PopRiveter

Re-live the last moments of optimism from a week ago, lovingly preserved in Hanging by a thread. @Number3 captured a moment in time when it was still possible for the Twins to get back in the race, just before Cleveland cut our last thread of hope.
But they can never cut our forum threads! Like how @PopRiveter wants to witness the battle of Arraez vs Evil -my last remaining reason to care. The whole world is watching Aaron Judge but can our own La Regadera ("The Sprinker") spoil his triple crown?
The Twins and Yankees not only share batting title competitors, they also share starting pitcher trade deadline disasters, as chronicled by @Brandon in Montas or Mahle, Which pitcher helped his new team the least? Unfortunately, that may be where the Twins and Yankees similarities end, as New York has been preparing for the postseason, while the well-seasoned Twins have been cooking on a post over a Cuyahoga River fire.
If you don't care to look backward or suffer the present, look to the future with @cHawk at the 2023 Rotation. There are plenty of arms to consider -- two arms per pitcher, in fact.
Over in the Other Baseball forum, @Vanimal46 is still thinking about baseball while watching football in Take Notes, MLB. What would you like to see MLB adopt from NFL broadcasts? If you said "illegal formation penalties," I've got good news for you!
Finally, the ballclub may be struggling, but the Minnesota Twins have finally become masters of their own domain. @Rosterman reports how a pair of real-life twins are likely celebrating a financial windfall as Twins.com finds a new home.
Would you have sold Twins.com? Or would you have dedicated it to Taylor and Tyler Rogers? Share your ideas in the forums.

Rocco Baldelli has done everything he can to hold this Twins team together. With the injured list total mounting, and lackluster output coming on the field, it’s been a perfect storm of negative outcomes this season. Unfortunately the bad omens came early on this year, and the hits really didn’t stop.
Emilio Pagan takes his first loss
On April 12 the Minnesota Twins faced the Los Angeles Dodgers at Target Field. It was an absolutely dominant series from the NL West champs, one in which Clayton Kershaw nearly threw a no-hitter. The front office flipped closers right before Opening Day, and Emilio Pagan was making his second appearance. He gave up a single hit and walk while being credited with a loss. The Dodgers rallied for six runs in the 8th inning and the game went up in smoke.
In and of itself, that loss wasn’t entirely damning. It was foreshadowing though, and Pagan has all but sunk the Twins season. He’s racked up six blown saves and is also responsible for six losses. He’s routinely coughed up games against the Guardians, Minnesota’s toughest competition, and all season it’s been a belief in stuff that hasn’t provided any positive results.
Byron Buxton jams his knee
On April 15 playing against the Boston Red Sox, Byron Buxton slid awkwardly and jammed his knee into the ground. It looked awful and he reacted as such. Being lifted from the game, but walking off the field under his own power, Minnesota’s newly extended $100 million man seemed destined for the injured list. Instead, Buxton was back less than a week later and playing through general knee soreness.
Sure, Byron has compiled 4.0 fWAR this season and has been worth every bit of his extension, but it’s been a constant battle as to whether the knee will hold up. He’s had it drained routinely throughout the year, and there have been fears of further damage due to the number of injections. Ultimately a hip injury landed him on the injured list and may end his season. Even with as good as he’s been, it’s hard not to think “what if” given a clean bill of health. There’s no denying the amount of strength this man has to play through what he did in 2022.
Royce Lewis goes down
The Minnesota Twins found themselves in a bind when record-setting free agent Carlos Correa was hit by a pitch. Despite having missed all of 2021 due to a torn ACL, Royce Lewis established himself immediately on the farm this season and forced his debut at the highest level. In an 11-game cameo, he posted an .889 OPS and looked solid at shortstop. Sent back when Correa returned, Lewis then sought to enter the lineup elsewhere. Playing centerfield for Byron Buxton a leap at the wall on May 29 sent him to the ground. After some waiting on the swelling, it was determined he’d torn his ACL for a second time.
Lewis looked like the breakout rookie Twins Territory could get behind. His debut had been heavily anticipated for some time, and then it all came crashing down in a matter of weeks. He’s on the road to recovery, but it’s not likely that he’ll be ready for Opening Day 2023. Minnesota will get their star prospect back, but waiting will be involved.
Alex Kirilloff undergoes season-ending surgery, again
On August 9 it was announced that Alex Kirilloff would again go under the knife in an attempt to fix his nagging wrist issues. After surgery last year shut him down, a more extensive procedure was required this time around. Kirilloff had looked like a shell of what expectations are, and aside from a brief hot stretch at Triple-A, he never found his power this year.
After thinking things were trending in a better direction following the first surgery, Kirilloff revealed that his wrist had never fully recovered. He shut things down in the offseason, and was clearly bothered at the plate for Minnesota. After having to break and shorten his wrist, the hope would be that Kirilloff’s healing process goes smoothly and he can tap back into the player he was prior to the injury.
Baserunning and Clutch Situations
Without pointing to a specific circumstance, the Twins have been horrid once reaching base this year. Fangraphs keeps track of baserunning via the BsR metric, and only the Washington Nationals rank lower across the league than Minnesota this season. While aggressiveness is desirable, being thrown out by a longshot or running into outs has been something far too regular this season.
There's also the ineptitude that Minnesota has displayed when hitting with runners in scoring position. Despite a lineup that should've been expected to score with regularity this season, the Twins have been shut out in nearly 10% of their games and routinely have taken poor at bats with runners in scoring position.
What other lowlights come to mind for you this season?

People started to take notice of Jose Miranda last season after he combined to post a .973 OPS between Double and Triple-A. The 127 were played between the ages of 22 and 23, and while he was a former 2nd round pick, Miranda had never received top 100 prospect consideration.
Coming into 2022, Miranda made both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline’s top 100 lists. He was snubbed by Baseball Prospectus, and still largely looked at as a fringe contributor to those lists. Miranda didn’t do himself a ton of favors early this year. He posted just a .737 OPS in his first 21 games with the Saints, but then opportunity presented itself.
Called up on April 2, Miranda made his big league debut. 19 games in with the Twins, he was optioned back to Triple-A after compiling a .484 OPS and 14/2 K/BB. Once Royce Lewis went down with a season-ending injury though, Miranda never set foot at CHS Field. Back in the lineup for Minnesota on May 30, he has undergone what may be the most impressive rookie season in franchise history.
Over a period of 69 games, Miranda has routinely seen time at first base, third base, and designated hitter. He has batted anywhere from the top of the lineup to the bottom, and he’s tallied a ridiculous .838 OPS. He’s carried a .302 average and .346 on-base percentage while swatting 12 home runs and leading the club in runs batted in. Despite a terrible first month, he’s still managed to pull off a 120 OPS+ to date.
Maybe it’s because teammate Jhoan Duran has a triple-digit fastball and has carried the Twins bullpen, or maybe it’s because Minnesota remains flyover country, but it seems the performance has continued to go unnoticed nationally. Miranda turned 24 years old earlier this season and is still figuring things out as a Major League ballplayer. He has had to face pitchers multiple times, and work as the league, or more specifically the division, has adjusted to him.
It’s fair to note that Miranda is thwarted in overall value by analytical metrics such as fWAR. His total this season is 1.1, That puts him in a tie for 14th and well off the league-leading 3.6 pace set by Baltimore Orioles, Adley Rutschman. Much of this is derived from his defensive acumen. At first base, it’s been easy to see Miranda is stretched. He’s been worth -3 defensive runs saved in just over 380 innings, and only worth one defensive run saved in 216 innings at the hot corner. The Statcast metric, outs above average, doesn’t like him either. Throw in the double-digit starts at designated hitter and you now have a clearer picture.
None of this is to downplay what has taken place. Miranda spent the first month of the season playing at Triple-A. He spent the next month being unproductive, and frankly, terrible. From there, he’s been among the better players in the Major Leagues, rookie or otherwise. Duran has helped to steal some of the spotlight, but Minnesota hasn’t experienced this level of play from a hitter in their debut season for a long time.
If you’re watching Twins games on a daily basis and enjoying Miranda’s heroics, then you’ve appreciated the greater body of work. If you’re watching him play defense and catching an at-bat at a time, you’ve probably missed it. I don’t think it’s sugarcoating it though, to call this one of the best rookie seasons Twins fans have ever seen.

This offseason Derek Falvey made former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Dylan Bundy his first pitching acquisition when he was signed to a one-year deal worth $6 million. An $11 million team option was tied to 2023, and the hope for the Twins was that they could recapture the 3.29 ERA (and 2.95 FIP) that had Bundy finish 9th in the American League Cy Young voting during the 2020 season.
That would be a difficult task considering how bad he was last season for Los Angeles. Bundy owned a 6.06 ERA along with a 5.51 FIP. He was allowing two homers every nine innings, and he pitched in just 90 2/3 innings. The velocity actually ticked up to 90.8 mph last year, but the whiff rate dropped below 10% for the first time in his career.
Still, Minnesota’s plan was a value play. Bundy, alongside the eventual signing of Chris Archer, represented an opportunity to squeeze something out of nothing at the back end of the pen. To date, Bundy has thrown slower, struck out fewer batters, and his Statcast page makes Minnesota look warm in January. 

The notable reality here is what’s happened. Sure, Bundy doesn’t put the ball by anyone, and his start is hardly worth making note of. He does generate a strong chase rate and limits walks, but based on expected outcomes, regression should hit him hard. Yet, it hasn’t. He owns a FIP in line with his ERA, and an expected ERA of 3.98. No matter how you cut it, the stuff doesn’t match the results, but the job has gotten done. I wouldn’t guess Minnesota is itching to hand out the $11 million in 2023, but they’ve got to be happy with the surplus value this season.
On the flip side, there’s Emilio Pagan. Acquired from the San Diego Padres for Taylor Rogers just before Opening Day, Pagan was picked as a closer type with hopes of regaining his 2019 stuff with Tampa Bay. It began with a poor first outing against the Seattle Mariners, and the reliever has never recovered.
Pagan is under team control through 2023, certainly part of the allure in acquiring him. He can be tendered a deal through arbitration and won’t break Minnesota’s bank. The problem is that the results have culminated to the tune of 5.04 ERA, 2.0 HR/9, six losses, and seven blown saves. In short, he’s largely been the difference between winning or losing the American League Central division.
The reason Pagan continues to be given a leash is that everything except the results says he should be good. Velocity is up, his xFIP is just 3.30, he owns nearly a 36% chase rate and gets whiffs 14% of the time. In an age where velocity is king and misses matter, Pagan checks those boxes. His Statcast page shows a nearly inverse result of Bundy’s. Pagan has everything going for him until wood meets leather, and then it’s an absolute nightmare.

