DocBauer

I admit to being a little torn on this topic. I have no skin in the discussion as I respected Rose as a ballplayer, but can't say I was ever a fan. Despite being a Christian and person that does his very best to be moral in everything I do in life...the best I can...I think there is a definite distinction between FORGIVENESS and opening a door to a reward. Rose deserves to be in the HOF as part of MLB history. And it's my understanding that he is represented as such. Therefore, in some capacity, he is already "imortalized" in the Hall. But regardless of off the field incidents and a general belief and acceptance of him just not being a good person, the fact is that as a PLAYER and MANAGER, he violated the #1 cardinal sin of MLB. Whether he was a gambling addict or someone who just believed the rule didn't apply to him, he repeatedly broke that #1 rule. He is already enshrined in history, but he doesn't deserve to be enshrined in that special way in which he's ELECTED in to the Hall. I DON'T want to derail the thread! But the steroid issue has been broached already, and has some similar bearing on this discussion as a result. I don't like liars or cheaters. To this day, I'm a little unclear as to the actual rules in place when the steroid controversy became uncovered. On a strictly personal note, I'm fully in favor of HGH and steroids to be used for MEDICAL purposes for ANYONE, including professional athletes, to recover from injuries or medical conditions. I am NOT in favor of such treatments for enhancement for performance! Only for medical recovery. I can only speculate without proof that will undoubtedly never be uncovered, but in cases of steroid and HGH players such as Bonds and Clemens, will we EVER know when they started? They were so good, and so dominate, their early careers were probably HOF worthy. Did they always use? Or did they only use in their mid 30's to prolong their careers when they might have already been legitimate HOF inductees? Again, we're probably never going to know. And IMO, it does create a gray area that I don't have an answer to. I wish I did. But until someone can provide any answers, or a better arguement for induction, I guess I have to follow those players down the Rose path. They get their mention in the Hall as part of history, without receiving the actual ELECTION to the hall. It's really a shame brought on by themselves. Because a couple of these guys might have been elected due to their performances when "clean".

Makes sense. 1 of 3 different 60 moves they could have made. Funderburk sticks around for today and Saturday, and goes down before Sunday to make room for, reportedly, Matthews. Could still be Festa, but Gleeman reported he got a little rest due to a "tired arm". Not unusual this point in the early season, so will probably be Matthews. Buxton still being evaluated. It did look like Correa got the worst of the collision. If Buck goes on the IL, things get interesting. The EASY move is to bring up someone already on the 40 man like Gasper, Miranda, or Julien. But would that be the SMART move? Miranda and Julien need to play daily for St Paul, and does Gasper really fill a need? It feels like the Twins are holding McCusker back to let his K and BB % level out a bit. But this team needs someone who can provide some potential offense right now, if Buxton is also gone. He might not do great, but he might run in to a couple doubles or HR that could make a difference.

Considering beat up the team is currently, the lineup.makes sense. Fully agree Lewis remembering who is can help offset the injuries. This would be a good time! But Clemens has been somewhat warm lately monitor makes sense to have him slotted higher. It also breaks up thr RH bats some. Vasquez has shown SOME signs of life lately, so I'm curious about him hitting 9th behind Keirsey. I'm thinking if Keirsey gets on base it might allow a SB opportunity, or a bunt or productive out from Vazquez to move him over. It's going to be up to the top 4 to score runs, and get anything you can from 5-9.

I don't expect a lot from his bat, but I'd at least expect a professional approach. That means he might hold his own, but probably won't be any kind of impact hitter. What i saw defensively in ST i really liked. I thought he looked really smooth with solid range and arm. I thought he might be a potential call up not only to versatility, but it means Lee doesn't HAVE to play SS. So it allows him to still play 2B/3B as needed. But with all due respect to Fitzgerald, I hope he doesn't get to play because CC checks out OK today.

Very interesting and makes some sense as to how the draft could actually unfold. However, 3 college guys to start off just feels wrong to me. Two and 1 HS kid would make more sense in the real world.

