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Feeling a little bad for Joe Smith. In a lot of years where the Twins were bad, his numbers might have made him our All-Star by default, which would have been pretty cool for a guy who's been around for so long. But he's having a great season on a team where too many other guys are good too.

I know what you're saying. I actually think the Twins can sustain this in the regular season, but it's hard to get excited when they seem destined to flounder in the playoffs again. This lineup really struggles against high-end starters, and I just don't see our starters maintaining their form in the pressure of the postseason. But they are exceeding my expectations, so I'm trying to just enjoy the ride as well.

I think this is good for all of the "pro" reasons listed in the article. It should make much more of a difference in game times than the 3-batter minimum has. It also feels likely to increase stolen base percentages. Is there data on that from the minor leagues?

I get the anxiety, but I can be a little more patient. It seems like all parties involved are trying to get maximum value from the situation. Story's hoping his price only goes up the longer he waits, and the A's have been leaking out news of every team in the AL Central trying to get their pitchers in an attempt to sweeten the deal, it seems. The Twins can be cheapskates sometimes, but right now they're just in a situation where they can't control the timeline unless they make a deal that we'd likely hate even more than standing pat.