DocBauer

Like others, I am an optimist and refuse to stop being one. Right NOW, they are an average team with potential. I just don't know if they CAN maintain until the break. I sure hope they can! Correa was great before he missed time last season, and was great when he came back. I simply refuse to believe such a well conditioned, smart player is suddenly losing his bat at 30yo! I fully expect him to have a strong 2nd half, I just hope his 2nd half starts soon. We also need Wallner and Jeffers to get hot again soon. IF Lewis's latest injury is truly mild, he should be back in July. He was starting to look like his old self before this injury. Very possible he has a strong 2nd half as well. On the youth side, Keaschall will be back in July as well. He won't be the Superman he was in his debut, but hes a well rounded and high quality player who appears ready for MLB. He doesn't have to be as good as he was in his debut to make a difference. I'm NOT betting on it, but what if E Rodriguez comes back fairly soon and gets hot, like he was flashing before his latest setback? Could he MAYBE bring a spark to the lineup the way Wallner did in 2023? What if Eeles keeps raking and producing at St Paul and his "pop" suddenly comes back? Could he bring a spark along WITH Keaschall for the 2nd half? While there's some "IF's" in there, most of what I stated is pretty practical. Unfortunately, the problem may be the pitching injuries. No Lopez until August is a problem. Stubborn or real, Ober insists a sore hip isn't his problem, it's mechanics. Can he just maintain solid starts with his secondary stuff and smarts, and straighten out his mechanics to be at least solid with a sore hip? I'm not betting against Paddack RIGHT NOW after only the 2nd poor start of his season. I doubt his total IP for the SEASON, but considering how well he's been tossing, I'm not losing faith after only his 2nd bad start. I have a lot of belief in Festa, basically a rookie. The Festa who threw so well in 2024 after a poor couple early appearances is the REAL Festa, IMO. Personally, I'm throwing away the start against the A's because of weird circumstances. I'm betting on the 2024 and early 2025 version and him growing and getting better as he gains experience. Again, he's basically a talented rookie settling in. As of TODAY, with what little we know, Matthews might not be out long. That helps. But in the meantime, we need SWR to be the solid 2024 version of himself that was solid and growing before running out of steam at the end. With a talented "rookie" in the rotation, and another talented "rookie" hopefully back in about a month, it's imperative that Sim takes a step forward. But with Lopez out, and Ober not quite right...hopefully that's all...the 8th man in the pen is going to be interesting. I'm expecting no initial greatness from Adams, but he provides a really interesting option to be a middle man bridge to help eat innings and keep the Twins in games without over using the rest of a good pen. The problem is he's the only other 40 man option other than Raya who has options and can be sent down if we need to re-load that 8th spot for a few days. Do we play the DFA game with McCaugan, Dobnak, Wentz, and Tonkin? Or do they make room for someone like Morris...promoted too early but get his feet wet...in order to play the up and down game for that 8th spot? It changes a LOT if Matthew's injury is mild and he's back soon. But for NOW, that 8th spot suddenly becomes important. ONE RUN games are killing the Twins record due to the offense, not the pen or rotation. And while there are real possibilities for the offense to be better and rise to top 15, maybe even top 10 status in regard to runs scored, I'm worried about the rotation even though I believe in Festa and have SOME belief in SWR. The Twins MIGHT have a pitching issue between Ober not being himself and Lopez out, along with Matthews. But Festa is as good or better a prospect than Matthews. Let's just bet Ober guts it out and figures it out, and SWR continues to mature and pitch like he did most of 2024. That's the ideal result. I worry about how one of the best and deepest rotations in all of MLB are suddenly being tested. But my greatest concern is blown opportunities to win games by an inconsistent offense that has too much talent to be so far below average. Even with questions and worry about the rotation, I STILL believe an uptick in the player roster providing better production can lead the team to a better than .500 record, 85-90 wins. But it only happens if they take a step or two forward. The bite is, they ARE capable of being better than they have been. But once again, NO CONSISTENCY.

