DocBauer

Strotman really intrigues me. Has a good frame, good velocity and the makings of solid secondary pitches. He misses all but a handful of rehab games at the end of 2019 due to surgery, then misses allnof 2020, and skips over AA to head straight to AAA. He could be a real gem with just a little more time and patience.

Just a couple quick comments: 1] I am a believer in Ober and his potential. The league will make adjustments. He will have to make adjustments as well. But his rookie numbers are better than any rookie I can think of in recent memory. 2] With due respect to all of us wanting changes in the pen, and super disappointed with how the pen turned out this year, there is a reason the FO grabs guys to audition. We all know the volatility of RP. And they NEED to bring in a couple good arms for 2022. But isn't it crazy that the quality veteran Colome who we all wanted gone a month ago is suddenly looking like the guy we THOUGHT we were signing? So maybe he suddenly finds himself, too little too late, but has an option year. Is it a mistake to see if maybe the initial signing wasn't so bad after all? And there are a couple others like Farrell, if and when he gets healthy. I don't expect a lot of these guys to be protected as there will be a 40 man crunch and need for 2022. But when you see Minya suddenly look like the decent arm he was a couple years ago, and see Colome suddenly look like the guy we THOUGHT we signed, you understand why the FO makes some of the moves and auditions they do.

Sticking with the OP: (reverse order from the list) 1] I know Raya is a HS pitcher and those kids always seem to have the biggest question marks attached to them. But he was my favorite 2020 selection because I liked his numbers velocity, and potential. Can't tell you how disappointed I am he has yet to see the mound. Any update on his injury? 2] Moran' s career numbers would have him higher on this list if he wasn't a RP and/or threw 92-93. We all know this. My concern is not having at least a "teaser" 3rd offering to RH batters besides his change. But he absolutely deserves a ML shot and soon. I KNOW I'm a hope-monger, but I keep thinking about Thielbar/Thorpe/Moran giving the Twins THREE BP options from the LH side joining Rogers. Been a good 15yrs since we had that. 3] IMO, the entire Midwest and Big 10 footprint has been undervalued for a few years now. And I understand why. But just speaking about Hajjar specifically, what's not to like about a tall and well built LHSP who has 90+ velocity? Only 21yo? Yes please! In a professional environment, his "touching" mid 90's will have him soon sitting in the mid 90's consistently. OBVIOUSLY his development will come down to his 2nd and 3rd offerings as well as his control. But there is a lot to like and work with. But despite being a 2nd round pick, this is where I'd slot him for now. 4] This is about where I'd slot Wander. I don't know any Twins fan who doesn't dream of him still fulfilling his potential. Unfortunately, potential is an ugly word at times. He has flashed. He entices. But he needs more time. At least another full season. I just see no reason to protect him on the 40 man. And any Badoo reference should just be stopped at the door. You just can't compare one kid to another. 5] Very happy to see Soularie actually healthy and finally playing. Just being honest, I didn't understand his selection, even accounting for a weird 2020 season with little to zero baseball played. Forgive me as I'm pulling somewhat from memory, but a great athlete with BAT potential, solid OB, decent speed, pop/power potential with no clear-cut position. He played OF/CF for Tenessee as well as 2B? Remind you of anyone? If not, first thing I thought of was an older Rosario. A great athlete who could play multiple spots and hit with decent speed and some power potential. Honestly, I think the FO has drafted very well so far. And I think they followed the chalk of BPA in a great way. But I'm not sure they did so well in 2020. Considering the Twins drafted so late last year, amidst a crazy year, it will take at least another season to figure out who drafted smart and who didn't. But I admit I was shocked when it was supposed to be a big college arm draft and the FO went the opposite direction. They clearly felt other teams were ignoring other available talent with projection. I am stunned, in a bad way, about Saboto. Hopefully we eat crow about that one. I was equally surprised about Soularie. But I DO appreciate the athletic and talented selection with projection. But unless he has enough speed to play CF, or enough glove and offense to make a difference at 2B....he'd better be a great BAT LF to make his selection pay off.

