DocBauer

AK's entire ML career has been marred by his wrist issue...supposed fixed now...and then a bad shoulder late in 2023 when he dove and landed hard chasing a ball. Start and stop, start and stop. That's been his ML career so far. When drafted, he was seen as possibly the best bat to ball hitter in his draft class. His milb results would seem to back that opinion. So has stretches, when healthy, at the ML level. If there is no hidden, non reported injury at this time, I'd speculate he's in the "they adjusted and now I have to" phase. Does that mean a temporary demotion to AAA would be a bad thing? Not at all. But I dontnsee it happening until someone else comes back healthy. I don't think the Twins are ready to bring Wallner back just yet, and I don't see a 40 man spot for Keirsey just yet. So I think AK keeps working on it at the ML level. It's hard to believe, but he's on got a little over 800 PA in his ML career thus far. That's really not a lot! Worried? No. A bit concerned? Yes. But I full, healthy, playing daily 2024 will help him develop and prove himself. Or it might not. But really, 20 games of a slump for a kid with talent and only 800 PA is knee jerk to actually be "worried about" him.

First, I have to object to any reference to Martin causing the injury. Whether he ran or dove, he was in his proper path to the base. There was little to zero contact that caused any sort of injury. The injury occurred by a bad step on the base from the pitcher. Secondly, how could Kepler possibly know how serious the injury actually was? Was it pain or severe injury? How would he know? Guys sometimes hit the ground in pain, maybe get the wind knocked out of them, and it looks bad. A few moments later, they get up and jog it off and are OK. Martin was at no fault. And Kepler did nothing wrong but continue on with a live play.

Wow! Lopez dominate. The bats just keep producing. Funderburk wild but still punched out 2 and continues to show he's got a future. Nice to see Staumont back on the mound and K-ing the side, even if he was also a bit wild. (Still don't like Alcala being over used, and then sent down. If the Twins don't want to use him for 1 good inning at a time, I'm sure someone else would be glad to do so). Margot showing signs of actual life??!! Didn't Santana go on his homer binge right after an OP about sticking with him or cutting him loose, and how long of a rope did he have? And now Margot does the same thing right after a similar article? Who do we want to hammer next? LOL! Who needs a turnaround most? Twelve in a row, a loss, and then wins in 4 of the next 5. Seattle and Boston aren't bad teams devoid of talent. While they still aren't firing on all cylinders yet, this Twins team is starting to look like the one I envisioned before the season started. Lewis, Buxton, and Stewart back in the near future...hopefully Wallner as well...and my personal picture will be almost complete. Now let's go beat up on the Jay's!

I was torn between a CF option and just a RH BAT. I was big on Duvall...pretty neutral career splits...or Pham, or a couple other guys. I leaned towards the BAT with Castro, Martin, Helman, and Keirsey all available for CF to some degree. When the FO went for defense and speed instead, I was OK with that decision. Just a couple years ago Margot was a legitimate plus CF. He's been solid against LHP and a little under league average overall for his career, but not bad. Actually, he is a better "hitter" and OB% bat than Taylor, but less power. Again, initially, the move made some solid sense, even if it wasn't necessarily the move I would have made. And really, it's pretty silly to dump a veteran ballplayer after 1 month, even if it's been a brutal month. He could turn back in to the player he's previously been and we'll all forget about this OP. But right now, just watching him in the field and at the plate, he looks slow and utterly lost. I don't think he should be gone today. But he's been so bad so far with no positive signs, I think his removal has to be a consideration come June 1st. Keirsey is on the rise, younger, a terrific CF with some pop and speed. Can he hit ML pitching? We won't know until he tries. And I don't care at this point if he's a RH bat or not. Especially since roughly 75% of pitchers are RH anyway. Honestly, at this point, could he do any worse? Hey, I still have hopes for Helman as well. And maybe it's Wallner, ready to go and return, who is the best option. But if Margot doesn't turn it around, a decision is going to have to be made for the good of the team. Right now, Margot's only function is to balance the roster 13/13 for a total of 26 men.