I'm as depressed, bummed out, frustrated, and even confused as anyone over the past 2 weeks. I'm not giving up for a few reasons: 1] The SWR we saw in 2024 was OK, but got better and showed growing confidence as the season went along. His return from St Paul was pre-mature, and awful. But he looked much more like his 2024 self in his 2nd turn. Can he duplicate that to any sort and be his 2024 self? If so, the rotation can still be OK. 2] The Festa we saw in 2024, and his first few starts in 2025, is NOT the guy we saw hopping a last second flight to CA to throw off a tough mound in his first start back. His next start is much more of what I expect. I think hes a fixture for the future. His time might be now. Can he be remotely consistent? 3] I don't have much belief in Wentz. But a former solid prospect at 27yo converting to the pen is at least interesting. I'd reserve judgment until I see him again. He wasn't bad for Pittsburgh. Maybe he's a decent conversion candidate who the Twins can tinker with and turn in to something? He could also be DFA in a week. Because... 4] I really think they need the 8th spot to be a guy or two who can help eat a couple innings and keep the Twins in games. Adams needs a shot, and he's probably going to get one. I'm not sure who else qualifies considering thr 40 man roster and lack of options for other candidates. The problem remains the offense. Correa has been much better. Now he's slumping some. We still have a while 2nd half of the season to play. Jeffers, Larnach, and Wallner are a bit streaky. Sucks when everyone seems to get cold at the same time, but those 3 are solid bats. Does Keaschall provide a spark come July? Lee is growing and getting better. Can Lewis actually be healthy for the 2nd half? I'm not betting on it, but he's a difference maker when he is, as he was just starting to round in to shape before this most recent "mild" hamstring injury. There's still enough here to be a competent, middle of the league offense with some top 10 potential. Unless Ober implodes, the rotation still has a chance to be solid/good, but the 8th BP spot might come in to play in an unexpected way. I'm just looking for the entire staff to work together to mitigate the loss of Lopez, and Matthews to a certain degree. It still comes down to the offense. And I don't see ownership making any additions that could help.

The fact that the Dodgers have excellent scouting and a great MILB system makes "stealing" Serrano from them a potential coup. But I just can't comment on a 17yo DSL kid other than to say I hope he keeps it up. Other than as a footnote, Acura should never be compared to his brother. I think that's obvious. But the fact that he shows such a good base to work from in regard to contact and discipline is promising. I think Rosario has gotten a bum rap from a lot of people after a disappointing 2024. He was a monster in 2023 for CR winning the league's MVP award, and showing much better discipline than he had shown previously. His power in the last AFL was down, but his other numbers were up from his previous AFL stint. But a mediocre 2024 at AA and then being injured after 70 games hurt his "look". A slow start to this season hasn't helped. But as the OP states, he's been raking for some time now. The approach is good, the power and the numbers are good, and he's rounding in to form. Being productive as a 22yo at AA is good stuff. He's not a great athlete, but he's not a poor one either. His SB surge this season would seem to indicate he's not just a statue. Reportedly, he's got a good arm. He might be stiff in RF, but he's young enough to loosen up, and improve reads, and become at least an acceptable OF, even on a part time basis. Actually, he sounds a lot like his teammate Gabriel Gonzalez. If one of those two could become decent defensively, the Twins might have a solid, productive RH OF/DH in the near future. But since the OP focused on teenagers, I want to give a shout out to a couple near/recent teens in Winokur and Questad. After a poor start to the season, Winokur has adjusted and put up some solid numbers. And after a pretty bad debut in the FCL in 2024, Questad has made a solid adjustment to Ft Myers. While his ERA and BB numbers aren't very good, his hit and K per 9 and looking very good.

