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To clarify, though Larnach has posted 1.2 WAR this year in 51 games and Gordon has posted 1.5 in 118 games and though Larnach is more than a year younger, you’re suggesting that Gordon makes Larnach unnecessary? Help me understand. Cheap depth is awesome and in the Twins budget structure, necessary. With what they have shown, both are more necessary than Kirilloff, but I’m not calling him unnecessary either. Give me an outfield with Buxton, Kepler, Larnach, Kirilloff (also spending time at 1b) and Gordon, with Celestino the next man up, and I’m feeling pretty chipper about that part of the roster.

As your article indicates, we have not seen enough of him for a long enough stretch of uninjured time to know exactly how he will fit in to the lineup. To me, he is another example of the confusing injury situation facing the Twins. I guess I question whether it was best to let him continue to play with a wrist injury last year and a core injury this year. And, as seems to always be the case with the Twins, his recovery time took longer than expected. Maybe Larnach didn't communicate well, but it sure looks to me like it is an area for examination in the off season. I still really like this kid's potential.

Seems somehow fitting if the Twins season ends on a blown 3-0 lead with the winning run scoring from SECOND on a wild pitch. From your best reliever.

It'll be interesting to see how Martin, Julien & Isola fare in AFL. None of the pitching representitives really excites me but the added innings will certainly help them.

Brooks Lee is obviously going to Wichita next spring. I think the Twins were smart to start him lower down, instead of doing the thing the Jays did with Austin Martin, where moving him directly to AA seemed to be a bit too aggressive and possibly even set him back. But for Lee, it's clear where he belongs now. He's gotten his feet wet, now it's time to really dive in.

Based on the eye test. When Larnach has been on not only is the D better than many predicted, his all fields power approach makes me dream big on this guy. He had also proven to be clutch in college and with some big bombs in the bigs.

Based on what? Because that's what we all wish would happen? I think it's better we all live in reality. Until we see a full season of Larnach hitting 28 HRs and driving in 80+ runs, he's not lived up to the hype and can't be considered reliable. Nobody gets credit for what they should've done. You have to do it for it to count.

I have been around Joe several times and he is the nicest guy on this planet. Period. End of story. People who criticize him over the money are morons because anyone would have taken it. "Hey Bob, we want to double your salary. "No thanks boss. I drive truck just for the aesthetic." But more importantly, as Bonnes' buddy Gleeman would tell you; with a 55 plus career WAR, it can be easily argued that Joe was significantly underpaid in his career. In one of my conversations with Joe, I asked him about his favorite away city. His reply surprised me. "Kansas City." Me: "Really? Good barbeque. Decent ballpark. Why? Did you have great numbers there?" Joe: "Not really. I just like that I could bring my family down and people would leave me be." I let that soak in. So many players fight desperately for the last bit of the spotlight when their career is done. (Insert Dan Gladden joke here.) So congrats Stu on passing on the Ryan question and allowing Joe to enjoy the show undisturbed. Leave him be folks. Leave him be.

Yaaaaaawwwwn..... We beat a AAAA team with nothing to play for which is simply holding serve. If we win 4/5 against Cleveland, optimism can creep back in. Sadly, I don't see that happening against a real MLB team with something to play for....but I hope that I'm waaaaay wrong! And where the hell was THIS Correa for the last months.... it certainly would have helped for him to turn on the light switch before contract push time

I know this comment doesn’t belong in this forum but my god have ads absolutely ruined this website. There are so many pop ups and and videos that play every time you scroll down. I have to exit some new ad 10 times just trying to read an article.

Nothing more to say about this joke called Rocco than I've seen all I've ever needed to see of him. And I'll say it for the thousandth time... THIS TEAM WILL NEVER SUCCEED WITH ROCCO AND THE SPREADSHEET. NEVER.

I can’t think of a more suitable ending to this team’s season

More like the middle of the end, close to the end of the end.

Maybe the Twins coaching staff is the problem?

