DocBauer

@stringerbell, a great post! And a lot of good responses. A few points I'd like to address with my own thoughts/opinions. 1] We can't eliminate the Twins poor start no matter how much we wish we could. But since then, even with that 7 game losing streak, they've been producing wins at a 90+ final tally. That's pretty crazy considering that horrendous start. 2] I'm NOT disparaging what Cleveland has done, or is doing, but it's hard not to look at scheduling and see a large disparity between the 2 teams at this point. The Twins have the advantage going forward. But the Twins also have to perform better against the Guardians or they might lose the division simply due to head to head W/L. OFFENSE: I am NOT trolling anyone when I say that while the K's are way down, so is the power and run production. Nobody wants a K record, but it's an interesting note that all K's are not created equal, and sometimes they might be acceptable if the power is there. I do believe the Twins are near the top of MLB in doubles, however. Lewis is back, and his difference is of great importance. Buxton getting hot at some point might be almost as important. A healthy Miranda and a matured Larnach have played an important part. Kirilloff hasn't exactly stunk, but his inconsistency has been maddening. Can he take the next step? Wallner is looking like his old self at AAA right now. Julien still has so much potential even with his reset. Do you want to bet against them for the second half? Farmer is still producing very poorly. And I have a hard time giving "at a boys" to a decent 7-10 days for Margot. Personally, I'm still thinking both will be replaced in the second half by better, younger, more productive bats. Vazquez isn't going anywhere, so we have to hope for the best. Santana has actually been pretty solid since an awful start. He's been somewhat inconsistent, and I wonder if he can keep it up for the rest of the season, but he's been at least solid if you look at the numbers. Verdict: Looking up with Lewis back, Larnach and Miranda producing, and hopefull returns of Julien and Wallner and possible debut of Lee. ROTATION: The Twins still have a really good staff, with SWR saving their butts when Varland unexpectedly imploded. Some of the ERA issues, as a team, are on him. With a little luck, the Twins aren't going to have any major injuries here. At some point, Varland and the almost ready Festa are going to get some starts. Both have the potential to be solid, Festa still young and growing, and Varland PROBABLY ending up in the pen come September and maybe beyond. That doesn't mean either, or both, can't still offer up a few decent games at some point. They are going to have to monitor Paddack's IP at some point. Verdict: Hoping for health and status quo, juggling some innings here and there. But as is, RIGHT NOW, this is a good rotation. I don't know that anyone is coming in on a white horse of rescue if someone falters, but the depth isn't awful. BULLPEN: So we can laugh and point fingers when the pen falters after pundits proclaimed the Twins might have the best pen in the league preseason. We'll, despite a bunch of injuries, they rank amongst the top 3rd in all MLB. That's not too shabby! Duarte looked promising but is out for the season. Topa was projected to help a lot, and if we're lucky, he's back for the 2nd half. And the Twins survived IL losses of Duran, Thielbar, and Stewart as of now. Nick wrote a great piece about all of this. Alcala has looked even better as of late, but to be fair, he was pretty damn good before his recent demotion when only throwing 1 inning. Rocco has finally seen the light to use him as such, and let Sands go back to being the 8th guy who can toss a couple innings. Okert hasn't been great, but he's been pretty solid. Way too early to tell on the revamped Staumont or the "return to form" Castillo, but the early returns are good. Verdict: The proof is in production and the pen has produced at a high level despite the injuries and flux. Stewart back and Alcala keeping up what he's been doing almost all season keeps this as a top pen. Varland might be a difference maker late in the season. If Sands falters, Winder has been looking pretty good at St Paul now that he's back. Staumont and Castillo offer hope for depth in the 5-7 innings with the solid Okert. A KEY might be Thielbar. He missed all of ST, was inconsistent when he came back, has looked much better until the big HR against the Yankees tonight. Can he get back on track? Funderburk has the STUFF, and will be back at some point. He's just got to me more consistent. The pen is THERE, with depth and options, if they can avoid any additional injuries. FINAL VERDICT: As long as the Twins can keep the STAFF as healthy as possible...understanding there will be some bumps and bruises and additional starts that will have to be made at some point, to mitigate IP if nothing else...the ONUS is on the LINEUP IMO. When you remove the first few weeks, Santana has been solid. IDK if he can keep it up, and Larnach and Miranda need to keep up what they've been doing, and AK needs to figure it out before Wallner comes up and replaces him. Castro is excellent, but the TEAM is better when he can move around. That means a return of Julien, and/or the eventual appearance of Lee with Farmer probably gone. And it also means a better option than Margot, who again I don't trust beyond a few games of production. The team is good. But as of today, the offense remains the weakest part of the team, though I think the potential to be better is very real.

I'm still blinking when I look at the size of that contract. But he is amazing. And IMO, he's the best WR in the league. Still doesn't handicap the Vikings next offseason as the cap will rise, and they have so much dead cap $ coming off the books. The draft is going to be short, but the team is pretty young overall, and a couple good FA signings for need help offset the short draft. Naturally, it will help if the first 3 draft classes can take steps forward. 2022 isn't looking all that great, but there's still time for a couple kids to step up and make it solid. Interesting side note, it's nice to have Risner back in the fold for a veteran presence, leadership, and solid play. But his deal is only for around $1.4M with another $1M in roster and games started bonuses. He's actually signed for less than Brandel. So depth is better, but we might be looking at a legitimate competition at the guard spots. Of further note, Risner supposedly worked out some at Center for scouts. I know Brandel worked some at Center in previous offseason camps, but has never played there in any games, preseason or otherwise. Just...interesting. Are the Vikings done now? Might Akers get brought back on the cheap as a 3rd RB option since he's supposedly healthy? Do they call Renfro for a WR 3 option? Or are they trusting what's on hand?

