DocBauer

Actually, with the DH, Kepler possibly playing some 1B, you COULD keep all 5 if you only keep one utility INF. I don't think that's practical, however, and more than likely one of these guys is gone in some sort of move. Still not 100% how good anyone will end up being, of course, but I'm betting Arcia is the odd man out in this mix. That leaves a potentially excellent and versatile OF with a balance of hitting, speed, power and defense as well as LF and RH hitting. Mauer, Sano and Plouffe for 1B/3B/DH, and this whole lineup starts to look tantalizing!

I think Hu was a great story and I'm sorry to see him go. Do I think we paid too much? Yes I do. I don't believe we were robbed, however. The jury is still very much out on Hu and how good he might potentially be. (Same as all milb prospects) There are several SP prospects in the system that would rate higher. Not the guy I wanted, but he's not just a rental. He will be re-united with a familiar coaching face in Allen. The 8th inning is now better. This could/should make the 7th inning now better. I'm not totally happy, but I'm not looking for a bridge because a nice A ball prospect is gone for ML help in the pen now and next year.

Agree with both Brock and Leviathan completely! There IS improvement to be made. And there ARE moves to be made. I appreciate Molitor believing in the talent and potential of Santana. And I also would not write him off. It would be foolish to do so considering his talent, and some off potential and flash we've seen. But he looks lost and overmatched...to be fair and honest...a lot of the time, not all the time. But now is not the time for continuing auditions from your starting SS. Escobar is flat out better at this time and needs to be in there. Pelfrey has been very solid for the club. He was a big boon once upon a time. But May is younger, more talented and more productive on several levels. (Numbers show it along with the eye) And to remove such a potentially strong piece out of your rotation for someone who is NOT a part of your future is ridiculous. The bullpen needs help. The Twins have options like Duffey who are viable to audition and help. But there are enough veteran arms out there, like Benoit, that they could undoubtedly acquire without mortgaging anything, that I'm in favor of such a move. Benoit to solidify the 8th, bump Fien to the 7th, (where I've said for a while he belongs), depends the pen with little sacrifice. We might even sign said veteran again this off season for '16. It would be an investment the Twins could afford, but also, sorry to say, Burdi, Jones and others aren't knocking on the door just yet. And I gotta be honest, I'd love a low cost shot at AJ teaming with Zuke behind the plate. Absolutely nothing special behind the plate, but they would undoubtedly provide confidence from the staff, could offer an OK-ish platoon or quasi-platoon offensively. And maybe, just maybe, if the right deal isn't there this next off season for a young option, the Twins might try to ride that duo for one more year.

Man, a guy could get whiplash at times when reading these boards. Promote the kids! Play the kids! No! Trade the kids away for veterans. The Twins millions of dollars, (not a,ways wisely I agree) on Pefrey, Nolasco, Santana and Hunter...while being tied to a few others...and have invested in their own roster with contracts for Perkins and Dozier. And they have not once said they refuse to make any additional moves because payroll is maxed out. But they are cheap and miserly because they don't want to invest in multi-million multi-year contracts of players on other teams? How dare the Twins not be willing to sacrifice 3 or 4 top prospects for 30yo veteran players who will be paid $20M + until they are 35-36 Ish. There is a difference in making moves to make moves, and making proper and responsible investments.

Exactly! One of Two things is going to happen with Arcia. First things first, however,the Twins absolutely and positively will look at a FA signing or two for the bullpen, and they will also be looking to sign or trade for a catcher. Now, it's possible any of these potential FA signings could include a player "rented" for the balance of this season and then re-signed if the market skews away from the Twins making a trade or different FA signing.. Now, concerning Arcia, someone is going to recognize the talent, potential and past streaks of production and be excited despite the struggles of this season, and be glad to include him in a deal. He is, after all, very talented and still quite young. OR, the Twins will trade prospects/sign FA to fill in a spot or two for the '16 club and Arcia will be a valuable component of said team, possibly beyond, as a LH part time corner OF and DH. Either is very possible, and IMO, the only two options. Which is all the more reason to get him back up to MINNESOTA for the stretch run of the season. And we all know there is roster room. Hate to state the obvious, but Kepler has a big, big bearing on this as well. All the more reason a healthy Kepler needs to get up to Rochester ASAP.

I get O'Day. Like former Twin Pat Neshak, you don't always have to thrown hard to get the job done. But still, I'd think a power arm, experienced, can still do the job like Benoit makes more sense.