His defense, for whatever reason, has slipped in 2025. Hes been better, and hopefully he will be again. I don't believe he's as good of a hitter as he's been the past month, but hes shown previously hes pretty good when healthy. I like the change in approach from the RH side. It makes a lot of sense, especially when that's the side he bats from the least; focus on the FB and out front contact, and then force the pitcher to throw strikes with secondary offerings and adjust. I'm a fan, and have been one since he broke through with us a couple years ago. Depending on new ownership, I'd still like to have him for one more year, depending on the sale and the payroll for 2026. While a fan...as most of us are...of Eeles, we're still waiting for an opportunity to see what he can do at the ML level. (He probably would have been up over a month ago had he not had knee surgery this past offseason. Schobel's step up has been a really nice surprise this season. But right after hitting AAA, he gets hurt. Hopefully he's not out long and has the 2nd half to prove his growth is real, and he might be a factor in 2026. Culpepper and DeBarge are just about ready for a jump to AAA, but it's still unknown if either will be ready for 2026, or at what point. I see Keaschall as more of a ready to play starter who just needs to get healthy again, though he might play a couple different spots. Unfortunately, injuries and natural hit and cold streaks, Castro has been a little inconsistent in his Twins tenure. But I like him a lot and would really like to see him back for 2026. Also hoping he continues to produce like he has in the past for the remainder of the year as we really need his help right now.

So what's happening at the SAFETY spot? We've got Smith, Metellus, and possible/probable breakthrough candidate Jackson as the top 3 and Ward as the depth piece, playing special teams and backing up the other primary 3. But you've got to have more than 4 plus the rookie FA Mishael Powell from Miami. With the signing of IOL Vershan Lee, both lines are 3 deep for camp and the preseason, which is about what you'd like to have. But you can't go through camp, scrimmages, and 3 preseason games with only 5 SAFETIES. Ward and Powell will undoubtedly play a lot. But they've got to add SOMEONE to the mix, even if he's just a camp body. Or, do they aim a bit higher with a remaining FA. Thoughts?

Wentz is LH and breathing, and only 27yo. He was a high draft choice...supplemental 1st round pick...who couldn't stick as a starter. He MIGHT have a future in the pen with decent velocity and a couple decent breaking balls. What's really strange is the Pirates letting him go when his numbers with them weren't all that bad. He could just as easily be DFA by the Twins in a few days to bring Adams back up. But he does have the advantage of ML experience over Adams. I think the Twins are going to need a couple guys they can rotate through to deepen the pen over the next month or so until Matthews is back, and then Lopez in August. Of course, Festa getting in to a groove and SWR settling in to be the pitcher he was for most of 2024 would mitigate that need somewhat. But any more injuries to the starting staff and the Twins are in trouble. Nobody can withstand having to turn to their 8th and 9th options and have much luck. I wouldn't be surprised if Alcala suddenly figured something out and did well for Boston, or someone else. But he has been generally awful since August of 2024 and needed to be replaced by someone who could potentially help this season. Its just the nature of the beast. He was basically unusable for the Twins, and they need someone usable. It was time to part ways.

As I recall, Sean Johnson was given the #1 job over amateur scouting in 2017 when the current FO took over. I think we need to send some love and kudos his way when we examine the various drafts since 2017. Falvey and Levine may have been the top dogs in the FO, but it's been Johnson's show. I'm very encouraged by the pick of Diaw last year, but I'm not certain hes the BEST pick in the '24 draft when you look at Culpepper, DeBarge, and Hill and what they've done so far. But Diaw looks like a really good selection. It's taken a few years to get the prospect pipeline going, not just the pitchers. Injuries have set a couple prospects back, most notably Lewis. But nobody has a crystal ball to see injuries in the future. They happen to all teams, even though the Twins often seem more snakebit than other organizations when it comes to top prospects being injured. And not everyone turns out, or becomes a STAR. But when I watch Wallner, Larnach, Lewis...when healthy previously...Jeffers, Lee, Ober, Varland, Festa, and Mattthews and realize they are all from the past few years, I think you have to say they've been largely successful so far. Keaschall already looks like a great choice, and he isn't the only INF climbing the prospect ladder. How good might Jenkins be? And there's some college arms on their way who have flashed, and a handful of some really good looking prep arms looking very intriguing. Not everyone is a finished product yet, but they've reached the highest level. Very few, percentage wise, do so. Whether the trades turned out or not, some prospects brought back ML talent to the club, most notably Petty for 2 years of Gray. We can argue who is the best choice from various draft classes over the past few seasons, but we've seen some solid returns, some not yet polished debuts with promise showing, and some really interesting prospects that might be close, and some too young to accurately predict yet, despite early returns. I think they've done a good job collecting the talent. It's still up to the coaches at all levels, including the ML ones, to get the most out of e everyone.

