DocBauer

Taking the idea seriously...NO. A hot streak doesn't improve his career hitting ability or suddenly add speed to his game to help him advance and score. He's an outstanding catcher and he's been hot for a month. Jeffers is a good catcher, a generally better hitter, and capable of exploding again at any moment. And Vazquez is capable of going in to a funk at any moment. The whole idea is a nit laughable, and a borderline insult to Castro. Just, NO, keep him where he's at and enjoy his hot streak.

Right now, he's the #4 starter. Not sure a number even matters. It's about going out, staying within himself, trusting his stuff, and just trusting in that stuff, his catcher, and his defense. Worst mistake he could make would be trying too hard to be something he's not. He's going to have some downers. And he...same with Matthews...has been pressed in to full time duty earlier than hoped for. But that's baseball. Not just for the Twins, but across the league. He doesn't HAVE to shine, just be solid, and continue to grow and learn.

The silver lining...because I want to look on the bright side...to Ryan and Paddack getting injured is the opportunity for these young arms. I'm excited to see Matthews, but I'm not expecting anything great. In fact, I'm expecting a mediocre at best debut. And that's not me being a downer on the kid, it's just my expectations for a rookie making his MLB debut after a handful if AAA starts. ASSUMING Paddack is not traded in the offseason, the Twins rotation is essentially set to BEGIN 2025, including this year's outstanding rookie addition of SWR as a full timer. Imagine St Paul with Varland...solid and talented but I suspect and kinda hope a full time pen arm...Festa, Matthews, Morris, and probably LH Nowlin in the rotation. Reasonable chance Cory Lewis is ready as well after starting his season late. CJ Culpepper might be just behind. And remember, Lewis and CJ were the hotshots last year AHEAD of Matthews and Morris. I'm still very excited about both now that they're back on the mound and slinging. Right behind that group is Raya, and...knock on wood...the re-inforced elbow of Prielipp. Plus Kyle Jones, also slowed early in the year, who was drafted higher than most of these guys. Hopefully, Pierson Ohl gets back on track again. Adams and MacLeod both seem to have suddenly turned a corner in July. Dropping down to Cedar Rapids, Hall and Langenberg have flashed and could be ready for AA in 2025 as well. All of these arms come from the 2022-2023 draft, IIRC. Of course, not all will turn out. A couple might join some arms not even mentioned that are already in the pen. Nowlin, for example, is a LH I'm very excited about, but he might debut with the Twins next year if he converts to the pen. Agree with previous comments about years/decades ago when the Twins seemed to have a collection of arms that never made it. The 80's is particularly painful if you followed the system back in those days. But that was also a different time, a different FO, and different coaching/development methods. THIS MANY good young arms...again, some pen arms out there as well...means the odds are you're going to get some guys who make it, and STICK. I COULD go further in to real pen options for 2025, but not going to. Not the discussion here. But who's arrived, who's getting a shot now, and the AT LEAST the depth of talent at AAA and AA for 2025 is VERY exciting.

