rghrbek

Based on the off season we have seen so far, none of this is surprising. However, that does not make it less disturbing. If the FO had trust issues with our starting pitching (duh), why was nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing done about it in the off season? Hughes being mostly terrible this spring and worried about innings, or how he is recovering from injury, should have made them get a legitimate starter. Why sign Santiago to the deal and have Huges in the rotation, if that means you are going to carry 13 pitchers? With two days off in 7 games to start? When you have 2 days off in that time how hard is it to manage innings? Otherwise, you should have put Hughes in bullpen and had Duffy or Berrios in the rotation with Alberto... Everything seems reactionary and predictable here, not proactive. It appears to be lip service about giving Mauer lots of rest, or our FO using analytics. If that was the case, Mauer would be close to a full platoon, and Grossman would only bat right handed. This is basically the same team as last year, except at catcher right?

DanSan is heading north. It's baffling, and depressing. I will give our FO the benefit of the doubt here, and like to think they deferred to Molly on that one. For whatever reason.

Any way you slice it, I am very, very concerned for the bullpen. When will our college arms ever produce? I see Burdi, Metakolis and Jay are making the trip today. Also Romero and Reed. If any of these guys, and I mean any of them, had shown progress (where we think they were very close), I would be more optimistic. I also think it would be great if the "Rice" brothers were both in the bullpen in meaningful roles. JT should make the roster, I hope, and Tyler is still in running for starting job. I am not sure that I see much difference in the entire pitching staff from last year, even though there are 2 or 3 names that have changed in the bullpen.

I don't mind where you have Garver, but like Mike says, if he 26 and our top catching prospect (and catcher of the future), why wait? If the Twins are confident enough in him, he should break camp with them. He should learn from Castro, and if his hit skill is legit and he is an average receiver, he and Castro could really balance out, while he develops to take over full time. I am also a huge believer in Wade as a prospect, and think you may have him slightly too low. College kids like that, with those skills are very valuable. My guess is he could be in the bigs next year, with Britton, once we trim the fat (stubbs, grossman, DanSan, and possibly rosario) Thanks for the list!

Congrats on 5 years. Remarkable! i echo the sentiments here in my appreciation for everyone who contributes on a regular basis. I too, check this site daily, and have learned quite a bit, not just from the owners who write, but everyone who posts, and also the people who choose to comment. I always feel well armed at the random happy hour with my friends. Keep up the great work, and my hope is, as you get more access to the Twins, that you continue to press to get information from a fans perspective, and remember that most of us on this site, appreciate your opinions, and the facts. Not always the Twins company line (which I think other media outlets all too redily spout). This has been a great site to debate, vent, celebrate (although not often enough recently), without being too preachy. I hope you all continue to let us do our thing. Thanks again, and here's to many more years of success.

I agree, the plan doesn't change much with Dozier here, except you say the D should be better...well not at shortstop if that is the case. 75 wins. Is this based in reality? Why are people expecting mid 70's wins out of this team, this year? I think a highly optimistic view is high 60's. Gibson will be better? That is a given? I agree with Gleeman that Gibson, so far, has been pretty close to Nick Blackburn...that's not a compliment. You are suggesting a 16 win jump is possible and likely. We have the same manager, pitching staff, and pitching coach. It's possible you feel 2015 is the norm and 2016 was the outlier? I am doubting you think that, as the 2015 Twins, were one of the luckiest teams in MLB history....Hard to duplicate luck. I agree that the young kids need to play often. You are banking that some of these kids will make that big of a leap? Some will, as I expect better play out of Buxton, Sano, Berrios and Shaggy, but some will fail...that's just the way it is with young kids/prospects. I expect nothing from Hughes that is positive unless he is healthy, throwing harder and in the bullpen. If Mejia is starting for us, I expect the same ups and downs all prospects seem to have, especially starting pitching. Maybe the hope of mid 70's wins is why there is such a strong feeling between trading dozier, only if we get a huge return, vs. trade dozier for a strong pitching prospect and parts, on the chance that we start competing more in 2018, or more likely 2019?

Disco Bombo? Thought it was Disco Dan, as in Danny Ford. Actually it probably works for both

At least Molly can be proud that his coaching did everything it could to get this win...a successful bunt.

It's been established that was Barrieos last start of the year...and he quit on his young prospect.

Molly still trying to win meaningless games instead of developing his young talent. Brings Boshers in and predictably he failed at both of those things

My gut says McLeod, provided he can get out of his gophers/FSN duties.