I wasn't crazy about the pick when they made it, but they were picking late, it was a weird draft of limited knowledge due to the nature of 2020 and the loss or near loss of all amateur seasons. He was a bat only at 1B, but he could hit, get OB, and he could MASH the ball. To say hes been a disappointment would be an understatement. And hes disappeared from prospect lists. I'd really like to know what changed this past offseason? Is it better health and conditioning? Did he change his approach and or stance? Did he watch a ton of film and realize he'd been getting himself out and just mentally change that portion of his approach? He hasn't hit like this since his 1st two years in college, when the Twins drafted him. He just turned 26yo a week ago, and suddenly he's at AAA. There's still a pretty good chance he flames out. But wouldn't it be interesting if the change was for real and he's suddenly a viable ML hitter by late this season or next? I'm sure not betting on it, but it would be a hell of a story.

With over half a season to go in AAA, does Schobel continue his strong year and challenge for a spot on the Twins in 2026 as a possible replacement for Castro? Too soon? I only have what I read as I haven't watched him since ST, but every time I read about a Morris game it always seems to end with a couple inherited runners scoring. I appreciate that he might be responsible for runners reaching base, but they never seem to be stranded. It feels like his numbers are somewhat inflated. Rosario and Winokur both got off to rough starts this season. But while I don't have the numbers in front of me, both of them seem to have really picked it up the last month or so. Rosario re-establishing himself as a decent prospect? Winoker proving just how good of a prospect he really is?

More teams in contention at the deadline means fewer teams in sell mode. More than ever, the time to build your team is in the offseason, as well as continued development within your system. I don't see the Twins moving prospects for a power hitting 1B or quality pen arm rental. If prospects are moved, I'd rather it be after the season for someone who's god, and will be with us for more than a couple of months.

I think it's just a smarter, more deliberate approach to developing bulk/middle relievers. In the past, those roles were often filled by someone who just "took one for the team" to eat innings and then sit for days, or even get sent down and swapped out. If you can develop a guy who's not good enough to be a traditional SP, but can be really good for 3 and occasionally 4 innings, then you can more easily bridge a 4th and 5th starter type that might only be good for 5 innings. Maybe that's all he can handle, or maybe he's a rookie being broke in. So now you save all your 1 inning guys with a solid bridge guy who can go 2-4 every 4th day. Sort of his own specialist. I can see this working. Not sure most teams could have more than 1 of that type of arm though.

Langenberg and Raya have been a couple of the more disappointing prospects this season. I thought Langenberg had an outside shot at making AA to begin the season, or get there before the break. Nice to see him have a solid game. I understand Raya had to be added to the 40 man for protection purposes, but I never really expected to see any time with the Twins this season. I've always felt 2025 was a transition year, keep working on command, keep getting stretched out, and 2026 would be when he .ade his debut. But he's been really bad so far. Nice.to see him flash his ability again. There's been a handful of promotions already, and I don't think they're done yet. There's a good 5 or 6 guys I can see moving up before the break, especially DeBarge and Culpepper. I wonder if they're waiting for Amick to get back before making a move?

