibson tomorrow, I pray and hope for 2 things: 1] Control of his ailment, whether it means diet and medication allows him to continue his career with the Twins or somewhere else, or retire and move forward with his life. 2] People will actually look at his career numbers honestly and objectively and realize that he really was, over all, a pretty good MLB SP, and not a disappointment for speculation.

#2 on my list. He has a long way to go, but looks like the pure stuff is there to be a major steal. Better control, fresh and healthy 2020, he finishes at AA???

Dyson will be back and I'd be willing to bet healthy and looking like his old self. Old self meaning the first half of this season as well. I think there is a very good chance Romo is back on a 1yr deal. And I'd have no problem with that. He is experienced, effective and performing well. He also seems to be a clubhouse guy. (Added bonus). Rogers Dyson Duffey May Romo Littell Stashak/Poppen/Alcala That leaves room for a LH as the 8th man. Smeltzer and especially Thorpe could maybe fill that role. (Thorpe has the better SO stuff). But both should remain in the rotation for 2020. Graterol should and will also be a SP in 2020. Need to find a quality LH from somewhere and I'd be very happy with what is on hand now for next season.

Think I have my eye on Raley more than anyone else. He had a nice 2018 and was off to a great start this season in Rochester before his injury. Had he not gotten hurt, I think he may have been up with the Twins the year over Cave.