Injuries, injuries, injuries! It was obvious to me that Larnach wasn't right when he came back from his first stint on the IL and the results panned that out. The Larnach we saw before he was injured is at least a solid MLB player and perhaps much more. There is swing and miss in his game and there will be slumps, but there is excellent power and good defense. He takes his walks, as well. To the original question, it is really tough to count on any player who isn't established (Larnach, Kirilloff, Lewis) and coming off injury. My thought is that there needs to be enough depth if one or even two guys fail due to injury or ineffectiveness that there is someone to replace them. Having Gordon produce and stay healthy this year provides much of the desired depth. Arraez, Miranda, Kirilloff, Gordon, Lewis and Larnach provide a lot of positional flexibility. I also have not been swayed by Celestino. He's a competent center fielder, but his offense and base running aren't major league quality. With Buxton's injury history, he needs to stay on the roster, but I don't think he should be guaranteed a major league job next spring.

The way Gordon has played this year certainly cements his roster spot. I am curious to see if Kepler looks better next year without the extreme shift. But I do see Larnach as a very important youngster that could be a key part of a lineup, provided he stays healthy.

What it it with this "time to move on" thing? These guys are like stocks or CD's..Not scratch off tickets..If Juan Soto had the same injuries his 1st two season would we all be...Ok who next??...Not everybody can be Cal Ripken. Relax he's going too be around for awhile. His ability to adjust and his health will determine whether he's a DH, 4th outfielder or and All star.

He's shown promise - there are very few players that show up in the majors and immediately start hammering pitching. There have been very productive months-at-at-time stretches, and the cratered months can/might be attributable to the injury issues. Look at his history - he put up very strong stats in college (perhaps the best player on the team that won the College World Series), strong stats at each stop in the minors. The pedigree is there. Then there is the defense - he's got a tremendous arm. That alone is worthy of 'the look' and part of why in less than a third of a season, he had a 1.1 WAR this year.

I have reached a point with Twins help where I no longer project or expect - when players like Miranda stay healthy they give me some confidence that they will perform well for a long time. Even Gordon's ability to stay on the field is great considering his minor league record. It is because they stay healthy that Celestino and Cave have real value to the team. But Larnach is a player I hope to see in a prominent role, but like Kiriloff and Lewis it is a wait and see situation.

IMO Larnach will get better both in performance & health, the more he puts time in. Before too long Larnach should be a staple in the Twins OF.

The usage of pitchers continues to be a head scratcher. After 2 successful outings of 7 innings pitched by Ryan and Gray I thought Rocco had made an adjustment, but pulling Bundy after 4 shows he just can't commit to using a starter effectively. yes the bullpen did their job and they won the game but at what cost for the Cleveland series. If the bullpen gets overused the next 4 or 5 games and implodes due to it, Rocco only has himself to blame.

