DocBauer

Like @nicksaviking, I had hope that one of Winder or Sands would make the transition to a solid, quality pen option who could be that 8th man who wasn't just an innings eater who could "take one for the team", but a valuable 1-3 IP pen arm who could really contribute vs sitting on the bench for 10 days at a time...like last season. But like ALL THINGS, with less than a month in to the season, let's pump the brakes a little on his potential greatness in the pen. The BAPIP is absolutely going to come back to earth, but that doesn't mean some of his other peripherals have to come down as well, or not appreciably. His curveball has always been a really good looking pitch previously. So I'm really surprised he's used it so little at this point. Surely he and the Twins don't suddenly not trust it. Does he just know it's there if he needs it? Is he just concentrating on his splitter and cutter since they are working and he wants to continue being more "familiar" and comfortable with them? Still only 26yo, I can see the idea of him moving back to a rotation option at some point, especially if the curveball is still there. It's a very "Tampa" kind of move, similar to journeyman and former Twin Zack Littell, who bounces around, changes his mix, and becomes a decent #5 SP option. IF the sweeper and splitter continue to PERFORM, and the curveball is STILL THERE, I can see a reasonable chance that Sands COULD get another rotation shot. But keep in mind that his FB is higher now in the pen and would probably drop a MPH or two back in the rotation. How does that affect his cutter and splitter? Sands is not OLD. He's just not a 30yo journeyman who's overcome injuries and reinvented himself as a pen arm. But sometimes, a guy just ISN'T a ML SP. And I'm not dismissing the idea that a return doesn't have some merit. But his FB is playing much better in the pen. He's got a pair of new pitches that, so far, look really good. We often talk about dialing down a pitchers repertoire to be more effective in the pen. And it's usually true. But what's wrong with a guy who can throw 94 consistently for 1-3 innings with 3 solid secondary pitchers...who can't maintain velocity more than that...who could be an IDEAL 8th man in the pen? Every 2 or 3 days he's available for 2-3 IP to bridge a gap on a good day, or a bad day. If Sands turns in to that, as he's looked so far in SSSS, it's a huge win.

I'm hoping Keirsey is a solid, late bloomer. He's really found his game the last year or so, and is off to a good start this season at AAA. But he's not on the 40 man. So you have to DFA someone or move yet another someone to the 60 day IL to add and promote him.

I think we've clearly established the "why" he's there. Other than Emma...and you're not starting his clock a this point by promoting him from AA...you've got Severino and Camargo. Every single other position player you might promote would need to be added to the 40 man. So now you've got to release someone, or, put yet another player on the 60 day IL. So Camargo gives you catching insurance. OK. Understood. Probably the best of the remaining options available. But considering Camargo is on the 40 man, considering he spent all but a day or two with the Twins in ST, considering he played in 9 games in ST, you'd THINK he has some ability behind the plate. We've seen he's got some bat ability. So the only reason he's not getting a chance to play over the veteran but POORLY performing Vazquez is stubborness. If the kid is good enough to be on your 40 man, and good enough to get a promotion, then he's good enough to get a chance to play, get introduced to the ML level, and see what he can do. What's he going to do at this point, produce worse than Vazquez? Camargo might only be here as that last man on the bench for a week until being sent down again. So MAYBE the thinking is, just no sense to play the new guy when he's going to be gone right away. But that's incredibly short sighted no matter what angle you take to examine the situation.

