DocBauer

Throwing my hat in the ring here on a variety of topics, FWIW. 1) Injuries, weather etc: Yes, all teams are affected by these. Agreed. But no batting practice the first few weeks, and missed games has to have at least some affect on routine and continuity. No Polanco, no Santana, Castro trying to play injured and now out for the year, Mauer, Buxton and Sano all to the DL...this All has to have some affect. 2) Bullpen usage: I don't think Molitor is a bad manager overall. But he absolutely rides certain guys too much. Not even sure this is open for debate. If you're down by 3, maybe you save Reed or Pressly and throw someone else. Maybe Molitor is too much of a competitor at times and wants to win them all??? 3) Sano's weight: He's a large man. He will always be a large man. He carries his weight well. His weight doesn't affect his arm or his ability to hit. (Made a tremendous play a couple days ago very few could make). But long term health and flexibility in the field, it should be a concern. Maturity and another off season not recovering from surgery could help. 4) Sano and Buxton overall: To the heart of the article. Perhaps I'm too much of an optomist. Perhaps I'm too patient. Perhaps I just have a different perspective having been a Twins fan for 47 years. I'm as disappointed and frustrated as anyone. But maybe wants and wishes and the hype train skew perspective. These guys were at the absolute top of the prospect rankings for a reason. We've seen what they are each capable of. Is it possible, as disappointed and frustrated as we are, that there is a lot of over reaction? Buxton starts slow, which he has done before, but migraines or not, what happens without the toe injury? Is he looking like the last half+ of 2017? What if Sano doesn't have to spend the off season dealing with leg surgery recovery and off the field controversy? Does he look more like his past self? (Maybe the hamstring doesn't happen because he got even a little more work in). Maybe? Yep. But these are factors to consider. So at 24yo each, I believe, they are busts and we should move On? Despite immense talent and potential, not everyone is a Trout or Harper (or Mauer) who becomes an instant star at 21-22yo. Could they both bust and never figure it out? Yep. Could they also have strong 2nd halves, quality off seasons, and begin to really shine in 2019 as 25yo stars? ABSOLUTELY!

I don't disagree at all. With a little more consistency, he seems to have been a potential steal. But to me, I'd still think Thorpe is the better possibility. Berrios Romero Graterol Gonsalves Thorpe And all home grown!

Nice! Very clear perspective on all 3 guys. Gonsalves: At every level, he has shown the ability to learn and make adjustments. Not possessing the pure stuff of a Berrios or Romero, his stuff plays well, as does his pitching acumen. Might he struggle a bit when first called up? Yes. But most pitchers do initially. Just a little more consistency, and he will not only be up, but be a fixture. Right now though, nobody to replace. Gordon: I think the bat is going to play. We've seen the development, even with the case last season. Maybe Polanco will be the better choice at SS. I know I'm a fan and believer and feel we've seen both improvement and potential. I don't pretend to know how good, or bad, Gordon truly is at SS. But I do know looking at milb error totals is a waste of time. There are a lot of All Star SS whose milb error numbers would surprise you if you looked. (I have). Did the Twins miss an opportunity to bring him up already or were they being prudent? Hard to say. But one way or another, he will be up this season. Rooker: I don't care how great his final college season was, to mash as he did last season in pro ball with wooden bat was outstanding. And already at AA in his FIRST FULL SEASON and beginning to mash after a slow start is impressive! Agreed 100% he just needs to reign in the contact numbers. He does that, he could finish in Rochester. From reports, he's no Grossman in the OF, but wondering if his "fit" will be 1B/DH/backup OF.

I know it's one game, one play, and one error that wasn't called as such, but that boot tonight by Adrianza was really bad and really costly. I don't expect anyone to be perfect, and errors happen. But that was bad. And I was actually tempted to post tonight how much better he has been playing of late. I tend to be conservative when it comes to promotions, letting guys develop and achieve success. Too old school? Perhaps. But I have come to the point now where I really believe Gordon needs his shot. Petit should be back at Rochester. Gordon should get his shot. Polanco is still a month or more from being available and ready.

We won't know anything for years, of course. Its the same in any draft year. The draft does feel rather "meh" to me. I think losing/trading 2 picks and picking 20th helps lead to that. What I DID like was the number of catchers drafted. Sometimes you just need enough darts thrown at the board to see what hits. Falvey did comment during the game tonight they really like Jeffers behind the plate. The other thing I liked is there seemed to be some sleepers here, especially on the mound. There seems to be a number of guys who spent last season coming off injury and could have decent ceilings 100%, and a few guys who were transitioning to positions, or as a SP in college, who might be better back in the pen.