With the lifeboat labeled “Royals” floating away beyond the horizon, the Twins find themselves adrift at sea with two options: sink or swim. Sitting four games out of 1st place with just 19 games left to play, Minnesota opens a make-or-break 5 game set against the division-leading Guardians tonight in Cleveland. The Guardians made a huge statement by sweeping the Twins in Minneapolis last weekend, and Minnesota would very much like to return the favor. In reality, the Twins almost must win at least 4 out of these next 5 games to have any realistic chance at making the postseason. Anything less will leave the team in serious trouble, and it goes without saying that if the Twins lose ground over the weekend, the season is essentially over. And with the season on the line, the Twins turn to…..Bailey Ober? Woah, he’s back! The 6’9” right hander (1-2, 4.01 ERA) will be making his first start in over 3 months tonight. It’s a curious choice for such a big game, but Twins management must be feeling good about his rehab efforts. We’ve seen Ober pitch well in the past, and Cleveland hasn’t seen him this year so that might be to his advantage. Either way, it’s very “on brand” of the 2022 Minnesota Twins to have Ober out there shaking off 3 months worth of rust in the biggest game of the season. Nobody who's been on this season-long ride should shocked at the decision. Cleveland counters with Triston McKenzie (10-11, 3.05), who pitched 7 shutout innings in a victory against the Twins in Minneapolis last weekend. McKenzie hasn’t given up more than 2 earned runs in a start since August 2nd - a month and a half ago. The 25 year-old NYC native is having a great year and has a bright future in the league. Luis Arraez is back in the lineup and leading off, with Correa and Miranda hitting behind him. Nick Gordon is batting cleanup. Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez are in the lineup too. The infamous "Three C's" make up the outfield tonight: Cave, Celestino and Contreras. They will be batting 7th, 8th, and 9th, respectively. So what are the chances the Twins grab the bull by the horns this weekend? According to the numbers, the chances are slim. Since August 1, the Twins are 4-15 against teams that are above .500. Two of their best offensive players (Buxton, Polanco) remain on the IL. Emilio Pagan is still on the roster and will definitely pitch in this series. But this is baseball. Every team has a chance to beat any other team in the league on any given day. The Twins are shaking the dice, and until the first pitch is thrown tonight, Twins fans everywhere can find a way to believe they’ll roll boxcars. Odds: Cleveland -154, Twins +130 Weather: 75 and sunny at gametime Picks to click: Mark Contreras leads the team with an average 96.1 MPH exit velocity when playing against RHP on the road. Jose Miranda leads the team with a .393 wOBA in the same conditions. Lineups: 1. Luis Arraez (L) DH 2. Carlos Correa (R) SS 3. Jose Miranda (R) 1B 4. Nick Gordon (L) 2B 5. Gio Urshela (R) 3B 6. Gary Sanchez (R) C 7. Jake Cave (L) LF 8. Gilberto Celestino (R) CF 9. Mark Contreras (L) RF P. Ober (R) 1. Steven Kwan (L) LF 2. Amed Rosario (R) SS 3. Jose Ramirez (S) 3B 4. Josh Naylor (L) 1B 5. Oscar Gonzalez (R) RF 6. Andres Gimenez (L) 2B 7. Will Benson (L) DH 8. Luke Maile (R) C 9. Myles Straw (R) CF P. McKenzie (R)

I will get hollered at too, but I couldn't agree more. One of the hardest sites to read that I go on. It is hard to stay away, because the folks here are great, but it is a frustrating site.

The White Sox lost tonight because they made an error in a critical situation. The Twins lost with the Gordon error and Sanchez not going back to the screen and then looking for the ball after it got past him. Urshela and Miranda are covering ricochets up either line because you cannot give up two bases on that play which is why it is so rare. Cleveland makes the play to end the game on a slow roller. Can't win if you can't make the plays.

What spreadsheet decision lost the game today? The back end of the bullpen lost the game, in baseball that's sometimes going to happen even when Jax/Thielbar/Duran were pitching well up to this point. And spreadsheet or not, the lineup is decimated by injuries.

The average team scores 4 runs a game. Score more than that, your chances of winning are good. Score fewer, your chances are not. Baseball's a simple game like that, sometimes. Season on the line, and our Twins scored 3.

I remember reading that our bullpen got better after the trade deadline. Too bad the rest of the team didn't

The playoff loss streak will have to wait another long year until it grows. Sad.

BP gave up 5 hits and a walk, and 4 runs in the last 2 innings.

Are they who we thought they were?

Why send Ober down? If he can give 5-6 good innings, he should stay in the rotation.

I take it all back Jakey boy

Cave spelunked that one!

Figured Martin was a 100% lock. I think when there was an article a couple weeks ago concerning AFL speculation, pretty sure I listed Julien as a possible in order to work on defense and get ready for a possible Twins promotion in 2023. I also stated they absolutely had to send at least one catcher as they need to figure our Carmago, Isola, Williams, etc. Just interesting it's Isola of the various possibilities. But before I pat myself on the back too much, I struck out on the possible arms completely! Really thought Enlow would get some time to continue to get his "feel" back and log some additional innings. Looks like they just want rest before instructs. The arms they're sending make sense though. They all really just need more innings to see what they really have.

Why is Max Kepler still not on the IL? What is the point of basically wasting a roster spot for 11 days? He's started once since September 4th. Just IL him!

Too much talk about pitching. It is the hitting that put us in this hole. The Twins have not hit in RISP situations, and sometimes not in any situations. The pitching has been something a good hitting team could easily live with. This team is not a good hitting team. Too many injuries.

