DocBauer

Agreed he is NOT Pedroia. He's much bigger in height and muscle, soni really don't get the comparison. He turns 22yo in a couple of days and is already at AA after being drafted last season, and is almost ready for AAA thr way he mashes and sees the ball. I'm hoping he gets a cup of coffee there at least this season, but that's where he'll undoubtedly begin 2025. He played a lot of SS in college, but it's my understanding he's just not a real SS at this level, and his arm might not be strong enough for 3B, which explains him not playing there at this point. But range and arm strength both good enough for LF and CF on addition to 2B. I like the idea of him working at 1B as well. Why not? It just increases his value to thr team to be able to mix and match the best lineups possible. I scratched my head a little when he was drafted. I know you don't draft for need necessarily in the ML draft, but I didn't expect a 2B/athlete type that early. Boy am I glad now they rolled with their gut and just tool thr best guy avaulable.

Want to be very clear that I'm NOT saying DON'T make a trade or upgrade. But I do agree in principal with the OP that the Twins don't...or shouldn't...need a RH arm for the pen. Now, not everyone will finish the season 100%, and not everyone will pitch awesome, but as of this moment we're talking about Duran, Jax, Stewart, Alcala, Staumont, Topa, Sands, and Varland. That's 8 possibles before SWR or Paddack possibly switched to the pen. I'd like to think that's enough to choose from to put together a pen for the post season....and the rest of the regular one...that you can rely on. Go ahead, add another good, solid option that you feel you can honestly trust in the 7th inning if you can and it doesn't cost you much. But I'd really like to have a couple LH arms for that pen as well, and I just don't trust Thielbar to be the Thielbar of old...no pun intended...after a 7 short but effective outings. And Okert isn't a #1 lefty. And while Funderburk has better stuff than either of those guys, he's a young man still figuring out his stuff. So to me, any priority for the pen should be from the left side.

I understand Ober as a functional scale, no sense getting someone "below" him, however you define that. I can also follow @ashbury that maybe you set your sites lower, if necessary, and STILL add someone solid for depth options if nothing else. But I do have to question any idea that Ober isn't a playoff caliber starter. As of this day, his ERA is about .75 higher than 2023, however, it's actually lower than last year over his last 7 appearances. Further, he's on pace for more IP than last season, with a slightly higher K per 9, but slightly higher BB per 9 and WHIP. His AVG, OB%, and ABIP are slightly lower than 2023, but his SLG% is slightly higher. If WINS are a statistic you like to use as a measuring stick, he's already equalled last year. All this to say Ober was very good in 2023. His numbers are very, very comparable to last season, with a couple very close ups and downs. If the guy never had to face the Royals his numbers would be even better. WOOF! I think he's a legitimate, quality #3 starter. So to me, he's already a playoff caliber starter. I don't know how you can do better unless you give up an awful lot for a rental, hut I guess if you DID find someone better, you'd have a hell of a potential 1-4.

I'm probably going to just repeat what's been pretty much said...buuuuut.....next year if not later this season: Lewis is 3B Correa is SS Lee is 2B, but also covers SS/3B Julien is at 1B, but also covers 2B and spends time at DH Miranda is at 1B, but also covers 3B and spends time at DH I understand anyone can DH on any given day, but you're going to want to keep all 5 of those guys in the lineup as much as possible. For that reason, I can see Julien and Miranda leading the team in DH AB. So there's PLENTY of room for all 5 of these guys on the club, even before we talk about any potential injuries. UNTIL Rodriguez is ready for his first shot, the "starting" OF for NEXT year, will be a probable combination of Larnach, Buxton, and Wallner. Martin is the RH option who covers at least 2 of those spots, if not all 3. He can also play a little 2B if needed, 3B in a pinch, but I think most of his INF days are coming to a close. (Also possible they look for a good FA or nice, inexpensive trade option to compete with Martin and push him down the ladder a notch). Catcher is probably not going to change with Jeffers and Vazquez. Castro, of course, is a legitimate 6 or 7 spot position player who's in the lineup daily. I refer to him as the Twins 10th starter. That leaves 1 spot open. That could be a healthy Kirilloff...for once...who could be a great role player at 1B/OF/DH/PH. Or it could be someone currently in St Paul, say Keirsey for example, making a very interesting duo bench option with Martin. Or it might be someone from St Paul's team this year, or someone currently outside the organization. My whole point being, a quick examination sees a single, potential, opening on the roster for 2025 and plenty of room to keep the INF intact if the Twins want.

