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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

Jay Represents Twins Past And Future

Recently, Twins Daily reported that the Minnesota Twins have pulled the plug on turning 2016 6th overall raft pick Tyler Jay, into a starter. It's an unfortunate outcome that makes the pick look much worse off than what it was originally perceived, but at this point it's also representative of what was, and what is now. As the rest of Jay's narrative plays out, he'll be looked at through at a very unique lens.   When selected 6th overall in the 2015 draft, there was plenty of concern over the pi
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Twins 25 Man Roster Projection 2.0

With just a couple of weeks left of baseball down in Fort Myers, the Twins are gearing up quickly for the beginning of the 2017 Major League Baseball season. In what should be a much more competitive season, Paul Molitor's club is looking to put their best foot forward. It's been nearly two months since I last looked at the 25 Minnesota will take north two months ago, and an update is more than overdue.   Although there hasn't been a ton of shuffling, the Twins have been dealt a significant inju
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

10

Twins In For An Overhaul

With just a couple of weeks left until Opening Day, the Minnesota Twins will be whittling down their players in camp and aligning the 40 man. What that means for a team with no spots left on the 40 man roster, is a handful of hard decisions lie ahead. The interesting bit for the new regime, is that it appears there are more moves than initially were to be expected.   Although the active 25 man roster can remain in flux through the first few weeks, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine are going to need t
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

7

Twins Offense May Be Defense

There's no skirting around just how bad the Minnesota Twins were on the mound last season. Their starting pitching was the worst in the big leagues, and their relief options broke down far too often as well. Although and overhaul hasn't taken place, the more important understanding is that a heightened focus on defense may be all that was ever needed.   Target Field has been pegged all over the place as to which side of the game it favors. Although at times it plays big, I think the understood r
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

How To Stop The May Fallout

Having spent time at spring training down in Fort Myers last week, the Twins came off with a process that looked poised to process better results. 2017 has been looking like a season in which Minnesota could turn the page from an ugly 103 loss a season ago. Then, upon returning to Minnesota, the news that Trevor May's season would now be over had hit. What happens now?   After looking back through some of my tweets from Minnesota's exhibition against Team USA, it seems I had been aware of what r
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

The Dark Horse For The 5th Spot

Coming into spring training, the Minnesota Twins had no less than three of the five starting rotation spots claimed. Ervin Santana was a lock, Kyle Gibson wasn't going anywhere, and Phil Hughes was expected to be healthy enough to claim his role. With two openings left, Hector Santiago was presumably given another one, That left just one spot and a lot of competition for the Twins down in Fort Myers.   My expectation from the onset is that Trevor May would be given every opportunity to move back
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

A Twins Surprise In Filling Out The Bench

The Minnesota Twins have now played a handful of games this spring, and with the calendar quickly approaching the middle of March, players will be cut and reassigned to minor league camp shortly. For Paul Molitor's club, squeaking out extra wins on a roster looking to rebound from a tough 2016 is going to be an absolute must. I'm not so convinced there aren't a few surprises in store as to how the bench is constructed.   Arguably the most predictable scenario, or at least the one causing the lea
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

What Do Twins Have In Santiago?

Last season, the Minnesota Twins jettisoned Ricky Nolasco to the Los Angeles Angeles. The move was widely applauded as it purged Nolasco's contract from Minnesota and got him out of the rotation. What was overlooked however, was that former top prospect Alex Meyer was thrown in, and Hector Santiago was coming back to the Twins.   There's no kind way to put it, Nolasco was a disaster in Minnesota. Terry Ryan over-extended himself by spending on starting pitching that had almost no chance of payin
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

8

Spring Training Highlights Process For Twins

Many have argued over the years that the amount of games played in the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues could be drastically reduced. While teams need to gear up for their upcoming schedules, a month long exhibition fest may be too long. What's always worth remembering though, is that the process is more telling than the results.   It's pretty easy to understand that the record the Minnesota Twins, or any other team for that matter, put forth over the next month doesn't hold much weight. What's har
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Twins Throwing Burners Out Of The Gate

While Spring Training is just a few games old, the Minnesota Twins have thrown plenty of pitchers. Coming off one of the worst pitching seasons in franchise history, it's incredibly important that Paul Molitor's club puts its best foot forward early this season. The immediate indications suggest there could be some excitement on the bump.   After making his spring debut, Trevor May reiterated to Cory Provus on the Twins Radio Network, that his goal is to work as a starter in 2017. He wants to ea
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Topps Joins Off The Baggy's Twins Offerings

When it comes to baseball cards, Topps remains the gold standard. With the 2017 Series 1 collection already released, Topps is hard at work readying plenty of new offerings to baseball fans throughout the upcoming season. The Topps Now program was a great addition to the card collecting scene a season ago, and what's in store for the season ahead should continue to be plenty exciting.   Earlier this offseason, Topps sent out thank you cards to customers that purchased Topps Now product a season
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

The Twins Spring Narratives Worth Watching

With the offseason officially behind us, and the first pitches of Spring Training already having been thrown, the Twins will kick off their slate of games down in Fort Myers. As the club embarks on a turnaround in 2017, there's plenty of things to keep an eye on in the first year of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine being at the helm.   Although the front office isn't visible on the field of play, their decisions should be apparent to those that have become accustomed to how things used to run. For M
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Closing Out The Twins

Early on in spring training, Thad Levine said that Brandon Kintzler would be "given every opportunity to start the year in the closer's role." That statement all but solidified the assumed reality that Glen Perkins will open 2017 on the disabled list for the Minnesota Twins. What's worth wondering is, who closes out the most games for the hometown nine when the dust settles?   For Minnesota, having an elite closer in a season that .500 looks to be a solid effort, there's no denying that being an
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Can Polanco Hit His Way Out?