Just tossing out a few comments/opinions regarding the OP and various other comments. 1] I believe the Twins believe...as do I...that Pineda still has something in the tank and is part of 2022. I'm OK with that. I don't think I'd pencil him in for 30-32 GS, but I'm not sure he has to be with so many young arms getting so close. 2] Barnes was the next man up in the rotation and has done well enough to "deserve" a shot even though I think his best hope is a long relief spot. Jax has surprised me, and I can't help but wonder what he might still be as a late riser considering he basically BARELY pitched his first couple of milb seasons due to his military commitment. But again, like Barnes, I think we're talking a potentially solid middle guy in the pen. The Twins took a high draft shot on him hoping for the best. I applaud the gamble, but it took longer than they expected/hoped for to get full milb time. Ober has impressed the hell out of me. He is NOWHERE close to a finished product. He's still inconsistent with his stuff, and sometimes I think his stuff is moving almost too much, but with limited IP he has been rushed to MLB and more than held his own. I believe 100% the Twins are going to sign a quality SP for 2022. Who and how much I'm just not going to get in to right now. Wrong time and place. The first 3 spots will be FA, Maeda and Pineda. The 4th and 5th spots will be open to the kids. Good chance Ober will be one of those guys. Dobnak might be another. But, thankfully, there is a LONG list of quality young arms to work in the off-season and ST and the first half of 2022 and push for one of those spots. Soon! 3] Fully agree Thorpe just needs to pitch, and probably move to the pen. He COULD be a lesser version of Rogers. That would be a GOOD THING. But regardless what role you place him in to finish 2021, LET HIM PITCH. 4] I GET sending Gordon down right now. Let him play every day at multiple positions and get AB he needs to get in a positive groove. He is a potential utility player with speed and an OK bat but still has a lot to prove. I think sending him down, for now is fine, Refsnyder needs to play because we don't want to put Kepler in CF right now to make sure he stays 100% healthy. And whether he is on the 40 or signed to a milb deal, he might have a real shot at being a quality RH 4th OF next year. BUT, I completely understand Gordon over Cave at this point. Cave hasn't done anything to suggest that being fully healthy he doesn't deserve to be back up...for now. What DOES frustrate the hell out of me is not letting Gordon play SS at the ML level. You've protected him, nurtured him, stuck by him, given him a small shot and even transitioned him to CF on the fly! At some point, considering he's played SS most of his milb career AND during ST, just throw him out there and see what he's got! 5] And this goes back to Gordon as well, why is Simmons still playing SS almost daily? Is he here only because we don't want to look like an apathetic team that is willing to dump a veteran? Is he only still here to help the young pitchers have a quality SS behind them for confidence building? I don't want to be cruel, but his bat is horrendous, he's not part of 2022, and it's just time to let someone else play and show what they can do. 6] Colome and the rest of the pen frustrates me as much as anyone. And the pen needs to be addressed in the off-season. We all know this. And I want to see some new/young arms. But I don't know that you can just cut everyone....hyperbole by me...and just toss a bunch of rookies out there. Like it or not, Colome has been excellent for most of his career. He has been mostly horrible this season no question. But he's been much better the past few weeks. The Twins hold an option for 2022. Again, like it or not, he's getting a chance to see if his REAL self is back and worthy of being brought back. Not saying he will be or should be, but right now he's getting a "look-see". Farrell might get healthy and audition the rest of the year. NOT saying I agree with this approach, but I can at least see using the final 2 months to bounce guys up and down and all around to see who you want to keep or cut and maybe re-sign on a milb deal. It's not fun, it's not sexy, but spending some time "scouting" what you have and may want to bring back in 2022 on the roster as a milb invite makes at least a little sense.

