SirLoin

Wimmers has pitched quite well in his last 10 outings, 9 of which appear to be out of the bullpen. Does he have the potential to contribute as a long reliever in 2016?

His profile on MiLB.com says 6'2, 195. Based on the way he's described on this board, I was expecting to see David Wells type measurements...

Or send him back to AA....

Did Pinto play any first base last season?

Did I miss something about Sano? Is he hurt, in the doghouse or is he just getting a couple days of rest to recharge?

I'm curious about this Brandon Peterson cat.....How hard does he throw? And, how does he manage to get outs at every level? Good "out" pitch or does he induce a lot of ground balls?

1) I would keep Hermann for his ability to catch, but I think they should find a way to get Pinto's bat into the lineup, at least on a part time basis. 2) I suppose Graham has been used more in the first week than you'd like to see for a Rule 5 pick. I would, at a minimum, see what it would take to keep him via trade, a la Scott Diamond. When it comes down to it, there seems to be a multitude of arms in AAA that could perform at a higher level than Boyer and Stauffer, particularly if it's full rebuild mode.

Sure, the season is only a week old. Yeah, it's a small sample size. But it's already starting to look like this current roster isn't going to give the fan base any reason to invest time or money this summer. I don't know about you, but I can just as easily go to a Red Cow location and enjoy a 60/40 burger and just turn away from the TV when Blaine Boyer throws a fastball down the middle of the plate that's hit over Oswaldo Arcia's head, booted by Jordan Schafer and airmailed over the cut off man by Torii Hunter. (Yeah Bert, that's a call) At this point, the only thing that's going to keep the average fan's attention, and that's to give us a glimpse of the future without a lot of pressure to win. When looking at the current roster, would making these changes make things any worse? Outfield Oswaldo Arcia Jordan Schaefer Eddie Rosario Shane Robinson Aaron Hicks Torii Hunter I don't take issue with the Torii Hunter signing, but there's no way he's a starting outfielder anymore...Let alone batting cleanup. He should be the proverbial fourth outfielder that could provide a little pop off the bench. Sure, I feel dirty just typing the name "Aaron Hicks", but I'm advocating for him to get one last look until June, when it's Buxton or Bust. Bench Chris Hermann Eduardo Nunez Josmil Pinto Eduardo Escobar There's absolutely no reason Pinto's bat shouldn't be on this roster. As it sits now, we don't have a true backup catcher anyway. Bullpen Glen Perkins Casey Fien Blaine Boyer A.J. Achter Tim Stauffer Michael Tonkin J.R. Graham Mike Pelfrey Aaron Thompson Brian Duensing Whether he likes it or not, Pelfrey's future is in the bullpen. If it's not, then he doesn't have a future. As far as Acther and Tonkin go, you could insert any of the following names....Thielbar, Oliveros, Pressly. Rotation Phil Hughes Kyle Gibson Tommy Milone Trevor May Mike Pelfrey Alex Meyer One of the reasons we brought in Neil Allen was his track record with young pitchers. Let Meyer work with him at the major league level. Jason Wheeler is another interesting name here, he has been solid throughout his minor league career. He may not be spectacular, but we're talking about a 5th starter here. There's probably a few other names you could put in here (e.g. Miguel Sano), but when it comes down to it, the only way to energize the fanbase is to give this roster a 1.21 gigawatt bolt of lightning.

Who's heading back to the Red Wings? Pino?

What if Arcia goes all Wilson Ramos during the Angels series? Can you justify sending him down with your starting CF hitting right around Courtney James' and Antoine Broxsie's combined GPA? If Arcia shows a glimmer of his AAA stats, it's time to give the Mastro a good shin guard and let him roam CF for at least the next couple months, while Hicks builds his confidence in AAA. So where do you put Arcia, you might ask? I'm thinking as a DH/RF platoon with Parmelee as Doumit is hitting about as well as a Drew Butera/Matt Walbeck love child. Granted, this is all speculation akin to the golf course I would buy if I won the Powerball, but it doesn't make it any less fun to think about. As fans, we need something to keep us interested in what most accept as a rebuilding year. And if Arcia can light up the Angels, it just might be the fur coat on Kate Upton us fans need to keep warm this sprinter...

