DocBauer

Haven't seen any video as to his punting. Nice to know be can. Vikes don't suck at TE with their top two. They obviously like Dillon after 2yrs of development. I like what I've seen too. And this kid is in no way ready to play NFL football from 2 levels down and missing last season entirely. But MAN he looks like a kid you want to develop for a year!

I think Spielman and the Vikings had a very good draft last season. I think they may have done just as well, if not better, here with fewer picks. First kudos to Spielman for making a smart gamble to trade down in round 1. Kudos also for not getting "cute" and trading up and down for the sake of doing so. The team needed talented bodies and he knew, and announced, that there was a "sweet spot" of player depth in the 3rd and 4th rounds and kept the Vikings there. I DO think the trade down shouldn't have included the 4th round pick, OR, should have come with a bonus 6th rounder, but I'm not going to quibble. Being an expert at being an amateur GM, I would have done a few things differently, but I just can't argue with these results. BREAKDOWN: #1] Darrisaw is primed to be a STUD LT for years. He has everything you want and need, despite being a rookie who will still need to develop. Cleveland should now play LG, where he SHOULD HAVE BEEN last year. #2] How good could Mond be? I don't know. The jury is out. And it will be out for a couple of years. He is talented, experienced, and has improved his game/numbers every year. If he never develops in to a quality stud starting QB, he is ALREADY the best backup option we've had in years. And there IS potential there. #3] I confess I knew ZERO about Surratt, despite by normal pre-draft routine, until this pick. And then I dug and read and watched and was reminded how smarter the professionals are then me. He is a 2yr LB convert who displays speed, athleticism, pop and power and instincts combined with PRODUCTION. Everything says he is only beginning to tap in to his potential. And he gets at least a year to further his development. I have become a quick convert of "who" to "wow". #4] Davis, I hope, will be 100% healthy and ready to go. He should start at RG day 1 unless something holds him back. Guy is a STUD and probably would have been a 2nd round pick coming off 2019. #5] Jones and Robinson are EXACTLY what the Vikings are looking for at DE. They are both long, athletic and have decent speed/quickness to be developed over the next year or two, along with Wonnum and maybe a healthy Willekes, not a bad athlete at all but who may need a practice squad year after missing last season. #5] The Vikingsm I hoped, would draft a reserve RB with speed and ST ability, they did that with Kene Nwangu from Iowa State. Not sure this would be my guy or the round, but productive as a reserve RB with a nice build and TREMENDOUS speed and crazy KO return numbers. He's replacing a decent #3 RB of similar frame, but nowhere close to the same speed, who was also a "time share" RB in college. It's hard to find this kind of speed and potential on the FA market. We might have drafted him a round too early. But I'm not going to complain. #6] This draft class was filled with solid safety options, though nobody really special. While I would have liked a "proven" safety from that group of prospects, Spielman, the scouts, and Zimmer saw Bynum as better than the other options. His ability to play CB, his intelligence and experience and Zimmer's perspective? I'm giving this one to the staff. #7] WR Smith-marquette, this is the one pick where I think the Vikings got "too cute" with a pick. Kid has great speed and quickness. Despite playing in a deliberate and run heavy offense, he was a dynamic threat. Being a Husker fan, I've seen, unfortunately, what he can do on the field when given a chance. His production numbers don't suck. He is an ATHLETE with quickness and speed. He has potential with good coaching in an NFL offense to grow. They liked what they saw on film last year scouting Stanley. I just woukd have gone a different direction. Hopefully I will be proven wrong. #8] When the Vikings drafted Conklin a couple years ago I thought they had a really nice developmental project. When I saw glimpses in the 2019 preseason I knew it was true. Really disappointed he wasn't used that year. But they FINALLY began to use him in 2020. And they OBVIOUSLY like small school Dillon. And if you've seen his limited action you can see why. The Vikings have a history through various staffs and FO, of finding and developing quality TE. This Davidson kid in the 5th round is an absolute flier who has no business being on a 2021 roster. But this kid is also 6' 7" and runs a 4.6 40 with great hands and is a former basketball player. He DOMINATED division 2 with his ability and over 20 yards per catch as a TE. Tell me another 5th round or later TE you'd like to see on the PS to get quality coaching and bulk up about 10lbs while learning to run routes better and sink your hips better to block? Whew! A lot to ask! But I've seen the numbers and watched the tape and this COULD be a steal with some work. Sorry, I LOVE the TE position and always have. But in the modern day NFL, how do you find stud TE unless you look for them and develop them? #9] Despite this draft being a "down" year, reportedly for DT, did the Vikings maybe get the steal of the draft in Jaylen Layman? OK, maybe he's not quite as tall or long as you'd like, but his production and ability and projection had him as at least a 2nd rounder if he came out last year. But he opted out for 2020 and then had an overweight and poor pro day prior to this draft. So he slides to the 6th round despite his talent and previous production and prospectus? This could be the best pick the Vikings made. With a year to learn and get himself in shape, much less developing under Patterson, we COULD have a 3 technique DT we need, though he has to fight Lynch and Watts. Other than drafting a backup RB/ST and similar WR too high, maybe, how can you not love the potential of this draft? Spielan pretty much hit every mark.