I could be talked in to this. Miami is going to want bats back, and probably a quality arm to balance the loss of Luzardo. My guess is they want 25yo and younger with control and that would leave AK and Larnach out of the mix. I can see them interested in Wallner, Rosario, Keaschall, and Gonzalez with an arm like Raya or Morris as part of the deal, possibly Culpepper. I'm not sure who the Marlins have at 3B, so they might be interested in Miranda? I know this sounds wrong to many, and Luzardo has the potential to take another step and be very, very good. But the Twins rotation is not really an issue right now. And by this time next season we're talking about Festa, Headrick...who still might end up a very good pen lefty...Matthews and Morris and possibly Lewis...after a slow start this year...all at AAA and just waiting for opportunity. Luzardo would be a great get. But I'd say no to Jenkins or Rodriguez. And I have a really tough time including either of Lee or Julien. But Keaschall and Gonzalez are both in the Twins top 10-12. Wallner oozes potential as a big thumper with the standard BB/K mix you just kind of expect. Rosario offers big RH thump as well. We're not talking a collection of nobody's. Just not anyone in the top 5-7. I think that's a very fair place to be starting. Doesn't mean someone won't go bigger to get him though.

I like this Twins team a lot. I don't think the position player side of things is where it's going to be...for the better...later in the year. And I don't want to sound like a depressed fan, but I really am just hoping for 1 win out of 3 before we go to Pittsburgh. IDK what to think about Thielbar. He was still good last season. He missed all of ST, and then was hit and miss when he came back. I thought recently he was looking more like his old self. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought his velocity was back up to 93-94 again? Is he toast or still trying to find a groove? He was solid his previous 4 games and the K's have still been there and the FIP is much lower than the ERA. Just too many hits and BB so far. Lee and Jenkins and Lewis back where they belong. Cory Lewis also back throwing again and Emma hopefully back in the field within the next couple of days. Things are starting to look better health wise across the system. Just need to get Stewart back.

Not sure I'm crazy about Jordan either. But then again, at 21, you're not usually getting a sure thing. More likely, you're looking to roll the dice and see if they come up 7. Culpepper as the Twins bonus pool pick is unexpected. I think they'll grab a true SS with one of their top 4 selections. But I've been thinking it would be one of the top HS SS with Correa still holding down the spot for the next 3 or 4 years.

I never understood so many having so much angst when the season began in regard to the Twins having "potentially" the best pen in MLB. The Twins tried to assemble the best pen they could, but they weren't the ones saying it. And when the pen blew a game or two here and there, they became easy fodder for pointed comments. And it's fine to have an opinion, or get frustrated when things don't go right, but as pointed out in the OP, by and large, the Twins pen has been very good this season. Hard to believe that when the season started the top 5 pen arms were Duran, Jax, Stewart, Thielbar, and Topa in just about everyone's mind. Three of that top 5 have spent at least a couple weeks on the IL, and Topa hasn't appeared the entire season, and might not. Alcala is throwing well, especially when used on a 1 inning basis. Okert has been solid. And at different times, we've gotten contributions from Sands, Castillo, Duarte, Staumont, and Funderburk. I'm probably forgetting someone. (I still think Funderburk's stuff plays, it's just harnessing his control more). There's been production, and results, and there's decent depth despite some injuries that have curtailed or eliminated seasons. I doubt Varland moves to the pen at this time due to rotation depth, but I can see him there come September, adding another high velocity and potentially dominate arm. I like what I've seen, I like what I'm seeing, and I think I'm going to continue liking what I see.

Headrick got off to a great start this year before landing on the IL. My gut feeling still has him as a LH setup man eventually, but if he can come back healthy and ready to go by mid summer, he and Festa offer some good depth at AAA. Matthews and Morris are already at AA and doing well. Nowlin has electric stuff, though he might also end up in the pen if his control doesn't improve. Ohl had a great half a year ar AA last season, and after a slow start, has looked great again.Lewis has begun his rehab and will join Wichita soon. ALL of these guys could/should be at AAA to begin 2025 if not the end of this year. How's that look for a pipeline? And I haven't even mentioned Raya, or Canterino, (probably destined for the pen now), or Culpepper being OK and making up for lost time and at least finishing the season strong for Wichita. This also allows Varland to probably slide in to a prominent pen roll as another late inning power arm.