Going to disagree with you slightly here. I think Martin's natural position is the OF, LF and CF to be precise. The problem was the Jay's sticking him at SS and the Twins following suit because they A] Didn't want to mess too much with him when first acquired, and B] The Twins kept him in the dirt at SS because they believed it would help his versatility at 2B and 3Bbecause, you know, it would only help, even though they stated he was a natural OF who could move there at any point. The problem is they DIDN'T just move him to where he should be! It's why a lot of us objected to the idea of him being a primary backup to Buxton, along with Castro, right out of the gate. His defense, and offense, needed more time at AAA. Taylor kept holding out for a better offer...which he never got...and that lead to the trade for Margot. EXCEPT, Margot is no longer considered a legitimate CF option by the Twins, has made a few bad plays in the corners, and has been barely average against LHP, and ABYSMAL against RHP, save a single RBI recently. I'm not one to take a bad month from a veteran and declare him toasted. Late starts and surprises...good and bad...happen. But Margot just looks utterly lost and appears to have fallen off a cliff. I hate being that "knee jerk" guy, but I would also drop him and bring up Keirsey at this point. He's on a 3 year run of finally being healthy and producing, while getting better and better during that run. He was great at AA in 2023, solid at AAA in 39 games to finish. He's been outstanding in 30 games this season. Do we really care he hits from the LH side as replacement for the barely competent RH Margot? He's a LEGITIMATE CF with speed and defense with some pop who MIGHT hit some. He and Martin can cover CF, along with Castro, who can continue to play anywhere. When Buck is back, you send down whoever makes most sense at the time. NOT a big fan of Santana. But at least he's providing good defense. I still believe he can help as a defensive replacement, and a solid RH bat against LHP. So far this season, he's been a much better batter against LHP, which is on cue for his career. I'm talking about almost .300 points better in OPS! IRONICALLY, he somehow has more RBI as a LH despite atrocious batting numbers. But I've heard Larnach, despite his changes in approach and stance that have lead him to sudden production, might still be suffering some from turf toe. That's kept him out of the OF mix somewhat so far if true. So while I'm not a fan of the Santana signing, there's enough there to work with that I'm not ready to bail just yet. At least he's contributed and shown signs of life. It really feels like Margot is just a mistake who's taking up space.

Seattle is a good team, and hot recently. You can't and don't win them all. I don't always agree with moves that Rocco makes, think he generally makes good ones, and over the past few weeks he's made a lot of good and right calls. But i did feel he made some poor choices in this game. 1] I just don't understand PH that early in the game to remove a couple of your best bats. What was it, the 5th? You still have a lot of game to play. 2] Ober was at 85 pitches through 5. In a close game, MAYBE it was time to pull him rather than try to squeeze another inning out of him. But as good as Sands has been this season, he's the ONE GUY in the pen who's "built" for more than 1 inning based on being a SP pretty recently. He should have at least started the 7th in hopes he'd have similar success as he did in the 6th. Alcala has shown time and time again that he has the ability to be good/very good for 1 inning. But they keep INSISTING he should throw 2 at a time! Why? The history of results show his production and final results are clear. 3] I don't understand running Farmer from 2B with 1 out and Jeffers at the plate. Was it a bad hit and run attempt? Being aggressive is one thing. Running yourself out of an inning is a big mistake. 4] Jackson is not a bad arm if he's your 8th or 9th option. STINKS that as soon as we get Duran back we lose Stewart for a week or two. Can Topa help offset his loss? I sure hope so. I don't like the idea of tossing away depth in the pen...and St Paul doesn't have a lot to offer...but when I look at a healthy Twins pen, I've got Duran, Jax, Stewart, Thielbar, Topa, Okert, Duran, Funderburk, and Sands. That's 9 before Staumont hopefully getting right, Winder hopefully getting right, and a couple veteran fliers like Blewett and previously very good Diego Castillo doing solid work. I know guys have bad days, and guys will have IL stints. And Jackson isn't exactly terrible, but he's not exactly good either. Would the FO dare to cut him when Topa is ready? Again, he's probably the 9th or 10th guy when everyone is healthy. How far do they take the "veteran depth" debate? KUDOS to Martin for his hustle! He BLEW that gimme triple, which happens for rookies, indicating he's still got stuff to learn. And that one play might have been the difference in tonight's game, along with mis-using Sands and Duran. But I'd still stick with him over Margot when Buxton is back. Other than a semi-decent bat, with no power, and a single RBI against a RHP a couple games ago, Margot just looks like someone who fell off a cliff. Time to get ready for game 3! Go Twins!

Like everyone else, I'm a huge fan of Arraez and always will be. He's an absolute unicorn: a generational hitter with a good OB% and clutch hitting, but limited power, little speed, and not much defensively. Boy oh boy is he nice to see at the top of your order in one of the top two spots. (Though he does seem to usually fall off some in the second half of seasons. Worn out perhaps?) But with what the Twins had, had coming up, and need in the rotation, it was the right move af the time to trade for Lopez, and it remains the right move today. I don't think any "winner" needs to be decided in the trade. Both teams benefited initially, but we have Lopez. And that's all I need to know. It's a long rabbit hole to go down if we wait and see what becomes of the prospects Miami received from the Padres. And that's a path I care not to follow.. On a side note, when Miami moved on from Kim Ng, I think it was obvious they were probably going to begin a rebuild, though with some years of control left, I didn't see them moving on from Arraez so soon. I really thought the Marlins still needed some young bats, and thought the Twins might offer up a collection of solid prospects...beyond the first 5 or 6 in the system... for Edward Cabrera, talented, controllable, but somewhat enigmatic. I thought it made a ton of sense for both clubs. Looks like no deal there was the best outcome for the Twins. Best of luck to Luis, except of course when he faces us.