I watched several ST games this year and was impressed with Fitzgerald's defense. No clue if that means his defense is really as good as I saw, but I liked what I saw. Despite raking at AAA, I have no great belief he's going to bring much with the bat. And I like Lee just fine as a fill in at SS. But if they DID bring up Fitzgerald, it would allow Lee to keep moving to all 3 spots. And it's possible we need Castro more in the OF now depending on CC and Buck's injury situation. They'll probably bring up Gasper instead as it's a smoother roster move. But we're also not sure about Bader at the moment. Hopefully it's just a couple days off issue and he'll be ready the next couple of days. But this also might mean McCusker coming up depending on the OF situation. As to the 40 man, there are a couple 60 day moves they can make to add whoever they want. But again, Gasper is the "easy" move to make for 1 spot.

The SWR that we saw for the bulk of 2024...nursed along a little to begin with...was pretty good and seemed to get better until he ran out of gas to end the season. While he didn't pitch great so far this season, I don't recall any blow ups until his last start. I don't know that that bad inning would have necessitated the Twins sending him down at this time. I think they would have sent him out to the mound another turn or two before making a move. But the rainout really scrambles the rotation for the next week. And since SWR has options, he's the logical choice to go down and bring someone else up rather than move everyone else up a day. Personally, I feel Sim has a solid future ahead of him as a good back end SP. But I'm not so sure Festa and Matthews don't have better pure stuff and brighter futures. This gives him a chance...deserved or not...to get in a groove, stay sharp, and come back in the near future as needed. But the depth of having an arm like Matthews now gets a shot. Sim will be back. He has a future, and is young enough to continue to improve. But he's not throwing exactly great right now, and a move like this keeps the rotation on track. I'm excited to see what Matthews does.

What's interesting about the comments by Williams is that he was really impressed by KOC and the Vikings and really wanted to go there. This is him being impressed by KOC and the Vikings BEFORE the draft took place. So really, Bears fans shouldn't get on him for that. But if I read it correctly, his father made the comment about QB going to the Bears to die. That could provide a lot of vitriol headed Williams's way.

Guess I just answered my own question with a quick search. Sounds like 7 day IL if a concussion is confirmed. A move to the 10 day is warranted if they don't pass certain tests. So looks like both could be out 7 days minimum depending on initial test results this afternoon/evening. Hopefully...for their sake as well as the Twins...both were just badly shaken up. But there's a decent chance either or both are out for a week or so.

Just want to add that CC and Buxton are in concussion protocol, doesn't mean they necessarily have concussions. Hopefully we know more tomorrow. Does anyone know how the protocol works? They wouldn't have to go on the IL would they? Do they just get an exemption for a few days until cleared? Never thought I'd ever say this, but having some position flexibility with Bride and Clemens at least allows to have a bench and actually start 9 guys. She's what a mess! I really don't want to bring up Miranda or Julien as I'd rather see them playing daily at St Paul. Does Fitzgerald or Holland get moved to the 40 man temporarily and come up? I think they might promote Gasper again. But does this get McCusker up for a look see? IF CC and/or Buck are out for 7 days that really hurts.

Great game! Great streak! Awful collision! (Hope are A-OK!) Hmm....I thought Paddack was supposed to stink and have no upside?

Would they send down SWR for a pen arm at this point? Adams up for a couple of games and then Festa or Matthews up for Sunday? The rainout does mess with Ober's spot in the rotation for sure. I don't think they WANT to send SWR just yet, but maybe they need to to keep the rotation on schedule? Or could someone...again MAYBE Adams, maybe not...for the start on Sunday and do a bullpen game? A lot to consider here. The pen was taxed a bit today, but everyone also got 2 days rest before today as well. But they also don't have an off day until next Thursday.

I actually think the homestand against the Dirty Sox and Angels was the turning point. They didn't play good ball against the Sox, but still won 2 of 3. They just looked better against the Angels. And despite losing 3 of 4 against Cleveland in very disappointing fashion, it still looked like they were playing solid baseball. (Games in Cleveland have been like a cursed wasteland for the Twins the past few seasons). While the pitching is carrying the team, the offense has been at least a little better, showing signs of some life, on the winning streak. I'm a little worried about the pen, but 2 days off before today should help some. Kudos to Alcala today looking more like the arm we need and think he can be. When a team feels good about itself, and doesn't make major mistakes, you get winning streaks like this. And contributions come from unexpected sources at times, like Clemmons. You can't bank on players like him for the long haul...you need your top players to stop floundering or come back from injury...but contributions can come from everywhere if the team is feeling good about itself. I haven't given up on SWR, but he is starting to worry me a bit. I'd give him at least 1 more start. But I'm starting to wonder if he needs a re-set at St Paul with Festa or Matthews getting a shot.