What if Arcia goes all Wilson Ramos during the Angels series? Can you justify sending him down with your starting CF hitting right around Courtney James' and Antoine Broxsie's combined GPA? If Arcia shows a glimmer of his AAA stats, it's time to give the Mastro a good shin guard and let him roam CF for at least the next couple months, while Hicks builds his confidence in AAA. So where do you put Arcia, you might ask? I'm thinking as a DH/RF platoon with Parmelee as Doumit is hitting about as well as a Drew Butera/Matt Walbeck love child. Granted, this is all speculation akin to the golf course I would buy if I won the Powerball, but it doesn't make it any less fun to think about. As fans, we need something to keep us interested in what most accept as a rebuilding year. And if Arcia can light up the Angels, it just might be the fur coat on Kate Upton us fans need to keep warm this sprinter...

It's too bad there isn't a way to get the St. Paul Saints into the Midwest League, especially if they find a way to make that new downtown stadium work. Could you imagine what the attendance would look like if Miguel Sano was playing for the Saints this season? On the surface it seems like a win-win, but I imagine there would be significant roadblocks to such a concept.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]966[/ATTACH] Ben Revere needs to be on the Twins roster and starting in Right Field. Period. There....I said it. I know, Darin Mastroianni had that cute game the other night, and Komatsu is a Rule 5 player, but honestly what do these two players bring to the table that Ben Revere doesn't? Revere has proved capable every time he has been brought up, and has even provided some moments of excitement. Outside of Wilkin Ramirez and Pedro Florimon, Revere has been the hottest hitter in the Twins minor league system. He's currently hitting .322 and hasn't made any errors in the field to date. Now, I know he's outfield version of Luis Castillo, but last time I checked singles are still considered hits - something the Twins haven't produced lately. The other knock on him is his arm, which I feel is offset by his ability to turn potential extra base hits into outs due to his speed. Considering the assisted living unit of our starting rotation almost exclusively depends on the defense making plays, Revere fits into the equation. The corresponding move here would require the Twins making a decision on Mastroianni or Komatsu. Either one would be fine as the 4th outfielder. Sending Mastroianni down would be the easy move, as Komatsu would have to be returned to the Nationals. However, the powers that be could pick up the phone and see if there's a low level prospect the Nationals might be interested in. The Twins did the same thing last year with Scott Diamond, and at least so far it's paid a couple dividends. Basically, the Twins need to just pick one and go with it. Based on the above analysis, my "optimal" Twins lineup would look like this: Span (CF) Mauer (C/DH) Willingham (LF) Morneau (1B) Doumit (DH/C) Dozier (SS) Plouffe (3B) Carroll (2B) Revere (RF) I realize that leaves a bench of Mastroianni/Komastu, Butera and Casilla, but it's not like we've been getting much out of the bench anyway. If Wilkin Ramirez continues to destroy everything thrown at him, he'll quickly become an option for the 4th OF spot. Trevor Plouffe.....you're on the clock.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]885[/ATTACH] After reading (and wholeheartedly agreeing) with Nick Nelson's latest post "Dark Days in Minnesota", the title of this entry immediately weasled it's way into the forefront of my brain, wedging its way in-between my (hopefully irrational) fear that the Minnesota legislature is about to screw the pooch all the way to LA, and the YouTube video where Kate Upton does the Cat Daddy (whatever that is). After watching the last seven months or so of Twins regular-season baseball, what keeps me interested is the fact that sometimes crisis does breed opportunity. What my incoherent babbling and overuse of cliche means is that while the Twins are borderline unwatchable, there are some critical events coming up that, if executed properly, can bring the Twins back to relevance in a short period of time (let's say 2014). June 4 - 2012 MLB Draft This year's draft is probably the most important the Twins have had in recent memory. With the #2 pick, the Twins need to pick a player, regardless of position, that can move through the Minors quickly and make an impact. This is not the time to draft a "raw" player with five tool potential. Whoever they pick needs to be a cornerstore of the rebuilding effort along with Miguel Sano. Three players that look to fit that bill are college pitchers Kevin Gausman (LSU), Mark Appel (Stanford) and college catcher Mike Zunino (Florida). July 31 - Non-Waiver Trade Deadline Bring the kids down for free dogs and balloons, we will not be undersold! It's inventory clearance time at Target Field! We've got capable innings-eating 4th starters, perfect for your pennant chase! We've got a set-up man pretenting to be a closer! We've got leadoff hitting centerfielders! We've even got the body of a power-hitting first baseman and a left-handed starter with minor damage that's perfect for your restoration project! Bring your mlb-ready prospects! No reasonable offer refused! August 1 - The Future is Now Memo To: Chris Parmalee, Trever Plouffe, Scott Diamond, Brian Dozier, Ben Revere, Anthony Slama, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Delois Guerra, Cole DeVries, Joe Benson, Jeff Manship, New Guys Acquired Yesterday From: Terry Ryan, General Manager You have two months. Let's see what you've got. 6th day after completion of World Series Terry, I'm glad you enjoyed your first year back at the Pohlad's Scrooge McDuck Money Pool Party. But this year you have an agenda. It's your job to remind the Pohlads that there's a direct correlation between a shrinking payroll, shrinking attendance and shrinking wallets. So unless the Pohlads want to downgrade to one of those plastic turtle-shaped kiddie pools for next year's party, they must invest in at a bare minimum - A #1 or #2 starter, and a 3B with a solid glove and 100 RBI potential. Opening Day - 2013 Miguel Sano - Welcome to AA, keep up the good work and we'll see you in September. Kyle Gibson - How's the arm? Give us some good innings in AAA, and we'll see you in June. 2013 MLB Draft See "2012 MLB Draft". Except now we're picking first. So while we're in the perverbial abyss right now, there is hope Twins fans. As long as the front office doesn't drop the ball in the next 12 months. Did anyone else feel that chill?

