Minnesota Twins Talk

Boy, I wish this season was over already ... almost a 'We can't have nice things No. 1741' post. Don't know if Ryan will go to the IL or if he will be 'day to day.' Or will they just shut him down for the season? Ugh, hope he's okay and can get in one more game. You can update here. Followed by:

This shouldn't really surprise anyone but Gant is on the IL, Albers is back up. I assume Charlie Barnes will be demoted after today's start.

Has anyone else noticed that the sound on Bally Sports constantly fades in and out. It’s not my tv, no other channels fade like this. It drives me crazy. I use my remote to change the sound levels, but it goes from way too loud to so quiet you can’t hear. I tried emailing them, but got no response. I’m hoping someone from the channel sees this and fixes the problem.

This thread raises some questions: if you want to replace the FO, who would you replace them with, and what kind of difference would that be expected to make?

Speaks for itself, I think....

From MLB.com... 1.327 Remember that “Slam Diego” storyline built off the Padres’ unprecedented success with the bases loaded last season? Well, this is the opposite of that. This is the Twins’ opponent OPS with the bases loaded. Yes, this would be a new record, surpassing the mark set by the 2015 Tigers (1.215). But what makes this even more incredible is that the 2020 Twins pitching staff had a .404 opponent OPS with the bases loaded -- the fifth-best mark all-time (albeit in a shortened season). At least the Twins have company, because the Nationals’ pitching staff (1.099 through Wednesday) is on pace to set…

Well, damn it all. I was hoping to see a handful of Dobnak starts to close the season to get a better picture of where the 2022 Twins rotation might stand on Opening Day. This puts quite a wrinkle in the Twins' offseason plans, as a healthy, decent Dobnak makes some 40-man roster decisions a little easier to make. The Twins probably don't care if they lose all of Smeltzer, Thorpe, and Albers after the season if Dobnak is either in the rotation or ready as a swingman out of St Paul. Yet another bummer injury in a season full of bummer injuries.

Ignoring any free agent acquisitions this offseason - though feel free to discuss them below, obviously - which internal options do you believe will be in the 2022 Opening Day rotation for the Twins? While it's not a great solution, I personally think they'll be using at least three internal solutions for Opening Day 2022. And... go! Tell us your expectations as of today!

It was assumed, but there was always some hope that when the doctor went in to work on Kenta Maeda's elbow, something other than Tommy John surgery could have been performed. But no, Rocco Baldelli informed Twins media this afternoon that Maeda did have Tommy John surgery. That means, of course, that he will be out the rest of this season as well as most, if not all, of the 2022 season.

Brent Rooker talked to Fangraph's David Laurila about hitting. An interesting read to go along with your Saturday morning coffee. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/brent-rooker-talks-hitting/

Over on Major League Trade rumors, there was talk about how the Oakland A's are finding themselves heading into a lot of Arbitration Choices for the coming season, some maybe out of their price range. Rotation arms like Manara, Bassitt, laureano, Montas. Plus bullpen arms like Trevino and Diekman, plus old Twins prospect Guerra could probably be had for the right mix of prospects. Should the Twins try, would they pay $10 to Manara, $9 million to Bassitt. Something that could actually help the Twins go forward. And what prospects in the system would be ripe for the grab by the A's, of guys already on the 40-man (think Arraez, maybe Keple…

There is a nice Hometown Newspaper story on Heather Rule. She is the person in charge of Twins Twitter during games. Contrary to popular belief - based on the responses to some of the tweets from the Twins official twitter account - she does not work with Derek Falvey or Thad Levine and tell them what #TwinsTwitter seems to believe they should do. But, this is a good article about a really strong writer, a good twitter follow, a very talented author, and the role of the Twins social media with the Twins and in the 'journalism' realm. https://www.hometownsource.com/abc_newspapers/community/andover/rule-of-engagement-twins-twitter-led-by-andovers-heather-rule/ar…

Randy Dobnak will be activated from the IL to start this coming Friday (Sep. 3rd) vs Tampa Bay, taking the rotation spot of Charlie Barnes who was optioned yesterday. The Twins still haven't announced a starter for Wednesday this week, which would have been Maeda's turn. Albers would be in line to do it, otherwise so could Joe Ryan. Wednesday is also Sep. 1st so rosters will expand to 28 that day.

I'm not sure what the strategy will be, but the major league roster bumps up to 28 players on September 1st. With the minor leagues still playing through September, it's likely going to be a lot of shuttling going on with those extra spots, but maybe not. In any case, it will begin with the 1st two. Who will it be? Wednesday's slot has 'tbd' pitching vs the Cubs. Could we finally see Ryan? I see that the Saints also have 'tbd' pitching (as of just now) for tomorrow and Wednesday ... so ... discussion must be going on involving a starting pitcher. We won't have to wait long to find out. But until then ... what is your guess of a call up on Wednesday?

Don't you think it's time to rip off the starting pitching band aids the Twins management/ownership has slapped on their staff for over a decade? Let's ignore the problems in the pen for a minute and focus on the starting staff. How long ago was the original band aid applied? In 2008, the Twins managed to have 4 starters with an ERA of 4.04 or less. Impressive but there was no ace on the staff. Johan Santana was no longer with the team and Francisco Liriano was a good comeback story for part of that season. Scott Baker and Nick Blackburn held the reins in 2009 but there still wasn't an ace to be found. I'll mention one more year specifically and then we'll move al…

This piece is two years old now but it’s a really interesting and in-depth look at Joe Ryan, his history, an utterly dominant stretch of 2019, and his unusual approach to pitching. Absolutely worth a read. http://baseballprospectjournal.com/rays-joe-ryan-just-scratching-the-surface/

Reusse podcast discussing Twins and the FO moves Reusse on words you don't want to hear about the Twins and Vikings - StarTribune.com I think Pat is spot on with his take. He has more baseball knowledge than probably anyone on this site and doesn't beat around the bush here (especially about attendance and next year's season tickets). Hard hitting and well done.

