DocBauer

Like the idea of Rooker getting at least a taste of AAA before the year is out. It would help prepare him for next season. Still perplexed why Lewis isn't at Ft Myers yet. Like Rooker, only his first full season. Everything offensively seems more than ready for said promotion. I can only guess they are continuing to have him polish his defense at the lower level still. Arraez is starting me re-thinking the future of the Twins infield!

I get the result of this game stunk. And yes, Rodney did blow the save. But he HAS been largely good for some time now. Littell may have a quality future in MLB. I hope he does. And I'm not excusing a closer who has done a really good job until tonight, but Littell pitched scared tonight. Really, there was nobly else to throw tonight? Couldn't keep Busentiz over Belisle? Couldn't promote a single RP from Rochester who could bring it and throw a strike? Not piling on. Just frustrated as can be!

On seeing the thread headline, reading nothing, my answer was absolutely not. I then read the thread. And it was well thought and logical in all respects. And my answer was still, absolutely not. Look gang, I was a Gibson believer and apologist before wanting to give up on him the first half of 2017. His 2016 season stunk! As did just about every member of the team. And his 2017 season was just as bad the first half, before things began to click for him. And we are SO BEYOND SSS from mid season 2017 to kid season now. I am so tired of repeating myself, but go back and look for yourself at his 2014 and 2015 seasons. In 2014, he would have been a rookie except for 1 1/3 IP, getting his feet wet in 2013 following his return from surgery. Almost every single stat line in 2015 was better than 2015. Look for yourself! His poor 2016 season and bad start to '17 has made him a whipping boy. Now look at what he's done since mid season last year to now and tell me he isn't an entirely different pitcher? We bitch and complain we can't produce quality SP, and now we have a viable #3 SP who sometimes pitches like a legitimate #2 And there is talk of trading him for prospects? What's next, trade Berrios while he's hot for even more prospects? Yes, I'm exaggerating. But I do so to make a point. The new and improved Gibson is beyond SSS. TJ robbed him of a season. He had 2 nice years in the rotation followed by a crappy season and a half. He's finally the SP we kinda hoped he be. And he's still young enough to give us another 2-4 season's of quality performance that won't break the bank. Goodness, he could double his salary and still not cost what Lynn is getting paid this year. Make no mistake from his recent "demotion", Romero will be back again. And he will be a fixture in 2019, health and baseball gods willing. Barring a surprise, the 2019 rotation will be Berrios, Romero, Gibson, Odorizzi, (still solid), and Pineda, (who could also be lights out in the pen), or Mejia, Gonsalves, Slegers, Thorpe, Littell, a re-worked deal for Santana, or a FA to be determined.

Disappointed in Watson at this point, though I totally get his frame, potential and being LH. Clearly, his spot on this list is potential. Very disappointed in Bechtold this season. He had a nice debut last season, and we've heard about a solid bat, good instincts, good defense, and some power potential. It's still very early in his career, so I'm not down on the kid, just really disappointed in his season thus far. His OB is just over a 100 points higher than his BA. That tells me a second half surge may be coming. Moya is intriguing, though a bit of an enigma. LHRP don't have to throw high heat to be effective, especially with a decent breaking ball, or change. Combine that with his funky delivery, and he could confuse the hell out of anybody trying to read his pitches. He could be anything from a LOOGY, to a guy who could give you a full inning or two. Can he translate his milb success? Balazovic, WOW, 19yo and from the prospect hot bed of Canada! (Yes, I jest). But seriously, from Canada, only 19 pitching in Cedar Rapids, low A ball or not, below average age where top American drafted players are slotted, and even fresh college draftees make their entrance, and he's put up those numbers? With so few UP, perhaps he tires before the season is done. But this seems to be a kid who could vault in to the top 20 by the end of the year.

Whitefield is one of my favorite prospects. How could he not be? His story is just so good! THIS is a guy you have to be be patient for. But if he can be healthy and learn to hit breaking stuff, he seems to have the kind of talent and potential that would have made him a pretty high draft pick. De La Torre is just so young, but all reports seem to indicate he's a young man to keep an eye on. From potential and skill set, it be really interested to know how he compares to Javier. I both understand and am confused by Slegers being so low. Despite his big frame, he just doesn't bring real heat. I get it. But he's performed at every level, and has shown flashes in his brief ML appearances. The Twins are, thankfully, a bit flush with rotation starters, rotation prospects very close, and a couple really good ones a year or two away but filled with real upside. Still, it seems to me Slegers is about perfect as an ideal long man who can swing in to the rotation when you need him to. A RH version of Duensingm if you will. Wonder when, or if, he actually gets a real shot to stick. Wells injury really stinks. Let's hope he makes a full recovery for 2019.