Didn't Gibson come up here in 2013? 3+ over all below average performance, and now age 29, makes it very, very fair to question if he should be in the rotation. Gleeman's tweets about his over all numbers compared to Mr. Nick Blackburn a month or 2 ago, were very disturbing. I tend to agree with some on this post when they say, how is next year's rotation better if it's all filled with this year's guys, specifically the guys we have a larger sample size on, in the bigs? The young guys have to get better. That's really the main hope. I believe, with the right staff, and more reps that guys like Berrios and Mejia can be counted on. 2017 is gonna blow anyway. If they want to keep Erv, fine, but they should always be entertaining trade offers, and hopefully can get some value for him this off season or at the deadline. The other factor here, is who do they get back on a Dozier trade? Otherwise it's time for the young guys.

Is Lamonte Wade hurt? I have not see his name in the updates. Maybe he is just slumping?

Per Gleeman: "Kyle Gibson's career ERA+ is 89, which is second-worst in Twins history for pitchers with 500 or more innings ahead of only Nick Blackburn." There is no way I extend Gibson. He has been a disappointment. I would however consider a 1 year arb deal. No harm in that. Otherwise Ploufe, Santiago (he is what most analytics said he is, not very good or Nolasco light), Milone, all gone. Kintzler is fools gold in my opinion, but the Twins will neither trade him or release him, so he gets a 2 year deal (although I would hope it just a one year deal). I am hoping the new GM surprises me and does more than a few anti Twins types of moves.

The problem know is where to play Palonco? He's not a shortstop. I hope the twins are creative and give him shots at 2nd base, SS and 3b. Let's see what he's got. Still very pleased with early return though, nice Mr. Antony.

I know we have kennys up here, but I think it's probably time park bang gets promoted. They should probably platoon Joe and Park, but we all know that will not happen. If the future is the goal however, they need to get creative and find out if Park can hit a MLB fastball.

Nunez, has had a great year, but most of us know he is not the player we've seen the last 3 months. Finally the twins have sold somewhat high on a player who will end up at his norms (look at his last 1.5 months not good), and got pitching. Top 100 guy they say, but they key is, he's at AAA, so he's close enough that we are not waiting for 2 years to figure him out what he is, which is what we are doing for most of our better starting pitching prospects. I'm pleased.

Gleeman did not even bring up Ryan's disregard for advanced analytics, which was arrogant and damaging to this franchise. Ryan actually was very smug with people who asked him about this, early on in the movement. Very frustrating to hear John, whom I have a great deal of respect for his baseball acumen, take such a odd stance. It is his opinion, though, and he is allowed to have it.

I am really enjoying watching the young kids play. Nick, great points about the bullpen, and our guys who are on pace to finish with a nice amount of strikeouts. I fear, like others on this thread, that our FO will over value some of the positivity, and thus not fully explore all trade options, with those players that really don't project to be major contributors, 2 or 3 years from now.

I'm pretty sure trading Hardy was a Gardy thing, not a BS generated move (well it was BS, but you know what I mean). If your manager wants you to do it, and your billy smith, well you probably do it. Disaster.

I believe he has had over 600 plate appearances vs. right handed pitching in his MLB career, with over 34 home runs. With Park's struggles, they probably could have got him a few more at bats at DH vs righties. From Gleeman: "Oswaldo Arcia has played 251 games. Most homers in Twins history through 251 career games: 51 J. Hall 44 Morneau 44 Oliva 40 ARCIA 40 Gaetti" Interesting decision. Roster management and player development continue to be the thing I am most alarmed at, over the last number of years.

You are comparing his ob% to actual MLB players? I get what you are trying to say, but it is not apples to apples.

Do we think Mauer's 4 game OPS batting 3rd will hold up? Seems to me we have a rather large recent sample size that says it will not. I agree with Alarp that we need to have some better thought put into who is batting 2nd. However, if Sano et all cannot start contributing, it won't matter if we have terrible OB% guys batting 1st and 2nd.

Not gonna argue with your assessment that the Twins have not been one of the better teams in developing their own talent. However, it should be pointed out that Neil Allen, only has one year of service with the team, and by all accounts it was pretty decent. Utilizing the change up is kinda Allen's thing, as many Rays' pitchers can validate. So with that in mind, I'm ok with Duffy working on this 3rd pitch. Last year was a pretty small sample size, so this is one of those times you have to leave it up to the coaching staff, that they know best. Hopefully they are right.

Nick, to your point later in your article when we traded Hermann for Palka, I thought we actually got something back for Hermann? Then I saw his A ball numbers and I thought, ok what is wrong with this guy...this seems to be a bit much. Anything we get from this guy is gravy, and was an astute move by the Twins FO. Hopefully they start this kid out at AA (which I doubt).