darwin22

Nick: You offer a lot of intriguing questions for next season, which are all questions that I and most Twins have at this point of a lost season. Many of these will be answered over the next 2 weeks as we see what players---especially those on expiring contracts-----Cruz, Simmons, Pineda are dealt. One area that you didn't address is our future state of affairs at the catcher position. I'd be interested to hear your perspective as well as other fans. I'll offer my "2 cents" for now: 1. What to do with Garver? Of all the hitters that BOMBED their way into history in 2019, the enigma of Mitch Garver continues. Without going into history that all know------I'd suggest--for at least the rest of the season---assuming Garver is back soon from his rehab---that Baldelli employs a time share between Garver and Jeffers. 2. Ryan Jeffers: Count me in the camp that advocate for Jeffers to be our regular (120 games plus) starting catcher in 2022. I believe Jeffers is far superior defensively than Garver and is starting to figure things out with his bat. 3. Ben Rortvedt: Great kid who offers some good defensive skills, but needs REGULAR ABs at Saint Paul the rest of the season to see if he jump into the mix as a backup for next season. 4. Willians Austudillo: Might not belong in this grouping, but he has shown promise at AAA since his demotion. Love his passion and flair, but doubt those intangibles justify a roster spot this season or moving into 2022.

Count me in the camp of being pleased to see Barnes get this opportunity, which, imo he absolutely deserves. I've been calling for his promotion for the last couple of weeks and echo your comments that he should get a fair evaluation to stay in the rotation. I know Happ will remain in rotation through trade deadline, but if Pineda is dealt (he should be) and Dobnak remains MIA (injury), Barnes could serve as SP5 with Happ moving into a long man RP role. Happ's last start was very good, but that doesn't negate the fact that even including that last start he has a horrible 6.75 ERA and robust WHIP (1.75) in his 7 starts since June 1st. I will say AGAIN......the rest of this season is about 1 thing: EVALUATION FOR 2022.

Add me to the camp that is 100% against promoting Cave back to the active roster. I don't hate Cave, but when looking at his putrid numbers from this season and in 2020-----he hasn't done squat to deserve ABs at the MLB level. IMO, the only purpose he serves is as at LH bat to pinch hit, a pinch runner late in the game or as a late inning defensive replacement. The issue is--the Twins already have that in Nick Gordon, who has better speed and offers more flexibility defensively. It has become time to demote Celestino. This is especially true when Cruz is traded. Rooker offers a needed RH bat that can DH in lieu of Sano and can play either corner OF position. Celestino needs REGULAR ABs, which he's not getting--nor should he---at either Wichita or Saint Paul. I think Wichita is the better spot for him for at least the remainder of the season.

Nash: Appreciate the updates for our affiliates today, despite a rough day for the Saints in Des Moines against the I-Cubs. Attended the Kernels game today (our 3rd road trip after seeing Surge in Springfield and Wichita) and came away with a few observations. 1. Although battling some early command issues, Tyler Watson pitched effectively completing 4 shutout IP. Came away wondering if FO plan is to keep Watson as a SP as it appears he pitched exclusively out of the bullpen earlier this year, 2. Nice day by Wander Javier with 2 hits..1 being a missile line drive triple to left center in the 4th inning. Javier also had a nice game defensively with 5 assists at SS. 3. Came away impressed with DaShawn Kiersey. Despite a low average he has a strong OBP (.365). Kiersey hit the ball hard in each AB and also stole a base. 4. Beyond the performance of Watson I was very impressed with the performance of RP Derek Molina. He was lights out in his 2+ IP this afternoon. Great command with a quality fastball, but even better was his offspeed pitches. Although Molina's overall season numbers might not look that great-----since June 17th-----8 games (all in relief) he's pitched 17.33 innings allowing only 2 ER (1.04 ERA). Moreover, his dominance over the last 3 weeks can be proved with a miniscule 0.40 WHIP.......6 hits with only 1 walk over those 17.1 IP. Molina has also registered 24 K's over that span. 14th round pick from 2017 draft---keep an eye on this kid! 5. Great to see Kernels finish off the sweep vs. Peoria despite the bats having an overall down day. Some of that may have been attributed to Julien and Camargo both getting the day off. and finally Having never attended a game in Cedar Rapids despite growing up in the area (Cedar Falls) many years ago when they were a Giants, Cincy and Angels affiliate---I was blown away by the game day experience. Had 2 box seats behind Kernels dugout for a total of $26.00. Parking was free! Stadium is easy to find in Cedar Rapids. Concessions are extremely affordable with a great variety of options. As great as all that was, the Kernels game day staff was extremely friendly not only to my spouse and I, but to fans in every part of the park. Also, on Sundays--all kids 12 and under eat FREE!! If anyone is looking for a fun road trip with a quality team to root for------get to a Kernels game this season. You will not leave disappointed.

