DocBauer

I love it! Go get 'em kid!

"Hello Twins fans!"

I miss Herb.

Thinking they pulled Duffey to save his arm for the next 2 games?

Think I dated her sister. She was fun until she wanted to choke me during sex one time.

Think I'd rather sign him and get him ready for the bullpen for a second half run! Lol

If she asks for a credit card number and offers to call you, just say NO!

20 pitches in 2 IP for Duffey. Do you risk a 3rd inning?

Going back to the original and more important topic...as someone born and raised initially in South Dakota, who has lived most of his life in Nebraska, and who has often visited Kansas, I can offer my own perspective. Northern SD may be green, but is probably as desolate in regard to traffic or civilization than anywhere but Wyoming and the desert states. Nebraska is miles and miles of flat and fields with windbreaks of trees. Kansas is far, far ahead of both states in regard to rusted automobiles off the road and anti-abortion signs. Just saying.

Like Mejia's stuff overall. Has the build to suggest stamina as long as he keeps things under control. Learns to economize/learn the further nuances of pitching, I think he's going to be OK. #3 capable? Maybe. But just a good #4 is acceptable.

While I love Granite and what he brings to the table, and suspect he may be more than just a 4th OF, and could maybe be a true OB, speedy leadoff hitter for the Twins one day, I'm still a believer in Rosario and all his potential. I give him the rest of the season for sure. At the least. When I look back at guys like Hunter, Gomez and even Hicks, who all struggled initially and were even sat at times, or ent to AAA a couple times, and what they did after a couple of years, (speculating that Hicks may have actually found homework in N.Y.), I just can't give up on Rosario at this point. I tell you what, if I were a team involved in trade talk with the Twins, one of the guys I'd want is Rosario. All the offensive talent in the world and the ability to play all three OF spots. Yeah, I'd want him, take him, and I'd deal with a few rough moments while he continues to gain experience and improve.

And 8 of the 15 should finish the season at AAA I'd not with the Twins! And the list doesn't even include Granite.

Pitching: If Webster had a baseball exclusive dictionary, one of the definitions might be d) the Achilles heel of the Minnesota Twins. TWO things right away: 1] the last administration is gone, so retrospection and creation simply do no good other than offering venting. 2] this was NOT going be fixed in one abbreviated off season by the current administration. The issue really is, what do we do going forward? Dozier is a really fine ballplayer. And he's the most easily replaceable, yet quality, asset the team has to trade for help. But will he bring enough back to be worth trading? Sure didn't seem like it this last off season. Will that really change now? Santana has real value, to the Twins, and to a contender, especially if they have sudden need and will overpay some. But his value is tough to define. He will eventually regress, but how far and how fast is pure speculation. I feel speculation he will suddenly fall off a cliff is unfair. Could happen to many a pitcher. And if it were true, then his value is suddenly diminished anyway. Would someone pay or overpay enough to make it worthwhile for the Twins to trade a quality arm for prospects? Or does he have more value the next season or two for a pitching starved team even if he regressed to a solid #3 starter? As I see it, there are really only two options for the Twins at this point: 1] Make trades. Move Santana and/or Dozier for the best you can hope for. Move Gordon, Rosario/Granite, at least one of Gonsalves/Romero and a couple more solid prospects and try to come away with a solid SP who is cost controlled for a few years at least. This could help this season and future years. But you've also lost at least one, if not two, quality arms and possible the solid, proven arm of Santana. Not to mention other prospects. 2] Hold on. This doesn't mean you are giving up on this team. And maybe it requires some juggling, and some patience, and even a few crossed fingers. But in a season that was really meant for evaluation fromn the top on down and a continuation of the rebuild, you bank on Santana and Berrios. You stick with and keep working with Mejia. You get Santiago back healthy and ready to go and hope his head is on straight. You stick with and work with and kick the fanny of Gibson to keep being aggressive instead of trying to paint corners. By the second half of the season you have Gonsalves, Jorge, and possibly Romero at AAA along with Slegers, maybe, as later season options. (You also stretch Haley out as a starter on his rehab. I mean, why wouldn't you at this point?) You work on the bullpen. Pressly comes back, better hopefully. You give Busentiz a real shot. Same with Hildenberger. Chargois and Jay get healthy and ramped up at some point. Reed, Curtiss and Melotakis get to AAA SOON to get ready for second half auditions/promotions. Then, in the next off season, you can take a good heard look at what you have...or need...and make trades or a quality FA signing or two. I'm not sure there is a right or wrong. But as much as I love this team and what they've done thus far, I tend to lean toward the second option.