So much to unpack here! 1] Losing Ryan is a punch to the gut, AND the chin. 2] SWR is ascending, has a couple bad games, then has one of his best performances. The offense lost his game against Cleveland, not him. I don't think he's done yet. 3] I love what I've seen from Festa from day 1. He was OK, then terrible, then good to pretty great since. He's got the stuff and potential. Like it or not, we're going to ride him the rest if this year. He's got the moxie and stuff, can he settle in quick enough to help the rest of the season? 4] Varland hasn't looked bad. Just not great. He and Festa might tax the pen. We might be seeing the St Paul shuttle a lot the next few weeks. 5] Speaking of the pen, losing Stewart is almost the same as losing Ryan. Suddenly, Varland isn't a pen option until October. Winder SURPRISED me against Cleveland. But I'm not betting on him. Can the return of Okert actually help? Thielbar isn't good but 1 inning at a time, IMO. Where's Henriquez? His stuff would seem to indicate he's better than Winder, right? Can Paddack come back to help the pen? Don't blame Rocco, he's using what healthy arms he's got available. 6] The offense lost game 3 against Cleveland, any way you slice it. They let the SP off the hook by swinging at first pitches when we had a chance to do damage. 2-2 isn't horrible, but 3-1 makes a real difference. In case everything I said is too negative: 7] No matter how you look at, Cleveland is a good team. But the losing streak they brought in to this series, and the 2 games they lost, is still an indication they aren't world beaters. MLB is fickle. My goodness, the horrible Dirty Sox have almost owned the Guardians this year. Cleveland has a tougher schedule foe the remainder of the season. 8] Some teams just don't match up well against other teams. Witness what I just said about Chicago vs Cleveland. The Twins " broke through" winning 2. And we still have another series against them. 9] I'd still take the Twins offense, and their record since May 1st, over Cleveland the rest of the season. 10] The Twins are hurting with injuries. So is Cleveland. A month and a half still to go...who will win the ALC? The Twins aren't out of it. 11] Next man up. Correa will be back. Hopefully he'll be 85-90% like last year. The rest of the offense is intact. **NOTE: I've had plan fasciitis. It's HORRIBLE. There is no predictive factor for it. The fact that it's hit Correa TWICE would tell me it's not only FREAKY, but MAYBE due to the physical construction of his arches. He needs to talk to his shoe company next offseason...if not immediately...about better arch supports going forward. 12] The Twins are the best AL team for months now. Let's not panic. We're a virtual lock for the playoffs. The offense is good and trending. It's actually exciting to watch SWR and Festa. We CAN overtake Cleveland still. A month ago we were 6 or 7 games behind. Even with the unfortunate split, we're still only 3 1/2 games behind. We've been trending upward the past month and right now they've been trending downward. I'm not giving up on the ACL, and neither should you. It's not going to be easy without Ryan and Stewart. But Cleveland is starting to suffer the chinks in their armor as well.

Yep. What's so FRUSTRATING is the Twins have been so good about avoiding K's this season and taking good AB, working the count. And for some reason, the last 2 games of the series, they fell in to the trap of swinging at the Guardians pitch. Even with the Thielbar blow up, they should have won 3 of these games.