I've been contemplating the intent of this OP for days now before it was written. And I've been reading and stewing on every post. And you can like me or hate me for my following thoughts. Up to you. 1] Two years ago, Berrios deliberately took the Twins to arbitration to see how the process worked. He losses, but "only" a couple thousand dollars. Last year, he settled with the Twins for a fair raise and didn't test the system. He was obviously content with the outcome, all things considered. As I recall, he stated he went to arbitration the year before to see and test the system for his future and the future of other players. If he was any kind of malcontent who hated being a Twin, why did he sign so easily for 2021? 2] Speculate all you want to, but we have NO IDEA what was presented to Berrios this year, or the last couple of years, for an extension. Period! He was willing and wanting to stay if the Twins hit a certain UNMENTIONED number. Did he want $25M? $30M? We don't know, just as we don't know what the Twins offered. While I ABSOLUTELY don't want to speculate, the offer could have easily been in the $15-18-20M range with incentives that he didn't like because he wanted to test the market and bet on himself. And that's his right, as much suckage as it might be to us fans. Where do I get my speculative numbers? Because..... 3] ...the Twins offered Darvish over $20M a couple years ago and were a finalist before the Cubs added on another guaranteed year. Decide for yourself how that turned out. The Twins then offered Wheeler $25M per but were told "no thank you" because he wanted to remain on the east coast. So just STOP with the Twins didn't try unless we hear details that provide something other than sour grapes. 4] The Twins have $ to offer one of the top FA SP on the market. The proof is $ available, previous offers, and an overall roster that is still talented and quality with some tweaks and additions. And I have no clue if they will sign one of the 5 SP listed in the OP, or will make a surprise trade, or go a short contract for someone like Verlander or Greinke. Unless he accepts a qualifying offer, my first dream signing is Thor. He might not want a long term deal. Fine. How about a 1yr deal with incentives and a 2nd year option which would be about $20M plus year one and $25M the second year. A risk to be sure but the payoff could be great! All 5 of the guys listed in the OP have at least some risk. And all come with big $ attached. But any one of them could slot in to replace Berrios if the FO makes the right choice. FA, Maeda, Pineda, or similar signing, to fill the front 3 with an open audition and rotation for the final 2 rotation spots is still a recipe for success if the pen is re-built. Other than a short option at SS, no pun intended, this IS at least a .500 team who could easily contend in 2022. There IS a SP pitching pipeline in the works! And some may find their success in the pen. And MAYBE the best option IS a Verlander/Greinke 2yr deal to just bridge a gap. I honestly don't know if the answer is about a short term, aged veteran with a year or two left is the answer, or someone in the OP is the key. But I do know there is too much talent on this roster to punt 2022. Give me the RIGHT choice for a SP addition, and Pineda or better, you'd still have $ to add a couple pen arms. $40-50M sounds like a lot, but its not in professional BB. Time for the FO to step forward.

Weird that Houston would let a live arm go. But then again, roster crunches happen. Might be a viable arm who just needs opportunity to show what he can do. Nothing to risk by bringing him on.

I was never down on him when he slumped. He's had a very, very odd career if you step back and really look at it. He was signed as a glove first SS with a questionable bat. And then the bat developed so well he was often slid down to the 3 spot on his milb team. And then the Twins, desperate for infield help, brought him up to the ML way too early and burned an early option while also bouncing him around the infield instead of being allowed to concentrate on SS. Molitor believed he could play SS and put him out there. And let's face it, all of us have seen far worse SS at the ML level than Polanco. And he mashed. Then he had a personal tragedy that really affected him. Then he had a suspension due to a masking agent and some wanted to say "see he's been juicing". But then again, he comes back and shows what he can do in a big way. THEN, he has not ONE, but TWO ankle surgeries! His 2020 was miserable defensively, but a bad ankle also effected his defense surely. But he was a gamer and was in the field day after day. He started slow this season still recovering, still getting his stance and approach and timing down. He has played a fine 2B, overall, and shows real potential at the spot. He's gotten better and better. His bat has come alive after a slow start. He is a talented, versatile, and dangerous hitter. And he is absolutely one of the best players in this team. And he is young enough to believe he is part of the future. It might be unfair to label him as a new leader for the Twins future. Everyone is an individual. Does Polanco have the personality to step forward and fill that role? I don't know. He doesn't have to be Cruz in personality. He comes across, to me, as hard working and determined and professional. Does he want to be more vocal? Can he be? Is it his time to just step forward? Or will he just lead by example? Even if he does it quietly, yes he could be a leader going forward.

