Platoon

Getting a pick for a QO is thence prion, otherwise in a fashion I agree. The Twins have very few players tied down for next year. Leaving them just simply walk always puzzled me.

If you want to trade assets/prospects for one of these two, or anyone else for that matter you have to deal from an excess of talent in a position or two. Sort of like when we were trading center fielders like bubble gum cards. But in what postion do the Twins have an excess of high end tradeable talent? There's a few, but we are going to need most of them ourselves. One SP does not this club fix.

Now I am so confused I am TiVo'ing the game, and will watch it on Sunday at 9 am SPT (Standard Platoon Time)

I like Molitors out of the box thinking. Not everyone would take their lead off hitter, who is hitting so poorly they have to get him out of the one spot, and move him to the clean up spot. Now I know how you get to be MOY!

Please read the last sentence in the post you just quoted.

While I am as guilty as the next for propagating this thread, it does make me yearn for the days that the value received in the upcoming Brian Duensing trade was the most vitriol tossed to and fro on here. I have some other thoughts I will keep to myself in deference to the Chiefs subtle rebuke just above. In closing I hope that both the girl and Luke Heimlich are able to go forward in some manner. That's going to require the girl to forgive, and while never really forgetting, to understand someday this doesn't define her. And for Heimlich never to forget, but to remind himself each day that his whole life is a second chance, and to make the best of it. That's really the only way he will ever be forgiven. Those two and only those two will decide down the road, the ultimate outcome of this sad situation.

Minnesota has dealt with this problem, unsuccessfully, for years. People accused of a sex related crime are tried, convicted, and sentenced to a determinate time in prison. But just prior to their release, they are then run through a civil procedure, determined to be a danger to the community, and sent to a facility in St. Peter, or Moose Lake MN. In theory to be rehabilitated, yet again. The difference is that up until very recent years, after lengthly court cases, and over the states dead body, no one was ever deemed rehabilitated. Not one single person. It was in essence a life sentence imposed without due process. Now after federal intervention, some are finally trickling out. I am not here to defend sex offenses, or offenders. But I do have an issue with indeterminate punishment. There's a reason sentencing guidelines and criteria exist. Fair and equal punishment to fit the crime. Obviously there is a wide and varying opinion on what is a suitable punishment for the crime Heimlich pled to. And I imagine that punishment is based on a balance between the retribution minded, and the rehabilitation minded, a compromise, as it should be. It must be nice for those who think Heimlich should be banished to some non productive hell for the rest of his life, to have never benefited from some version of balanced punishment for an indiscretion, regardless of the magnitude. Or for them to have the arrogance to have forgotten it. For I imagine that if I looked around long enough, I could find someone who thought anyone caught speeding or texting while driving, should never again be allowed behind the wheel of a car. While I am not comparing Heimlichs admission to a vehicular offense, I doubt anyone really wants punishments meted out by either the most retribusionist of us, nor the most lenient. There is a a balance to strike. No matter the severity of the offense.

Yes. Several times. Yes!

I have no idea if the RF move was the cause or contributed to his "deterioration", but it seems the beginning of it. Did he resent the move to RF? It would seem so. There doesn't seem to be any anecdotal evidence that he prepared in the off season, either on the field, or in the gym for his new assignment. He chased fly balls with all the enthusiasm of a 6 year old cleaning his room. It's true he did hit for awhile, but his conditioning started to catch up with him. As for this season, no matter the rationale extended, just one look at him this spring made it apparent that he didn't spend the off season at AnyTime Fitness. He might just be the player who needs to hit rock bottom before he can see the light. I just hope I am wrong!

Many fans like or dislike players for different, and often irrational, reasons. Polanco and Santana lost followers for PED use. While this isn't the same, everyone will make their own decision. A lot will likely not "root" for him, but may accept the fact that he does get a second chance, as many of us need. I highly doubt any of the girls relatives would be at his opening game appearance, and would wish him "gone". Nor would I blame them. If I was personally involved I would likely feel the same way. But that's why family members of victims aren't on juries. Justice and revenge are two different things. And for everyone's sake, I hope they remain that way.

This is not an easy situation to argue, pro or con. And the fact that he was 15 makes it more difficult. But two facts remain. MLB and pro sports in general are already populated by players who are not always shining examples of the better sides of humanity. Secondly, if one were to reason that Heimlich is not employable for a indiscretion as a 15 year old, then one would have to assume that would have to apply to any form of employment. Or for that matter would anyone else who ever committed an illegal or immoral act be employable, anywhere? I would think that philosophy would certainly cause the unemployment rate to rise drastically, likely into the 85% bracket. The good news is all that free time would allow lot of people to look into mirrors.

We need a good 4th OF. RG is not an OF, he is at most an OB leadoff DH. Not exactly a sought after commodity. I would love to be a fly on the wall and know how much control Molitor has on the roster. He often uses the word "I" when discussing roster moves.