I want people to take notice of how hard Matt Wallner hits baseballs. That triple he got in the highlight package included above? Do you know how hard you have to hit a ball at that angle to split outfielders all the way to the wall? Then the double in the next highlight? I've watched him it balls like that all season, and consistently. I was at the Saints game yesterday, and he tanked one out of the stadium foul just like that too. I would love to see his exit velocity readings this year because I bet there are a bunch of them over 110 MPH. His HR in the futures game was 116 MPH. He does that a lot.

Minimum 4-1, or I think it's over. I actually think it's over, because 4-1 seems very unlikely.

I have felt like you for a while. This is not a time to play games with service time. If we think somebody can help us we need them. And Wallner seems to have a maturity that makes him a good candidate for a quick adjustment.

Suck it Cave haters!

There are many people who I have known who are serious baseball people. Some made it their career and others were just aficionados who players, coached, did both, or were totally just into the game. Every single person I have met or know who falls under the above categories hold Joe Mauer in the highest esteem. Mauer is a consensus top ten catcher in baseball history. He signed a long term contract with his home town team for far less than he would have received on the open market and as the face of the franchise was worth well more than the contract. His contract never impeded team spending in even the slightest fashion, a fictional fallback of those who choose their own reality. Mauer will soon be a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. I totally understand why Kansas City would be a favorite place to work for an athlete.

Yep, numbskulls.

Nice sweep against Royals AAA team again. Let's see here:. We were swept by the Guardians on our home field just before the Royals series. That Cleveland series was supposed to be vital. Yet we played poor lackluster baseball at home and lost all 3. As much as I'd like to see us pounce on the Guardians and take 4 of 5 I just don't see it happening. We have Over starting Friday that hasn't pitched in a major league game in over two months. Then for the double header we have Winder and Varland. Varland doing very well, Winder up and down. Lineup is decimated by elongated injuries. Tough road to hoe. I don't think we have the horses left to compete. I sure hope I am wrong.

Happy to see there is still fight left in the teams at A and High A. Muscles with a massive comeback I thought it was over with the score 5 to 3 with the bullpens in place. I give Cavaco a lot of crap but that was a huge hit to get the win. Also nice to see the 2022 draft picks stepping up and helping with the win. They just need to keep this up and find a way to win the series. Lee seems to be looking better every game he gets. They are going to need his bat to keep things going. Another player that gets no love, Javier with a big HR. The guy can still play just needs to find a way to be more consistent with the bat. Seems like that Wichita lineup is running on all cylinders now even after losing Wallner and Williams. Martin has looked better after returning from injury. Prato is still a tough out. Severino has been hitting the ball well and Jullien always seems to find a way to get on base. Throw in some solid pitching and I think this team has a chance in the playoffs. Gotta believe at least one of the three teams in the playoffs can go all the way.

We are going to miss KC, let's hope we enjoyed winning so much that we decide to continue doing it against a really good team. Cleveland - last six against KC - sorry to contemplate this.

And better pitcher management? cant expect 4-5-6 pitchers to all be on---, Rocco never goes with the flow Ober great 5 pulling him ? not gonna argue that tpo much, Fullmer not the biggest fan of , but he had a stressless inning, let him at least start the 7th, Cleveland had zero going for them till the Error, he has zero mindset for game flow, to cautious all the time, Sick of it, Guarantee ya francona keeps fullmer in , then after theilbar to me Jax =no way you need your best right there!!!! please replace this guy

Martin and Keirsey with 75 SB's combined. Keirsey certainly has speed and I would think, with that, he is an excellent defender in CF. What about the other tools? I never hear about him possibly making it to MLB. I think his bat has held him back but he is hitting better the last half of this year. Some of our 2022 draft class pitchers are throwing a few innings. Kyle Jones with the win in relief. Cavaco leaves 3 guys on base the first three times up and then cleans the bases the fourth time. Ross continues to collect hits. At Cedar Rapids, Brooks Lee already looks like the star of the team. Another couple doubles last night. Good night on the farm!