DocBauer

Nice comments on Centeno. He did show flashes in ST. He is off to a solid start in Rochester. And he may be able to contribute at some point as he is now the Twins 3rd catcher, probably. But I don't think it divides the handling and loss of Hicks. I really wasn't sure what to expect from Park. In truth, I don't think anyone did. But we were all hopeful. There will be streaks I'm sure. But I've been impressed. I think he belongs and has been mostly impressive.

Chief, I agree he'll warrant another shot. I'd even bet on it. So I agree with you there. But I am going to respectfully disagree, for now, on Meyer's future. Really, any young pitcher will struggle with his stuff and command at various points. That's why the grow, learn and advance through the minors. And the simple truth is, longer, taller pitchers have seemingly always had a bit more of a struggle finding proper repitition. Despite a few lapses in control, Meyer made steady progress in his milb career, was considered a top 100 prospect just as recently as the conclusion of the 2014 season. And we all remember the raging debates as the Twins handling of him the second half, and late, in that season. The arguements raged back and forth from the Twins stating he needed to tweak his control a bit more, and the other side of the equation that he was ready and needed ML service time to continue to grow and develop. I am NOT rehashing this old arguement, just stating how highly he was regarded a year ago. Ish. Distracted, hurt, disappointed, grieving, whatever the issue (s) Meyer had a rough and very disappointing 2015, (despite a few solid stretches in the pen). Fast forward to this new year in which he got off to a strong start at Rochester, SSS or not, before coming up...then sitting on the bench when he probably could have gotten at least one more AAA start...before getting his first ML start, with splinters in his backside, and getting pulled with 2 outs when the Twins said he wasn't on any pitch count. He is not the first top prospect to have a disappointing season. He wouldn't be the first top prospect to learn, grow and rebound from such an experience. And I hope he does. And I hope he doesn't take this p**s poor handling recently in a negative fashion. I hope, if anything, it helps light a stronger fire under him. But with his previous track record, his ability and potential, his solid start to 2016, I simply can't view him as a RP candidate at this point.

That might be me you are referring to. And I think it's an important point. I'm not saying empty the minor leagues and just promote everyone. I think the time for an Astros-like move to do so, or what the Twins did in '82, is gone at this point. Part of the young nucleus has already arrived, and been arriving, for a couple of years now. But a 40 man roster doesn't mean you get to promote all your top prospects, while keeping your veterans, and suddenly get to play with a 40 man roster. Berrios is ready. Duffey too is probably ready, despite his rough ST. Meyer, hopefully, will take this latest cup of coffee as a learning experience, be even more determined to get back, and continue at Rochester where he left off. You arent, and cant, run with a 7 or 8 man rotation. So moves to the pen, eating some contract money, sweetening a trade with another player, whatever, you are going to have move out today for tomorrow.

Pretty much this. I did a nicely responded to, but somewhat quickly faded post referencing "blowing up" the roster, and when it should take place this season. And I feel we're making a lot of the same points again on here. Points that seem simplistic in the rather obviousness of their nature. If the team is not going to contend...and right now we're not even overly confident about a winning record...then the FO needs to make room for the future of this team. Nolasco and Milone, for example, are NOT part of the future of this team. It's not personal, it's just a fact. And at this point, or at some point this season, Meyer, Duffey and Berrios, for instance, will be pounding on and kicking in the door that they are ready, (or ready again) for their opportunity. Whether it means taking back a lower level, marginal prospect, throwing in some of the remaining contract dollars or something similar, guys have to be moved. You can't build up a milb system that is one of the best in baseball, keep them, (as in not trade them), and just never promote them.

Outstanding nytwinsfan! Look, with Santana healthy and ready to come back, OK, I don't like it but I get it, time to send Meyer down. But like NY says, "why?" Who is he really blocking for our future? Why was he brought up to collect splinters for days on end before his relief appearance? Why was he pulled after settling down and getting 2 outs in the third, especially when they said he wasn't on a specific pitch limit? Maybe he gets shelled. Maybe he gets the 3rd out, then has a solid 4,5, maybe even 6th inning. But we'll never know now will we. You don't want 3 youngsters like Meyer, Berrios and Duffey all starting at once? OK, say that, send one down for now, start the other two. But stop the yo-yo garbage.