Catching prospects based on upside? DIAW (best overall combination of talent and potential) Then CARDENAS (defense, game calling, arm, bat control, limited power) FERRER or OlIVAR some combination for 3rd and 4th. (Ferrer was a top prep catcher prospect who got moved to the OF. The bat could be really good if he makes a successful transition back to catcher. Olivar has played more C than OF this year and thr bat plays, but can he actually CATCH? And this year's 17% CS% is the highest in his career do far) After that, a mixed bag of WINKEL, COSSETTI, and BAEZ. Winkel can't throw, and doesn't do a lot with the bat and has limited power. Has Cossetti improved his skills? He's still not throwing well and his bat disappeared all of 2024 and the begining of this season. Baez is a good athlete and can smack the ball. But he can't throw it and hasn't shown much power. I just don't have any faith in Cartaya. Anyone else is a teenager at this point.

I don't know about turning back in to a pumpkin. His initial hot streak when joining the Twins was an All Star caliber performance for a 29yo journeyman. He was NEVER going to maintain that kind of production. But it doesn't mean that a new team, continued maturity as a ML ballplayer, and an opportunity to play couldn't mean he's developed in to a solid ML utility player who MIGHT be about ML average as a hitter. For now, he fills a role with decent defense, and a fairly powerful LH bat that deserves playing time to see if he's just regressing from unsustainable numbers, or regressing to the same player hes been so far in his career. Unfortunately, for now, the best option is to believe he's grown and developed as a hitter, and is worthy of his roster spot and additional opportunities. There's nobody else to replace him! A month from now, Keaschall should be back, or close to. Bride is probably gone. Unless Julien or Miranda SUDDENLY figure it out, they aren't current options to help. Any chance Martin could help is out the window due to injury. It's POSSIBLE that Holland or Eeles might continue to perform really well over the next few weeks...and Clemens doesn't...and the Twins finally look INTERNALLY for options...and one of them displaces Clemens along with Keaschall taking Bride's spot. I can see that happening. But for NOW, you can't ignore someone who's done well and might just be in a slump but can still be a decent contributor.

I'm only mildly surprised. He's a very good #2 TE, quasi starter considering how much the Vikings run a 2 TE set. I've always believed in keeping your good players as much as financially possible. And the Vikings have one of the best 1-2 TE punches in the league. Losing Mundt hurts as he was a really good #3 option. Here's hoping that 1 of the 2 rookie TE emerge as a solid #3 with potential. The salary cap for 2026 is a mess as of right now, as even with an expected raise, the Vikings are over the projected number. And I'd be surprised if Metellus didn't also receive an extension. There's going to have to be some other adjustments and extensions, and re-worked deals that offer bonus $ and the such to keep this team together for next season. Part of me wonders if this extension offers some $ flexibility in the underlying numbers as the NFL cap situation has more loopholes to play with than a sneaker store! But I think this is good news.

The one thing I've often wondered is what if ownership had gone to the FO in December and told them they had an extra $10-15M to spend. Would they have done things differently? Would they have moved as much of Vazquez's contract, signed a less expensive #2 catcher, maybe not signed Bader, and spent more on acquiring a different 1B option? What would that have looked Ike? Would we be better with a different 1B and no Bader? We'll never know, but I do wonder at times. But I digress. While the signing of France didn't get me excited, I did comment before it happened that I liked him better than the options that remained. Healthy and only 30yo, he at least offered some upside the remaining candidates didn't seem to have. But what he's done so far is simply difficult to describe. How can he be so good with runners on and in scoring position but be so below average otherwise? Does he change his mental or physical approach? Maybe both? Is he pitched differently? I doubt even France himself has a clue. I think it's honest and fair to say we'd all like to see 1B addressed in some manner for 2026 and beyond with someone who has more power, and can do more total damage from that position. It's been a long time. As Greg fairly points out, he could easily regress. But he could also maintain his current production, and possibly improve when you look at underlying numbers. I have to wonder...without studying his whole career...has he changed his approach to sacrifice the power he's shown in the past for a more contact driven approach? He does seem to usually take professional AB. So is this an experienced veteran making a deliberate change? IMO, an IDEAL lineup has a few guys with power who can mash. The Twins have a couple of those, more if/when Lewis gets his game together. And you have a couple of guys who can provide some speed. We don't have a lot of that, but Buxton, Castro, and Bader fit the bill, and Keaschall when he's back. But you should also have a couple of guys who are more contact driven, with doubles power and the occasional HR, who just put the ball in play and spray it around. Has France morphed in to that kind of hitter? We still have almost 2/3 of the season to play and France can regress, maintain, or progress. Right now, I'd be ecstatic if he just maintained while hitting around 6-7 behind other good hitters and keep finding opportunities to knock guys in. His defense has been fine, if not great. I'd love to see someone next season, and beyond, who can be more of a difference maker. But regardless of salary, he's still about league average overall as a hitter. And that works for now if he maintains. Hes not great. But he's OK, especially when you realize how much 1B across the league has really changed the past few years. Again, hes not great. I'd like better. But he certainly hasn't been the problem with the offense.