Side note: Jax didn't start the game, of course, but he essentially produced the equivalent of another quality start. He's a little bit older due to his military commitment taking away development time. But I think he's a guy to keep an eye on and could vault up the prospect charts by the end of the year.

Although he may be working on his defense before promotion, I think what's keeping him down is the simple fact he missed all but 3 games in 2017. He was at Cedar Rapids in 2016, so really, he's already been promoted 1 level. Every time I look at the future Twins infield, I keep seeing Polanco, Lewis, Gordon, Javier, (damn the baseball gods for his injury this season), with guys like Blakenhorn, Bechtold, Miranda and maybe Cabbage just a notch behind but talented. But I am starting to really think about a hit and OB machine like Arraez as part of the equation.

First, this is an intelligent and well thought out thread with no real bias. Thank you Jamie. Second, I have to refer to some things I said in Nicks article. Molitor is NOT responsible for Santana, Polanco, Mauer's injury, Dozier to have his worst season and "cold streak", nor Morrison having probably the worst season of his career, nor the injury to Castro. Norris he directly responsible, IMO, for Sano's injury and rehab and off-season distractions, nor Buxton's injuries. Kepler's sudden regression is debatable. IF we want to hold him accountable for at least some of these, then let's give him, and his staff, credit for Berrios, Escobar and Rosario. Also, I find it ridiculous to say he lead a team to contention up until the end of the 2015 season, lead them to a disastrous 2016 season, and only improved a few games in 2017. A hot couple of months notwithstanding,they are different season's, a year apart, and have to be considered individually. The Twins were hot as hell to finish 2017. OK. So Cleveland's magic run in 2017 DOES count however? Third, there are so many things I like, and have issues with, in responses, that I couldn't possibly address all of them independently. So here goes: A] I completely agree that star players seldom make the best managers and head coaches because everything to them was so natural and obvious that they simply don't know how to translate and identify with their team. History has shown us that in most any sport. That doesn't mean Molitor can't, and he's been learning on the job...still a mistake IMO...and has had his team in contention 2 of his 3 full season's. B] I do find the comparison between 2 teams and 2 managers interesting but a bit misguided. Each team may be decimated, but one team may have certain players who perform above average, or have a hot prospect or two who steps in to counter the loss. C] I still believe a manger has a big impact on his team. Baseball in the only sport that has a "manager". He's still a "head coach". The best head coaches oversee EVERYTHING and delegate to his assistants, and sticks his nose in where it belongs, and where he can help best. And they lead their team, whether it be a 12 game season or 162. The Twins don't look like they want to compete? Boy, they sure competed and never gave up in 2017! No matter how you want to view Molitor, the jury is still out. We've seen a lot of good in '15 and '17. We've also seen a good deal of bad, including stubbornness, at times, with his lineup and bullpen usage. I simply can't blame him for everything that has gone wrong this season. Now, stubbornness and basic gaffes have me frustrated and wondering what he is doing and what his input really is. It is one thing to deal with injuries, suspensions etc. Again, every team and every situation is different. But how does the team perform the second half of the season? How does the lineup look and perform? How is the pen used? To me, the second half of this season will define the job Molitor does. And whether he is the guy going forward.

