Yeah - I agree - Perkins is the best bullpen arm the Twins have, he should be used more often than just the classic save situation.

 

How many times did we have this same discussion when Nathan was the closers?

It's easy to see how things could potentially still work out this season and have a chance at the playoffs, but it's also pretty easy to see how unlikely that is. Maybe if they'd won 2 or 3 of these close games recently I'd feel a little different, but they're in last place in their division and though theoretically closer to the wildcard in number of games behind, they have to get past 8 teams in the standings to get that spot. The record is still theoretically OK, but that's a whole bunch of teams they need to leapfrog. A few of them sure I can see that, but it seems unlikely to get past all of them. And yet, Kansas City just won 10 in a row to get into 1st place in the division, and you'd have had a hard time finding anyone predicting that two weeks ago, so crazy stuff can happen.

 

I'm less concerned about when some of these guys get promoted than I am over them getting promoted. May and Meyer have to pitch in the majors this year. Have to. If it's only a month or two, so be it, but they absolutely have to get that experience, to see what it's like so they can spend the offseason having the knowledge of what needs work. That means some guys who are on the roster right now need to go. While I'd prefer to see him get starts, I'm actually OK with Meyer getting his experience in the pen due to the care they're taking with his shoulder this year, but May definitely looks like he should start.

 

Trade Correia is obvious, even if the return isn't better than some C-grade A-baller with a tiny chance at the majors. Trade Burton and Guerrier if possible, but DFA them when it becomes obvious nobody wants them. The roster spots are more important for people to get their major league experience.

 

I'm not sure with the hitters. It's hard to point at guys who really need to be up soon to get their experience of what the majors are really like. If it looks like you'll get something of value for Willingham or Morales, I guess I'd trade them. Parmelee can be traded/DFA'd without much concern. I think I'd hang onto Suzuki, cause Herrmann/Fryer as our catcher options seems ugly, and I think Pinto's sticking at AAA for quite a while now due to his defense/receiving/game-calling/pitch-framing, or whatever it is that constitutes catching. That'd give Vargas a chance and maybe Rosario. Hard to really see anybody else that's a potential part of the future that benefits that much this season, most of our hitting prospects are still a year or more away.

 

This lineup is quickly becoming a drag to watch, though. Dozier and Santana are exciting (even when they're slumping a bit, I still find myself expecting something good when they're hitting), Escobar too, but after that? I like Willingham, but he's 35. Mauer looks lost, Morales and Suzuki are rentals, Plouffe looks improved but he's still pretty average, and Arcia quickly returned to swinging out of his shoes at every pitch. As iffy as our lineup is already, how bad will it be if we move 2 or 3 of our only decent hitters?

Not bashing the team at all, but I suspect their win total will be lower. As bad as the offense has been recently, I think it will get worse. So many guys are playing over their head right now. Maybe Mauer will pick up the pace, but no way Santana, Suzuki, Escobar and Willingham replicate their first half numbers. Willingham's OPS has actually dropped over 100 points this week alone. I think the slide continues for a bit.

Call me an optimist but I call 80 wins and 82 losses.

The Twins are now on the unlucky side of the coin. 32-38 overall record, 33-37 expected pythag record. 9-13 in one-run games.

 

Essentially, they rode incredible luck through April and have been incredibly unlucky after that point, ending up close to neutral.

Had them at 74 preseason and I'll stick with it. There's always a high probability of two or more injuries to starters over the course of a season, and we've had one go down. I don't have as much faith as many of you that any of the AAA starters are going to come up here and perform as well as the pitchers currently in the rotation, Pino excepted.

After I saw them play this Spring Training, my prediction was 70-92 for these reasons. And these reasons started to rear their ugly head the last couple weeks.

 

I stand by it, and I hope I am wrong.

 

Also, I just cannot believe that any fan would think that a 70-some win season is a "success" for his or her team. Very hard to wrap my mind across that concept.

After I saw them play this Spring Training, my prediction was 70-92 for these reasons. And these reasons started to rear their ugly head the last couple weeks.

 

I stand by it, and I hope I am wrong.

 

Also, I just cannot believe that any fan would think that a 70-some win season is a "success" for his or her team. Very hard to wrap my mind across that concept.

 

Maybe for an NBA or NHL fan it makes sense, not as much for baseball..

