HarmonK03

If Jenkins is up here, you have 4 outfielders that you can rotate and everyone plays 5 to 6 days a week. And you could DH someone 1 or 2 days a week, unless Bell is on one of his heaters. Buxton is not going to be playing every day, they will probably do some sort of load management for him. So with Jenkins up here you would have a true back up CF.

I think someone by the name of Dustin Pedroia moved him to the outfield. The Dodgers moved him back to the infield somewhat out of necessity but I read that was also his preference.

Sometimes you have to give the pitcher credit, he actually has been laying off that outside much more frequently since his return. But we are sitting on our recliners with no real idea of what it looked like coming in. Nola was making many hitters look foolish last night.

Was it Falvey or Joe Pohlad nixed the trade last year, I thought it was Falvey.

And to think Bell was actually signed to be the first baseman not the DH. Think of the planning going into that.

I agree, my concern is if they promote him because he is a veteran regardless of results. The opt outs do make that more difficult. But definitely a good signing for insurance against injuries.

You are correct that it isn't easy but I do believe they can give him playing time 5 days and even as a defensive replacement for Keaschall on the days he doesn't start. It may mean playing Keaschall at 2B two or three days a week, but are the defense shortcomings that much different in the infield vs the outfield right now. And quite honestly from an offensive standpoint, Clemens should not be in the lineup every day right now. And Bell is streaky, if he isn't on one of his hot streaks, are we losing as much sitting him periodically. When I look at his season numbers they are basically equal to Lee's, who everyone seems to think is underperforming so I am not as opposed to sitting him once or twice a week. I don't believe in punting on the 13th man on the bench, I want them to have some sort of role and not sit for two weeks. In that regard Roden would at least be an option to pinch hit later in the games better than we had with Jackson. But I really do want to see Jenkins, I know it won't be easy but I think it's worth it to see if he can provide any kind of spark to the team.

This is pocket change for Buxton, there has to be a better take.

This didn't age well.

All fair points and I do absolutely agree.

But are they giving them enough time to become better defenders. Lee and Keaschall each had just over 120 games at their positions and Lewis had 200 after moving from SS. So barely a season's worth of games and they have made the decision, then they keep moving them around still. Is it the player or the organization, it could be a little of both. But I remember TK was great at putting players in a position to succeed, moving players around as much as they do is accomplishing this. Lewis does not look comfortable, why do they keep forcing it. And I don't know if those three would have become adequate or not at their positions, but it is a fair question, were they given enough of a chance.

Clemens was a fringe type guy when we got him, if he wants to stay in the major leagues, his best chance is as a utility player, which he does well. He is a streaky player and right now similar to April he is almost unplayable offensively. I am not giving a regular spot to Clemens, he needs to move around to be valuable.

I understand your comments. A couple of points of clarification. Your original comment said that having Kreidler and Roden in a lineup don't kill us, my point is I want someone who can help us win, kind of glass half full vs. half empty. The way I took your comment is they won't do anything to lose the game, I am looking for a little more proactive than reactive. As for Roden, Jenkins is six years younger and that is something that is starting to work against Roden. I feel like a lot of comments about Roden are coming across as this is his first time in the major leagues and it is not. Now is 200 AB's a fair sample overall, probably not, so your point about patience is fair. But Jenkins is a top 5 pick and the reality is you have to do a lot more than Roden has in his major league resume to block his playing time if the team feels he is ready. I am hoping the team comes to this conclusion soon. I think Roden could have a future as a 4th outfielder but he has a lot of players coming up behind him and he may not be afforded the time needed to show that. In baseball time, he is not young anymore and his window is not going to stay open forever. I am hoping he comes to spring training and forces the issue and becomes a contributor on the team. But this team will be a better team long term with Jenkins than Roden and getting him here now, I believe he will contribute in enough small ways for this year that will also have a benefit for future years. Roden is getting caught in a numbers game and it may be with another organization that he finds his place. I don't think we are there yet, but trading for him was a headscratcher in this was an area where there was plenty of options.

I really hope that Tom P. is building his criteria for the next head of Baseball Operations or even gathering names to interview. Then when the Twins are eliminated or the day after their last game he tells Zoll he is bringing in someone new and who he keeps on is his call. Zoll is not up to leading this team and it is more of Falvey 2.0, which is not leading to winning teams. But two of his latest moves are just complete head scratchers. When he brought Gray back for Buxton, Gray had already shown he does not belong on a major league roster. Now he carries a third catcher for a week and a half past the trade deadline, why. I get doing this before the deadline but not moving one at the deadline, who knows what the discussions were. I know Tom P. probably influenced the Jeffers decision which I don't agree with. But the next day, Jackson needed to DFA'd. This concept of just conceding the 13th spot on the roster to non use is completely mind boggling. This started under Falvey and is continuing under Zoll. I get they aren't going to get 450 AB's but their has to be some use other than once every 7 to 10 days. I mean call up Ross for pinch running and true defensive versatility, there are multiple scenarios, you could use. TK could find playing time and roles for 14 players typically, it can be done. The next move needs to bringing up Jenkins, there are enough AB's for him. Bell doesn't need to play every day. He is a league average at best DH, his numbers are similar to Lee's and many don't think Lee's production is good enough but yet Bell's is. He has 10 more RBI's in the same number of AB's as Lee hitting in the middle of the order. While Lee hits anywhere from first to eighth depending on what the dartboard says. Bell losing a day or two week can be done and then you have a potential pinch hitter off the bench.

Maki is not some kind of pitching whisperer, yes they have found something in Gomez and even Bradley. And in prior years they have helped others. But the list is long on the other side of the ledger of the pitchers they couldn't help. The Twins like to churn thru retreads, you have to hit on success at some rate and they have. But I don't think Maki has any special powers. I don't mind this signing for depth but to expect Maki is all of sudden going to make him a major league pitcher is not reasonable IMO.

It is ironic, you say Lewis gets a pass but then you go on and dissect one of his AB's. Bell looked just as bad in the first inning with runners on first and second. Now he did finally adjust in a later at bad to draw a walk. The point being a lot of our hitters looked bad against Nola which as another poster noted, he has made a career of this.

Supposedly in the Gleeman podcast yesterday he said he was told the plan was not to keep Jackson as a little used 3rd catcher for the rest of the season. I have not listened to it, but if this is true, why would they continue past this weekend, it is either a plan for the rest of the season or cut bait now.

Give him one inning to pitch as an audition before going on waivers.

He should get one more at bat before being put on waivers.

Why

Well your AAAA and journeyman players have got us at soon to be 3 games below .500. So I will try and raise the floor every day and take the upside.

If Culpepper is up here, he has to play, you don't bring up one of your top prospects and sit him on the bench especially when there is not an established starting veteran behind him.

Three hits tonight but hey who needs the offense.

After Bradley put us in a hole, it does make a difference.

As he reached over the fence, this game is on Bradley the most, he didn't give his team a chance tonight.