terrydactyls

College coaches don't always have the health of their pitchers at the top of their priority list. Winning keeps you employed at the college level.

I wish people would quit using Adrianza as an example of a poor Twins team. Before the season began, I would bet everyone would have been very happy if Adrianza were hitting over .260 and playing good defense. Only Rosario, Escobar, and Lamarr have higher averages. He is definitely NOT the reason this season is going down the toilet.

i would be happy with a catcher that hit for a "week." Or did you mean a "weak" hit catcher? Big difference.

"Sometimes the best performers are the worst teachers." Can I get an AMEN from the choir? In my 40 years of experience in the business world, I have seen many outstanding workers promoted into management and fail miserably. Being extremely good at a job does not guarantee success as a manager. I've been a fan of Molitor since I watched him at the U of M and heard many scouts saying he'll never make it as a pro. I was glad when they hired him to lead the Twins. But now, I think it's time to make a change. None of the things that made Molitor great as a player have shown up on the field. Sorry Paul.

I think that all this "not playing according to the unwritten rules" nonsense is just sour grapes by the Twins because they are playing so poorly.

The game ended with the tying run at the plate. I think a fourth inning steal was perfecly appropriate. What if (and I know this is far fetched) Morrison had hit a homerun? An extra run by the Rangers in the fourth inning would have been pivotal. Molitor probably spouted off because his own team barely understands which way to circle the bases.

I am so sorry. I apologize to all TD readers for my comment.

Does anyone know how much the titanium rod weighs? Maybe that's why he weighs 300 pounds. I know I use that same reasoning when I get weighed at doctor appointments. "My titanium shoulders each weigh 20 pounds."

Adrianza is fifth on the team in batting average. I don't think he is the problem.

This might be a case for analytics to shut up for a moment and just observe. Regardless of what all the fancy acronyms are saying about his probability of regression, use the guy while he's still performing at a high level. None of the analytical acronyms can predict when the regression will happen. Heck, it may not happen until 2022. And then the analytic fans can say, "See. I told you it would happen." In the meantime, he might be the best reliever on the Twins.

I went to Double A game last night and have this follow-up observation. In four times at bat, the #2 hitter (left handed) came up with the bases empty. Each time, the third baseman moved to shortstop and three infielders were between first and second. In all four at bats, the hitter took two strikes looking before swinging for the fences and missing badly. This was the #2 hitter for crying out loud. If he doesn't know how to bunt for a hit, then what has happened to fundamentals? By the way, his team lost by one run.

I agree with everything in this post except "That said, I’ve had people inside baseball that I respect tell me that making such an adjustment isn’t quite that simple." When I was in High School and American Legion baseball, I spent hours after practice trying to hit any/all pitches thrown to me as a suicide bunt drill. I could lay down a bunt in fair territory on pitches behind my back, at my head, or even in the dirt. It wasn't easy but I learned to do it. There is no way a skilled professional hitter at the MLB level can't put the barrel of the bat on a bat and weakly roll it to the part of the infield the shift has vacated. I believe it is ego/vanity that prevents them from doing it. Roll enough bunt singles at a shift and it will end. If not, be content to hit .750.

Sawyer is the second catcher in Rochester and he is hitting .316.

Your last comment clearly puts you in a class of one on this site. Everyone else seems to be pretty definitive on what the Twins should have spent on every draft pick.

Bleacher Report just published their rankings of farm systems after the recent draft. They rank the Twins at #6. At the start Os the season, they were ranked 12th.

The Twins have Winston Sawyer hitting .340 and Willians Astudillo hitting .280 in Rochester and Brian Navaretto hitting .270 in Chattanooga. How about giving one of them a shot before looking outside the organization? Despite the Cleveland series, I still think the Twins have no chance at the playoffs this year. Let's hold off on stripping the farm for a while.

Check back in 2021 and let me know how this pick turned out.