Just a few thoughts and opinions I have: 1] Payroll hasn't really been a major issue until this season. The Twins are a mid market team, but have been consistently in the 18-15 range for several years until 2024, including a record high in 2023 of around $157M depending on who's final numbers you want to look at. In other words, the payroll has been about right for where they rank as a market. 2] I don't believe the FO/ownership...whoever we want to blame specifically...has done a great job with marketing. I know it's a Vikings town first and foremost, but the Twins have been pretty good since the new FO took over. But limitations by their past/current TV deal handcuffed them in growth potential. Nobody seems to have an eye on the future and growth potential. If St Peter is responsible, then he needs to move on from future deals as he just doesn't understand the changes and new opportunities that are available for growth. 3] Due to point #2, I believe ownership did a panic solution in cutting payroll for 2024 due to the uncertainty of the TV deal. By the time the courts helped settle the TV deal for this year...still very good despite a lower $ amount...it was too late to go out and actually spend the $ coming in for anyone that made sense. 3] I don't believe the "panic" I mentioned by ownership is without some logic. Within the next couple of years, most all teams are going to have expiring TV deals that are going to greatly affect team incomes and payroll. I'm not a Rangers fan, but their expiring deal is/was something like $20-30M MORE than the Twins. But it was SUPPOSED to go through something like 2030 or longer. And they spent something like half a billion on just TWO players before all this happened. 4] MLB is going to have to get really smart, really quick, and circle the wagons to figure out how to find $, and how to share it equitablly enough to make things work across the league, versus some teams like the Yankees and Dodgers and a few others that still have a cash cow. Think about the Diamondbacks for a moment. I don't even have to look at what their payroll is, or their previous TV deal that disappeared, to realize they might be in danger. Consider the Phoenix metro plex area has a population of 4.7+ million. If only 50% of the population has cable/satellite TV, with only a $5 surcharge on the cable bill for sports programming, that's $23.5M at a minimum going to sports teams. I'm just using accepted fees and a simple subscriber number for calculations. The Minneapolis/St Paul metro population is a little over 3 million. Using the same calculations, they would have roughly $15M at a minimum going to sports teams. Again, I'm using 50% and accepted fees...perhaps a $1 or $2 low...to make an arguement/statement here. Diamond Sports, the parent company of Bally, was paying the Twins around $55M. The numbers simply don't match. Especially with cords being cut and so much of the population going to streaming content. And I'm using calculations based on POPULATION, NOT households! The Diamondbacks, again as comparison, offered a $99 whole season package to fans to watch games this season under the MLB umbrella. Based on that formula, the Twins would need 550,000 HOUSEHOLDS in 2025 to subscribe in order for them to match the $55M they were previously receiving from Diamond/Bally pre 2024. Yes, MLB receives NATIONAL $. But it's still a sport dependent on local contracts vs the NFL that is mostly national $ based on the number of games played. I.E. NOBODY in MOST cities can/will devote TV time 162 games a season vs 17. I am NOT excusing Twins ownership, or ANY ownership from investing in their teams. There is still national $ involved, gate receipts, merchandising, parking, food and drink, etc. I am NOT saying ownership of ANY franchise doesn't deserve to net a few $M from their franchise. BUT: A] As a public, there are only 2 teams that must report their Financials, we really have no idea EXACTLY what each team makes $. Actually INVESTING $ in your team should only increase its total value over time. And I'm pretty sure owning a sports team involves write offs, tax incentives, additional community perks, and additional local investments/builds that bring in additional perks and income. B] If you're a BILLIONAIRE ownership...and you pretty much have to be...if you're really counting on actual income from your sports team to "allow" you to live as you want, you must be bad at business. C] Owning a sports franchise is not only a responsibility/trust in the community that you are supposedly a part of, but it should be FUN to own. Regardless of points 1 and 2, and the HUGE % of worth/value of growth of your original investment, if owning said franchise isn't FUN for you, then CASH OUT for $2B and let someone else in! I am NOT picking on the Pohlads here. But I am making, what I believe to be, salient points about MLB and what is going to be an absolute CLUSTER F over the next few years financially for the league. Cord cutting, streaming options, and the public de-valueing of traditional TV is VERY REAL. At some point, maybe 4 or 5 years from now, if not sooner, even the Yankees and Dodgers and the such are going to see mass changes. Twins ownership might have "paniced" in 2024. But the changes are very real. They're here, and they're still coming. The KC market is about 1.7M, less than the Twin Cities. I don't know their exact TV deal, but I know they are part of the Bally network currently. If we suddenly see them surpass the Twins in yearly payroll, we will know something is seriously amiss. But right now, I'm seeing a really strange market shift begining this next offseason. MLB is in a serious crunch time right now, IMO.

A tough 4 game series and the pens were stretched for both teams. Survival of the fittest saw a split. I didn't see much of these past 2 games at all, so I can only speak distantly about a few points. I was surprised Thielbar was used that much today. Only Winder was used on Saturday. Not sure I like that move by Rocco at all. I can't speak to Festa today and the squeeze he was under. But in his last start, the ump was calling the black most all game, but definitely squeezed Festa at times. He responded in that game. So yes, I have to wonder if today would have been a better overall outcome had he got that call. Call me impressed with the kid. But I'm not sure he's getting all the calls he should be as a rookie. But the Twins probably didn't lose the game due to that one call. Give credit to a Cleveland club that eaks out wins with a good pen and solid approach at the plate with limited bat ability. My problem wad Saturday's game. They lost a potentially big inning when the Twins batters...I want to say Larnach and Wallner, but memory is clouded...swung at the first pitch instead of working the count. What was so frustrating is both of those guys usually lay off a couple pitches looking. And you always do that when it looks like the pitcher is tiring. Cleveland is not a bad team at all, despite some recent struggles. And I'd pick the Twins lineup and production every day over them. But the offense lost the game Saturday. There's still over a month to play and the Twins can still catch the Guaedians if they just take care of business. But this 2-2 split is better than a loss series.