Um going to expand on something @Riverbriancommented on. That is, the veteran depth approach by the FO. I think the way 2022 ended really affected the approach of the FO. At the end of that season, they were basically playing a AAA lineup many games, even starting an entire LH hitting OF against LHP at times. I think this is important context. They built REAL DEPTH in to the 2023 team and we saw the positive results of doing so. They wanted to do so again for 2024, as best they could, with a more limited budget. I'm NOT being an apologist, but take a longer view to their approach. 1] I'm a big believer in Kirilloff. I think he's warranting that belief now that his wrist is healthy. I think a healthy, still young, Miranda might have a future with the Twins still. But both came in to 2024 recovering from injuries. SO, they sign Santana with hopes of one more solid season in the sun. 2] They traded for Margot instead of resigning Taylor because he was holding out for a bigger deal similar to other FA signings. COULD they have just gone with Castro, and Martin, and Helman, and Keirsey? Yes. Castro is an OK CF, Martin and Helman played about a THIRD of a full season due to injury and Keirsey spent most of the year at AA. So rather than just TRUST the prospects, they wanted a replacement for Taylor as the FIRST LINE of defense, pun somewhat intended. 3] Farmer was an underrated cog in the 2023 team. He did a good job. Even though he was an expensive "bring back" for 2024, his presence makes some sense based on depth, and his RH bat against LHP, and his ability to fill in across the dirt. Now, we can debate all day long as to the wisdom of the FO's approach to having veterans as the FIRST LINE of reinforcements rather than just trusting in the kids and hope for the best. There IS a method to their madness. Had they had more $ to work with, I think they would have gone a different direction with most, if not all, of the additions they made. Again, while their approach, especially with a lowered payroll, makes sense, that lowered payroll situation ABSOLUTELY offers up debate ad to whether their approach was the right one for 2024. I mean, just on paper, everything they did makes some sense. IMO, with the limited payroll, they had a #1 priority. And that priority was to add a decent, solid, competent SP. If they simply couldn't pull another "rabbit out of the hat" type of deal to add an Odorizzi, a Gray, or a Lopez, they should have AT LEAST added, oh I don't know, a Wacha FA, just to pull a name out of the air. The Polanco trade still makes some sense in regard to adding a potentially solid pen arm, and a top prospect, but DeScalfini should have been nothing more than an afterthought, at best. I wasn't a fan of the Santana signing, and am still not. I believe they would have better off trusting/hoping for a healthy AK/Miranda platoon, believed Julien might move there if Lee proved ready, or even dug down to AAA and let him get a shot if everything else goes awry. I love and appreciate good defense. But you can't give 1B over to a glove only player. [They also could have retained Solano for next to nothing as an option]. They should have trusted Castro in CF, trusted that Martin was close, and still have Helman and Keirsey as fall back options that might not stink. Despite a bad start to the season, I admit to being torn regarding Farmer being brought back. But without him, the cupboard is a bit bare for utility unless they were willing to trust Helman and Prato as deeper reserve options behind Castro and Farmer. But even if we accept the Polanco trade as is...and DeScalfini was included...Farmer, Margot, and Santana are a combined $14+ M. Add just a couple $M and you probably have one of several competent, middle quality arms for the rotation. I think adding that arm, and being forced to throw caution to the wind, somewhat, in regard to positional depth and trusting in the system depth and run with it, or run THROUGH IT as necessary, would have been the smarter move. The principal idea of veteran depth makes a ton of sense. But if your choice is a DECENT arm for the rotation, and trust in the kids position wise, or DON'T add that arm and play along the margins for questionable veteran player depth, I'd go all day long with the DECENT arm addition.

I am soo resistant to join this discussion! LOL! But I can't help myself! So I have to put my personal opinions in place. 1] Polanco is a hell of a baseball player. He's one of the most underrated players the Twins have had for the past decade. He was stretched as a ML SS, but he wasn't awful. He was pretty good as a 2B, sometimes very good. If his knees weren't a factor, he might have not been traded at all. 2] Julien is OK defensively and keeps getting better and better through repition and hard work. To say otherwise means you aren't actually watching games. His bat PLAYS! And he's probably better as a 2B fill in and 1B/DH going forward. And that's not an insult to his ability, but the simple fact that if the INF is healthy, Lee just has more ability to be a a better defensive player. You could debate Lee and Lewis at 2B, but why bother. 2] Even with Lewis, Lee, and Julien ALL healthy, does it matter who plays where daily with AK at 1B, some OF, the DH spot, etc, do you EVER have ENOUGH talent that you feel guilty? 3] I UNDERSTAND the VALUE of what the Twins got in the Polanco trade. I really do. They got Topa...who I can't wait to see...and a top 100 prospect in Gonzalez. The return wasn't bad at all. But the $4M for the Santana signing and the "hopeful" DeScalfini option as a SP option just never made sense. 4] BUT, I never would have traded Polanco, even with some health question marks, for Topa and a top 100 prospect unless it was a deal with another couple decent prospects for a SP option! The system is deep enough to have survived Polanco and a couple solid prospects for a rotation arm. 5] I would much rather have Polanco as a 1B than Santana and his $4M+. Think about it for a moment with no disrespect to Santana. You could have Polanco and also, potentially, Kirilloff and Miranda and even Julien playing 1B instead of the combined about $8-9M to for Santana and the LOST DeScalfini deal and potentially "lose out" on Topa and a top 100 prospect. What would you choose today?

