DocBauer

I generally agree here except for the use of Paddack. He's going to get a few more starts to see if he gets in a groove. Hus last start was still good for 4 innings and far better than his first, disastrous start. But Matthews could be up for Lopez if he has anything other than a mild tweak that took him out of the game Tuesday. And I think it's fair to give Paddack a little more time. But if he does move to the pen...hard swallow of his pride but maybe a necessary change for his career...I don't think he'd be a long man. He'd probably be a power arm 1 inning guy who could go 2 the way Varland can. The 8th spot will often be a rotating spot to eat some innings and then be replaced.

My gut feeling is the Vikings will move down a couple spots in the 1st round to get an additional pick or two for a bonus 3rd and 4th. (More or less). IF the Asante rumors are true, it would change the dynamics of the draft. CB would no longer be a priority. While you need talent everywhere, I'm a big believer that both lines are still the best place to build a team. Inside and then outward. But I also believe you can develop OL more easily then you can DL. And while it love the fit of both of the top SAFETIES in this class, I don't dislike what we have and believe you can develop solid players at that position. While I have a lot of optimism for both lines, and don't dislike the depth for either, I think the Vikings will try to grab a top DL at 24, or with their slide back 1st rounder. BPA available will be in play if they stay status quo. But I believe an OL will be selected at some point. If they can trade back just a couple spots and get a couple extra picks, HOPEFULLY a 3rd and 4th, it makes it a heck of a lot easier to grab that DL, OL, maybe a S, and I wouldn't be surprised by a RB in there as well. I Bradhard Smith from SMU is a mid round target of theirs as a speed RB and former WR who could be used in multiple ways.

So far, it's worked to get Raya strong, healthy, and to AAA. And while it was more at the ML level, the Twins did pretty much the same thing with Ober when he debuted in 2021.

Frankly, I'm a little surprised by most of the comments I'm reading here. This seems to be a collection of "I'm frustrated by poor production so far so I'm going to lash out," or "Well I don't like Rocco so I'm going to lash out", or a combination of both. I'm no Rocco apologist as I don't like everything he does. But the common approach, more and more in MLB these days, is to get as many PA/AB for your best players as possible. Further, there's a lot of posters who clamor for a "set lineup", which really doesn't exist anywhere. Guys get hurt. Guys go in to slumps. Guys take days off. For the entirety of MLB, managers alter their lineups depending on these factors as well matchups. Wallner is a powerplant with a career OB% of .368! And a career OPS of .867! But he's a bad choice as one of the Twins best hitters not to get the most PA/AB? Correa is an All Star caliber player with a .353 OB and .822 OPS. Buxton's career numbers are varied due to his injuries. He's never been a good OB guy, but has a career filled with 5 seasons of an OPS above .800. I like Larnach in the 4 spot and he really matured in 2024. The fact that hardly anyone is producing at a decent level doesn't change the fact that the general top 4 of the lineup is incorrect. They are batting the best 4 bats on the team in the top 4 spots. Now, I'd RATHER have someone like Keaschall...if and when he arrives and turns out to be the player we all think and hope he will be...take over the leadoff spot and allow Wallner's power and OPS to be in more of an RBI spot, but Keaschall hasn't arrived yet. A healthy Lewis also changes the depth of the lineup. Lee might also change the depth and dynamics of the lineup when back, and hopefully starting to reach his potential, instead of a struggling Miranda or Julien. Rocco is putting his current best 4 hitters are the top of the lineup. The fact that they aren't producing right now to ability doesn't mean the lineup is wrong. Lewis at 5, Jeffers and France...especially if France is even close to his previous self based on a good ST and some decent early results...and Castro who's doing well, makes the whole lineup different 6-8. Regardless of struggles, the primary lineup being used is the correct one. The bottom half is a bit of a mess with the current roster no doubt. But Lewis and hopefully Lee start to change that in the coming weeks. But what better version of the lineup could be had with the way the roster sits right now?