I liked this team when they broke camp...for the most part. It wasn't perfect, but I liked it. I liked it even better, projection wise, about a month in when a couple injured RP would be back. My expectations were a team that was going to win about 90-92 games. I thought they had a shot at a couple more wins if a couple of things broke just right. Imagine my surprise and disappointment when they started off 7-13 and lost Royce the first game of the year. You have to count all games, and the whole season. But going in to the double header on Wednesday the 11th, the Twins had the best record in baseball since April 22, which was basically the end of their big losing streak. I believe they were also first in runs league wide since that time. Woulda, coulda, shoulda, but if the team hadn't started so ridiculously bad and inconsistent, they'd probably be in 1st in the ALC right now. They say you can't win a pennant in April, but you can lose one. I suppose that's true. But we still have half a season left, and while the Twins are looking at a solid WC lock at the moment, I'm going to hold out for a Cleveland slump and the Twins taking over 1st. Other than that ridiculous and frustrating start, what's SURPRISED me is HOW the Twins have GOTTEN to where they are. I saw Ryan and Ober doing well, but I didn't see Lopez struggling this much, or Varland just imploding. I didn't see Julien and Wallner getting off to such poor starts, but I also wasn't sure about Buxton being so healthy, or Miranda coming back so strong and even improving over his rookie season. And honestly, despite some tough games here and there, the pen has been every bit as good as could be expected, if not more so, when you look at the number of injuries. My goodness, I believe there were 7 guys on the IL at one point that were marked for potential pen duty? Going forward? (other than decent health) 1) Lopez's biggest problem doesn't appear to be stuff. It's a lack of consistency. It's as if all the hits in a game keep coming bunched in a single inning. Is he due a couple adjustments and some better "luck" for greater consistency? I'm going to disagree with a lot of opinions on here, I like the Twins top 3 SP just fine, if they just keep doing what they are doing, or are capable of doing. If we make the second round, it's a toss up of SWR or Paddack as the #4, but that's months away right now. I really don't know who you're going to trade for, mid season, during an "auction", when all but a handful of teams are still in the hunt right now. I'm never opposed to making the team better, but I just don't see anything happening without paying a king's ransom at this point. 2) If Stewart can come back and finish out the season, with the improved and now trusted Alcala, as well as Duran and Jax, that's a really good 4 to work with. Can Varland give the pen a big boost come September and through the playoffs? I don't see why not, and that might be his future. Now we're at 5 big arms before we get to anyone else. Sands has largely been solid all year as a 6th inning, and sometimes 7th inning, arm. Can Topa come all the way back? What about Staumont adding velocity and his new slider and starting to look like a possible option? And one of SWR or Paddack would also be available for the pen, yes? From the LH side, I like Okert as a #2 guy. He's not great, but he's generally solid. Funderburk has the best stuff from the left side of anyone right now, but he's a rookie still working on command. And while Thielbar's last several appearances have looked much better, I don't know that I'm even close to saying he's "fixed" at this point. So I'm one of those that would be interested in a LH arm for the pen if the right deal can be found. 3) Martin...when back healthy...and Margot are a bit redundant on the roster. But Margot has the advantage of experience. And after a horrible start, Margot got himself hot about a month or so ago and has done nice work. Can he keep it up? Maybe...maybe not. He can always be cut in favor of keeping the younger Martin, or, replaced with a trade if they can find a deal that they really like at the deadline. But it had better be a smart option otherwise why not just stick with Martin instead? But a healthy Lewis, Lee up now, Wallner HOPEFULLY ready to stick for good, all we need from the offense, IMO, is to stay healthy and just keep doing what they've been doing. This is a really nice ballclub. They're on pace for more than 90 wins, even though they're playing at about a 100 win pace currently. I don't expect a major addition, but I can see room for a couple rentals if the price is right. I don't think anyone wants to see the system wiped out by big cost for a couple short term options. But if the right move is there, and the cost is right, I say make an add or two and let's see what happens. But I think this team is pretty good as is. I'm just surprised they're about as good as I expected, but just in different ways and with different contributors than I expected when the season began.

