rghrbek

I think its nice Kepler hit a bomb, but we all should be alarmed at how bad he has been this year. One good year in minor leagues, and one good MLB season in 2019. Plus he's regressed in his defense a bit.. If we can trade him in the off season we absolutely have to. His price tag is very reasonable, but he just doesn't move the needle..

Kepler has been ok to awful almost every year at the show except for 2019? He's had plenty of at bats to see what he is. I too was bumming on Polanco, but I chalked it up to his injury and figured he just was not going to recover. He did and like you Nick I was wrong. I do not see the same thing with Max. Sunday was my favorite day against the Yankees in like 13 years.

Kepler had one dominant MiLb season. It was good. His other stats suggested he would be an on base machine. He has not been that, at all. Even at the discounted rate over term, he's been a disappointment. Rooker and his 4 Ks is what everyone has always said he was. Dave Kingman comp, except not that good. Keep playing him, we have to this year, but not good.

we only have a couple but can we get our new guys from trades in here?

Gordon will find himself a role in the majors? Maybe on a team like the current Twins one, which is terrible, but not on many more. I would say he doesn't get on base at an average pace or hit for any type of average slugging percentage. Well below on both, even for a utility guy. Also his fielding in the infield is nothing special. Maybe he runs at an average to above average pace? I am fine if the Twins want to play him more this year, but won't be shocked if he never plays in the bigs after this year.

We made some trades. Good. shouldn't' we see some of these guys at the bigs? especially the AAA level Rays guys we got? I get the boys we bot for Berrios are not quite there yet, but what else is this team doing? Time to throw the live arms out there and see what we got and get them a taste

Larnach's strike out rate the last month is the highest in MLB. Makes Sano blush, hope he figures it out

I'm glad Josh is heating up. Few players can get as hot as him. Wish he would shut his mouth when his team cannot win a game against good teams. Again happy he is hot, trade value goes up. Seems like a "me" player. Yet I do not know this. Prefer not to have him on ESPN talking smack when all we do is lose.

Jake Cave had similar runs to Refsnyder, let's settle down. He's a replacement player and thank goodness he is carrying us. Yes this is fun. Winning is fun. We need to win more. A lot more

Ah the narrative is still the same, this is a damaged bad team, just won another game. They will win more. Josh another error? We have a long ways to go kids.

I agree this seems like a win, and it's just treading water. Sano will be hot for another game or two until teams realize he still can't hit a well placed fastball He will never get above .220. Will hit 20 bombs, but we will see how empty they are.. The key, if our top 3 can somehow pitch consistently, will be we may work our way to .500 by the end of the year. BTW all the fluff pieces on how good we are defensively are silly. We are terrible I'm talking to you Josh. Far from excellent as advertised No longer dvring every game, just catching it is on....sad

Tough to comment, after a win. But...Rangers are bad. Duffey not the same. Rogers not the same since 2018. Holding out for Alcala, well he's way too inconsistent. Even with the emphasis on defense this year, it has been nothing short of terrible. Kirilloff does not inspire at first, but at least he's hitting. A win is a win, but this is not how we drew this up. Win Twins

Yes, plate appearances make this conversation moot. He's been in the bigs now in his 7th year? It's not a crime to miss games in a 162 game season, so I can hope he plays 135 games (which he has done once), but SI's hot take is outrageously premature. Let's have this post again at the end of June if he's healthy and raking.

Who doesn't love Willian? He offers some flexibility with a 3rd catcher so Garver can play some first and or DH to spell other RH bats. However, if there wasn't extra roster spots because of covid, I would say no, not a reliable enough player, and we are contenders. But with a few more spots, I don't mind the depth.

Still worried about the mostly terrible at bats this team has collectively. Has all year. Come playoff time, everyone grips the bats a little tighter. Runs typically more scarce. I like our starters to compete, but all or nothing approach has me a bit nervous. Miss all the doubles that drove in runs last year, as well as the bombs. Bullpen is a tad shaky right now. Now is not the time for Rocco to have the Gardy approach, that you are slotted where you are slotted. Duffy should have highest leverage situations. I would think about slider guy, and Acala, possibly before Rogers. Reds home run hitting team like Twins, so should be a fun series.