Glad I wasn't able to watch. WOOF! Is the only good news from this one that Buxton made a great catch without being injured and it's still "only" the 2nd of a pair of truly embarrassing games so far? Is it too early for this? And will I need to re-post again in a monthly follow up OP? WHAT I EXPECTED: 1] Three quality SP to lead the staff and two guys who might take a little time to settle in. Except for an inexplicable blowup from Ober against KC, pretty much on track. Varland is still working on his mix, and Paddack is working his way back. But I didn't expect this game from Paddack. 2] Without K machines in Gallo and Taylor, and with pretty much the same lineup that was #2 in the AL to end 2023, I thought the lineup would be more consistent, even though I expected a few bumps in the road from the kids. I thought Kirilloff was about ready to tee off. I wasn't expecting Jeffers to be AS GOOD as he was last year, but I thought he'd be good. I thought a healthy Correa and Buxton would make a difference. I have a couple right, but so much for any sort of consistent production idea. 3] I thought the pen would be a real strength. Well, despite a a couple performances, even with all the injuries, the pen hasnt been an issue. WHAT I DIDNT EXPECT: 1] Lewis to go down in the 1st game and Correa to follow a couple weeks later. Probably the Twins best 2 players down for weeks, if not months in the case of Lewis. And then Kepler, one of the best 5 players, to also go down almost immediately. And I didn't expect Lee, the #2 prospect in the system, coming off a great ST, primed to step in to help, to also be injured. 2] I didn't expect 3 of the top 5 BP arms to not even make it to opening day! Although, again, the pen hasn't been the issue. 3] While Buxton is a streaky player, I didn't expect a healthy Buck to be awful past a couple initial games to begin the season. Again, I expected some bumps in the road from the kids, and Julien has shown life despite a few struggles, but I never expected Wallner to look this bad. 4] I wondered about Castro repeating 2023, but I had faith. And he had a great ST! I wasn't necessarily even expecting improvement, but I just wanted a repeat year. And I sure as hell never saw Farmer just being almost embarrassing at the plate. Vazquez worked hard in the offseason and had an OK ST, and a couple good PA early, while providing great defense and some great throws. But he's batting UFDA right now. 5] While I had HOPE, I NEVER saw SWR coming up to pitch a gem like he did in the double header. I know it's one game, but still, there's continued hope there. *GOOD NEWS 6] I wasn't sure the pen would have any glue with all the injuries taking place. And even then, the surprising Duarte gets hurt! But they've still been good so far, holding things together so far. What's happening so far, 3 weeks in, is disappointing as hell. There's no way to sugarcoat it. Despite a few bloops and bad plays, the rotation and pen have held together enough...except for a few bad games...to keep the Twins IN games. It's pretty hard to win when, even a few BAD games from the staff, when the offense struggles as much as it has. And IMO, it's still the offense that has been the biggest issue overall. But it's also hard to win when 3 of your top 5 bats are down. No excuses for SOME of the ineptitude we've seen. But STILL, when injuries ravage your team this much the FIRST MONTH of the season, and AAA reinforcements are ALSO hurt, what are you supposed to do? Camargo was on the 40 man, but he was brought up to Jeffers could DH on half days off. Helman might have been brought up, but he's hurt as well now. SWR was GREAT, but Headrick...off to a great start...is now also on the IL. I understand frustration with the injuries and the results. I understand frustration with Rocco and his staff and the game plans in place. Believe me I'm frustrated because this team should STILL be better by a game or two or three in the W-L colum DESPITE all the injuries. You can't win a division in April but you can lose it. I disagree. We're still talking about a 6 month marathon. I'm looking at Rocco and his staff and the FO for the last 2 weeks of April and going in to May. Injuries are against you. What can you do to keep everyone going forward? Get Varland and Paddack to settle down. Put your best lineup out daily, and that means the young Martin and the questionable defensive challenged Miranda at 3B. Martin and Miranda aren't scrubs. Play them! You're down Lewis and Correa and Kepler for now. Keep AK and Martin and Miranda in the lineup and hope for the best offense you can get even if you sacrifice some defense. I just have this feeling, much like last year, that if we can stay about .500 the next month or so, we have a real chance to do something.

