DocBauer

I echo kudos for the field staff. I think by and large they did an excellent job. And while I didn't agree with the amount of rope Molitor gave Santana, and a few other decisions here and there, I have to say I thought he did a really nice job overall. But I also didn't expect him to do a HOF job in his first season. I can't blast Ryan for the job he did. I still didn't like the shape of CF at the beginning of the season. Banking on Hicks and Buxton was short-sighted. (Shafer being healthy might have made this less of an issue-but still and issue) I didn't think they addressed the bullpen in the off season as they should have, banking I suppose, on a couple prospects making their way up by mid-season. And mid-year, I would have prefered they make the moves they did a couple weeks earlier. And would have liked 1 more veteran arm. But the Jepsen move was a good one. Cotts was a solid move. I think not getting too wrapped up and making the big deal for Shields or Tulo was good short and long term.

How many days until pitchers and catchers report?????

And I have thought about him. He could be perfect for the role! And, like Hunter, it would be a great story. He has the further benefit of being a primary DH possibility if he comes back around fully and the Twins DO trade Plouffe.

Key here is, obviously, OPENING DAY roster, and not what any of us think it will be a month or so in. LOL Names of some are a little hard to plan at this point, not until the season is over and FA and trade rumors begin. OF: Rosario, Buxton and Hicks. I think Buxton takes this season's experience and builds on it to warrant breaking with the club next year, even if he is still learning on the job. 4th OF is a veteran LH bat yet TBD. I just don't know that Arcia could fit the role of part-time OF/PH/DH. If he could, that would be an obvious in house choice. INF: Plouffe, Escobar, Dozier, Mauer, Sano and Nunez. Plouffe will also play 1B with Sano at 3B. You could do a lot worse than Nunez as your utility infielder with a decent bat and decent speed. C: Suzuki and I still don't know. But to be honest, I'm really, really leaning the FA route for a year and AJ. I think we have a nice veteran duo there. SP: Hughes, Santana, Gibson, Milone, May or Duffey (until Berrios comes up and Milone moves to the bullpen. RP: Jepsen, May or Duffey, TBD, Pressly, Perkins, TBDLH, O'Rourke as probably winner of LH audition.

No question that someone like him would be perfect. In fact, the perfect candidate might already be on the roster. Mauer, an over 30 LH professional hitter with a good eye and good OB and some XB power who can still play the field a bit would be perfect. Now, of course, we're not going to pay/play Mauer at this point to be a bench bat. But he's a good example. I'm just not sure right now who's going to be available for that role on the market.

FWIW.....IMHO....trade or FA the team needs a pair of quality relievers, one from each side, and I think a quality veteran LH bench bat. This is in addition to making some sort of move/decision at catcher. Broken record time; Nolasco really needs to be moved somehow. The Twins will probably have to eat half the remaining 2 years and include someone else in any deal. Said deal could be for a reliever, or a prospect. But moving him is more about clearing roster space and some money than necessarily being part of a major deal. Plouffe might be the most valuable trade chip the team has in making a deal for a young catcher, but I don't believe he's the only one. I can see scenarios involving Arcia, Polanco and other pitchers and players in the system. I can also see the team making a move for a veteran to join Zuke, very possibly and probably AJ. While the team needs to add youth at catcher, going the veteran route for a year isn't all bad. You have experience, potentially a better offensive situation (possible platoon even) and another year to see if the young catchers in your system really are quality prospects or not. I just don't see blockbusters being involved.

No on Escobar at this point. I actually think what he's done last season and this season is real. I believe in him, and never bought in to the whole "he's only a utility infielder" because he was way, way too young when promoted and then traded to carry a label like that. That being said, he not only has 3 years of arbitration available, but as Brock stated, let him play a (another?) full season as the starting SS before making that move. Dozier is a moot point. I'd be in favor of Plouffe being signed to something fair but not outlandish. Something that works for and protects both parties. But if the Twins are legitimately thinking of trading him this offseason or next season for help elsewhere then no. Let his next employer make that choice.

I believe Molly could and should get a lot of votes. Deservedly so. He might even win it. Where he may have an edge over Houston's manager is perception and prognostication. I may be way off, but it seems to me more was expected from Houston than the Twins for this season. I seem to remember them being picked as a dark horse contender by some.