Living in Nebraska...as stated in a previous post or two...I'm not affected by this situation. But that doesn't mean it doesn't concern or frustrate me as well. I'm literally watching my life long ML team destroy it's brand and reputation! What's so damn frustrating to me is how ownership has largely seemed to do "right" before this fiasco. In the community, from what I read, they've been very active over the years with various charities and organizations. When the pandemic shut so many things down, they were amongst the first 2 or 3 teams to announce they would not only avoid any layoffs within the Twins FO, but would also pay all milb players and staffers. They've invested in scouting and development and complexes in Florida and Latin America. They've consistently made upgrades to the "Target Field" experience for fans. Current and former players and coaches have raved how they and their families have been treated by the FO and ownership. I don't recall the comments made by Joe Pohlad concerning future expansion of the payroll, but I do know they hadn't cut payroll until this season, and in fact had raised it yearly for the past several seasons. So what on earth has happened, virtually overnight, to create this HUGE mess? We've heard grumblings for some time about Bally and the agreement the Twins had with them that restricted any further growth of revenue through streaming and the such. They KNEW when their contract was up! They had TIME to look for and examine all avenues for 2024 and future growth! Even if you suspected you MIGHT have to lower payroll, you wait until the warm, fuzzy, glowing feelings of reaching the playoffs and actually WINNING have faded a bit. It's almost akin to Christmas and receiving a present you wanted only to be told moments later your goldfish died. Not only was it the wrong time to make said announcement, but if there was any CHANCE of re-upping with Bally, then they should have not only said nothing at the time, but should have maybe hedged their bets a little and mad the decision to either not cut payroll for 2024...coming off a great season...or expect a smaller cut in their minds to hedge their bets on the unknown. What's even MORE frustrating is they SOMEHOW didn't know that the entire deal was still CONTINGENT on an agreement between Bally/Diamond and Comcast??? WTH? Alienate the fans. Mislead the fans. And then eliminate the fans that you have. That's the 3 things that ownership has accomplished this offseason. Just exactly who is running what up in those offices? By all accounts DSP is a salt of the earth guy who's done a lot for the Twins over the years. But lack of growth in earning opportunities and some very bad public statements makes me wonder if it's time to just move on for someone more in touch with today's fans and market place who can be creative and inventive going forward. Ultimately, does the TV/streaming fiasco lie at Joe's feet, or did the "family" intervene and override forward thinking for the future of the organization for one last payday? 6 months. That's all it took to virtually destroy all good will of a franchise and fan base riding high and looking forward to 2024 and the future. SOMEONE upstairs had better take a really good, long, hard, and honest look in the mirror when this season is done, realize and admit mistakes, and then take steps to rectify the situation going forward. And if it's not all on Joe's plate, then he needs to step forward as the man in charge and take control. It may take 2-3 years to undo what's been done in the past 6 months, but that journey begins by reflection, admittance, and then forward thinking to undo the damage.

SWR has been an enigma since acquired and I've been very torn on him to this point. I kept hearing how great a HS prospect he was, how much potential he had, how he was traded twice for a reason, but he was pretty bad when the Twins got him in 2021. But I pointed out how young he was, was rushed to AA, and how his whole season was a massive cluster with preparing for the Olympic team, going oversees, and then having to re-acclimate once back. He then went out and had a really nice 2022 and seemed to re-establish himself again. His first half of 2023 was horrible. Even his better second half wasn't exactly great when you looked at his peripherals. And I kept reading articles about "stuff plus" and we shouldn't give up on him. So I had some hope. And then I read about adjusting his mechanics, and new found velocity, and I had a little more hope. He's looked really good, for the most part, here in 2024. Being a rookie is hard enough, but facing the same team twice in 10 days...even the Dirty Sox...is pretty hard to do. I still expect rookie growing pains and bumps in the road. (witness Varland as a recent example). So I'm not going to proclaim him as a fixture at this point. But the command and control are largely there and consistent. And yes, his "stuff" I kept reading about looks genuinely nasty at times. Varland looking much better recently for St Paul, Festa starting to get stretched out now, Headrick hopefully back at some point in the near future, I'm feeling a little better about our depth. I'll feel even better as Raya keeps adding pitches/innings, Matthews looks good at Wichita, Ohl starts warming up, and Lewis makes it back. (I'm not including Canterino at this point).

So there actually ARE some decent relievers in the minors this year. LOL Blewett looks interesting. Another late bloomer project that's been uncovered perhaps? But he's obviously got to keep it going, but even then, he's a ways down the pecking order for promotion. Any recent reports on Diego Castillo's velocity? I thought he was a smart flier signing to see if he could get back to his previous form, which was good even in 2023. But I want to say he's been throwing in the low 90's last I heard? Blewett and Castillo are nice adds to St Paul, and possible depth options down the road. But behind Alcala, Funderburk, and possibly Staumont if he can make it at least 90% back, they've got a fairly long road ahead of them. Thanks for the report!

BRILLIANT! And deserved! a

Martin is probably the right call. He didn't look out of place in his first appearance, had athleticism and potential, and is on the 40 man. However, Keirsey is off to a great start at St Paul this year...following a pair of good back to back milb seasons...and is an excellent CF. Does it matter if he bats LH? Not to me. He's got to be considered an option at some point, especially in a long term situation.