Wieters as a possible FA signee, assuming his poor season keeps the cost down. The guy probably will bounce back nicely overall, but I hear rumors of 4 years and $60M for a guy, even a catcher, post surgery-bad year-limited games played, which just sounds way too big of a deal for me. I'm interested, and I know the market goes crazy at times, but WOW! But he does nothing for me at this point as a short term trade option. I'd much rather hold on until after the season, take stock of our team, our minors, let other teams do the same, and then look for a match for a younger catcher with upside. I know it's not as easy as that, of course, but there have been several options discussed right here on TD that could make real sense. Honestly, if I were to trade for a veteran catcher, potential FA right now it would probably by AJ. At least he's LH with a little pop. If Garver and Turner finish this season strong like they did last season, if I don't have an immediate trade partner available in the off season, I might consider AJ back for another year, take my shot with he and Suzuki and roll with them for another year.

I see this Kepler guy on just about every list there. He must be pretty good huh?

Ok...completely off the wall...as are many of the liners given up by the bullpen...but what about Pelfrey and Milone both moved to teams needing rotation depth for a couple of relievers, put May back in the rotation where he belongs and shouldn't have been removed from in the first place...and bring up Duffey for the 5th spot to see what he could do? Rogers on deck, so to speak.

He's not there yet. He may or may not ever get there. But at least he's on the right road now...heading in the right direction...and only needs to pack a lunch for the journey...not a Yogi-sized picnic basket.

Remember....nobody cares about the Twins outside of the 5 state area. Just ask ESPN if you don't believe me. They'll tell you the truth. Cough. Gasp. Choke.

Escobar needs to be the guy for now. He may not be great, but he's solid and consistent in the field and at the plate. I get Santana has more upside. I get he got first shot this season based on the greater overall athletic ability and potential and what he did last season. Maybe we'll see that player again. I really hope so because the tools are there. By all accounts the attitude is there. We've seen how exciting he can be. But right now, Santana just looks lost. I don't have an exact answer what to do with everyone as Polanco needs to play every day at Rochester, and then get some work up at the ML level. He's had a couple, all too brief, teasing cups of coffee at the ML level. He needs some real September time with the club to help prepare him for ST next year. There are people on this board who know an awful lot more about Polanco and his defense than I do. People who have actually watched him play. But no cannon arm and a few errors, or bunches/batches of errors at times doesn't concern me at this time. He's young. Hes a milb prospect. He's playing at different milb levels with other milb players on milb fields. Even the best ML infielders, if you reflect on their early ML career and their milb start, you will see a lot of errors. It takes time to learn. If being a great SS was just range and strong arm, Santana would already look like a star.

Yes to making trades to improve the club. Yes to bag of balls and a pack of grape flavored bubblegum for an older vet set up man or catcher in a salary dump type move that is short term. Doesnt cost much. Helps the '15 season. Always the option of a re-sign. RP easier to find than catchers...but still. No to the mid season BIG MOVE. Not unless it was someone under 30 with team control for a few more years. Otherwise, you are overbuying mid season when you should wait until the offseason to shop big. As to why the Twins might be better next season, closer to a REAL contender, it is simply a matter of tweaks you may/can make, and Rosario, Hicks, Buxton, Sano, Gibson, May andothers more experienced, further along. Arcia and/or Vargas could be right, or closer. Polanco or Escobar may seize SS. Etc, etc, etc.

There comes a time when the player with lesser talent simply becomes the better player due to consistency. Despite a disappointing year, Escobar has still shown greater flashes of production and consistency than Santana. He deserves to be given the job at this point.

Man, how about some more love for Berrios? In his interview at the Futures Games, he explains exactly why he didn't pitch as well his fir couple times out...what he has to do, and is going to do to be better...then just goes out and does it!

I actually have noticed some of the mentioned contributions from Samtana, Escobar and Suzuki despite disappointing seasons. Imagine Santana or Escobar playing something like last season and claiming the full time job. And imagine Suzuki doing what he does overall as a co-catcher or #2 guy. Nice. While there are no guarantees as to the '16 roster, who is ready, who is performing, etc, I find myself already looking ahead. Is there room for Mauer at 1B/DH, Plouffe at 3B/1B/DH, Sano at 3B/DH, Rosario, Buxton, Hicks in the OF with possibly Arcia and a somewhat surprise return of Hunter as DH/backup OF'ers and Kepler in the wings and possibly close?

One hell of a post Tom! Thank you! Always felt, no matter how much I admired, liked or approved of TR as a GM or person, track record or not, that he simply counted on/promoted Hicks too soon based on hope, potential, and Hunter similarities. He absolutely blew CF the past few seasons. But it seems to me we are watching Hicks grow up right before our eyes as a young man and a baseball player. I could see it in ST with the new leg kick. Even when he didn't necessarily hit right away after his promotion this season, you could see a different spine when he left the batter's box...one way or another. And you could see it in the way he played defense. And the defense, previously slandered the past couple of seasons, sometimes deservedly so, has been very good to outstanding. Seems to keep getting better. Three potentials here; none of them poor. He's either a solid, quality all around corner OF who provides great defense and backup CF ability. (Or potential starting CF to let Buxton be less fatigued or injury risk in RF??) Or a top overall 4th OF with multiple ways to jelly the team. Or a potentially top trade prospect. Really, really like what we're seeing out of Hicks these days.