It's a balancing act isn't it? Buxton is a streaky player...and all players have streaks...but he's showing what kind of a difference maker he is when in the lineup. Correa is looking much better as of late, but certainly not the Correa we've seen before when 100%. Is he hiding an injury? Or is his swing really just that messed up? I think we'll know come end of May. Lee has also been pretty solid, but not great, and is NOT a finished product yet. As I've said before, keep playing him daily for his glove and the offense he's providing, and don't be surprised to see a better, more productive player in the 2nd half. I've always been a believer in Jeffers, even though he's also streaky at times. But then again, everyone has good and bad runs. I think this is the real Larnach based on potential and his 2024. Lewis has done nothing so far. But we know the talent and previous production. Imagine his switch flipping soon...for as long as possible. (Come on baseball gods! He's deserving of some good health!). I don't see Bader continuing to do what he's done for a whole season. I believe he's going to slip. That doesn't mean a healthy Bader can't still be a solid, contributing player. While he's NOT a dynamic or difference making player, France has been solid, taken professional AB, and has been clutch at times. All of this to say it's still a TEAM game, and guys WILL run hot and cold at different times. So while I can't disagree with the OP...and it is about maintaining decent production until the return of Wallner and Keaschall...I still think it's about not EVERYONE tanking AT ONCE, which was the case to start the season. Wallner is one of the Twins best 4 players. Getting him back makes a difference. The SSS of Keaschall just isn't sustainable. That doesn't mean he's not ready for MLB and can't make a difference for the 2nd half when he returns. There's enough talent to keep the offense afloat before Wallner and Keaschall are back. There's enough potential in the lineup to be solid and productive now, and to be better when those guys return. But it still remains for everyone to contribute here and there. Two or three guys alone can't carry the offense.

Just an FYI on a couple guys if anyone missed it. The Vikes signed 2 guys who were auditioning at the recent rookie camp. (I was very disappointed CB Tommi Hill from Nebraska didn't show enough to get signed). OLB Matt Harmon from Kent State is about 25yo and played SEVEN years of college ball. Good size but pretty average production in his career. I'm guessing he's athletic enough to show some potential, despite his age, but he's a bit of a surprise IMO. But the guy to watch is DL Elijah Williams from Morgan State. He was listed on a couple draft sites as a top 30 ish draft prospect. And he was an All American on the small school level and a standout at the HBCU combine. (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). He's 6' 2" and about 294lbs. He's done 30 reps at 225 in the bench and measured 29 1/2" in the vertical. I swear I saw a 40 time in the mid to upper 4.7 range but don't take my memory as gospel there. In his 4 yeae career he produced 52 TFL and 31 sacks. He had 15 TFL and 11 sacks in his 2024 senior season. He appears to be a fairly athletic small school DL with some tremendous numbers production wise. He might be a sleeper PS candidate who develops and pushes for a spot in 2026.

Lewis NEVER said he wouldn't play 2B. He stated he didn't want to change half way through the season as he was afraid of letting the team down by making a major error/mistake while moving there at that time. In fact, he did actually play a couple games there. And in this past offseason he spent his time working out at BOTH 3B AND 2B so he was prepared wherever they wanted to play him. The Twins announced just as ST began that he was going to concentrate on 3B. This ridiculous narrative of Lewis being some malcontent just needs to stop!

The draft profiles on Amick's bat were pretty universal: big power, solid contact, chases out of the zone too much. His defensive profile had him with a strong arm and questionable at 3B to decent and improved in his year at Tennessee with the potential to stay there. Most profiles held with the latter opinion so there's no reason to move him off 3B permanently yet. He might be average there. McCusker might be a late bloomer who makes it, or he just might not have that "something" that let's him succeed at the top level. But he has shown continued improvement since the Twins signed him. And it's fine if we want to say the IL is a hitters league with inflated numbers. But let's just say we take a .100 points off his AVG, his OB and SLG %. to adjust for the ML level. Hed still be hittibg .233 with a .300 OB and .558 SLG. That's still a highly powerful, and solidly productive player. I'd sure like to see him get his chance at some point this season.