I was never down on him when he slumped. He's had a very, very odd career if you step back and really look at it. He was signed as a glove first SS with a questionable bat. And then the bat developed so well he was often slid down to the 3 spot on his milb team. And then the Twins, desperate for infield help, brought him up to the ML way too early and burned an early option while also bouncing him around the infield instead of being allowed to concentrate on SS. Molitor believed he could play SS and put him out there. And let's face it, all of us have seen far worse SS at the ML level than Polanco. And he mashed. Then he had a personal tragedy that really affected him. Then he had a suspension due to a masking agent and some wanted to say "see he's been juicing". But then again, he comes back and shows what he can do in a big way. THEN, he has not ONE, but TWO ankle surgeries! His 2020 was miserable defensively, but a bad ankle also effected his defense surely. But he was a gamer and was in the field day after day. He started slow this season still recovering, still getting his stance and approach and timing down. He has played a fine 2B, overall, and shows real potential at the spot. He's gotten better and better. His bat has come alive after a slow start. He is a talented, versatile, and dangerous hitter. And he is absolutely one of the best players in this team. And he is young enough to believe he is part of the future. If I wasn't feeling a bit tired and lazy I'd copy and paste my entire comment to the OP about Polanco being a future leader for the franchise. Forgive me if I find the time to do so.

I pride myself on my milb system knowledge, so I feel better that I shouldn't know much about Manoah. I can't wait to see Moran in a Twins uniform soon. He's an arm we've read about, known about for some time, and have been waiting on. Some teams have a hard time finding a single quality LHRP for their pen. There is a real chance the Twins will be offer up THREE in their pen with Rogers, Thielbar, Thorpe, Smeltzer?, Vasquez?, and Moran as alternates. Jordan Gore interests me. He's 27yo and not big. But he seems to have velocity and has made a pretty easy transition from position player to RP. I don't think he's a top pen prospect by any means, but RP are "made" and not usually drafted and developed. There are a lot of arms in the system for him to pass to get a shot. But I just wonder if he might surprise. He's an interesting story at least.

Only to clarify my point...and not win some debate...I absolutely agree that Ober, and any SP for that matter, simply must learn to throw 5+ innings. The reason I like the plan for Ober to throw 4 and 5 innings only, for now, is two fold: 1] Two successful turns through the lineup allows him to save his arm to hopefully finish the season, refine his stuff and learn and grow, while having a little less pressure initially by not having to face too many batters a third time. Hoping this breeds growing confidence. 2] The Twins will, hopefully, be auditioning some pen arms the last 2 months. I want them to have opportunity. Also, really hoping they either go to a 6 man rotation, or do some piggybacking here and there to get some of their young starters a chance to gain experience and get their feet wet. Just my thoughts, not saying I'm right. And I continue to be frustrated about the limitations for September call ups. Teams like the Twins need to have a larger roster in order to get a number of guys an opportunity to gain experience or show they may be a viable option for 2022.

Except, he spent 2020 doing just that. He worked really hard on his motion/delivery to alleviate the aches and pains he felt previously after pitching. No reports this season of any recurring issues. And his velocity has jumped from high 80's to touching low 90's to being a consistent 92-94 with amazing extension and hiding. For him, now, it's all about working on secondary stuff and building up his arm for IP. Funny how we are so desperate for internal development for SP but we forget how bad Gibson and Berrios looked initially. And Ober, just the 1st rotational piece to reach the majors, is such a question mark when his initial numbers are better than either of them. Instant gratification happens so seldom. I predict nothing for Ober, at this point, other than just maybe being a solid back end option. Just surprised how few look at what he's done thus far and dismiss him.