What if the season had started 1 week later and the replacement/pod - people Twins hadn't given us a 1-6 start?

Please don't anyone take this the wrong way...but I almost don't care if the Twins win the wild card spot. Sports to me is as much the competition, the striving, the game in and of itself and at times, the final outcome doesn't matter as much as the journey there. And this journey has been pretty special to me. As Twins fans, we can whine all we want about no WS since the early 90's and four straight, poor losing seasons, but there are a lot of teams and fan bases that would be envious of our past 10 years or so. Even still, our Twins seemed to just fall off a cliff for four years. And suddenly, here we are, playing fun and winning baseball still in contention with only a few games left. The kids we have been dreaming and drooling over have begun to arrive, with more on the way. I don't know how this will end, but I just love this journey!

I didn't see the play. But I think the game could use a little more exuberance, overall. There is nothing wrong with watching your HR. There is nothing wrong with flipping your bat in excitement after a big hit. And there is nothing wrong with a pitcher pumping his fist after a big strikeout, just as there is nothing wrong with a team celebrating at home plate after a win. But, there IS a difference in being calculated about the process. I love the game of football and a big play with a high 5 or a spike in the end zone after a score. That's emotion. That's being spontaneous. What I don't like, don't care for, is an orchestrated performance. It sounds to me like what happened here is not happy, is not an outburst of emotion, but a deliberate attempt to be cocky. I don't care for that. Act like you've done it before and you're going to do it again.

Wait.............Rosario walked?

Adding Jepsen earlier would have helped. I, like others, maintain they should have picked up a second arm. Benoit? Someone with an expiring contract wouldn't have cost much and would have provided much needed depth. If we lose out by a game or two, all I'll be thinking is...."why, oh why couldn't we just throw out that first week of the season?"

#1 Kepler and his big season. What was the biggest reason/difference? How does he see his role in 2016? How was his 2 week call up experience? (Hopefully he actually plays) #2 Polanco and his role for next season as he sees it. SS vs 2B in his opinion. The differences for him, what he needs to work on. #3 Meyer. Delicately...why the big drop,off the first half? Injury? Mechanics? His views on relieving and what he sees going forward for himself. #4 and #5 Gonsalves and Thorpe. The two top LHSP in the system. Both very young. One coming off an excellent season at A and A+, (what does he feel he needs to work on to advance, and what did he learn this year), and the other, Thorpe, coming off surgery and rehab. How is it going? What stage is he in? Any projection from the Twins on where he begins the next season?

The Twins being down offensively this year is certainly disappointing. But what I do like about their lineup is the fact that it works, more or less, as a whole. The total equals a greater whole than the sum of the parts. But there is certainly the potential for more! Would be interesting to compare the Twins scoring and overall numbers to the rest of the league as it seems scoring and offense in general are down.

I feel the Santana/Escobar situation was handled correctly initially. Both coming off excellent seasons, though Santana played largely out of position. But with 2 guys for 1 spot, you have to make a decision at some point. Pure talent and potential, Santana projects better. It made sense to go with him. Where the whole situation was NOT handled correctly was Santana probably got a little too much rope. And when the Twins did make a move, they kept yo-yoing the spot between Escobar and Nunez and a suddenly recalled Santana instead of just sticking with Escobar and letting him play himself in or out of the spot on a permanent basis. Santana still has a lot of ability and potential, whether it be with the Twins or elsewhere. I think it would be best for him, and the Twins, if he were to get some quality AAA time, but also learn to play 2nd, and still see time in the OF. If he settles down defensively, and we can see the offensive potential come alive again, great! But if he just can't handle being an every day ML SS, then he might find a real niche as a multi-positional utility player.

You know, it's always hard to project these guys. And as Seth stated, a Votto clone would be awesome. But most of the guys on that list are very good players as well. Call me an optimist if you like...(I've been called worse things)...but I think what we saw this season is closer to the real Kepler than the previous seasons. He is still only 22. He is big, fast and athletic. He comes from an athletic family. He hasn't set the world on fire until this season, but has shown flashes despite being on the young side, quite young when signed, and came with a lot of rough edges playing ball overseas instead of here in the States. He has repeated a level only once, that being Elizabethton. Meaning he has made steady progress each and every season up until his breakout year this season. All that together, Votto level or not, big "K" on his chest or not, I'd say he will be somewhere in that upper stratosphere.