I may be wrong, but I don't remember Buxton being a hot starter. That doesn't excuse a slow start, I'm just saying it's early and I don't recall him going strong for thr first few weeks previously. I think the OP has a very valid point. Buck looks healthy, feels good, the speed and the bat speed is all there. I'm not saying he won't get hurt or won't be rested at times. But I think it's misguided and a bit pessimistic to not be encouraged by what appears to be a healthy Buxton. Maybe the most healthy we've seen him in a long time.

I know we discuss innings to be thrown so much, but isn't it really about his pitch count? If he starts at 50 pitches max, he's going to be potentially good for 3 or 4 innings if he's efficient. Then 4-5 innings are within reach at 60 pitches, etc. A gradual buildup on his pitch count over the first few months...throwing once a week...should be a viable plan IMO. Not unreasonable he could be at AAA first of July. At that point his total innings can be re-evaluated. If the numbers look good and he's looking strong, he can make additional starts, and then he can be backed off and maybe piggyback or start throwing twice a week out of the pen, with the idea he might help the Twins come August/September in the pen. It's all about keeping him healthy, of course. But I think throwing once a week on a gradual pitch increase is the smart way to go. While he's missed time in his pro career so far, he's still barley 24yo. I don't think you give up on an arm like his for the rotation at this point.

I don't see Bader as the "heart and soul" of the team. I think that's clearly Buxton, Correa, and a healthy Lewis on the player side. But he can be a genuine "spark" for the team. So far he's taken solid AB, and provided some hustle. His 3 HR have been exciting, and he's got some power, but I don't expect a continuing HR binge. I like his defense despite the big mistake in Sunday's game by throwing to 2B instead of Correa at SS, who probably would have gunned down the runner on 3rd heading home. He's not a star player. But he's got value between defense, speed, some power, and a certain flamboyant, hustle persona. It's all about staying healthy and hitting RH pitching at an acceptable level. But I can see the potential as a fan favorite, good teammate, and sparkplug kind of player. He looks like he's having fun while playing.

I can easily Ynoa, Dobnak and McCaughan being 8th man shuttle candidates at various times this season. I don't know if Fitzgerald has the bat to play at the ML level after all this time. But I liked his glove in ST. I just don't see a fit for Ford unless he gets massively hot and there's an injury. I think we have to hope France is his "old self" from a couple years ago and Miranda starts to hit.

Jones, Culpepper, McLeod, and Ohl all the IL to start the season for AA. But all are on the 7 day. I'm going to assume this is more about roster manipulation or a little side work and nothing serious? Tremendous first starts for most of the top arms, but a bad 2nd start for Festa. Not sure you could ask more from Soto and Hill in their debuts. Good pro debut for Michael Ross, the 18th pick in last year's draft. Really good control pitcher who missed the 2023 season. I have to wonder if that held down his draft status? If he's increased velocity, he could be someone to watch. I still think Doktorczyk is a professional rookie from the '24 draft class to keep an eye on. Built a lot like Matthews, and reminds me of Ober in his throwing motion. It's nice to see the hit start to some young bats, but we're only talking a few games, so have to take that in to account. Still, Amick looks good and I can see him and Culpepper each destroying A+ and moving to Wichita fairly quickly. That would also ease the INF logjam at CR. Even with Lee back relatively soon, and Lewis hopefully around May 1st-ish, if Keaschall keeps doing what he did last season, with a good ST, and a hot start, he may not be long for AAA.