It’s been a very interesting situation for the Twins to manage this year. Rocco Baldelli has constantly been hamstrung with a bullpen including an unusable pitcher in Pagan. He’s been kept around on the hopes that tweaks will lead to expected or desired results becoming reality. Bundy isn’t the piece you build around, but he’s not the reason you lose now. Pagan is the type you hope to have become an asset, but you’ll take your lumps along the way.
This season Minnesota may have tied themselves to the wrong horse for long enough that it bites them. An analytical approach is how you seek to gain value and create sustainability, but there’s more than enough room for hiccups along the way. For a team threading the needle so tightly, we’ll have to see whether whatever happens in 2023 was worth whatever took place in 2022.

The Minnesota Twins shocked the MLB world on March 22, 2022, when they picked up the free agent after the Houston Astros did not pick him back up. 
Correa is undoubtedly one of the best shortstops in the league. His quick reactions to plays and acrobatic moves with put-outs and assists certainly have helped the Twins defensively this season. On the days that Correa isn't on the lineup, Twins fans become irrationally upset. Some, because they have "paid to see the all-star in the lineup" and others because "we paid him to play here" Whatever the reason that fans are clamoring to see Correa in the lineup, it's a positive thing for the club. The fans enjoy having him here, and from what Correa portrays, he also enjoys being here. 
During his initial game back with the Houston Astros on August 23rd, when asked if he would be coming back to the Astros, he didn't say, "we are talking about the post-season", or "I am open to anywhere", or anything else he said, again, He "Can see playing for the Twins for a long time". That doesn't sound like someone who will opt-out.
 
In an article with Joseph Zucker from Bleacher Report, Correa told reporters that he is looking to "I want to build a championship culture in this organization," Correa said, per the Associated Press Jake Seiner. By all accounts, Correa shows, says, and promotes wanting to stay a part of the club in Minnesota. 
Since that statement in early March, Correa suffered initially thought to be a fractured finger after getting hit-by-pitch (twice) on May 6 against the Orioles. He spent a stint on the IL, and later that month, he would also spend time out on the COVID IL. The all-star had a rough month of May, and his return was also heavily catered as he made random appearances in the infield and took turns in the lineup as the designated hitter. 
When he is not in the starting lineup, Correa is in the dugout, doing his best to help lead the team, cheering on other players' home runs and clutch plays. He also spends time sharing his knowledge of the defense and weighs in on front office thoughts regarding the status of players, like Jose Miranda, with whom he has a close bond. The Twins brought him in to be a teacher, to Royce Lewis, who has spent a majority of his time on the IL, shortening his time with Correa and the ability to have that time to learn. His knowledge of the game is excellent, but right now, at least at the plate, his game is not impressive, consistent, but not impressive. 
In May 2022, shortly after the acquisition, Buster Olney stated that not only would Correa leave IF he were to remain healthy and finish in "an impressive fashion". Looking back over Buster's statement, Correa would likely opt out of his contract on two conditions: his health and his production, and both took a hit this season. While his health is undoubtedly resolving, his production is lacking at least at the plate. 
Correa's month of August has been one of the quietest we have seen out of the shortstop, even after coming back from injury and illness earlier in June. His numbers aren't showing how much he is currently struggling at the plate. His valuation is at $30.5 but he isn’t hitting that value right now.  He is hitting .268/.344/.427 for the season, but in the 18 games in August thus far, he's recorded only eight runs, 16 hits, and three RBIs in 62 at-bats. His eight earned runs have come heavily from his 13 walks this month, he gets on base, but rarely from a hit. 
It is August, it's hot, and these are the "Dog Days of Summer." Still, for a player looking to "opt-out," with Onley's statement of "impressive finish," there are other free agents out there making more impressive finishes than who would potentially pick up before Correa. 
Players like Xander Bogaerts, Dansby Swanson, and Trea Turner were in the All-Star game this season and are having remarkable seasons both in numbers in the eye test. All three players' numbers exceed Correa's. Looking at Correa's season and his valuation from Fangraphs ($35.1 million), will he still be worth that to another team at the end of the season? 
There is a fair argument that Xander Bogaerts (.299/.370/.441) has had struggles during the season. His overall season product has him valued at $20 million, according to Fangraphs, and his offensive and defense production shows that he is worth that or possibly more. Bogaerts is undoubtedly putting on a show for the potential of getting more money once the season is over.  
The Braves are already in talks with Swanson after a rough breakup with Freddie Freeman; whether he stays will depend on what the Braves are willing to offer him to stay. Swanson (.292/.397/.453) is tearing up the field offensively and defensively this season and far outplays his $10mil valuation. Another one of the All-Stars this season, he comes second in stolen bases (16) behind Trea Turner, who has 20 for the season. Swanson is responsible for 68 runs batted in and an integral part of the Braves' run towards another potential World Series. The Braves may have an uphill battle with other teams willing to offer more money for Swanson. With signing Michael Harris to an eight-year contract extension worth at least $72 million, they may be willing to part with the shortstop making him one of the most sought after shortstops in the off-season. 
Another shortstop driving up the numbers will be Trea Turner, who has had a hit virtually every time he is at the plate. Rumors of the Dodgers locking him in early will only drive up the market for the other sought-after players. There is a rumor that Dansby may have sparked an organizational 'vision' for the Cubs to bring him on. Dansby doesn't want to sit still as his career rockets, and he considers what the future of the team he is on looks like. "You need to know how the next few years look and how that pertains to your family and your career," he added, "it's definitely a factor in picking a team." 
So with other shortstops being shopped and shopping around as well, while the speculation of Carlos Correa opting out has been spreading like wild fire, if my optics are correct, the market will not be demanding a Correa. They will instead be looking at a Swanson, Bogaerts, or Turner. Correa insists that he loves Minnesota, the culture, the team, and being a leader. He wants to stay and make a winning culture, so if he leaves, how would he provide that winning culture in just one season when he is producing less than the rookies this season? What motivation would another team have to pick him up if he's not producing and he has stated his loyalty to the Twins? 
That's why this writer thinks Carlos Correa will not opt-out. Instead, Scott Boras will fight for more money or a more extended contract with the Twins.
Do you truly believe that Correa will opt out? If Royce Lewis isn't ready, or can't play who do you see coming into the shortstop position? 
 

When Miguel Sano was signed out of the Dominican Republic as a teenager, he was so highly desired that a movie was made about the process. A physical specimen was so hotly contested that bone scans were necessary to determine his actual age prior to Major League Baseball allowing a signed contract.
Prior to playing a single professional game, Sano was ranked as the 94th best prospect in baseball by Baseball America and the 35th best prospect by Baseball Prospectus. His status and hype only rose from there, and he ultimately topped out as the 4th best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. He wound up representing Minnesota in the 2013 Futures Game.
Sano made his debut for Minnesota on July 2, 2015, going 1-for-4 against the Kansas City Royals. Crushing 18 homers and posting a .916 OPS, Sano wound up finishing third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting, trailing only (now teammate) Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor. The offensive production was good enough for a 149 OPS+ that season.
The first of Sano’s rolling regressions then took place in 2016. While still above league average with a 108 OPS+, his 25 home runs came alongside the caveat of a gaudy 178 strikeouts. Walking 53 times his rookie season and striking out just 119 times, Sano added just a single additional walk despite the massive boost in whiffs. It was in this season that a poorly-constructed Twins club also put their hulking slugger in right field. That went as expected and was somewhere between comical and disastrous.
Sano did become a first-time All-Star in 2017 and competed in the Home Run Derby. By this point, he had ballooned as a player and a personality. He was somewhat of a polarizing figure for Twins fans and deciding whether the juice was worth the squeeze had begun. In the years that followed, it became an annual tradition to suggest Sano was fat, lazy, or unathletic. The truth probably never lied solely on any of those terms, but there was something to be said for their application. Sano was available for just 71 games in 2018 and only 105 a year later. He did play 53 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but his 90 strikeouts led the league.
After his 2019 bounce-back, which included a .923 OPS, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine decided to opt for an extension rather than the annual arbitration process. Three years at $30 million was never going to break the bank, and if there was any upside to be had at all, he should blitz by the terms of the deal.
Playing just above league-average the past two seasons, the 20-game sample in 2022 was the sad trombone to this whole story. 96% worse than the league average, Sano going out with a whimper couldn’t be more true. He looked most competent during a stretch at Triple-A St. Paul this season, but there was never a point in which that translated to Major League success.
There’s zero chance the Twins are picking up a $14 million club option this offseason, so the $2.75 million buyout will be his last paycheck from the organization. At 29 years old, it would be shocking if this was the end of his career, but there’s no denying the two sides would be best to part ways.
Sano has generated 8.4 fWAR for Minnesota during his time, and despite losing on his contract extension, the organization has received a financial surplus thanks to his earlier years. Sano’s 162 career homers rank 12th all-time for Minnesota, one behind Tom Brunansky. His 1,042 strikeouts are second in team history, behind only Harmon Killebrew, who played in over 1,600 more games.
No matter how you feel about Sano at present, there’s a good chance you’ve felt differently about him at various points during his tenure with the Twins. From hyped prospect, to prized rookie, to All-Star, to wishing there was more, the cycle as a whole probably could’ve gone much better in the eyes of many. That said, there were some great moments as well, and the expectation or longevity might have always been acceptable in a vacuum.
As Minnesota will do this offseason, it’s now time to bid Sano adieu. What were your favorite moments? Does his career or production here live up to what you expected?