As of now, the ALC is no joke. It's really unfortunate the Twins are still having to claw their way back to the top after their awful start, but that's baseball. There's still 2/3 of a season left, and they can absolutely win this thing yet. Bullet points: 1] Alcala being used for only a single inning is something I've been screaming about all season. The fact that he's throwing harder now doesn't dismiss the fact that he was still doing well in the first inning of his often 2 inning stints. It's even more important that he's ready to go and being used right with Stewart out. 2] I was pleasantly surprised when the Twins signed Castillo for a pen flier. The guy was good to great for about 6 straight seasons before a bad 2023. Alcala sort of replaces Topa, and Castillo becomes sort of a replacement for Alcala? If he's back, or close to back, to his previous form for real, the 6th and 7th innings just got a lot better. 3] Staumont hasn't looked bad at all. Okert really has been, generally, pretty solid. The pen is better with Stewart, of course, but the depth is there, and I like Sands...slipping a little...going back to his role as the 8th man. 4] I agree Julien wasn't really the right choice to go down. He's shown more life the past week. I'm not saying a reset won't help, but I really wonder if Margot would be gone if he hadn't suddenly had the best week of his season? IMO, Margot is still the ONE GUY to be removed when the next tough decision takes place. A mediocre to average player who can PR some and be OK without power against LHP is nothing close to a difference maker. Unfortunately for Julien, with Lee still working his way back, Farmer as an INF depth piece is probably safe for now. 5] I'm glad Larnach, Miranda, and Kirilloff are staying, however. Despite being 25-27yo, these 3 are still relatively inexperienced at the ML level due to injuries. Miranda and Larnach are starting to become productive fixtures in the lineup. And AK is starting to show life the past couple of weeks. TODAY is important, but so is tomorrow. I like that the Twins are sticking with them as much as a I dislike Julien being sent down, even if it's temporary. 6] Winning 3 of 4 against KC was big, especially from an ALC perspective. But 2 of 3 against Houston, at home, might have been just as big. The Astros have been playing better as of late, and are dangerous. It's a great way to begin the road trip. Another 3 or 4 wins would be HUGE if the Twins could pull it off. 7] Ryan had a bad game against a dangerous team. It happens. Maybe it's the opposite curse we've been having on TD. Bash a guy, he gets hot. Write a post how great someone is, he has a bad game. Lol 8] Castro will be just fine as the primary 2B for the short term. But it limits the lineup and moves Rocco can make for the moment. And that's a concern of mine. Margot...here we are again...remains a limited player in usage and production despite his 1 week "hot streak". I know Farmer can play 2B well and let Castro move around some, but we just lost some flexibility that I'm really concerned about. 9] Paddack has been even better than I expected despite a couple ups and downs. IIRC, he's still only had one BAD start, a couple mediocre ones, and the rest have been solid to very good. He's a big, strong, tough, gamer of a pitcher! But he's still coming back from TJ. At some point, the Twins are going to have to look at a skip start here or there, not just the All Star break. Is it weird to hope for a double header at some point to call someone up and skip him? I do agree that Festa is an option, soon, as the next man up. I'm just hoping it won't be until the 2nd half. 10] Lastly...ROYCE! I don't think he'll give a damn that he's back playing in Yankee stadium. It might even give him some juice. But despite a flippant comment I made a couple days ago concerning him probably hitting a HR and a double and going 2-4 his first game back, we should all temper our hopes. DESPITE his Superman appearances and reputation and ability, it wouldn't shock me if he was ordinary initially. After all, he's still human, right? But DAMN it's nice to see him back! He just might be the best position player on the team, all due respect to Correa. Looong winded, that's my stuff. Go Twins! 6 more games before coming home again, and a chance to make a statement on this road trip!

Relievers are a volatile sort generally speaking. Miller is only a rookie, no matter how good he's looked so far, who's thrown and "proven" himself for all of 26 innings this season. He's had an injury history including some forearm tightness and throws 100mph. Hey, I'm intrigued, and he's obviously got a lot of potential. But I'm not spending a lot for a reliever who's a rookie after 26 IP and an injury history. Do we already have a Miller type in Varland who might be in the pen come September, and might not ever leave? And then we have Stewart back at some point. Alcala is being used the right way. Add that to Duran and Jax and maybe, just maybe Canterino at some point. I'm only interested if acquiring him involves players outside our top 10.

I've thought about this so long and hard the past couple of weeks it makes my brain cramp. But after a TON of thought and examination, the answer has become obvious, Margot needs to go, barring any sort of injury that changes the situation. 1] Despite a sudden 7-10 games where he's actually produced a little offense, he's still barely league average in OPS against LHP. He's so far down against RHP that it embarrasses ME. He's got little power, his speed has greatly diminished, and his once valued defense has become average at best. 2] The OF against LHP is obvious without Margot. Kepler in RF...having a surprising year against same side arms..Buxton in CF...and Castro in LF. This just isn't that hard. 2A] Don't talk to me about a Buxton inury. You can bring Martin back up...who's doing just fine after his demotion...OR, add Keirsey OR the often forgotten about Helman, raking after a slow start if you want a different and more versatile RH bat, to sub defensively. 3] Some have mentioned Farmer as a roster cut. So far, he's just not the same player he was in 2023. And ZERO disrespect to Margot as a person or teammate, but Farmer has team "credit" already built up. On top of that, the "next guy up" is either Lee or Anthony Prato. UNFORTUNATELY, one is still rehabbing, and one is having a surprisingly poor season at AAA so far. In a weird twist of fate, Helman is the "next man up" for the INF until Lee is ready. So Farmer is safe for now because he can play across the dirt effectively. 4] Julien is a TALENT. It's possible he knows the STIKE ZONE better than most umps. But he HAS to ADJUST. That means NOT just trusting what he thinks he knows, but adjusting his approach to look for something earlier in the zone. Larnach has made serious adjustments and keeps plugging along like a legitimate ML hitter. To send him down while adapting and productive would not only be a HUGE mistake...just look at the numbers...it might rob him of the confidence and approach he's built up now. Kirilloff started strong, went in to the tank, but has been coming out of his recent funk. His last 15 games mediocre, but his last 7 games are powerful and productive. A few decent games notwithstanding, Margot has NOT produced, and is NOT part of the future. He's the easy choice! Farmer is, unfortunately, living on borrowed time. I can easily see Lee up around July 1st, playing all over, giving breaks to players, and establishing himself for 2025 and beyond. So much angst about who goes only because we've bought in to the depth idea the FO has sold us? And I'll admit, I generally LOVE the idea of depth EVERYWHERE for the Twins, the Vikings, or my beloved Huskers. I get and enjoy the idea of depth for the Twins to make sure we have the best team we can have season to season. But best laid plans don't aways work the way you want them to and you need to adjust. Margot is gone. You've got options. Farmer is probably next at some point. Keep the guys doing well, and who might be part of the future. It's just not that hard!