After I saw them play this Spring Training, my prediction was 70-92 for these reasons. And these reasons started to rear their ugly head the last couple weeks.

 

 

The past few weeks have shown that this team has a legit starting pitching staff, assuming they stay healthy them alone will ensure that the Twins don't lose 90+ games.

The past few weeks have shown that this team has a legit starting pitching staff, assuming they stay healthy them alone will ensure that the Twins don't lose 90+ games.

 

I was just going to say something similar to this, the starting pitching is much improved this year, as evidence by the Twins losing games 2-1 (Red Sox) inside of 10-1. The starting pitching will keep the Twins from losing 90 games this season.

Maybe for an NBA or NHL fan it makes sense, not as much for baseball..

 

Yeah. Bad baseball teams take time to get back into contention most of the time. Should Astros fans not be optimistic about their team showing flashes of competency? They're still a bad team.

Yeah. Bad baseball teams take time to get back into contention most of the time. Should Astros fans not be optimistic about their team showing flashes of competency? They're still a bad team.

What are the Twins? They have a rotation that is coming on, although they rank next to last in the AL in ERA, a decent infield, and production on one corner of the outfield with potential on the other. The only true black hole is center field. I would classify the bullpen as middle of the road. Does that combination make a bad team or something a bit better?

 

I think the Twins have endured a miserable schedule, that really doesn't get better until after the All-Star break. MLB had their "RPI" as in the middle (14th-15th?) before the five-game slide. For every piece of production that is unsustainable, there seems to be someone that figures to come on (Nolasco, Mauer).

After swimming half way across the river, I just can't turn back now. So I'll stick with the under.

 

Another quick 5 game losing streak and we are cooked. That could signal the promotion of some that really won't lead to anything more than experience. But I'm hoping we can crawl back near the .500 mark. Hard to do if you don't score runs though.

What are the Twins? They have a rotation that is coming on, although they rank next to last in the AL in ERA, a decent infield, and production on one corner of the outfield with potential on the other. The only true black hole is center field. I would classify the bullpen as middle of the road. Does that combination make a bad team or something a bit better?

 

And that's the $64,000 question. I expected 71-73 wins going into the season. Now I think they'll be a bit above that mark, maybe a 75 win team.

 

Is is possible they approach the .500 mark this season? Absolutely, but I'm still skeptical.

Everybody is going to have a different definition of "success." Compared to the last three years, sure, the Twins have shown that they are capable of being much better than they have been. But is that the same thing as being successful?

I don't mean to discredit the progress and improvement shown, but I would fall short of saying that another 10 wins this year equals a success.

I would say that another 10 wins this year brings the team closer to success, and sets them up well for success (i.e. a winning record and the Playoffs) in 2015 or 2016.

As of now the Twins are truly a .500 team.

 

Nolasco/Mauer coming up big the rest of the way is what could put them into an above .500 team. May/Meyer coming on like gangbusters wouldn't hurt as well!

What are the Twins? They have a rotation that is coming on, although they rank next to last in the AL in ERA, a decent infield, and production on one corner of the outfield with potential on the other. The only true black hole is center field. I would classify the bullpen as middle of the road. Does that combination make a bad team or something a bit better?

 

I think the Twins have endured a miserable schedule, that really doesn't get better until after the All-Star break. MLB had their "RPI" as in the middle (14th-15th?) before the five-game slide. For every piece of production that is unsustainable, there seems to be someone that figures to come on (Nolasco, Mauer).

 

ERA ranks third to last, as of when I checked ESPN.com earlier.

ERA ranks third to last, as of when I checked ESPN.com earlier.

The starters are next-to-last in ERA (I used the split for "as starter"). However, the more all-encompassing stat is runs allowed per inning and, in fact, they are 11th (out of 15 there).

As of now the Twins are truly a .500 team.

 

Nolasco/Mauer coming up big the rest of the way is what could put them into an above .500 team. May/Meyer coming on like gangbusters wouldn't hurt as well!

 

Well, no. Truly they are a sub .500 team by most any measure I can see.

 

Though I grant if they get themselves a monkey's paw or some kind of sacred pact with a diety that allows everything to go right for them that they could be better than that going forward.

 

I'll keep saying it - I expect Meyer and May to get called up and struggle, because that's what typically happens with young players. Their presence this year is an investment ala Gibson. We shouldn't expect anything more than that. (Though we may be pleasantly surprised too)