SURELY you must be a Monty Python connoisseur? **golf clap. Or is that coconut banging?**

This means 2 things: 1] They have already decided Funderburk was going down in favor of Topa. 2] Boushley gives them a fresher arm for today's/Wednesday's game against the Sox. It's May 1st. Nobody is getting cut at this point, and nobody deserves to be cut. "I'm not talking about a temporary fill in like Bowman). Jackson might be the last man in the pen, but he's also done well. SOMEONE has to go down to make room for Topa and it was going to be Funderburk or Sands. Alcala didnt deseve to be sent down, and neither does Funderburk. Great depth forces decisions at times, so it's a good problem to have. The problem is, Topa doesn't need to be brought up yet, and shouldn't be until he proves something with the Saints. And one more game before a day off Thursday really shouldn't have required a need for Boushley anyway.

I live in Nebraska so I'm not in a blackout area, other than Royals games where I'm forced to the radio, or the Bally channel on cable that carries said games. So I'm lucky in that regard. But I do feel pain for those that are in the mess of blackout area and now Bally/Comcast FUBAR situation. I also work for a telecommunications company. Cable is dying quickly. For perspective reasons, I'd like to cover a few things. Why do cable companies "force" you to car4y so many channels? Part of it is federal regulations that require a certain number of "slots" for educational and local channels dependent on how many total channels said cable company offers. In other words, the more channels offered means even more channels must be offered. Additionally, there's about 5 HUGE parent companies that own all of the various channels available to us all on a trickle down affect. Example: Disney doesn't just own Disney, they own ABC and ESPN. Those parent companies want/need their channels to have viewers so they are sold to cable companies in packages very often. Cable TV costs more, overall, than a streaming service. That's the primary reason it's dying. Every couple of years, by law/regulation, a cable company must renegotiate deals/contracts with providers. Additionally, streaming services...while providing the SAME CONTENT...are regulated and taxed differently than cable companies and are not subject to certain restrictions as to blackouts or regional content. Further, when a streaming service carries local channels, they do so with an "umbrella" deal from the PARENT corporation that sets a standard fee for the COUNTRY and individual local stations are forced to accept these fees rather than negotiate directly with the local cable companies, usually for more money. Often times, when you look at a cable TV package of channels and compare it to a streaming service, the actual cost of channel per dollar is less, or equivalent, on cable to said streaming service. Not always, but ofter. Cable TV, previously, offered a more stable floor of known subscribers for someone like Diamond/Bally to make $M offers to sports teams based on subscribers and varying sports fees and rates. BUT, many people now want a different option with fewer channels and a lower monthly rate because it fits their viewing needs and habits better. Nothing wrong with that! I watch far less than half of the channels my company provides me, though it's nice to have them available. Streaming IS where ALL CONTENT is going. Many smaller companies across the country are already dropping TV service because it's expensive to provide with a very small profit margin. (Really, cable companies don't make near what you think they do by TV). Some larger companies are begining to offer smaller, less expensive packages for customers to stream, but without sports as they are the most expensive channels/content to supply. The Twins ARE going to be streaming, and probably next year. Some teams are already, and many more will be very soon as well. But it's going to get worse before it gets better gang. $19.99 a month to watch the Twins would need tens of thousands of households before they could come close to meeting the $45M plus mark of incoming cash flow they've had previously. And since there are teams, Yankees for example, that control their $/TV destiny, with a larger population base as well, the payroll instability in MLB is only going to get worse before it gets better. In the long run, more options for the consumer...though streaming services continue to raise rates as well...and a larger footprint to grow a fan base is good, and better for everyone. In the short term, it's going to be a mess. While not directly affected by these events, on the one hand, I can see the Twins Ownership accepting the $ for the one year deal presented to them at the 11th hour. But on the other hand, since payroll was already being reduced, I wish the owners of my favorite ML team had been forward thinking enough to begin embracing the future, and opportunities to grow their fan base and seek out new forms of revenue growth instead of a 1yr cash grab. It's a big cluster of a mess that might take a few years of instability across the sport until the floor stabilizes. The only good news, at the moment, would be that streaming is probably coming next year for everyone.

Since the Twins acquired him they've said he's a NATURAL OF. They've also stated the reason they kept him at SS as long as they did was because he was already doing so, and because as much time as could be spent "in the dirt" would only assist in his development as a possible INF option. We have to remember that Martin was drafted not only as a HITTER, but also as an INF. The Jays did him no favors, after missing an entire year due to covid, and putting him not only at SS, but also AA. And the Twins followed along. I blame the Jay's for trying to FORCE him to jump to AA AND playing his probably worst position after NOT playing for a year. I blame the Twins NOT for adjusting his hitting approach, but for keeping him at SS for some reason. Martin CAN probably play SS or 3B in an "emergency" situation. But he is OBVIOUSLY an OF. What's wrong with that? His development has been delayed because he's only now being allowed who he's supposed to be, along with injuries that have delayed him. He MIGHT be a starting player, or a role player, but the "who he might be" is starting now.

