DocBauer

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.

I've heard stories of guys literally being pulled out of a crowd or off the street outside a studio, and being asked if they can sing and suddenly fronting a band or recording an album. We got anyone cruising the aisles or the sidewalk outside?

At work. Game started. Saw 4-0 top of the first and put the phone away. Don't think I'll be checking it again. I mean...really? Slegers to the 40 man getting a shot is a worse idea than Turley?

Sorry about that. I had problems connecting last night and lost a brief comment about how even Sano, for all his numbers and play, has room to improve and will do so. I probably should have given up and just waited to post until today. Lol

Sorry...just too much going on and too long of a day. I should have checked the auto correct better. Sincere apologies to all.

Can we just get this out of the way? I know...you know...we ALL know the Twins need pitching help. Were it possible to drain internet ink wells dry and call out "Boy...more ink!" we'd all have soar throats, or at least tired fingers. This is about the state, status, and possibilities of the Twins in regard to position players. Though I do understand overlap as it pertains to potential trade moves, immediately, or, down the road. But after two quality wins against the hated dirty-sox, (note no capital letters there), and the disappointing series against the Tribe, I've been doing some reflecting on the other side of the roster coin, so to speak. Maybe looking for positivity? Maybe just for fun? Maybe for perspective? Maybe all? But I think it's an important discussion being left out with all the angst about the pitching staff. Just ONE POINT I'd like to make from my soapbox...for just a moment, if I could...and he'll, I started the thread so why not! Most of us, (note I didn't use the dreaded word "ALL") have been clamoring for the Twins to move on with the rebuild and play the youngsters. Well, positionally speaking, they are. And IMHO, I find it a bit absurd that many are clamoring for trades and devotions of said young players because they are not already performing as all star talents. Really? I mean...really?? Off my soapbox, without pulling or twisting anything...and I'm impressed considering a rash of recent, weird injuries, let's get on with our look-see at the roster, positionally speaking, shall we? CATCHER: Castro: pick all the nits you want to, (And I wish someone would explain that eufanism to me some day), but he has clearly provided some of the best overall game calling and catching we've seen in some time. He only just turned the ancient age of 30. His AVG is about what we expected, his OB is solid, he has some power, but he's here for his work behind the plate. He's here for at least 2 more years and he's definitely been an upgrade. Giminez: A good guy, a good clubhouse guy. Solid behind the plate. His OB and OPS, as of now, are higher than Castro. He can fill in here and there. But when your backup catcher is perhaps the most easily replaceable player on your team, it's not such a bad thing. Garver: Nobody has ever said Garver was the second coming of Mauer. But at 26, he is not really old for a prospect, especially for a catcher. By all reports he is solid behind the plate, has a good arm, and he's a quality hitter, especially for a catcher, with pop. Were it not for the signing of Giminez...probably a smart one at that...he might already be up. He also has positional flexibility to some degree, but may lack the posting entertainment of Giminez throwing in a pop-up role. But unless we are just missing something, he and his AAA OPS of .841 and good arm will be up eventually. INFIELD: Mauer: I don't know if it's time removed from concussions, new sunglasses or biopic replacement parts, but he suddenly looks like the Mauer of old these days. Most days at least. Let's hope it continues for now, and 2018, and bid him a loud ovation after 2018 because at age 34 right now, he's just not in long term plans. So let's get to the rest of the infield. Vargas: Man, I just don't know. But has there even been a guy who has been jerked up and down, in and out, more than Vargas? Despite some SO numbers over his ML and milb numbers he has also shown the ability to hit, provide power and RIB, and even take some BB. Not even 27 until August, and seeing what he is capable of, what are the Twins afraid of here? That they might find a quality player who can hit, provide power and RIB? (Shudder) Dozier: The "ancient" and sure to cease being a quality player very soon Dozier is only 30. He's a quality player. Prone to streaks, absolutely. But he's a nice player with a lot of ability. He's also the most easily replaceable player due to sudden depth in the system should a real and viable trade partner surface. Polanco: He is only 23. 24 in July. Remember how he couldn't play AS? He's been excellent at SS. He's made numerous offensive contributions in addition to his defense and has been one of the toughest batters to SO. He's been a hitting machine most of his milb career. AS or 2B, this is a very talented young man. And I've read a few posts recently where he should be demoted, traded, replaced, etc. Really? This kid has an "it" factor. Can we give him more than his first full ML season to pass judgement? Escobar and Adrianza: I include them together. Both super old at 28 and 27. Who on earth would want a versatile, solid, utility player with good defense at multiple positions who could hit, run, and in Escobar's case, hit with some power as well? Healthy, Escobar has been good to borderline outstanding whether you regard him as a utility player or starter. (Contextnjs important here). Adrianza has proven to be a find. Gordon, Vielma and Goodrum: Prospects, so I'm bunching them together. Not the biggest fan of Gordon when drafted, despite pedigree because scouting numbers didn't have me overly excited, I have become a fan and believer. He had a really nice 2016, a tremendous ALF, and has shown huge ability and improvement in 2017 at AA. Everything from work ethic to production screams this kid is a budding player and top prospect. By all accounts Vielma is a wizard with the glove, will make some contact, will take a BB, and can run. What could he do/become With an extra whopper or two to bulk up even a little bit? Goodrum is a bit of a dark horse I admit, often forgot about these past few years. But after injury setbacks, he had a nice rise at AA in 2016. His first taste of AAA ball in 2017 is somewhat mediocre, but there is ability, speed and power and positional flexibility to think he could become what we hoped DanSan might become. Remember just a couple years ago when the Twins had nobody to play the infield? OUTFIELD: Buxton: Don't you have to start here? Only 23 until December. Absolutely OOZES potential and ability. Fast tracked through the system despite missing games via injury. Just scratching his potential. Imagine where he could be in a year? Or two at most? Kepler: Watching him, the ease in which he seems to do everything, especially concerning his initial learning curve, is there any doubt the 24yo Kepler doesn't have some of the best ability, smooth stroke, and potential of any of the young Twins? Rosario: OK. Fine! He's wild. He's undisciplined and a bad ball hitter. (So we're Oliva and Puckett-just saying). He plays great defense with a great arm but makes some bad mistakes at times. Ummm....hes immensely talented, loves to play the game, and has tremendous potential. He's never going to be perfect. He may never be what Buxton and Kepler might be, but that doesn't mean he can't be very, very good. Grossman: VASTLY improved with the glove, only 27 and finding himself, has pop, decent speed, can hit, work the count and take BB. An aberration? Perhaps. But I see a quality hitter just finding himself at age 26-27. Granite, Palka and Wade: Granite "gets it". He understands his role and his ability. He knows and understands what he is and what he can do. And he dies it exceedingly well. Does it translate to the ML? I really think it might. But right now, I wouldn't jump him ahead of the very talented 3 starting for the Twins. I would not dismiss Palka too easily. His recent injury has set him back. But he's a solid athlete with the ability to potentially play 3 spots. Power is his calling card, but he's shown some ability as a hitter at all levels, with some ability to take BB. Wade needs time and some patience. He might even need the full season at AA, but I think comparisons to Lawton are not without merit. So that's the positional player makeup as of now. Yes, there's a lot of talent and potential in the low minors that bear earnest watching. But from a positional player point of view, this is what we are looking at now and going immediately forward. And I would say it's exciting and enticing. TWO guys over 30, Mauer and Giminez. TWO guys at 30, Castro and Dozier. What do you see? I'm optimistic. Are You? How do you see all of this fitting together?