To be honest, I'm really disappointed in the early results so far. I can understand and forgive a cold start from a few players, but it's almost as if everyone has suffered from the flu bug that hit Ober and Julien hard. Maybe it has and we don't know? But for the most part, this team is still too good, IMO, even with Lewis, Lee, and Stewart out to be playing this poorly. But it's had a handful of weird and close plays that have changed the course of a couple games that have been frustrating. How do we have 3 balks already when we had something like 10 all of last season? (Though a couple are very debatable). How does such a smart player like Lopez mess up twice? How does a GG defender and veteran like Bader not throw the ball to Correa Sunday to prevent a tag to home? It hasn't been pretty for sure. It could be worse, but it should be better. But after only 9 games, I'm still tempered by SSSS in a 162 game season. I mean, the Giants are the dominate team in the NL West and the Braves are 1-8 through 9 games in the NL East. And Detroit leads the ALC and the Angels are in 2nd place in the ALW at 6-3. Frankly, I'm p*issed about today's blow game and a loss that should have been an easy win. But even in SSSS the pen has been solid. Who would ever guess that Jax might be an early outlier in poor performance? Crap happens! Would anyone bet against Jax for the remainder of the season? The offense isn't close to consistent yet, but Wallner, Correa, and Buxton are heating up. Larnach and Castro have been solid. Jeffers has been OK. Bader has surprised so far. They need more from the supporting cast. France has looked solid at 1B. (I wish he had played today because the close play at 1B would have been an out). After the HR he hit Saturday, I would have had Miranda in the lineup feeling, potentially, more confident. Lee should be back fairly soon. That could help. Lewis is further along, hopefully May 1st. And at some point later on, Keaschall and then Rodriguez will be up as quality additions. But it's time for France...despite a couple good games...and Miranda and Julien to put up or be shut out. Even still, there's enough talent to be more productive than they have been. But at least we are seeing life from the offense. I don't want to be overly positive, but Paddack was solid for 4 IP today, which is a hell of a lot better than his first start. There's still some upside with him healthy. And he's going to get another turn or two to see what he's got. And that makes sense to me. But if he doesn't extend his effectiveness, it will be time to move him to the pen. And he should swallow some pride and realize that might be best for his career. The pen has been largely solid before today. We've seen the potential. When the 12th/13th option has a bad game after a couple good appearances and one of your BP ACES has a bad appearance, it's still really hard for me to have a negative feeling about the pen. I'm not trying to put lipstick on a pig for a disappointing start to the season. We have given away at least 2 games so far that would make us 5-4 and tied for the ALC. But I'm not ready to panic after 9 games. I'm disappointed because I thought there was enough talent and strength, despite a couple injuries, for this team to at least be .500 for the first few series. I'm disappointed in the production of the offense, can understand a flu affecting certain players, as well as the human imperfection quantity. But it doesn't fully excuse my initial disappointment. Even still, we're talking about 9 games in a 162 game marathon. There's a very long season still ahead of us.

Curious to know what everyone thinks about the rumors of Asante Samuel Jr already being in the Vikings pocket and ready to sign once the draft is done. In case you haven't heard the rumor, it's like a game of telephone. A friend of a friend was in Florida and saw him with a group and wearing a Vikings hat. So the friend asked him about it and inquired if he played for the Vikings. His response was to the affect of: "Not yet, but I will be in about 5 weeks". He was then asked his name and he told her it was Asante. This supposedly occurred in his hometown, BTW. A few well plugged in sources were asked about the rumor, and their response was basically that it held water and was very believeable. I've also read some possibilities of a 2yr deal worth something like $14M ish per, or a smaller 1yr deal for around $7M ish on a make good offer since he missed most of last season with injury/injuries to his shoulder(s). This would explain why a 24yo CB with good ability and solid production is still available. And while this rumor, or at least it's source, sounds a little odd, it starts to make sense when you break it down. If true, it could definitely have an impact on the upcoming draft, and how the Vikings proceed. What are your thoughts on this rumor?

So Jax is human after all? While Varland gets the "L" for the game, it was really Jax being non-Jax like. But I'd still trust him in that spot every single time. He's proven what he can do and how good he is time after time. Even in a loss I try to look at the good things. While Paddack melted down in the 5th, he was still effective for 4 IP, and that's a huge improvement over his first start. There's still some upside with his stuff. As a veteran, he's going to get more than just 2 starts to see what he can do. But if he doesn't show greater length or consistency, it might just be time for a long look at his career and make the move to the pen, as well as make room for Festa or Matthews. The offense isn't clicking on all cylinders yet for sure. But it's looked better, and Wallner, Correa, and Buxton are heating up. Larnach and Castro have been solid. At some point, Lewis and Lee will be back. That will help. And a little further down the line, Keaschall and Rodriguez will be up to help as well. I'm not sugar coating a really tough loss that SHOULD have been a win. I'm just trying to look at a few positives on a bad day.