Jon Heyman was the first to report that the Twins are acquiring Jorge Lopez from the Orioles. The Twins will send four pitchers including Twins Daily Top 10 prospect Cade Povich, reliever Yennier Cano, and two more pitchers from the low-minors, Juan Rojas and Juan Nunez. 
Prior to this year, Lopez, 29, was a struggling starting pitcher. He debuted with two games with the Brewers in 2015 and then pitched in another 11 games with the Crew between 2017 and 2018. He went to the Royals and pitched in 47 games between 2018 and 2020.
He went to the Orioles in 2020. That year, he posted a 6.34 ERA over 38 1/3 innings in nine games (six starts). In 2021, he went 3-14 with Baltimore with a 6.07 ERA over 121 2/3 innings.
But this season, the O's moved him full-time into their bullpen and he became an All-Star. In 44 games, he is 4-6 with a 1.68 ERA. In 48 1/3 innings, he have given up 30 hits, 17 walks and struck out 54 batters. He has given up just three home runs, a couple to the Twins in back-to-back blown saves last month. Lopez throws hard, with a fastball averaging over 97 mph. 
As of right now, Lopez ranks as the second best reliever (behind Josh Hader) traded at the MLB deadline, though he’s likely to fall to at least third when Cubs closer David Robertson is dealt. He’s also under team control for two more seasons after this one. His worth is reflected in the quantity and quality of prospects the Twins gave up to acquire him. 
Twins Daily has learned that left-hander Cade Povich, their third-round pick in 2011 out of Nebraska, will be sent to the Orioles. Povich has spent the season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He became a top prospect with the organization when he arrived at instructional league last fall throwing 97 with a slider. 
Cano was signed after leaving Cuba. The 28-year-old has been impressive the past two seasons in Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul. He has made 10 appearances for the Twins. In 13 2/3 innings, he has walked 11 and struck out 14 while posting an ERA of 9.22. He's got good stuff and a rubber arm and will do well with the Orioles. 
Juan Nunez, 21, signed with the Twins from the Dominican Republic. He pitched in 11 games in 2021 in the DSL. This season, he is 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA in eight games (7 starts). Over 29 2/3 innings, he has walked 10 and struck out 47 batters. 
Juan Rojas is 18 years old, signed out of Venezuela. He also pitched in the DSL in 2021. This season, he is 1-2 with a 3.60 ERA in eight games (5 starts). In 30 innings, he has 38 strikeouts and just four walks. 
So, the Twins need to make sure that Jorge Lopez 2022 is the Jorge Lopez they are acquiring, and not turn back into Jorge Lopez circa 2015-2021. Will Lopez be thrown into the closer's role? Most likely, Rocco Baldelli will be able to simply choose between Lopez and Jhoan Duran, along with Griffin Jax, in the late innings, and that is a positive. 
The Twins made one move... Will they make more? Let us know your thoughts and what more you would like to see in the comment section.
 

There are 30 rookie hitters who debuted in 2022 and have at least 100 plate appearances under their belts. The above graph plots their on-base percentages and slugging percentages, with Miranda indicated.
Miranda is 3rd in slugging percentage at 0.477. Given that he is on the older side of this group, one may wonder if his success relative to other rookies is a product of having extra time to develop. But he's out-slugging all the rookies in his age 24 cohort. Only Mariners phenom Julio Rodriguez and Atlanta upstart Michael Harris, both in their age 21 seasons, have higher slugging percentages.
Among Twins hitters with sufficient plate appearances, only Nick Gordon and Alex Kirilloff swing at a higher percentage of pitches in the strike zone than Miranda. At the same time, only Gordon, Gary Sánchez, and Gio Urshela swing at more pitches outside the strike zone than Miranda. Given his aggressiveness at the plate, Miranda's 0.317 on-base percentage (11th out of 30 qualifying rookies) is promising.
If Miranda puts together two more months with production that resembles his July production, he may just put himself in the conversation for AL Rookie of the Year.
 

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 7/25 through Sun, 7/31
***
Record Last Week: 1-4 (Overall: 53-48)
Run Differential Last Week: -14 (Overall: +26)
Standing: 1st Place in AL Central (1.0 GA)
Last Week's Game Results:
Game 97 | MIL 7, MIN 6: Bundy, Bullpen Let Down Bats in Loss
Game 98 | MIL 10, MIN 4: Tellez Sinks Twins with Pair of 3-Run Homers
Game 99 | SD 10, MIN 1: Ryan Gives up 5 Home Runs in Laugher
Game 100 | MIN 7, SD 4: Sonny Plays Stopper, Correa Steps Up
Game 101 | SD 3, MIN 2: Offense Goes Quietly, Twins Drop Series
NEWS & NOTES
Miguel Sanó was back ... then he wasn't. Following a three-month rehab from knee surgery, the slugger was activated ahead of Tuesday's game. Appearing in three games, he went 0-for-6 with four strikeouts, then went back on the injured list with knee inflammation. Evidently the injury flared up during a slide in the final game of his rehab.
For Sanó, whose career was basically on the line this year, it's another terrible break. He was in need of a good season to resuscitate his sagging stock ahead of his date with free agency. Instead, his body is letting him down and he may find himself settling for a minor-league deal in the offseason. It seems likely (to me, anyway) we've seen him for the last time in a Twins uniform.
Sanó was far from the biggest loss for the lineup. Max Kepler went on the injured list alongside him, with his fractured pinky toe proving too much to play through. Most perturbingly, Alex Kirilloff came out of Saturday's game with wrist soreness. More on that later.
Filling in these key roster spots are names like Tim Beckham and Mark Contreras. They're deserving of chances, and both great stories in their own right, but it's tough to be leaning on unproven Triple-A players at a time like this. The Twins are in the grinder right now. 
Alas, the pitching staff also keeps getting blindsided by crushing blows. Danny Coulombe, who's been unable to fight his way back from a hip injury, is now out with season-ending surgery. Meanwhile, Josh Winder landed on the injured list again due to his recurring shoulder impingement. He's been shut down and sent to Fort Myers as the team tries to figure out what's going on. They aren't calling this a season-ending move for him, but it very well could be.
HIGHLIGHTS
For me personally, the biggest highlight of the week was traveling to San Diego and taking in a couple of games at Petco Park. The stadium lived up to the hype, and the downtown gameday experience far exceeded all expectations. Admittedly, it felt a lot easier to ride out a rotten week for the Twins while enjoying an incredible city and soaking in the vibes of sold-out summer games in perfect weather.
I realize this does little for any of you. I'm sorry. 
My own experiences aside, there were some legitimately good moments on the field, even as the Twins bumbled through a sloppy 1-4 week. José Miranda stood out as the biggest bright spot, starting every game and going 8-for-19 with two homers and five RBIs. 
He has suddenly become the pivotal force in the middle of the order, with an aggressive free-swinging approach that yields powerful drive after powerful drive. Opposing pitchers just can't find a way to stop the kid. He even made a few nifty plays defensively at third base.
Byron Buxton was the other explosive performer in a generally underwhelming week from the offense. He homered three times and stole a base (notable after the previous week's PRP injection in his knee). 
On the pitching side, Sonny Gray was good. 
LOWLIGHTS
Gray's solid outing on Saturday – 5 IP, 1 ER – was much needed in the wake of three straight duds from the rapidly unraveling Twins rotation. Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer were bad against Milwaukee, but Joe Ryan's clunker to open the Padres series took the cake. 
In 4 ⅔ innings, the right-hander was knocked around for 10 earned runs on FIVE homers. It was a very odd game for Ryan, who also struck out seven and set a career high with 15 swings and misses. His stuff was either really working or really not working, and that's a scarily unpredictable proposition for a guy who'd likely be starting in the postseason.
One could argue that Rocco Baldelli hung Ryan out to dry on Saturday night, but who can really blame him with a bullpen that continues to inspire zero confidence. Tyler Duffey has fallen back into the pits after a modest run of effectiveness – he took the loss with a brutal ninth-inning appearance in Milwaukee on Tuesday, and then endangered a six-run lead in the ninth on Saturday by coughing up a three-run HR.
Caleb Thielbar is gearing up for a return, which will be helpful, but this bullpen continues to look direly undermanned, with a void of trustworthy options beyond Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. 
The pitching staff needs impact reinforcements, and they'll likely get some within the next couple days. Even then, the Twins are clearly gonna need the offense to carry the load if they're going to hang on for a playoff berth and hope to make any noise. That's where the past week proved most unsettling.  
The team pitched well enough to win on Sunday for a change, but the offense could not answer the call in a 3-2 loss, coming up empty outside of solo homers from Miranda and Luis Arraez. Carlos Correa had a big two-run homer on Saturday night, but otherwise went 1-for-20 on the week. Gary Sanchez went 1-for-10 with seven strikeouts, wrapping up a month of July in which the now-starting catcher slashed .149/.245/.234.
The lineup is lagging and will now be without Kepler for however long it takes his toe to get right. Meanwhile any small hope of Sanó coming in and lighting any sort of spark is gone. But the Kirilloff news is easily the most gutting on the lineup front.
I don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill, but the revelation from Baldelli that "Kirilloff's wrist got to the point where he couldn't swing" strikes me with possible season-sinking implications. I had remarked a few days earlier about how Kirilloff was noticeably reverting to the habit of topping every pitch – that tendency was a clear indicator of how his wrist issues were impeding his swing before he went to the minors, received a cortisone shot, and got back on track. Following his initial power surge, he had one of the highest grounder rates in the league in July.
Kirilloff was such a huge factor in the offense's midsummer success, slashing .307/.328/.548 with 17 RBIs in his first 18 games back after being recalled from Triple-A. But his gradual regression back into an unimposing ground-ball machine was painfully evident, and the numbers back it up. Sadly, news of his wrist re-emerging as a debilitating factor comes as no surprise.
Several of the key young players that the Twins were hoping to rely on this year – Coulombe, Royce Lewis, Chris Paddack – are already gone for the season. Several others – Kirilloff, Winder, Jorge Alcala, Matt Canterino, Randy Dobnak – are persistently plagued and repeatedly sidelined by mysterious injuries and conditions that the players and medical staff can't seem to solve. 
It makes you wonder, at this critical moment ... is the structural core of this team good enough to be fixed up for a successful stretch run? Or are we flailing against inevitability?
TRENDING STORYLINE
That question weighs heavily with the trade deadline looming at 5:00 PM CT on Tuesday. The philosophical dilemma I pondered over the All-Star break – how much does it make sense to sacrifice key future capital in a leveraged market to aid a deeply flawed current roster? – has only grown murkier in two weeks since. The Twins have gone 3-4, watched their division lead shrink to one, and absorbed bad break after bad break on the health front, as outlined above.
The Twins, Guardians and White Sox are bunched in the standings, each separated by a game apiece. They are all looking to add ahead of Tuesday's deadline, and are pretty much in direct competition to address semi-similar weaknesses in a finite seller's market. It's going to be fascinating to see how things play out between these three competing clubs as they set themselves up for the final stretch in a division that's very much there for the taking.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Twins have seven home games in the week ahead, setting the tone for a month in which 20 of their 28 games will be played at Target Field. 
MONDAY, 8/1: TIGERS @ TWINS – LHP Tarik Skubal v. TBD
TUESDAY, 8/2: TIGERS @ TWINS – RHP Matt Manning v. RHP Chris Archer
WEDNESDAY, 8/3: TIGERS @ TWINS – LHP Tyler Alexander v. RHP Joe Ryan
THURSDAY, 8/4: BLUE JAYS @ TWINS – RHP Alek Manoah v. RHP Sonny Gray
FRIDAY, 8/5: BLUE JAYS @ TWINS – RHP Ross Stripling v. RHP Dylan Bundy
SATURDAY, 8/6: BLUE JAYS @ TWINS – RHP Jose Berrios v. TBD
SUNDAY, 8/7: BLUE JAYS @ TWINS – RHP Kevin Gausman v. RHP Chris Archer

