MIN 10, TEX 7: Tex-plosion!

For September call-ups:

Belisle will be activated from the DL (*ugh*) and Curtiss is expected to be called up as well.

Belisle. Why, just why?

What is this love affair with mediocre and below - Giminez, Belisle - are they going to help us meet our potential?  

I really think Romero deserves to be up.  Are we really so short on hitting prospects that only Field got the call this round?

The FO did not get any points for these moves.

I do hope Vasquez does well, I am really disappointed in the relief pitchers we have called up.  Is this Duffey's last chance?

Final thought - tonight Gonsalves got really frustrated by the umpire squeezing him on some very good pitches.  Its time to use the electronic system.  No more squeezing the rookies and expanding for the vets. 

Gonsalves (as well as every other pitcher) did get squeezed in this one, but he still wasn't very good otherwise. I'm not impressed with his stuff at all. Depending on the health status of Mejia and Pineda next season, I wouldn't put Gonsalves any higher than 7th or 8th in the rotation pecking order. I certainly wouldn't consider his opportunity as a reason to not sign a free agent starter in the off-season.

well, for those asking what more Gonsalves needed to do to make it out of AAA, we're seeing it here: he's got to cut down on the walks. Hopefully he's learning from this, but right now he looks like a guy who has a ways to go before he's ready to compete for a roster spot. I'm fine with continuing to run him out there this year, see how he responds to the adversity, see if he can start to make some adjustments...but this is pretty much what I expected to happen considering how many walks he was still giving up in AAA.

I hope Kepler finishes strong this year, but this season feels like a disappointment to me. The defense continues to be good, but he hasn't taken the step forward on his hitting that I think everyone was hoping to see. That low BA is really holding him back.

I think with Gonsalves struggling yet again it only makes sense to recall Fernando Romero. Romero could piggy back Gonsalves (or vice versa). I would include Lewis Thorpe as a potential call up, but given he’s pitched over 40 more innings than his previous career high (83 IP last year, 129 2/3 this year) I doubt the Twins want to extend Thorpe any more thus year. However Romero really needs some more innings so even pitching out of the pen for the Twins should do that (or starting in place of Gonsalves).

I was hoping to see Thorpe as well. Certainly another call for Romero would have been great considering that Gonsalves has really stunk.

Gonsalves (as well as every other pitcher) did get squeezed in this one, but he still wasn't very good otherwise. I'm not impressed with his stuff at all. Depending on the health status of Mejia and Pineda next season, I wouldn't put Gonsalves any higher than 7th or 8th in the rotation pecking order. I certainly wouldn't consider his opportunity as a reason to not sign a free agent starter in the off-season.

My thoughts as well. I've not been impressed with his stuff either and he doesn't seem to have the pin point control. On a positive note Garver has made good strives this season, one of the few bright spots. I really hope the Twins give him more games to catch in the future.

The opportunity for Gonsalves is more about his learning and getting his feet wet than the Twins learning about him. I am certain their view of his future is no different today than it was a couple of weeks ago. Ours shouldn’t be either.

Gonsalves (as well as every other pitcher) did get squeezed in this one, but he still wasn't very good otherwise. I'm not impressed with his stuff at all. Depending on the health status of Mejia and Pineda next season, I wouldn't put Gonsalves any higher than 7th or 8th in the rotation pecking order. I certainly wouldn't consider his opportunity as a reason to not sign a free agent starter in the off-season.

People seem to forget Berrios struggles when brought up to MLB.  They lasted over the parts of two seasons.  Gonsalvez is not a high, high end prospect maybe, but he is certainly a projected back of the rotation guy that we need to pan out.  The Twins desperately need some of these upper level guys to work out.

He has dominated at every level, so we will need to give him a shot, as many starts as possible.  Stewart on the other hand has really not done anything to deserve his shot, but I am fine with them seeing what they got in both kids.  Way to early to make snap judgments IMO.

My opinion of Gonsalves has definitely changed - I hadn't actually seen him pitch before. He's not going to succeed in the majors. He's 24 and has no stuff or command. I guess minor leaguers can't hit his change-up but it's clearly not an issue for MLB hitters. Berrios had command issues but the stuff was obvious.

I'd take Stewart over Gonsalves without hesitation, and I'm not particularly high on Stewart.

People seem to forget Berrios struggles when brought up to MLB.  They lasted over the parts of two seasons.  Gonsalvez is not a high, high end prospect maybe, but he is certainly a projected back of the rotation guy that we need to pan out.  The Twins desperately need some of these upper level guys to work out.

 

He has dominated at every level, so we will need to give him a shot, as many starts as possible.  Stewart on the other hand has really not done anything to deserve his shot, but I am fine with them seeing what they got in both kids.  Way to early to make snap judgments IMO.

Oh, I certainly haven't forgotten that. The problem for me is that Berrios had the stuff and Gonsalves doesn't seem to. I believe that Stephen will figure out his command problems because outside of 2018, he hasn't struggled with that. However, I'm not sure if his fastball is going to be good enough. I had him pegged as a #4 starter in the majors and I wondering if he's more of a fiver now...

 

I'd take Stewart over Gonsalves without hesitation, and I'm not particularly high on Stewart.

I don't quite agree, I think Gonsalves will be a better starter. Methinks Stewart could be a decent bullpen arm, but I just can't see him as a starter. He has the 95 fastball and nothing else.

Oh, I certainly haven't forgotten that. The problem for me is that Berrios had the stuff and Gonsalves doesn't seem to. I believe that Stephen will figure out his command problems because outside of 2018, he hasn't struggled with that. However, I'm not sure if his fastball is going to be good enough. I had him pegged as a #4 starter in the majors and I wondering if he's more of a fiver now...

 

I don't quite agree, I think Gonsalves will be a better starter. Methinks Stewart could be a decent bullpen arm, but I just can't see him as a starter. He has the 95 fastball and nothing else.

Gonsalves doesn't even profile as a reliever for me. He'll do OK in AAA next year and then get dropped from the 40-man, and float around as a AAAA guy for several years until he retires. MLB is hard.

Enjoyed this game immensely. At least, what little I saw of it. I got home to turn on the game just as the Texas guy jacked the 3-run HR, and my first thought was, "6-zip. Not impossible to come back." Changed channels, came back, it was 6-1. Switched channels again, came back it was 6-3. Getting interesting. Switched again, came back just as Garver cleared the bases to tie it up. Didn't want to jinx things by watching what transpired, so switched channels yet again, and returned as Cave was rounding the bases.

So I saw less than 5 minutes of baseball, but it was all wild, wild stuff.