I look at this trade from 2 perspectives: 1} At the time, I didn't like the trade. I felt Polanco was an actual asset, and I felt moving him...or including a decent additional prospect...for a quality rotation arm was the way to go, and FORGO the addition of any other players or prospects. That still remains my opinion as to how Polanco should have been moved at the time, quality, and not quantity in the return. 2} Here, nearing the end of 2024, I will grudgingly give the Twins a "victory" in what is pretty much a no win situation. Polanco will be gone from Seattle, and he'd probably be gone from the Twins as well, had they kept him. Topa is under control, only made $1.25M this season, and will probably only command the same or a slight raise to be kept. At the greatest $ amount, he's going to cost the same as 2 rookie deals. I think that's worth keeping around for another year. My goodness, we signed Jackson from the Jays for this amount. Additionally, while I'm not completely sold on him yet, Gonzalez is sort of a RH Eddie Rosario clone with the bat. If they can reign in his aggressive nature even a bit, they might have something there. Bowen feels like a pen arm to me, and that's OK. You need those too. In short, nobody really won this deal. But I do think the Twins can still get something out of it to help them short term and long term. So if anyone crossed the proverbial finish line in this garbage of a deal, it would be the Twins.

Castro is a super utility player in the fact that he can play solid defense all over the dirt and the grass and produce a .748 OPS and get elected to an All Star game. His value us great BECAUSE he's a super utility player. Correa goes down? Who do you promote from AAA? Whoever you like, INF or OF, doesn't matter, because he covers wherever you need him. If you put him at ONE SPOT and left him there, he's an above average, quality offensive player and at LEAST AVERAGE defender. That kind of player is a $6-8M player. The fact that he can perform offensively AND defensively only increases his value. Why does being a super utility player decrease his value in ANY way? I'm a big fan of Keaschal, but he's more of a replacement for Martin than Castro. Castro is absolutely, 100% worth a 3 or 2+ type of extension for $8M ish. Hopefully he would accept that. He is an above average player who adds to the roster/lineup/team depth and versatility wherever he plays. He's the perfect 10th man. If there's room in payroll at all, he should be kept and extended if at all possible. Yes, Lee can start at 2B and cover SS and 3B. Yes, Julien can play 1B and 2B. Yes, Miranda can play 1B and 3B. Yes, Martin can play 2B, LF, and CF, (again with the Keaschall comment). Only Keaschall is an OF candidate of that group, and he doesnt play SS or 3B. I'm NOT dismissing any prospects future value or flexibility. But it feels many are dismissing Castro as easily replaceable from prospects yet to reach the ML level, much less having the capability to do what he does, is very short sighted. I'd love to have him for another 3 years.

He's been one of the most disappointing guys in the system for me this season. I had predicted we might see him touch AA before the end of the season based on his control and secondaries, if they could add a little more velocity, which the Twins are famous for. His K numbers look very good, and his BB have dropped since early in the season. Guess I have to echo everyone else and ask if his BABIP is due to being hit hard, bad defense, or bad luck. His 2024 debut is still a SSS enough to not know the answer. But at some point, when you see really high or really low peripherals for a pitcher, or hitter, the numbers just are what they are. However, he's still a professional rookie, so there's a lot of room still for development and better luck. Really hoping he finishes the season strong and we see him in the 93-94mph range by next season. That increase, while not overpowering, mixed with his other pitches, might give us someone to really get excited about.

