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About this blog

Catch up on all things Minnesota Twins from an insider's perspective without the added slant.

Entries in this blog

The Case For Carlos

With Major League Baseball free agency ready to get underway, general managers and organizations will begin pitching to players why they should sign with their respective teams. For the Twins, pitching will once again remain a focus, but for a team looking to take the next step, a nice offensive additional may not be a bad play. There's multiple options out there, but a former divisional foe should be the place they turn first. That guy is Carlos Santana.   The former Cleveland Indians slugger i
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Do The Twins Need Relief?

In 2017, one of the greatest deficiencies for the Minnesota Twins was the lack of quality relief pitching. While the starting rotation left plenty to be desired on its own, it was the bullpen that generally provided little in the way of resistance when tasked to come in and back up a start. Minnesota needs to address that this offseason, but what if they don't look anywhere but within?   Over the course of the early offseason, I've considered plenty of different ways the Twins could spend their
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

10

Bregman Hits Home For Twins

On Monday June 8, 2015 the Houston Astros franchise changed. Really, every franchise across Major League Baseball changed as they added an influx of new talent through the First-Year player draft. Houston though, selected a shortstop from LSU with the second overall pick, and Alex Bregman set forth on a path that would greatly enhance the Astros future.   In this same draft, the Twins would select 6th overall. Following the selections of three collegiate players and two high-schoolers, they chos
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Cleaning Up The 40 Man

The Minnesota Twins, and really baseball as a whole, is just a matter of weeks away from making a flurry of transactions. With the World Series already underway, the rest of the baseball world will again be joined by the Astros and Dodgers in the offseason. For Minnesota, an anticipated break from baseball includes plenty of potential roster moves. First and foremost however, they need to make room.   Currently, the Twins have a full 40 man roster, with 45 players occupying some sort of a role.
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

9

Two Ex-Twins Eyeing A Ring

After an exciting American League Championship Series, the Houston Astros are headed to the 2017 World Series. In an event that was determined destiny three years ago by Sports Illustrated, this home grown group is looking to knock off a very good Los Angeles Dodgers team. While the hometown nine has been eliminated, two former Minnesota Twins could be eyeing their first rings. If you need a local connection, both Francisco Liriano and Juan Centeno may provide it.   Playing in 55 games for the T
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

The Best Move You Never Expected

The Minnesota Twins are, just like the 26 other major league teams, watching the final four postseason clubs compete for a World Series victory. Unlike each and every one of those teams however, the hometown club may have just made the move of the offseason. John Manuel, former Editor in Chief for Baseball America, is now a Pro Scout for the Derek Falvey regime (or he will be as of November 1).   You don't know who John Manuel is you say? Well then, let me introduce you. When it comes to great b
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Falvey Gives Twins A Leap In Year One

In looking back to some of the things I wrote about Derek Falvey and Thad Levine upon being hired last fall, I stumbled upon a piece that focused on Twins acquisitions. Namely, how well does Minnesota utilize the trade market, and does it work in their favor. You can read that piece here, but the conclusion was that Terry Ryan left plenty to be desired on that front. A year in, Falvey is providing reason for excitement.   Over the course of 2017, the Twins found themselves in a unique position a
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Grading Out The 2017 Twins: Relief Pitching

With the Minnesota Twins now finished with both the regular and postseason portions of their 2017 Major League Baseball season, it's fair to look back on the year that was. This group matured, and turned around a catastrophic 2016 effort to once again give steam to a young team going places. It was a group effort, but breaking down individual performances is a must as well. In order to provide some brevity, we'll make this a three part series. Today, grades will be handed out to the starting pit
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

4

Grading Out The 2017 Twins: Starting Pitching

With the Minnesota Twins now finished with both the regular and postseason portions of their 2017 Major League Baseball season, it's fair to look back on the year that was. This group matured, and turned around a catastrophic 2016 effort to once again give steam to a young team going places. It was a group effort, but breaking down individual performances is a must as well.   In order to provide some brevity, we'll make this a three part series. Today, grades will be handed out to the starting p
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

6

Grading Out The 2017 Twins: Offense

With the Minnesota Twins now finished with both the regular and postseason portions of their 2017 Major League Baseball season, it's fair to look back on the year that was. This group matured, and turned around a catastrophic 2016 effort to once again give steam to a young team going places. It was a group effort, but breaking down individual performances is a must as well.   In order to provide some brevity, we'll make this a three part series. Today, grades will be handed out to the starting l
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Five Pieces To Change Minnesota Fortunes

With the dust still settling on the Wild Card loss to the New York Yankees, it's probably early for some to be thinking about the offseason for the Twins. That being said, we've officially entered that portion of the program, and this will be the first true offseason for Derek Falvey and Thad Levine to tip their hand.   A year ago, Falvey and Levine were new to the organization, and looking to evaluate more than they sought out making waves. Additions came in the form of low risk, low reward typ
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

9

Where Did It All Go Wrong?