I liked about every comment here because right or wrong the opinions are just smart! I applaud Shoemaker for being open and honest and taking at least some responsibility for not performing. He should. But just being a realist, not every single pitcher, or player, "fits" with an organization. We've seen it time and time again. It's reality. The Twins have COMPLETELY revamped their milb system when it comes to treating pitchers and players as individuals and tailoring their developmental approach. And we've heard from current players and previous players in regard to the massive change within the system. But I have NO PROBLEM saying Rocco, Johnson, scouts and the FO may have just made a mistake on a guy. They THOUGHT they had a really good plan for an experienced back end SP that would work. Sorry, s**t happens and you aren't always right. But then again, as Shoe states, he could have said no. And he has the right to also shake off signs. And shouldn't he be doing well at AAA as a healthy and experienced pitcher? But have to admit I'm curious why he took the milb assignment instead of going elsewhere. Makes little sense to me unless NOBODY was knocking on his door. IF the Twins think think this was bad communication and a mistake that can be rectified, I have no problem. IF Shoemaker really likes the organization, no problem. We need a couple veteran SP for 2022, which MIGHT include Pineda. But could Shoe, previously quality in his career when healthy, be an option? Please. Shoemaker is trying to get a contract for 2022 and not really blaming anyone because he doesn't want to rock the boat. He's at AAA FOR THE MOMENT, because he's a good guy and provides IP. He's probably gone a week from now due to additions and promotions. Over and done, it was a really smart flier for a talented but frequently injured SP that just didn't fit.

I'm just keeping it real here. Despite his video game numbers in milb I was surprised when the Twins added him to the 40 man. I saw numbers that couldn't possibly be sustained and saw Aaron Slegers part 2 in Ober. And I was confused he didn't go to the instructs following 2020 if they liked him enough to protect him. (Totally understood not being in St Paul last year as he wasn't seen as a depth piece for a contending team,) And I'm going to argue against Cody's comment about his stuff. Great control, a solid change and slider is something to work with. Velocity was definitely an issue, despite his vast extension and ability to hide the ball creating extra, perceived velocity. But again, I had serious doubts. And the injuries and reports he often didn't feel good after some starts definitely concerned me. BUT, some funny things happened on the way to Target Field, to badly paraphrase an old idiom. The tall and lanky Ober spent 2020 working on his mechanics. (Might have grown more in to his body as well). Thus far, we have had ZERO reports about physical issues with his body due to a more fluid delivery and better mechanics. Those changes have seen a consistent 4-6 MPH uptick in his velocity. He had 14 games in 2019, 13 GS, only 4 at AA, and his numbers were, again, outstanding. He jumped to AAA to begin 2021 and started only FOUR games tbere before being promoted. And the FO is never aggressive? I've seen all of or parts of most of his starts this season. I've seen a FB with movement that plays and real potential with his slider and other pitches despite needing some work. I recall his 1st start, which I believe was 4R in 4IP with some K's, and Smalley stating it was maybe the best 4R 4IP he had seen, meaning potential. He is a ROOKIE SP who missed 2020 and barely played at AA before making his MLB debut. He has a 1.27 WHIP right now and is averaging over a K per IP. Just how much better could he be doing at this point? I can understand debates out his IP. Is it better to extend him, build his arm up and then shut him down? Or is it better to be gradual and work on stuff and slowly extend him? I'm in favor of the latter and piggy back or work in some other 2022 pen options to get a chance. But other than just being dominate and blowing everyone away for 5-6 IP every time out, what more could we expect from a rookie pitcher being promoted this aggressively after not pitching for a year? I think he has a real future as a solid 4-5 SO. Anything more is gravy and to be decided by time and experience.

I think you hit the nail on SS. There ARE a couple really nice options coming forward really soon to compete, including Lewis, when healthy, and Martin. Palacios should be up to St Paul TOMORROW to see if he is for real. It's time to push some of these kids. Doesn't mean the only 24yo Polacios is a bum if he doesn't continue to rake. It just means you believe in him and are challenging him. To me, I'd be looking at the best fill-in at SS I could find for 2022. I'm playing amateur GM. The Simmons move didn't work out but most of us thought it would. S**t happens. Polanco will only get better and better at 2B given time. Arraez is a smart and productive BALLPLAYER who will only get better and better with opportunity and experience. He is PERFECT in his role at 3 spots and some DH. Who decided DH has to be a banger? Maybe someone like Galvis woukd be perfect for one year?

