DAM DC Twins Fans

Avoiding quoting longish post... Hitting core is here now--that is true--but defensively this core sucks (can I say that??) outside of Buxton. Pitching wont get better till the defense can make outs by improving range and not messing up fundamentals. That means we need to see if Sano can handle 3B and not join the crowded list of 1B/DH guys including Kepler, Park, Mauer, Vargas, etc. We need to ship some guys out and bring in a good defensive catcher and SS. Catching is a black hole right now with Centano, Murphy, Turner, etc. and that's not helping the pitching staff.

WOW!! This is tougher than it looks. Easy to cut/non-tender Plouffe and Grossman. Easy to keep Buxton and Escobar and then trade Dozier or Polanco and put the other at 2B. Now you have got a whole bunch of offensive threats with no defensive ability. I would try Sano at 3B, and rotate Park, Mauer (untradeable) and Vargas at 1B/DH. That's 7. Keep Walker and Palko on the 40 man...probably Nico too. As to the rest...don't know--trade some for pitching and catching help...speaking of catcher...to me Centano, Murphy, Turner and whomever are all blah...find a catcher keep Turner as back up...this team needs a major overhaul...focus on keeping guys under 25 with potential...

I didn't watch the game...I cant remember the last post-season baseball game I have watched--probably Twins a few years back. NO BASEBALL GAME SHOULD LAST 4 HOURS (barring extra innings). Commercials are too long--pitching changes are too long--replay review is way too long. 2016 was my 60th season watching baseball for the first half of those I could see a doubleheader in 5 hours. no way that could happen today. Thank you Bud Selig. Many of you will say I am not a true fan...I will say not of 3 minute commercial breaks between innings and calls for the bull pen.

Probably the worst...definitely the worst pitching team...but most importantly one of the worst defenses in MLB history which allows extra bases and outs hurting the pitching. Somewhere (except for maybe Torii last year) Terry Ryan forgot about looking at defense when resigning/signing/trading players.

Like a few others here, I spent most of the past 4 months away from TD (and away from baseball totally--I have not watched a game on TV all year). Ryan et al blew it last winter--signing Park (a roster clogger) at a position that already had Mauer, Sano/Plouffe, Vargas and (possibly Walker) then putting Sano in RF and getting very little for Hicks--I don't think much of Murphy on either defense or offense. There is something wrong with the development team when major league coaches try to change mechanics of guys who are successful in minors regularly. There is something wrong when a youngster comes up for a week (Polanco, Kepler) and goes back down without making an appearance. There is something wrong when we have the worst defense in MLB (and it is not even close). Guys like Suzuki (and a non-tendered Plouffe??) who are not coming back next year--should not be playing now--we should be going with kids like Garver and Polanco and Buxton. We must have a new GM, front office, manager and coaching staff in place by mid November!! (I would keep Jake Mauer, Dougie baseball and most of minor league staff who seem to have done well). Well that's my rant...

I am old school--use eyeball test rather than metrics--but metrics confirm what my eyes see--Twins defense sucks--an outfield of Grossman, Kepler and Rosario probably gives teams an extra out or two a game and makes it tougher on the pitchers. Buxton needs to be up cause he can make OF defense (somewhat) respectable...Twins need to start emphasizing defense in minors--cause people coming up don't know fundamentals...

I have not watched a Twins game on TV all year--the live one I saw in DC--frigging bunt loss in extra innings was enough for me. This team needs a whole new front office--and manager--and minor league development people!!!!!

This is depressing...our best trade chips are the prospects like Buxton, Berrios, Gonsalves and Kepler. Dozier, Plouffe, etc. have little value. I think the answer is to package one of the big prospects, Plouffe and a couple of lower prospects for the best we can get... Keep Sano, Park, and Duffey--anybody else on the MLB roster can go.

For me, the most important thing the next GM will do is to hire a direct of player development. The Twins of 10-12 years ago were built from within--Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Torri, etc. were all high draft picks that matured. Since Mauer our top picks have floundered. If you build a team from within, you don't have to spend the free agent bucks on the big parts, just fill in the weaknesses. Why have our draft picks floundered. I don't know. I know that Buxton--considered a top 5 prospect by everybody hasn't been able to develop. Gibson, Plouffe, etc. have become at best mediocre. Some (Gomez, Span) have done better with a change of scenery. A new director of player development working with a new GM must make changes so guys like Stewart, Gonsalves, Gordon, etc. do develop into more than mediocre.

Good article but I disagree with the basic premise...the kids should be here and learning at the MLB level. The Twins are not going make playoffs--and likely wont win 75 games. Give the kids experience. Play Buxton in the OF, put Berrios, Meyer and Duffey in rotation. What does keeping Nolasco, Mastro, etc. do for the future. And this bit of one bad game and back to Rochester has to stop!!! If Molitar cant deal with youth (and I have my doubts) bring up Dougie or Jake who can.

I agree...if I was Meyer, I would ask for a trade. If I were Buxton, I would ask for a trade... Don't know if its Molitar or coaching in high minors but our prospects seem to hit a ceiling when getting called up. Wonder what would happen if Twins trade Buxton and Meyer for a good major league catcher...would Buxton and Meyer blossom with a change in scenery or would they continue to stagnate.

Yes, give him extra coaching at Rochester. Let him stay there no matter what until at least the end of July and pick up ABs.

I attended only today's game (thankfully). It will be a long time before I attend another Twins game--this team will have to get a lot better for me to think about getting to Target Field again--and the Twins wont be slated to come back to DC for years--I guess there is always Balt. but not in April when it is cold. I felt after the First Nat hit a homer this game was gone--even when Twins were winning. Especially on the ffing bunt. This is what we got for Hicks--should have taken the bucet of balls. Time for Ryan and Molitar to both go.

Not sure if I do this now or wait till June--but it is time to go with the kids that are supposed to lead us to contention in 2017 to 2020. Bring them up now and play them. That means--Kepler in RF on a daily basis, Sano at DH, Buxton in CF, keep Rosario on a short leash and if doesn't work bring up AB Walker. More importantly--bring up Duffey and Berrios NOW and pitch them every 5th day. Move Nolasco to pen, DFA Fien, cut any other pitcher we got--maybe bring up Shaggy and put him in the pen as well. Yes, these guys may struggle and not all will work out--but we can see what we got.