Understandably, a 17-18yo HS arm is the hardest type of prospect to predict success for as they have such a long road to travel before reaching MLB. A foreign born 16-18yo is probably that much harder to predict. So I can understand the Twins seemingly more attracted/interested in young, teenage bats that are probably a little easier or "safer" to project. But I'd still like to see them focus a bit more on the young, Latin community of arms than it feels they have previously.

"A playoff caliber starter" is what's often heard. Right behind that we hear "an ACE". ACES are rare and really expensive. I mean, a real, true, legitimate CY Young candidate or top finisher year to year. Think Verlander. A playoff caliber starer is also very expensive, still might qualify as a #1 starter, and also come expensive. Personally, I'd rather try to get one...were it possible and the Twins goal...in the offseason and not as a mid year move as part of a bidding auction. Anyway...back to "a playoff caliber starter" and what that means to the Twins. Pablo has not has a good of a year as 2023...so far anyway...but has certainly flashed many times. The underlying numbers are all solid. And he's smart, and a hard worker. So why the inconsistencies this season? I don't have a clue. Mechanical, mental, sequencing, just his turn for some bad BABIP type of luck, IDK. But he's a good arm. To say he's not is disingenuous IMO. Ryan is pitching about as anyone around. To just assume he will suddenly become injured like last year is short sighted isn't it? I mean, anyone can become injured, yes? Ober is very solid, has looked about as good as ever his past handful of starts, and doesn't look like he's slowing down. So who exactly are you going to acquire when over half the teams in MLB are still within a handful of games of being in contention? Just how much is this new arm going to cost? And just how easy do you think it's going to be to get someone BETTER than the top 3 arms we have right now? And if you don't get better arms, then why bother? Look, I'm not saying don't improve the club and never make trades. Not at all. But it also has to make sense. And I don't see who you are going to get MID YEAR that's actually really good, and available, and not going to be auctioned off at a really high cost. And again, if you aren't getting someone back even better than what we have, there is no point. I'm more concerned with the LH side of the pen right now than I am the rotation. I know not everyone shares my faith in our top 3 starters, but that's where I'm sitting. If I'm going to add from the Jays, it's clearly Kikuchi for me. He's going to be a relatively inexpensive rental, his remaining salary isn't much, he's experienced, he's still solid, and he offers an interesting LH pen option in the post season.

I'm still hoping for the best. And while he's been sliding some of late, the eye test alone has shown a definite change in approach and general improvement. So I'm certainly not going to give up on him just yet. Long term, however, I don't believe he's a fit. I'm one of those that believe Wallner is going to be pretty good and pretty dangerous. At some point next year, Rodriguez is going to be ready. At least one of Larnach or Kirilloff is going to be pushed out of a spot over the next 9-12 months, if not both. I'm hoping one of those two can get it together and become a valuable part of the club. And that could be Larnach still. But agreed he's got to continue to make adjustments. Here's hoping he will. We could still really use his bat the remainder of this season as well.