I'm still a believer in Wallner. He's hit at every level...including MLB...and he's made adjustments and improvements at each stop. But...WOOF...SOMETHING just isn't clicking for him at all this year so far. A reset definitely seems in order. Right now, Larnach profiles to a decent half of a platoon situation in a corner OF and DH spot. And maybe that's all he's going to be. But there've been enough flashes here and there to still offer at least a little bit of hope. I'm glad for him he's healthy again and getting another shot. But he's going to have to start showing some improvement pretty soon.

They need ballplayers to have a full roster in St Paul. Helman is out. Camargo and Martin were both brought up. The injuries aren't just at the ML level. But when they are, it affects the lower level(s) as well. They need healthy bodies right now.

Absolute gut punch! Glad I didn't get to watch this one or I might have come unglued! I thought we had this one wrapped up after the 7th. Sounds like some defensive miscues that just shouldn't have happened. You will lose games. But you just can't give games away like that. Feel really bad for Ober. Can someone please explain optioning Alcala but keeping Bowman? I can only assume it's temporary to keep Bowman as an extra, rested arm and give Alcala a couple days extra rest after tossing a pair of innings the other day?? Otherwise, this makes no sense to me at all.

WONDERFUL sweep! Too much to comment about 2 games so I'm putting it all in one thread. 1] Ryan has looked good to amazing. He looks like the ALL STAR he was in 2023 before his groin injury. He won't always be this good, but few do. He deserved the win. But then again, sometimes you get the W on bad days as well. 2] I understand we need guys to pitch 2 innings once Ina while. Everyone needs that. But considering his STUFF and potential, and all the time he's missed, I'm still surprised how Alcala is treated. Honestly, if you've watched him, he's pretty much dominant for 1 IP. In his career, it's always been extending him that has inflated some numbers. I guess Rocco and Maki feel enough confidence in him that he can do more. He sure did it today after a break. Wonderful job! 3] I KNOW Wallner's HR was pretty much BS against a position player in a game already out of hand. But when you've been struggling, and getting a series of BS calls against you, and then you YANK one, regardless of circumstance, it just has to make you smile and feel better. Does he take a happy moment and carry it over? 4] Martin showed what he CAN do. If he's up, and 2 of your top 3 players are down, then PLAY the kid! 5] I like Jeffers. If you don't, shame on you. I've been a believer and still am. 6] I've been hot and cold on SWR since we got him. Promoted too soon, Olympics time, bad times and a good 2022, and a bad 2023 with some late season rally. Just who in the hell is this kid who was a top prospect and traded twice? And then he suddenly changes his arm angle and suddenly has more velocity t_o add to his secondary stuff. He has a limited ST and then tosses OK at AAA to begin the season. And then he comes up to toss 6 great innings. Color me surprised and hopeful 7] What's up with Sands? I know it's early. But he's been pretty good so far. Unexpectedly so. His velocity is in the mid 90's. His stuff so far, has velocity and movement. Are we seeing the development of another reliable pen arm?