To expound on jkcarew a little. I am a lifer, and admittedly not an advanced metrics guru. But I am also not without appreciation for the use of metrics. It's a tool that, for a time, will give tech savvy teams an advantage. But, and I have mentioned this before, what happens when everyone is tech savvy? The advantage is neutralized and talent takes over. Basically a metrically adept team with good players will beat a metrically adept team with poorer players, usually. This leaves you with a basically unwatchable game of fly balls, strikeouts, 3-2 count walks, 4 pitchers aside, and a couple solo home runs. Did I mention 3:30 minutes of your life's expectancy washed away? Fly balls are usually boring. Almost any idiot can catch a fly ball, walks are numbing. Ground balls handled by athletic IF's are action, and strikeouts in clutch situations against non flail and flail hitters are impressive. But watching launch angle driven hitters strike out is really is not. Since the strikeouts far exceed the HR's, there really isn't much drama. But I digress. The game is in trouble. It's becoming unwatchable. At least with TiVo you can FF the beginning of each AB to a 2-2 count, not much happens before then.

Once I saw Buxtons stats yesterday I sort of expected this. Seems like another sign that the FO has waved the white flag, and has switched to developmental mode for another year. Buxton should likely start looking for an extended stay hotel in Rochester? Good Grief! Motter, Garver, Wilson, LaMarre, Cave, Grossman, Andrianza. And that isn't counting the "name" players who might actually be hitting worse. How did and orginisation that leaned towards offensive minded player over defense, even in defensive positions, end up like this. Mind boggling!

You could simplify this into: There are those who believe in coincidences, and those who don't. I have no problem with the unwritten rules, and have practiced a few of them. But this one didn't call for anything. IIRC it was fairly early in the game, not the 8th or 9th. You don't quit playing that early. Not in today's video game baseball.

Souhan is a provocateur, and I always read his stuff with that perception in place. But he does owe his reader some semblance of rationality. Mauer could have gotten far more in NY or Boston than here. LOTS. Nor does he owe us the personality of a Hunter, Hrbek, or Puckett.. Both Puckett and Mauer had injuries seriously impacting their careers in different manners. Both were good at their positions. I will say that Mauers talent was far more impressive at his postion than Pucketts was. Kirby may be in the HOF, thanks in large part to a couple plays one October. But he wasn't the talent at his position that Mauer was at his. As for Mauers future, I personally wish he would retire. He could still help the Twins, lord knows they need it. But I would hope he considers his health for the rest of his life and his family. I can't believe he would want to risk yet another concussion or concussion symptoms. It's frankly not worth it. He doesn't owe the Twins anything whatsoever, nor there fans.

At least Jack didn't have to suffer as long as Twins fans.

50X? So you want a whole dollar? .

1) .......Dozier is a perfect example of some of the problems. I am sort of a "dance with the one who brung you" type of manager fan. I have never been crazy aboout trying to ride a hot streak by a sub optimal player. To me it seems like day trading stocks. A day late, and several dollars short. But the Dozier thing is a perfect example of blind loyalty. I doubt there is anything Dozier could do to lose his upper half of the order position for over a day. And it looks like the next example is Belisle. Which begs Brian's question. Who exactly wanted Matt Belisle on this roster, this year. He just does not fit.

There is no doubt this is going to be a completely different team next year. But while I have absolutely no problem with starting to meld some of the younger MiLB players onto the roster, one thing is inescapable. Either Sano and Buxton live up to their potential or everything is a moot point. They are not the only two players in the universe, but they are the only two that the Twins have access to with this upside. Also, if yet again, the team is going into reset mode with a rebuild mentality, Molitor has to go. Rather than deal with, and discipline the mistakes made by younger players he simply retreats to his security blanket of the stable vets. I would imagine the impetus for Belisle came from Molitor. Regrettably he will still be here through 2019. They will stand on the MOY, injuries and bad luck as a rationale. And next year, even if yet another year goes south on us, you don't want to fire a manager in the middle of the year, not in MN.

Here's a nagging issue for me. When RG is your cleanup hitter, and Andrianza is in the 5 hole, can you look in the mirror and call yourself a contender? ,I know injuries, suspensions, and bad luck haven't helped. But sheesh! I now return to My GT Happy Place.

FO is saving his arm for after Presslys falls off. Sadly for Magill the teams medical staff will transplant Magills arm to Pressly over the ASG break, but won't tell Molitor. He will keep running Pressly out there, and won't notice Magills right arm is missing till the end of the season good byes after our annual one and done in NY.

Bottom line. A streak hitter who piles up stats in bunches making his end of the year numbers ok. But is not that effective in what we now call late and close. Guys like him who 'try' and pull HR's all the time, are like basketball players who shoot more often than they should. 35 pts. one night when things are going well, and 7 the next night when they aren't. But they still keep shooting.

Why is everyone piling on Ted?

While it's one of the most unlikely, the one guy who would totally ignite this bunch is Buxton. His speed turns a simple walk into a double. He has gap power plus. Operating like he did last half last year, this is a completely different offense. But I am not sure if he will reach that level this year, although I still think it will happen in his career. The guy with the best track record of half season resurrections is of course Dozier. He can certainly hang up the stats, even though I have never been convinced he can do it consistently in high leverage situations. The reason I didn't consider Sano is I don't think he will be in contention for the task this year. He isn't going to go down to FL, then to Rochester and mash MiLB pitching and be back anytime soon. This is likely the FO giving Sano his last chance to resurrect his career in MN. They aren't going to rush the process, frankly I think they will slow walk it.