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

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Eddie Bombing the Baseball

It’s April 24 and the Minnesota Twins have played 21 games during the 2019 Major League Baseball season. In that time, left fielder Eddie Rosario has taken the American League by storm being a co-owner of the home run lead, and he’s spearheading an offensive outburst not generally seen around these parts. It wasn’t long ago that Rosario looked the part of an All Star, but where is all of this coming from?   Through 21 games, Rosario has already tallied ten dingers on the season. That puts him on
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Early Returns Show New Era With Molitor

At the end of the 2014 Major League Baseball season, and consequently the Twins fourth consecutive with 90 losses, the organization decided to relieve skipper Ron Gardenhire of his duties. After being the head of the clubhouse in Minnesota for 13 seasons, it was decided that Terry Ryan would be going a new direction. After interviewing everyone from Chip Hale to Doug Mientkiewicz, the Twins found their heir apparent in Paul Molitor. Now with his first month under his belt, it appears a new era h
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

Duffey Puts A Bow On Impressive Debut

2015 was supposed to be and has been the year of the prospect for the Minnesota Twins. Eddie Rosario, Alex Meyer, Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, and Max Kepler have all made their big league debuts. In one of the most impressive farm systems in all of baseball, the Twins had plenty of big names to bring to Target Field. It has been Tyler Duffey however, that has been arguably the most impressive of them all.   With young pitching talents like Trevor May and Alex Meyer being highly touted, and Jose B
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Dozier's Dazzling Numbers For Twins

If you've been reading Off The Baggy at all this season, there's been no one I've been more all over the place on than Brian Dozier. From wondering if he's selling out too much, or becoming defiant in his approach during his down swing, to marveling at his uptick, his season has been a roller coaster ride. Since May 25 however, he's turned it on, and the results have been incredible.   At this point, you know what Brian Dozier is. He's a pull hitter, although doing so less often than in 2015 (ju
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Dozier To The Dodgers Taking Shape?

With the Los Angeles Dodgers now having inked both Justin Turner and Kenley Jansen to free agent deals, they could slow on spending this offseason. They also brought back Rich Hill, and have effectively kept their 2016 roster in tact. That group didn't win a World Series though, so adding a piece or two seems like the next logical step.   The Dodgers have a need in the form of a setup man ahead of Jansen, and arguably more pressing than that, at second base in the infield. For what seems like th
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Dozier Poised For 2018 Of Contract Proportions

Entering the 2018 Major League Baseball season, Brian Dozier looks to his future and sees free agency looming. Despite allowing the Minnesota Twins to buy out his arbitration years in a four-year, $20 million deal, the hometown squad couldn't lock him in past free agency. Now, as the two sides ponder an extension, it's worth wondering how the year ahead could go for one of baseball's best players.   Dating back to 2014, only Jose Altuve has been at the position (in terms of fWAR) than the Twins
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Dozier Is The Sellout Twins Needed

The 2016 Minnesota Twins are an absolute dumpster fire. Through 45 games, they own an 11-34 record, and there's really no reason to believe there will be a significant change any time soon. What seemed possible to be a second straight exciting season for the Twins has turned into nothing short of a nightmare. At the middle of it all is their newly appointed leader, Brian Dozier.   Recently, I touched on the defiance of Dozier's approach at the plate, and how it's there that his leadership has fa
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Dozier Becoming Defiant For Twins

When Torii Hunter decided to retire following the 2015 Major League Baseball season, he did the Twins a favor. Despite losing a solid clubhouse presence, Minnesota wasn't going to be forced into making the mistake of signing an aging replacement level player to another lucrative deal simply because of who he was. What the decision did however, was to force Minnesota to come up with another form of leadership. Brian Dozier quickly jumped at the opportunity, but his defiance has helped him to fall
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

4

Dozier And The Regression That May Be Minor

Last season, Brian Dozier swatted 42 homers for the Minnesota Twins and entered the franchise record books with the most for any player not named Harmon Killebrew. To say the second basemen from Mississippi had a good year would be the undersell of the decade. It immediately made Dozier the Twins hottest commodity, and nearly found him playing in a new uniform. Now back for 2017, what does the upcoming year look like?   Honestly, I'm not sure you could've found a writer more all over the board o
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Dozier And The Discussion Of Necessity

The Minnesota Twins have not had a ton of needs to address this offseason. While the 2016 season produced the worst record in major league history, it was indicative of the worst pitching staff in the big leagues. With more reason to rely on internal options, addressing deficiencies through a poor free agent market never seemed like a good bet. If there was something to be addressed though, it was Brian Dozier.   Coming off the best season of his career, the first as an All Star, and having tota
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Down Under to the Show

Over the course of the past decade the Minnesota Twins have shown some scouting prowess in their findings down under. From the early stories of Peter Moylan and Liam Hendriks, to a recent hat tip pointed at James Beresford, Australia has produced big leagues in a Twins uniform. Although Todd Van Steensel displayed some nice minor league numbers, he got to Minnesota by way of the St. Paul Saints. The system still has more talent from down under, and one could be on his way north soon.   Lewis Tho
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Dougie Baseball: The One That Got Away?