Coulombe is basically throwing the way he has the previous 2 seasons. He's doing what I hoped for. I liked the signing a lot. I liked France at 30yo and coming off an injury...but good 1st half in 2024...a lot more than Rizzo and a few other 1B once the top couple options were signed elsewhere. Doesn't mean I was crazy about the move, I just liked it a lot better and felt he might be a legitimate rebound option. So far so good. He's looking a lot like his 2022 All Star version. I never liked or hated the Bader signing. I was pretty neutral. I wanted a more powerful RH corner bat and let Keirsey, Castro, and Rodriguez back up CF. I thought the power bat made more sense. But Bader's enthusiasm and defense have been wonderful, as have some SB and HR/XB. But can he keep this up? It would ABSOLUTELY be his best season EVER if he could, or keep it even close to his current production. Still, he's done the job so far.

I get the Bride move as he's got a decent glove, can move around some, and showed a solid bat in 2024. I didn't understand the Clemons get. I would have probably promoted Fitzgerald instead because we're probably talking a similar player that's already on hand. That is, IF they really wanted/needed another INF option. Of course, Clemens can play some OF as well, so maybe that had some impact on the decision. I DON'T understand ignoring talent on hand vs grabbing DFA players to fill in. Devil's advocate for the FO? 1] More worried about INF depth that kept McCusker from being an option. 2] McCusker has seemingly grown as a hitter and is slowly bringing his K and BB rates closer together. They wouldn't mind seeing him continue to grow/develop as a hitter. 3] IF another OF had gotten injured, he might be up already. I DON'T excuse the way the FO often seems to ignore talent on hand. I sorta get being more worried about the INF at the moment. But isn't offense the biggest problem so far? What if McCusker only hits .225 with a 35% K but BB once in a while and destroys a few pitches for some doubles and HR every 12-15 AB with the occasional single? That's a difference maker who bats in the lower 3rd of the lineup as a dangerous hitter. Ignoring what you have is a HUGE mistake that other teams don't ignore and take advantage of.

Just wanted ro Blewitt to your list od DFA RP.

I'm late to this thread, but I'm compelled to offer up some thoughts: 1] I think Falvey's comments were open and honest, but perhaps have been taken out of context to a degree. Is he really saying; "I have no idea what's wrong and what's going on or how to fix it" as some want to read his comments? Or is he really making an abridged comment that really says; "I have no idea how we've been hit with TWO of our best players having a semi-major hamstring problem a couple weeks apart. And I can't fathom bad luck having a top prospect debut and spark the team only to have his arm broken on a pitch, sitting him down for 2 months. And MRI results say Correa's wrist isn't badly damaged, his feet at fine, he's great in the field, and he had a bit of a sore wrist problem last season when he was producing at a high level. Did it suddenly get worse even though the MRI doesn't show significant damage?" To take his comments that he believes in his team and can't answer what's happened and to somehow indicate he's incompetent is vastly unfair IMO. 2] Falvey and his staff have built a system that NEVER existed in the history of the franchise to build up a pitching pipeline that has begun to build up succes, depth, and hope. KUDOS should be sent out to Johnson and his scouts, and those in charge of development. I do see a change in the draft to more position players who aren't just sluggers, but more speed and athleticism. Of course, you're still going to draft sluggers as well. You CAN'T nickel and dime runs to be successful. You still NEED power. But there has been a shift over the last couple of drafts. 3] Falvey has brought in so many forward thinkers as instructors and coaches that he's had many poached by other teams. I am NOT an apologist for the FO. They've done some things i don't agree with. They continue to do some things I don't agree with. And I've stated my opinion on those matters many times. When ownership was actually raising payroll on a yearly basis pre-2024, the FO, lead by Falvey, were more aggressive and made moves to make a better team. They still had limitations, and not every move worked out, but they made trades and signed some solid FA and the team HAS had success in his tenure from the top down. And I'd really like to see what the newly shaped FO might be able to accomplish with an owner who cared more about the product on the field, instead of borrowing against the Twins value/income to satisfy their other endeavors. Perhaps Zoll would be a competent GM with some different and fresh ideas if he wasn't handcuffed. Maybe we'll find out??? Again, NOT an apologist. I still think ownership is the #1 issue with the team, restricting what the FO has been able to do the past 2 years. That doesn't mean I agree with everything the FO has done now, or in the past. But I do think taking a comment of belief and general frustration and trying to make Falvey look like an incompetent fool is grossly misguided due to fan frustration.