Just wanted to add a little to this example, and add a title more context to what I had written earlier. And while it's not my intention to pick on someone, I'm going to use Margot as an example because he works, and he's been part of the conversation. Margot's career quad slash is as follows; vs RHP .241/ .292/ .364/ .656 vs LHP .280/ .340/ .417/ .756 In 2024, league wide the average OPS is around .690-.695 last I heard. Based on that, the "career" Margot is more than acceptable with those splits as a high quality CF...which he was...with a little pop and some speed on the bases, and some double digit SB mixed in. That's not a star player. But it's a solid, all around player you can play in the field on a daily basis, lower in the order against RHP, higher in the order against LHP. The problem, in this example, is if player X...Margot in this example still...suddenly can't play even really good defense, has little power, and doesn't run particularly well any longer, and is ABYSMAL against same side pitching, and only about league average as a batter/OPS guy, what do you have? Well, that's a ballplayer, taking up a roster spot, who's barely average as a hitter...used roughly 25% of the time... with no discernable qualities to make any sort of difference for your team. Again, the issue ISN'T having a guy who's better on the short side of a platoon type of situation. It's having a guy who you just don't even want out on the field or in the lineup 75% of the time. And THAT'S where the FO idea of any platoon situation is a big mistake. IF Margot was the same player he was a couple years ago, IF Farmer was the same hitter he was in 2023, we probably aren't having this conversation. Vazquez is a unique situation due to experience, and his abilities as a catcher. Is this the fault of the FO? Maybe. We still have the budget restraints imposed to examine. But they bet on a pair of veterans and the gamble has come up snake eyes. Here's hoping they learn from this mistake. The only thing I might disagree with you, Brian, is a comment you made about the FO being reticent to make changes this late. And forgive me, I can't recall if it was in this OP, or the OP concerning who goes when Lewis comes back. Our FO is more than a bit stubborn, probably born from the disappointing and MASH version of the team that ended 2022. I get it. But they also saw what an influx of talent could bring to the team last season. I'd like to think they are smart enough, flexible enough, confidant enough to just realize the status quo is holding the lineup down and they WILL make changes.

So I am a little bit confused as to whether we're talking actual platooning, or are we talking PH, or are we talking both? It feels to be we're talking both as the one often leads to the other. 1} In the first few months of 2023 the Twins were at the absolute bottom of the league in AVG and OPS from PH. For whatever reasons, they were amongst the best in the league from around July on. Was that the players getting better at it, more comfortable? Or was it simply the law of averages correting back? 2} I don't have a major issue with PH in certain situations. In the past, there were a couple of times when Rocco really jumped the gun early in games and short sided the Twins the remainder of the game. I really haven't seen much of that as of late. Now, in the first game of the Houston series Friday evening, Julien was pulled in an RBI situation as the Astros had a lefty on the mound with reverse splits. So Rocco brought in Margot, and the Astros immediately countered with a righty...anyone could see this coming a mile away...and Margot hit a weak grounder, if I remember correctly. And now Julien was out for the remainder of the game. IMO, that was a poor way to use a PH strategy. But let's talk platooning by itself. @Riverbrianhas really covered this at length now, and previously, so there's not much more to add. But: 1}It's a simply fact that generally speaking, LH hitters perform poorly against LHP. It's just a fact. Not all, but most. But it's the "not all" that is part of a larger issue. Until and unless someone gets the opportunity to face more, and see if they can adapt/learn to do so, you never know. Further, as was pointed out, a LH batter wouldn't have to be an All Star caliber hitter against same side arms to be valuable as a daily option, just not horrendous. Unless or until you have just seen enough of a player to just know it's never going to work, they should receive some opportunity to experience LHP and see what they might be capable of. 2} I have ZERO issue with the Twins philosophy of building their player roster and saying to themselves: "Hey, we need another OF here. And we could really use one that can play a good CF to help back up Buxton. Wouldn't it be great if he was a RH bat to help out against tough LHP?" Where I DO have a problem is when that player is signed ONLY because they can help against LHP. I don't mean to pick on Margot, but he's been close to average his whole career against LHP. Fine. But he's been pretty far below average against RHP. So a non great 25% usage short side platoon option to fill in a roster spot? How about a better hitter than him against RHP who can STILL beat up on LHP some? I understand we're talking about "better" player than Margot in this scenario, and maybe a more expensive one, but we're also talking about better value spent for the $. And what if that "better" player happens to be a rookie, or second year guy, etc? Then the $ affect goes out the window. While $6M for Farmer as a reserve INF is pretty high, if he was the same player he was in 2023...leadership, defense, decent bat...he's arguably worth that kind of money. When he's performing about as bad as any player in the league, the $6M is a bad investment. When we add in what Margot has been doing...or not doing...as well as a poor offensive "2nd" catcher, the whole platoon situation takes on a life of it's own. In short, signing, trading for, or promoting players who hit from the right side to complete the roster is NOT a bad idea to help offset the number of LH bats on the team, or to provide PH opportunities in games. What IS a bad idea is selecting those guys ONLY because they can be part of a short side platoon. How good of a ballplayer they are should be the primary consideration, NOT because they bat from a certain side.