The Minnesota Twins are nearly certain they'll start Jorge Polanco at shortstop to open the 2017 season. He played over 400 innings there in 2016, and with Brian Dozier remaining within the organization, there isn't realistic room to shift Polanco to the other side of second base. The question is, can his bat elevate him high enough to overcome his defensive inefficiency?   Under Paul Molitor last season, Polanco started 45 games at shortstop. Prior to that, the last time he played shortstop was
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Elite Is Something Buxton Has Covered

For a couple of seasons, Byron Buxton was the top prospect in all of Major League Baseball. The Twins second overall pick in the 2012 draft was making scouts drool with a shed full of tools just begging to be put on display at the big league level. Fast forward to 2017, and we haven't seen it all come together yet, but the Minnesota centerfielder is an eyelash away from already becoming elite.   Offensively, Buxton has excelled at every stop he's made on his way to the big leagues. Batting avera
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

6

What To Make Of The Twins Utility Scenario

Going into the 2017 Major League Baseball season, it stands to reason that the Minnesota Twins will more than likely employ a similar 25 man roster construction. That means there'd be places for 12 pitchers and 13 position players. Given in are in the starting lineup, the four vying to fill out the bench provide some questions for Paul Molitor and his club.   Two of those bench spots are immediately claimed by the backup catcher (see Mitch Garver, John Ryan Murphy, or Chris Gimenez) and a fourth
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

11

Why Do So Many Twins Fans Miss The Boat?

Let me preface with the reality that fandom comes in different shapes and sizes. I realize there are those that are more casual observers, and there are diehards. There are those who watch the game, and then there are those that know the game. Simply defining someone watching Minnesota Twins baseball as a fan doesn't do the categorization justice. When it comes to the 2017 home nine though, there seems to be a growing and unfortunate confusion.   Arguably the most frustrating notion is that this
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

8

On Starting Trevor May

Coming over for Ben Revere from the Philadelphia Phillies, Trevor May was the headliner of a trade made in the same offseason that the Minnesota Twins acquired former prospect Alex Meyer. May was projected to be a solid starter in the rotation, and was someone that should be counted on to contribute for quite some time. After splitting duties between starting and relieving, May seems the odds on favorite to round out Paul Molitor's starting rotation in 2017.   In 2016, May pitched exclusively as
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Not A Drill, We Have Made It Twins Fans!

With the Minnesota Twins pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training, the offseason has officially come to a conclusion. Coming off the worst season in franchise history, rewriting the record books in the 2017 season can't come soon enough. Fortunately, with Spring Training baseball just around the corner, we'll be able to completely turn the page sooner rather than later.   The offseason has been relatively nondescript for the Twins, but that's absolutely the way the organization should
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

A Little Island With Lots Of WBC Intrigue

The World Baseball Classic rosters have been officially unveiled now (check them out here), and as expected, the United States as well as the Dominican Republic teams are loaded. Vegas gives a slight edge to the American (2/1), but the reigning champion Dominican team is not far behind (2.5/1). That said, the most intriguing team for Twins fans may be the Puerto Ricans.   Coming off winning the Carribean Series, the Puerto Rican team is stocked with young talent flooding big league rosters. Whil
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

4

Twins In The Business Of Sending Messages

Coming into this offseason, I made the contention that the Minnesota Twins didn't need to make a ton of moves. Despite losing 103 games a year ago, you'd be blind to look at the roster and see a makeup worthy of that result. In reality, the club fell flat, but has the pieces in place to begin to supplement for the future. This offseason, the new regime has made the narrative one of putting players on notice.   As I alluded to not too long ago, this Twins club is no longer in rebuilding mode. Mig
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Twins Projections Bring Interesting Expectations

As the winter draws to a close, storylines for the upcoming season don't quite write themselves yet. Sure, teams are solidifying their Spring Training invitee list, but the bulk of what is to come, has yet to get here. That puts us in the midst of Prospect List and Projection season. There's no shortage of pieces out there on either, but it's the projections that bring the most intrigue for the 2017 Minnesota Twins.   Coming off a season in which the club lost 103 games, a franchise worst, there
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

4

Improving The Twins 25th Man

It's often said that you're only as good as your weakest link. In sports, this proves vital when a team makes a playoff run, and every outcome matters. For the 2017 Minnesota Twins, a playoff run seems a bit lofty, but the club could look to vault themselves forward by upping the production from the bottom of their roster.   Given that a big league baseball team is able to deploy 25 players at any given time, the roster remains in flux throughout the majority of the season. For the Minnesota Twi
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Twins Must Fix Injury Issues In 2017

Over the course of a 162 game season, it's incredibly inevitable that injuries are going to take place. The depth of even the strongest 40 man rosters are often tested in the game of baseball. While the Minnesota Twins have experienced their fair share, they've also been behind the eight ball far too often.   Just this last season three key examples of reactivity as a detriment come to mind for Minnesota, and one came to a head as Byungho Park was DFA'd by the new front office. Each of Trevor Pl
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

2017 AL Central Division Preview

A season ago, I had the Kansas City Royals taking the AL Central division with 86 wins. I contended that not team would win 90 games, while no team would lose 90 either. Unfortunately, the Minnesota Twins blew by the 90 loss mark en route to a franchise worst 103 losses. After a World Series run for the Cleveland Indians, there should be little doubt they enter the 2017 as the league favorite.   When looking at the state of the Central, it's a division with a handful of teams in transition. Whil
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

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