HarmonK03

Austin just keeps producing, play him every day. It was great that Shelton didn't try and force Outman in the lineup. But it begs the question, why is Outman on the roster

Kriedler is a worse bat than Keaschall. Have some patience, just like Milwaukee and SD did with their young players last year. These AAAA players are not the answer. There are plenty of AB's for Martin in the OF, just stop platooning everyone.

Outman has no business being on a major league roster. You don't need someone that is only going to pinch run a couple of times a week and plays slightly above average defense. As I have said on other posts it would be very easy to bring up Rodriguez and get him playing time. You have three positions, the corner OF spots and DH and four players in Wallner, Martin, Larnach and Rodriguez. You can rotate them and they will each play 4 to 5 times a week. But the Twins need to stop making everyone a platoon player and they will have to commit to Bell at 1B which is what he was signed to play for. Clemens should be the 13th man playing a few times a week, he should not be a regular in the lineup like they are trying to force.

A tough loss again, but it is going to be hard to get consistency from the bullpen. And we gave them no margin for error by missing opportunities on offense. A few thoughts on the young guys that everyone is down. Royce Lewis is just at 1,000 AB's right now, so per TK's motto, he needs to start figuring it out. We need to give him this year and see if he is a part of the future. He has just over 200 games at 3B, let's see if he can improve his fielding. Not everyone comes up a finished product. He was looking like his swing was getting better before he went on the IL, let's see if he can get back to that point. Keaschall doesn't even have 300 AB's. play him and develop him. Help him improve his defense at 2B, but leave him there or put him at another position but don't move him around. I don't know what to say about Wallner. He is just under 1,000 AB's and needs to figure it out. I think they have to make a decision either ride with him or bring ERod or Roden up when healthy to replace him. But if he is sent to St. Paul at this point you basically have to write him off. He is not a young prospect anymore, make a decision either he is part of the core or he is not. I still think there is something there but they need more talent to produce. They need to play Brooks or bring up Culpepper. I am disappointed because I thought Lee would have more success but he does not appear to be the long term answer but it hasn't even been a full season for him at short. I understand the doubt of whether he will actually figure it out. But there are no options. This team is not going to contend as currently constructed. Giving regular playing time to players like Gray, Clemens, Kreidler is not going to be the answer and will not result in any additional wins that will turn us into a contender. They need to figure out who is the core of the team and if this coaching staff can develop them, so we have glimmers of hope for the future. But I don't want to see any more of these AAAA or 30 somethings with nothing to add being run out there. That is boring baseball and gives us no hope.

I thought it was reported that he was only going to sign with a contender. And I don't believe the Twins qualify for that.

Please no piggyback tonight, use Rojas for length if needed, but let the game situation dictate pitching plans. Piggybacking does not work like when they tried to do it with Over and Morris.

Another three months at least he is here.

Why, he was only out for 10 days. Gray, Kriedler and Clemens are not the answer. Any AB's to them hurts the current and the future team. Lewis needs to play every day and find out this year if he is part of the future. The Gray's of the roster are not part of the future and should be played minimally as a bench piece at most.

The favorite TD whipping boys have driven in the go ahead runs.

Get ready for Morris or Rojas if this goes extra innings.

You really think he can get his average that high.

His defense is not that good, it looks better on this team because of who he is being compared to.

The argument isn't should he be playing over Wallner or Larnach, It is Clemens that is keeping him on the bench. It is hard to argue to keep Wallner in the lineup but there are enough AB's for Wallner, Martin, Larnach and ERod between the corner OF spots and DH. A good manager could rotate them thru those spots and they all could play 4 to 5 times a week. Yes it means Bell at 1B but that is what he was signed for. And this would also mean no Outman. But this team and I do not believe it is all Shelton's decision is fixated on matchups at the expense of putting your best team on the field.

Martin should be in there for Clemens. With the current roster, I think Wallner and Larnach should be in there. But will Martin get any AB's this series with all RH's starting.

Looks like they are going with an extra position player tonight. A bench with Gray, Kriedler and Outman, the Mets may be considering a forfeit. They don't want to risk facing that juggernaut.

Well Julien had only 800 AB's coming into the season and seems to be doing a little better this season, so let's see where he ends up. And Kiersey has a whole 100 AB's so not even close to Keaschall.

If you want Rojas to come in for Prielipp to add length that is good. But don't go in with a plan of piggybacking, after the 6th or 7th inning you have to react to the game situation. They already tried this once with Able and it was a disaster. This is not the minor leagues, the Twins need to develop starting pitching stop all this 4 and 5 inning cap on pitchers.

They did address 1B in the offseason when they signed Bell. The genius Mr. Falvey stated that we was signed to play 1B. For all those who think Falvey was the answer, I think this is a pretty good argument that he was not.

I think short term needs to be put on the back shelf. This year should be about seeing what you have and then knowing what holes need to be filled for next year. Giving AB's and or regular playing time to these journeyman AAAA players is just setting them back long term. And it is not really adding a significant number of wins this year. Make Lee the utility guy and install Culpepper at short.

Any solution with Gray and Kriedler getting regular playing time is not a solution.

I would move Sim to the bullpen and put Morris or one of the other young arms in the rotation. Sim has always looked good the first time thru the order. He has had some longer outings but when he runs into trouble it is after the first time in the order. I would rather see him in some of these high leverage situations than the young guys with no experience. It weakens our starting rotation some but hopefully it would be a start to making the bullpen a little better. He is not the only answer but it would be a starting point.

A few observations from this game and series. The bullpen is going to struggle just like the end of last year. At some point Shelton is going to have to define roles, you can't be in the position of expecting Morris to close out a game in his second major league appearance. And yes those roles may change and change often but trying to match up game by game is not sustainable. The error in the tenth was on Gray, and that is not the shortstop's job to back him up. It is his job to try and chase the ball down to limit the damage. But you really want your outfielder to get that ball as their momentum is going towards the plate and not away. People are really down on Lee but that play was not on him as some are trying to suggest. As for Lee, if they move off of him it needs to be to Culpepper. These 30 something journeymen that offer limited impact at best do not help us. Either ride with Lee and at a minimum find out if he can be the utility player when and if moved. We have 3 30 year old utility guys who should all be the 26th man at best on the roster. One is already getting regular playing time and people are advocating for another, either Gray or Kreidler to be a regular as well. That is not winning or exciting baseball.

Then he should hire someone who he trusts to make those decisions if he doesn't trust Zoll.

Then Zoll is not doing his job. Tom P. should not be making roster decisions. Zoll needs to show him why it is the right baseball and operational decision.

How do you define when he is ready. It does this team no good to play these 30 somethings. It should be either Lee and you hope he figures it out or Culpepper.