On a serious note, I commented in the past that Berrios reminded me of Pedro Martinez. Not because they were both Latin, or because they threw the same way, but because they both worked hard, had bulldog mentalities on the mound, and neither fit the classic height and size regarded as optimal for a stud ML SO. But I have always lauded Berrios work ethic, will to be great, and seeming knack for making adjustments. Now that he has settled down, adjusted, and realized he belongs in the league, he looks great and should only get better and better. Not going to say he will be an ACE, much less a HOF'er, but would anyone bet against this kid at this point?

Sorry gang, late to the thread, watching the game on my tablet while doing home stuff. Sorry if I missed if I missed it, but this Berrios kid looks pretty good!

Absolutely not bashing the idea or intent of the article. But I disagree with the premise. Position player wise, I really like the construction and potential of this team. But to me, re-rooling of this team means sticking with ALL of the young players, at the very least, and seeing how they grow and develop. This team IS playing young players now. Something we've all been asking for and waiting for. But some want to trade Polanco and Rosario, amongst others. Why? Because they aren't performing at all star levels already? Play these guys, stick with them, and promote some RP, promote others to AAA like Jorge and Gonsalvez and possibly Romero, though IP limits might have him in the pen to end the season. Dozier, as much as I love him, is the one guy replaceable who might bring a viable SO option back. Otherwise, stay the course, see what you have when the season is done, and between FA, trade and ST battles, re-tool more then.

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!

When Haley is ready to come off the DL, don't you just have to stretch him out during his rehab with the thought of giving him a shot at starting? I mean, really, after watching some of these guys get their shot, why shouldn't Haley? Couldn't possibly do worse could he?

So you're saying there's a chance.......

I'm starting to really wonder how Adrianza was available.

I guess I missed it somewhere, what's with the blue uniforms today?

Great opening! Just tuned in with 2 outs in the 1st and the game is already over. Damn!

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't disagree here. Think it may still be possible to fill a couple of the bullpen spots internally by the second half. Santiago getting back on track helps deepen the rotation. I absolutely love the young talent on this club and overall depth and versatility, position player wise. My concern, even with the listed upgrades, might just be the overall youth of the team. Still have a belief that 2018 may be the real breakout season.

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