I'm sorry, but any translation issues aside, I'm trying to understand any sort of correlation between Lopez...a talented but troubled human being due to family matters...and Duran who had a bad game. I don't see any corelation between these two individuals. ONE has/is having ongoing personal, human, family issues and his career is going off the rails. Unfortunately. The OTHER is one of the top closers in all of MLB who is embraced by his teammates, and Fandom, STILL performing, even with a couple bad outcomes, which happen. The ONLY issue I can see with Duran is a pitch he threw got tattooed for a HR. Was that a bad call? Did he just throw a bad pitch? Crazy idea. Sometimes a called pitch, or a bad pitch, gets hammered. When a Twins batter hits a big XB hit or HR we celebrate. When it happens to Duran...and he regrets the pitch thrown...suddenly there's a controvery? He's STILL doing his job. He's healthy again. His mechanics are slightly out of whack, he's been pitching more out of a slide step, and he's STILL hit 101 and 102 as of late. But ONE bad pitch and a comment he supposedly didn't think that was the pitch he wanted to throw is some sort of controversy? Please! This is, sorry to say, an OP about nothing but a deadline to post SOMETHING.

All good points. Agree with you ALMOST completely. Develop, unfortunately, is not always linear. SOMETIMES, the game itself presents opportunities or necessities of development AT the ML level. It's not a prudent or organic way of doing things, but it happens. Arraez was thrown in to LF a few years ago, basically told to touch the wall, and then march in a determined number of steps to find his placement. UGH! Horrible! But they needed him in the lineup and it "kinda" worked on a very limited basis. His sudden transition to 1B was a lot better. Which makes more sense as he was always a dirt player previously. Miranda was, more or less, given the "Arraez" treatment by being tried at 1B in 2022...as was Sano to a degree previously, but I digress...and while the results weren't very good, I thought he got a little better as the season moved along. As an aside, I didn't think AK was that bad at 1B before his shoulder injury at the end of 2023. I guess what I'm saying is I agree that milb time at 1B would indeed be optimal for Miranda, maybe Kirilloff as well, to learn and hone necessary skills there. #not running over an INF chasing a foul ball...HELLO Sano...or straying TOO FAR off of 1B to try and make a play you should let the 2B make and not leave 1B covered. Unfortunately, stuff happens. And obvious changes happen. And you don't always have the luxury of having A meet B, when you're trying to keep the best players, the most productive players, on the ML roster while making transitions. I think we're speaking the same language here. There is optimal, and then there is the reality of "now what" in real time vs optimal. As someone else pointed out here, or in a different OP, even Mauer needed a little time to figure out 1B before he became a potential Gold Glove worthy 1B candidate. (Damnit, he SHOULD have won one, IMO). It's up to the coaching staff and the players, AK and Miranda, to follow the "Julien" way of doing things and just work your azz off in drills and prep to be able to be a solid 1B, if not a good one.

Royce us an amazing talent, a potential MVP candidate one of these days, and arguably the best...or second best...player on the Twins. Knowing him, he's likely to go 2-4 in his first game back with a double and a HR. But the kid literally sat for about 7 weeks before getting in to any sort of game action. Im more than happy to wait another week to 10 days and have him for the rest of the season instead of rushing him back, have a relapse, and then hope we can get him back for August. But I'm also really confused about the Twins promoting slowly and letting prospects languish in the minors. At least under the current FO, who might that be? Now, some guys go to college, get drafted, and take a couple milb seasons to get prepared/experienced and might not hit MLB until they're 23-24-25 in some cases. But who have they held back??? Ryan was promoted almost immediately. Ober, post injuries, debuted at 25. Julien flew through the system. Miranda was up at 23. Wallner at 24. SWR is still only 23 and debuted, briefly, at 21. Jeffers came up at 23yo and basically skipped AAA. Lee WOULD have debuted in April at 23yo if his back hadn't flared up. And there's a bunch of 21-23yo players and pitchers at AAA and AA right now, including some just recently promotes up a level a full month plus before mid season. Just exactly who's been slow to be promoted???

Generally agree. I can see a re-set for Julien. I'm just thinking he gets a little more time to get out of his funk. He may honestly have a better eye than any umpire, but at some point, he has to compensate and take a few more cuts, IMO. I don't want a butcher at 1B. I think defense at 1B is undervalued by many. But it's also an offense first position by nature, and probably the easiest spot to hide a mediocre glove. I'm worried about winning NOW, of course. But I always have an eye to toward the future as well. And Santana is not part of that future and he's been so up and down with the bat we really don't know what's left in the tank. Hard work can get Miranda and AK better at 1B. But don't they also have to actually play the spot to get better?

Only got to see the last 3 innings, but watching Correa stroke that triple made up for what I missed! The guy is a JOY to watch! Small bummer Paddack couldn't get that last out to get the win. Great way for Jeffers to break out of a bit of a slump! Alcala hitting a 100 and 1 inning again and he dominated. I think we're finally going to see him used the way he should be. Not going to pretend to know what's up with Duran. He's been working on some mechanical things, and has been using a slide step more. Couple days ago he was hitting 101 and 102 again. Still not really worried at this point. Crazy to me how pitchers can throw darts at 90+ mph 60 feet and have so much trouble throwing a ball to 1B. He made a UGLY throw to Santana for sure. Still, it looked like Santana probably should have snagged it. But it was a tough play. Duran makes a semi decent throw, that whole 9th inning probably looks different. So again, not really too worried right now. KC a much better team than they've been. I think the Twins are better. Taking 3 of 4 is still really good. Won't get back to the top of the standings in a day, or a series, just need to keep winning and chip away.