DID THE TWINS MAKE A MOVE?
IF NO: Standing pat gives us every indication that the Twins hope the rotation’s slump ends, Kenta Maeda saves the bullpen, and the offense does the rest. I’m skeptical! THE END IF YES: DID THE TWINS TRADE FOR A STARTING PITCHER IF YES: I’m glad they did something, but I’m sorry to see (prospect name or names) go. THE END IF NO: What about the bullpen? I’m troubled! CONTINUE IF YES: DID THE TWINS TRADE FOR A RELIEVER IF YES: I’m glad they did something, but I’m sorry to see (prospect name or names) go. At least they didn’t trade Wilson Ramos for Matt Capps. I’m still very upset about that and I will die angry about it. I’m angry now! THE END IF NO: What about the rotation? I’m troubled! CONTINUE IF YES: DID THE TWINS TRADE FOR A CATCHER IF YES: I’m glad they added depth to the position with Jeffers’ injury, but I’m sorry to see (prospect name or names) go. And I'm troubled about the pitching! Very troubled! THE END IF NO: I think Drew Butera is a bullpen catcher for the Angels. A reunion has never made more sense. Bring back Sweet Drew! You can probably get him for some coupons. CONTINUE IF YES: DID THEY TRADE CARLOS CORREA DESPITE BEING IN FIRST PLACE AND AN OBVIOUS PLAYOFF TEAM EVEN IF THE PITCHING CONTINUES TO MAKE US ALL SAD IF YES: I hate this so much. You’re in first place, you stupid idiots. You fools. You fools. THE END IF NO: Good. You’re in first place, you stupid idiots. CONTINUE IF YES: DID THEY MOVE THE TEAM’S HOME GAMES TO DICK PUTZ FIELD IN ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA BECAUSE THEY CAN’T AFFORD THE RENT IN THE NORTH LOOP IF YES: I guess I understand? Seems like a pretty long drive for a lot of season ticket holders, and they’ll have to share the field with the St. Cloud Rox, but they have a beer deck along the third base line. The rebuilt Ultimate Sports Bar is just down the way. The White Horse downtown has great food and killer drinks. Enjoy the Granite City! THE END IF NO: Good. That would be a weird thing to do? CONTINUE IF YES: DID THEY TRADE FOR JUAN SOTO OR AARON JUDGE OR SHOHEI OHTANI IF YES: I have died. I will not miss any of the players we traded. THE END IF NO: Glad I’m not dead, I guess. Woulda been cool though. THE END Congratulations! You've reached the end of the story. 
Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash.
 

In order to make room for Sano, the Twins optioned Gilberto Celestino to Triple-A. After owning a .359 average and .860 OPS through his first 28 games this season, Celestino has hit .202 with just a .503 OPS across 38 games since. Celestino looks the part of a legitimate big league defender, but he may benefit from a reset similar to what he experienced last season with the Saints.
Needing a spot on the 40-man roster as well, given Sano was placed on the 60-day injured list, the Twins transferred reliever Danny Coulombe to the 60-day injured list.
At the time of Miguel Sano's knee injury, the Minnesota Twins were 12-9 with a three-game lead in the American League Central Division. Sano himself was carrying a terrible .093/.231/.148 (.379) slash line that saw him record just a single extra-base hit in 65 plate appearances.
Although it was cold and the ball wasn’t flying to start the year, Rocco Baldelli needed Sano to step up at first base with second-year player Alex Kirilloff dealing with a nagging wrist issue. Minnesota saw Sano as the only true first baseman on the roster, and it wasn’t until Luis Arraez was forced into action at the position that he emerged as an eventual All-Star and held down the fort.
The Twins are now 52-44 with a three-game lead in the division, but both the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians continue to breathe down their neck. Horrible pitching performances have stunted the opportunity to expand on the lead over their competition, but far too often the lineup has gone dormant as well.
Obviously, Sano would love to be returning to better numbers, but if you’ve been a fan of Minnesota for any amount of time, you know how quickly Sano can go on one of his hot streaks. He was making loud contact at the big league level prior to his knee injury, and the rehab stint has provided some room to hope. Across 12 games with the Triple-A Saints and FCL Twins, Sano owns a .333/.422/.795 line. He recorded three doubles and blasted five homers while compiling an 12/6 K/BB.
Sano returns to somewhat of a crowded situation at first base with Kirilloff and Arraez now both being well established at the position. Rookie Jose Miranda has gone on a tear since a slow start, and while he's more suited at the hot corner, he too has provided value at first base. Sano will draw starts at designated hitter as well, and that role has become less crowded with the injury to Ryan Jeffers.
In order to make room for Sano, the Twins optioned Gilberto Celestino to Triple-A. After owning a .359 average and .860 OPS through his first 28 games this season, Celestino has hit .202 with just a .503 OPS across 38 games since. Celestino looks the part of a legitimate big league defender, but he may benefit from a reset similar to what he experienced last season with the Saints.
The Twins have just five games left in the month of July. They remain on the road until August 1st, at which point they return home to face a bottom-feeding Detroit Tigers team. Minnesota would love for Sano to parlay hit hot-hitting during his rehab assignment into renewed production at the highest level.
It would seem to be a fair assessment that Minnesota would be open to dealing Sano should an offer come their way. He’s still due roughly $12 million even with his 2023 buyout, and opening up the roster spot rather than DFA’ing him for nothing could be a positive outcome. The Major League Baseball trade deadline in 2022 is on August 2nd.
 
 

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 7/18 through Sun, 7/24
***
Record Last Week: 2-0 (Overall: 52-44)
Run Differential Last Week: +12 (Overall: +40)
Standing: 1st Place in AL Central (3.0 GA)
Last Week's Game Results:
Game 95 | MIN 8, DET 4: Twins Come Out of Break with Convincing Win
Game 96 | MIN 9, DET 1: Bats Break Out Late to Complete Short Sweep
NEWS & NOTES
Miguel Sanó's rehab stint concluded with a bang in St. Paul on Saturday, when the slugger went 3-for-3 with a walk and home run to round out a 12-game stretch between rookie ball and Triple-A in which he slashed .333/.422/.795 with five home runs. 
He's ready for another shot. Are the Twins inclined to give it to him?
For all their pitching troubles, the Twins have been pretty well set offensively and don't have an obvious opening in the lineup (or even on the roster) for Sanó. If they want to accommodate his return, they can probably use him semi-regularly at first base or DH while dropping Gilberto Celestino from the bench. An IL move for Max Kepler, who came out of Sunday's game, would also create room.
I suspect one of those things will happen when the deadline for a decision arrives on Tuesday, because the long-stagnating Twins need a spark that he's uniquely equipped to provide. Still, it's no guarantee we'll see Sanó in a Twins uniform again. There's a very realistic chance they DFA him or trade him for peanuts and move on.
Ahead of their game in Detroit on Saturday, the Twins placed Caleb Thielbar on the injured list with a hamstring strain and recalled right-hander Yennier Canó. It sounds like Thielbar got hurt in the last game before the break, and the team hoped he'd have enough time off to be ready for action, but that wasn't the case. He's a sneaky big loss in this bullpen because Thielbar has vastly out-pitched his underwhelming ERA.
We also learned on Saturday that Byron Buxton would miss the entire Detroit series after receiving a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his right knee on Wednesday to aid healing. The timing is interesting, as it suggests Buxton and the Twins decided to delay this planned procedure until after his All-Star Game appearance. 
That decision exposed his knee to further risk in an exhibition, while potentially costing him one or more meaningful games for the Twins, who are guarding a pretty narrow lead in the AL Central. But it also meant giving Buck an opportunity to go to Los Angeles and showcase himself as a star – boy did he.
HIGHLIGHTS
If you had to succinctly explain why Buxton and Luis Arraez were in the All-Star Game on Tuesday, it would be this: Buxton has been the king of game-changing home runs, and Arraez has been the king of finding his way on base. 
They both brought these qualities out on the national stage.
Buxton earned MVP consideration by hitting the go-ahead homer following a game-tying two-run blast from the actual MVP, Giancarlo Stanton. It was a classic showing of Buxton's incredible quick-twitch ability, as he turned on a fastball at his eyes from Tony Gonsolin and launched it for a no-doubter. 
Arraez's big moment in the All-Star Game was not as flashy as Buxton's, but no less indicative of his strengths as a player. After very uncharacteristically striking out on three pitches in his first plate appearance, Arraez came up against fireballing Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley, who had a 0.69 ERA and held opponents to a .109 average in the first half. Helsley had struck out 57 batters in 39 innings.
Arraez fell behind 0-2 in the count. He then flicked away two fastballs, clocked at 103 and 101 MPH. On the next pitch, Helsley came with a curveball – a pitch he'd thrown 52 times this year without giving up a hit. Arraez stroked it into right field for a single. You can't make it up.
Staying on brand, Arraez opened his second half with a three-hit game in Detroit – his 10th of the season – and he added another hit and walk on Sunday. He's slashing .341/.413/.445. 
Arraez opened the scoring in Saturday's eight-run outburst from the offense, which served as a nice palette cleanser after the Twins were shut out by Chicago to close out the first half. Carlos Correa joined the festivities by hitting a home run and nearly adding another (Akil Badoo made a nice play at the wall.)
The runs kept pouring in on Sunday, with the bats breaking out late in a 9-1 laugher. José Miranda collected three hits to lead the way as Minnesota took advantage of poor pitching and defense from the last-place Tigers.
Having started the opener in the first half, it was only fitting for Joe Ryan to start the first game of the second half. He looked as good Saturday as he did on Opening Day, holding the Tigers to one run over 5 ⅔ innings with seven strikeouts. The righty improved to 7-3 with a 2.89 ERA – the Twins have gone 10-5 in his starts.
Equally encouraging, if not more so, was Sonny Gray's effort the following day. The veteran's slump heading into the break was a major concern, but Gray was in frontline form on Sunday – albeit against a very bad team. He struck out seven and allowed two hits over six frames.
I am of the opinion that the Twins need to add one more starter at or above the level of Ryan and Gray in order to be a viable threat in the postseason. But at the very least, they'll need those two pitching like they're capable of. This series in Detroit was a very good sign on that front. We'll see if they can keep it going with tougher competition ahead.
LOWLIGHTS
The Twins might have come out of the break with a couple of convincing wins, but that wasn't gonna stop the bullpen from rearing its ugly head. 
Minnesota's massive lead on Saturday was mildly threatened in the eighth as Detroit mounted a three-run rally against Jovani Moran and Trevor Megill, who were both extremely wild. For as good as Moran – and to a lesser extent Megill – has looked at times, their frequent lapses into the no-control zone make them impossible to trust as high-leverage relievers down the stretch, or especially into the playoffs.
Even on Sunday, when the bullpen seemingly had a very good showing with one hit allowed over three scoreless innings, the process was hardly impressive. Griffin Jax, Jharel Cotton and Joe Smith combined to strike out zero of 10 batters faced while inducing just two swings and misses (both from Jax) on 39 pitches. That's not a good formula for getting results, especially against better teams.
The glaring inadequacy of this bullpen is too stark to ignore, even on good days like the past couple. 
TRENDING STORYLINE
The big focus from now until August 2nd will be the trade market. I wrote last week about the deceivingly complicated decision facing the Twins as the deadline approaches – a first-place team that needs to make additions, but may not be in the best position for an aggressive push given the extent of those needs.
We'll likely begin to see some trade activity fire up in the coming week, although the majority of big moves will shake out in the 48 hours or so leading up the deadline next Tuesday. Will the Twins front office strike early? 
LOOKING AHEAD
Minnesota's midsummer respite extends into a light first week following the All-Star break, with two off days bookending a two-game series in Milwaukee. Good news for Buxton as he works back from the PRP injection. From there it's off to San Diego for three games against Taylor Rogers and the Padres. 
This next week will be a good test for the well-rested Twins, with five games against very strong NL opponents. I'll be in San Diego to catch a couple of the weekend games at Petco Park, and am very excited to cross that stadium off my list! 
TUESDAY, 7/26: TWINS @ BREWERS – RHP Dylan Bundy v. TBD
WEDNESDAY, 7/27: TWINS @ BREWERS – RHP Chris Archer v. RHP Corbin Burnes
FRIDAY, 7/29: TWINS @ PADRES –  RHP Joe Ryan v. LHP Blake Snell
SATURDAY, 7/30: TWINS @ PADRES – RHP Sonny Gray v. RHP Joe Musgrove
SUNDAY, 7/31: TWINS @ PADRES – RHP Dylan Bundy v. LHP Sean Manaea