Oh for sure, my idea for the post was to look at potential options after the season ends. Shaking up the coaching staff during the season wouldn't do any good. That seems to only work in hockey. I was curious to see what options were out there should we have another poor season.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]840[/ATTACH] Coupled with the lousy start, the constant Jim Wacker-esque obscure positive spins and excuse making, there is a growing sentiment around the Twins fanbase that sweeping changes need to be made within the organization, starting with management. Short of Lou Brown rising from the grave to turn around the Twins season, it might be time to start thinking about putting Gardenhire and his staff out to pasture at season's end. While it's easy put the blame on the manager, it also begs the question of who could possibly be a viable replacement. Taking a look at some of the jobs that were available at the end of the season (Cubs, Red Sox, et al), and who were some of the finalists, there are some candidates that could inject some life into the organization and maybe generate some excitement in the fan base. The Old Guard: Terry Francona, Don Baylor Both Francona and Baylor are managers with significant amounts of experience, and in the case of Francona, a championship pedigree. If the Twins go into full-scale rebuilding mode, Baylor could be a good fit. He has some Twins ties from the 1987 championship season, and has had some success as a manager, winning NL Manager of the Year in 1995. While Baylor might not be a "sexy" pick in the eyes of Twins fans, he could be someone who could groom a future manager by bringing in someone like Matt LeCroy as a bench coach.If there's ever been a manager that could benefit from a change of scenery, it's Terry Francona. The two World Series championships speak for themselves, but in Boston, it's "what have you done for me lately"? Francona could thrive in a place like Minnesota where the scrutiny is nowhere near the level of the East Coast, and it's the perverbial "big name" that Minnesota sports fans can get excited about. "Young" Guns: Ryne Sandberg, Dave Martinez, Sandy Alomar, Jr. All three of these candidates have been finalists for other managerial positions in the past, and the one that stands out to me is Dave Martinez. As the bench coach for the Rays, he has learned under the tutelage of one of the top managers in the game today in Joe Maddon. Sandberg has been mentioned several times as a managerial candidate, particularly for the Cubs opening after last season. With Theo Epstein passing on him in favor of Dale Svuem, it would appear the Cubs ship has sailed. He has been managing in the minors since 2007, most recently with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs where he was awarded 2011 Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America. While another big name hire, the downfall here is that his name will likely come up every single time the Cubs job opens up, whether there is mutual interest or not, which is a headache the Minnesota sports fan doesn't need these days (see Smith, Tubby). As the bench coach with the Cleveland Indians, Alomar is certainly familiar with the AL Central. Plus, there's the old adage that former catchers make the best managers, a la Mike Scioscia. He has been on the short list for managerial positions with the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Cubs. One has to wonder why he has been a finalist so many times and never been hired (see Fraizer, Leslie), but he is a well-known name with a significant about of baseball knowledge that could translate well to a young team. Long Shots: Tom Brunansky, Paul Molitor, Matt LeCroy Former Twin Matt LeCroy is currently the manager of the Eastern League’s Harrisburg Senators, a Washington Nationals farm club. LeCroy led the Single-A Potomac Nationals to the Carolina League playoffs last season, and he was manager of the Single-A Hagerstown Suns in 2008-2009. While well liked within the Twins organization, at age 36 he is likely too raw for a major league manager gig. However, I'd like to see him brought into the organization as a bench coach to learn under a more established manager.Molitor and Brunansky have never really expressed any interest in managing, so they're the real long shots. Both would be interesting candidates considering their obvious connections to the Twins. Bruno has enjoyed a lot of success as a hitting coach in the Twins organization, and that would likely be the best fit for him at the major league level. Molitor's name has been thrown around on several occasions for a myriad of job openings, but since he's never bitten on one to date, it's hard to imagine him going that route at this point, especially with no managerial experience. That being said, it would be worth the Twins while to make a run at him for a role within the coaching staff, perhaps as a 3rd base coach, or returning to the role of bench coach. Granted, it's premature speculation that Gardy would be relieved of his duties. But if the Twins continue at their current pace, it's at least intriguing to consider what options are out there.