Once again, I didn't like or dislike the signing of Santana when it happened. I doubted he'd repeat his rebound, age 37 season, but the Twins DID enter the season with some questions about Miranda's and Kirilloff's respective shoulders. So some inexpensive, veteran insurance wasn't a bad idea. My issue was Santana as a primary, almost every day 1B despite being pretty bad against RHP, which you're going to face about 75% of the time. I've always thought he should be hit against LHP, be a defensive replacement, and a veteran PH. He's not part of the future, while Miranda and AK probably both are. Julien might also figure in some at 1B as well also. But in the interest of fairness, while Santana's overall season numbers are pretty poor, especially for an offensive position like 1B....208/.295/.360/.655, so much for the tough veteran out with power...he has been much, much better the past 30 games: .242/.330/.434/.764 quad slash line. However, to be continue to be fair, most of that damage was done end of April and first couple of weeks of May. For the past 15 games, his numbers are are even worse than his seasonal ones. So we aren't talking any sort of consistency, just a few good weeks so far. What can we expect going forward for the 37yo veteran? Hard to say. But he's done enough with the bat so far...despite the roller coaster...to earn some more rope to see what he's got. Healthy again, it looks like Miranda remains part of the future, as well as the present as he's actually been one of the team's top hitters. AK is also, potentially, still part of the future. Like Santana, he's been on a roller coaster of a season. But he's also 11 years younger, so he remains a hopeful part of the future as well. I DON'T believe it's time to call Santana cooked and send him packing. But I do think it might be time to start using the 37yo more as a part time 1B/PH/ and defensive replacement in order to help keep Miranda in the lineup, and possibly Kirilloff as well.

Farmer is a real gamer and from all accounts a really good guy, teammate, and leader. And I appreciate everything he did last season. And I was initially happy he was brought back, even if the $ didn't make a lot of sense. And while 100 PA isn't a lot, we are at the 1/3 point of the season. Over his last 30 days he's hitting neen hitting .214 with an OB% of .290 and a SLG% of .321. That's just not remotely close to being good. And as stated, he's not even hitting LHP any longer. Can he still turn it around? Yes. A veteran like him can figure something out, have the law of averages/luck flip and he's the same...or close to it...as he was last season. And that's fine, I care about what happens from today onward, and not what's happened the first 2 months. But so far, we're just not seeing any uptick. Lee is going to need some time to get ramped up after missing so much time. He's also ot on the 40 man. And right now, all 3 spots he would play have a healthy starter. That works in Farmer's favor to get more time. But Farmer isn't part of the future and won't be back next season. Lee IS part of the future, can play the same positions, offers a much better bat, and can help rest Lewis, Correa, and Julien and play on an almost daily basis. Time is absolutely running out for Farmer. There HAS to come a time when you just have to say goodbye to someone not performing and not part of the future for someone else. But I believe Farmer probably has the month of June to see if he can figure it out.

Nothing wrong with his arm that I know of, other than just not being strong enough for SS, which I believe he played his last season at Arizona State. Since he was drafted I've heard he had CF potential. I find that intriguing, but I'd like to know how he looks out there. Is it a legitimate option for him going forward? The bat and overall offensive profile might even play at 1B. AT 6' and around 195-200lbs he's not a huge target for a 1B, but not every 1B is 6' 2" plus. I'm a big fan of Julien, and remain a believer despite some bumps in the road this season. But I can see a future where Keaschall might be as good or better overall bat and base running threat and Julien is moved to 1B, or moved in a trade and Keaschall takes over. Not a knock on Julien at all, just confidence that Luke is going to be really good.

Risner is a cool dude and a good pass blocker. But he's not a good run blocker. I guess he counters Bradberry at CENTER. I'm actually a HUGE fan of Brandel as a depth/rotation OL who's also practiced at CENTER...MAYBE appeared as such in a preseason game, but memory fades...despite reports he's never played center. I have been questioning Brandel as the ONLY LG option, even though I like him and had hopes. And he might still prove himself as a starting OL at some point. But lack of competition and depth of talent on BOTH lines is tantamount to a poor team. No matter how the NFL has changed, LINE PRODUCTION on both sides remains paramount to a good team. I'm OK with competition and better depth with Risner coming back. BUT, the interior OL needs to not only protect the QB, which Risner helps with, but it needs to make running lanes. Ingram NEEDS to take a step forward this season. If he doesn't, the interior OL needs a serious change for 2025. Depth is better. A feeling of being "solid" to protect the QB is better with Risner and competition. Are we better? MAYBE. I guess it's better than questionable depth. And that's not a shot at Risner or Brandel. But I still question WHERE the STUD is we can have in the interior to match what our OT provide.