Box Score
Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan, 5 1/3 IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 3K (78 pitches, 50 strikes, 64.1%)
Home Runs: Jose Miranda (8)
Too 3 WPA: Max Kepler (.250), Joe Ryan (.190), Jhoan Duran (.133)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Coming off one of his roughest starts of the season exactly one week ago, Joe Ryan was determined to turn the page. The last time he was on the mound, he allowed three runs to score (one unearned) while giving up five hits and two walks in just four innings. It was only the third time this season in which he didn’t pitch more than four frames, the first one since May 10.
This time around, he looked much sharper and comfortable with his command. If against the White Sox last week, it took him 85 pitches to get through four today, he did it on only 56 pitches with nearly 70% strikes. He was mostly lights out during that span, throwing three 1-2-3 innings and doing so with the lead after two: after Ryan Jeffers and Alex Kirilloff reached on a two-out walk and a hit by pitch, respectively, Gilberto Celestino drove in Jeffers with a liner to center.
But Milwaukee tied the game right at the beginning of the third inning with a leadoff home run by Jace Peterson. Celestino made his best effort to steal it at the track, but he fell short. Victor Caratini hit a single right after Peterson’s home run, threatening a Brewer rally, but Ryan didn’t let it get to him, as it appears to have happened a week ago. He followed that single by retiring seven in a row. He did give up back-to-back walks in the fifth but once again was able to pitch around those to end the inning.
Minnesota can’t take advantage of runners in scoring position
In last night’s game, the Twins lineup had trouble getting men on base, especially against the Milwaukee bullpen. This afternoon, however, Minnesota matched last night’s total hits (six) with only five innings. The problem? They couldn’t capitalize on those runners. Through five, the Twins went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and had a total of nine men left on base. During the fifth inning, Kyle Garlick and José Miranda hit back-to-back one-out singles, ending Aaron Ashby’s afternoon. Minnesota brought in Luis Arraez to pinch hit for Gio Urshela, but reliever Trevor Gott took care of things and stranded both runners.
The Brewers defense didn’t make things any easier for Minnesota either. After Carlos Correa drew a leadoff walk in the seventh, Jorge Polanco blasted a long flyball to deep center that had a 66% expected batting average and would very likely turn into an RBI extra-base hit. But Jonathan Davis robbed him of the hit with an outstanding defensive play.
But that didn’t stop the Twins' momentum. In that same inning, Max Kepler hit a long double to right, which also sent Correa to third. Miranda popped out next for the second out, then Milwaukee chose to intentionally walk Arráez to load the bases. Jeffers hit a grounder towards second that caused Kolten Wong some problems with its weird hop, but he ultimately was able to make a beautiful play to beat Arráez at second.
After Ryan departed the game in the sixth inning, the Twins bullpen took over and did a fine job holding back Milwaukee’s offense. Caleb Thielbar (1 1/3), Griffin Jax (1 1/3), and Jhoan Duran (1.0) combined for 3 2/3 scoreless frames. They pretty much kept alive Minnesota’s chances of winning the game on a walk-off. The problem was that the Brewer bullpen was just as dominant. Gott, Brad Boxberger, and Devin Williams combined for 3 2/3 shutout innings, setting it up for baseball’s best closer in Josh Hader – who only had one blown save this entire season, over a month ago. A recipe for disaster, right?
But the Twins offense fought against the odds and managed to overcome such a dominant opponent. Polanco worked a leadoff walk and was followed by a Kepler single. After a mound visit, it was up to Miranda, who was having a two-hit day. He smoked a three-run homer to the second deck of left field to end the game in amazing fashion.
What’s Next?
Minnesota continues their homestand tomorrow when they begin a four-game set against division foes Chicago White Sox. Game 1 will have Sonny Gray (3.03 ERA) looking for a bounceback start against Johnny Cueto (2.91 ERA). The first pitch is scheduled for 6:40 pm CDT.
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
  SAT SUN MON TUE WED TOT               Thielbar 0 23 0 0 29 52 Duffey 26 21 0 0 0 47 Megill 22 0 0 24 0 46 Duran 14 16 0 0 15 45 Jax 15 11 0 0 16 42 Moran 0 0 0 22 0 22 Pagan 0 0 0 13 0 13 Cotton 0 0 0 0 0 0  

Bullpen questions and suggestions are hot topics, of course, but some hitters are still rolling and trade season is starting to heat up too, so there is plenty to discuss.
Using players we already have, @RaoulDuke tries to put together an admittedly premature Playoff bullpen. Unless a couple of guys step up their game, and soon, the internal outlook isn't great.
So we could probably use some help from outside the organization. With the calendar turning to July and the trade deadline appearing on the horizon, @cHawk is looking for your Twins Trade Deadline Targets: Relief Pitchers. Who's at the top of your list?
Looking to avenge the loss of the Captain (America) of our bullpen, Steve Taylor Rogers? @Steve71 has more Padres Trade Ideas that will hopefully fare better.
Of course, not all Twins news is negative. Luis Arraez still leads the AL in average and OBP, and @Trov reports he is attracting some nationwide attention: HOF hitters think Arraez is a good hitter, and Arraez is making base hits cool again. Would be great to see that reflected in the all-star game soon!
@PopRiveter examines a so-far effective starter in Chris Archer, Iron Man? Tony Stark would probably pitch deeper than 4 innings, and Archer's four consecutive walks Thursday had Twins fans singing, "Can he see or is he blind?" but overall he's been effective. But a question lingers: with Winder in the wings, could Archer's limited innings be more valuable to the Twins at the end of games, rather than the beginning?
Finally, despite the glaring obvious needs in the bullpen, @RedneckRay offers an idea truly out of left field: to acquire a player who can't play the field at all. Can the Twins (realistically) make a trade for Nelson Cruz? Maybe a great hitter can become a great pitching coach? Do our current relievers need a better nap schedule?
Whatever the topic, you can always relieve yourself of share your best Twins takes in the forums.

Royce Lewis showed incredible promise when he finally got the call to join an injury-ravaged Minnesota Twins squad this spring. He played so well there was an almost universal demand to bring him back from Triple-A St. Paul when he got sent down, regardless of what position he would play.
The result: the outcry worked, Lewis was recalled, and the shortstop immediately ran into a wall and partially tore his ACL while playing center field.
With that in mind, Twins outfield prospect Alex Kirilloff is tearing up Triple-A pitching after a year and change of battling a wrist injury. Supporters are wondering when he’ll return to the bigs and in what manner he’ll smoothly transition to the IL the rest of the season.
“I think it’ll be something weird,” said Trev Homan, a season ticket holder from Burnsville. “Remember when Marty Cordova got sunburned in the tanning booth? Something like that. The escalator he’s on stops moving suddenly, he falls and breaks three ribs. He gets scurvy or some disease that only pirates used to get."
Others say the wrist will flare up again.
“I just assume he’ll step into the box for his first at-bat back with Minnesota and a fastball is gonna run up on him and hit him square in the wrist,” said Dan Hayes, who writes about the Twins and Target Field neighborhood bar culture for The Athletic. “Feels inevitable. That or he slices a tendon on Aaron (Gleeman, fellow Athletic writer)’s neck fan.”
Kirilloff’s oncoming setback is also providing valuable teaching moments for local families.
“My son Cale came home crying from a playdate yesterday,” said Kristin Prager, a Minneapolis-based accountant and lifelong Minnesotan. “I asked him what was wrong, and he said that an older kid was making fun of him for being excited about Alex Kirilloff coming back. I told Cale that sometimes bullies have a point. Don’t be excited. Let your soul wither and die. Optimism is your enemy. Misery is your birthright as a Minnesotan. Expect nothing and then expect it to get worse.
“He’s only 8, but he understood. He put down his Gatorade and asked if he could have some black coffee, no cream, no sugar. I could almost see some bags starting to form beneath his eyes. My little man is growing up.”
 