With all the rainouts for St Paul, Lewis has not had a chance to play as many innings, or back to back games as the Twins want. Still, they appear to believe he's healthy enough to be brought up. Just because of this, they might DH him a little to begin with to literally "get his legs under him". But he's never been hurt playing defense, might never be hurt playing defense, so even though the bat plays at DH, you don't move a still young and athletic player to DH permanently. A couple quick asides: 1] Lewis wasn't hurt because he hit the CF wall. He was hurt because he jumped for the ball and landed awkwardly on one leg. 2] Lewis never refused to play 2B. In fact, he worked on it this offseason to play whereever they wanted him to play. His very honest quote...taken WAY out context...was that he didn't want to change mid season as he thought he might make a crucial error that could hurt the team. Lewis has good enough hands and arm to be a solid 3B as long as he gets over the weird "yips" he had throwing the ball last season. Lee is a fine 2B and 3B who's solid at SS. His bat is starting to come around. At this point, he needs to play daily every day possible and let his bat grow. He's not a slugger, but he's got a lot of doubles potential in his bat, and I'd say mid teens HR power. With a good eye and solid bat, he can be a very good ML player. CHANGE probably isn't going to happen until next season. But I say again, you want to put the best players on the field in the optimum position for everyone to perform and have the best TEAM you can have. And that includes the lineup. If Lee's bat continues to grow and develop this season, he's as good or better than Lewis at 3B, potentially at least. While Keaschall has the talent to play multiple positions, his best spot...with a healthy arm...is probably 2B. Correa is a fixture at SS. So IMO...and this is NOT a slight to Lewis as a solid 3B...would be Lee at 3B, Correa at SS, Keaschal at 2B, and Lewis at 1B. Lewis's bat and athleticism could make him the best 1B we've had in a LONG time. It's not an insult to Lewis to be the primary 1B, just a recognition of putting together the best INF the Twins could have. It was great to have Santana's glove at 1B, and Mauer before him, and Morneau and others before that. But we're still talking 2025.

I like the Castino pick. I thought Mickey Hatcher for a moment, but he wore batting gloves IIRC.

A few runs scored, and games lost, skew the fact that the bullpen has largely been good. While ERA isn't a complete picture of competence, the Twins total team ERA since April 1st is below 3 I believe. Having the 2nd best run differential in the division is skewed due to a few highly productive games that mask the 1 and 2 run games that have them with a losing record. No Lewis, and Wallner out, and nothing from Correa except for a couple solid games really messes with the lineup. Bader has been more productive than expected. France has really been a solid contributor. Larnach has been a little inconsistent, but not bad. Buxton is always streaky, but has provided some solid production overall. And while Lee hasn't figured it out yet, he's showing signs of doing do. But 3 key bats either out or floundering really makes it hard for this team to score runs. And just when Keaschall comes up to provide a spark, he's now out for 2 months. Any chance the baseball gods cut us a break here at some point? K's are way down, contact is up, and the power is suddenly gone. I'd rather have the K's come back at this time and see a big power jump. No offense to Bride, Gasper, and Clemons, who have actually contributed some here and there in SSSS, but I'd still love to see McCusker get a chance to see if he could hit .230 and slap the ball to and over the fence once in a while. There's just no consistency in the offense. Lewis and Castro will be back soon. Wallner should be back about June 1st. And that can't happen soon enough at this point.

A very good question. TBD is the easy answer. There's a number of arms drafted just in the last 3-4 years that will end up moving to the pen eventually. And that might be where you find your next wave of RP in the system, following the same route as Duran, Jax, Sands, Varland, etc. Adams might be the closest example. But Parades, Wharf, and Posqualoto are all fairly recent picks from '21-'22 and '23. Despite being college draftees, they are still young enough to be pen contenders in the next couple of years if they keep this up. As stated previously, I haven't given up on Funderburk yet. The stuff is there, but can he be effective against LHB and find greater consistency? His clock is starting to tick.