Brian Dozier ambushed a 23 year old starter in over his head on Tuesday night in the Bronx. As the first batter of the game, the Minnesota Twins second basemen sent a towering pop up into the left field bleachers. A feat only possible in the Cracker Jack box that is Yankee Stadium, the good guys jumped to an early lead. After an Eddie Rosario homer, the Twins had staked themselves to a three run lead in the first inning, and then the end came.   There's really no point in rehashing what took pla
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Glen, This One Is For You Too

Following his one-out appearance on September 30, Glen Perkins found himself in tears. He came on to throw three pitches in the Minnesota Twins 161st game of the season. Asking Kennys Vargas for the ball as he walked off the diamond, Perkins likely knew the answer to the question Twins Territorians found themselves wondering, "Is this it?" As the club heads to the Wild Card game against the New York Yankees, Perkins isn't on the roster, but this game is as much for him as it is anyone.   Sitting
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Sorting Out The Postseason

The Minnesota Twins have made it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. While this season doesn't guarantee they play home games at Target Field, this team reversed course on a dismal 103 loss season, to surprise even the most hopeful fans. While they travel to New York to face off against a tough Yankees club, there's more than a handful of good matchups slates for October.   Whether it be in the American or National League, there's no layup among any of the 10 teams involved in po
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Playoffs And It Feels So Good

In April, no one expected the Minnesota Twins to be here. Even the loftiest of expectations had this club somewhere around 80 wins and simply keeping things interesting. On September 27, 2017 however, the Twins punched their ticket to the Postseason. Reflecting on that, and the season that has been, only invokes a certain level of awe.   Coming off 103 losses, the Twins are the first team ever to go from losing 100 or more games only to make the playoffs the following season. That means, not onl
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Dynamic Shift In Twins Lineup

It would be beyond silly to suggest that the Minnesota Twins lineup is better with Miguel Sano not in it. However, since the hulking third basemen last played on August 19, Minnesota has actually seen an increase in run production. Paul Molitor's club has risen to postseason play without one of their best players, and it's interesting to dive into how that happened.   On August 19, the Twins were averaging 4.67 runs per game (good enough for 17th in MLB). Fast forward to today, and Minnesota is
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

The Twins Tale Of The Tape

With just a few games left in the 2017 Major League Baseball season, the Minnesota Twins fate is all but decided. Paul Molitor's group is going to represent the AL Central in the Wild Card game, and it appears they'll take on the Evil Empire of the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Knowing this organization is coming off 103 losses a year ago, it's somewhat astounding to look at how we arrived here.   Not needing too much of a deep dive into the analytical side of things, this Twins club has p
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Making The Most Of Molitor

Coming into 2017, the Minnesota Twins were entering uncharted waters. A new front office was at the helm, and the captain of the dugout was managing for his life. Now, as the season rolls towards a conclusion, lots has changed but plenty still remains unknown. Without a new contract in place for 2018, it's time to begin wondering about the future of Paul Molitor and the Minnesota Twins.   Personally, I'm inclined to suggest that Derek Falvey and Thad Levine move on. While Molitor has been an int
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

8

Buxton Showing Snapshot Of Greatness

On September 18, 2017 Byron Buxton owns a .258/.320/.430 slash line for the Minnesota Twins. While there's little to write home about a .749 OPS, it's well past time to take note of what the hometown squad's centerfielder is doing. Despite a September surge in 2016, we haven't seen anything like this from Buxton before, and he's already vaulting himself into the conversation of the best the Twins have ever seen.   Looking at his 2017 as a whole, it's easily apparent that everything has been wate
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Crash Course Towards New York

With just a handful of games left in the 2017 Major League Baseball season, the Minnesota Twins find themselves with a hold on the 2nd Wild Card spot. As of September 13, they have a 2 game lead over the Los Angeles Angels, and this is their race to lose. That means, in the matter of a few short weeks, they're staring at a matchup with the Bronx Bombers. Really though, is it all that scary?   The way each of their schedules sets up, Minnesota finds themselves in a much more enviable position tha
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Gibson Keeping Hitters Off Balance With Offspeed

Over the course of the 2017 Major League Baseball season, Kyle Gibson has been demoted to Triple-A, and experienced multiple periods of struggle at the big league level. Right now however, in the midst of a playoff race, he's been among the Twins most consistent starters. Diving deeper into the change, it doesn't appear anything more than a minor tweak was made. The results suggest that it may have made all of the difference.   Forever, Gibson has been noted as a ground ball pitcher. Despite own
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Handing Out The Hardware

As the 2017 Major League Baseball season rushes to a conclusion, ballots have gone out for Postseason awards. As a member of the IBWAA, I have the privilege of casting a vote each season. With the awards being a reflection of a full season of work, my ballot has already been cast and is ready to be unveiled.   Throughout the 2017 season, we've seen a handful of exciting performances from veterans and rookies alike. Both on the mound and at the plate, major leaguers across both the American and N
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Mauer Making Us Reconsider The Hall

10 seasons into his Major League Baseball career, Joe Mauer was a number one overall pick playing for the hometown team, and owned the title of being the best catcher in the sport. Across that span, he had played in 1,178 games slashing .323/.405/.468. With awards piling up, it seemed certain a career was destined to be capped off with a Hall of Fame ceremony, the a traumatic brain injury occurred. Things have been different since, but in 2017, the Twins long tenured star is forcing us to recons
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

8

Like The Outfield, Buxton Now Owns The Plate

In 2017, the early narrative for the Minnesota Twins was again the offensive struggles for Byron Buxton. The uber prospect had slumped out of the gate, and that's putting things nicely. Through May, he was hitting just .201, and a June slump bottomed him out at .195 as of July 3rd. Then things changed, and they've only gotten better since. While Buxton has grown at the plate, it also appears he's able to command it as well.   Early in the season, Buxton struggled with both pitch recognition, and
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Who Are The Twins Adding In September?

As the summer draws to a close, the Major League Baseball season is again set to throw us a roster shakeup. With teams having their rosters expand from 25 players to 40, there will be a host of additions to big league clubs across the sport. For a team like the Twins in the midst of a Postseason race, each call up could prove integral when it comes to squeaking out an extra win or two. The question is, who's on their way up?   To refresh, virtually the only stipulation for September roster expan
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

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