Wasn't there a Raul Cassanova a few years back?

I tend to agree with this. Garver is a rookie and not playing daily. Why? Because Molitor doesn't believe in him? Or because Molitor is letting him grow and develop instead of thrusting him to the daily job? If it's the former, may be time to pony up. It takes quality to get quality. In fact, I'm wondering how the Twins will be able to hold on to some guys in regard to next year's 40 man and rule V draft. If Molitor actually likes the game calling and potential of Garver, then a better veteran to split time and learn from makes the most sense. Could the Twins offer and afford to part with Gonsalves and Gordon to Miami? Absolutely. Would it hurt? Absolutely. Which means it sounds about right with another piece thrown in.

Have to agree with Brandon and Winston. Still, it's a great reflection on the future talent that Ryan's final draft tenure brought in. These are all very talented prospects, though a couple years away at least. But the work of this draft should not be ignored.

I really like what they did last season. Bechtold has been a rough surprise thus far and really hope he figures it out sooner rather than later. Leach is a bit of a flier. I think we all knew/know that. But sometimes those young fliers turn out pretty darn good. Big frame, velocity, velocity potential, new to being on the mound, coming from the Basball hotbed of Canada, (sarcasm), he'd honestly probably be considered a "hot property" were he a foreign signed instead of a drafted in some eyes. Perspective. Control and secondary stuff plus "pitchability" makes Barnes interesting to me. Be has a chance. He's pitched better lately. I'm sort of waiting for him to kick it in to gear right now. I like what the other guys mentioned have shown. The hardest thing to predict and reflect on, just 12 months later, is the really young guys in EST. The jury is still out on half the top 10, but that's normal at this point.

A thought came to me tonight when discussing tonight's draft, as well as reflecting on past Twins picks in this spot as stated to begin the article, a few years back the Twins spent the 30th pick on Levi Michael, SS, from North Carolina. The Twins were rather desperate at the time to find a quality middle infielder or two. Despite being a late 1st round pick, IIRC, Michael was seen as not only a safe pick, but a pretty good one, from a powerhouse program playing the college World Series. He had a fine career for a big program in a major conference and didn't track as anything special, but just a fine all around player/prospect. Maybe even a bit of a steal at the 30th spot. You just never know, do you?

Arm and defense make me pretty skeptical here. Consistent hitting and power impresses me. Catcher is probably the hardest position to scout, evaluate, predict and draft. There are just so many factors, and developmental factors, that go in to what makes a good catcher. Maybe he's a real leader who calls a good game, seems coachable, and the Twins like the bat and feel they can work on aspects of his defense. But have to admit, though I am reaching with any opinion here, sounds like a strange selection this early.

MLB draft is the biggest crapshoot of all the drafts and we al know this. For every top 1st round pick, you are almost as likely to have a 2-10 round pick to become a major contributor for your team. Of course, this changes somewhat if picking at the top of the board. He seems like a solid pick considering the hit tool came first, and the power later, without sacrifice, this would seem to speak of potential. And Oregon State has absolutely been a premier program the last few years. Not knocking the kid, who I hope turns out to be a stud, but I do have to agree that picking 20, and with a pretty stocked system, I think I would have rather seen someone with "upside" even if not as safe a pick. Especially on the mound or behind the plate. But what do I know? Absolutely nothing in this case.

I also feel bad for Busentiz, but there's just no room for him right now. And that's actually a good thing. Adrianza has not been the player he was last season. But both his offense and defense have been better as of late. Can/will it continue? Hopefully. But if anyone moves out, it would seem to be Petit, and not Adrianza. I get the clamor for Wade. And I think he's very interesting. But is AA OF, who recently came off a DL stint an answer? Maybe he is. I wouldn't mind seeing him! But LaMarre is also interesting, at least in the short term. He seems to have the defensive chops. He supposedly had a new approach at the plate when he came to ST. Yeah...right! Then he played his way in the team, continued to hit when sent down to Rochester, and has been doing OK since his recall. He's nothing special, of course. But did we maybe find a late blooming 4th OF? For right now, he's doing an OK job. In a very SSS, Cave looked competent and has performed quite well at Rochester. Both may have overtaken Granite at this point. If I had told you that come June 1st the team wouldn't be missing Santana you would have thought I was nuts! Justifiably so! And yet, with Lynn finding himself, that's where we are. I absolutely want Erv back! And I have faith he will be back at some point. Not worried, at this point about a bad game each for Odorizzi and Romero. They happen. And did anyone actually expect Romero not to have a bump or two in the road? There has always been way too much talent and potential for this offense to perform as they have been. It seems as though they are gelling and coming to life. Buxton and Mauer out, along with Polanco and Castro, are not good things. But there is still so much talent here that the recent output should not be considered abnormal. (Though CF and backup catcher, long term, could be an issue. Of course, a healthy Buxton can help with one of those.) Lots to like! Keep fighting guy, just like you did last year!