I love these "look backs" at what our experts had to say. Most seem to hate the pick. Oops... And I'm pretty sure most will hate tonight's two picks. I have found that I can claim great wisdom in the future by keeping my mouth shut now.

I like the idea of a suspensful countdown for your minor league players of the month. But posting the winner's photo at the top of the article does take away some of the suspense (like 100% of it).

Three pages into comments on the game and no one has mentioned Sano's barehand pickup and laser throw to first? Some people criticize Sano's fielding but I have found him to be a very reasonable third baseman. Plays like this one aren't commonplace.

Here are my thoughts on Paul Molitor. First, I have been a strong supporter of Molitor ever since I watched him at the University of Minnesota. Scouts were pretty unanimous that he would never make the big leagues because his arm was too weak and he lacked power. A HOF career followed. Many people say he has a great baseball mind and that is why the Twins hired him as manager with no minor league managing experience. It reminds me of all the people I've seen in my business career who were promoted to management because they were good at their job but with no thought to their ability to lead people. Most often, a disaster followed. As big of a fan as I am, I'm afraid this might be the case with Molitor: a great player, but not a great leader. I'm not sure that a new manager needs to be Latino (as I've seen suggested), but I do think it should be someone who can relate to players in their twenties because that's what the Twins are going to be for the foreseeable future.

That's why I have assumption #3 which specifically says that callups are dependent on the available number of roster spots.

Here is my quick look at the current roster and what I would do if I were FalVine. Assumption #1: It is now after the All-Star Game and the Twins have no chance at a wild card slot. Assumption #2: Joe Mauer decides that his future is more important than playing (good move on his part) and retires. Assumption #3: Minor League promotions to the Twins are dependent on how many currently on the roster are moved. Assumption #4: For Pitchers, “Trade or Keep” means trade if the offer is good or keep if it isn’t. Hitters: Eddie Rosario Extend Joe Mauer Retire Ryan LaMarre Trade Eduardo Escobar Extend Max Kepler Extend Brian Dozier Trade Ehire Adrianza Trade or DFA Robbie Grossman Trade or DFA Mitch Garver Keep Miguel Sano Extend Logan Morrison Trade Bobby Wilson Trade or DFA Byron Buxton Extend Jason Castro Keep Jake Cave Trade or DFA Pitchers: Matt Magill Keep Ryan Pressly Keep Addison Reed Trade or Keep Fernando Rodney Trade or Keep Trevor Hildenberger Trade or Keep Kyle Gibson Keep Zach Duke Trade or Keep Jose Berrios Keep Jake Odorizzi Trade or Keep Fernando Romero Keep Taylor Rogers Trade or Keep Lance Lynn Trade or Keep Corresponding Minor League Moves: Rochester: Nick Gordon Promote to Twins Wynston Sawyer Promote to Twins Alan Busenitz Promote to Twins Gabriel Moya Promote to Twins John Curtiss Promote to Twins Stephen Gonsalves Promote to Twins Zack Littell Promote to Twins Chattanooga: LaMonte Wade Promote to Twins Zander Wiel Promote to Twins Andrew Vasquez Promote to Twins Stephen Gonsalves Promote to Twins Tyler Jay Promote to Twins Zack Jones Promote to Twins Zack Littell Promote to Twins And now the Twins are all mine and I can earn vast fortunes as the GM. Yippee......

In my mind, the question is: Who has more value on June 15, 2018, Villalobos or whomever the Twins would have drafted? Villalobos is comparable to a college-age catcher being selected except he already has two years of professional experience. Getting rid of the Hughes salary for just $6M (assuming that money is spent on contract extensions for young Twins or free agents) is an added bonus. But the value of this trade won't be known for several years and that is frustrating.

I would like to see a foot race between Lewis and Buxton, either straight line or around the bases. I see a future outfield of Lewis in left center and Buxton in right center, and either a five-person infield or a roving outfielder playing shallow to cutoff bloop hits. Just kidding but it could be a situational alignment.