There’s zero comparison between a Hall of Famer with over 3,000 hits to a lovable utility guy with 300 games under his belt. However, it’s undeniable to see the similarities in style between that of Rod Carew and Luis Arraez.
Carew entered the league a year younger than Arraez and won his first batting title during just his third professional season. Minnesota’s current utility man is now in his fourth year and recently turned 25. Like Carew, Arraez is now a second basemen while routinely getting reps at first base with Minnesota in a pinch. Longevity aside, Carew’s career .328/.393/.429 slash line is not far off for Arraez who sits at .322/.387/.409.
This season has been especially fun for Arraez who has been virtually unstoppable against right-handed pitching. In an era where power reigns supreme, Arraez is slashing a ridiculous .401/.482/.497 against righties. He’s well below average contributing just a .220/.304/.220 slash line against southpaws, but Minnesota has done well to limit the exposure giving him just 46 plate appearances in those situations.
With predominantly more right-handed arms as starting pitchers than left-handed, it stands to reason that Minnesota could continue to see additional output from Arraez as the season goes on. Thus far he’s topped out at a .367 average, that coming just a few games ago. In comparison to Carew, that would rank behind just his .388 season back in 1977.
Batting average has long gone away as a stat indicative of true performance in and of itself. For a player like Arraez, or even Carew before him, the metric being so lopsided does explain itself, however. Additionally, Arraez contributes in the more definitive on-base area. With 25 walks to just 18 strikeouts, Minnesota’s utility man has captured the ability to not only hit his way on base, but force the opposition into his plan of attack at the plate. Leading baseball with a .444 OBP, Arraez is currently at a mark north of everything Carew hit save for that 1977 year. Considering the change in how baseball is played, it’s fair to argue that Arraez’s performance today may be more substantial than what Carew did all those years ago.
All of this comes with the caveat that we still have a long ways to go, and that Arraez has previously missed time due to injury. Even at a young age, his knees are bulky and no yearly awards are won in June. Trying to extrapolate anything from a one-year sample is also not a fair situation to put Arraez in. Carew is a legendary name both in Minnesota and Major League Baseball, but it’s certainly hard not to see how closely they relate.
It’s somewhat a breath of fresh air that we’re seeing a player go against the trends of the sport so heavily. The Twins have largely been shut out in terms of individual awards since the peak of Mauer, and turning the focus back to this organization for that reason is a fun one. Arraez has a long way to go for the rest of 2022, but it’s hard not to look down the path of this coming to fruition.
What do you think? How closely do you see Arraez relating to Carew? Does the former win his first batting title this season?
 

Jeffers was widely considered a reach when the Twins selected him 59th overall in 2018 – the second draft overseen by Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. Per Puckett's Pond, Baseball America's big board had Jeffers ranked 295th among draft prospects and MLB.com's 200-player list didn't have him ranked. 
Although the North Carolina native had posted monster numbers during his collegiate career at UNC, he had a rep as a bat-first catcher without the receiving chops to stick behind the plate, negating his defensive premium. The Twins saw it differently.
They overdrafted Jeffers to ensure he wouldn't escape their grasp. They moved him aggressively through the minors, even as he failed to post truly extraordinary numbers. In the COVID season, Minnesota called Jeffers up from the alternate site, despite his having played only 24 total games above Double-A to that point. 
To his credit, Jeffers seized the opportunity and made a great impression. While filling in the very big shoes of an injured Mitch Garver, the 23-year-old delivered a positive impact on both sides, posting a 119 OPS+ while flashing his vaunted framing skills on the big stage. Twins Daily named him Twins rookie of the year.
The 2021 season was much more of a struggle for Jeffers. Pitchers began to exploit his lack of discipline at the plate. He batted .199 with a .270 OBP, and five times as many strikeouts as walks. Base runners increasingly exploited his inability to control the run game, stealing 46 bases on 59 attempts. 
Despite his sluggish sophomore campaign, the front office doubled down on Jeffers during the offseason, trading away two years of Mitch Garver and replacing him with Gary Sánchez in a walk year. The message was clear: Jeffers is our future behind the plate.
Sure enough, the Twins ran Jeffers hard early on. He started every game in the opening series, catching the first two and playing DH in the third. In fact, Jeffers got three starts at designated hitter in the team's first dozen games, even with Minnesota carrying only two catchers. 
It's clear they expected Jeffers to hit. He hasn't. 
Jeffers opened the season in a brutal 4-for-27 skid, with zero extra-base hits. He then had a brief surge where he launched three home runs and four doubles in an eight-game span. Since then: 11-for-78 (.151) with one double, one home run, and 25 strikeouts in 26 games. Overall, Jeffers is slashing .174/.264/.303 – only six qualified big-leaguers have a worse OPS.
He's consistently been an automatic out, cratering rallies and sapping an otherwise productive lineup. And what's more: Jeffers isn't exactly tearing it up on the defensive side to offset his hitting woes. 
He still rates well as a pitch framer, and it's clear he is stealing pitchers an extra strike here and there. (Although I'll note: notorious butcher backstop Gary Sánchez is also checking in above-average this year.) But Jeffers is being exposed for his throwing inadequacies like never before. 
For the season, Jeffers has successfully stopped only three of 28 aspiring base stealers. On Sunday, the Rays went borderline Matthew LeCroy on the bit, running at will as the Twins catcher helplessly cast tardy throws to second and third. 
Granted, Jeffers has often not gotten help from pitchers when it comes to stopping runners – Cole Sands on Sunday being a prime example – but it's a pretty clear weakness in his game. And again: it's not an unexpected one. His deficiencies in quickness and footwork have been noted in scouting reports over the years. They're part of why draft analysts doubted his future behind the plate.
For Twins fans, it's now impossible not to doubt Jeffers' future behind the plate for the Twins. Framing skills aside, he's a 25-year-old with more than 500 plate appearances in the big leagues and a .655 OPS to show for it. The requisite signs of improvement aren't there. Jeffers looks lost and it's not inconceivable he could find himself ticketed for a Triple-A reset, should this trend persist.
If Jeffers can't change course and resuscitate his wayward game, what does that mean for the future of the team at catcher? Garver is gone, as is Ben Rortvedt. The system is sparse on catching talent, which was noted in our preseason prospect rankings even before that depth was wiped out. 
This front office might be confident to the point some would describe as hubris, but they're not overly sentimental. At some point, they'll come to terms with the reality of Jeffers if it becomes undeniable. What happens then?
In short, the Twins will either need to find a free agent (the upcoming market is ... not great) or a trade partner. OR ... they'll need to convince Gary Sánchez to stick around. It's not the most exciting proposition given his track record, and even in his resurgent rebound this year he's been pretty average. Still probably good enough to have some leverage in a weak catching market this offseason.
So far, the team's unwavering faith in Jeffers has not paid off. But there's still time for him to prove them right. They could sure use it.

Recognition, results, reinforcements, and decorum were just a few of the many topics of discussion within the community this week.
First, voting for next month's Midsummer Classic began, prompting @rwilfong86 to ask, Who Should Represent the Twins at the All Star Game? Perhaps surprising by reputation but not by performance, Luis Arraez leads the way, followed by pitchers Ryan and Duran. Those three are certainly a big reason the Twins are still in first place, and it would be nice to see them recognized as such.
Arraez leading the offense signals that the Twins strength may be a deep lineup rather than star power. @Vanimal46 spotlights yet another contributor in Miranda Finding His Groove, as corner infielder José solidifies his spot after a shaky start.
Unfortunately, the pitching staff doesn't yet have the same depth. Newcomer @Jack Griffin takes a deep dive into the numbers of a once-mighty, now fallen setup man, asking Tyler Duffey has been BAD, but why? And that's "bad" in the classic sense, not the cool-kid-slang sense. The Twins would love to get the Duff Man back on track, but do they have time? Or can somebody else step up?
@jorgenswest examines perhaps the weakest link of the rotation in Bundy's Performance Tonight. Is a starting shake-up finally in order?
Reinforcements will be needed, and Twins Daily has the perfect place to discuss minor leaguers and next month's draft: the Minor League Forum. There, @Trov asks Is Emmanuel Rodriguez the fastest rising prospect for Twins? It's always nice to have one of those. Do you see any fast risers for the pitching staff?
Even more urgently, @Twinfan603 tries to figure out what minor leaguers might soon be dealt in 2022 Rule 5 Protection List & Trade Candidates. Do the Twins have enough prospect value to exchange for top MLB talent before the trade deadline at the end of July?
Finally, a contingent of Target Field fans seem set on booing every controversial former Twin. @strumdatjag asks their fellow fans, Booing Josh Donaldson? For or Against.
Are you a "boo bird" or Minnesota Nice? Either way, you too can contribute in the TD forums.