I'm over the deadline. I still like this team. Unfortunately, there's just no way to erase April. If they win the Cubs series and can take 3 from Cleveland, things look different. If they don't, it may be wild card for the Twins. Correa back makes a difference. Varland can do the same in the pen, bit not until September, IMO. Not giving up on SWR after 2 bad starts as he looked really good and trending upward before those games. Topa isn't a savior, but he can help. Hoping Stewart can be ready for September, but can't count on him at this point. That's where both Topa and Varland can be a real help. Based on stuff and previous history, I'd rather see Dobnak get a start instead of being in the pen. He's never been comfortable in the pen.

I don't believe Topa is a pen savior. But based on his 2023 with Seattle, and a good rehab so far, I think he can help in about a week. Of course we're all hoping for Stewart in September. SWR had maybe his best start 3 turns ago, IIRC. His last 2 games were pretty poor. Doesn't mean he's hit a wall yet as he seemed to be getting better before that pair of starts. I believe he's still under 100 IP. Not going to say he's hitting a wall yet. But I wouldn't mind a 6 day rest or a missed start at some point. I do think Varland stays in the rotation for now. Come September, he should be in the pen. I have a feeling he's going to stay there going forward. Nothing wrong with being a stud 1 or 2 inning pen arm. Not going to speculate on Dobnak's future. I will say that with his repertoire and past appearances in the pen a couple years ago, I think I like him better as a possible starter than I do in the pen.

I have hopes that Severino will be able to play a solid 1B, hit in the .250 range, keep BB a little, keep his K's around 30%, and display all his power. Now, when is he ready to get a shot is the next question. He started really poor this season, then raked, and he's still been solid after his hit streak. Still not sure if he's ready until next season. Disagree on Isola as a catcher option. I believe he's only caught twice at AAA this season. Williams would be next behind Camargo. But with Winkel suddenly surging, he MIGHT be an option. I would really like to see Camargo in September to get some playing time to see what he can do. My guess is Kirilloff stays on the IL through August, gets some rehab time, and MIGHT be up in September. Like everyone else, I'm still very curious about what Keirsey might be able to do if he ever got a shot. I don't know that he gets it this year though, barring injuries. I believe in Julien's ability, eye, and approach. But something is missing or mis-firing in his head right now. Is he trying TOO HARD to be fine with his pitch recognition? Biggest disappoint on the season so far. Really hoping he gets it together soon.

Agreed Morris has been taking second seat to Matthews, and over a year younger, he really shouldn't be. When you look at the numbers, he's only about a half step behind Zebby at this point. Having a great year! I don't know if Varland is going to stick in the rotation or move to the pen permanently at some point. but I knew the guy we were seeing to begin the season wasn't the real version. I can't wait to see what Soto does once he actually gains more experience and really figures out what's going on! Wouldn't it be great if Dobnak keeps this up? Already been a good story once, a second chapter would bed awesome. Been very encouraged by MacLeod this season. His career got off to that late start due to TJ and missing a whole season, but he's been on a bit of a roll the past month or so. Not sure I'm ready to move him or Nowlin up the prospect lists, but they are a pair of interesting LH arms that should see AAA in 2025.

Best thing that happened with the break was a rest. Worst thing with the break was a rest. We didn't end or begin the break well. We were competitive, but that only means you are OK, not taking care of business. I know it's the Dirty Sox and they're bad. So go ahead and dominate and feel good and puff your chest out and destroy them and strut to Chicago to beat the Cubbies! Sorry for my language, but screw Cleveland, and screw ownership, this is a really good team. Strap up boys, you know how good you are. You've been one of the best teams in all of baseball for months now. Just keep chomping at the bit and take no prisoners. You already know your manager believes in you. And he's called "Rocco". He's a former ML stud who's career didn't turn out right. But it's also part of the reason you respect him. How about we do a "F it. Let's win the whole thing"?