While it's weird to see Raya both promoted aggressively but also used sparingly, I see a method in the madness of his usage. But I'm with @jkcarewthat I'm passing no judgment for the first few weeks. It appears Raya is on a ramp up. We all understand how volatile young HS arms are. In Raya's case, they feel is stuff is just too good for a lower level, so they want to challenge him. It's pretty obvious they have him on a ramp that will be something Ike 50 pitches, then 60, etc. It works for me until I see something very different. Beyond mental maturity from age and experience, is it possible Emma is looking so good at AA because the pitchers are better? He's got patience and a great eye. But since AA pitchers should be throwing more "in the zone", is he just recognizing better pitches to swing at and hit? A recent report from Gleeman had him...SSSS...actually swinging less than last year but making better contact. Ridiculous injuries to the Twins staff has had a cascade affect on the Saints' staff, including their pen. While the offense hasn't gotten untracked yet...like the Twins...they are currently without Martin, Lee, Miranda, and now Camargo, and Larnach. I think there's enough talent there to still do better, but they've been affected in almost the same way the Twins have been. Again, there is a cascade element. As closely as I follow the system, I'm out of my knowledge zone about pen options at AA down, for the most part. GOOD NEWS: Thielbar looks close to ready, even though the Twins pen has been outstanding so far, even duct taped together. But we shouldn't ignore what Staumont did. He K'd the side on 14 pitches and was throwing 96+. When a pitcher has TJ, the biggest concern is control. When a pitcher has any sort of TOS surgery you worry more about velocity. While his ST results weren't great, he was reportedly throwing 96-98. These are good signs! He's not ready for a promotion just yet, and this is still a final option year for him to let the Twins have patience if they need to, but encouraging signs for a pen that has been very good in the past, and could be a very good arm for the Twins in the near future.

While he wasn't a superstar like Puckett, or the kind of really, really good player Hunter was, or as dynamic as Buxton is/can be, I was a big fan of Denard Span. He was never a star, but he was a really good, well rounded player for a long time in the League. Buxton, with reasonable health, has some potentially fine years ahead of him. I'm certainly not going to bury him! But I do often wonder who's next? IF he can HIT at the ML level and provide enough pop/power to keep pitchers and defenses honest, to go along with his OB and contact ability, I see Martin playing a fair amount of CF. I think he can be a really nice ballplayer, but I don’t believe timing would see him as the heir to the position. Could Emma stick there? If he fills out any more...and he doesn't need to...he might lose a little speed and better in a corner spot. Maybe the couple years younger Jenkins? He might grow and fill out a little more as well...though I'm not sure he needs to either...but taller and longer, he might carry more muscle better and keep his speed. He's more than a couple years away, but could Winokur be the dark horse candidate to be the "next" good/great CF option? And speaking of dark horses, is Ft Myers' Byron Chourio maybe the best pure CF in the system for that spot in a few years? Unlike the hit and miss history of SS in Twins history, CF has generally been filled pretty well over the decades. The future doesn't look too bad either.

Pretty sure Funderburk, Okert and Thielbar are fairly neutral split vs LH/RH. I just want the best 8 arms in the pen we can have, regardless of which side they throw from.

Keirsey is starting to look for real. Do we dare hope that this is the future of Emma? Because he's looking GOOD. What did I hear, his swing % is actually DOWN from last season, but his CONTACT rate is actually up. Nice to see Balazovic actually have a nice game. BTW...the links for Wichita and Cedar Rapids go to different games.

OK, a weird reference, but in football, LH QB and LH punters have a different spin on their balls. And I've always wondered if LHP in baseball don't have a different spin to their balls. Does that make it even more difficult for LH hitters? The reason I say this is CLEARLY a RH batter sees RHP 75-80% of the time. LH batters also see RHP 75-80% of the time. So clearly there is a familiarity with all hitters facing RHP. If you're a RH hitter who can't hit RHP, you aren't going to have much of a future. Reserve, platoon type of journeyman at best. @usafchief is correct that it has to be easier to pick up a ball spinning towards you rather than breaking away. Hence, RH hitters are usually better against LHP, and LHP are usually better against RHP. Pretty basic logic, right? So again, a RH hitter who can't hit RHP doesn't have much of a career. And the lack of a LH batter facing LHP in their LIFE makes the adjustment much harder. Again, pretty basic stuff. But part of me has always wondered if it's not just facing so fewer LHP in their careers...balls breaking differently...but I wonder if the change in spin doesn't also add to the rather large discrepancy? Meaning LH hitters have 2 different obstacles to overcome, side and spin both. All that being said: 1] Platoons make sense. But you can't platoon all 9 spots in the order. SOMEONE or a couple someone's have to be a LH bat against a LHP in every single game. 2] It's a mistake to PH too early in games because more than likely, that PH is going to face a RH reliever later in the game. And you just CAN'T pull your best LH bats too early with the rest of the game. Unfortunately, we've seen that happen too often at times. 3] Even though platoons make sense, if your top LH hitter, possibly with power, drops a 100 or more points in OPS from...say 850 to 720...against a LHP, is he really that much worse than a RH hitter with limited or little power but an OPS of .800? 4] Until you actually allow your LH hitters to actually play against LHP, how will you ever know if they can be OK, or terrible? Since you're always going to have some LH bats in the lineup no matter what, give them time to see if they can adapt and potentially be "decent". Or...not.

