2019 Minnesota Twins In-Season Thread

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My take-away: at this point, there is only one pitcher that Baldelli trusts to throw in the 8th or 9th inning of a close game - Rogers. Ryne Harper or maybe Littell for the 7th inning. May is a mess. Duffey is hit-or-miss. They've DFA'ed Mejia and Magill.

If the Twins want to make a serious run in the playoffs, they need 1 and maybe 2 really good arms for the bullpen. Assuming they make the playoffs, they could slide Perez into the pen, because he has experience there. But, if the front office thinks this is a potential ALCS or WS contender, they need bullpen help now - or Taylor Rogers' arm will fall off by September.
 

Twins bullpen blow one tonight. It time to get bullpen help now.
 


Charley Walters: Twins weigh options as trade deadline nears

Baseball’s trade deadline is in 11 days. The Minnesota Twins entered the weekend with a dwindling three-game lead over Cleveland in the American League Central Division. The Twins need pitching help. Fans want a deal.

“We feel we have a respect and obligation to our fans, which starts in our clubhouse and extends to everybody in Twins Territory to try to do the best we can to improve the team and put them in the best position to excel this year,” Twins general manager Thad Levine said Friday.

“We don’t feel any undue pressure from the fans — we’re putting the pressure on ourselves to try to do what we can. We feel that same level of onus and challenge in the front office that I’m sure (players) do in the clubhouse. And we want to do our part to help support the team.”

https://www.twincities.com/2019/07/20/charley-walters-twins-weigh-options-as-trade-deadline-nears/

Win Twins!!
 

bottlebass said:
I disagree, I think the best players are traded towards the end a lot of the time because the teams selling are holding out for the best deal they can get.

And like Iowa said, our bullpen hasn't really been the problem lately our bats have gone cold.
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This. There are a ton of teams still in the playoff hunt, especially in the NL. A lot of teams need bullpen help. Teams that are selling are going to wait it out to maximize their return.

I think too many people forget it takes two teams to make a trade.
 


gophersfan said:
Twins bullpen blow one tonight. It time to get bullpen help now.
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They have nothing beyond Rodgers. If they don't add at least two arms, my confidence in Falvine will be gone.
 

Nobody is going to argue that they don't need bullpen help, but if they don't figure out how to score some runs again, it won't matter. Bases loaded, one out, you have the pitcher on the ropes and Garver weakly grounds into a double play on the first pitch.
 

Twins bullpen blow another game. Can we stop blowing games bullpen.
 




In the recent stretch, the team ERA is only down by a small margin. The big difference is in run production. Anybody can win a lot of games when you're scoring 7 or 8 runs.

found it: Team ERA up to June 15 - 3.90
Since June 15 - 3.95.

run production and defensive lapses are making the difference. that results in more close games, which puts more of a spotlight on the bullpen.

I'm not arguing that the bullpen couldn't use help. Just saying that the bullpen is not the only difference between the first part of the season and now.

BTW - on June 15, Twins were 47-22 with an 11-game lead in the standings.
Since then, they are 12-16. If they lose to the A's today (sunday) they will be 12-17 in the last 5 weeks.

is this a slump, or is it regression to the mean? In other words, were the Twins playing over their head early, and are now playing at their 'true' level? To be determined.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
In the recent stretch, the team ERA is only down by a small margin. The big difference is in run production. Anybody can win a lot of games when you're scoring 7 or 8 runs.

found it: Team ERA up to June 15 - 3.90
Since June 15 - 3.95.

run production and defensive lapses are making the difference. that results in more close games, which puts more of a spotlight on the bullpen.

I'm not arguing that the bullpen couldn't use help. Just saying that the bullpen is not the only difference between the first part of the season and now.

BTW - on June 15, Twins were 47-22 with an 11-game lead in the standings.
Since then, they are 12-16. If they lose to the A's today (sunday) they will be 12-17 in the last 5 weeks.

is this a slump, or is it regression to the mean? In other words, were the Twins playing over their head early, and are now playing at their 'true' level? To be determined.
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I'm of the opinion that the bullpen was/is not to be trusted. They need a lot of help or say goodbye to the playoffs.
 

Indians won 5-4 today. Ownership and management is going to/already looks bad for sitting on the 11 game central lead when it was clear that we needed bullpen help. Even IF we still had that division lead....our bullpen wouldn't give us a legitimate chance in the playoffs. Now we have to scramble to make up for the lost time. And if they somehow manage to lose the division and miss the playoffs....there will be no number of excuses that will suffice.

Oh....and Adrianza just smoked a triple to right to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th!
 




Wooo! And Kepler delivers the walk off single to give the Twins the much needed win!
 

stocker08 said:
Indians won 5-4 today. Ownership and management is going to/already looks bad for sitting on the 11 game central lead when it was clear that we needed bullpen help. Even IF we still had that division lead....our bullpen wouldn't give us a legitimate chance in the playoffs. Now we have to scramble to make up for the lost time. And if they somehow manage to lose the division and miss the playoffs....there will be no number of excuses that will suffice.