I know Rozek is needed and has thrived filling different roles for both St Paul and Wichita, but I can't help wonder if he and the Twins wouldn't be better served just using him as a middle man and cut it loose. He may be older, but LH and breathing for a team short on LHP makes me believe he at least has a shot in that role. Who is this Sabato guy? Because he sure doesn't look like the guy who's floundered in the Twins system the previous 4 years. Is there even a real chance that at 25yo he actually figured something out? If he keeps this up he needs to be at St Paul come July 1st. He's either protected next offseason because this growth is real, or some rebuilding team will take a chance on him as a 1B/DH. With all due respect to Mauer, I don't know that the Twins have ever drafted as good of an athlete as Diaw. It's great that he can play CF, but other than getting his bat in the lineup when not behind the plate, I'd be focusing on him as a backstop. Period. He's got bat ability you normally don't see with and the athleticism to move well behind the plate. IMO, he's the #1 catching prospect in the system. NOTE: If Jaime Ferrer...also drafted last year... steps up with the bat, he's POTENTIALLY the #2 catching prospect. But Noah Cardenas would be #2 at the moment. He's got a good arm and good skills behind the plate, and has had a big rebound offensively after a very disappointing 2024. He'll probably never be a great hitter or have much power, but he makes contact, controls the zone, and has a good eye. Ricardo Olivar has caught more than he's played OF or DH this season. But while he's posted the best CS% of his career, 17% doesn't speak to confidence behind the plate. Too bad Nate Baez can't throw, because his bat has been big for CR this year. He doesn't have the power for 1B and might not have the skills to ever play a MLB quality catcher.

It's all really subjective isn't it? I look at age, level, production, as well as potential when I look at prospects. In fact, I'm going to step out of bounds on this topic as I personally still consider both Matthews and Festa as prospects coming in to the season. Matthews is no longer a rookie due to service time, and Festa exceeded minimum standard by 14 IP. So to me, they both are really prospects. You can agree or disagree, but that's just my long view. So I have Festa and Matthews at the top still virtually 1A and 1B. After that it's Prielipp. He's closest, and his stuff is elite. Even if he ends up in the pen at some point, the potential is elite there as well. Next comes Soto. I have to take his stuff and his frame over Hill. I love Hill. Iove that he's LH. I love how good he's looked so young and so soon. But right now, Soto is just as good and has that big strong frame that screams stalwart to me. I'm really hoping the Twins don't NEED Morris this season. He's been solid, he's flashed, but I think 2026 is his time frame after additional experience and polish this season. And who wants more injuries? But while he's got decent stuff, solid command/control, the upside of the others puts him last. And FWIW, I'd have a healthy Culpepper next on my list. I think some have forgotten about him since he's started this season late.

Forgetting the fact that Festa WAS throwing pretty well in 2024 after his first couple of appearances, the key to him is his 2 seamer. When he was sent down, reports were he started throwing it a lot more, and the results were positive. A reasonably affective 2 seamer might provide a few more ground outs, and save on the number of pitches thrown. It also makes his 4 seamer more affective. So him having faith and command of that 4th pitch can really make a difference getting through the 5th inning, IMO. I still think he might be a perfect candidate to add a sweeper to his repertoire, but that's for 2026. For right now, he needs to show a competent 2 seamer, and that can make a big difference.

