laloesch

I have to agree here. If I was the Marlins I'd ask for Jeffers plus one of two prospects (Lee or Jenkins) + Varland.

I don't understand the fascination with SWR that many fans here have. His minor league stats have been like a yo yo from one year to the next.

Those are your words not mine, I’m not sure what to expect moving forward as far as specific war. What I said was have a suspicion that he will be closer to last season’s numbers in production than years past. And there’s always the possibility of players not being able to stay healthy affecting their production. Correa does have a length injury history including bad ankle and back in addition to foot arch issues. Those issues are not going away. People were warning about this with Buxton for years meanwhile another group of fans were screaming rabidly at them and telling them to be quiet and how they were dead wrong. History repeats itself. Correa is a very good player and we all want him to succeed, but will he stay healthy that is the question.

I'm more skeptical. I'm not so sure now. I kinda think the version of Correa we saw last season is more in line with the player he's going to be moving forward. Not bad, not great either and certainly not worth 200 million.

I would be open to a 1 year deal for Giolitio with a club option for a second as a gamble, but that's about it. He was HORRIBLE his final 12 games with the Angels and Guardians. Almost 7+ era and he lost over 1 mph on his fastball. His changeup and slider were totally hittable. That's extremely concerning, in fact it's red alert concerning. When a pitcher falls apart so completely like that you have to assume arm or elbow troubles. I know he had UCL surgery before, could be going out again. I'd like to see the Twins aim higher in their search for a starter.

I mean I'm pretty excited about what Lee has shown so far, but he's YOUNG at 22. That's a lot of pressure to put on a guy his age. But in general i do agree that they need 1-4 quality playoff bats as you said. That's not going to be easy heading into the offseason. I still think the Twins should gamble and bring Lee north next spring training, assuming he's still doing well. Correa is the perfect mentor and he can also continue to work with Lewis who appears to potentially have an elite bat. I also like what Solano and Castro were able to do this season as well. Julien was also a very pleasant surprise. We can only hope Kirilloff can stay healthy going forward, but so far it doesn't look good. I don't really have an opinion yet on Austin Martin, but based on his minor league stats and age (24) I don't think he's gonna be a big impact hitter, but again we'll see. I'd really hate to see this team squander the time they keep this starting rotation together. It's probably the best collection they've had since the 2006 rotation of Santana, Radke, Liriano, Boof, Baker, and Silva. Lopez Ryan Paddack Gray (maybe) Ober / Varland That's not bad.

I don't disagree. Taylor plays his heart out in CF but his bat is iffy at best. Twins really need three outfielders and a 1st baseman and I would also add "a competent DH" that can actually hit. No offense to Buxton, but i think he's just about finished. I suppose the Twins will let him hang around until his contract gets closer to expiration, but he's a sunk cost at this point. You gotta feel bad for Buck too because the guy loves to play his heart out, just can't stay healthy. Kepler salvaged his season towards the end, but I've not been impressed with him the last few years either. All that said the Twins need offense, offense, offense. #1 priority - offensive hitting outfielders #2 priority - 1st baseman #3 DH (I don't know if fans really realize how much having no legit DH hurt the team offensively).

I'd keep him. Sign him to 2-3 years. A rotation of Lopez, Ryan, Paddack, Gray, Varland / Ober. Is pretty darn good on paper. Now all they need is more offensive pieces.

Not unless he starts utilizing his secondary pitch offerings. 59% fastball usage is too high.

yeah that's gonna be tough.

I second this.

yep. Nashville probably is probably the leading candidate right now.

Yeah and that's my worry. He's primarily a fastball pitcher and loses control of the situation quickly with the homeruns. During the regular season against lesser opponents, it's fine, but in a critical series against a good team not so much. And don't get me wrong I really do like Ryan's potential. I think in a few seasons he will become a tremendous pitcher, he's already done a great deal but the over reliance on the fastball is what REALLY worries me against the Astros. Maybe I'm overreacting a bit, and it will be okay, but game 1? I don't know.

I agree with this. I'd rather see Ober or even Maeda start than Ryan in game one. Ryan later in the series would be okay, but not game one. He just gives up to many homeruns.

That start is gonna be the scary one especially the Ryan portion of the start.

FINALLY a series win!