Used to be AAA was the final stop for prospects. Not so much any longer. Now it's an even greater mix of final step, a step-down for a re-fresher, and a collection of guys for depth. This looks like a very good and complete roster that accomplishes all of that. With a little good fortune and development, that staff is going to have some really nice promotion prospects by mjd season. Really hoping Riddle and Lin pass through and make it to St Paul. I think Blankenhorn's bat will end up playing at the ML level, at least in a complimentary role. He may be a big kid, but he's an excellent athlete. The question remains, can he translate his athleticism to being more solid/dependable with his glove? I feel really bad for Gordon. The kid has been a victim of injury and illness his whole career. He had a couple really bad bouts of an intestinal/gastric condition that hindered starts to a pair of seasons before reportedly getting it under control. Then, he gets injured in 2019 when he might have been having his best season and was bypassed by Arraez for promotion. NEXT, he has an aggressive covid situation that not only causes him to miss the 2020 reserve/taxi squad opportunity, but causes him to lose over 20lbs. And this from a kid you would love to add 10-15lbs to his frame! The FO has been amazingly "indulgent" with keeping him on the 40 man why? He has no ties to them. But they see an athletic young man who still has potential to fill a role if he can just be healthy, add some muscle to his frame, and get to play. The best thing that could happen to him is to play daily at St Paul, get a second helping of good food daily to add some weight/muscle/strength, and get ready for 2022. I mean, if he can't stick at SS, maybe he can at least cover it. Did you watch him in ST and see how his uniform hung on him? Give him 2021 to see if you have something after all.

Any additional information on Laweyson's injury or Rijo's temporary inactive status? I thought Rijo had at least a decent chance to start at AA this year.

I know I stated previously I'm over the ages of some guys, but it is becoming glaringly obvious that advancing prospects for EVERY organization...whether they become stars, fixtures or role players...will be making their debuts a good year to year plus later than they probably would have originally due to the lost 2020 season. Catcher and infield look a little light to me here. A little surprised Kerrigan isn't at AAA. That 4 man IL looks ugly. We know Lewis is out for the year, but really hope the others are healthy and ready to go soon, especially Balazovic and Valimont.

With further thought and reflection, I'm over the ages of some of these guys, though I TRY not to focus on that aspect. Losing an entire season even with taxi/reserve units and the fall development period, every team is undoubtedly looking at rosters that are about a year older than normal...average age...simply because you have to plug your prospects in SOMEWHERE that makes sense to begin the year. Without getting to AA yet, I am a little surprised to see Enlow and Canterino at high A. I'm guessing not for long for either of them. I hope the injury to Chris Williams is minor. Through no fault of his own he's a little long in the tooth after being a college senior draftee and then missing a season. IIRC, a shoulder injury in college had him debuting at 1B with the Twins before transitioning back to catcher in 2019.

Thanks Seth! I'm starting my read at low A because it feels natural to do so. Just so damn excited to have milb again and be able to follow the system! I know/recognize the position players more than the pitchers. I think that's undoubtedly due to the layoff and several of the pitchers only getting brief work in 2019. My only "concern" here is age. It feels like there are a lot of 22-24yo guys here, which seems a bit older than expected for low A. But again, I would expect the missed 2020 season has a lot to do with that.