Actually, the 17 UDFA is about right. You need not only camp bodies to get the roster to the 89-90 limit...though a couple guys will be dropped after tryout camps and a possible NFL FA signing or two yet to come...but you're also searching for the diamonds in the rough that may turn out, like Pace last year, and others before him. I was surprised...maybe a little disappointed...that the Vikings didn't target a UDFA RB as I thought there were a couple pretty decent ones available and I'm not sold on veteran Gaskin, 2nd year McBride, and KR specialist Nwangu as depth options. I think they might have missed the boat here on opportunity. BUT, they nabbed a handful of UDFA that might turn out to be pretty good: 1] Gabriel Murphy-EDGE-UCLA: HIGHLY productive and athletic and "ALL EVERYTHING" here and there. He's athletic, fast, and productive. Draft grades had 3rd round plus, but lack of great size pushed him out of the draft. Sound familiar? 2] Dallas Gant-LB-Toledo: A tackling, downhill machine with solid speed and athleticism who is a very comparable player to the aforementioned Pace. 3] Doug Nester-OL-West Virginia: He's an OT who has barely allowed any pressures or sacks in his career. Good length and solid size with decent feet. I'm a little surprised he wasn't drafted by somebody as a G, which is probably where he fits best...if not too tall...and he could be a nice PS player. 4] Dwight McGlotheren-CB-Arkansas: He played at LSU for his first 2 yrs and was solid. He was 2nd team all SEC in 2022, and had a nice 2023 but missed a few games due to injury. He was projected to be a mid to late round draft choice. While slightly shorter and just a couple pounds lighter than Khyree Jackson, their draft profiles are almost exactly the same: Need to add strength, need to work on footwork for man coverage instead of zone first. POSSIBLE SURPRISES: 1] Bo Richter-EDGE-Air Force: WHO? His draft profile says muscles on top of muscles at 6' 1" and 248lbs and he had a 6-7th round draft grade. 19.5 tackles for loss in 2023 and 10 sacks. But his lack of length makes him dubious as an EDGE player. I'm betting the Vikings move him inside and place him on the PS for next year. You'd have to believe he's got the smarts to play in the middle, right? 2] Matthew Cindric- C-Califnoria: This one is a HUGE reach! He's older as he COULD have had a 7th college season in 2024 due to covid and injuries. He started 11 games as a redshirt freshman in 2019. He was a starter in the covid shortened 2020 year. And then he started 11 games in 2021. He then started 6 games in 2022 before a torn biceps ruined his season. He tore the OTHER arm biceps at the beginning of 2023 and lost that season. Why on earth would I possibly even consider this kid as a surprise? Because he's obviously pretty smart with his degree from Cal in 2022, and SOMEONE in the Vikings FO knows this kid and the potential he showed before a pair of unfortunate injuries. SOMEONE thinks he's worth bringing in as a potential PS player. Like every group of UDFA there's an additional group of fodder and potential surprises. Different year, same song and dance. A couple will be gone in a few weeks when an "invite" looks good. And the Vikes will probably still sign a veteran or two and need to release someone to make room. BTW, if I understand the FA vs future comp rules, signing Risner AFTER April, he DOESN’T count against the 2025 comp pick situation. Just saying. Someone might surprise, but that's just a general breakdown of some of the more promenade UDFA to keep an eye on.

I do think sending Martin down was the right call. I liked what I saw of him so far, and he had that look of "I belong". But he's also got the least amount of experience and could probably use a little more polish. I thought he looked OK in CF, though I did see a couple extra steps here and there. While Keirsey is having a fine season at St Paul, I'd like to see Martin get plenty of time there for his development. I like the approach Martin showed at the plate. He flashed XB power, patience, and contact, as well as some of his speed. But again, some additional experience and polish can only help him. He still has only about a half season of AAA under his belt. Margot has been a surprising disappointment, IMO, as a decent, solid veteran. Hopefully he gets untracked soon and performs to his career norms. Martin WILL be up again. IDEALLY, when that happens, he will replace Margot as a similar, but younger player with potential. But it's too early to just bail on a 30yo veteran 30 games in to the season. How good can Martin be? It's up in the air, but he's got a skil set to help "balance" the power/OB approach of this lineup. I want him to get more experience in CF because I think he's got the ability to be pretty good there as a backup option. He can be a nice bottom of the order contributor to flip the lineup, OR, continue to grow and improve and maybe be a #1 sparkplug with Julien sliding to the #2 spot. It was a solid debut. I'm actually expecting more from him the next time we see him.