If it played out this way, I'd be very pleased. I don't know if Benge falls to 21, but I'd jump on him if he was. After Rodriguez, and possibly Rosario, OF gets really thin for the Twins until you get to A ball. But I would have to consider Brecht long and hard. I know there are questions about control, but, if the Twins feel decently comfortable they can fix that aspect of his game, not sure how you pass. Sanford is on my wish list for the comp pick, along with Lewis from Omaha. This would really fill an organizational need: young, talented SS with high upside and no need to rush. The prep pitching class appears deep enough that the Twins can still grab a pair of talented ones in the 2nd and 2nd comp pick. Just feels like the right time and opportunity to take a couple shots at that demographic. They are the longest Longshot, but they also have probably the highest upside of any position. It's a good year to take the plunge. I'm just borderline obsessed with catcher Campos, a LH hitting version of Jeffers from everything you hear and read about him. He's not projected for the 3rd round, but I'd consider grabbing him that early to make sure I don't lose him. The Twins have some interesting catchers in the system, but most have had disappointing seasons thus far. Time to add. From there, the Twins then have another 17 picks. I'd say 10 college pitchers after that...hopefully an interesting LH or two...and then a mix of college hitters mixed in for the other 7 spots. Keep hoping for a top LH college arm to come in the 3rd or 4th right before or right after Campos, just depending how the Twins see the board playing out. That's my dream draft. Something just a little different than the past couple of years. But it sure seems like opportunity of talent and bonus pool $ make this the perfect year to lean on HS talent early.

Super happy for Vazquez. Never saw that coming but such a dramatic way to end the game. Didn't understand Vazquez on the basepaths though. That huge turn and subsequent throw out at 1B confused me. I didn’t think the move to 2B seemed there. Just my opinion. But did Lee take off late for home late deliberately? Sort of looked like they were trying to sneak him home, thinking the Astros would look elsewhere. I mean, it worked, but it looked clumsy. Hate seeing Martin out. But excited to see Wallner get his shot. His AB looked really solid. SWR has been a life preserver for the rotation, and IMO, keeps getting better. Velocity keeps ticking up and he keeps gaining experience and confidence. And he won't even turn 24yo until late September. I keep wondering how good he just might end up being. On to Chicago for a sweep! But would someone please tell Cleveland they aren't this good and it's time to lose a few games.

There are absolutely some arms out there that might interest the Twins that are having a down season, but might be the victim of some tough luck with fine underlying numbers and might be a change of scenery and/or a mechanical tweak to get right again and really help the pen in a trade. And more than a few of them have already been mentioned in different articles here on TD. Houston is doing better, and they aren't going to move Pressly unless they collapse. The Twins MIGHT consider picking up $5-6M remaining salary if they really liked the arm they brought back. But they sure aren't going to pick up any $14M salary option for 2025. Nor are they going to send additional prospects, or a better prospect, to the Astros for them to cover a portion of that salary for an arm that will be 35yo next season. Pressly may or may not be done. Same with some of the other arms mentioned previously that are having down seasons. But Pressly's AVG is up 36 points from career norm, up 28 points in OB%, 49 points in SLG% and up 76 points in OPS. His BABIP is up 66 points, which might account for some bad luck or a mechanical tweak, but these are HUGE red flags across the board for a 34yo reliever with another year under contract. Unless Varland implodes in the pen come August/September or Stewart's arm falls off...not even considering Topa for the moment...I'm more worried about a LH arm we can really feel confident in. Not opposed to a quality RH arm, I'm just not sure I see the need with Duran, Jax, Stewart, Alcala, and Varland. But if Pressly is moved for any reason, it won't be to the Twins.