Sorry, I'm very confused by this OP. Where did I miss that Polanco has always been a better LH hitter before his knee injury, but not fixed the first time before supposedly being fixed the second time before this season. He was practically staggering at tbe plate in 2020 because his knee was so bad. He lost all power and ability to barrell up. Reportedly, the knee is good now. Early struggles not withstanding...getting stroke and timing back...he's healthy and ready to go. At this point, unless there is something going on we don't know about, it's all about confidence and approach and getting his stroke back. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn t he always been better from the LH side of the plate?

The baseball gods are fickle, but they aren't without mercy. We have all seen many pitchers and players struggle with performance and injury in their early years before health and experience and physical/ mental maturity take hold things just begin to "click". This may be Byron's time. Finally! It may also be Berrios's time. Good and bad for the Twins to find some way to keep both.

The best thing about this game is the Twins looked like the Twins we expected to see in 2021. And I don't mean 6HR in one game on a consistent basis. That's just nuts. But a quality start, a pen that did the job, no errors, (or at least no egregious errors), hits and RBI and power and contributions throughout the lineup. The reality is Cave and Astudillo should be nice bench pieces. But injury and covid have had these guys in the lineup almost daily since the season began. That's just not the way it was drawn up originally. Much less Blankenhorn and Riddle and others being pressed in to action. Cave has stunk so far offensively, but has shown some recent "life" with his bat. Astudillo has been solid so far and actually better than I projected. But for a day, we saw the Twins play the way they were built and supposed to play. Garver even looked more like Garver today. Question is, can THE TEAM be happy and feel some weight removed off their backs and get ready for a return home and start to play to their potential? For whatever reason the Twins have been even worse at home so far. Bad mojo from 2 great seasons humbling them before the baseball gods or bad choice of socks, who knows. But April is almost done, May is nearly here, and injuries and covid IL are days away from having the roster at full strength. Perspective moment: Did ANYONE see the Royals leading the ALC a month in? Did ANYONE see the Red Sox leading the ALE a month in? Did ANYONE see the A's leading the ALW a month in? The answers are no, no and maybe. Despite some BAD play, our Twins ran in to Oakland and Boston HOT. The Royals have some talent and some talent on the way. But does ANYONE see sustainability? The answer is no. Things WILL settle down to reality over the next few weeks/months. But the Twins can't just lie in the weeds for too long or they will bet burried. I thought the Royals had enough to fight for a .500 record or slightly better depending on what Cleveland did. But I NEVER thought I'd say a late April/ early May tilt with the Royals could be crucial. But here we are. And it's not really about the Royals...who WILL regress...but more about the 2nd place Dirty Sox. The Twins need to embrace today and a return home and the change of the calender. They need to embrace fans, home, the moment, and a chance to just "perform to their abaility" and not let things slip away. The Royals always play us tough, even when down. The Twins NEED to win 2 if not sweep. It would make a real statement! Then work at taking 3 from Texas, if not a hopeful sweep. 5-2 or a hopeful 6-1 does a lot to right the ship and get us back on course. The pressure is ON. Let's hope the Rocco clubhouse talk and today's game motivates everyone to crank it up another notch.

Quoting you because I like what you said, but also because it allows me to make a couple general comments. #1) I wanted Oddo and was strong for another couple of guys for multiple years. But I was and am happy with Happ for 1yr. And I think the 1yr was intentional for future flexibility including room for a handful of really nice arms on the way. Despite a late start, I've been impressed with Happ at this point. And he should be even more consistently solid as he builds up. #2) Not worried about Maeda long term because he's just been too good previously, even with regression from 2020. And he had an amazing ST. Is he a victim of EVERYONE pressing and starting slow? Has weather and a weird early schedule affected him? I just believe he's about ready to right himself. Shoemaker, healthy, has been pretty damn good. He's healthy now. He's looked good at times so far this season. But he sure hasn't looked like his previous self so far. Again, is he a victim of a ridiculously weird slow start for the majority of this team so far? Will he remain healthy and find himself soon? Is he just trying to find a "groove" again? I'm not betting against him doing so. But if he just can't find his old self, the good news is we have Dobnak and Thorpe ready to take that 5th spot when/if available. #3) I am going to disagree with the semantics of your description of Buxton being the player, finally, that we've all been waiting for. He was SUPPOSED to be a good hit speedster with pop who could table set. But I absolutely agree he may be better than what was expected. Much like Puckett all those years ago, he has morphed in to a dangerous power/RBI hitter with speed...way more speed than a young Puck or about anyone else...instead of the projected leadoff hitter we expected. And that's a good thing! Great post bighat!