I've been involved with a few friendly debates on TD previously about the Twins bullpen through the years, how they were almost always good and reliable year to year, etc. It has been argued against me that over the past 10 years or so, the Twins bullpen only ranked middle of the pack in terms of ERA and other qualifiers, and thus, were overrated and the Twins always having a solid bullpen was a bit of a myth. I have argued that being consistent is indeed a strength, and that building a decent to good bullpen year after year is not something to be taken lightly or for granted. Witness Detroit that past few seasons when they seemed primed for a championship run only to have their bullpen be the chief culprit for failure to do so.

Watch the Tigers debacle. Forget anything I may have said earlier. No. I hope my vote changes next season, if not this one.

Not talking about the immediate post All Star meltdown, but now, back and reportedly rested and rehabbed; are we having this conversation if the 2 runs didn't score the other night? I think it's a fair question based on perception of the box score vs said post AS game implosion. Absolutely love Rosario and he has been mostly awesome in the OF this season. But that misplaced to a "double" changed the complexion of that half inning. And as a result, perhaps unfairly of Perk.

Also, agree with a lot of TNT's points. I am of the belief, as of now, that Berrios and Kepler will be integral parts of the 2016 roster and onward, but that both will begin the season in AAA. And not just for a delay in their start clock, but rather, overall depth of talent may force the Twins to open one way in regard to their roster, and then tweak as they go over the first 30-60 days. Not uncommon, of course. OF: Rosario, Buxton, Hicks and Kepler are your OF. Somewhere on the club, probably here, I'd like to see a solid, veteran LH bat for PH and occasional DH or in the field play. (Mauer would be perfect for that role..but..well..you know) Could the team keep 5 OF's? Yes, due to the veteran bench bat role. A Robinson or Danny Ortiz could fit in here initially if Kepler begins the year with Rochester. This might be where we find Arcia, out of options, not yet traded, and with the parent club as a role player to begin the year. IN: Plouffe, Sano and Mauer share 3B/1B/DH duties on a rotational basis. Once Kepler is up, we have 7 rotating in to 6 spots. Not hard to do. Escobar is at SS, Dozier is 2B, Nunez..probably...is primary utility. There is room for a second INF if the team only carries 4 total OF. Santana? Polanco? Beresford? I see Vargas, for now, in AAA playing every day at first, unless Plouffe is moved this offseason. Then there becomes a more immediate shot for him. (though a FA DH suddenly becomes a possibility) C: Suzuki and unknown. FA or trade...something happens here. SP: Hughes, Santana, Gibson, 2 of May, Duffey and Berrios. Again, Berrios could be in Rochester initially. RP: (7) Perkins, Jepsen, Duffey or May, Milone takes up 4 spots. The team should and I say will sign a FA RHRP. Ditto from the LH side unless they keep Cotts. That leaves 1 spot left to audtion Tonkin, Pressly and the such.

Happens to me a lot, at least when I use my I-PAD, which is often. I find if I post, and then click the "edit" option, and then save the post again, it seems to fix everything.

Were Perkins healthy, he'd be the guy with Jepsen as setup and the occasional closer when Perk needed a day off. But since you brought it up...I know there have been others but can't pull them up from memory in detail at the moment...I recall the Reds back in the day of the "Nasty Boys" where Randy Meyers, Norm Charlton and Rob Dibble took turns closing or setting up depending on matchups and availability.

At work so just don't have time to pull up a schedule and compute all potential days to pitch. But... I would only do the 3 day rest option one time, in order to set him up for a possible game 163. Otherwise, he gets to pitch twice, and his season may be done. I get it. Too bad he can't pitch in the post season. But I wouldn't take the risk of two 3 day rests to squeeze in the 3rd start. Not only for health, but I'm not sure you'd actually get the benefit you want out of a suddenly tired arm. I hate to say it...kills me to think it, say it or type it...but you'd probably be better off with Pelfrey for 5 IP and turn to the pen.