There is a sick, borderline desperate part of me that wants to see injuries linger a bit longer, (while wishing no-one actual harm), so that Berrios, Duffey and Meyer can all make multiple starts. Does this make me a bad person/fan?

I can not like this initial post enough! EPIC! But two comments: 1} I was smart drunken-still wise enough to refuse the dare in the same situation. "So I got that going for me." 2} Dude, the cassette deck era is OVER. Kid probably did you a favor by stealing your car stereo and making you go by a CD deck.

Darnell is a bit of an enigma at this point. He had a really fine 2014 at Rochester, and while K king, he did garner a few SO's. I thought we might have a function 5th SP who could end up being a nice long-middle man who could spot start. But then he had a pretty rough 2015 before a late season rally that earned him a September promotion. Unfortunate, he got very ill and couldn't play. After a solid ST, despite low K totals thus far, he's off to a quality start in 2016. I'm not saying he has monster stuff, but I'm still wondering if there is a viable LH arm for a bullpen there.

A really nice write-up SD. Thank you! I know that at the end of the day milb is more about player development than winning. And you don't exactly get to pick and choose your roster like you do at the ML because you have to play your young prospects, but I'm impressed with Mauer as a manager, and the various coaches the Twins employee in milb. I know you to draft and sign smart, and it sure seems that the Twins have been doing a great job of that the past few years, but you have to have coaches and managers to teach and develop that talent. I really think the entire Twins milb system is doing a great job of that.

Like you, I have often defended Ryan's moves. I don't grade him poorly for the Twins not winning or advancing to the WS back in his first tenure. IMO, in any sport, your goal is to field a winning team that can reach the post season. I believe it is short-sighted and down right incorrect to say you build a championship team. Unless you possess a fully functional crystal ball, that's impossible to do. I also don't feel Ryan has been incompetent in his second tenure. I still support the May and Meyer trades. He's adequate other moves that aren't bad, and the minor league system has thrived under his watch, and are begining to pay dividends at the ML level. I can't even blame him for most of the veteran FA SP conundrum where the Twins are seemingly locked in to some contracts that block youngsters. Hughes should absolutely not been extended when he was, but his initial signing, plus Santana, and even Nolasco, unto themselves, we're not bad acquisitions. But I have to say, despite past success and being a good baseball man and a good guy, there have been moves, and non moves, the past few seasons that really have me questioning him as the leader of the organization at this point. Have there been a few injuries that have thrown some of the rebuild in to chaos? Yes. But injuries happen, and we all know this. For three straight seasons the Twins have been nothing but patchwork in CF. How can you possibly count on Hicks and Buxton jumping from AA for three straight seasons as the answer with little to nothing available for a backup plan? The exact same thing applies to the bullpen the past two years. And then the whole, inexplicable Murphy signing and Hicks fiasco, along with a two man bench for a few games. What will define, possibly save, Ryan is what he does the rest of this season. If you are going to build with youth, horde said youth, sooner or later, as that youth matures, you have to make room for it. And you do that youth a disservice by promoting it to just sit on the bench and not play. Unless this team goes on a real run at some point, and looks like a real contender, at some point you absolutely have to look at eating some or all of a contract, throw another young player in a deal if you have to, and look at Plouffe, Dozier, Perkins, Hughes, E Santana, Nolasco and Milone as moveable options to make way for youth.

Wondering, while this is the majors, not the minors, and it's about results and much less about player development, until or unless a trade is made at some point, would the Twins consider a 6 man rotation at some point? I may be mistaken, but the way it's done in milb, particularly with the Kernals, don't they rotate the starters every few potential starts to a few days in the pen before starting again? This would mean you could keep a 12 man staff, while allowing Meyer, Duffey and Berrios to stay up, keep starting most of the time, while still working in the veteran starters. Now, everyone healthy there are still too many starters, but it's a thought.

One of the things I like most about Berrios is his pitching instincts. Yes he has good stuff. Yes he has a great work ethic. Yes he has a determined, bulldog mentality. But if you recall his first few starts at Rochester last season, he didn't have great results. In an interview, after about his second or third start, he made comments regarding needing to change some things in his approach. He then went out and killed it the rest of the year.