I really like this post a lot! And I think it speaks to a real conundrum that will hopefully sort itself out in the next month or so. I am NOT pointing fingers at anyone, nor am I trying to make a blatant blanket statement, but isn't it interesting that before the season started there was great debate about whether this team could even approach .500? And now that the team has done so, and lead their division for most of the Year, we are debating about potentially buying to make a run. I don't think that's necessary a cause and effect from several years of bad baseball and sudden, urgent optimism, but rather, a reflection of what we all see. And what we all see is a much, much better and improved team. Why? Because there is a LOT to like about this team. Much better defense. The offense is starting to click, and I'd argue, just STARTING to click. By next season, if not the second half of this year, just think how much better guys like Sano, Polanco, Rosario, Buxton, Kepler and Vargas might be. We might even throw in Grossmaan, improving and not the least bit old, and Adrianza might be. And very soon, we may be talking about contributions from Gordon, Granite, Garver, maybe even Vielma, Palka and Wade. When the worst position player on your team...production, ability and potential all factored in...is your backup catcher, you are on to something! As to the pitching...well...thats to be continued in another post.

I don't buy the idea of selling. Dozier is a really, really nice ballplayer. But attempts to trade him last off season prove fruitless despite his coming off a tremendous season. So we trade him now for prospects? Has his value suddenly increased in a league with so many good 2B? I'm not saying you can't try, and maybe there is just that one perfect match out there. And if anyone in the roster, he's probably the most replaceable regular. But I just don't see it. Santana? Love the guy. Big believer, I would bet he has at least one if not two quality season's left even if he should regress to the level of a quality #3 starter. But even with that, unless a contending team has a big need through injury, trading him makes a weak position even weaker. And are we really going to get enough back to really make trading him worthwhile? A little better luck on the injury front could go a long way to having some quality rotation and bullpen arms ready next season. There is also, hopefully, the opportunity for a quality FA SP next off season. Possibly a similar bullpen arm. But if you really want to make moves, it would seem to be as buyers and not sellers. But at this point...and I'm not saying I have the answer...are we really ready to trade off some of those young arms, Gordon, an OF or two, to come up with a Sonny Gray type? Or are we better off sticking with Mejia, hope Santiago comes back with his head on straight, and pray the more recently aggressive Gibson can continue to be at least average and wait until next off season?

Best of luck to the Kernels! Now that we are at the milb break and draft signings are under way, I can easily count 7 or 8 guys that are ready for promotions to the next level. Let's hope the "transactions" section is filled up this week!

At a 6yo super hero birthday party in a power outage. Apparently too much super hero power in one place. My super hero name is "Turbo Shield". Late to the thread after checking my phone. Maybe Turley sucked the power out of Omaha?

He should go immediately to CR and become acclimated there. Too talented, too mature to do otherwise, IMO. Get half a season there and then half a season for Ft Myers. Perfect first half season for him.

Can I like this post more than once?! LOL Love David Allan Coe! We have a winner!

The Twins have mentioned bringing Gonsalves up straight from AA if he was ready, but his late start to the season and now 34 UP after going through 7 last night would seem to be what is slowing him down. I think the Twins really like him and I'm betting he's at Rochester after one more start. From there is anyone's best guess. But I'd be willing to bet we see him in a Twins uniform in September.

I'd say it is simply due to his late start to the season and only 34 IP thus far. The Twins have mentioned they would consider moving him directly from AA if they felt he was ready and there was a need. But he's off to a good start and I have to believe he's about ready for Rochester. We're I a betting man, with the draft over and signings about ready to commence, I'd bet he gets one more start at Chattanooga before his AAA promotion.

Going to have to disagree here. Guys deserve chances. Guys who seemingly might be getting it together deserve second chances. Shuffling deck chairs is doing both with guys who just can't get the job done. We don't really know what Busentiz can do yet. He was barely mentioned when acquired and hasn't even been talked about much until lately. Curtiss, Reed, Chargois, Burdi if ever healthy, Jay if he also can ever get healthy, Melotakis, etc, are guys we are familiar with. Busentiz's stuff and numbers indicate he deserves consideration. He may not be a pup, but he's also not old.

Having fun while trying to make a point. Maybe on the country song part. But I didn't mention anything at all about momma, or trains, or trucks, or prison...or getting drunk. (And a big high 5 and a cyber beer for anyone who gets that reference).

Sooner or later, reality will and must meet later. I only hope later meets reality sooner. Sooner shouldn't be an unrealistic rush, or you may regret it later. But if sooner doesnt appear to be too soon, then sooner is clearly better than later because later can sometimes become too late.

Concur! How much better is this team, overall, if Buxton starts to figure it out offensively? (Could almost say the same thing about Rosario).