I think you touched on the lengthening of games due to more pitching substitutions. Why so many? Probably because SO seem to be up as well as HR and scoring in general.

Made me laugh!

Just too bad there isn't room for both Cave and LaMarre for now. Looks like Cave has some talent. Of course, hopefully in a few weeks and a rehab this time, Buxton will be back 100% and get in a decent groove.

Did someone just turn the light switch on the past few days? Someone PLEASE keep laying the electric bill! Other than over using Pressly today, what a great game and series!

Really looking forward to seeing what he can do. Nothing against him, because he really has been productive as he'll and seems to know how to pitch. I'm thinking he's the guy because Slegers may not be ready yet after his long stint a couple days ago, Gonsalves had a recent and poor outing and Mejia just started. Seems Littell is deserving and the most ready for his next turn.

I understand the criteria and respect it. But I would still have to argue Khiriloff and remove Rortvedt. Not because Rortvedt isn't doing well, not because he shouldn't be promoted at some point, and not because the Twins don't need future help at catcher. I just feel he's been a little up and down, not unexpected for a young player. And defense and game calling or so important for a catcher. I've heard nothing negative about him in this regard, but I'd be interested in just how good he is and how much he's improved. That could change my opinion quickly. Van Steensel is an interesting choice. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't he a SP initially? His age may be a concern, but how many guys have we seen over the years who suddenly going themselves by being re-invented as a RP? Marginal players, top prospects, even quality ML SP who began to lose effectiveness. His numbers scream promotion. Even though I follow the system pretty close, I don't really know anything about his repertoire and how it plays up.

Really liked the guys announcing the game on FS1 today, (Not a knock on our guys). One thing I found interesting was a comment probably discarded by most, where they commented about Garver behind the plate and a feeling he was getting more and more comfortable, and helped Lynn`s last couple of innings by changing up the game calling. Blast him if you want, but I believe this was the 8th game he has caught this season in which the Twins allowed 1 or zero runs. Isn't making a staff feel comfortable and calling a good game still the single most important part of being a catcher?

The problem most of the year has been the hitting, which has been as odd as it is frustrating. If there was a strength coming in to the season it was clearly the offense and offensive potential. Bad weather, missed batting practicem the team just trying to gel, injuries of just cumulative bad luck/slumps, who knows. But they are suddenly looking much more like the club we expected. Can they keep it up? Let's hope so. Long term this team needs Buxton. His slow start was atrocious. Would he have snapped out of it if healthy? Perhaps, but the injury and coming back too soon was clearly a mistake. Let's get him 100%. Morrison hasn't been great, but much better. Sano playing even close to previous levels is dangerous and deepens the lineup. Mauer being out hurts the top of the lineup some, and I'd sure lime to see Dozier, heating up, back down in the 2 spot. I still wonder about Grossman in #1 spot: .287 AVG and .381 OB his last 30 games. Wouldn't he be a solid fill in for Mauer at this point? Much like last season, this team doesn't seem to want to quit. I just hope they haven't dug too deep a hole, but they are looking so much more like the team we expected.