To my immediate recollection, Buxton has aggravated injuries, but has seldom actually been injured when stealing a base. Am I remembering incorrectly? But even if I'm right, I still wouldn't run him unless it's a real tight/important spot to do so. He should only be a secret weapon just to be safe. Castro needs to get in some kind of a groove because he's been bad so far. But there's no question he's a weapon on the bases. I'm glad Martin is finally playing, rather than only making brief appearances as he did his first few games. If and when the roster is healthy, I'm still not so certain that he doesn't go back to AAA at some point. That doesn't mean he doesn't have a future, just that he may be an odd man out at some point. But I think he's got a chance to be a good player, if not a great one. And I can see a future where he hits #1 and Julien slides to a more RBI friendly spot at #2. Martin has the potential to be a consistent 30 SB threat at some point. As far as Julien, his game doesn't have to be built on speed in any way for him to be excellent. But it's my understanding he's a decent athlete with decent, not great, speed despite the sprint speed numbers listed above. He's stolen a few bases in milb at a decent %. And I'd be happy if he just maintained a good % but was "only" in the teens. I love SB and the excitement it brings. It can spark a rally, and stress the pitcher and defense. But you often end up with a negative scoring value if you can't be successful at a 75% or better since you also run in to outs, and, you still have to drive that runner in, or the SB doesn't amount to anything. Drafts and international signings the past few years has had the Twins bring in some faster, potential SB prospects. I don't think they are ignoring the SB as a weapon at all. But a team...if and when the current strategy is working...based on OB% and power is awfully effective. But you DO want that threat, even if it's a handful of successful guys, just like you want a handful of contact bats sprinkled in with your power bats. I don't see the Twins are ever going to be amongst the top SB teams in the league. But there's potential with a couple guys on the team now, and coming up, that can at least make the threat a reality.

Also: I'm kind of excited to see catcher Nate Baez at CR to begin the year. I wasn't sure if he would be there or Ft Myers, just depending on who got promoted to where. He's almost 23yo, but he was only drafted in 2022. Despite having a pretty solid 2023, he was limited to only 32 games on the season. So I'm excited to see him at A+ and to see what kind of season he has. He came to catching late after bouncing around the OF and INF at Arizona State. He's a really good athlete for a catcher, and he's got some bat potential. Winkel, Cardenas, Cossetti, and Baez are the top 4 catching prospects in the system not on the 40 man like Camargo is. They've all got combinations of similar and varying skill sets, and all pretty close in age, and all 4 drafted in back to back drafts, IIRC. And for the most part, at least 3 of them seem to be flying under the radar. Here's hoping for a really good season from all of them.

What a great write up! Love the details and the personal touches in articles like these. I really liked Lewis and Matthews when they were picked a couple of years ago. They were two of my favorite selections in that draft. So far, Lewis seems to have done a tad better, has gotten more attention, and has been ranked on the various prospect lists a little higher. But if Matthews can command 5 different pitches...solid to very good...with that reported increase in velocity, he just might surpass Lewis before the season is done. Until the season began and rosters were announced, I had actually forgotten how many 2023 drafted arms had yet to debut, or, had seen an inning or two only last year. Definitely have an eye trained on Tanner Hall in particular, but he's not the only "rookie" to keep track of.

I mean, who else was available that was a better alternative? His 2023 performance for the 100 win Braves was actually really solid. He had a respectable ERA, had a great WHIP with around 70 IP and only about 60 hits and K'd over 8 per 9. I don't know what his ST looked like, but he's only thrown 3 not so good innings this year before being cut loose. I'm a little surprised he was cut so quickly. He provides another long/middle arm on what is probably a temporary basis. If he recaptures his 2023 form, he could be useful. If not, he's an easy cut when others get healthy, which is probably soon. They've got like 9 arms on the IL and 60 day list, and now Headrick has a sore arm as well. Who else should they have signed?

