laloesch

Sigh. Never gonna happen. Threads like this become tiring after a while. The only way Joe steps away is if his health is that bad. But i agree with other posters he shouldn't start more than 2 games in a row and should bounce back and forth between 1st & DH for the remaining 2 seasons of his deal with the Twins. The only hiccup is that unless ownership, Falvey, new GM and Molitor agree to use him in more of a part time fashion it ain't gonna happen in a million years. Despite only having two years left on his deal the twins still have a TON of money committed to him (almost 50 million). In his final start though the Twins should let him catch the game and go out as a catcher (his glory years).

I think it would be foolish to discard Vargas right now. He is one of the few youngsters who is showing more displine at the plate after going through the growing pains of a sophomore slump. I'd like to see what he could do with another full season under his belt in the role of DH/1B. If he could play almost everyday it would cue us into what our future needs might be.

Yep. Terry Ryan was a big big dumpster diver. Tire of it.

Yes! And this has always been a pet peeve of mine with the Twins. They almost ALWAYS wait too long to get guys up here even if they struggle at first. For years they have been like this. Pitchers shouldn't be getting their first taste of the major leagues at 26/27. That's too late imo.

Meh maybe. Garver has only played 22 games at AAA. Gonsalves 0 games played at AAA. Gonsalves would probably be a late season callup IMO.

And we are going to waste the first pick in the 2017 draft on a guy who would be used as utility reliever and infielder? NO FREAKING WAY! That kind of thinking is how a team ends up last place for a whole decade.

I'd probably employ a wait and see approach. The one obvious choice as Seth said would be Tommy Milone. The others could go as well depending on what is done this winter.

It's really not that different outside the sport in corporate America. In my line of business if your a salaried "exempt" employee working in the office, once you hit 40 hours you work for free. It's a contradiction in my opinion regardless of what you make. If you are working you should be paid for it plain and simple. Not some clause stating that because your "an exempt employee" you can't collect and are therefore expected to work 10 hours of over time each week for free. It's BS! Should be illegal. Minor league teams could easily track this and keep an eye on guys. If your not in the clubhouse, on-the field or at the team's workout facility you don't get paid, simple as that. There are plenty of trainers, coaches, and administrative folks around to make sure the system doesn't get abused. No different than any other employer. I don't like Manfred's excuse. I ALSO don't like that players like Pelfrey or Nolasco can sign these huge guaranteed deals and stink it up year after year after year without repercussion. I would compare the situation to a co-worker of yours getting hired, signing an employment contract and then start slacking off, showing up late for work, not doing their job adequately, complaining and still getting paid big bucks while you and the rest of your crew have to pick up the slack and deal with the drama they create and watch them get paid. Repulsive. I hate guaranteed contracts. It cheapens the sport and makes it harder for younger better players to advance and earn what's there's and replace low skill guys who should have been fired years ago. Kinda like being forced to watch Ricky stink it up year after year while he complains how he hates Minnesota, etc., and YOU the fans still have to pay for him at the gate.

As much as I liked Kepler's hot streak he did cool off considerably after opposing pitchers figured him out. Polanco would have been my vote.

That's a Canadian and NY thing and I can say it because I married one and lived in NY for 4+ years. Fans acted like animals throwing beer bottles, batteries, pencils, dead animals, all kinds of stuff on the ice, courts, whatever sport is being played. Not sure how they got some of the stuff into the arenas to begin with. To be truthful NY city and the city of Toronto have the absolute worst fans as a collective whole. Disrespectful, trash talking punks who think they can do whatever they want because they are in a mob situation and live in BIG bad cities. My experience / opinion having lived in Alabama, Minnesota, Virginia, North Carolina, DC, Ohio, Upstate NY.

I'm going out on a limb and saying the cubs finally win this year. Their starting five is rock solid and they have plenty of offense to back it off.

I respect him greatly for realizing he was way over matched and no longer wished to experience humiliation in America and asked for release. That takes A LOT OF GUTS to do something like that in todays day and age with that much money at stake. It is the one thing that I greatly respect of the Japanese people in comparison to American culture. Honor is everything even when big money is involved. Very very few Americans would have done the same in a similar situation.

Agreed. Next June's #1 pick is the most important for this team in over a decade. Has to be the best starting pitcher available HAS TO BE!

If those stats hold going into early next season for Nolasco, then the evidence is pretty damning if you ask me. That said though Nolasco pretty much didn't want to be in Minnesota from the very beginning.

Haha never thought of that. Manager of the most futile Twins team ever. PAUL MOLITOR!!!!!!!!!!! takes a bow to thunderous applause

Yeah....puzzling. It's just dumb to pull him in such a situation during a 100 loss season. I mean if he was getting pounded and just couldn't get out of the inning then you pull him, but he was nowhere near that point. To be perfectly honest I don't think Molitor "Gets It". This really should be his last season as manager. He clearly has no patience with young talent and this team is full of it. He'd rather try and scratch out meaningless wins with irrelevant veterans who are not part of the future plans than getting badly needed experience for the new call ups. That is the WRONG approach to bringing this team back to contention. He would have been a better manager for the Twins in the mid to to late 2000's.

I just hope people don't get their hopes up too much for next season. This year has been demoralizing to say the least.

I'd rather not go out and get more filler starters. Let's Uff-da not a lot to be excited about there.

when was the last time we've had a starting pitcher like that?

Normally i would follow the philosophy of taking the best player available, but given how badly this franchise needs quality pitchers at all levels, it has to be the best pitcher (preferably college level) available.

Shake the dust off the palm palms.

No i am not suggesting you were suggesting that. I am merely voicing my opinion in context with what you were saying. If indeed he's feeling this badly AGAIN....it's time for Joe to hang it up as much as people here hate to hear that.

please...

I don't understand the hate for Walker. Sure he strikes out a ton, but to say that "he'd be more embarrassing than Buxton," I mean come-on, tell me another one. The guy absolutely clubs the ball and is a completely different ball player than Buxton. Silly comparison.

Agreed. He's had health issues every season the last 4 or 5 years. Time to hang it up IMO, but that's up to joe. It doesn't matter though, the apologists and homers will always argue with you if say anything that could cast a negative light on Joe and his supreme legacy as a Twin.