Sorry, but busy and taking a couple days to rest from an ailment, I wasn't able to join the discussion until things concluded. My overview, FWIW: 1] I've been TORN who I like better than Williams...whom I'm not 100% on...between Daniels, Maye, and McCarthy. I'm just a fan, not a FO expert. I don't particularly like Harbaugh as I think he's a bit of a jerk, but I respect the hell out of his career as a coach at both levels. When he stated he believed McCarthy was the best QB in the draft, I listened. When I look at his HS and college career, I pay attention. When I look at his stats I pay attention. As a BIG 10 fan who's watched him do some really great things...despite being in a run first offense...I pay attention. He's a good athlete with a good arm and well coached and HUGELY successful, I think we got a POSSIBLE franchise kid who O'Connell and the FO believe in. I HATED trading up ONE SPOT and the cost, but I DO THINK the Broncos and others were about ready to pounce. 2] I HATED giving up even more draft choices to move up for Turner, but he was a consensus top 10-12 player. 3] I again HATED sitting still through rounds 2 and 3, but I understood this draft was about the top 2 picks, FA already signed, a few more that might happen, and still keeping the 1st round pick in 2025, along with GREAT payroll flexibility to sign JJ and other additions. 4] The Jackson pick looks really smart. He's long, fast, athletic, and hasn't probably topped out yet considering his career experience so far. If he can improve his feet and "hip turn" just a little more, he could be a real steal. 5] I DIDN'T see the Rouse pick, even though there might be a need at OT IF Brandel is the favorite for LG. I really like Brandel a lot, but I still see him as a 4 spot fill in who's practiced at Center to be an emergency offering there if needed. Since there is debate about adding a 3rd 3rd round pick in 2025 if Risner signs for $X elsewhere, I'm still expecting him as a re-sign, and letting Brandel be the 6th man on the line. Rouse makes sense as a big, smart, experienced potential swing tackle who gets a year to adapt and develop. 6] I honestly expected the Vikings to draft a kicker. My IMAGINATION said we could sign one of the top ones in UDFA, but I think we all understand how the game has changed. Hard to argue with Reichard and his career as a draft option. Here's hoping he's the RIGHT GUY for 8-10 years! (I'm old enough to remember when the Vikings actually had great kickers for YEARS) 7] Michael Juegens wasn't on MY list for G/C. But, unsurprisingly, with limited draft choices, he seems at least "interesting" as a choice. The bi*ch of lost draft choices meant a lot of G/C options I was hoping for were gone. But the kid has toughness and experience. And he has opportunity. Not a bad pick. 8] Levi Drake Rodriguez! I don't care if it's the 7th round of the draft! Who is this guy? Well, he's about 6' 4" and 290 lbs and raw as meat from your favorite butcher. He started out at NAIA and moved to the FCS level. He reportedly has a 100MPH motor and some quickness and speed and strength and has produced pressure and TFL and some sacks without good technique. Is this a steal from the scouting department? Everything I'm seeing is he's a PRIORITY FA and wondering if we didn't miss another decent draft option instead? UDFA: I LOVE Murphy from UCLA! Dallas Gant from Toledo MIGHT be another Pace. CB Dwight McGlothern might surprise. A potential PS possibility at least. Nester and Flax from WV and Kentucky might be transitional G options if given time. Not a bad haul for UDFA. Bo Richter from AF is really interesting if he can convert to an OFF THE BALL LB since he's tough as nails but small for an OLB.

I can't explain Raya specifically, but I read an interview/article on a different website where Festa stated he had just thrown his last, or was about to throw his last, game where he would be held at 70 pitches or less. Obviously 44 pitches is quite a bit less than 44. But how a guy looks, and if he throws 30 pitches or close to in a single inning sometimes also factors in to how long he's allowed to go. The point being that while different arms might be treated on a different schedule, they are using the first month of the season as part of a ramp up with the idea of going additional innings and pitches allowed per game. So based on what Festa stated, we should start seeing some extensions in May and beyond.

I get where you're coming from, Roger. I'd just pump the brakes a little bit at this point. He had a solid ST and the Twins seemed to like what they saw. He's had a nice SSS at St Paul and with the Twins so far, but I'd have to say Alcala and the "yet to appear" Topa probably rate a little higher on the pen totem pole. While his ERA is a little high, again SSS, Jay Jackson's K's per, AVG, and WHIP have been pretty solid as well. ONLY my opinion, but I think the Twins have been so impressed by what they've seen from Sands, I think Bowman was brought up as a substitute innings eater option. But yes, Bowman has looked good so far.