The bat hasn't quite come around yet, but that catch was EPIC! Yes, Buxton IS back. He looks good in the field, including ST, he's looked good on the bases as well, and looks like he feels good and is having fun again. Now...can he STAY back? I sure hope so! He's dangerous and a joy to watch play!

1} I think the jury is still out on how good Martin can be. I think he's a nice role player at worst. At his best, he can start in LF, cover CF, maybe play a little 2B here and there, and play every day as a top of the order hitter, along with Julien, and help set the table with OB% and speed. I know I want him to get the chance to prove himself. 2} I don't think I would have signed Santana. I would have gone a different direction, and there were a few different ways to go, but I never hated the signing. And I still don't, provided he's used to his strengths, and not given a veteran scholarship if he struggles. 3} I think someone had to be traded and I think Polanco was the logical choice. I would have liked to have kept him as a 1B/2B/DH/PH/MAYBE occasional 3B, but he was the most logical guy to move to save a few $ and make a deal for an arm. But while I think Topa will end up being a nice add, and Gonzalez was a nice prospect to bring back, I only wanted Polanco moved in a deal that brought back a viable rotation arm, even if that meant adding another piece. It wasn't a horrible trade, but it's not the one I wanted to see made. 4} Agree on Kirilloff. With his wrist now proven healthy, he's ready to establish the kind of career we all hoped for, just a little bit older than what and when we expected and thought would happen. I like that he's getting some OF time as well as I've never thought he was bad out there. He should absolutely be in the lineup most days, including at least some against LHP.

Personally, I've always been of the opinion Santana was signed not just because he could play a good 1B, or bring in a quality, veteran presence, but because the FO were simply unsure about Kirilloff and Miranda. And I get that! Both are still relatively young and talented and could be part of this team for the next few years at least. But both were also coming off shoulder surgery. Again, I get the Santana signing. There is a real logic to it based on those circumstances. I still would have gone a different direction. Maybe Polanco as the primary 1B, or at least part of the mix? I have all the respect in the world for Santana as a ballplayer and presence. He's had a nice career. And he's a perfect example of how we view production ballplayers these days. He was never a good AVG hitter. But he was always one of the hardest batters to K, he walked a lot to maintain a solid/good OB%, and he had good power to drive in runs. And while I don't think he's a direct replacement for Kepler in any real scenario here...especially since he's been far less of a LH bat for his career than from the RH side so I don't really see the comp...I was OK with his signing if used "properly". Used as a 1B against LHP, used as a PH against LFP, used as a late inning defensive replacement 1B, his one year of tenure with the Twins at $4M-ish is just fine. Once again with respect, he's just not the same ballplayer he was a few years ago despite a bit of a resurgence in 2023. I keep hearing about his battles at the plate and the great OB% he give you. But in the past 3 years his combined OB% was a rather pedestrian .317. His 3 year SLG % is .382. And his OPS in that time frame is .697. None of those are great numbers, and all are well below his career numbers. And those numbers INCLLUDE his surprising uptick in 2023 at age 37yo. His career numbers have him with a AVG and OPS 50 points worse as a LH bat than as a RH one. His OB% and SLG % are about 25 points less each. I can't see a logical argument for sitting so many young LH bats against LHP this early in their careers...not all at once anyway...but then make an argument for a 38yo veteran playing daily, when, even as a switch hitter, he is so much worse from one side of the plate. I DON'T hold a poor start to 2024 against him, just as I don't for Wallner or anyone else. We're only 10 games in! I hope he suddenly gets hot and does well. But I DO worry about the mentioned "sunk cost" veteran affect like we saw with Gallo last year. Kirilloff is off to a great start, and I think it will continue as long as he stays healthy. There is optimism that Miranda is on the way back. And Santana can play a viable and important role on this team as long as it's playing to his strengths, and not his weaknesses over other, younger, talented players, simply because he's a veteran.