Ober's velocity usually sits 90-92 mph. His extension and deception makes it look harder. If his mechanics are out of whack, that's where he gets in trouble. His laboring through 4 IP is an issue to be sure. But if he really has been struggling some with his mechanics, then his last start is still an improvement. I'm not going to worry until I see more.

Mother nature hasn't been kind to the Saints so far. So Prielipp was knocking the Sox off people in ST and had mediocre results his first game out. Who cares. The fact that he's healthy and throwing pure stuff is the point. A bad 1st start isn't important. My concern with Wichita is the number of guys out with injuries. The lineup has a lot of "OK, it's time to show something" bats, but they're down a handful of arms and players. I confess I had totally forgotten about Alejando Hidalgo who the Twins got in the Urshela trade in 2023. And, of course, forgot he was hurt and hadn't thrown since 2023. I am a bit surprised Lee took over for him. I thought he might still be a SP candidate. Was he piggybacking, or has he been transitioned to the pen? Could we have possibly expected a better debut for Hill? My goodness! I know Doktorczyk relieved him and gave up some runs, with BB and a HB and 6 K's, proving himself wild but intriguing. But his pro debut was the Futures Game where he wasn't great, but also flashed. He reminds me so much of a 3" shorter version of Ober in delivery, and possible deception, but with more velocity. His build reminds me of Matthews. I think he's an arm we should be following with this season being his debut. I can easily see him following the Mathews and Morris trajectory to some degree. I'd be willing to bet he will add velocity to a FB that sits around 92 and hits 94 and with additional command of his offspead stuff could have him at A÷ later in the season. Good start for Mercedes who i think will climb quickly. Good start for Chourio, who is still a bit of a question mark. But the talent is there.

For me it would absolutely be something from AC/DC and it would probably be THUNDERSTRUCK. But the intro is so long, they'd have to start it while I'm in the batters box. LOL

I didn't get to watch any of the game due to work, I only have the box score, this report, and small tidbits, but: 1] Hayes reports Ober's velocity was up. That's a good thing. Considering what Ober has already proven in his career, I'm not worried until there is something obvious to worry about. He's said his mechanics have been a little off. I think he'll be fine. 2] The pen has largely been very good thus far. They've even got contributions from Dobnak and McCaughan to some degree. Varland is still adapting to the pen full time and hasn't exactly been perfect. But the K's show what he's capable of. They need to stick with him for sure. And I agree with previous comments that the low BB numbers have been encouraging. So far so good with the pen. 3] I have disagreed with a lot of comments about Buxton losing a step. I thought he was still excellent in CF in 2024, just holding up on a few plays to save his body. While he may have lost a half step due to age, he's gone from maybe the fastest player in MLB to one of the fastest. No crying over that! 4] I know it's easier said than done, but if Miranda can just it through his head that "all contact isn't good contact" and can SOMEHOW train his brain to just STOP the weak contact on the outside and down stuff, he can be a very good hitter. We've seen him do that in stretches. The HR he hit today is example of what he can do. What he did for about 4 months of his rookie season has shown what he's capable of. What he did in 2024 before he tweaked his back shows what he's capable of. Jokingly, how about he does 20 push-ups in the dugout every time he swings at those low and outside pitches he either misses or taps weakly? Train the brain to just leave those pitches alone and we have a really good hitter. Honestly, I'd rather see him K by taking a great low and outside pitch rather than give in to his instincts to attempt to put the bat on the ball. 5] Despite how horrible the offense has been through 8 games, it's still a SSSS and disappointing as hell. But they've also had a couple games, like this one, where you can still see the potential for a decent offense, if not a great one. 6] While they'd still be under .500, beating the Astros in the 3rd game would make me/all of us feel a bit better i think. 7] What's up with the schedule makers? 6 games on the road, 3 home games, then another 4 road games to open the season? I know it will even out...perhaps to the Twins advantage at some point...but I don't know that I've ever seen a 10-3 road vs home game start to a schedule before.