Last week, the Twins played games on all seven days and Buxton was out of the starting lineup for three of them. This included two days off in a three-day span (Monday and Wednesday), and Sunday ahead of an off day. Granted, there are mitigating circumstances to account for – he played both ends of a doubleheader on Tuesday, and the team was wrapping an exhausting stretch on Sunday – but they're clearly sticking to their plan of plentiful respites.
The plan is working, to an extent: Buxton has avoided the injured list through two months. That's a big victory in and of itself. But he's also doing little to contribute right now, and hamstringing the roster by so frequently being a healthy(ish) scratch.
Back in mid-May, when many were debating over the team's handling of Buxton and his frequency of rest days, I tweeted my point-of-view on the matter: If anything, the Twins weren't being cautious enough. When your most important player is wincing through knee and hip ailments, the safe bet is simply to place him on the shelf for a while to heal.
Since the date of that tweet (May 16th), Buxton has slashed .155/.254/.241 with one home run and three RBIs. After producing a staggering 1.5 Wins Above Replacement in his first month's worth of games, his WAR over the past month sits at 0.0 – a dead-on replacement level player. Those words feel extremely weird to even type out in connection with Buxton.
Slumps happen in baseball. That's the nature of the game. When you go on a tear like Buxton did to open the season, a corresponding downswing is to be expected. Moreover, his underlying metrics haven't taken a worrisome nosedive or anything. I'm not suggesting Buxton is unplayable right now or that there's a dire need to keep him out of the lineup.
At the same time, it's impossible not to believe his physical state is negatively affecting his play. The sheer magnitude of his slump, along with the occasional grimace and gingerly step, make clear that he's hampered. When asked a couple weeks ago whether his knee injury was improving, Buxton offered a tepid "no comment." He also, unsurprisingly, expressed a desire to stay off the IL.
Since then his numbers have improved a bit – highlighted by Friday night's game, which featured a double and a homer. But he still doesn't look right. He's still taking as much time off as ever. And the Twins are facing some tough roster decisions ahead.
Max Kepler will be activated when the Twins return home to open a three-game series against the Yankees. It sounds like Carlos Correa will be activated soon after. Okay, easy enough to make room for those two guys – simply send down Mark Contreras and Jermaine Palacios, who were called up specifically to replace them. 
But what about making room for Alex Kirilloff? He has found his swing once again in Triple-A, where he's slashing a ridiculous .387/.477/.693 since being optioned in mid-May. Crucially, the power has resurfaced, with Kirilloff mashing four doubles and five home runs in his past eight games for the Saints to earn International League Player of the Week honors. There is simply no reason to leave him in the minors right now.
But who gets ousted from the position-player ranks to enable such a move? Trevor Larnach, who was originally swapped in for Kirilloff, certainly isn't going anywhere – he's been one of the team's best players since getting called up.
How about Gilberto Celestino? It would make sense logistically, but are you really gonna send down a kid who's batting .350 with an .816 OPS?
Nick Gordon? He's been playing pretty regularly and pretty well, with a .265/.308/.490 slash line in his past 15 games, and sending him down would mean losing him on waivers since he's out of options.
José Miranda? He would've been the obvious candidate a couple of weeks ago but he too has begun to find his stroke, with a .361/.378/.722 slash line dating back to May 20th. His right-handed power feels too important to lose at this moment.
Now, maybe this takes care of itself for the time being, because Kyle Garlick suffered a hamstring pull on Saturday that could lead to him landing on the IL. But I do think that sort of distracts from the point, which is that it would make sense from multiple perspectives to shut Buxton down for a while, sort through the roster crunch, and then bring him back in a couple week. During that span, the crunch figures to work itself out. Maybe Celestino or Miranda start slumping, or Kirilloff's bat doesn't take in the big leagues. Most likely, someone else will get hurt. By the time Buxton comes back, he'll hopefully be healthier, requiring a bit less time off, and ready to get back to mashing.
Buck won't like it, but he seems to be aligned with the Twins on this critical directive: doing whatever it takes to ensure he stays on the field throughout the second half and is able to be there for the team when it matters most.

Box Score
SP: Chi Chi Gonzalez: 3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (45 pitches, 32 strikes (71.1%))
Home Runs: Kyle Garlick 2 (6), Jose Miranda 2 (4), Byron Buxton  (12)
Top 3 WPA: Kyle Garlick (.317), Jharel Cotton (.290), Jose Miranda (.273)  
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Pregame Notes
Friday morning, news broke that four Twins players did not travel to Toronto because of their vaccination status. They were replaced on the roster by starting pitcher Chi Chi Gonzalez, relievers Jharel Cotton and Ian Hamilton, and outfielder Mark Contreras. 
Game Notes 
Game Recap in Video.
Kyle Garlick got them going in the game. Batting third, he came to the plate with a runner on base and facing a left-hander. Yusei Kikuchi and launched a two-run homer. 
Chi Chi Gonzalez gave up a leadoff homer to George Springer (his sixth leadoff homer this year already), and a second first-inning run that tied the game.
In the second inning, Jose Miranda came up and launched a solo home run to give the Twins a 3-2 lead.. 
Garlick did it again. In his second at-bat, he came to the plate and hit his second homer of the game and sixth of the season. 
After five innings, the Twins held a 4-3 lead. Jose Miranda came to the plate with Luis Arraez (entered game with Gio Urshela getting hurt on the base paths). The young Puerto Rican infielder got a hanger and crushed it for his second home of the game, his fourth with the Twins. 
In the top of the 8th inning, #OldFriday Andrew Vasquez came into the game for the Blue Jays, ideally to get left-handers out. Nick Gordon (who came into left for Garlick for defensive purposes) led off and on an 0-2 slider, he took a pitch to the back side. He was balked to second and then stole third base. 
Another lefty, Arraez came through with a soft line drive up the middle that glanced off of Vasquez's glove for an infield single to score Gordon. 
In the ninth inning, Byron Buxton launched his 12th home run of a the season, a two-run shot to give the Twins the final runs. 
Bullpen Phenomenal
With veteran Chi Chi Gonzalez starting, the team had to know that the bullpen would be used tonight. Gonzalez finished three innings before being replaced by Jovani Moran. The lefty struck out the side in the fourth inning. 
In the fifth inning, Moran walked the first two batters. Jharel Cotton came in and facing the middle of the order, he got the team out of the inning with allowing a run. Cotton then pitched a perfect sixth inning too. Tyler Duffey worked a scoreless seventh inning. Joe Smith pitched the eighth, and Griffin Jax closed it out in the ninth inning. 
Three of the four players added to the Restricted List were bullpen arms. For this group to step up was very impressive! 
Combined, those five pitchers worked six innings and gave up zero runs and zero hits. They walked three batters but struck out six and were terrific. 
A Good Reminder
Unlike many sports, in baseball, the underdog always has some chance. With several players on the IL, three more on the Covid-IL, and four players unable to be with the team because they are unvaccinated, the odds of a Twins win on Friday night were not good. But again, that's baseball. They got off to a quick start. They added on. Gonzalez kept them in it for three innings, and then several unlikely bullpen arms tossed six scoreless, hitless innings against one of baseball's best offenses. 
Just like you hate to lose four out of five games in Detroit, games like Friday are a good reminder that anything can happen in this game. 
What’s Next? 
The Twins will take on #OldFriend Jose Berrios on Saturday in Toronto, looking to win the series. Dylan Bundy will make the start for the Twins. Game Time is 1:07 central time. 
Postgame Interview 
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

  MON TUES WEDS THURS FRI TOT               Megill 34 0 20 0 RL 54 Jax 0 33 0 0 14 47 Moran 0 12 0 0 27 39 Smith 16 0 0 0 15 31 Duran 0 0 0 28 0 28 Minaya 0 26 0 0 0 26 Cotton 0 0 0 0 23 23 Duffey 0 0 0 0 20 20 Pagán 0 0 0 15 RL 15 Thielbar 0 11 0 0 RL 11    

The Twins are currently 4.5 games up on the Cleveland Guardians; the White Sox are stinky, and the Tigers and Royals remembered that they are, in fact, the Tigers and Royals. Every other team in the Twins' division is dreadfully below .500 and has little recourse for their sins. Given the AL Comedy Central context, what could the Twins possibly worry about?
A few things! Actually. Let’s talk about the bullpen, that terrible bullpen. Twins relievers moonlighted as an adequate group for a handful of games, perhaps fooling some into believing that Jhoan Duran, Joe Smith, and their Merry Group of Men could hold their own at least until the trade deadline. That came down in a crashing, painful fashion. Cody Stashak is injured, Smith is now mortal, Tyler Duffey forgot that he’s supposed to be good, Caleb Thielbar is walking a small village, and Emilio Pagán… let’s just leave that name undescribed. If not for Duran and his magical right arm, the bullpen would require an NC-17 rating every time Rocco Baldelli called for “support.” Stretching back to when Houston systematically crushed the Twins starting on May 10th, the unit has put up the 6th worst FIP in MLB (4.45).
There is little in the form of inspirational reinforcements as well. Yennier Cano has excellent stuff but wrestles with bouts of lost command; Trevor Megill also has great stuff, but, and you’ll be shocked to read this, he too struggles with command at times. Maybe Ian Hamilton or Austin Schulfer could provide a jolt, but it would be foolish to bet on that happening. One could snarkily mention Taylor Rogers, but the Brewers jumped all over him on Thursday, so that punchline is no longer as funny.
How about the starting rotation, now. Outside of the one time a week Joe Ryan descends from above to bless us with a great start (or at least when that used to happen before he got COVID), the rotation is more inconsistent than Florida in an election year. Sonny Gray is great but has now suffered multiple injuries; Chris Archer finally hit the five-inning threshold in a start the other day (it’s June), Dylan Bundy is Dylan Bundy-ing, and, honestly, who knows after that. Chris Paddack was a joy to watch until he tore his UCL again, and Josh Winder flashed potential… until he aggravated his right shoulder… again. The rotation is now Bailey Ober and whatever magic Devin Smeltzer has left in his stirrups. Chi Chi González is now starting. The case rests.
“But the team is severely injured,” you might say. The Twins these days are indeed the baseball equivalent of the Ship of Theseus, but there’s no promise that the injuries will let up, and what matters is what the team does on the field, not what the team could be doing on the field. There are no awards for potential. 
To combat an article full of negativity, Ryan and Carlos Correa will return from COVID soon, as will Gilberto Celestino. This very well could be just one of those streaks in a baseball season, the kind that scares everyone into claiming the sky is falling before laughing off the notion after a month of great play; the team did win 18 games in May.
Perhaps none of this matters—the Al Central is currently a handful of teams that look more like fronts for tax fraud than actual baseball franchises—but this team is not in great shape. The two-month slog until the trade deadline will be crucial; key pieces need to get healthy and stay healthy for this team to have hope against the better squads in the AL. The house of cards was wobbly to begin with, and they may be slipping with each day.
 