Quick shout out to LHP Christian MacLeod from CR. The Twins drafted him in the 5th round in 2021. Unless you want to count the 1.2 IP he had right after being drafted as something worth considering, he didn't debut until last year, 2023, following a year off from surgery that I believe was TJ related. He put up solid, but certainly not great numbers last year, but is off to a much better overall season this year for the Kernals. Despite the missed season...putting him a little behind some other arms...he's still only a little over 24yo. His BB are a 5.6 per 9 so far, which is not acceptable. But fewer hits than IP and 9.7 K's per 9 are solid. If he can lower his BB I could potentially see him finishing the season at AA post draft. Boy, what might Wichita's record be if they had any kind of bullpen depth? Yasser Mercedes is absolute raking and needs to bump up to A+. Post draft maybe? Very happy to see Em Rodriguez back on the field. If he can stay healthy the rest of the year, I still expect a little AAA time this season, if for no reason than to get him adjusted and challenged as early as possible to get ready for 2025. Probably not immediately, but at some point, he's going to be up next year with the Twins. I have faith in Julien as a hitter. He's been up and down on daily performance since his demotion. It's just MY opinion, but I think he's struggling in his head between being aggressive, while working the count, and making a mental adjustment as to the ML strike zone, the MILB strike zone he's seeing from lesser umps, as well as the robo ump. His game is so predicated on working the count for a pitch to drive or take a BB. I believe he's searching for the right balance of aggressiveness vs patience and will still be an important part of the lineup once he gets right again. But I see him more at 1B, covering 2B, and making some appearances at DH as well. While I think he's developed in to a solid 2B, I think that's going to end up being Lee's spot when Lewis is back. One step at a time, but that group, plus Miranda, and Castro for at LEAST one more year...I'd be looking at a fair extension...the INF looks GREAT for the next few years!

So if you read the tea leaves a little, Topa and Stewart are involved in a mix of bullpens and simulated games. Stewart should begin a rehab assignment next week if his next effort looks good and no setbacks. Topa isn't far behind. Now, Topa hasn't pitched at all this season, while Stewart has. So my money is on Stewart to be the larger addition to the club, but it's possible both will make an impact. But I'd say we're talking late July or first of August before they are ready. And that's find. We need help, we need to keep winning, but August and beyond are most important right now. So the pen, from the RH side, WITH Varland joining it sometime August, and no later than September 1st, IMO. Duran, Jax, Stewart, Alcala, Varland, and possibly Topa. While Sands has been a little hot and cold, he fills a role as a 2 inning plus guy. I'm leaving Staumont out of the arguement for the moment as the K's aren't high, but the BB are, and I think he's probably going to end up behind everyone else here on the list. I think Okert is just fine as the 2nd LH in the pen. He's solid and generally gets the job done. Funderburk has the better pure stuff, but he's still gaining experience and working on his command. I mean, he's lights out at times, but scares the hell out of you other times, even if he does get the side out. Take what's listed from the RH side, find a solid, dependable LH arm that doesn't break the bank, and then let Okert and Funderburk fight it out for the 2nd LH job to finish the season. Of course, Funderburk having options means he's probably the initial loser. Were I the Reds and had Cruz for a couple more years on the cheap, I'd only move him if I really liked the rest of my pen arms and didn't want to trust a 34yo when I'm ready to win again...soon. So he MIGHT be available. I was really interested in Yates a year or so ago when he was trying to bounce back. Wish we had grabbed him. If the Rangers don't get back in the race over the next couple of weeks, I could see them shipping him off for something. But how big is his price tag? I just feel a LH SOMEONE they can feel they can count on is what they really need right now. Sorry, I just don't see Thielbar suddenly turning the clock back. I don't know if that's Nardi or not. But I could be interested. He posted really solid numbers across the board in 2023, as pointed out in the OP. His BB per 9 this season sits at 2.7. Not great, but not bad. And he's averaging 11.1 K per 9. His quad slash line of .252/ .307/ .402/ .709 aren't super, but are about average overall. So again, he might be a good acquisition. The Marlins are a mess, seemingly searching for an identity, and might be interested in a young bat, or two, that isn't/aren't at the top of the Twins prospect list. And maybe Nardi isn't the answer. But he or someone similar...maybe also having a rough year but good stuff the Twins can work with...is what I believe they should be targeting. Providing Stewart, and maybe Topa, really are on the road to recovery.