Now this is some exciting stuff!

Frankly, this is a conundrum the Twins shouldn't be facing. How a professional organization couldn't plan even a bit better in regard to their roster management is beyond me. I know the Santana/Duffey situation is rather unexpected, but to make Polanco, Buxton and Kepler all unavailable is mystifying. There is certainly an arguement for Beresford and his tenure with the organization, the fact he probably more than deserved a shot last September, and positional flexability. But, with Santana back, available to play all over, and Plouffe reportedly back soon, and with more questions in the OF, I'd pick Mastroianni. He's nothing special overall, to be sure. But he plays good defense, including CF. He's sort of a known quantity. He had a good ST and is still getting OB, despite a poor BA at Rochester. He would be the most intelligent choice at this point. Either him, or you make a DL move to allow he and Polanco both to come up.

This game with Cleveland is just killing me right now. I feel there were several veteran options, none of them overly exlensive, out there this past off season that wouled be great fits for the Twins to provide depth, match up options, and options so Buxton and Kepler wouldn't have to be forced to the ML level so soon. Byrd and Davis were two of the guys I really liked. While not a perfect solution, doesn't the OF look better right now with Byrd playing/alternating in the corners and Davis in CF while Buxton and Kepler get some much needed AAA time? Of course, I also thought, as before and elsewhere stated, that Plouffe-Sano-Mauer sharing 3B-DH-1B was a great idea as well.

And the jury is still out on Murphy. Opportunity and a bad start shouldn't condemn him or the trade for him. But the Hicks signing was a solid, cheap move for a solid, fairly young catcher, with at least better than horrible offense. In fact, right now, without even the necessity for a 3rd catcher due to injury, it could be argued Hicks should be brought up, Murphy demoted, in order for Murphy to see daily play and AB for a week or two to get in a groove. OOPS...can't do that now.

Can't and won't dispute this at all! But my arguement was, as just mentioned in another thread, it seemed to incredibly obvious to me that the smart moves were to acquire a decent, solid RH OF to play a corner role with Arcia and Rosario, as well as a decent 4thOF/CF option in case Buxton wasn't ready. This would have allowed various match up scenarios and bench depth. If you did move Rosario to CF for now, you'd still have at least a potentially decent OF.

Starter or top backup, I like Turner. He is a high draft choice from a major conference with glowing reports in his defense, game calling a d leadership from a defensive priority position. The Twins were aggressive with him early on, probably a combination of his backstop ability, splitting he and Garver up, and a sense of urgency with the Mauer move, and he skipped a level he probably shouldn't have. Each of the past two seasons, while I don't have the splits in front of me, he improved and put up better numbers the second half of each season. (Though the 2014 improvement was stronger than '15) Repeating AA, for now at least, at age 24, average age for the level, we're seeing potentially more of what he might be. Catchers generally take longer to develop, we know this. There are very few Mauer's and Rodriguez's out there. So while I've never been down on Turner for his so-so/inconsistent offensive numbers, I'm very encouraged by his start this year in regard to his future.

I know he isn't off to such a great start, but at this point, wouldn't everyone been better off if the Mastro had just been kept directly out of ST where he was playing well and let Buxton open at Rochester? I mean...20/20 hindsight...but if there was any clue he wasn't going to be ready or this is what he'd be facing 20 some games in...sheesh!

I would also say its irresponsible to go in to three straight seasons without at least some reasonable back up option for your CF plan. No matter how great a prospect Buxton is, there were questions as to his readiness this season. (Like Hicks the past 2 seasons) TR confessed as much when he commented to promoting earlier than what they wanted, and before he was ready, last season as they didn't have an option.

My head hurts from banging it against walls. The only person you can drop from your roster to make room for an aging role playing corner OF is your 3rd catcher, who at least has some ability and a little potential?