Matt: Thanks for your update of our affiliates tonight. A few remarks: 1. Great to see Balazovic dominate in his start tonight. Looking like he's building towards a later season (September) call up. Saw Balazovic pitch in mid June against Springfield when he had a very good start. Im sure the FO is keeping close tabs on his innings and will be very careful with him as he's had some injury issues. I would suggest if he can continue to be close to this impressive the remainder of July, an August promotion to Saint Paul will be coming. 2. Nice to see the Wind Surge FINALLY register a "W" at home tonight. They need to build off tonights win (thank you BJ "Crash" Boyd) and get another win tomorrow before their important upcoming home series vs. Tulsa. 3. Also great to see the Kernels continue their solid play with another win at home tonight against Peoria. Drove up from KC area tonight (family trip) with plan for road trip tomorrow afternoon to see series finale. Having attended college in CR area (Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls), I've never made it there for a minor league game. Excited to see rising hitters in the Kernels lineup. Thankfully its looking like the weather will cooperate. and finally.... Any word/development on the potential promotions of 2 RPs-------Ian Hamilton (SP) and Jovanni Moran (Wichita)? Hamilton has been dominant recently (1.08 ERA) and appears to have harnessed his control issues. Moran has been rock solid all season for Wind Surge. Keep up the great work.

True....but considering this team hasn't been at the .500 mark since April 13th and is on pace for 69 wins (93 losses), still a colossal failure. Saying that.......nice to see bullpen (minus Thielbar) perform well. Also nice to see that Robbie Grossman is still using the same "waffle iron" of a glove he displayed for years in a Twins uniform.

Ted: Nice report on tonight's games across the board. A few observations: #1 Assuming Pineda can show some semblance of production in his starts after the ASB and gets dealt------its TIME that Charlie Barnes gets a promotion to starting rotation for Twins. 5-2 record with a decent ERA (3.88), respectable WHIP (1.26) and an excellet (50-19) K to BB rate, imo, warrants this opportunity. If Griffin Jax and Lewis Thorpe can get starts for the Twins, why not Barnes? #2 Disappointed to see the Wind Surge struggle in their series so far vs. NW Arkansas. I may be out on a limb here, but I'd much rather see Celestino getting regular ABs with Wichita than very sporadic ABs with Twins. I know FO is concerned about risking another Kepler injury and is reluctant to give Gordon consistent starts with Buxton still out. I stand by my comment- Celestino needs to be sent down either to Saint Paul or Wichita. Broxton has has a recent uptick with his bat and would serve Twins well defensively in CF and as a RH bat option off the bench. #3 What does Ian Hamilton have to do to get promoted to Twins? Another excellent out tonight------2.1 shutout IP with 2 whiffs, 0 walks, which lowered his ERA to 1.08. Is a 3rd LH RP in Coulombe that important in bullpen? Hamilton deserves a promotion. #4 Nice to Wander Javier walk things off tonight for the Kernels. Looking forward to checking Javier and others out this weekend as I'm planning a Sunday road trip up to Cedar Rapids.

Although there are several that should be traded------I hope Pineda is dealt. Saying that, I like Pineda and believe it could be argued that over the past 2+ seasons he's been the most consistent and reliable of all of our SPs. Hopefully Big Mike can shake off the rust after the ASB break with potentially 2 starts vs. DET and 1 vs. Angels (I'd be fine skipping the Sox in Chicago after his performance yesterday. As I've posted multiple times in the last month----the rest of this season is 100% for EVALUATION for 2022. If a trade can be worked out for Pineda-----that opens a rotation slot up for Charlie Barnes. Barnes recorded another "W" tonight to improve his record to 5-2. Although his ERA (3.88) is not in the territory of Josh Winder, I believe Barnes has EARNED this opportunity. If Griffin Jax (1 start) and Thorpe (3) can get starts-------why not Barnes? Barnes had 5 shutout IP tonight before giving up 3 runs in the 6th in the Saints blowout win over the I-Cubs. Barnes has a respectable WHIP (1.26) and a very impressive K to BB rate (50-19). Assuming neither Berrios nor Maeda are traded, Barnes could slide into the rotation along with Ober staying in. That would still necessitate a 5th starter, which Dobnak could fill...at least on a temporary basis until Winder is ready to be called up.