I fully embrace the statistics as presented to a degree. I agree Larnach has been unlucky because I've seen hard hit ball after hard hit ball all season lining to someone, or settling in to a speeding OF glove when it looked like he had a double, etc. Where I have to disagree with these kinds of statistics is when they play themselves over a long period of time. For instance, while I don't have the data in front of me, Kepler's BABIP has been greatly discussed the past few seasons because other data said he SHOULD be ranking better, or having better "luck". But when a low number like that keeps happening year after year, it's a trend, and not poor luck. When Kepler's BABIP has risen, it's been because he changed his approach and began to sacrifice some contact for better overall power. Suddenly his overall production went up, including his BABIP. So while I feel Larnach has been unlucky, and is continuing to improve, I might hold out just a little judgement until I see the numbers. And I'm not being a downer, I have a good feeling about him. As to Margot, his defense has gone from awful, back to OK/good-ish, to borderline awful again. I believe he's lost a pair of balls just in the last week due to the lights. Doesn't mean I'm ready to give up on him yet, but he's been inconsistent defensively, to say the least. Offensively, I was ready to be done with him come June 1st. Instead, he went on a tear and for a month at least, was hitting as well as or better against LHP as he ever has. He's had some big games, and some big hits. He's even, lately, been better against RHP. Just a hot streak? Maybe. But you don't cut a player who's actually producing positive results even IF he stunk for the previous two months. You just don't. Now, can he keep it up? Because you absolutely CAN cut a player who stunk, got hot, and then stinks again. So if he seriously regresses in July and going in to August, I can see him removed. He has the experience that Martin doesn't have. But as player types, they are very similar, and having both is a bit redundant. And considering how approximately 75% of the pitchers are RH, I'd love to see Wallner or Keirsey up and providing a LH bat. But I'm fine admitting that for now at least, the FO was smart to hold on to Margot and he did a great job in June. But we still have a half season to go, and moves can still be made down the line. But right NOW, I'm glad Margot was kept.

Seriously, if Varland heads to the pen come September...if not sooner...and the Twins need/want someone to make some starts to rest an arm or two as they did late last year, is it automatically Festa? I mean, no offense to Festa, I think he's got a world of potential. But could Dobnak be an August/September option for that fill in arm? A lot of good arms deserving of praise, including some not listed in the OP but mentioned elsewhere.

Just a hunch, and my opinion, but it just FEELS like the Twins need and want a young, talented SS to work with as an eventual successor to Correa. And it just so happens there are a handful of good ones this year. I'm thinking Sanford or Lewis with the comp pick. Not too soon, not too late, and the bonus pool $ available to make some moves. The Twins are going to draft at least 7 and probably 8-10 college arms through 20 rounds and 22 total picks. I think that's a given. But I could see a prep arm, or even two, being taken early. There's enough good ones to choose from, and again, they have enough bonus pool $ to play around with to make it happen. Oakie and Levonas are just a couple to keep an eye on. They're committed to some big baseball schools in Arkansas and Wake Forest, but that goes to show how talented these kids might be. I'm also very intrigued by the tall kid from Utah that's been rising lately as he hasn't been on many circuits but looks very projectable. I can't recall his name at the moment. Might they mix in a pair of HS arm? Maybe one from each side? Ryan Campos is a guy I've been really interested in ever since he was mentioned on the podcast. Everything about him sounds like a LH Jeffers, with maybe a little weaker arm. Getting him in the 3rd or 4th round and working on the defense with his profile sounds like a future Jeffers partner behind the plate.

Ober has been looking very good, and did again today. One bad pitch really his only blemish. Hard to say anything about about an error that suddenly extended an inning and you're half in the dugout, (mentally), and have to suddenly compose yourself again. Great game. Miranda already better than his rookie version and still getting better. Jeffers has broken out of his slump? Has Kepler? Sands worked a phenomenal inning and struck out the side on 14 total pitches, and that was with having to face a 4th man due to the Correa drop. He's the only pen arm that pitched today. That's a little extra benefit from the game being called after 7. But as bad as that field was, game should have been delayed and called a full inning before it was. Someone could have been hurt out there...and Jeffers almost was.