One thing I feel is so overlooked is the results of 2019-2020 with a rookie manager and a mostly new coaching staff. ROOKIE manager Baldelli lead this team to a pair of outstanding seasons. Wes Johnson helped make immediate differences both years for the pitching staff. Rowson was so well regarded as a hitting coach he got a promotion to bench coach for another team, Marlins IIRC. Shelton was so highly regarded as a career milb coach/manager and his job as bench coach for the Twins he got the Pirates job and might have been the Mets coach, again IIRC, before controversy over Houston changed the complexion of things. Jeremy Heffner was the Twins ASSISTANT/BP coach before being hired away by the Mets as their primary PC. Sawyer came in and not only changed how our catchers set up to receive the ball, but also changed how they got batting practice, before they were worn out from just catching everyone. Mike Bell seemed like a really smart hire as a Shelton replacement before never assuming the role due to cancer and his terribly unfortunate early demise. There is a very recent history, despite one aweful and disappointing year, that maybe this FO knows how to change things. They have an almost immediate history of finding high coaching talent good enough to be poached by the rest of MLB. Past players have commented on how the NEW Twins way is about individual development vs some old school formula. And I am not picking on LastOnePicked or anyone else. We all have the rights to our opinions. Period! I just get frustrated that "Twins suck", "Rocco sucks", "FO suck" when we are talking about a horrible, disappointing season. It absolutely, positively, "sucks". But sometimes s**t happens, even when you least expect it. And blame is easy. It's what happens tomorrow that is important! Me....stepping off my stool.

The context is really, when broken down to the rub, did they do well. You can't be happy or feel good that Cruz and Berrios are gone. And I am not going to debate on extension offers/efforts for Berrios. I hope nobody else does either. That ship has sailed. On top of that a] we really have no idea about said offers or Berrios's hopes/demands, and b] I grudgingly accept that unless he was blown away by an offer, he is determined to test FA, which is his earned right. But I know I am sad to see the guy go after watching since he was drafted. What grade would I give the results? I'm giving the EARLY results a solid A. I think it's way too easy to simply claim the FO got quality back because they traded high quality. The FO COULD have botched the return by insisting pitching only, and missed out on a top talent, or, they could have done the old "quantity vs quality" route we have seen in the past. They added THREE talented arms with real potential and what would seem to be solid floors with some good to even high ceilings. Don't give me some ACE arguement. Nobody drafts or trades for an ACE. You get good arms and develop them and some, here and there, turn out to be an ACE. The rest turn out to be a solid 1-3 and quality 4-5. A few turn out to be quality BP pieces and sometimes superior ones. (Of course some wash out, not ignoring that fact). Disk from the Cardinals is LH and breathing with high SO numbers and some control issues, He is also only 24yo and at AA with a little over a season of milb rookie and low A ball before missing 2020 like everyone did, I wish I knew more about him but haven't been able to find much in way of his "stuff" after a couple quick searches. But for Happ? A flier is a win. Gant is not old. He may have been a DFA by the Cardinals. He's a body they picked up. Maybe he's one of those guys who find something and click with a different organization and different coaching. Maybe he's gone tomorrow, Doesn't matter. Happ is gone and they got a young LHRP as a flier. Enough said. Not going to lie, I'm intrigued and stunned by Scherff from Boston without even knowing what he throws. He's only 23yo and was their 5th round selection in 2017. He didn't pitch until 2018 where he put up fairly pedestrian numbers at rookie and low A ball. Same with 2019 at low A and a single appearance at A+. Again like everyone else, he missed 2020. This season he was moved to the pen and began the season at A+ where he looked really good before moving to AA a few weeks ago. He has been pretty much outstanding since the move to the pen. Bullpen arms have value too. And for a 2 month rental on Robles, this MIGHT be more than just a cheap flier. A grade for the FO? Not sure what I can add to what I already said. They sure didn't blow the moves they made. But I am going to respectfully disagree with Tom, Nick, Seth and Matt (via their statements in podcasts), I just can't downgrade the results of the moves made because the FO didn't do "enough". I just don't believe there was a market for Simmons, having probably his worst career year. Rogers being hurt took him out of the trade market. I don't think you could have moved him even if you wanted to. (IMO, they wouldn't have unless blown away for various reasons). I think Pineda would have brought back SOMETHING if moved. And while I am about 70-80% certain a re-sign has been discussed, a trade and re-sign may have complicated that idea. And call me foolish if you will, I kinda like the comments from the Twins as to reasons for keeping him. Value vs flier/prospect and the such I'm OK with this. Trading Kepler made no sense to me unless blown away. And I've spoken about this before, so will leave that alone. For a lot of reasons, moving Donaldson would have been smart and nice. I only heard 2 rumors of interest. MAYBE there was more? But how much do you have to give up $ wise if you're the Twins to make any move? They guy has been durable and productive in a lousy 2021 season. IF his attitude doesn't go all to hell next year, he could be of far more value than the $8-10M you might have saved by trading him and "buying out" most of his contract. So I get the, "we could have done even more" objections, but I disagree.