Really like this post a lot! Going back for a moment to a comment you made Mike, I don't feel in any way Lynn or Odorizzi were late, bottom of the barrel moves. The market was strange last season, and slow, to say the least. While not top talents, each of these guys had shown real MLB ability and success. After losing out on Darvish, thankfully it appears, they made a pair of solid moves here. This was not dumpster diving. The Reed signing was also late, but universally hailed as a good move and potential steal. We can argue all day about the Rodney Experience and his notorious slow starts, but if the age number is removed from the equation, he has not only had a nice career, but some of his best years have been lately. I might debate with you, but not dismiss your opinion, that Sano and Buxton struggles, and Kepler's recent regression, are the fault of the coaching staff, but I don't see where that is the fault of the FO. There have been moves, and non moves, the FO has made, and not made, that have me frustrated and confused. But injuries, suspensions, and overall poor offensive performances are not their fault or responsibility. Now, the catching situation is a huge issue, and I won't discount that for a moment. Though, to be fair, a healthy Castro and a young Garver as his backup learning on the job is very different than what we are facing now. Though again, in the interest of being fair, offensively speaking, this is not what is dooming production on this season. And I absolutely agree that moves like Belisle, and Motter to a lesser degree, are frustrating as hell vs promotion. Fine, pick up Motter for depth and a flier. But as someone to count on? Come on! Reading Seth's interview on Gordon, I am reminded again how much he has flashed, and developed but how young he is. Would it really been in his, or the team's, best interest to promote him weeks ago? Going forward even with mistakes made, I agree in taking the time to look at more young players. FWIW, we've seen several recent level promotions and I think more are coming. But Belisle like moves have to stop, and stop now. And unless they are convinced Castro will be 100%, and still like Garver, they need to make a move here. (Side note, I like Garver's arm and game calling. I can live with some still developing deficiencies if he could/would just hit to his seeming potential). Even a career norm for Morrison, he'd be a solid addition. Same with all the staff additions. Ironic that we have the best overall staff we've had in years even with holes, but the offense has just been inept. Other than better AAA depth, something I've talked about since the season began, the FO has mostly done their job. I think where you and I would agree though, is what do they do going forward. Address catcher. Get rid of Belisle. Run the Rochester shuttle back and forth, as they did last season, and audition the prospects for the second half. At some point, the fault of the season comes down to Molitor and his staff, injuries, and the players themselves.

Thanks Seth. These articles are a lot of fun. They put a real life story and personality with the player. And was much as some of us following the minors, there are so many names you can get lost at times. This really helps organize who is who.

IMO, he should be groomed as a RP. Realistically, where else is his value?

To my immediate knowledge, there is no study that would indicate any correlation. However, right or wrong, it has long ben believed that consistently throwing that many pitches on a very young arm can be detrimental. Note, I said consistently, and not one game. And it makes sense when you think about someone still maturing physically and not used to that kind of workload. If you listen to Blyleven and Morris and other veteran pitchers, they make strong arguments on 2 points: 1] Pitchers never develop the ability to throw more than 100 pitches because they aren't allowed to. And... 2] they often talk about long toss programs that used to be employed to develop arm strength and endurance. I'm no expert, but I never hear anyone talk about long toss used any longer to develop arms.

Didn't watch or listen to the game, but it obviously stunk. Why is it when the offense breaks out the pitching breaks down? I wouldn't dare blast Berrios for having an off day. But what about Joe? WOW! Did he just break out? Man I hope so! An actual presence at the top of the order really helps. I loved just about everything the FO did in 2017, (including some roster juggling), the draft, this past off season, and have some optimism for the draft this season, but they have made some moves this season that just leave me dumfouned! And I'm not talking Romero. They were surprisingly quick to promote him, give him a real opportunity, and his demotion is logical from the standpoint of the roster management game. But Belisle??? Not Slegers, Duffey, Reed, Curtiss, or any number of arms needing an opportunity. And now they DFA Jorge after he is finally back and beginning his rehab? The guy has decent potential as a back end starter or possible swing man. I need to find a wall to bang my head against.

While I have been in a dry spell for a time now, I write. I fell in love with poetry years ago and abandoned fiction it. I used to write a couple pieces weekly, and perform at open Mic. Never once had an employer come up to me and tell me my free time should be spent on work instead of my writing as it showed I wasn't serious about my job.