I wanted to "like" your post but couldn't quite do it. Larnach and Wallner are NOT Kepler in the OF, and never will be. Granted. But I think you underate both defensively. Larnach has looked pretty solid in LF, and Wallner has improved a lot in his routes. He clearly has room to improve. Both are large men, but they move pretty well when they get moving, especially Wallner. And Larnach actually has a pretty good arm, though not in the Wallner class, which is elite. Larnach has opposite field power few lack. And he may never develop the pull power we are all hoping for. But he's made MAJOR strides this season to indicate he MIGHT be about ready to be a 20HR and 30DBL hitter. Maybe not. But I'm seeing improvement. I am HOPING Wallner can be a .260/.340 hitter with his tremendous power and a 30% K rate. I'd settle for .250/.320. He has a CHANCE to be an All Star kind of performer. But if he's just very good, I'm OK with that. While I know the OF defense will suffer without Kepler next year, I don't think it dooms the 2025 defense. Wallner has the arm for RF...Larnach's isn't bad either...and if he can continue to improve his routs we'll be OK. But I think Larnach is better defensively than you give him credit for. I would LOVE the Twins to find a RH OF who could smash LH pitching for 2025 who could ALSO hit RH pitching decently to deepen the roster, but that's a different arguement

Sorry, didn't want to disrupt the debate you are having, but just felt the need to point out that All Star and Twins favorite Nelson Cruz didn't BECOME NELSON CRUZ until 2009 at the age of 28. I'm on your side. Please carry on

Hall has been one of my biggest disappointments this year. He has control and secondary stuff. I thought he'd make a big jump this season and maybe hit AA. Still not sure what to make of Severino. His numbers are down from last year. But his BB% is up, and he's been really good past his first 30-50 days to begin the year, meaning his "down" numbers are skewed with improvement. Let me state for the umpteenth time how much I dislike the ONLY TWO September additions. I really miss the "reward" days of the past, as well as prospects getting their feet wet at the ML level. I'd love to see Camargo get a chance to start here and there and see if he's got a viable future with the Twins. And I'd love to see Keirsey get a shot. Depending on how the offseason goes, I think Keirsey has a small chance of being protected. If you look at 2025, before anything happens in the offseason, you can pretty easily write 11 position players in ink. IF Julien gets it figured out, MAYBE 12. So there's at least 1, if not 2 spots open. While Keirsey hasn't gotten his shot yet, it's kinda hard for me to not protect him as a 4th or 5th OF option who I'd like to keep around. NOT saying Keirsey is any sort of priority, I'm just saying I see a chance he gets a shot at being protected.