But he really isn't insinuating "he's a slacker." I get it that emotions run high with certain players amongst the fans, but if the guy has a long track record of not being healthy and not playing, it's kinda a "be all end all" situation. You have to at some point start looking at and questioning other factors such as WHY. I remember the same discussions taking place about Sano and then others criticizing them for questioning the reasons. Look at how that situation turned out. You do HAVE to admit he has a valid point in this regard. And for the record Buck's track record is NOT GOOD most of his career. We also don't really know if "his knee is shot." 2015 (46 G, 83-79): Buxton made his much-anticipated debut in June, but he missed nearly two months with a sprained left thumb that cost him a large chunk of his rookie season.2016 (92 G, 59-103): Minnesota was heading to one of the team's worst seasons in franchise history. Buxton played in half the season, but he missed time in May and August dealing with a knee contusion and back spasms.2017 (140 G, 85-77): Buxton's best overall season still saw him miss time with a groin strain and migraines. He still finished in the top-20 for AL MVP and won the Platinum Glove as the league's best defender. 2018 (28 G, 78-84): Unfortunately, migraines followed Buxton into the next season, including time missed with a strained wrist and a fractured toe. His toe injury had to be frustrating as he injured himself by fouling a ball off his foot as part of a rehab start in the minors. 2019 (87 G, 101-61): Concussion-like symptoms and a bruised right wrist impacted the early part of the season before a season-ending collision with the wall resulted in shoulder surgery. Minnesota won over 100 games, but a healthy Buxton might have been able to make a difference in the playoffs. 2020 (39 G, 36-24): Buxton was carted off the field with a left foot sprain during the team's ramp-up to the season. Luckily, this only cost him a couple of games at the season's start. At the end of 2020, Buxton was hit by a pitch in the helmet which caused the recurrence of concussion-like symptoms. 2021 (61 G, 73-89): Buxton was off to a torrid start to the year before hamstring issues, and hip strain put him on the IL. Only three days after returning from the hip strain, Buxton fractured his hand when he was hit by a pitch. I would add that if anything this list indicates he plays extremely hard (but so do other centerfielders) and none of them have anything close to the list Buxton has. It could mean a lot of things: bad luck, durability issues, perhaps some conditioning issues, I don't know.

I'm honestly relieved regarding Buxton and Keuchel. I like Keuchel, but he just doesn't have the stuff anymore. It's really too bad because the guy is such a fierce competitor but his velocity just isn't good anymore. I'm nervous about Ryan. The more I think about it i'd rather have Maeda starting. Ryan throws WAYYYY to many fastballs.

I'd rather not have his black hole bat in the lineup. Add Gallo to the "no playoff list also."

That's interesting. I never realized how high in elevation Mexico City is. I think Nashville is the easy decision for expansion followed by either Raleigh or Charlotte, NC two of the fastest growing cities outside of the states of Texas and Florida. I don't think Montreal is a good spot for another expansion team. In the 35+ years the Expos were in Montreal they had TWO (2) good seasons of attendance and the rest were terrible. Mexico City is probably more viable than Montreal if you ask me. Canadians aren't big into baseball (I know, I'm married to one, and know many from my time in Ontario). Outside of Toronto hockey is king in Canada.

I don't blame you for thinking this. At least for this season. If this continues on into next year, I think it's time to cut the cord and move on.

It does seem like a miscalculation. I like Ryan, but I'm not sure i'd go with him over Maeda in a short series. It's tough. Maeda definitely has the experience. Ryan in my opinion relies too much on his fastball. He might get it done, but it's a risk in the wild card round.

That's a great question. The other issue is Ryan's over-reliance on his 4-seam fastball which is where 17 of his homeruns given up came from. Against better, determined hitters in the playoffs that's a dangerous tonic. Maeda has the experience and five pitch mix to get tough hitters out: Split finger 31.6%, Slider 30.6%, 4-seam fb 27.7%, Sinker 6.5%, Curve ball 3.7%. Ryan on the other hand: Split finger 11.4%, Slider 4%, Sweeper (kinda a slider) 11.4%, 4-seam fb 56.8%.

Maeda can eat innings and will be a stabilizing force in the bullpen should any of the starters go short, but I do see the benefits of him starting over Ryan. It's too bad Ober won't be available in the WC.

It's a beautiful ballpark. Enjoy!