Yes to Matthews, Morris and Lewis. Have to see how Raya is used, develops, and what kind of offseason he had. Right now I'd say he begins 2025 back in AA. That wouldn't be a negative considering his age and how he's been/being used. Festa, Matthews, Morris. Lewis, and Nowlin should all be in St Paul 5o begin next season, barring something happening on the ML level. How about Headrick as a SP as well? Or does he become a short and dangerous LH for the pen? Still going to have Dobnak around for depth. Already excited about the 2025 rotation and pen for St Paul. I think Wichita will be almost as good/deep as well.

The 13 man position player portion of the roster is pretty easy. A couple days ago a few of us shared similar thoughts and the OP is pretty much dead on with my opinion. Generally speaking, the Twins have a primary 10 man lineup since Castro can and will play everywhere and almost every day to rest someone. That leaves the backup C, Martin at 3 spots, and Kirilloff as a 1B/OF/DH to round out the roster. I don't wish injury on anyone, but I'm really hoping Camargo will be brought up in September of this year to rest Jeffers/Vazquez a little and get some actual ML time to see what he can do. But I believe money, defense, and veteran status has Vazquez on the roster. Kirilloff is a wild card. Now that his wrist is OK, can he finally stop getting hurt in other ways? If he dies, he has a role playing 3 days a week...occasionally more...at 3 corner spots, DH, and as a valuable PH. He's still got an option left if the Twins don't use it this season. But time might be running out. Martin might be part of the "bench" as well, but that's a pretty loose term on this team. He plays 3 spots, can be a quality RH PH, as well as a good PR. Plenty of opportunity for him as well, considering the Twins like to use the whole roster. SOMEONE is always going to get hurt. It's normal. One of Castro's strengths is roster flexibility due to his versatility. That means someone like Keirsey can be brought up even if an INF goes on the IL. This roster has the luxury of being fluid. At some point, Emmanuel Rodriguez is going to be part of the roster, I just don't expect it to happen opening day, and maybe not for a month or two. While this roster lacks veteran experience at a few spots, I really like it.

Farmer is a good guy and a "gamer". He is a positive influence in the clubhouse. He had moments in 2023 that lead to a playoff appearance and an actual WIN! BUT despite a bit of an uptick in his offense lately, he remains, unfortunately, a low producing player without a spot on the 13 man position player roster. Has he been given enough playing time to get himself put of his hole? Maybe not. But fellow veteran Margot actually did. At some point, the "nice guy teammate" and "can play across the infield" mantra has to come to a close. Sorry, but it's true. Julien, IMO, is still a part of this team going forward. But Lee is ready NOW for the Twins. He should be up to play 2B SOON and Farmer should be DFA, unless there is someone in real need for a veteran utility player on a low level trade. It's TIME to make a move for this season and the future. Period! Unfortunately, at some point, barring injury or horrible performance, the Twins might have to make a decision between Margot and Martin vs having another LH bat available, Wallner OR giving Kiersey his first ML shot. It's not fair to Martin, but right now Margot is performing. Are we playing for the playoffs and a shot? Or are we preparing for the future? Or is there a slim line where we do both? That's where I think Lee and a possible OF move come in to play.

Hey, I generally agree with a lot of your comments and perspectives as well. THANK YOU for your kind words. HONESTLY appreciated. I DO try to look at the big picture of everything. But it's 100% OK to "like" and still disagree with me and offer up a different opinion. I BOW to anyone who offers praise. :)