Well, I sure don't think they are buyers at this point. Not unless you are hedging bets against Garver and a full return of Castro next season and acquire a catcher. Said move wouldn't recesitate the team this year, but could be part of 2019 and beyond. If we just control angst for a moment born of frustration and disappointment, 2017 was not an aberration. Nor was this current team assembled poorly. Not everyone has a great year every season. Not every young player is a Trout, Harper, etc, who seems to blossom right out of the gate. With everything from talent, milb production, prospect lists, national write ups and rankings to what we have seen with out or own eyes as well as past performance, NOBODY would state that a team built on Rosario, Buxton, Kepler, Sano, Escobar, Dozier, Castro, Morrison and a re-surgant Mauer with an improved pitching staff would play and produce this poorly. NOBODY! But from ridiculous weather, games wiped out, injuries, suspension, weight gain, rehab, sudden regression, etc, this season has turned in to an almost laughable "what happens next" scenario. I absolutely agree, after the next 20-30 days, the Twins should be sellers if things don't start to fall in place better and we don't see some sort of surge. And I'm not just talking overtaking Cleveland. I'm talking about good ball, winning ball, and finishing strong. And I agree that anyone not signed beyond this season is fair game for trade, with the exception of Escobar. But to suggest the team should be blown up is kind of ridiculous to me. Not going to get overly long, or get in to a debate for each and every player, but there could be real arguments...if this team plays better going forward...to keep guys like Rodney and Duke. That doesn't mean you can't make or field calls to see what they would bring, however. Mauer isn't going anywhere, except to retirement if his latest episode can't be overcome. Reed has been an outstanding performer, but has been down lately. Bad season or over used? He has value in trade or to keep. What they need to do is move on from those they truly don't expect to be part of next season and get what they can. This includes Morrison, most likely, and Dozier, though I hate to see him go, Grossman, Santana and Lynn. Stay away from dumpster diving to finish the season and just cut bait on Belisle. The team doesn't have to be blown up. But win or lose, there are opportunities to do some selling and build toward 2019 by loading up the Rochester shuttle and take a real look at some guys.

First, angst can be dangerous. Opinions are great, but calm down folks. Second, and to the point, the problem with Sano, and Buxton since he's been brought in to this discussion, is clearly between the ears, IMO. And that is no insult, or a shot at either guy. BOTH are EXTREMELY talented with God-given ability and potential that most people, even high end baseball athletes, can only envy. Both flew through the system, as you would expect and hope for two such talented players. Buxton missed some time due to injuries, but performed so well, he was quickly promoted. Everything has come so easy for both of them, I have to wonder at times, if they truly honed all the knowledge they could before they hit the Show. This is all still my opinion, but I think it's an intelligent one watching both of them. Buxton cares so much, wants to do well so badly, that I think he's unsure of himself and pressing. At some point last season, he relaxed and his given ability took over. He got off to a rough start, which he has before and is not unprecedented in other players, then had the migraines then the toe injury, then trying to play through it, no wonder he's a bit of a mess right now. I have made excuses for Sano previously, and will again. He is a large, muscle bound young man who wears his weight well. He doesn't field his position poorly, charges balls very well, and bas a cannon for an arm that is almost always accurate. I won't pretend to be an expert physical therapist, or a shrink, but his surgery and recovery and controversy in the off season has to have weighed on him. That being said, what happens NOW? It's up to him. Eventually, for healthy and mobility, he absolutely needs to get in better shape. Even a large, muscular DH/1B has to have some flexibility and endurance to swing the bat and endure a full 162 game season much less play 3B. He also needs to recognise ML pitchers are there for a reason. They make adjustments. Will He? And will he accept this demotion as the opportunity that it is? Not sure how Kepler got brought in to this whole discussion, but I will address a few things regarding him as well. Who believes his signing as a teenager playing ball in Germany was in any way the equivalent of being a top HS prospect selected in the draft? Who remembers he barely played at AAA before making his ML debut? Who has watched him in the field, or at the plate, and seen the natural athleticism and quick hands with a smooth stroke? I LOVE Rosario and was on his bandwagon years ago. But when it comes to just pure ability and potential, I think Kepler is second to only Buxton. Why the hell he can suddenly only hit LHP is like a Leoarnd Nimoy "in search of" episode from the 80's. But this kid has mad potential. And I still feel he's, learning on the job, as he has been the last couple of seasons. Is he better served with a trip to AAA? I don't know. Who do you replace him with? IMO, Buxton will be OK when he learns to relax. At this point, I'm OK with a month of AAA. Kepler will be fine once he figures a few things out. We have a whole half season to play folks! The question is Sano. Will he embrace this "re-set" as a punishment? Or as an opportunity to be healthy, get in shape, work at recognizing counts and pitches, and move forward?

Agreed. Motter is still pretty young. He has talent, potential and versatility. Of course, he also can't hit a lick. And agreed, with Polanco back soon, Motter is pretty much dismissable soon. Maybe nobody claims him and he sticks with Rochester. But while we're at it, can't we just admit Belisle was a mistake and move on? Can't the FO and ownership just admit they made a mistake, hoping they would get the same guy they had last season but missed on this one? You have arms that need to be auditioned for the rest of this season and next. Just get on with it already!

