The_Phantom

I think it’s very naive to assume he doesn’t have any say. Again, grievances are a thing. AND he has a history of at least threatening one in 2018 when he was putrid and didn’t like being sent down to the minors. He has an incentive heavy deal. If he truly didn’t have any say in whether he played, that has grievance written ALL over it. Hes played very well when he’s in the lineup and hes potentially missing out on literally millions by not playing.

This whole situation is baffling. If he’s healthy and this is just precaution, why was he shut down to the point that he was in warmup clothes and wasnt even available to Pinch run/hit in extras? He even had an opportunity in extras to PH the DH spot. but there seems to be a consensus that “this isn’t Buxton’s decision”. But there’s a huge disconnect there. Remember the year he got hurt, came back and sucked, and was optioned down to AAA and talked grievance against the twins for sending down (even though, again, he was horrendous that year. He had an OPS+ of 5. Yes, 5). You’re telling me that same guy is “not hurt”, has an incentive laden contract, and is “ok” with the team just telling him “nope you’re not even suiting up today” It just doesn’t add up.

Agreed. Someone with 70% of his talent level that plays every day would be an improvement

The only person that messed up was Miranda…

Hey! Buxton played like 3 games in a row, HE NEEDS HIS REST!! /s

Well his propensity to getting hurt is frustrating… but I fail to connect the dots how the solution is to only play in 64% of the games. He’s has no IL time and he’s on pace for 104 games. He should be in the prime of his career. This isnt an aging catcher who’s knees are on their last leg. This is an ultra athletic late 20s who many twins fans are happy that he only plays three times a week because it might prevent him from another IL trip.

I don’t know that I buy that story anymore. You’d think with such an incentive heavy contract you’d have to pull him off the field kicking and screaming. For whatever reason he seems to be content taking every third game off.

I can only assume you’ve missed the half dozen “web gem” type plays he’s made to save multiple runs. And his bat is coming around. And as you have seen with literally dozens of other players, prospects aren’t guaranteed to pan out. I’m not sure how you don’t understand the signing.

No indication of that at all. All reports say he hurt it celebrating (except one that said he hurt it in the rundown). He’s been hitting his exit velo numbers, etc. Theres just nothing to remotely go on that he’s been playing hurt. Sometimes guys just don’t play well. Especially all or nothing “3 true outcomes” guys.

Broken swing. I agree with what you are saying and a phantom IL/rehab assignment might work… but at the same time, I can’t see any justifiable reason to pick up his option at the moment, so is he really even worth the investment anymore to give a manipulated rehab assignment to?

Archer was not acquired from Tampa Bay he was a free agent signing

I know we like to be optimistic and I know sano has historically gotten into mid season grooves. But with his contract ending this year, I really think it’s time to DFA him. Both of those swings were obviously balls from the time they came out of the pitchers hand and he was taking home run swings at them. He is straight up guessing out there. he’s given us some fun moments, but it’s time to move on.

BTW, the last time the Twins had a winning streak of 7 or more was June of 2011. I'd say it's time that drought is broken

BABIP is one of the most misused "advanced" stats there is. Luck can be a part of it, but this whole notion that "low babip = nothing but bad luck" is just not true. Line Drive %, flyball%, etc, as well as ability to beat the shift, being a slow tank of a human, the ballpark you play in ALL affect BABIP every bit as much, or more, than luck.

We also have Sanchez, who will be coming back soon and is a terrible defensive catcher. Sano and Sanchez are pretty redundant honestly. I don't really unde.226/.154 He can have hard exit velo all he wants but the entire LIST of guys with a lower slugging percentage right now are: Alcides Escobar, Adalberto Mondesi, Brendan Rodgers. That's it. That's the entire list. There's not another play in the major leagues with a lower SLUGGING% than Sano. Add in mediocre (At best) defense, and clueless baserunning like last night.. what is the incentive for keeping him around? To add to why this year is different, besides being worse - he's a potential free agent after this year. He will only be a twin next year if they pick up his $14 million option. Why not just cut the losses now

Well, it was hit hard, and there was some home-town scoring. I'm not terribly surprised that it was scored a hit, but it really could have gone either way. Either way, a better fielder absolutely would have had it.

This is a genuinely horrible article. There’s no reason to be happy that the twins decided to stay pat. Mediocrity leads to more mediocrity, mid round draft picks, etc. We should not be celebrating or encouraging having a .450 season and following it up with signing a couple of 4th pitchers. Just trade Buxton and go into a rebuild if that’s what you want.

I definitely don't like the undertone that its acceptable that if they go for a "mid rotation guy like Michael Pineda" that is considered an acceptable approach. Pineda was on this team last year. Extending Buxton, re-signing Pineda, and bringing in a lottery pick like Bundy is not improving on what they had last year. It's not even attempting to. And the fact that us Twins fans are ok with that approach is why they continue to do it. Why spend and go after a legit championship when the fans will support the team no matter what you throw out there? I'm having a hard time finding a reason to be interested in the upcoming season.

Seriously. Stop using the excuse no one wants to come here. The team just didn't pony up the money other teams did, period. You just claimed at least 4 people said "no way" to minnesota. It's just patently false.

I'm not sure what has happened in the last (literally whatever number you want to use) years that has led you to believe this team will acquire any kind of impact arm at the deadline either.

That fake excuse really is rampant. No players are saying it, some are flat out denying it, but everyone in "Twins Territory" believes it to be so.

I understand. I happened to respond to you, but wasn’t speaking only to what you’re saying, just the rampant rumors that we just can’t do any better because “no one wants to come here”. It’s just far, far, FAR more likely that people don’t come here because we don’t offer market value contracts. But that doesn’t make a convenient excuse like blaming outside factors does

The idea that nobody wants to come here is, at best, a terrible reflection on the front office’s ability to woo talent. You can sell someone on anything when there’s big money involved. Much more likely, is that the “nobody wants to come here” is just the excuse that this FO is using for not signing anyone of substance. This has become a huge talking point in the last year or so, and everyone seems to be buying it. I don’t even live in Minnesota but I think minneapolis is an amazing town... theres a 0% chance that every single big name option says “no way would I ever go there”.MLBTR had a report that straight up said the Twins didn’t pursue anyone aggressively this winter. Sure, no one wants to come here at a 25% discount. But if you offer the best deals, people absolutely will come. I don’t get why everyone is suddenly buying that excuse hook, line, and sucker.

Fair enough. But as I said in another reply on this thread, whether it shows up in “park factors” or not lots of guys show improved numbers in that ballpark because of the massive amount of foul territory to catch pop ups

Not much point in cherry picking a couple good games. He’s had a bad stretch of several years