bean 5302: Regarding your opening comment------"the Twins have never been a team to make a splash at the trade deadline"-----made me think back to 2003 when the Twins traded for Shannon Stewart from Toronto. That is the ONLY time that I can remember (when the Twins were in contention) that the FO actually received a "in the prime of his career" player that actually contributed afterward.

Dman: Excellent take on Cruz. Beyond his production, his professionalism and tutelage of younger players will be missed a great deal. Hopefully he'll be able to experience some playoff success. He certainly deserves it.

David: Thanks for your update with our affiliates. I was wondering why Winder's start was cut short---thought by the box score---only seeing 2 IP---that it was "planned" (pitch count) or weather was an issue. Hopefully Winder getting "Charlie Browned" was only a glancing blow and that he'll be able to take his next turn in the rotation for the Saints. Looking forward to seeing how Charlie Barnes pitches tomorrow night. IMO, he deserves a promotion soon after the AS break. Especially true if Falvey can find a GM interested in Pineda, who did himself no favors this afternoon vs. the Sox. Hopefully Barnes as well as Winder are pitching with the Twins the last 2 months of the season. All about evaluation for 2022 at this point.

Seth: Thanks for another insightful and informative article about one of our rising prospects. Looking forward to seeing Isola (and several others) this weekend as I have a road trip planned to see the Kernels play Sunday afternoon. Hopefully the weather forecast(50% chance of rain) won't interfere as its likely the only chance I'll be able to get up to Cedar Rapids this season. Would you happen to know who is scheduled to start for the Kernels on Sunday? A big "thank you" to you and all your contributing staff at Twins Daily involved with the "Minor League Report. With the (almost) daily rough days with the Twins-----these reports are a breath of fresh air as it gives me some degree of hope that better days are on the horizon.

Very nice to see one of our potential young guns, take a stand and show some backbone against the Sox. Very impressive performance for Ober as his previous 2 starts were U-G-L-Y to put it nicely. Count me in the "Ober camp" as a legit option for our 2022 starting rotation. Not intending to be overly negative, as I know Thielbar has been above average all season, but he sure appeared to be doing his best early season "Colome impression" in his 1 inning of work. Not making the call right now, but with additional outings of this nature (hoping this is not the case), I believe Jovanni Moran would make a viable replacement. Always nice to see anyone against the Sox. Nice to shut Ozzie Guillen's piehole...at least for 1 night.

I much as it pains to agree------I liked the signing of JD and have been an ardent supporter of his-------these arguments offer well reasoned and intelligent facts of why looking to trade him is in the short and long term interests of this franchise. I know my numbers may be off, but I think JD is owed somewhere in the neighborhood of $51m over the next 2 seasons. I can't believe even the #1 fan of JD would be against a trade that brought legit prospects AND would result in the Twins NOT kicking in money to sweeten the deal. Right now...today......I think the likelihood of trade is maybe 40%. That number is strongly based on the fact that he's not played the last 3 games and has missed a plethora of games the last 2 seasons due to hamstring & calf injuries. If Donaldson get back into lineup THIS week--stay healthy and show production and that same scenario repeats itself for the first 10days after the ASB, I'd argue the likelihood of finding his being traded increases to 70%. Saying that, I'd suggest that the Twins will be asked to assume around $20mill of that guaranteed $$ to make any trade happen.

Lucas---Nice piece on Moran---as I've been strongly in the camp of those fans that believe he can be a strong component to this bullpen for years to come. Having seen Moran close out a win recently in Wichita, I can attest that his fastball (93-95) is legit. As you pointed out is his outstanding changeup. I'm not ready to put that pitch in comparison to Santana's just yet, but the video provided sure brings back fond memories of how ridiculous Johann could make hitters looked when he uncorked that filthy pitch.

If the FO/Falvey brings Shoemaker back to pitch in any role/capacity they should be fired.