Agreed. But look at the talent and untapped potential still.. And despite some pedestrian numbers, a huge improvement over 2019. And he's had some good streaks and shown his power potential. How much more could we be seeing if he had 2020 to start this rebound? I'm not sure the Twins will have the room to protect him this offseason. And maybe they shouldn't. But it could be a dangerous decision not to. Again, I think he and the Twins "lost" more on/for him than any other prospect with the lost 2020 season.

Said it before and will say it again, of all the prospects in the Twins system, Javier may have been most affected by a lost 2020 season. The Twins are going to have a tough time regarding him and the 40 man this offseason. Imagine how much further along he might be and how much easier the decision might be if he had played last year. Another good day for the system!

I dare to say this because the risk can't be avoided. But could Buxton be a Puckett kind of face of the franchise? His talent and his potential is game breaking. Could he languish in the unfortunate hall of "what Could have been"? Absolutely! And the Twins could have a burn that lingers for a few years. But how do you ever "go for it" unless you take a risk once in a while? Despite being a frustrated fan, I can easily get why the Twins are trying to play things safe. I mean, realistically, how can you commit 10% plus of your payroll to a guy you don't even know can be on the field for 100 games or more? But how can you not ignore what he does when on the field and HAVE to believe that bad luck HAS to even out at sometime? That's the rub. $15M per with decent, honest incentives for 100 games and then 120 games that raise the annual value to $25M. Toss in an opt out after 4yrs if you need to. If he rejects that, I'm not sure what you are supposed to do at that point.

On the surface, this trade makes sense in return value and I would strongly consider it with a potential overpay of Peraza and Gill, even if it helps the Yankees. His overall ability offensively, his defense, CF flexibility and cost control gives him a value that is underappreciated. Even if he just never adjusts his approach whatsoever, he has great value as a primary starting OF with quality defense and can play a solid CF over 120-140 games as a starter who you sit against a LHSP but can come in to a game when the SP is out. But these are also the reasons for the Twins to keep him and just make sure you have a quality RH OF to give him, and Larnach, some days off. There is an illusion the Twins have a glut of power hitting corner OF. Larnach and Kirilloff have graduated and have bright futures. Wallner is the next big bat and he's in A+ with some potential. Rooker is a virtual clone of Willingham, a guy who should be a DH but won't kill you in the OF or 1B. There are also a couple guys who aren't big bats, but have the potential to be solid starters or 4th OF options who have a sort of "overall" ability to contribute at the ML level. And I'm not saying there isn't value for that kind of player. Think Hatcher, Lawton, or Cave when he was healthy and actually hitting. Potentially, some solid guys who could carve out a nice niche, maybe even as a starter. But right now, today, the depth of the OF in the system is a collection of young, talented CF who are at AA and below. And this includes Celistino who should be at St Paul. A return for Kepler should be pretty big because you have to look at a lot more detail other than "he never turned out to be a star". I wouldn't move him unless there was a nice overpay I couldn't turn down.