Dobnak had a great and surprising story in 2019. And he was really pretty solid in 2020 as well until he hurt his finger. He's never been great, but he was solid as a #5 starter. But he lacked a K pitch, and then came his injury. I say this only as a reminder that he wasn't just a good story, he was actually pretty solid initially. He's worked hard to overcome the finger injury, finally finding some decent results at AAA in 2024 and a good ST this year. He's probably always going to be a pitch to contact guy, but if this new change works for him, he might still have a future in the pen. Whether that's for the Twins or someone else in the future is TBD. But despite debates about his usage with the Twins, it is nice to have him available as a role pitcher. He's a great guy and easy to root for. He sure wouldn't be the last guy to get healthy, then discover a new pitch, and suddenly turn in to a useful arm around 30yo. I wish him the best. NOTE: I know NOTHING about McCaughan. And I only got to see a few of his pitches in his Twins debut against Houston. But I did see a couple really good looking offerings that looked a little nasty.

The Twins wanted Taylor back but he was holding out for a better deal. Ironically, he ended up signing for what the Twins had on mind, or less. But considering how bad his bat was, IDK know that his glove alone would have made any difference. In a vacuum, adding Margot wasn't a bad idea. He had a reputation as a quality CF, but was coming off an injury. A bum ankle IIRC. And he was actually younger than Taylor. Unfortunately, Margot got OLD like overnight. So it turned out to be a bad move. But again, initially, it looked like a solid 1yr move. I wish Miller no ill will. Maybe he'll be a late bloomer and the bat will come around, even if it's just enough to be a decent utility player. But so far, the younger Doncon shows a bat with some life and potential. So perhaps the Twins still "win" this trade ultimately, but we're talking a pretty hollow victory for a trade that didn't pay any real dividends. (Much like the Polanco trade). IMO, the worst part of the Margot trade was sticking with him all season. Despite a pretty good June and July that actually helped the Twins win some games, he was just awful. Continuing to play him so much, with poor production and poor defense...not to mention the 0-forver PH numbers...compounded a poor trade. Maybe Helman and Keirsey...who FINALLY got a SSS run in September...wouldn't have done any better. But I'm not sure they could have done worse. And at least the Twins could have gotten a decent look at both, and maybe would have gotten a surprise.

You just have to believe he's going to come down to earth, but sure has looked good early on. Is it just a hor streak, or have the coaches changed something in his approach/swing?

No question Diaw has the talent to be a decent or above average offensive catcher. Not saying he's the same as Jeffers, but like Jeffers, though should concentrate on keeping him at catcher and build him up there. I'd also probably take a long look at Ferrer as a catcher. Is his profile strong enough to keep him in the OF? Or as a top catcher prospect coming out of HS, should he be put behind the plate again? Kendle reminds me of a RH version of Keirsey. Similar draft slots as well. Jones and Hall are both interesting from offerings and potential. But Doktorczyk holds more interest to me initially. When I watched him in the Futures Game I saw a 3" shorter version of Ober. I saw extension and a deceptive arm angle. I saw some velocity, potential for more, and some decent secondaries that could improve. And this was his debut! I've got my eye on him. I see an Ober/Matthews vibe. Carr is absolutely a flier. But when you dominate at your level and display even average athleticism and potential you're worth taking a look at. Expecting nothing, but I think he's a potential mid round steal if his traits translate.

BUT...BTW...WTF is up with Bader?!

So the sky isn't actually falling after 6 games? Whew! I was about to call my insurance agency. Thank goodness we aren't the Braves after 6 games. 😉

