I think the issue is that the front office has gone on record saying they will aggressively add to the team when the window is open and they know what to expect from this team. The window is wide open. Buxton and Sano are performing at the maximum that you can expect from them. If they go back on their word, it's going to look like they were just blowing smoke and weren't expecting to actually have to act on their promises.

Fans always blow the deadline out of proportion when they don't get the big names. In this case though, it reaches all the way back to the offseason when the only moves they made to address the well known weakness of this team was sign Martin Perez and Blake Parker. Perez being found money aside, those were pretty low effort moves. I like the Sergio Romo trade as a supporting move, but if you're a contending team and the only pitching acquisitions you make in a calendar year are Perez, Parker and Romo, you deserve the criticism you get every time your staff loses you a game. 

I think we have a very smart front office. They've done a lot with a little in terms of signings, trades, player development etc. But if they aren't willing to make a splash on a surging team right now while they have the financial flexibility and prospect capital, when will they? I still do have hope that we will add another serviceable reliever at least before the deadline by the way.

We aren't getting past both the Astros and Yankees in the postseason anyway unless our bats carry us or we give up half our top prospects for pitchers. Of everyone available, only Bumgarner/Greinke would be an upgrade as a starter this postseason anyway, and the stud relievers will cost a lot of prospects. I'd rather have Graterol in the postseason bullpen this year than trade him for a 1-2 year rental, for example. I agree we should not do that for this year, and a minor trade could give us a playoff bullpen of Rogers/Romo/Odorizzi/Ian Kennedy/Harper/Smeltzer/Duffey/Graterol which would be at least interesting. 

Without adding at least 2 RP and a SP that are all quality arms this team will not make it out of the 1st round of the playoffs if they still make them.

I hoping at least 4-6 major trades by the contenders tomorrow.  Just think how boring the trade deadline will be in future years if NADA is the level of activity under the new rule.

First of all, great post! Really wish this was on the front page.

Not piling at anyone, but remember not so long ago when Rosario was just too wild, Polanco couldn't play short, Kepler was only a 4th OF, etc, etc. And without Cruz, the team's lineup averages just under 27yo! That is crazy! Of course, Cruz will be back next season. Personally, I wish/hope the market is slow for Castro and he would come back for another couple years on a reduced deal.

Unless hope and fantasy meet, there are no top of the order difference maker SP options available at the moment. Unless you want to gift wrap some crazy package of prospects and vastly overpay. And after that there is nobody available who clearly offers anything better than what the Twins have on hand. And what they have on hand is awfully good.

The problems with the pen have been overblown. You don't have the record/season the Twins have with a dumpster fire bullpen. What did you say, if they only played teams with a .500 record or better they would win 88 games? Crazy! And we have some guys who are stepping up and looking like real pen options for the future, but even though some will continue to help, and make the post season roster, it's too late to really count on most of them for now. Think about the tough games against the Yankees this year. Only 6 games, but if we had another couple of arms we could count on, we very likely split, if not win the series.

This team has an honest chance in 2019 with a couple solid pen additions. A real and honest chance. And they have the milb depth to make at least one more high quality move.

But as good as this team is, as young and talented as it is, the window is not only open, but it could be wide open for another 4-5 years if we can keep the bulk of this roster together. While there are very good prospects lower in the system, there is a very nice collection of arms and position players at Rochester and Pensacola who could/can/have started to contribute.

I like our first move. We need another acquisition even better. But I agree that I just wouldn't mortgage anything for 2019 when this team is so good and has so much potential. There are vast differences between doing nothing, making a couple smart moves, and giving up 4-6 top 20/30 prospects to go all in for one season.

I want to say that is OK to overpay to get the last piece of the puzzle for our team.  We need at least 1 more good to great reliever.  and if we could get Thor.....cool.  I believe with our offense...It will never be this good again,,,, and our rotation is solid enough.... and with a better bullpen we could win the whole F'ing thing.  

I don't understand how the author of this article can say we are on pace to win 88 games over a 162 game season and say we can't win this year and not back it up.  Baseball is not yet like Basketball, where you know who is gonna do well in the playoffs and who isn't.  In baseball, you still have to play the games.  

yeah, not thrilled about them not being that aggressive... that's me personally. Perhaps they will show more this offseason. The core of the offense (minus Schoop) is set to return next year.  And they have reinforcements in Rooker, Kirilloff, and Larnach, so they should want to do something about pitching.

I don't understand how the author of this article can say we are on pace to win 88 games over a 162 game season and say we can't win this year and not back it up.  Baseball is not yet like Basketball, where you know who is gonna do well in the playoffs and who isn't.  In baseball, you still have to play the games.  

Hi, Brandon. Thanks for the read.

That is a simple math comparison. It shows how well the Twins have been playing agains above .500 teams and nothing more.

yeah, not thrilled about them not being that aggressive... that's me personally. Perhaps they will show more this offseason. The core of the offense (minus Schoop) is set to return next year.  And they have reinforcements in Rooker, Kirilloff, and Larnach, so they should want to do something about pitching.

Hi. Thanks for the read!
Yes, I agree that they have to do something about pitching, but why not do it over the offseason, when they can simply sign a free agent? There's no hurry. The Twins title window is open for at least four more years.

First of all, great post! Really wish this was on the front page.

Hi, DocBauer! Thank you very much for reading it and also for the kind words. They mean a lot to me! God bless you!

Even if the Twins had over-overpayed for Greinke, there is no guarantee that we would have gotten past the first round of the playoffs.

With luck being the main factor in post season play, lets see how this team does.