How many articles about the deadline and ownership just this week? (Sigh) Guess I might as well toss out some of the things I've had on my mind as of late. 1] I DO believe the new playoff format has changed the trade deadline appreciably. This year, and recent past seasons, there are fewer sellers and seemingly fewer trade options. Or, at least, seemingly fewer difference makers available. And the costs to acquire them seems to be increasing. 2] I believe the sources that state the Tigers and Sox wouldn't do business with the Twins unless the Twins went nuts. As I understand it, there wasn't a single top 100 prospect moved. The Twins offered a top 100 in Keaschall and were rebuffed. If factual, the Sox are even a bigger mess than we thought. 3] I never believed the Twins were going to be able to add a SP who would make a major difference. There was only 1 or 2 available who might fit that description, and the Twins weren't going to give up 3 top 15-20 prospects for a 2 month rental. 4] All I wanted and felt was really, really needed was a decent LH pen arm. We didn't have to get a closer type. Just someone we could seriously consider for a 7th inning, or maybe 8th inning under the right circumstances, that had the ability to get a couple LH bats out. Someone who we could consider a solid 5th or 6th man in the pen. That's all. And it would still be better than what we have now. SO disappointed the FO couldn't handle just that ONE acquisition. 5] The best way to deal with the short supply and high cost come the mid year deadline is to have a good enough team with enough depth to hopefully need little to nothing at said deadline. Had ownership allowed for a somewhat higher budget, the FO might have added a quality LH pen arm in the offseason, as well as a SP option. Maybe even one of those rental arms that were just traded. Flaherty anyone? 6] I've never stated I believe ownership should be forced to lose $ on the Twins season to season. However not only do I find it almost unfathomable that the Twins are actually losing $, but for a family worth $4B, I can't imagine it's remotely necessary for Twins profits to support the Pohlads. In my own personal opinion, while owning a sports team can provide profits seasonally, it's more of a long term investment, and also "fun", possibly a nice rub on the ego, and presumably a door opener for other financial and public openings. Therefore, there's nothing "wrong" with a team's ownership "losing" some $ in an effort to build up their investment and fan support for a longer term view. While it's not liquid cash flow, $4B of worth means if owners "lost" $20M a season in player investment...even occasionally year to year...it would represent .005% of their worth, if my math is correct. Or put another way, Put another way, for every $100,000 you earned, or were worth, you would "lose" $500 of that to support an interest or hobby you cared about at the same .005%. Think about that for a moment. I DON'T want the FO to go crazy and trade off large groups of assets on a whim. I want a deep system that maintains contention status and be smart and judicial in trades. For the most part, despite some bad moves, they've largely done that. I won't ask ownership to lose $ on a yearly basis. But while a sports team is a business, it's an investment not only for future value, but pride value, city/state/community value. And they shouldn't be afraid to spend a little more than "wanted" in order to grow the competitive nature of the team and their investment. None of us have ever asked the Twins to rank in the top 10 amongst ML teams on payroll. I think all we've ever reasonably asked is to be somewhere in the 10-15 range based on market size. That shouldn't be all that difficult if the team is run and marketed properly. Then the FO can have a little more flexibility to keep the system in tact, and add in the offseason, without having to worry about major mid year trades and their inflated cost.

A tremendous story. Joyful, sad, touching, and even hopeful. I'd really be interested in the background of that Twins jersey. I'll be watching this kid closely and rooting as hard for him as anyone in the system. Thanks for sharing this wonderful story with us.

I still can't understand this pick. I know Air Force isn't a baseball powerhouse, nor is the Mountain West, but Thomason put up tremendous numbers for 3 years with an OPS over 1.000 each season, and got better each consecutive year. He appears to have HIT ability to go along with power and decent speed, and he lasts until the 17th round? Pure potential alone I would have thought he would have been more like a early teens selection. Is there some fear he won't be allowed to pursue his baseball career? He's one of my favorite picks because of intriguing potential/steal factor.

Lousy against RH bats, only slightly better against LH bats, and basically bad against both sides unless it's a low leverage situation. All I expected and dared hope for was a solid, competent, LH arm who could slot in as out 5th or 6th arm. We didn't even get that.

I've always said you keep an arm in the rotation for asong as possible. Always hate to move someone, permanently, to the pen too soon. However, I've also said for a while that I think Headrick has the potential to be a very good pen arm, and I don't see room for him in the Ywibs rotation, or Saints rotation. His velocity will tick up in the pen, and he's shown the ability to K opposing batters. I believe that's his role going forward, and I see he and Funderburk, Moran back from TJ, and MAYBE Okert all fighting for a pen job 2025. I don't know that there's time for Headrick to get back in a good groove and make the transition to the pen to help the club THIS year. Might be too much too soon for that to happen. But he's taken the mound in actual ML games, and out of the pen as well. So it's not completely foreign to him. I'm looking more toward next season, but if he's healthy and strong for August, I can definitely see him getting a late August, early Septemeber shot with the Twins.

Keep trying to figure out why the Vikes haven't signed Gilmore at CB yet. I know he's long in the tooth, but I keep reading how well he graded out on 2023. Surely he must have on good year left in him? Or is he just holding out for a bigger $ deal than he's been offered so far?

*click-click* ~~~sound of Gleeman and the Geek locking away their "emergency" podcast theme music