Got a lot to say here, going to try and break down my thoughts. A] I'd still like to see McCusker get a legitimate shot at some point. Odds are he wont make it as he's just not contact focused and has a huge strike zone. But the power is HUGE. And no matter his background, age, or K numbers, it's just hard to ignore someone...even in a hitters league/park who has an OPS over 1100. I mention him because he was mentioned in the comments, and because Eeles is also an Independent Ball signee. But I think the Twins probably view Eeles differently because... PRO'S: 1] Eeles has a small strike zone and has a contact first approach and doesn't K to any large degree. Plus, while not a "kid", 25yo at AAA isn't exactly old. 2] Eeles is short at 5' 5"...hence the not exactly accurate Altuve comps...but he's carrying somewhere between 180-190lbs. If you look at him, he carries that weight well, and has the thighs and backside that you'd expect him to drive the ball with at least some authority. I'd say he's more "pop" than "power". But that doesn't mean he can't/won't jack a few HR here and there, potentially, but with his speed should lead to Dbls and Triples. But for NOW, that pop/power is missing. But he's only just got back on the field for about 2 weeks now. 3] Speed plays, and the Twins could use more. A good contact, line drive hitter who gets on base and has speed? Yes please! The Twins could use another sparkplug in their lineup. 4] I don't know how good his defense is. I do recall Eeles talking last season about concentrating on his defense. And I recall Gardenhire talking about his hard work and lots of improvement. Despite playing a handf games in CF in 2024, and his usage at SS as well for a few games then, and recently, I'd suspect he's truly a 2B and LF option. Being able to play 2 spots, and maybe cover 2 others on an occasional or emergency roster shuffle situation doesn't hurt. But if he's solid to good at 2 spots, that's fine. CONS: 1] Agreed he may have missed his initial opportunity by having knee surgery at a bad time. He likely would have been a ST invite if healthy, and might have gotten a shot earlier this season when injuries and poor play created roster shuffling. 2] Good, bad, right or wrong, Miranda and Julien are on the 40 man and PROBABLY ahead of him just based on that fact. 3] He probably needs another 2-3 weeks minimum to get his legs fully under him, flash some of the XB power he's shown before, in order to get ready. Keaschall should be back in July, mid July at the latest. I'm certain the Twins would bring him up before Eeles. I think his contact, hit ability, BB ability for a good combined OB%, and speed might make him a decent ML ballplayer. But he IS behind a group of other players. So I don't see "SOON" as a target for his arrival, barring injuries of course. I think his best opportunity probably comes in 2026 when Castro is probably gone. Especially if he could indeed play a passable SS. That only adds versatility to his game as a potential #3 option behind Correa and Lee at the spot. And if the bat and speed repeat what he did in 2024 for the rest of this season, he could be a really nice bench option next season while Schobel, Culpepper, and DeBarge make their way up. I hope he gets his shot at some point as I think his game/ability plays at the next level. But I think his 1st window already closed because of his injury and recovery time.

As Rocco stated, the worst thing anyone can do is put undue pressure on themselves to do more. Nobody has to be a savior. Every starter just needs to stay within themselves and just concentrate on that day's game. SWR can still be a part of this team's future. His re-set at AAA doesn't mean anyone has soured on him. He just needs to be the arm he was for most of 2024 who kept the team in the game for 5 innings. Festa, with even better stuff, needs to be the guy he was in 2024 also, post a couple rough early appearances. His ERA was under 4 after his first couple of appearances. Reports are his new 2 seamer has come along nicely. He needs to trust it and throw it. The biggest issue is the possible need for a middle man a couple days a week. That might be Adams. It might be a rotation of him and others. But that also means opening up a roster spot for a different 8th man in the pen. Topa has been pretty solid. Alcala would seem to be the obvious choice to move on from, but he's still got great stuff that you hate to give up on. Interesting about Alcala, which I posted in another OP, apparently he has an ERA around 1.00 when he gets the 1st batter out. Its sky high when the 1st batter reaches. Either he loses focus/confidence, OR, it's just an indication of a "wild day" for him. There's STILL a good arm with good stuff there. But does he figure in to the 2026 plans at around $3M? And while the Twins may not want to give up on him for 2025, what if they just really need that middle man? They just might be forced to make a hard decision they don't want to make and make the 8th man a rotating spot for innings between Adams, Dobnak, and McCaughan, for example. I don't think they have to make the decision tomorrow, but in a week or so they may have to make a tough call.