The moniker, “old friend”, has been common amongst Minnesota Twins fans when talking about players who used to play for the hometown squad but have since moved on to play for a different team. Whether or not you continue to root for old friends after they leave the Twins, it’s always a fun exercise to see how they are doing.
Here are top performing “old friends” thus far in 2022:
5. Josh Donaldson 
.764 OPS
5 HR
15 RBI
0.9 fWAR
While mired in controversy over the past couple of weeks, it’s still hard to deny that Josh Donaldson is having a strong year in pinstripes after being traded to the Yankees this past offseason. Aided by an average exit velocity that ranks in the 89th percentile, the Bringer of Rain owns a 123 OPS+ while continuing to provide above-average defense at the hot corner. For many, Donaldson isn’t much of an “old friend”, but he cracks the top-five for top performing ex-Twins in 2022.
4. Kyle Gibson
48 IP
3.94 ERA
1.1 fWAR
Coming in fourth for top performing ex-Minnesota Twins in 2022 is someone who flashed ace potential at times with the Minnesota Twins but never quite put it all together, Kyle Gibson. After earning his first all-star appearance last season, Gibson is having himself another solid year on the mound with the Phillies in 2022. With a FIP of 3.22, Gibson has actually been even better than his surface stats suggest. 
3. Taylor Rogers
21 1/3 IP
1.69 ERA
17 Saves
0.6 fWAR
It was a controversial trade this offseason when the Twins traded away Taylor Rogers in exchange for Chris Paddack, and has become even more controversial after the start that Rogers has had in 2022. Across 21 appearances this season, Rogers has allowed an earned run in just two of those appearances. Rogers leads all of baseball with 17 saves this season and has quickly become one of the most dominant relievers in all of baseball.
2. C.J. Cron
.942 OPS
13 HR
37 RBI
1.5 fWAR
C.J. Cron only spent one season with the Minnesota Twins, but since he departed following the 2019 season, he has been excellent. In 2022, though, he is having the best season of his career with an OPS+ of 155. Cron is tied for third in all of baseball with 13 home runs and is tied for sixth with 37 RBI.
1. Martín Pérez 
56 1/3 IP
1.60 ERA
1.7 fWAR
Martín Pérez was not good as a member of the Twins, posting a 5.12 ERA in his sole season with the club in 2019. In 2022, though, he has pitched like the best starting pitcher in all of baseball. Pérez’s 1.60 ERA leads Major League Baseball, and his 1.7 fWAR ranks third among starting pitchers. He hasn’t been garnering many strikeouts, but he has yet to allow a home run this season and is allowing a career-low 2.2 walks per nine innings.
Who do you think has been the best performing ex-Minnesota Twins player in 2022? Which of these players would you add to the current Minnesota Twins roster if you could? Leave a comment and start the conversation!
 

Gordon wasn’t necessarily considered a reach in the draft. It was hopeful that he’d stick at shortstop and add some to his frame developing some gap power. He’s faired better than both Brady Aiken and Tyler Kolek, the two high school draftees before him, but Aaron Nola, Michael Conforto, Trea Turner, Matt Chapman, and Michael Kopech are some of the names taken later in the first round.
As mentioned, it took Gordon a while to establish himself as a professional. Small in stature, it was going to be a process for him to acclimate to playing a full season both physically and mentally. Gordon had the benefit of his father Tom Gordon, and brother, Dee Strange-Gordon, having already seen success at the highest level. A Top-100 prospect prior to the 2015 season, plenty was made of what Gordon would eventually amount to.
Last season the Twins needed Gordon. After Byron Buxton was lost to injury, he proved valuable as a fill-in centerfielder. He wound up playing every position on the diamond aside from first base, pitcher, or catcher. Thrust into a super-utility role, Gordon appeared over his head at the plate. An 80 OPS+ was an accumulation of a .240/.292/.355 slash line. In 200 at-bats, Gordon posted just 14 extra-base hits with a gaudy 55/12 K/BB ratio. Still, coming into 2022, there was every reason to assume he could play the super-utility role at the back end of the bench once again.
The problem is that Minnesota is now better than needing that type of player at the end of their bench. Gordon is once again not hitting, and now he’s become the low man in the pecking order at every position he can play. The one facet to his game that seemed appealing off the bench, his speed, has been nonexistent. Manager Rocco Baldelli hasn’t had many spots to utilize Gordon as a pinch-runner, and the former first-rounder has just one steal in three attempts this season. After going 10-for-11 in stolen base chances last year, it’s now something of an afterthought when it comes to Minnesota’s plans.
In 2021 there was a depth issue for the Minnesota Twins. As injuries mounted, Gordon found himself a way to create value. In learning positions on the fly, he was able to secure playing time in multiple spots across the roster. Top prospects like Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach were both injured. The big league club needed to call upon a Double-A centerfielder that wasn't ready. The 26-man was truly a mess on any given day. It's a testament to Gordon's willingness and adaptability that he could immediately step in. Minnesota needed that and he was there. It's in that vein that he's proven worthy of a Major League roster spot even if it isn't on his present team.
Having to find a way to roster a healthier-looking Alex Kirilloff, a breakout in Royce Lewis, and even a rebounding Jose Miranda, there’s just no room for Gordon. The difficulty here is that this will end Gordon’s time with the organization. Out of options, he’ll go on waivers and it would be shocking if he is not claimed. He’s a fringe Major League talent that would be better suited for an organization ripe with opportunity. Minnesota is looking ahead to the Postseason though, and every game he’s on the roster they are keeping a bigger talent at bay.
In a season where offense is down across the board, Gordon's .627 OPS is hardly a death sentence. Versatility is something that many organizations hold in a high regard, especially in an era where pitching is so specialized. Finding a fit with a team that likes to run a bit more could help Gordon maximize his value as well. No matter how you break down his game, it's clear that someone will take a shot at utilizing the body of work. What could've been stalled out from a long battle with Covid or a slow trajectory on the farm has instead turned into a usable big league talent. It's a testament to Minnesota that their current depth has provided an opportunity to raise the water level, but there's definitely going to be guys caught in the shuffle.
You always hope for a first-round pick to see success in the drafting organization. On one hand, Gordon achieved the goal of reaching the highest level. On the other hand, with the prospect status and Futures Game appearance, you know the hope was for more. Minnesota can see him in the opposing dugout down the line, but it’s become time to cut the cord here.
 

The Twins Daily community was excited to once again revel in positive player performances, but still kept a discerning eye on the present and future roster.
@shortround81 calls our attention to the latest Twins clubhouse gimmick, ringing a gong, in Good Vibes Only. First goats, now gongs -- what's next? The smart money may be on glockenspiels.
Sampling Kool and the Gang, @PopRiveter asks Can we just celebrate Luis Arraez for a moment? He's got mad hits (and playing first base) like he was Rod Carew. Whether a batting title (or seven) is in his future, it's certainly a fun ride right now.
@DocBauer takes a look at player trends in NY State of Mind: Urshela and Sanchez Re-visited. Are they still in that Uptown Funk, or have they elevated to a North Star State of Mind, where the Grain Belt Beer sign inspires you?
Everyone knows that the Twins won't trade their superstar free agent signing while they are contending. What @farmerguychris presupposes in Deadline Trade of Correa is, maybe they will?
Is Gilberto's BABIP for real, or is it too much, Magic Bus? @stringer bell debates giving him a ticket to ride for the starting lineup in Not Yet on the Bus for Celestino.
Did you know Twins Daily has a whole forum devoted to the minor leagues? @Seth Stohs certainly does, and he relays the latest report from the farm in Miller: Pitch Clocks.. Speed up game, but Players hate it. Which side of the issue do you take? You now have 14 seconds to post your opinion -- go!
TD also has an "Other Baseball" forum, where you can discuss any aspect of the game you want. This week, @Trov asks that timeless baseball question, What is your definition of an 'ace'? Are we seeing any emerge on the Twins staff, or will we have to settle for a Gene, a Paul, or a Peter Criss?
Want to join the celebration? Or rain on the parade? There's room for all that and more in the Twins Daily forums.

Last season Bailey Ober made his Major League debut starting 20 games for a bad Twins team. A 12th-round pick in 2017 and never a top prospect, Ober performed well above his expected water level. The 4.19 ERA wasn’t earth-shattering, but it came with over a strikeout per inning, and if he was able to be just a bit more stingy with the longball, another step forward could be taken.
Despite a brief stint on the injured list this season, Ober has now made five starts and owns a 2.55 ERA. His 3.26 FIP suggests he’s not pitching much over his head, and while the strikeouts have tailed off a bit, he’s allowing just 0.7 HR/9 and has cut the H/9 down by one to 8.0.
In an age where velocity reigns supreme, Ober is doing it with a fastball that averages just 92 mph. Of course, the fact that he’s 6’9” and basically putting the ball across the plate out of his hand doesn’t help opposing hitters to sit on his pitches. The step forward is also evident in the peripherals. Ober is allowing 5% less hard contact this season, dropping the hard-hit rate against him down to 32%. Both his xFIP and xERA are hovering in the 4’s, but his whiff and chase rates are both slightly up from where they were last season.
It’s a small sample size thus far in 2022, but the body of work is starting to become substantial. The thought on Ober was that he’d provide Minnesota great depth if pushed to Triple-A. Instead, he was tabbed as a rotation mainstay from the get-go and has continued to look the part of found money when it comes to projecting prospects.
On the flip side, Joe Ryan has been a top-100 prospect after being drafted in the 7th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. It will forever be mind-boggling that Minnesota wrangled him from the Rays in exchange for a few months of an aging Nelson Cruz, but here we are.
Ryan’s debut was extremely limited last season. He made five starts down the stretch and posted a 4.05 ERA. The 3.43 FIP suggested more was there and the 10.1 K/9 was hard not to get excited about. If Ober’s numbers were small and tough to get behind, however, then Ryan’s were minuscule.
Instead of hedging their bets, Minnesota named Ryan their Opening Day starter even after acquiring potential ace Sonny Gray. Now eight starts into his 2022 campaign, Ryan may be the frontrunner for the 2022 American League Rookie of the Year award. He has a dazzling 2.28 ERA and is still sitting strong with an 8.7 K/9. Maybe being helped by the deadened baseball, his 0.6 HR/9 is more than halved from what it was a season ago, but the 3.24 FIP suggests his stuff is as good as advertised.
Like Ober, Ryan doesn’t pump velocity on his fastball. Averaging just 92.4 mph on the pitch, which is a one mph jump from 2022, his ability to spin the pitch and get movement is where the success comes from. Minnesota has gotten Ryan into a more slider-focused repertoire this season, pushing roughly 10% of the fastball usage to his newly featured offering. The results haven’t produced a shift in chase rate or whiff rate, but they’ve helped to hold the status quo on what were already impressive results.
Admittedly we’re still early in the 2022 season. The combined total here is just 13 starts. Knowing the rotation needed to be reconfigured though, both Ober and Ryan were immediately penciled in as key pieces and that may have seemed like a leap. The Twins' front office seemingly knew what they had, however, and the developmental path for both arms continues to remain strong.