Pat: Poor pitching makes Twins more than a trade from contention
The motive here today, in the midst of the Twins' historically long five-day All-Star break, is to suggest it would make no significant difference whether baseball CEO Derek Falvey scrounges the poorly stocked cupboard for a couple of prospects and deals for a notable pitcher at the deadline or decides to ride out the season.
Such a body might increase the
chances of winning the Central from 35% to 40% , and then what?
The Twins would get Seattle, Tampa Bay or Boston in a three-game wild-card series, and be underdogs, even at Target Field.
And if somehow they were to end the 18-game postseason losing streak with a win, and then another, it would be the Yankees or the Astros.
You know how many home runs the Yankees' bullpen has allowed, even while pitching half the time in that bandbox? Seventeen.
You know how many home runs the Astros' bullpen has allowed, even while pitching half the time with that phony porch in left field? Nineteen.
Beyond competence, a secondary reason for this bullpen success is New York and Houston relievers generally don't begin to stir until the seventh, unless they need a restroom break.
Meantime, Twins' relievers receive a message to get ready in the fourth inning hours before the first pitch.
Make a trade? Ride it out? Shrug.
You can't win to a significant degree with the Twins' pitching, and you can't win a bidding contest for a true difference-maker with a dearth of top 100 prospects.
Let's celebrate All-Stars and Hall of Famers this week, while also being realistic about how these wobbly 2022 Twins stack up against Cleveland, Chicago and the AL's best.
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Win Twins!!