In sales, you never apologize for a laydown because it makes up for the ones you worked doubly hard to get, or lost at the last minute. In baseball, you never apologize for a successful bloop or "seeing eye" single because it makes up for the 3 hard smashes the day before that someone snagged. And you never apologize for winning games you should win, it makes up for games you lost but should have won, or blew. In the end, these things tend to gravitate to a final mean where they should be. DESPITE key injuries to starters...some key backups made unavailable to fill in...key pen injuries, and some cold/awful starts to the year by many players, had the Twins not blown that final game against Detroit about a week ago, they would have gone to Baltimore only a game under .500 with some momentum. And if even the results there had been the same, the April hole that was dug early wouldn't have been so deep. (Still amazing how you lose to a series to the Orioles, play about .500 ball against the Tigers only because you gave some games away, and take 1 of 3 from the powerful Dogers even though you could have easily taken 2. CRAZY GAME) We're 11-13 now and showing some life and getting a little bit healthier. The next 6 are on the road against the Angels and Sox. We have to at least split to begin May ready to flip fortunes. 4 and 2 and we basically begin May back at .500. Some random thoughts about today's game and in general: 1] SWR wasn't close to perfect, and had to battle a couple of innings, but he looked comfortable on the mound and kept the Twins in the game. He lost command a few times, but some of his stuff was just nasty. I'm starting to appreciate the reports of STUFF + that indicate he's got a chance to be pretty good. 2] I was a little surprised Sands didn't get a second inning today after only 13 pitches. Keeping fresh for Friday maybe? I didn't think Okert looked bad until the long delay to review the double play. Somehow, he just lost composure in that delay. It hurt having to use Jax to finish things off. 3] While they haven't been facing TOP teams of late, the bats are starting to show life. FINALLY! I mean, you still have to produce, whoever you face, and they haven't always done that so far. 4] Larnach has impressed me so far in the games I've been able to catch as of late. He's made much better contact against non fastballs, and even laced a solid hit today against a LHP. Kepler has looked good, glad he had a rehab FINALLY before coming back. Buxton is beginning to heat up. Kirilloff and Jeffers continue to produce. Is Casrto out of his amazing funk? Vazquez is NOT a great hitter by any means, but some of his early "hard hit" data is showing his recent better results may not be a complete illusion. While I'm just not a believer, Santana just "looked better" at the plate in this series. I'm still not expecting much. But anything approaching ML average at this point would be welcome.

1] Jeffers recent slump is only 10 AB. That's just a few games. Vazquez has been good behind the plate, but not good AT the plate save the first couple of games. But if I'm not mistaken, I've heard he's actually been barreling up on the ball pretty decently. Are the hits going to start coming to at least an acceptable level? 2] Then pen has been pretty damn good considering all the injuries. I'm sure not giving up on Thielbar after a couple appearances, and one where the defense really let hum down. Okert has been solid, but maybe stretched a little. Duarte looked like he might be a keeper, so his injury stinks for the Twins, and for himself. What in the H*LL are the Twins doing with Alcala? Despite some injury issues, he's been really good, sometimes dominate, when he throws 1 inning. But they INSIST throwing him multiple innings. A week ago he was going to be asked to throw a THIRD inning before he begged out with some soreness. Then a couple days later they threw him back to back and 2 innings again. At AAA, he threw 2 innings! I'll be ecstatic when Duran is back! But Alcala should be with the Twins throwing ONE inning at a time as a valuable set up arm! Sands has looked downright GOOD. Can he continue? 3] Miranda hasn't looked great, but he's looked like he belongs and MIGHT be ready to settle in. Kirilloff has been really good, as I expected/hoped he would be. Martin isn't THERE just yet, but he looks like he belongs and should be playing daily. Santana is just looking like toast. Despite how horrendous the offense has been, I don't like to have knee jerk reactions this early in the season. But something wasn't right in Wallner's head. Some DISGUSTING umpire calls probably had something to do with that. When a big part of your game is working the count and the umps screw with your approach, it has to exasperate the struggles you're going through. His demotion for a reset makes sense. Can Larnach take advantage? Nice to have Kepler healthy, back, and looking solid in his rehab. Farmer and Castro, and the aforementioned Vazquez are just NOT THIS BAD. The worm WILL turn, but how soon? Lee will need some AAA rehab time, but shouldn't he be close to actually taking the field again? Buxton? COME ON! You're healthy and playing great defense and feeling good again! You've always been streaky, but this is ridiculous! Is he applying too much pressure on himself? Is he fighting bad habits left over from 2023? He needs to GET RIGHT. 4] Varland's STUFF is good. He's just never been this bad at ANY level, including ML. I've heard he's not even throwing the 2 seamer he brought in to the season to help against RH batters who seemed to be his bane. What's in his head right now? Paddack is coming back from TJ and reminds me a bit of Maeda last year. Maeda got a reset, and then looked really good the rest of the 2023 season. I believe Varland has had 4 starts and Paddack 3 until he throws Monday. That's a SSSS to send either of them down for a reset at this point. FURTHER, despite some real hope for SWR and his ONE really good start in the Detroit double header, he's ONE arm you might promote to send one of Varland or Paddack down for said reset to work on some things. With Headrick out at the moment, the AAA cupboard is pretty bare. AGAIN, it's way too early to panic, but at least one of these guys might need a reset soon. 5] INJURIES BE DAMNED, and they are NUMEROUS, at the ML level and at AAA...even the Saints have had to make moves to add guys due to injury...the Twins just shouldn't be this bad! If they didn't GOOF the last game against the Tigers a week ago they would have been .500, or a game under, forgive my memory. Even being swept by the Orioles would have STILL had them a coming home close to .500. But they booted that game away, got swept by the Orioles. Now back at home, they blow the 1st game against the Tigers and bottom out in game 3. But they were good enough to go 1-3 against the Dodgers and probably should have been 2-1? Just NOT booting the ball, just a COUPLE key hits, despite injuries and uneven/bad performances from the back end if the rotation, the 2024 Twins coulda/shoulda be about .500 right now. And they should be about ready to get some guys back, have a favorable schedule, and be about ready to climb above that .500 mark. INSTEAD, we have this MESS that really makes ZERO sense! I really wish there was some easy answer. I am a lifelong, super dedicated fan. But so far...and I understand we're only about a month in to the season...this is, so far, one of the most disappointing seasons I can remember. Is this poor luck? Are the approaches from the pitching side wrong? Well the top 3 SP seem just fine. Is our offensive approach wrong? Well, despite a bad start to 2023, the Twins still scored runs enough to rank in the top third despite inconsistent production. And they only trailed Houston in the 2nd half of 2023 in run production with our outstanding rookie class, with Buxton a non factor and a very limited Correa. MY APOLOGIES! I'm ranting because I need to! You can blame ownership as much as you want to. But the TRUTH is, there is enough talent on this roster to be a good team. Much better than they've been so far, despite injuries. Rocco and his coaches can only do so much. When arms don't work, is it on the coaches or the players? I mean, we have 3 really good SP. The pen has been solid, for the most part, despite the injuries. The lineup, despite injuries, isn't completely devoid of talent. So do we blame the approach, the "report card" handed out to batters, or their inability to proceed? Or is this some weird cosmic Loki baseball god who enjoys messing with the Twins? My ramble is done! This team is not perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than we've seen so far.