Missed most of the first 4 innings but what a great game! Solid pitching continues! Really, other than one horrendous start, both the rotation and duct taped pen has been pretty solid. Julien breaks out! Martin starting to look like he might belong now that he's getting a chance to play. Great use of the pen. TREMENDOUS pair of throws and tag to get the out at home! But Vazquez nailing the runner at 2B was almost as impressive. Just too bad Julien's attempted double play couldn't have ended the game. It would have been appropriate. Hung with maybe the best team in MLB and when 1-2. Moral victories don't mean much and lost opportunities stink. But the Twins have the makings of a good team. But they really needed this win today to get momentum going. Now, they need to take this good feeling and good win on the road to Detroit and make a statement.

Honestly, I didn't even know Tonkin was still playing baseball. This is not a bad move at all. If you look at his Baseball Reference page for 2023 with Atlanta...who had a great club BTW...he actually had a great season. 80 IP and only 64 hits and an excellent WHIP of 1.088. And while his 8.4K per 9 isn't great, it doesn't stink either. He was basically their version of Pagan in 2023. If he can come close to those kinds of numbers, this is a cheap and smart move. This isn't dumpster diving. This is grabbing an opportunity from someone who seemed to rebuild his career overseas and had a really nice 2023. He's needed because SOMEONE is needed to help a pen that's got SIX ARMS on the IL, not even including Moran, out for 2024, and Winder and Canterino ALSO on the IL. So if we add it all up, and even add Moran to the list, that's a TOTAL of NINE potential pen arms on the IL! And calling up Headrick and SWR after they just made starts at AAA accomplishes nothing. Where else were they supposed to find an arm that MIGHT help at this point? The Twins convert SP in their system to the pen. They've largely done well in this area. And they take fliers that have brought in recent arms like Thielbar and Stewart. What mid market team is ever going to go out and spent BIG $ on a pen arm unless it's the last piece to their roster puzzle? Even IF the Twins 2024 payroll had stayed neutral from 2023, that $ would have been spent on the rotation or a bigger bat than Santana. With NINE potential pen arms on the IL, they are taking a flier on someone who had a really good 2023. If he stinks, they can cut him loose. If he does well, he's one more bullet they have in a pen that's still been solid to begin the season and should be even better over the next week to 30 days as everyone gets healthy and gets back. This is not a bad move at all.

Still only talking 9 games, a little over a week, in a marathon 162 game schedule The bad news is ugly K numbers and lack of any clutch hits with runners in scoring position. The good news is there have been a lot of baserunners and a lineup that is pretty talented, despite the ugly early results. Right now, I'm not overly concerned about Julien or Wallner because of their basic approach. If they were swinging wildly instead of getting strikes called that are borderline or not strikes at all I'd be more concerned. They are young, talented, and have a solid approach at the plate. But I think everyone expected some growing pains and adjustments. I think Julien in particular, perhaps Wallner, may have to get a little more "uncomfortable"...as was previously stated...and get a little more aggressive in their approach. It's great to have a good eye and have that patient approach. But at some point, if the umps...regardless of what you think we've been seeing from the umpires...are going to call borderline pitches or bad pitches, you're probably going to have to adjust a little bit. For now at least. I mean, seriously, the approach isn't bad. And maybe the next few games/series the umpiring will be better and they'll get those borderline and bad calls reversed and going their way. But right now, you can't bank on that. I'm not ready for a Wallner reset this early in the season, especially with Kepler injured now. But I can see it potentially happening. In the first half of 2023, despite poor clutch hitting and a vast number of K's, the Twins "bunched" runs together enough to still be on the upper half of total runs. It was the inconsistent production that was the issue. In the second half, I believe they finished 2nd only to Houston in run production. Well, healthy at some point in the near future, most of those players are on the team NOW. Gallo and Taylor, amongst the highest of K % last year, are no longer on the team. Buxton and Correa and Kirilloff are healthy and looking good so far. The K's and lack of clutch hitting are UGLY. And there's no doubt it creates flashbacks to the first half of 2023. But NINE games...a week and a half with one rainout...is not panic time at this point, no matter how ugly things have looked. I understand the old adage that you can't win or lose a season in April, and all games count in the end. But a couple weeks of struggles to begin the season just don't define how the season is going to ultimately play out. The sky is NOT falling. While I have moments of being a hyper fan here and there, LOL, and a good start to the season is always preferred, I'm just not going to get worked up until May gets here.