Your team should always try to get better. We saw some real talent and potential in Mejia last season and I also believed he was penciled in the rotation. But he did struggle putting away hitters at times and some big pitch counts in certain innings. I saw enough to tell me he has enkugh stuff to be a bona fide, quality rotation piece. But they got a decent, solid ML SP in Odorizzi for next to nothing, and Lynn sort of fell in their laps. Me His didn't have a great ST as I recall. I like Mejia quite a bit, and think at absolute worst, his stuff plays up as a high quality RP. But I think he will get ANOTHER shot, and it might come soon, to give Romero a small breather and conserve his IP. I'm also a big Gonsalves believer despite a few clunkers this season. I also like Littell's potential, but not sure he's quite ready yet. And while many will argue with me, I like Slegers as well. He could be a perfect fit as a long and swing man. But Mejia and Gonsalves are ahead of those two. And if Romero is going to get a despite, Mejia is the logical next guy up.

Except for Seattle and N.Y., could we just play .500 teams and above for the rest of the season? Why on earth, with all the injuries and disappointing performances this season, does this team seem to play better, and even win, against quality teams and just stink against losing teams? 1] Just not our year. 2] This is funny game.

I really wanted the team to keep Goodrum. I really thought he had a chance to be an unspectacular but very solid and versatile bench player. Maybe the ideal 25th man. The guy the Twins wanted DanSan to be. I wasn't crazy about the chicks for Murphy trade as I felt there was a lot of untapped potential there. But I was rather "meh" as Hicks looked lost, the Twins needed some catching depth, and Murphy looked like a decent get at the time. I think we just flat out lost that trade. It happens. Stinks, but it happens. Thought we gave up on Rosario too soon. Time will tell. On a much smaller scale, I was really disappointed to let John Hicks slip away. He was the kind of player I wanted to sign over Wilson this past off season. Really, anyone else on the list isn't worth worrying about. Not that they are necessarily good or bad, but, regretting Span after so long a time is lime the White Sox regretting Escobar. After a time, it just is what it is.

I've always been a supporter and believer, but I too was running out of patience the first half of 2017. I always thought he got a bit of a bum rap. So what if his debut wasnt good. Neither was Berios's or many other young pitchers. Go look at his 2014 and 2015 seasons, his first 2 full seasons. (And his 2014 season he missed behind a rookie by about 1 IP). 2014 was solid, 2015 was better. The wheels came off in 2016, but they did for the entire team. Poor performances, a trip to Rochester, something clicked mid season last year. Sort of reminds me of Viola back in the day when he was finally convinced he was a power pitcher and attack vs nibble. This is no longer a SSS. This is the pitcher we always wanted him to be. And he has a chance to be this guy for a good 2-4 years.

Question: Where does the nickname "Scooby" come from?

The retaliation BS for intentionally hitting a player with a hard, quickly moving object is just that, BS. I've really liked Escobar for some time now. Not yet 30 and keeps getting better. He's just a really good and versatile ballplayer. A real professional. I'm not picking on anyone, but what would Sano be like if his overall work and approach was more like Escobar's? But then again, we didn't know this was the player we were getting when we traded for him.

First, we all should be very happy for the results in the first 2 games of the series. Don't let passion and disappointment for this game ruin how well we did against Boston and the Indians. Second, I am NOT a fan of the Besisle move at all. And that's not intended as an insult. Remember when nobody wanted him last season and be got off to a horrible start and then pitched very well the rest of the season and even performed well as the closer? I understand the signing. I just think it was wrong! Go ahead and keep Magill in his role of you really feel his long/mid relief role is appropriate. (But he still shouldn't go so long between appearances if you really think he can pitch). But for goodness sake, there are some arms in AAA just begging for an opportunity. Just because they aren't arms on 22-23yo fireballers who consistently hit 95mph doesn't mean they aren't viable! Duffey has destroyed at AAA this year. He pitched poorly first time up, pitched excellent the second time up, but was sent down for a fresh arm after a long outing. Same thing happened with Slegers. But Belisle is a better alternative? What about Busentiz, Moya and Curtiss? Or even Bard. Maybe Reed needs to show a little more, but the potential is still there. At this point, does trusting/auditioning some of these arms really bring more losses than over using Reed and Pressly? Or could those guys actually perform better if used better and we might actually find a nice young arm or two for today and tomorrow?