After a historic year not planning for a little regression is mind boggling. Cave and Wade, both left handed, are the teams options? Again, Garver hurts us deeply, we thought we had an all star through and through, but this team is in win now mode. We all pined for a right handed hitting vet who could play some outfield as well.... I didn't mind Rocco burning through his best 4 relievers tonight, because we had to have this win. However, what has this team done to improve a terrible lineup? The White Sox look like a younger more sustainable version of us last year. We made no deals today. It's been Cruz, and lately Sano all year with nobody else on board. Really disappointed in the bad at bats. I can live with the bad BA, and strike out rates, but the on base and EXB hits are lacking. It's too late to panic in a shortened year. I just wish we were playing all year with terrible urgency. Just a lot of holes, and I feel like, in a shortened season, our team and front office just think things will eventually work out...that is well short sided, in a short sided year.

I think it's Garver and it's not even close. Buck is the enigma that he will always be. Garver hit 31 HRs last year in 354 at bats. He had an incredible year. That fall off, from a right handed hitter is just not replaceable. Also Polanco blooping his way to his average, instead of driving the ball, is a trend that started in the 2nd half last year and has carried on. These are silver slugger type of players who we are missing. Couple that with really bad at bats this year throughout the line up, and I think we have our problem. We probably were not going to replace last years production but this fall off is close to historic from one year to another. Our pitching has been fine, even if Rocco has not been managing the bullpen quite like a shortened season, that still is not our main problem. It's hitting. End of story. As pointed out our injuries are MLB normal. We are not going to survive with Cave, Adrian and others pick\king up the slack, that has not ever been in their DNA. If we have star players besides Cruz, they should start showing themselves sooner than later. Twins should be aggressive in the trade market. Oh yeah, Donaldson obviously has been a bust. H may not be moving forward but that is a problem.

Also interesting, on that bloop in the ninth from Lindor. Is it me, or could Kepler caught that (will out diving probably)? He laid up on it and it bounced at his feet. Cave was backing him up, so I am not sure why he just didn't go all out on that? Unnecessary drama caused my laying up on that.

Question, did Dick mention that Duffy had not given up a run or homer before it happened? He's on a real streak with that stuff...not that I believe in any of that.

What is the Twins need? I think we all agree hitting (although maybe the biggest issue compared to where we were last year) will not be as much of a problem 20 games from now. This team will hit. Starting pitching will be what everyone wants. Plus a proven, not injured front line starter. No more bullpen games. The problem is everyone wants that. I agree with Chief. There will be some. The price will be insane. This is not the year, as I just don't think we will get someone for the value we need to be at (even greatly overpaying). We need to hope that Hill, Odo, and Bailey can be healthy until the big guy comes back. Even then it's a crap shoot. I still have no clue. This is all so weird.

No time to panic, but doffing11, is not to far off. My many Twins friends who watch obsessively like the rest of us, are wondering if who we pitch and when is confusing. We will sacrifice the non proven guys for multiple innings, but not the quality guys. It's a 60 game season. Every game is 2.5 of a game. It's complicated and I'm mot sure what the right answer is, but sacrificing AAA players with this line up (Twins), we should not be out of any game, it's worth questioning,

I agree with Danchat. Wow how tight is the baseball this year? Rosario barely tapped a ball to left center and we all thought might be a fly ball to left center. It carried to the wall for a double. That was the weakest double in the gap I might have ever seen. I know the left fielder was struggling, and then gut pulled, but man that ball carried. I fear for the pitchers. I think MLB wants offense....

I cannot explain both how awesome it was to have a actual regular season game on tv, while understanding for the first time in baseball history every game is a sprint not a marathon. I am happy to have baseball, but am terrified how our collective community will freak out more during each game, because the weight of each game is actually real. For baseball. Want to enjoy the win, which I have, but also, feel like we have to win every series right? It's kind of stressful in a whole new way. Win twins!!!!

Here is the deal, Buck should be the key to our future. We all want this. Unfortunately, telling us to not give up to him is not fair. Telling us to do anything is weird. This whole site is based on stats and facts. When he plays the twins are better, when he doesn't play we are not quite as good. So he is injured a ton, that would suggest we should be worried and be close to giving up. I want him to be relevant, but based on his past we are allowed to not be 100% believers. I will believe when he plays, a lot.

I would have liked to have seen a bit more detail. First Duffey was not good early in 2019, then he became amazing. How were Rogers splits? I know he is great but that should factor. W so many right handed batters we should know. I know it's an age old argument (well from the early 2000's until now), if we have the bullets, shouldn't the best pitcher pitch the highest leverage situation? Always lots of debate on this. I think we need a little more of Duffey pitching to trust him super late...I do think he has turned the corner but we have to make sure he is real, not a lot of detail but if a reliever is going strong, ride them. As always.