I'll admit, I had real questions about his draft selection. I mean, what do I KNOW about scouting and drafting for MLB as a couch GM? But he seemed a virtual clone of Tanner Schobel the year before, and almost the exact same spot. At the time, I thought Schobel was an early slot pick so save $. But then he signed for slot. So why pick the same ballplayer, seemingly so, the next year? Shows how much I actually know. Schobel is looking really solid as a prospect, and Keaschall might be even better. Keaschall seems to have better overall speed, SB ability, and power than Schobel. There are similarities between them, but I want to stop there and just focus on Luke. It appears he has HIT potential and OB%, something needed to mitigate the more power centric players on the Twins, and in the system. He's got the speed to run the bases and steal bases. That could be important. Defensively, he's spent time at SS in college but not in the Twins system. I'm guessing we can't view him as a ML SS even on an occasional basis. That's fine. But I've heard hints he might be an OF/CF option. And he's done a little bit of that in college and pro ball, but just a little bit. Why do I even care about potential OF ability? Because I think this kid is going to be a fast riser. And barring unexpected trades or HOPEFULLY NOT continued injury situations in the future, a STARTING JOB in the INF might be difficult. There is just SOMETHING about him that reminds me of Spencer Steer, which @rogeralluded to. I see him as a faster, more athletic version that might not be able to play SS, but could be a somewhat similar prospect who is big enough, powerful enough, to cover 3 INF spots and MAYBE play some OF as well. SO FAR, the kid seems to have the HIT tool, makes solid contact, can BB and not K to a high %, has decent and budding power, and can run the bases and steal some. Is he what we kinda hoped Martin might be? Is he a young Marwin Gonzalez without the SS ability? Or again, is he Steer part 2 but an even faster and better defender? I 'd be surprised if he's at A+ very long. It just seems this kid has the "IT" factor that reminds me a bit of Royce. AA soon, and maybe AAA before the season is done.

I think I jumped the gun in another recent OP when I was questioning why he wasn't behind the plate instead of Vazquez, allowing him a chance to show what he can do while he's up here, and let Christian sit and take a day off to collect himself. What I hadn't realized is that despite some really bad numbers past the few couple of games this season, Vazquez is actually barreling up on the balls he's been making contact with. The results haven't been there as of yet. Of course, he's a really good catch and throw guy. I'm rather excited about Camargo's potential though. He's got a strong arm, and has generally thrown runners out decently, as noted above. The power seems legitimate. I've heard really good things about him as a teammate, for what that's worth. He's got to be at least solid behind the plate. I don't know how good he is there, but I haven't heard anything negative to this point. And as pointed out, the K % has to be at least "acceptable" for him to be an asset with the bat at the ML level. With solid catch and throw ability, and good power, would somewhere between 25-30% be acceptable? Batting anywhere between .235-.250 with an OB% just over .300 with power could make him a viable partner with Jeffers on a 60-40 split, yes? I was a little surprised he began 2023 at AAA considering his limited time at AA the previous season. But he sure responded after a slow initial start at St Paul. And I find it interesting that before his recent call up, he was usually hitting in the #4 spot this season for the Saints. Is he the Twins top catching prospect? Or is he just the closest to the ML level? I don't mean that as a negative, but rather, a discussion concerning Winkel, Cardenas, Cosetti and Baez as recently drafted catchers that all seem to offer some defense and offensive potential, though all 4 appear at least a year away. But Camargo is not old. He's got some things working in his favor both offensively and defensively. Ideally, he's not really needed much this year by the Twins so he can tweak his defense and game calling, and get his contact/BB/SO numbers all a little more favorable for 2024 and beyond.