Rosterman

The reality was that it wasn't a bad roster, when you looked at it back in spring training. Vasquez is no superstar hitter and you hoped he would be a plus for the rotation, while Jeffers finds his place. Success. In he infield, Gallo was fine at first, but his bat basically is below the level of Sano overall, ane he even cost more. Kirilloff came back and started strong. Just needs to play. Didn't expect Polanco to be out for so much of the season, and for Miranda to basically tank. But Julien, getting his major league legs, and Royce Lewis, are solid potential guys to build out future around. I have no explanation for Correa. Was there any plan to get Buxton back in the outfeidl, even at one of the corners? Now it is too late and Byron absically joins Kepler and Gallo as underperforming in key positions in the batting order. You can't have three positions like that - RF :F DH with such vast under performance. Add in Michael Taylor, who defends the outfield well as well as offers the occsional punch, bunt or stolen base. But he was basically supposed to be the 4th outfielder. It looked a helluva a lot better coming out of spring training, folks. And the bench, sans Gordon, are actually the stars these days - Castro, Farmer and Solano playing more than they probably should. Looked better on paper than it turned out, that's for sure. And the smoke and mirrors of leading a division when you are actually the 8-9-10th team out of 15 in the league has allowed the Twins to sell tickets. But the front office better make some hard choices if they don't want empty seats come August, and a deserted stadium come September. The irony is that the St. Paul Saints aren't selling out, either...with dynamite offense, although overall suspect pitching. Lots of offense to pull to the majors, if a roster spot exists. Not much left in THAT pitching pipeline, sadly.

The Twins rotation is so strong, but they just can't win games. Ryan 8-5, Lopez 3-5, Gray 4-2. Ober 4-4, Varland 3-3, Madea 1-5, Mahle 1-2 - that's 24-26! The offense IS NOT putting their hard work into a position to win games, especially fater a fine performance. You can afford to have a weak catcher, if he frames, throws out runners, calls a good game. Maybe Vasquez and Jeffers combined will be above the norm. You can play Taylor in centerfield if he gives you Buxton-style fielding, and is allowed to try and do things in a game...a bit of power, ability to bunt, steal a base. But you can't win games if four more guys are basically doing nothing, especially with the hap-hazard way Rocco forms a batting order. When Julien, Kirilloff, Lewis are you best three starters on the field, but they are surpassed in play by a bench of Farmer, Castro, Solano and Jeffers, something IS NOT right in TwinsTown! Even with Arraez in the line-up (replacing who - Lewis, Julien, Kirilloff) he can get on base all he wants, but the strikeouts are still happening - BIGTIME! Applaud the rotation. Be happy with a bullpen that started the season with Thielbar, Alcala, Sands, Lopez and now have Headrick, Balazovic, Ortega, Winder trying to carve a future as Twins mainstays. Although WHY the Twins haven't brought up Patrick Murphy is beyond me (or, better yet, hungry guys like Stevenson, Contreras, Williams - not to mention Wallner).

What's with all the triples of late against the Twins? Fielding issues? Throwing to wrong base (home?) or cutoff guy?

Gray is an interesting issue for the Twins right now. Does anyone see the team extending him, or just offering a qualifying offer...which would get us back a higher-draft pick to offset the loss of Chase Petty in the long run, maybe even a collegiate level pitcher who would hit the majors at the same time as...Chase. He could also be an intriguing tradechip, if the Twins feel they still have enough depth to finish the season (can Ober pitch 130-140 innings, for example, not to mention Madea). . Part of that decision would also apply to how well Enlow, for example, MIGHT pitch at AAA, and if the still young Woods Richardson can get back on track. We all know Varland has great potential, and now need to see him make adjustments regarding homers at AAA. In some ways, Gray is also working on an inning limit. Do the Twins want to get 150-160 innings out of im in 30+ starts. He's on the track, for now.

Forget any incentives. He needs to be in the best shape possible. Was there any plan to get him into the outfield this year? Having him take the DH spot, when his strength would be a centerfielder (or at worse, corner outfield) who could also DH, means others can't DH, like Correa, bringing in Miranda or Wallner, whatever. That need to make appearances, play games, for extra salary. Boo.