Nash: Good work with your update for the day as its always refreshing to see our affiliates have winning performances. Was wondering your (and others) thoughts of when Jovani Moran may get the call up to AAA? Although a blip today--allowing 1 ER (solo shot), Moran's ERA is still outstanding (1.91) with an even more impressive WHIP (0.70). He also has a filthy K to BB rate on the season (55-11) while allowing opposing batters to hit only .110 against him. Also nice to see the Wind Surge finish their road trip (8-4) with a split against Amarillo. They currently lead the North division of the Texas League by a half game over Tulsa. Important 2 week homestand coming up vs. NW Ark and Tulsa. Was also wondering if you have any insight into who the CR Kernels will be starting at home next Sunday in their final home gain against Peoria? Making a drive over to Cedar Rapids while seeing family in Des Moines area. Looks like Kody Funderburk may be getting the start as he was on the bump his past Saturday night. Regardless, looking forward to seeing Camargo, Gray, Javier and Julien. Finally, any injury update on Wallner and Canterino?

Small sample size with Griffen Jax-----only 5 games with only 1 start-------but his numbers...8.66 ERA/1.70 WHIP/ horrible K to BB rate (14-8) and 6 HR allowed-------but those numbers, imo dictate a demotion (possibly temporary) to Saint Paul with a promotion for Charlie Barnes. I'll be first to admit that Barnes doesn't have the "IT factor" that other more heralded arms (Winder, Balazovic, Duran) but since the remainder of this season should be all about EVALUATION for 2022, Barnes, imo, deserves an opportunity to showcase his skills based on the following: Pitching at AAA all season Barnes has started 10 games with a 4-2 record to go along with a respectable 3.76 ERA. His WHIP is solid (1.23) and unlike Jax, he has an excellent K/BB rate (46-16). Barnes has allowed 2 or less runs in 7 of his 10 starts. As for Ober, in his 4 starts (not counting the 2 vs. Chicago)--he has looked respectable despite only pitching a total of 17.33 IP in those outings. ERA is 3.64 with a 1.267 WHIP and an excellent K to BB rate (19-3). Problem is you just can't forget about those 2 starts vs. the Sox that he's got shelled: 7.1 IP/ ER allowed=9/ ERA=11.05/ WHIP: 1.64 with 5 HRs allowed. From what I've seen from Ober his struggles stem from command and just overall confidence. He appears reluctant to "trust his stuff" at times, thus falling behind in the count. I for one, would like to see Baldelli & Johnson let Ober pitch past the 4th or 5th inning. With the ASB break coming up next week, Ober has time to rest. Let the kid pitch.

Matt: With the exception of Saint Paul, a pretty dismal night for our affiliates, but appreciate your analysis. Posted this the other day on a different thread, but after Barnes' impressive work last night I hope your observation that a promotion is imminent is true. Im sure Griffin Jax is a nice person, but after getting lit up last night, its time to move on. As many others have noted we've reached the point where the remainder of this season is 100% about EVALUATION for next season. Barnes, imo, has absolutely earned the opportunity to take a slot in Twins starting rotation. Should---I sure hope sooner than later------Happ is DFA'ed or relegated to long relief, there's a spot open for Barnes. If Pineda can show something in his next 2 starts, preferably at the big league level, the likelihood of him being dealt increases. That would open up a spot for Josh Winder. I'm sure FO will want to limit his IP the rest of the season, but if he pitch anywhere close to what he's done all season-----he needs to be in the rotation very soon after the AS break.

By no means disagreeing with your assessment, but its pretty sad to be thinking of Kepler as a 4th OFer when he's guaranteed $15.25mill over the next 2 seasons (6.75 in 2022/ 8.5 in 2023).

Bighat: Excellent analysis of the sad state of affairs with what USED to be a franchise with players (Hrbek, Gaetti, Mienkiewicz) who played with emotion--grit--intensity and HATED to lose. I think you nailed it with Rocco. His managerial style---trust the process, play for tomorrow--must be what the FO wants. Its not what I want. Attitude reflects leadership. Rocco's laid back style is NOT working. I'm not advocating a "Billy Martin clone" replacement, but I really wonder if Rocco has the internal talent to motivate his players. Will be interesting to see what transpires over the next few weeks as Cruz, Pineda and Simmons---all on expiring contracts--should be dealt.