Doug Mientkiewicz was more of a fan favorite than he ever was a prolific Twins player. Just under a .280 hitter over the course of seven seasons, Dougie baseball clubbed 43 home runs and 266 runs batted in. He was a Gold Glove winner once, and an integral part of some good Twins teams. Now back in the fold as a minor league manager, he could be the one that got away.   When Mientkiewicz left the Twins as a player, he turned into somewhat of a journeyman. Playing six more season in the big league
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

11

Donaldson to Fix Twins Hot Corner?

Bryce Harper has the best hair on the open market this winter, but Josh Donaldson may not be far behind. The oft-injured third basemen is a free agent and coincidentally plays a position that the Minnesota Twins could be looking to rectify. Joe Mauer should provide clarity to the club soon, and that could leave Miguel Sano with an opportunity to swap sides on the diamond. Transitioning from the division-rival Indians, Donaldson could be an answer to the Twins questions.   When the 2019 season ge
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

17

Donaldson Provides a Twins Day for the Ages

Tonight Josh Donaldson agreed to a four-year, $92 million contract with the Minnesota Twins. It's the largest in franchise history by nearly double the financial commitment, and it's the first major commitment placed by the new front office. Early into the decade or not, this one is something that will go down in history.   Last offseason I touched on Donaldson as a guy that the Twins should target. Coming off of injury it seemed like he could be a guy that they nail for a one-year deal and util
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Does Top Pick Territory Salvage Season?

If you're still following along with the Twins, you've nearly made it through the 2016 Major League Baseball season. Just 19 games remain, and Minnesota needs to win 10 of them to avoid 100 losses for just the second time in franchise history, and first since 1982. To be sure, a year full of losing is far from fun, but does a top pick in the upcoming draft make it feel any less gloomy?   Baseball is a different beast than basketball and football. While the top pick in the draft holds immense val
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

10

Does Minnesota Trust What's Next?

As the offseason rolls on for the Minnesota Twins, easily the biggest storyline thus far has been the potential trade of Brian Dozier. I believe it's a move they must make, and more a matter of when as opposed to if. In a potential Dozier transaction though, the Twins will be faced with an interesting decision. Do they trust the next man up?   In the particular scenario of second base, the next man up would be Jorge Polanco, who played out of position at shortstop a season ago. The reality for a
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Does It Matter If Twins Hope Fades?

July comes to a close, the Major League Baseball trade deadline passes, and the dust settles. In the wake of it all, the Minnesota Twins are left with a slim lead in the Wild Card race, and a very small margin for error. Hope has to be waning right? But what if that hope is placed in the wrong things, and it doesn't really matter if the Twins fade? Coming into the season the Twins weren't a realistic postseason contender, they weren't supposed to be here, and this wasn't supposed to be their tim
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Does A Flier Grab A Spot With Minnesota?

With Spring Training now kicking off for the Minnesota Twins in less than 30 days, the roster is going to begin to shape itself for the upcoming season. Paul Molitor's club will be looking to rebound from the worst record in franchise history. What is worth wondering is whether or not any veteran non-roster guys will make the trip north.   In their first season with the organization, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have made some solid acquisitions when it comes to guys considered fliers. They have
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Do Twins Really Want A Break?

The Minnesota Twins dropped another tough game last night, and once again it came against the New York Yankees. After a great start to the season, and heading into the All Star Game strong, Minnesota has been a different team since the break. It was these Yankees that may have started the downward spiral (on July 25th at Target Field), but it's the Twins who don't seem to be leaving the rut any time soon.   During the first half of the 2015 Major League Baseball season, it was pretty apparent th
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Do Twins Create A Utility Duo?

At different points during the 2016 Major League Baseball season, the talking point regarding Danny Santana and Eduardo Escobar has came up. Both players present similar skillsets, and the likeliest scenario is a utility type position going forward. The question is though, do the Twins choose to roster both players a year from now, or is their only room for one Swiss Army Knife.   First, the less flexible of the two, Eduardo Escobar. While Escobar has made a home at shortstop, he's been passed u
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

4

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
Minnesota Twins

Do the Twins Have Any Arms to Trust?

Once again, the 2021 Minnesota Twins game script played out in Chicago on Tuesday night. Despite a three-run blast by Yasmani Grandal, Kenta Maeda had settled in. Rocco Baldelli pulled him after the 5th inning, only for the bullpen to immediately cough up the lead. Starters, relievers, anyone? Is there anyone the Twins can trust? Rocco Baldelli’s bullpen is hot garbage. The front office brought in Hansel Robles and Alex Colome this offseason. Both are decent signings, but there wasn’t much

Diving Into Twins 2018 ZiPS

Today, Dan Szymborski released the 2018 Minnesota Twins ZiPS projections via Fangraphs. If you aren't familiar with ZiPS, they are simply a projection system (similar to Steamer, KATOH, PECOTA, etc) that attempt to look at potential production for an upcoming season. Projection systems don't account for situations in real time, and are using statistical analysis to draw future conclusions.   After appearing in the Wild Card game seemingly out of nowhere, the 2018 Twins have some heightened expec
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

8

Dipping to Double-A Next for Twins?

Coming into the season the one real glaring area of weakness for the Minnesota Twins was their relief corps. Relying on unproven commodities like Matt Magill and Ryne Harper seemed lofty, and the high leverage arms came in the form of Blake Parker and Taylor Rogers. Fast forward to today and the pitching staff has performed admirably with the bullpen significantly surpassing fan expectations. If there’s a call to be made though, it may come from further down the ladder.   Today the Twins promote
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

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