Except for shortstop, the Saints have a pretty powerful lineup. 26 stolen bases for Stevenson, and we keep bringing up Garlick? Yes, there aren't alot of rotation hopefuls as the Twins have to continue to hope for Winder, Henriquez, DObnak and Simeon Woods Richardson to make it worthwhile to stay with the organization. There are some relief pitcher possibilities that might be the next coming of Pagan. Why aren't the Saints selling out every single game these days, like the old days?

You can have one or two clinkers in your lineup, making up for satriking out or lack of hits with defensive gems. Oft the catcher and maybe a middle infielder. The pain is the Twins can drag out four, as mentioned above, and there is always another two or three just doing...okay at best. The pitching has held them together, especially the rotation. But that ERA is slowly rising.

If Madea does come back, I see Gray being dangled in trade.

Stevenson and Contreras have become stolen abse machines in St. Paul. Too bad Helman isn't full force. Throw in Julien when he returns there, and...well, how many bases will the Saints steal this year?!

ut the contract, yes. Who do the Twins have for DH now or in the future, except as a spot to rotate guys needing a rest. If he comes back and plays centerfield for a season or two, a plus. If he can play the outfield half-the-time the next five years, still a plus.

Gallo is Back!

What can they trade for that will put them in contention in the playoffs. That is the question. Do they hand onto Gray and do a qualifying offer, or trade him. Polanco would be a dynamite tradechip. Others, if they have value, can be traded: Pagan, Gallo, Kepler, Solano, Madea...but not seeing people trip over themselves to make deals. If the Twins are dipping into the minors to move prospecs, who will be Rule 5 eligible. Who is blocked in the battle for middle infield/third base in High-A and above, I don't see alot of pitching arms beyond perhaps Fundeburk and Enlow that the Twins really need to protect in the 2024 offseason. Do names like Woods Ricahrdson, Balazovic, Winder, Sands draw interest from...anyone.

Time for the Twins to make a statement. Let Pagan and Kepler walk. And Winder, why was he brought up? Not lighting any fires at AAA and Rocco hasn't used him since the call-up. WHy waste a callup on a non-contributor. Same could be said for Garlick over Wallner. SHort-term callup for play...let's see if Wallner has truly improved so much at AAA that he will clobber the ball in the majors, and then send him down (sadly) when you need to bring back in Buxton and Gallo. Looks like Varland will go to St. Paul when Madea is ready. Not that the kid isn't working his game every chance he gets.

It would be wonderful to try, but Mahle also needs to agree. If you look at Mahle for 2 years, $20m. And a qualifying offer of, say, $20m for Gray (which you probably should offer and hope he balks...but as a team can probably afford it going into 2024)...that's $40 m you MIGHT spend on pitchers you have/had. You can probably find some ncie replacement arms. So that is the rub. Will Varland, Ober, Ryan be strong still come September? That sets up 2024. You hope Lopez remains the innings eater he has proven to be. Paddack will hopefully be back. I wish names like Woods Richardson, Winder, Henriquez and already-under-contract Dobnak would be striking hope for being real contenders come 2024. Maybe Enlow will be THAT darkhorse, which means the Twins just need a solid journeyman to offer some competition and hold a few bodies back for more AAA development come next season.

The 17 strikeouts is truly alarming. But...home runs do work!

catching prospect Jair. We forget how young he is for all the time he has spent in pro-ball, slowly coming up thru the system and losing a year to COVID. Of course, the Twins needed to protect, didn't, and he got thru Rule 5. He won't get thru Rule 5 in this coming off-saeeson. No, he is NOT ready to contribute to the team this season. He can start 2024 again in St. Paul and be the future catcher. Vasquez will have two more seasons. Jeffers would take over for a year or two after that. Jair could be the fill-in for an injury in 2024-25. In that time he may be bypassed by others in the system, or maybe not. Keep[ing him on the 40-man will create that issue. Right now, if the Twins needed another catcher, they would have to mkake a 40-man roster change. Hopefully with a guy like Wolters who could be cut if need be when back to catcher strength. WHich is the way Twins are playing it in 2023. Defensively, the guy has shown an arm for base stealing catches. Remember,m he is young. Developing power. Has to work on the strikeouts. Again, glad the Twins were able to resign him.