He COULD easily be a major cog for years to come. He COULD be a major factor yet this season, probably in the second half, maybe late. But he has to keep using that nasty slider, as already pointed out, and he has to find better control/consistency. He's young and relatively inexperienced. He's been handled with kid gloves to a degree thus far, and that's not a shot. It's what you do with a young pitcher to gain experience and confidence. His future is bright. But he needs time. Now, nudging him in to higher leverage roles might not be a bad idea, especially considering the state of the pen at this point.

I have NO EXPLANATION, much less ANY answers as to how and why this team's record is virtually flipped from what was expected or projected. Not just from me, or us as fans, but from the press and purported experts. NOTHING has really gone right past the first week from injuries to covid to unexpectedly poor performance. And while I enjoyed the OP and the various perspectives, at some point a talented and pretty deep team HAS TO PERFORM even to "normal" standards/expectations, forgetting anyone having a great season. Knee jerk reactions certainly aren't the answer, or warranted. And I'm as disappointed as anyone! The FO and Rocco didn't just become incompetent overnight, despite a few real questionable calls from Rocco here and there. Johnson didn't just become a bad coach. The available talent, ability, proven past production and potential off the players on this team just didn't disappear in a snap, despite the poor results we've seen. For whatever reason, all but a few players seem to have begun the season in simultaneous slumps. Is it a fluke? Is the roster just a bad recipe of ingredients that don't work together? I'm not trying to be an inexcusable optomist, and at some time changes via trade or promotion will probably have to take place for a jump start and new "recipe" mix, but the best thing that could happen RIGHT NOW is for everyone to be healthy and back and for the calender to flip to May. I know that sounds ridiculously simple, but how many of us at work, or in life, have just had a bad month. And when the next month started, we just took a deep mental/emotional breath and everything just started to go and work better with a feeling of a fresh start? This team needs to get healthy and start the next month with a new attitude. From there, the FO needs to start being aggressive with moves/changes.

Despite a relatively SSS, Stashak has been very effective over w season's before 2021. His FB isn't special, but is OK and he has shown great location and control. Same with his solid slider. Any kind of change or cutter or 3rd pitch to be more effective against LH hitters could make him a mainstay with his control. It's the control and results over 2019-2020 that give me optimism. The problem is, NOBODY has really had control thus far, Stashak included.

IMO, the Vikings knew/know last year and now they are in a re-tool mode with enough talent to still compete. Because of that, even with the salary cap potentially jumping as high as $200M-ish in 2022, the team didn't want to give up too much $ and too many draft choices for 1 player, even a good one, with holes to fill and a need for additional depth and future starters at different areas. In other words, they may need to re-work Hunter, Smith isn't getting younger, Barr may be gone, Peterson and Alexander are signed to 1yr deals, etc. Now, we can debate all day long which is the right path to take, but I think that's the reasoning for not making the trade. In regard to the draft itself, I still maintain how they view Cleveland has a lot to do with the 1st round. There is a very, very good reason to draft a DE at 1, and there are 5 guys who could project in the 1st round. However, you have one of the best DL coaches around and a number of long, talented, athletic edge guys available later that could be excellent players very soon. And IF the Vikings LIKE Cleveland at LT...the position he was drafted for...there is a LOT of G depth to draft after the 1st round. My HOPE is that the draft will unfold in such a way that the Vikings can trade down a few spots and gain a 2nd rounder...maybe with a later round 2021/2022 pick to sweeten the deal, or maybe even another 3rd rounder without a sweetener. Rumors are the Vikings want to trade down. I think these are factual rumors if the 1st round plays out right. Assuming a trade down happens, the Vikings can go the DE route...you know the names... and pick up a couple really nice G options the next couple of rounds. Assuming they are smart enough to grab a couple good guys that fit their system. And this means they believe in Cleveland at LT. Based on virtually every mock draft and prospect rankings, the Vikings can still grab a top OT even if they trade down a few spots. Leatherwood, from Alabama, is an All American and Lombardi winner who came in to the season as one of the top 2 OL in the entire draft. Suddenly he's a forgotten man, which is crazy to me. I'd even be happy if we stayed at 14 and picked him. Trade down if you can, IMO. This draft is very deep at many positions. Grab the very best OL or DE you can at #1, and then draft best player available by team need from that point on. 1st round pick STILL comes down, IMO, to how and where they see Cleveland.