Again, where are Jones, Ohl, Culpepper, and McLeod? I COULD SEE Ohl gone based on numbers and a mediocre 2024, but what about the other 3? Are they injured and in EST? They make a big difference in the rotation! The rotation looks very questionable without those names. Nowlin might be starting, but in ST the Twins seemed to be looking hard at converting him to a RP, which I agree with. But as hard as I follow the Twins system, I'm really confused who is a SP other than Prielipp and Bowen, who had a bad 2024. To paraphrase the Major League Movie, "who are these guys?" I'm a devout follower of the Twins MILB system, but I'm not perfect in my devotion. But what I'm seeing is a mess of journeymen on the staff right now. Cardenas is a quality catcher with a good eye and solid OB% with some pop/power potential. He hit a wall in 2024. Cossetti has a potentially better bat with more power while working on his skills but also hit a wall at AA. There's potential for both. But they are both in PROVE IT seasons. Olivar is NOT a ML catching prospect unless his defense and game calling and throwing suddenly go to another level. His only chance to be a ML player is to be a great hitter and OB RH bat in the OF who can catch in an emergency. Sorry to fans, but that's the reality if his catching ability doesn't suddenly grow. Jenkins is the obvious target to follow. A healthy Jenkins only has to continue to be his self, but adapt his bat to power. Rosario is not a bad athlete. And he has strong arm. He'll probably never be a plus defender, but he could be a really good RH power bat who is AVG as an OF with a solid bat with good power. I see a potential role for him as a part time OF/DH. Unfortunately, the INF is a mix of recent draftees who have talent and projection but haven't lived up to said projection at this point. Any one of them could suddenly improve and put themselves on the prospect map. And I hope they do. But so far, even with only a couple pro seasons amongst them, they haven't taken that step yet. It looks like a poor season to watch at AA other than a couple outliers.

So i guess this question belongs HERE vs the offseason blog: There is a very good chance at #24 the Vikes have a chance to select a difference maker at S, CB, DL, or OL. There's a pretty good chance they could trade back a couple of spots and add a couple picks and still stay in the 1st round and still get a potential difference maker while adding picks in the 4th round, maybe the 3rd round. Is it smarter to stay put, drop a couple picks and stay in the 1st, or drop down to the early 2nd round for additional capital? The team is well built, but a little old. A difference maker at say SAFETY or other positions makes sense. But does moving down make more sense to add additional youth at various positions and trust in the development of the coaching staff? I'm honestly torn about trading down too far instead of cashing in on a potential difference maker, hoping for a really good #3 pick, and hoping again...as all teams do...at adding a solid development player or two in the 5th and 6th. OBVIOUSLY, if the players coming off the board bring surprises, and the depth of talent starts to trickle down to the point where trading out of the first round could make sense. But what are you're initial thoughts? Stay the course? Trade down once? Trade down twice potentially? I kinda want to trade down ONCE and let it fly and bank on additional picks in 2026 to address more young talent.

I'm more excited about this Ft Myers team than I have been recently. It's primarily a collection of 2024 draft choices and fairly recent IL signees. Mercedes is a 4 tool talent and potentially a 5 tool one if power develops. J Rodriguz is hoping to repeat what he did in the DSL a couple years ago. Does he make the adjustment in his 2nd season stateside? I'm a little surprised Houghton is back after a decent 2023 at Ft Myers. He played a lot of late innings for the Twins in ST. Is he ready to take a step forward and jump to A+ early? D Pena looks like a Arraez Jr. clone, more or less. I'm really excited about '24 draft choices Carr and Thomason. Neither came from top programs, but they both excelled at their respective levels. I thought both were potential steals. Honestly excited about the pitching staff. Hill is obviously the most exciting arm we're all looking at. He's already added a little muscle and ST reports have his velocity already up. Can he have as good a 1st season as Soto as a teenager? Speaking of teenagers, Questad didn't have a great debut in the FSL. But the fact that he was promoted to A ball tells me he had a great offseason. Carpenter really excites me as a potential 11th round pick. He was 19yo in a low college level who absolutely dominated. He could be really interesting to follow. A couple of these arms didn't throw last season. So we'll see what happens. But ONE GUY to keep an eye on is Doktorczyk. He was the Twins starter in the Futures Game, which was his pro debut. Watching him throw, I saw a 6' 6" version of Ober. I even thought his delivery looked similar. He showed solid 92÷ velocity and and some decent secondary stuff. He certainly wasn't dominate in his debut, but he was pretty solid facing a Jay's lineup that was mostly AAA quality. While LOOKING like Ober physically, he reminded me also of Matthews as a guy who just might make a jump. By jump, I mean a jump to A+ with a POSSIBLE AA late season appearance as this is his debut. He might be a surprise riser before the season is done.