It would seem the Twins are still working with Prielipp on the nuances of pitching, mixing all 3 offerings in, etc. And that's to be expected with all the time he's missed. But if he keeps this up, he can toss 60 pitches at AAA come July, IMO. I'd bet Hill follows the same path as Soto and spends the whole season at low A, with a possible late look at CR. He's still very young. Most kids his age are at rookie ball in their 1st year. Still, it's not hard to be excited about him.

Ryan couldn't seem to get locked in, or stay locked in today, but he did his job. Pens will falter once in a while, as they did Saturday, but they came back clean and strong today. But losing 2 of 3 at home, albeit to a good team that's been hit lately, feels like a missed opportunity. Really need to take the series from the Rangers. To echo some comments in the OP, Lee isn't put up great numbers. But when I watch him I think he's growing little bit by little bit. I wouldn't be shocked to see him have a pretty good 2nd half. Has Lewis suddenly awakened? A couple of his hits have been soft, but he's hit a couple hard. And he's been working for some BB as well. Agree that even if...for this year at least...he just might not be that .800-.900 OPS guy we've seen and dreamed about. But showing some power, some solid hitting, and an OPS in the upper .700 range for the remainder of the season still makes him a vital cog. Suddenly the lineup is 6 deep, possibly even 7 if Castro continues to look like the 1st half version of 2024. Its crazy to me how France is an OK hitter with an OK OB% and not a lot of power, and has an average OPS, but keeps coming through with runners on base. If he keeps this up, it's hard not to like him as a #7 type hitter. Not including Keaschall back in July, there's enough talent for the offense to be mid range ranked, maybe a little better. That might be enough with the pitching we have. But Lopez down, and now Matthews, (hopefully not for long), is going to place more pressure on said staff. Worst thing anyone can do is put too much pressure on themselves and try to do too much and be a rotation savior. Everyone just needs to stay within themselves and just do their job on a daily basis. Read an interesting stat today about Alcala. When he gets the first batter out, he's got an ERA around 1.00. When the first batter reaches, it's sky high. I guess the question is, does he lose patience/confidence when that happens? Or is just a bad day for his control? I bring this up as I don't think the Twins want to give up on him at this point, hoping for a strong 2nd half. But, having someone in the pen who can go multiple innings, possibly Adams, might force their hand with the recent bout of injuries. Food for thought. Go Twins! Beat Texas!

Still a full half season for Jenkins to be healthy and get on a roll! He should be up at Wichita in about 10-14 days. Plenty of time to get back in a groove and still make this a successful season. With a little bit of luck, Rodriguez will ALSO get healthy and get back to have a strong 2nd half. Aren't we due for a little bit of injury luck by now? Super excited for the INF talent that is surging in the system right now!

He's not under appreciated by this fan at all! He's an important part of the pen, and I want the Twins to use him and nurse him the best they can. Duran, Jax, Varland, Stewart, Sands, and Coulombe are an awfully good 6. Topa has been pretty solid as a middle guy. The only weak spot is the enigmatic Alcala. A good Alcala is damn good. A bad Alcala is pretty damn bad. At some point they are going to have to make a hard decision on Alcala. Are they better off biting the bullet and let him go elsewhere...where he might turn a corner, who knows...and acquire someone else at the deadline, OR, use that last spot for Adams, and whoever, and roll through options until you find that 8th guy who can STICK. A couple blown games here and there happens to all pens, not just the Twins. It happens. But Stewart is absolutely a part of a really good pen.