I soooo want to agree with you on this.....I really, really want to. Kepler should be up, and soon, soon as he's feeling himself again. Thought he should have been a week or so ago. But try as I might, I just can't give a nod of the head for ABW II. He is one of my favorite Twins prospects, and I have very high, cross your fingers, type of hope for him. He is at his highest level of competition, and yet, despite a somewhat poor start, is actually having his very best season. That says something! And even with high SO numbers that will probably continue at the ML level, there is presedence to indicate he can hit OK, have big power numbers and RBI totals, and be a big contributor with a somewhat all or nothing approach. (Though a few walks sprinkled in could pay off in a HUGE way!) But despite his impressive season, potential, and even ability (potentially-athletically) to play a decent OF, there is this gut feeling I have that he should stick it out at Chatanooga for the remainder of the year. My gut says he should continue his success and improvement, round off some rough edges, keep working, keep working on his defense as well, and take all this great production and improvement, even little improvements, and use it for a fresh start at Rochester next season. I'm sure the Twins know a great deal more than I do, but again, it's a gut feeling.

Much as I wrote in a colum a week or so ago, I say here in brief to echo this excellent article: what do the Twins need to do the rest of the way? Keep winning...without doing anything silly to mortgage the future, (a future that is just begining)....but keep playing and promoting the talented prospects. And for the most part, they've been doing that. Kepler is the only youngsters I can really say now is being held down. And even that's a little iffy as this is his first real breakout season. But I believe he's showing so much polish and potential it's time to move him to Rochester. For that matter, while I hate to continue the devastation of the Lookouts roster, I believe Vargs should be back at Rochester ASAP as well. What's he got to prove in AA ball? Keep winning, keep enjoying, keep making moves as necessary, but between the parent club and AAA, we need everyone playing as much as possible and being pushed upward as much as "smartly" possible. The results will be more depth, more competition, and in a case or two, possibly stronger trade value as well from which to deal from, both veteran and youngster.

Anyone have any kind of scouting report that is current on the young D Rodriguez at E Town? Seems to be pretty impressive, but he's also been in rookie ball a few years as a failed OF. I'm wondering if his success as a RP last season and success this far as a SP might not indicate a bump to CR in the not too distant future.

Great article, but it makes me feel a little stupid. In theory, generally, pitchers always perform better against same sided hitters. Harder to pick up the ball, etc. So why on earth did it ever become vague to only throw a change to an opposite hand hitter?

Pressly being hurt doesn't help as he was actually pitching fairly well. Graham has been a huge surprise to me! Aren't you being blind, short- sighted or borderline stupid not to give Duffy a shot in the pen. He can always move back to a starting role later. (Same with Meyer naturally) I haven't always been on board with this idea, but I've come around on it. I like the Hawkins idea. I like giving Joba Chamberlain a shot. But I'm not in favor of trading for anyone, this season, unless they can realistically be expected to be part of the tea for at least a few years.

In general principal, I object to giving anyone 16yo anything close to $4M when they haven't really accomplished anything yet, and have barely reached legal driving age. For that matter, I don't like giving an 18yo that kind of money either. But such is the world of sports and entertainment we live in. Generally speaking, year to year, I'd love for the Twin to spread their money around and sign several high quality prospects, say 4-5 or so. Quantity and quality both! However, the problem is, EVERYONE would like to spread their money around to various prospects and sign both quantity and quality. I still don't quite grasp all of the ramifications of restrictions for teams next year. But it appears as though half the league will be restricted, leaving more financial maneuverability for us to play the quantity and quality game for real. In regard to Javier, it is sooo hard to scout and project American high school kids, I don't know how on earth you accurately scout and project out an equivalent sophomore in a Latin country. But sometimes I can really appreciate the "go for it" mentality. If the Twins really believe in this kids potential, and really think they got in early on perhaps the top prospect available, (potentially), I'm kind of excited to the gamble and the aggressiveness shown. I dare say its a combination of belief, as well as recognition they may have less opposition next year in spreading a wider net.

Love the potential, despite a high K rate that may never drop to where we want it to be. But thus far in his short career, he has made adjustments, and has performed at a pretty constant level. In fact, I dare say he's made more adjustments and more improvement this season than any other. And this, perhaps he finest season yet, comes at the AA level. So what if strikes out too much to hit 3 or 4. Maybe he strikes out too much to hit 5th. But he could be an absolute terror in the 6 or 7 hole if nothing else. (And honestly, Dozier, Sano, Kepler and others, might be the only spots with room anyway. But with his propensity for strikeouts, with the success and improvement under way, I'm in favor of keeping him at AA for the remainder of the season. Just feels like a necessary, logical step in his evolution and development as a player. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Stick a fork in him. He's done! What..........................................too soon?