Great post! Some things I've recently been thinking about. Really hope the mods move this to the main page. I laugh at speeding up the game arguments. The average baseball game is around 3 hours, though a great pitching performance or extra innings skew that time frame. And yet, an NFL game is also approximately 3 hours. Last I knew, the average NFL play lasted about 6-7 seconds. The huge run or deep TD pass is exillerating! But does it really eclipse the big HR or Triple? Baseball is boring for pitching changes and the time between pitches. As opposed to huddles between plays and an incomplete pass or run for no gain? The problem is perception and marketing as much as anything. Embrace change in baseball! Market key players and big plays. Let go the old stoic principles and realize a fist pump or occasional bat flip is emotion and excitement and not an insult. (A sack celebration when down by 21 is far more ridiculous and insulting). I don't want a league filled with steroids and 50+ HR champs every year. And I know offense sells. But despite being a DH lover who hates pitchers "trying " to hit, I absolutely miss the subtleties of how baseball should be/used to be played. You mentioned small ball and SB. I think a SB is a tremendously exciting play! And while I prefer the DH, where have we gone so wrong to only play for the long ball vs the excitement of fundamental ball and the inheritment excitement for what might happen next? Beyond marketing, marketing, the single biggest flaw I can see with the game itself is not the game, but the umpiring. Not a scapegoat! Simple truth is, finding quality pitching is a problem for everyone. But it's also been well documented over time how the strike zone has shrunk. What if more strikes were called in the zone as written in the rule book? Would that force managers to play to manage a different game? Not sure i have an answer. But you have definitely hit a nerve on excitement missing from the game.

About a month ago, I had a mild concussion. I tripped stupidly over a table leg and planted my forehead on my garage floor. Not sure I completely blacked out, but I sure felt pain and saw stars. I couldn't run or go the gym for over 3 weeks. I worked through it, but computer screens and noise got to me. And I found myself tiring more than normal. On a day I felt really good I did a butt load of yard work. I ended up fatigued and dehydrated and suffered a setback. I hope the best for Joe. I really enjoyed his re-surgance last season, and his start to this season, and really think we are missing him right now. I have argued for a 1 year, and maybe 2 year deal for him to return. But for his sake, not my beloved Twins, I'm really thinking and hoping he takes his money made and runs away to enjoy the rest of his life with his wife and children. And as my father joked tonight, maybe have a boy or two to carry on the Mauer baseball legacy!

A nice perspective and write-up. I have to argue a couple points, however. Granite has a skill set offensively and defensively that provide value. (SSS at AAA right now in 2018). But Granite got hurt and was unavailable for a time regardless. I get the call for Wade, I really do. And I'm still not sure why he didn't start the season at Rochester, except maybe concentrating on budding power potential. OK. But he also got hurt and just came off the DL. You can't promote guys to the roster who are on the DL, as much as you wish you could. I have felt Grossman was a potentially solid 4th OF despite hoping/wishing for competition, based on what he has brought to the table the last two seasons. The injuries to Granite and Wade have given him an extension. But I think we are the point of saying perhaps enough is enough. LaMarre hit in ST, hit early in the season hit when be went back to AAA. He hasn't hit since he came back. SSS with his "new approach" or just reality? What about Cave? Are we really better off with Grossman, at this point, playing more and more OF, or some sort of platoon in CF and letting Kepler just be comfortable in RF? Would love to see Wade. But fresh off the DL at AA, where does he play? Can he play CF better than Kepler? Better than LaMarre/Cave/Granite? How about RE with Kepler in CF? Not sure the best answer, just posing the question. Despite this being an OF post, what about Gordon? With Sano back, and starting to heat up, is there room for Gordon to play daily? Polanco is a good month away. I'd cut ties with Grossman and begin to look at LaMarre, journeyman that he may be, and Cave and Wade and find the best combination I can find with Buxton out. (Please give Buck time to heal and rehab for a strong second half!) I'd promote Gordon at this point to play daily/almost to allow Sano to play 3B/1B/DH with Escobar to swap between 3B and AS. It's just time to shake stuff up! BTW, does Vargas now get ANOTHER shot with his recent hot streak? Would a Davis promotion be out of bounds for the DH role? *A real rehab and ready Mauer could change some of this.

The baseball gods are fickle. As stated, pitching is great, no hitting. Pitching suddenly stinks, the bats come alive. All teams deal with injuries and hot and cold streaks. But this is ridiculous. Castro plays hurt and stinks at the plate before going out for the year. Polanco and Santana out before the season even starts. Sano with a crazy off season and then hurt. Buxton hurt, and still hurt, out a second time. Mauer out. Guys starting cold as can be, even if warming up some now. Even with injuries, still enough talent available to not be this bad offensively when the pitching has been so good. Bright spot? Like a lot of times last season, there appears to be some fight in this team. Despite frustrating close losses and comebacks that fall short, it doesn't appear to be a loss of spirit on the club. Could some of the fight we've been seeing recently begin to even our karma? Could the baseball gods decide enough is enough and begin to smile on the Twins with a new month beginning tomorrow? Let's hope so. June baby! 4 months left to play ball!