Six and Sixteen. The worst record in Major League Baseball. Let that sink in for a second. Now.... We gave the Pohlads their precious stadium, and I can only imagine they've all developed Scoliosis from sitting on their cash-filled hands because they haven't done a thing to put an appealing product on the field in the last two years. They just sit back and light their cuban cigars with the $20 we plunked down for a hot dog and a beer at their monument to excess. We're quickly becoming part of the same class as the Pirates and Padres, the travel agents of the baseball world. The question is, what do we as fans do about it, short of toppling the statue of Carl and Eloise (a la Saddam Hussein)? I mean sure, I loved the mid 90's when I could buy an upper deck general admission ticket at the dome, tell the security guard I was going down to the Rally Room and go sit on the third base line, but you still had to sit through that glorious 1-2 punch of Butch Huskey and Chad Allen (...on steroids for God's sake). And this is the direction we're heading folks... If this keeps up, we as fans need to voice our displeasure by either not watching, not going to Target Field or if we do go, making sure our voices our heard. They need some tough love. Or maybe Trevor Plouffe just needs some Andro.....

Six and Sixteen. The worst record in Major League Baseball. Let that sink in for a second. Now.... We gave the Pohlads their precious stadium, and I can only imagine they've all developed Scoliosis from sitting on their cash-filled hands because they haven't done a thing to put an appealing product on the field in the last two years. They just sit back and light their cuban cigars with the $20 we plunked down for a hot dog and a beer at their monument to excess. We're quickly becoming part of the same class as the Pirates and Padres, the travel agents of the baseball world. The question is, what do we as fans do about it, short of toppling the statue of Carl and Eloise (a la Saddam Hussein)? I mean sure, I loved the mid 90's when I could buy an upper deck general admission ticket at the dome, tell the security guard I was going down to the Rally Room and go sit on the third base line, but you still had to sit through that glorious 1-2 punch of Butch Huskey and Chad Allen (...on steroids for God's sake). And this is the direction we're heading folks... If this keeps up, we as fans need to voice our displeasure by either not watching, not going to Target Field or if we do go, making sure our voices our heard. They need some tough love. Or maybe Trevor Plouffe just needs some Andro.....

Didn't Suarez get cut the other day?