If Nolasco continues to be solid, I have to believe a team out tnere, very possibly a NL team since that is mostly where his career has been played, would be interested in a solid veteran SP who is healthy again, and only has one more year on his contract. He probably becomes even more tradable if the Twins sweeten the deal with a low prospect or cash. Dealing, cutting or trying Milone in the pen doesn't affect the Twins in any gross manner. I wonder though at the pecking order of promotion. 1] Berrios is a top prospect who is ready, or really, really close. I would never bet against him. But even if he doesn't develop in to a #1, he should still be very good. 2] Duffey may have surprised people, but his milb record is not only solid, but generally showed steady improvemet. His 9 out of 10 solid to good starts in '15 can't be ignored. And he isn't exactly sacking at Rochester right now. 3] Meyer is off to a flying start. Less we forget, he was a top prospect before his disappointing 2015 season. Hey, it happens! But do we ride the wave of a hot start and trust it and his talent that he will be just fine, expected bumps included? Or do we hold him back a little longer to continue building consistency and confidence? In the bullpen, I can absolutely see giving Chargois some AAA time. After all, he missed a ton of milb time due to injury, and despite an impressive ST, has zero time above AA. But then again, once in a while a kid comes along that just seems to have IT. And it sure feels like he may be one of those guys.

I don't believe in machines calling balls and strikes any more than I believe in machines calling pass interference or any other penalty in football. There is a human element to the way the game is played on the field...an inch or two can make the difference of a caught ball or a hit, a foul ball or a double down the line. Almost every single hitter at the plate has a different stance, even proximity in the batterbox, compared to every other batter before and after. Thus, the strike zone, to a degree, changes. And if you have a pitcher, a Maddux for example, that can have pin point control enough to paint a corner right on the black consistently, then I still don't have a problem with that consisfently, even borderline, being called a strike. As long as the calls are consistent. But that is where the problem lies. With the exception of said pin point control being somewhat arbitrary, the strike zone, even for different batters, is still rather clearly defined...and always has been! Human error be damned, a missed call or two will almost certainly balance out for all teams. But it is the blatant disregard for the rules based on personal bias as to what is a strike, or worse, consistent incomletance, that is the root of a problem. Sticking strictly with baseball as a referencd, if a player can't perform as ended or expected, he is benched or optioned down. Why is this not also an option for umpires? The MLBPA has had tremendous power for decades, though that power has eroded ever so slightly the past few years. Despite some attempts at strong armed tactics, the ML umpire association has not been nearly as powerful, despite their belief that they are. The standards are set by regulation. The umpires, their overseers and their union should understand this, and have the capability to review and regulate such standards. There should be no open, personal interpretation of said regulations, for the most part, as there are actual rules and parameters to follow. This is not a professorship...anot entirely different subject matter and debate...and there should be no tenure. I would think it more prudent, any my preference, for any umpire that doesn't make muster to be demoted or removed in favor of a milb, college, or other umpire to receive an opportunity to show his abilities on a promotional or trial basis. (Yes, I exagerate...but only somewhat) Even as complicated as the NFL is in rules interpretation and enforcement, (and this also has probably as many faulty outliers as ML umpires), at least there are reviews and ramifications for performance leading to removal, removal from top games, and a reward system for only top crews to referee top games, playoffs and the Super Bowl. I think it's way past time that MLB step in and do something about umpires and crews that just can't consistently get things right. Being an umpire may be a thankless job in many respects, but it is a PROFESSIONAL occupation. And there is a difference between human error and incompetance.

Absolutely. Both very intriguing talents, though further away. Seth, I had a post recently concerning the Twins actually being sellers at some point this season, winning record or not, possible contention or not, as I felt guys like Nolasco, (only 1 year left on his deal and pitching healthy now it appears), and Milone could be dealt to make room for a Duffey return, and promotion for Berrios and Meyer, assuming he keeps it up. (Hughes and Santana would probably prove much harder to move with longer term deals). My arguement being that the Twins, FO on down, would feel the need and pressure, for long term success, if not short term, to make such moves even if the Twins are not, and supposedly have never been, in actual "rebuild" mode. I'd be very curious on your take on this.

I think I would agree with you here. After a rough season last year, I could easily see the Twins being in a "prove it over some time so we KNOW you are ready" and not just having a couple good games. But really, don't the Twins have to be absolutely giddy at this time to see the rebound Meyer has made? As to Meyer's part in this, he needs to just keep focusing on what he's doing and not get caught up in any promotion thoughts, or despair if someone like Duffey were to go up before him. After all, Duffey was up ,at season, and did have real success. Meyer just needs to keep marching out there, be himself, and keep grinding. The opportunity will come.