The problem is they are stuck between NOW and 2025. Kepler will be gone next year. Larnach is starting to figure it out, IMO. Wallner is looking like the prospect he was in 2023 just begging to come up and make a difference again and potentially be a fixture. And we're still not sure about Kirilloff. But you also mentioned Margot. The problem there is, the Twins are a contending team and Margot has suddenly been the player they thought they were acquiring. In fact, he's been even better through June. So do you hold on to Margot instead of a LH younger OF for now? Are Margot and Martin redundant? Do you send Martin back to AAA even though he might not deserve it? How amazing would it be for Lee...or Julien when he forces the issue...to play 2B and let Castro do what he does best, which is be a great player ALL OVER? But that means Farmer is gone, or Martin gets sent down. The offense is actually one of the best in MLB since about May 1st. One of the best against LHP which we haven't seen since 2019. And still good against RHP. But it feels like they could really use another LH bat for the remainder of the season. Who??? I know this sounds crazy as we're still trailing Cleveland and there is this sort of "whoh is me and we aren't good enough" attitude after the horrible start to the season. But if you take a step back and realize how good the offense has been the past couple of months you'd realize the Twins are actually in a bit of a roster crunch. I would have let Margot go a month ago and just let Martin get ML time. But Margot has suddenly been good. Farmer hasn't been anything close to good, but he's been much better the past 30 days. So do you just jetison him now for Lee? Maybe you do. Not sure the FO feels that way. CRAZY as it sounds, the offense is clicking and there is ACTUALLY a roster crunch in regard to NOW, and who might be part of 2025 and beyond. That's a good thing.

I think we're speaking the same language. IMO, Rodriguez won't be ready opening day 2025, but sometime later. Right now, I'm higher on Wallner than AK. I can live with a 30% K rate if there's enough actual contact and HIT ability along with a decent BB and tremendous power from Wallner. I actually believe he's improved defensively as an OF, and can get better. I think he showed that last season in LF, even though he's normally been a RF previously. JUST MY OPION but if he stuck in RF, he might be at least average there. His wheels aren't bad once he gets going. And the arm is a cannon. IMO, he has a hard time "reading" the ball off the bat and is better the more he plays one position.

Again, I'm not saying you or @stringer bellare wrong. I've been a Twins fan for 50 years but grew up watching a TON of Cubs, Braves, and Mets through cable TV as a younger man. I've seen decades of NL old school baseball. And I've SO MUCH of pitchers bunting and striking out and killing rallies, etc, etc. But that's just the way it was for decades. MLB has been SO SLOW to adapt to ANYTHING from the game on the field to marketing. And they are STILL behind almost every other league in so many ways. Again, a different topic for another day. I actually love inter league play. It's just FUN to see different teams and different players and match ups. And I'm glad that we finally have the DH universally. Not only was it a weird imbalance, but spending decades watching pitchers TRYING to hit was boredom if not infuriating at times. But the DH is universal now. I'm glad that it is. And I can fully understand and appreciate the idea that you can't PH for the DH. But IMO, when someone gets HURT, in any sport, including MLB, you get time to see if that player can continue or not. I just don't see an issue with replacing a HURT DH with someone else. We're not talking about PH for an advantage. I'm just saying if a DH is actually injured, why should a team have to give up the DH spot and make a pitcher hit...especially since pitchers aren't even supposed to ever hit any longer with the universal DH...when the team with the injured player could offer up a sub?

Sorry my friend, we hardly ever disagree on things, but I'm going to have to argue with you on this one point. I'm a little out of my element here, but I believe college has had the DH in affect for some time now. And I honestly can't recall about MILB, but I believe the DH has been in affect for some time as well, even for NL clubs. And now, the DH is in full affect for all ML teams. It's been established as a lineup position. I can appreciate an "old school" idea that the DH is a "substitute" for the pitcher having to bat. And while I have questions going forward in MLB as to whether or not the DH should be considered a POSITION where you can substitute or not...different arguement for a different day...I do believe if a DH is removed due to injury, said team should be allowed to substitute. I mean, considering roster constraints, we're probably talking the last man on the bench kind of substitution, but we're still talking about an injury sub. POTENTIALLY, that might even weaken a team all the more from a bench move later in the game! But IMO, you should be able to replace an injured player at any point.