Although only a short 20 minute drive away from Kauffman Stadium, I had ZERO interest in attending tonights game as I knew the Twins/JA Happ would be just the remedy for the Royals to end their 9 game losing streak. A few observations after ANOTHER bad night of baseball: 1. JA Happ: Can we just end his tenure now? For those who argue that Happ should maintain his spot in rotation-----PLEASE....PRETTY PLEASE respond with a detailed argument in his favor. Noticed a 3-0 lead after 1st inning and commented to my spouse..."well...Happ will p*ss away this lead very soon." I wasn't mistaken. Im sure front office doesn't want to eat whatever portion of Happ's $8m contract a DFA would result in. With Shoemaker gone (good riddance), why can't Happ be relegated to long relief as I can't believe any contending MLB team would want him. 2. Offense disappears after a 3-0 start. Hmm...we've sure seen that far too frequently this season. Best chance to get back in this game came in the 6th as Twins had bases loaded with no outs. What followed was a microcosm of this teams inability to perform with RISP. Arraez DP and JD whiff results in 1 measly run. Just horrible. 3. What do with starting rotation moving forward? Yes, a poor rehab AAA start for Pineda last night, but his reasonable success earlier this season combined with his strong performance in 2019 and 2020-imo, should make him a commodity on the trade market. So assuming Twins can find a way to deal him, what would starting rotation look like for rest of season. My thoughts: SP1 Berrios: Count me in the camp that is 95% in favor of keeping Berrios and looking in the offseason to find a way to sign him to a contract extension. SP2 Maeda: If he can stay healthy----you just got to hope--what else can we do?------he can find some semblance of the reliable (and productive) SP we was in 2020 SP3 Bailey Ober: May be in the minority here.....but I like Ober's upside and he's shown in his starts (subtract starts vs. White Sox) that his stuff can play at this level. Here's where things change... SP4 Charlie Barnes: Promotion from AAA Saint Paul. In 9 GS this season Barnes is 3-2 with a 3.94 ERA/ 1.27 WHIP with a strong K/BB rate (43-15) and respectable/good opponents batting avg (.240). Although Barnes had two BAD starts in June----he did have 3 excellent starts allowing only 1 ER in 17 IP. IMO, its time...rest of season is 100% for evaluation---to see what he (and others) can do. Barnes is only 25. 4th Rd. pick in 2017 draft out of Clemson. SP5 Josh Winder: Yes, I'm going there. Not as highly touted as others (Balazovic & Duran), but this kid is showing he's ready for "The Show" After dominating in 10 starts at Wichita in May and June (only 1 start with 2+ ER allowed)...his performance tonight against Omaha in his AAA debut was nothing short of fantastic. 5.2 IP...1 hit...2 walks...1 ER and 8K's. If he can pitch close to what he's done all season the next 2 weeks, I see ZERO downside to getting him in rotation soon after the AS break. Backup SP Option: Dobnak. Hasn't done much to justify getting regular starts, but his most recent start--if memory serves---showed some promise.

Great to hear that! Thanks for the details. I was hopeful the "moment" wouldn't be too big for him. He sure answered that doubt with a brilliant start. Good things are coming for Winder.

Having attended 4 Wind Surge games (2 in Springfield---2 in mid June in Wichita), I'm sure I'm biased, but I believe Palacios, Moran and Vallimont all merit a higher ranking. Nothing against Colina & Soularie---I wish both a speedy recovery from injury list-----but I'd argue that both fall more into the honorable mention list just because they've done nothing this season. Palacios has been a strong run producer in the middle of Wichita's lineup all season. Vallimont has very good command and pitched consistently in the mid to low 90s in his effective start vs. Springfield on June 15./16. The player I absolutely believe has the "stuff" that will play at the MLB level is Moran. Consistent at 95 with his heater and an changeup that is filthy. His promotion to Saint Paul is only a matter of time.

Lucas: Well...I think you'd agree that Mr. Winder's performance tonight.....5.2 IP...1 hit....2 BB and 8Ks...only 1 ER allowed (RP that followed allowed run) in win over Omaha---should grab the attention of Falvey and company at Target Field. At this point--------losers of 4 straight (I don't have faith in a comeback tonight) with ANOTHER miserable start by Happ-----Winder should be in starting rotation after the ASB.