Oh....and Adrianza just smoked a triple to right to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th!
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Should have struck the deal with the Giants for MadBaum and Smith when they had a chance. Now they've surged to 2.5 back in the NL wild card and probably won't sell. The options are limited. I'd take Ian Kennedy from the Royals and whatever serviceable lefty they can find. They might have to live without another starter.
 

If you offer me 1-2 vs the Yankees this week, I'd take it. I have zero confidence in anyone in the Twins bullpen pitching scoreless innings against that line-up except Rogers.
 

That was a helluva a series vs the A’s. They A’s are playing really good baseball right now and although the Twins could have won 4 with better pitching they could have also been swept. If we throw out the two nasty games vs the Mets I would be feeling pretty good about the Twins position. Now i feel they are going to be gouged a bit in regards to trades. Every GM knows how desperate the Twins are after the Mets and A’s series.

I don’t know if you DFA May now? I don’t understand giving him that second inning unless it was Rocco’s way of saying get me some better arms?
 

Souhan: Ehire Adrianza's contributions as key reserve becoming bigger

Sunday afternoon the Minnesota Twins, during the first July in which they have led the American League Central since 2010, were jeered at Target Field in the eighth inning, and a subset of the crowd left before the bottom of the ninth in a one-run game between two probable playoff teams.

An hour later, the Twins’ clubhouse featured disco lights and mood music as players lingered, holding weary conversations in two languages, and bumping fists.

The Twins’ latest bullpen failure led to one of the most stirring victories of the season as they scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to beat Oakland 7-6, before the remnants of an announced crowd of 34,070.

They will face the nemesis Yankees in a three-game series starting Monday at Target Field, and anyone who doesn’t find all of this entertaining should quit sports and watch only reruns of movies with happy endings.

Twins players spilling from their dugout to chase Max Kepler into center field after four hours of plot twists and vital pitches is why you love baseball, if you love baseball, and if you love baseball, you have to love what Ehire Adrianza has become this season.

Released by the Giants and Brewers, Adrianza signed with the Twins as a stereotypical light-bodied, light-hitting utility infielder. When the Twins this spring signed Marwin Gonzalez, Adrianza became a backup utility player, which is like being an assistant to the assistant.

Through May 11, he looked like a reincarnation of Pedro Florimon, batting .130 with a .185 slugging percentage. He may as well have been swinging an umbrella.

Sunday, Adrianza hit a double and scored in the second and hit an RBI single in the fifth. In the ninth, he tripled home the tying run off All-Star closer Liam Hendriks before scoring the winning run on Kepler’s single.

Since May 11, Adrianza is batting .384 with a .465 on-base percentage and a .562 slugging percentage, and he has played every position other than catcher and center field. His career numbers coming into this season: a .242 average, .303 on-base percentage and .355 slugging percentage.

http://www.startribune.com/ehire-adrianza-s-contributions-as-key-reserve-becoming-bigger/513019282/

Win Twins!!
 

STrib: Twins looking at possibility of adding starter-reliever combination

The July 31 trade deadline is approaching, and the Twins continue to monitor the market for pitching help.

They are looking for relievers but also could add a starter if the right deal comes along. They have three starters — Kyle Gibson, Jake Odorizzi and Michael Pineda — who will become free agents following the season. Ideally, they would like to add a starter who is under team control beyond this season.

They have been in touch with Toronto about righthander Marcus Stroman and closer Ken Giles. Reports have the Blue Jays asking for top prospects as part of any package deal. The Twins also have checked with San Francisco about lefthander Madison Bumgarner and closer Will Smith, but the Giants have crept into the NL wild-card race and might hold off on being seller.

Detroit has lefthander Matthew Boyd and closer Shane Greene, but dealing within the division can be tricky and likely require a significant package.

The Twins also have shown interest in San Diego closer Kirby Yates in recent weeks. It’s safe to assume that the Twins have called about any quality arm that could be available before the deadline. That includes relievers within the division such as Kansas City’s Jake Diekman and Chicago’s Alex Colome.

The Twins have some flexibility with their top reliever, lefthander Taylor Rogers. They could add a quality setup man and continue to use Rogers in the ninth inning, or add a more experienced closer and have Rogers go back to being a setup man.

Or they could add a reliever who can do both. The Twins have spent the season using different relievers in different roles. That could continue, even if reinforcements are added before the deadline.

“Any time we’re dealing with a new person, we end up having to have discussions with them,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You want to get to know them and know how they think and what their experiences are. The more we learn about those things, and the more discussions that we have about those things, the easier it is to work through these types of situations.”

http://www.startribune.com/twins-lo...dding-starter-reliever-combination/513018002/

Win Twins!!
 

