mnfireman

Paddack gets the first start after the ASG break.

Don't care for sponsorships on team jersey's, this isn't NASCAR, but it least it isn't Draft Kings...

Was going to say this myself!!

Hopefully his work ethic and weight management are better than his two uncles and doesn't derail his career like theirs.

But he knows when a young pitcher is 3rd time through the line-up? I'm not buying that...

Provus and Perkins making excuses for Baldelli not knowing Buxton was a HR short of the cycle yesterday...

I believe the SP chooses the uniform of the day...

I think the roster is fine, as is, but returns from injury will force some moves, in a good way. Keirsey has options and will be sent to to AAA when Keaschall returns. I would allow Ober and Matthews to rehab as long as needed, though Adams is a big hole in the rotation right now, but Festa and SWR are generally giving competitive starts. When Pablo returns I would like to see the team try and piggyback Festa and Matthews, one starts for 4 or 5 and the other comes in to hopefully finish it Pablo, Ryan and Ober are enough to build around, unfortunately, 2 of 3 are injured. Matthews as well, but I believe we figured Matthews, Festa and SWR would be on innings limits and would have to be rotated through the rotation. Paddack is a spot holder and while he has run hot/cold, his overall numbers are about what was expected. The BP has fine, even with Jax's glitches. The lower leverage guys have been giving numbers about expected, but due to the injuries in the rotation have had to pitch in higher leverage situations sometimes. The problem has been that the core group being counted on for this 6 year stretch has been under-performing to various degrees - Miranda, Julien, Lewis, Martin, Wallner, Larnach, and maybe even Jeffers, or traded Rooker, Steer, etc... so the team has had to add low $$$ FA, to varying degrees of success. Also, the big $$$ veterans Correa and Vazquez have been under-performing as well, though Correa seems to be coming around as of late. Buxton and Castro have been about the only consistent performers, but nobody seems to be able to pick them up if they have a bad game or miss a game, never seen full team slumps as bad as this.

He probably would have done it a third time if not for injuries, he had 14/23 in 98 GMS in '05. He also came close in '07, with 28/18.

And he hit 19 HRs that year, so close... Tony O had 16/19 that same season ('65).

20/20 has been done 7 times in Twins history, didn't look back through Senators: Hisle '77 28/21 Puckett '86 31/20 Cordova '95 24/20 Koskie '01 26/27 Hunter '02 29/23 Hunter '04 23/21 Dozier '14 23/21

Bader's ball...

That's who he is, we can't change that. I'm not a big metrics guy, but the ball had an exit velo of 101.5 and an xBA of.540

Was kind of worried about today, the Cubbies were 10-62 (.161) with Turner's HR as the only XBH in the first two games...

Not many SS make that play, give Swanson some credit...

https://www.mlb.com/news/2025-mlb-all-star-game-features-tributes

From Puckett's Pond (again): https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/espn-takes-brutal-shot-at-twins-for-turning-talent-into-mediocrity/ar-AA1Ilbln?ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=d7a6c135c5c24a83b1d7d3bb5ba3ddee&ei=10

He's under team control the for '26 and '27, give him a 1B glove and put him there. There are no 1B in the system ready or close (if any at all) and the team has an abundance of OF prospects on the way.

The bigger problem was that the league made adjustments and the prospects did not (Wallner and Lewis are following Julien, Mirada, et al down this path) or the prospects never panned out or were not given a decent shot. Rooker left the organization and has figured it out, is this his development or Oakland's (Athletics Baseball Team) coaching staff? This team is relying heavily on their developed players and has no room these players to fail (see previous comment concerning payroll in '26, '27, & '28). There is no $$$ available to sign FA or to make trades (unless the potential new owner(s) decide open up the checkbook).

The WS is a 7 game (or less) stretch....😉

2026 Rotation: Lopez, Ryan, Ober, Matthews, Festa, SWR - one of the last 3 either stays stretched out at AAA or moves to the BP Bullpen: Duran, Jax, Stewart, Varland, Funderburk (over Wentz), Sands, Tonkin, Topa (option picked up)/starter that didn't make rotation Catchers: Jeffers, whoever claims the job in ST - Olivar/Camargo/Cardenas/Cartaya (Cardenas and Olivar are Rule 5 this off-season) Infielders: Correa, Lewis, Lee, Keaschall, one of Miranda/Julien/Sabato (Sabato is Rule 5 this off-season) Outfielders: Buxton, Larnach, Wallner, Emma Utility: Clemens, Martin Need some players to figure it out, or sell off and rebuild.

Baseball Reference shows 2026 payroll at $72.5 MM in guaranteed contracts, $151.6 MM if no options are picked up, and $167.3 MM if all options are picked up. Vazquez, Paddack, Castro, Coulombe and France are all FA, Bader ($1.5 MM), Topa ($225 K), and Dobnak ($1 MM) have buyouts if their options aren't exercised. Castro may be the most missed on this list, but the biggest question mark is who replaces Vazquez, need a second C on the MLB roster. I won't list all the Arb Eligible players or the Pre-arb players, but most likely Bride, Gasper, Kiersey and one of Funderburk/Wentz won't be back with the big club. ???? replaces Vazquez, Zebby replaces Paddack, Keaschall replaces Castro, ???? replaces Coulombe, Miranda/Julien/Clemens/Martin replace France (and Bader if his option is declined). Topa might get his option picked up, but Dobnak gets bought out and offered a MiLB contract. If you think next year is bad, 2027 shows only $68.7 MM in guaranteed contracts, but to fill out the roster with the current players and their expected arbitration raises, $224.3 MM (Dobnak's option doesn't factor in here or 2028), and 2028 shows $46.5 MM in guaranteed contracts (Pablo, Ober and Ryan are FA, the pipeline needs to be flowing by then), and expected arbitration raises it to $216.6 MM. This teams talent had better be showing by 2027, no big FA signings or trades happening anytime soon.

From Puckett's Pond: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/former-mlb-gm-s-latest-intel-takes-a-wrecking-ball-to-the-twins-bullpen/ar-AA1I6ZN8?ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=39e331cb22d14f5292db6a40c56cbe20&ei=13

But then the ball hits him in the face...

With this shift there is no way they throw Buxton out at 3B, he should be running