I read the original article and did a head-slap. Would have done a spit-take had I been drinking at the time. Even IF the Jays were looking at some sort of re-build, facing a loss of income due to a bad/expiring TV deal, Guerrero offers enough talent and potential to be worth way more than something like Gonzalez and cash. That's half a bottle of Walker trolling to meet a deadline for SOMETHING to post. I have had a suspicion for months that the FO has actually had in mind to add payroll to the team for a trade move if it makes sense and fills a need, but NOT $10M and a 2nd season of $20M plus. For instance, I can easily see a pen arm acquired in a trade. Especially since we have no idea if Topa will pitch at all in 2024. And, unfortunately, Stewart MIGHT have to be monitored going forward. BUT, I can also see Duran USED CORRECTLY, and Varland sliding back to the pen for September and beyond. It's also possible that Canterino will be back on the mound the 2nd half and fill a spot in the pen as well. So the pen addition idea is a "sorta" possibility. It becomes a more real possibility if the contract includes a second year on the cheap. I could also see a quality RH OF bat on an expiring deal to add to the roster. But again, Lewis, Correa, Miranda, Jeffers,Buxton, how important could that bat be with what's on hand unless there is a serious injury or serious regression? I'm a bit old school when it comes to defense. I appreciate good defense, and want good defense on my team. It helps the pitching staff, and helps avoid second chance opportunities for the opposition. HOWEVER, at times, good defense simply means making the normal play and just not being a butcher at your position. At the end of the day, offensive plusses override defense generally. The Twins appear to be, or are, plus at catcher, SS, and CF...most days at least...and RF. They've been, generally, fine in LF, 2B, and are pretty strong at the moment at 1B. While it's not popular to some, 1B is an offense position first and foremost. It just is. You need production, wherever you can find it, but a 1B doesn't have to be Gold Glove worthy to play the spot. He just needs to make the right reads on plays, be able to scoop balls consistently, and hopefully have the eye and decent enough range to snare foul balls. And I know I'm over simplifying the position, and it's great to have a wonderful 1B, but the truth is we aren't talking about SS here. I have a feeling the Twins next "fixture" at 1B might still be in the minors. But for 2025, it's going to be Miranda, Kirilloff, and Julien. And I'm OK with that. All 3 can, and have, played the position. Experience and work can make all 3 OK defensively. TWO of them are infielders who are "used" to playing in the dirt and handling ground balls. AK is no stranger to playing 1B. All 3 just need to put in the work to be SOLID at the spot. That's not only reality, but the POSSIBILITY of being productive at 1B and at least solid at 1B. The prospect cost and financial cost of Guerrero just doesn't fit, even with a "pipe dream" article written with a drunken deadline.

On the "good surprise" of the 2023 ledger so far, SWR has to be #1. He's been solid to good in all but like one start so far. For a rookie 5th starter, I don't know that we could ask for more. He starts getting a few more K's and can get through 6 instead of 5, he might be a #3. Was Vazquez's throw a couple inches or so wide? Maybe. But they have pulled that play numerous times this year. Get the throw off quick, make sure it's clearly on the 1B side of the bag, and then snap the glove down quickly. Don't have to worry about a hand sliding in ahead of the tag. The runner was out by a good 3 feet. Crazy good! Hey, Julien came through with a big hit! Slump over? And WOW, look what Alcala can do when asked to only throw a single inning. Especially with Stewart out, he should be in a 7th-8th inning role for a single inning each time. Let someone else like Sands go 2 at a time. And Winder is ramping up nicely at AAA for that kind of role as well. Man, I want all 4 of these games against KC so badly!

This all comes together in the end: 1} I don't know how good Wallner might become. I suspect the player he might become, but I really have no idea. But I do know based on everything we've seen the past 3 years in milb and what he's done at the ML level, he's NOT the player we've seen so far this season. I remain confident he's going to eventually get out of his own head, stop pressing, figure things out, and get right again. But just how good he might, again, I don't know. But he's likely part of 2025 and beyond, plus likely part of the equation the second half of this year. 2} Both Larnach and Kirilloff seem to have been around forever, but mostly due to injuries, they have both been and down in performance. Even this current season, Kirilloff started off great, went in to a massive slump, but has been doing well again the last 10 days or so. Is he ready to roll now? Larnach had a good spring, and is putting up good numbers this season so far. His turf toe has hindered his ability to play much OF...hopefully that changes in the near future...but he's changed his approach/stance and has been pretty consistent up until the past couple of weeks. But even then, he's been hitting the ball hard, just with no results. Both are healthy. Both STILL have less than 800 ML AB so far, and less than 9000 ML PA. They are important for the remainder of this year, and beyond. 3} I don't know how good Emanual Rodriguez is going to be, but I suspect he's going to be really good. But being 21yo and raking at AA doesn't mean he's ready to come up tomorrow. I do think he'll be in St Paul relatively soon and hopefully he will continue on his great course. He might even do better as he might have to be more aggressive in his swings, which might lead to even more overall production, even if it means a drop from an insane OB% to only a crazy one. I think he's part of 2025 and beyond, but probably not 2024. Still, he's part of the equation in the OP. 4} Martin, Keirsey, and Helman all offer up some form of depth for Buxton and all those listed above. Martin looks like he's going to make it as a ML player, we just don't know how good of one yet. Utility? Full time starter and table setter? Nice to see him go back to St Paul and crank things up another notch instead of lamenting not being with the Twins. And while we have ZERO clue as to whether or not Keirsey or Helman can actually hit at the ML level, they have nothing to prove at the AAA level any longer. Both offer defense, speed, and some power. But we're talking 4th OF types, and possible platoon options, and not full time starters. But that depth, those quality and versatile 4th OF types are valuable/important as well. And they all are also part of this discussion. Nobody could be happier than me since mid season last year when Kepler finally seemed to take off and become the player I had always hoped he might be. Could be/should be? And it looks sustainable for this season, and perhaps a couple more seasons beyond. QUANTITY over QUALITY is never a good thing, or at least, generally not a winning formula. And no doubt Kepler would be missed if he's gone. But there are an awful lot of options available for the Twins OF next season, with Buxton and Castro obviously still part of the plan as well. The Twins don't need ALL of them to becomes the best versions of themselves, though that would be incredible. But they do need a couple of these guys to reach their potential, with another one or two to just be solid role players. That's not a tremendous ask. I believe the FA market is going to be deflated even more than it was this past offseason due to the crazy flux and uncertainty of TV deals across MLB. Would Kepler love being a Twin enough to sign a 2 year $30M ish deal and stick around? Mmmm....maybe. But if he continues to do what he's doing now, I'm pretty sure he'd get a larger deal than that. But perhaps the Twins should at least ask him? I don't think Max would accept the QO. So it would make some sense for the Twins to go ahead and offer it to him and hope to get the bonus pick. But if the FA market is depressed, and/or deeper than last season, he might not get the offer he wants and might be tempted to accept. Adding $5M to Kepler's current salary is one thing, taking it up another $10M plus is entirely different. Also, I don't believe the Twins get compensation...at least not high compensation...if he doesn't sign for something like $50M plus. Right? So, IMO, the risk/reward scenario probably eliminates the QO from being made to Kepler. And as much as I've been a fan, and really enjoyed 2019 and the past 14 months going back to mid summer 2023, I think it's time to just accept he's gone after this season, without any recompense, and it's time to focus on all the players listed above. They're all part of this season, next, and potentially beyond. No QO will be made. I doubt an extension happens. And unless the Twins just fall out of the race, Kepler will be part of a playoff contending team all season.