I tend to agree with Brock that Garver not hitting, especially on fastballs, is just weird. I am not going to argue his defense at the moment. And while I offer no excuses for his poor start to 2021, I've tended to give a pass to anyone...on the Twins or any team...for 2020, especially if injury was involved. Players get in grooves. Players have routines and rhythms to their approach. Despite a normal ST, are we seeing guys have a difficult time finding said grooves and rhythms coming off a strange season? Almost as if a player, Garver and anyone else, was coming off an injury. (Garver actually is in this case). But regarding Garver specifically, he was an excellent hitter in college. He was a good to excellent hitter throughout his milb career. He was more than competent in 2018, his first full season. He was amazing in 2019 at an unsustainable pace. Then 2020 happened, with injury. At 30yr old, I find it virtually impossible that Garver has simply "lost it" already. No question he is out of whack. His timing is off, I'm not smart enough or informed enough, to know about his approach. I would venture a good guess his confidence is down. Work and playing are the only ways to find himself again. There is no AAA to play at right now, IF the Twins wanted to try that option. I have no answers. But for a guy who has had a good/great bat his entire career I just dont beljeve he is washed up at 30, IMO.

Savior? Absolutely not. Way too much pressure on a single and still young player. Can he be a spark? Absolutely! The Twins are in a very unique position right now. They are a back to back division winning team that won 100 games in 2019 and were on a similar pace in 2020 before a couple late season losses took them down to around a 96 win pace. They did a re-tool for 2021 that SHOULD have them on a similar pace this season despite a poor/disappointing first month. Despite initial frustration, we can't lose sight of the past 2yrs or the talent on hand. For instance, NOBODY expected Boston or K.C. etc, to have a good first month. So far, not a lot of things have gone right this first month and there is no reason to re-hash slow starts, injuries, covid, etc. The best thing that can happen is for May to get here, and just get the roster back to full strength and go from there. Why are the Twins in a unique position? Because of the team they HAVE been, the team they COULD be this season, and because they are in a "mini" re-tooling scenario that should STILL allow them to compete and be very good. Again, there is a LOT to like here despite a first month of disappointment. AK is part of the re-tool, but he wasn't ready initially. He now gets a real opportunity to get his feet wet and ultimately provide a spark as a 3 position regular. Larnach could be ready by the second half. Rooker has a shot to do something as a piece of the puzzle despite not looking so great thus far. Remember how he looked before his broken arm in 2020? And there are mkre than a couple pitchers that could help before 2021 is done. None of this precludes the Twins from making a helpful trade at some point. Nor is there any reason a healthy roster can't start to jell and just perform better. And Kirilloff can be a part of that. The opportunity is there for him now. But he's no savior.

"Losing is a disease..." What else can go wrong? I mean, seriously! The Red Sox start terrible and then go on a HOT run. The A's start out terrible and then go on a HOT run. And both teams run over the Twins who aren't exactly running on all cylinders. But how many ways can the Twins find to lose a game? I'll give Maeda a mulligan and just say he had a bad day. It happens. But the offense comes alive only to see the defense and pen implode. As bad as Colome appeared initially, he also pitched well enough for the Twins to win. TWO routine ground balls were blown to give away the game. (Shaking head). You can, if you want to, blast the FO and Baldelli. But the talent, depth and potential of this team is too great to be playing this poorly. Period! I don't have any answers other than hoping a flip to the month of May will somehow bring a sense of "normalcy" to the team. Yes, there has been bad weather, injuries and covid. But the players on hand are still quality. And they need to look in the mirror. There is no Hunter dance party or Redmond walking through the clubhouse naked to loosen up the team. This might be the perfect time for veterans like Donaldson and Cruz to step forward and hold a players only meeting and chew some ass while also building up their teammates. SOMETHING has to be done to shake up the roster, at least a bit, and to shake up the players on that roster.