WorkingMyTailOff said:
That was a helluva a series vs the A’s. They A’s are playing really good baseball right now and although the Twins could have won 4 with better pitching they could have also been swept. If we throw out the two nasty games vs the Mets I would be feeling pretty good about the Twins position. Now i feel they are going to be gouged a bit in regards to trades. Every GM knows how desperate the Twins are after the Mets and A’s series.

I don’t know if you DFA May now? I don’t understand giving him that second inning unless it was Rocco’s way of saying get me some better arms?
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I don't know if Rocco cares enough to make some sort of point to management. I'm convinced he wears shades all the time so he can sleep in dugout. His managerial style reminds me of Jimmy Dugan at the beginning of A League of Their Own.
 

Breakin' The Plane said:
I don't know if Rocco cares enough to make some sort of point to management. I'm convinced he wears shades all the time so he can sleep in dugout. His managerial style reminds me of Jimmy Dugan at the beginning of A League of Their Own.
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I haven’t seen Rocco argue a call all year.


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Breakin' The Plane said:
I don't know if Rocco cares enough to make some sort of point to management. I'm convinced he wears shades all the time so he can sleep in dugout. His managerial style reminds me of Jimmy Dugan at the beginning of A League of Their Own.
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Unfortunately, i havent seen him scratch his balls yet
 

howeda7 said:
Should have struck the deal with the Giants for MadBaum and Smith when they had a chance. Now they've surged to 2.5 back in the NL wild card and probably won't sell. The options are limited. I'd take Ian Kennedy from the Royals and whatever serviceable lefty they can find. They might have to live without another starter.
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I have the feeling they've tried but sellers (especially those with pitchers to sell) have no incentive to trade early. Lots of teams need pitching yet there have been very few moves. It's smart for them to wait as long as they can to get the best offer they can.
 

The 2nd wild card has hampered the early trade market for a few years.

With a single deadline now (no more waiver deals) it's going to be even tighter.

Maybe it's time to move the deadline back to August 15th next year.
 

I think the last two days before the trading deadline might be nuts. at some point, some team is going to get desperate and over-pay for pitching help. That will set the market price, open the floodgates, and you will see a veritable plethora of deals in the last 24 to 36 hour before the deadline.

either that, or nothing will happen.
 

Nice win against the Yankees. Tough watching the pitching staff try to wabble through that line-up without wetting themselves though. Maybe they found at least one guy in Thorpe.
 

per the Business Journal:

The Minnesota Twins' strong performance in 2019 has made them one the most-watched clubs on television this year.

The Twins have a 61-38 record — third-best in the American League — and posted an average local television rating of 6.12 on Fox Sports North through the All-Star break. Only the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals have higher local ratings.

The Twins' ratings score is 41 percent higher than during the same period last year, tied for the second-best ratings improvement in Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox.

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincit...taFRDTGU1dHFjSzRMbXh5YVZ0YXprbVEyRlwvY0NZSiJ9

Win Twins!!
 

Shama: Twins Trade More Likely Next Week

Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners his club is focused on acquiring starting and relief pitching, “people that can help us down the stretch (of the schedule).” The MLB trading deadline is July 31 and there hasn’t been much activity by any of the teams yet, but St. Peter isn’t surprised.

“When you look at the past trade deadlines, 80 to 90 percent of the trades are made within the last three days before the deadline,” St. Peter said. “So I expect it will pick up…maybe some during the coming week, but for sure the following week going into July 31.”

Twins executives Derek Falvey and Thad Levine lead the franchise search to improve the pitching staff via trades with other clubs. Their rapport with other baseball decision makers is something St. Peter values.

“To me the ability to pull off trades is sometimes rooted in the relationships between the general managers and heads of baseball operations, and I am optimistic that we’ll do everything possible to improve our team,” St. Peter said.

The Twins have about a dozen pro scouts looking at other big league players. St. Peter said that number hasn’t changed over the years but what is different now from years ago is a lot of evaluation is done in Minneapolis with analytics and discussions. Falvey, the chief baseball officer, and Levine, the general manager, have demonstrated their player acquisition skills since being hired by the Twins in October of 2016.

A number of players acquired during the Falvey-Levine era are leaders on a Twins team that has been in first place in the AL Central Division for over 100 days. Although the club’s lead over second place Cleveland is only 3 games, St. Peter predicts his team will finish “at the top of the American League Central.”

Last night the Twins defeated the Yankees 8-6 in the opening game of a three-game series at Target Field. Minnesota came up with a first inning triple play, the first ever for the Twins at Target Field, and the club hit five home runs, including two by catcher Mitch Garver.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Win Twins!!
 


howeda7 said:
Nice win against the Yankees. Tough watching the pitching staff try to wabble through that line-up without wetting themselves though. Maybe they found at least one guy in Thorpe.
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Pretty cool triple play too.
 

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