I'm an optimist for the offense the rest of this season and going forward. Big surprise huh? LOL Getting Lewis back and for the rest of the season is of tremendous importance. That's a given. But ANY thought of sending down Miranda would be idiotic. He's young and doing well again. He can backup 3B, play some at 1B, and DH. You KEEP your best bats! And 1B and DH are the worst performing spots in the lineup. Period. Miranda can help with that. Due to Jeffers, catcher is not a bottom performing spot, despite Vazquez pretty much stinking. Being a veteran, I guess there's SOME HOPE Vazquez will improve slightly. But his defense and game calling absolutely has real value regardless. A 60-40 split between Jeffers and Vazquez should be the norm going forward, with Vaz starting against LHP as much as possible to help mitigate his overall lack of production. Considering he's not a bad bunter, I wouldn't hesitate to use him in that capacity from time to time with runners on base, similar to a pitcher batting 9th. I'm super excited about Emmanuel Rodriguez, what he's doing, and what he might become. And I think he's close to heading to AAA. But placing hopes on a 21yo to jump to MLB and be a savior is misguided at best. And while I have great hope/expectations for Lee, he's a few weeks away from helping with all of the time he's missed. I'd like to think he's 2nd half help if an injury happens, IF Julien doesn't rebound, or IF Farmer is somehow gone, which I doubt. IMO, one of the biggest keys for offense is Larnach, Kirilloff, and possibly Wallner. Larnach has made major adjustments and has been productive. Despite his lack of production recently, the contact has been decent, and he's really stung the ball with little result. He can DH and if his toe heals up more, he might play a little more corner OF. Kirilloff started hot, slumped terribly, but has been on fire the past 7 to 10 days. Can he continue his upswing? He's also, potentially, part of the DH/1B conundrum as well as a little time as a corner OF. The Wallner we've seen in 2024 is just NOT the player we've seen the past 3-4 years as he climbed the milb ladder, or what he's shown at the ML level. Can he get RIGHT for the 2nd half? All 3 of these guys are potentially important for this year, and beyond, BEFORE we even fantasize about E Rodriguez and what he might become. TWO of those THREE figuring it out really changes the complexion of the roster now, and going forward. But even ONE, helps make a difference. Larnach and AK STILL have less than 800 ML AB even though it feels like they've been around forever. Roster construction with Lewis being back may crowd out any immediate idea of Keirsey coming up. For now at least. But I just can't ignore a kid on the upswing for the past couple of years who is making AAA look easy. Defense, power, and speed are impossible to dismiss. Can he HIT at the ML level? We'll never know until he gets his shot one of these days. The basic principles of having offensive balance of RH/LH batters is solid. But it only takes you so far, especially when you consider A] You still face RHP 75% of the time, and B] Just how good/productive ARE those "extra" RH depth batters? No vitriol, but Margot has done little defensively for the club, despite past reputation and ability. He's always been pretty decent...not great...against LHP. But even in that regard, he's still about 50 points behind league average OPS. Add in poor, average at best, defense and he's taking up a roster spot with very little production. June 1st is around the corner and it's time to let loose the least productive player you have rostered. Note: I've removed Vazquez from the previous comments not only due to his contract, but because he's in a different discussion as a strong catcher. With all due respect to Farmer as a person, a teammate, his contributions in 2023, and a still solid glove, and a fairly decent uptick with the bat the past couple of weeks, he should be considered as a possible removal come July if Lee is ready and there are no significant injuries. I'm not saying he should be on the chopping block now, but there's a real chance Castro and a fully rehabbed Lee could not only be better options, but part of the future as well. Lewis back, Margot goes. Kepler, Buxton, Larnach, Krilloff, and Castro are your OF. Buxton goes down at some point, time for Keirsey to get his shot. But you also have Martin in reserve, and maybe even the versatile, hot, and late blooming Helman as an option. Vazquez you treat as already stated. This is a club that is "oh so close" to being pretty damn dangerous with Lewis back, keeping Miranda, and SOMEONE of Larnach, Kirilloff, and Wallner FIGURING IT OUT, even before we talk about Rodriguez and Lee.