Simmons has been everything I could have hoped for. And I don't think we've seen the best of him defensively yet. The bat will regress to normal, but he's still an OK and smart hitter. I thought Robles was a smart under the radar signing that could be important. I think he looks good. Colome...man, it's early still and he's been so good previously...butI am VERY disappointed thus far. I thought he was a smart and good signing. There's a lot of season for him to right himself. And we're not talking about lost velocity here. But early impressions are not good. Happy wasn't my first choice. I wanted Odorizzi and was interested in a few others. But career history, including 2020, I was fine on a 1yr deal. And I think the 1yr was important to the FO with Dobnak, Thorpe, Duran and Balazovic, etc, available and coming up. He's looked OK, and he's a little behind. So there is just no way to accurately judge him at this point. Everything about Happ pretty much applies to Shoemaker. Remember, we're talking about a 5th SP who has been pretty damn good WHEN HEALTHY. I've seen good mixed in with not so good so far. I think he's still getting his legs under him and looking to get in a groove. Same as Happ. My hope is he can actually stay healthy enough to get in that groove and give us at least a half season plus. More is just gravy. The ideal scenario is those veterans do what the FO hoped and be quality, veteran place holders for the aforementioned Dobnak, Thorpe, Duran, Balazovic, etc, to settle in the second half of the season or at least get their feet wet for 2022. But honestly, it's just way to early 3 weeks in to make any real determination.

Unfortunately, the elephant in the room is Cleveland and our lack of any opinion from the Vikings. Clearly, he was drafted as another O'Neil; a long and athletic tackle with experience and projection with the idea he would develop for a season or so before taking over LT from Reif. His move to G last year was basically desperation of need. I remain perplexed as to why he didn't play LG, his more natural side, and have the more experienced but limited Dozier play RG. But I am repeating myself and digressing. If they like Cleveland, then isn't he first in line for LT? If so, the pieces begin to fall in place. Not only could the 1st pick be an edge rusher, but there is enough depth to trade out of 14, if possible, to pick up another pick and slide down a few spots and still get a quality edge player. Further, there are a lot of good looking guard options from the 2nd round on. The counter would be that Patterson is a tremendous coach who takes length, athleticism and potential and turns out good and great players. Whether we stay at 14 or trade down comes down, IMO, as to what they really think about Cleveland.

I think it's great MLB has allowed the taxi squad and the development team at an off site to get ready for 2021. But until someone from MLB can give me a really good reason for the delay of milb starting at its normal time I'm going to again question Manfred and his "leadership". There is no substitute for preparation than playing. But that has been removed. So what to do when you want to make a roster move? Taxi squad and extra site sounds like a good idea. Except, just like last year, no games and limited experience until games start. Teams, and prospects, are largely handcuffed until late May or June. Your comments on Gordon are disappointing, if not unexpected. But I have to wonder still, with a little more time to gain strength and endurance after his covid 2020, could he be servicable at SS with time and strength?

Personaĺy, I have NEVER thought service time was the issue. I have ALWAYS felt the FO was sincere that they believed in him and were honest when they stated they wanted him up for GOOD when ready. Unfortunately, and a major dent in their initial plan, he had a poor ST. Arraez is, and always has been, despite their original reports, been a part of the LF plan. But the FO has always been planning on AK being part of this season as a corner OF and 1b option. And then be tanked ST. But at this point, with injury and illness, the time is NOW to promote him and let him show if he's ready or not. The offense needs a potential spark. Cave is a solid player but needs a demotion to get himself together, like early 2019, or get passed over and move on. Kirilloff was SUPPOSED to be ready already. But we all know how best played out plans work. Which means tomorrow. Interesting how AK was brought up instead of an additional pitcher for the recent double header. Just stinks how Rooker and Garlick are both out to provide the best OF options right now. Let's hope Kirilloff is READY and has a chip on his shoulder to prove that he's ready to stick for good!