The Twins have questions at SS. Palacios is having a fine year in his return from the Rays where he just couldn't hit AA pitching previously.. How is he not at AAA at this point to see if his bat is even close to being real? Another good day in the system overall.

Just a couple quick comments besides "we won!" 1] Happ still has SOME value as a trade chip with his career and some good games this year. He may not bring a lot back, but I would be willing to bet someone would offer of a decent AA player or A+ flier for a veteran LH to make starts and hope for a couple months re-surgance in their drive. 2] I was always concerned that everyone seemed convinced that Jeffers was going to suddenly be a STUD after such a SSS to end 2020. Which is why I hoped for a cheap veteran LH catching option for depth. But in a lost season, and with inconsistency that I expected, I'm still seeing enough in Jeffers that I think he's going to be OK. And his continued development may allow Garver to spend more time at 1B and DH as well as being the #2 catcher to keep him in the lineup daily. 3] Gordon FINALLY got to play as a call-up. He showed a spark. Then he struggled. Surprise for a rookie with limited AB! He has also been transitioning to a position he has never played before on the fly. So he sits. And then he has a good game. Etc. I have no idea if Gordon will turn out to be a quality starter at any position or turn out to be a NICE utility player. I strongly lean toward the latter at this point. But in a lost season, again I say, let the kid play! You've protected him for 2yrs because you see potential. Then let him play, here, there, everywhere but let him play in a lost season and see what you might or might not have!

Hey, so a quick Google search about Ryan should bring up a very interesting article about him from Sports Illustrated. There is also a link to the article concerning the original trade, so I won't attempt to provide the link here. Probably the most common frame of reference regarding a "deceptive fastball" is the way a pitcher "hides" the ball for a moment longer than others. This can come in various forms, but think someone like Ober, for example, and regardless of his new-found velocity. Tall and long, the batter doesn't see the ball coming out of Ober's hand as quickly as he would out of most pitchers. What Ryan does is release his pitch a fraction later and "lower" than most pitchers. Regardless of where he is "sending" the pitch, his release point is lower above the ground, literally, than the height at which most pitchers release the ball. Now, we're not talking about a sidearm or underhanded delivery, but in a similar fashion, the ball is coming in at a different "level" than a batter is used to seeing, creating deception. He developed his release after years of playing water polo and the article at SI can explain it better than me, but that is the jist of it.

Decided to post this year, being slightly more recent of an OP, and forgive me if someone also posted previously elsewhere. Drew Strotman was drafted higher than Joe Ryan initially. Reports have him consistently throwing in the mid 90's with some quality secondary stuff. He is ranked behind Ryan now not due to ability/potential but because he had TJ surgery in June of 2018. (I believe my time frame is correct). Strotman then returned to the hill in 2019 for 4 games in the old GCL and 5 games in the A+ FSL following his rehab. He then missed all of 2020, as virtually everyone did, with time spent at the Ray's alternate site. He was added to the Ray's 40 man this year and jumped over AA to pitch at AAA this year, 2021. Control is always the last thing to come following TJ surgery. What his future may hold, and Ryan's for that matter, is to be determined. But Strotman is NOT some "throw in" arm on this deal. His 2021 numbers are solid across the board except for a slightly elevated BABIP and his BB numbers. Again, getting all of his control back after surgery, a missed season, and skipping over AA. Not being able to watch Nellie finish the year stinks. But father time IS going to catch up and sooner rather than later. He was going to be a FA after this year and the Twins are in the same place now as they will be when the season ends, a potential bidder if they want to be. To acquire a pair of arms with this much potential for a half season rental, no matter how good Cruz is, was a tremendous return that I never saw coming.

What am I missing here? I mean, Cruz could be a real difference maker for the Rays, but a top pitching prospect and another good pitching prospect, both at AAA and from an organization known for finding and developing arms for a half season rental? Intrigued and excited! But this just seems too good to be true.