There has been much turnover on the Twins' 2021 pitching staff. It is a near certainty that several hurlers who got the ball for the team this year will not be back in 2022. Many have failed--Garcia, Waddell, Burrows--and very few have succeeded. Somewhere in the middle is a subset of relievers who have done "okay", that is an ERA plus of 100 or better, but are over 30 years of age. The chance of a breakout by any of these guys is very small, but as 2021 has shown, even okay relief pitchers are better than sending out arsonists. I've included Caleb Thielbar with this group, he is the most unlike the others in that he's been with the club all season and is nearly cer…

Another mind-boggling pitching stat from the 2021 Twins. Berrios leads the team with 7 wins, he won't be adding to that total. Maeda is 2nd with 6, he won't be getting any more either. Nobody's going to hit double-digits and I'd be very surprised if anyone passes Berrios at this point. I know wins are considered a meaningless stat by many, but when your team leader in wins at the end of the season only has 7 of them, it signals you've had a really rough year. Kevin Correia lead the team with 9 wins in a very dismal 2013 season, but I can't recall another year where no Twin even gets to 10.

Edgar Garcia was waived, cleared waivers, and sent to St Paul. Assuming this is to make room for Dobnak?

Ian Gibaut (pronounced jih-BOH) called up, Alcala reinstated. Edgar García and Kyle Barraclough banished to St. Paul. Luke Farrell transferred from 10-day to 60-day injured list to make room for Gibaut. I'm not sure if Gibaut's 7.20 era or 1.80 whip excites me most.

As the 2021 season enters its final leg, end of the year leaders have emerged. Members of the Twins won't threaten for much recognition, but I believe there is an outside chance for Luis Arraez to gain the notoriety of being the American League batting champion. Arraez currently is hitting .316 and has 321 plate appearances. In order to qualify to win the batting championship, a player has to average 3.1 plate appearances per game his team has played. This would require that Arraez average just over four plate appearances per game for the rest of the season. There are a lot of factors to be considered in a season where the team is not in contention. Arraez recently h…

The Twins have optioned Trevor Larnach to St. Paul, and recalled Nick Gordon. Gordon is at Target Field for tonight's game, in his usual spot on the bench:

The Twins season so far. April 1 through May 20: 14-28 record May 20 through August 15: 38-38 record This is shaping up to be a fascinating season for reasons I doubt any of us imagined. Through some bad luck, bad play, and a seemingly indifferent attitude, the early season Twins floundered badly through 6-7 weeks of play. Since that point, the team has certainly scuffled and looked bad but overall, they've posted a .500 record through basically half a season. It really goes to show how a team can tank an entire season by playing badly in the first few weeks.

One of the most massive disappointments of 2021 has been Alex Colome. A proven veteran who’s been a consistently good pitcher for years, brought in by the Twins hoping to add some stability to that BP. Instead Colome took a job as the team chef, and he served up some of the best tasting meatballs you’ll ever try. They were so tasty that they were spread all over the AL for other teams to try, and it didn’t disappoint. I wonder why he took this route… On a more serious note though, Colome has been a total disaster. Wanna see evidence? Well here, take a look: The results of 2021 compared to other years for Colóme speak for thems…

In a recent interview, Baldelli talks about the value of experience and implies that there may be (multiple, hopefully) pieces inbound to Minnesota as we head into the final month of the season. In the following MLBTR link, they speculate that not only Joe Ryan but also Jordan Balazovic may be headed to Minnesota soon. While Ryan seems like a given to me, Balazovic is a moderate surprise. On top of those two names, I'd be disappointed if Drew Strotman and/or Jovani Moran didn't get a call as well. I mean, why not? I'll understand if they don't call up all five guys at once - that could create some 40-man situations as soon as the season ends - but right now, this fro…

Can't have nice things 1740:

This is very simple and yet complicated. Work with me here. I'M the mediator here, but YOU can be too! Q1] Gordon is a wonderful athlete with potential still. You've thought enough of his potential...despite illness and injury...to protect him the past couple of years. Athletically, there is no question he still needs to gain weight and muscle to truly advance his career, whether it be offensively OR even bringing strength to his throws as well. He has played a ton of SS in milb AND in ST. But WHY does he NOT play SS at the ML level to see if he can be a viable utility option there? You're kind of talking out both sides of your mouth here while asking him to ada…

Jose Miranda and Byron Buxton in a cozy stadium vs. Rob Refsnyder and Jake Cave. Who ya got? Twins made a smart move putting their AAA team in St. Paul. If the MLB team's struggling, they can still generate enthusiasm by proxy by promoting the heck out of the farm system.

We're at the 121 game mark, which means we have 41 left to play in the 2021 season. The Twins currently stand at 54-67 for a .446 winning percentage. They're currently 10-6 in the month of August, though through some smoke and mirrors. They've allowed three more runs than they've scored. Obviously, the Twins are not a .600+ winning percentage team going forward but how good will they be? They're only about halfway through their current brutal stretch. Next up, in order, are the Yankees, the Red Sox, and the Brewers. Most of September is pretty soft, with most teams being under .500... the sole exception being seven games against the Jays in the second half …