I am frustrated and disappointed with the start to the season thus far, make no mistake. But I am not in panic or knee-jerk massive change mode. Why? Because I've been watching baseball for 50yrs...OK, I was a small kid the first few years...and I have seen a ton of teams start slow and then ramp up. And I've also seen many teams start hot and fade. So despite how disappointed and frustrated I am, I'm giving a pass, grudgingly, for April unless we just tank the rest of the month. That doesn't mean changes can't be made or shouldn't be made. What would I do at this point? Well, it's to say because MLB, in their infinite wisdom, (extreme sarcasm), has decided to delay the milb season and messed how you play with your roster early in the season, despite the taxi squad and the reserve roster working out at St Paul. Lineup wise, you just can't "give up" on Polanco and Sano at this point. Sano is MISSING barreling up, but is doing everything else right. He's taking good AB and not flailing, which is what we want. Polanco hit before before some bad things happened in his life and he got busted for a substance. But he hit when healthy after those events until his ankle got messed up. Healthy, reportedly, he had a great ST but has looked BAD so far. Is he just finding his stroke and timing? Can you give up on him this soon? Same with Garver and Kepler. Even if both never approach their 2019 seasons, we've seen they have the talent and ability to be productive hitters. Two weeks is NOT time to freak out for anyone, no matter how disappointing the start to the season has been. I like Cave as a 4th OF. He has a solid 2018-2019 but a bad 2020. I excuse a lot of guys for a bad 2020. He had a bad beginning to 2019 before being sent down and then coming back up strong. I believe he has an option left, so despite no AAA play at this point, I'd send him down and bring up Kirilloff and run with him. We're looking for a jump start so why not? He can play 3 spots and Kepler can cover CF here and there. And it shouldn't take away from AB for Arraez at all. Speaking of Arraez, just put him at #1 and leave him there. He's at least OK against LHP and it provides stability. With Donaldson behind him, be should be even better. Cruz and the crazy and now ready to go Buxton should/could make a great first 4. Tell me, convince me, with previous history, that Kepler, Sano, Garver/Jeffers and Polanco shouldn't start to hit and produce over the next couple of weeks with any sort of "normal" taking place? Sometimes, baseball, football, basketball, sometimes your lineup just needs time as well as tweaks and changeup. It really stinks that BOTH Rooker and Garlick are out right now. But a shakeup is needed once in a while. Especially when you don't have a backup catcher who walks naked through the clubhouse to provide relief, lol. I've seen enough of the rotation thus far to be VERY encouraged! I've seen enough of the pen so far to go from "concerned without worry" to begin to worry. I'm not going to let myself plunge in to panic mode at this point. BUT, something needs to "click" soon or changes will have to be made! I think Dobnak has a real future in MLB. And he's had some good IP. But not everyone can transition to the pen easily. I'm starting to wonder if the best thing for him isn't pitching at St Paul and then taking over a rotation spot when someone is out. Of course, once again, there is no AAA going on right now. If the 2021 Twins were a car, an engine, back in the 80's/early 90's, I would say they were an engine ready to drive hard and fast with a tuneup to the carburetor and/or plugs. It's up to not just the players, but to Rocco and his staff and the FO for said tuneup. Again, I'm willing to give April a pass due to a lot of things. But May 1st is coming up. Things are going to get real soon. And while I am a huge fan of Rocco, I don't think he's been on point thus far. But it's still on the players to produce as well. But I laugh at those wanting to replace him, especially after what he's done thus far, with someone who spits fire. Even TK, and his not quite as successful protege Gardy, preached an even keel approach. How many of us have worked for a day to day DRIVER, or watched such for a sports team, and have felt/witnessed a lack of direction due to being hit over the head day in and day out? That method of management just doesn't last beyond a short period of time.

I believe there is a vast difference between excuses and reasons. Has time, even in his early 30's and never a true flamethrower, and the league just caught up with Colome? Well then, you can make all the excuses you want but reality is what it is. Now, is just fine but struggling with mechanics? Was not 100% during ST and we don't know it and he's still finding himself? Then you might have a reason for his poor performance. And this could apply to more than Colome. The bite is, for a proven performer, whether you slide him temporarily to a low leverage situation or not, you are forced to stick with him for a while longer to see if he "finds" himself...or not.

Thanks Seth! Really missed milb last season and just love the way you and the rest of TD are so informative and thorough in regard to the Twins system. AA should have an amazing staff this year and I'm not sure how you find room for everyone. Hopefully, half of them will reach St Paul this year. Regarding Oliveras, don't care if he just transitioned to the mound and has a long way to go. If you can throw that hard at 18yo and show ANY affinity for breaking or off speed stuff people should be paying serious attention to you. Not sure what it is, but I just have a hunch Steer is going to be GOOD, whether he settles in to a primary position or becomes a super-sub.