I agree. The clock is ticking, but the Twins are hoping to have some demand, so at least they don't eat all the salary and can get at least a meddling prospect back for: Gallo, Kepler, Madea, Pagan, Lopez, Thielbar, Solano, Taylor. Any or all can be replaced by pl;ayers currently in the minor league syste,. I doubt most will draw va,lkue or interest, but who knows. Garlick, DeLeon are just roster fodder. DeLeon may be working himself into a possible resign of a minor league contract in the off-season as the aging vet stashed at AAA. Gray, Polanco are two guys that could draw a decent return. Or you just keep Gray and make a qualifying offer. Gray - 13 starts and six decision, to go with his minimal ERA. What gives? Woods-Richardson, Henriquez, Balazovic still have age on their side. The Twins could afford another season on the 40-man and hope they come around bigtime in AAA for the rest of this season. Gordon, Sands, Celestino, Alcala, WInder could all be posible trade chips if can stay healthy. But still under control. But they will make some 40-man decisions ahrder in the offf-season and if apckaged with other playrs might get the Twins a better return.

Or, ahem...Garlick.

Thielbar will be up sooner rather than later. Give Madea the full time in the minors to see if he can start. Sadly he will come up and push Varland back to St. Paul, for the moment. Rather than release guys and eat salary, the Twins will hope that Kepler, Gallo, Madea can put up some numbers that make them tradable, for even just a low level prospect, as well as the other team eating salary. But how long can they afford them playing bad, especially if others (Correa) are underperforming. The thing is the Twins are performing well in a bad division. Any other division, they would be a team in rebuild. Varland has at least two more starts before Madea hits even five innings at St. Paul. He sure can control the game if he throws strikes and has his rhythm on the mound.

We knew Gallo would strikje out a lot, but sadly Buxton is on the verge of putting up Sano-like numbers when coming up with men on base and chasing pitches.

So if and when Madea and Polanco come back, who do the Twins cut to St. Paul - Julien and Varland?

Like the players were in the stands. 14 whiffs. A double play a,mongst the 17 balls put in play (of which five were hits). Another half-dozen walks. A lot of looking at the balls going by these days.

Just overmatched. He is still only 22. The question is, send him abck to egt on track with the AA club and people closer to his age, or let him continue to learn by aking bumps at AAA. Kinda in the same position Balazovic was in last year.

I think they can 60-day Gordon.

Like Balazovic last year, Woods Richardson is learning how to pitch again at the highest minor league level. Should he have started the season at AA Wichita, just like last year might've send Balazovic backwards for a moment to regroup his pitching. AA is still a solid training ground as you are primarily facing similar skills/ages...and Woods Richardson was stiull young for AA last year, too. AAA is another whole world, with ex-major league players, plus the cream of the prospect crop, and quite a bit of a mix of player ups-and-downs, You never know who you will be facing and when, and everyone at AAA is hungry for the call-up. Again, Woods Ricahrdson is only 22. Has been pushed every season. And is still being considered for the rotation. He is in the mix if the Twins need that 27th player. The other two guys are still very very young. This is where you learn how to face the best of the best. Once a PLAYER IS DRAFTED AND ENTERS THE SYSTEM, THEY ARE PLAYING AGAINST THE HUNDREDS OF BEST PLAYERS NATIONALLY EACH AND EVERY YEAR AS THEY GO UP THE LADDER. Some teams play older, some younger. But you have to start playing the game, not just relying on natural talent that got you to be a draft pick, rather than just a great high school summer league, or college player. This is where you start to look at the player development staff. But you also look hard at players and their own mindset vs. skillset to become true pros. I would not give up on any of the above.