All Things 2022 Minnesota Twins In-Season Thread

I don't know where this rando is getting his stats, but according to baseball reference, his ERA in Baltimore in '22 was 1.68, not 0.68. The point still stands that he has been worse here, but not nearly as bad as called out by this unverified rando dude. Additionally, he has a career ERA of 5.44. I understand that he was a starter before, and he has been better as a reliever, but still, I don't think he turned into Mariano Rivera overnight. It was likely he was going to revert at least a little to the mean at some point.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lopezjo02.shtml
Yes I see that. The point does still stand he was not great for the twins. Either he was really luck with the orioles or the twins made him lucky. Yea he was a failed starter as are almost all bullpen arms.

Nick Nelson is not some random person he co-owns twins daily and he might have just made a mistake in typing the ERA.
 


Ugg..."taking below slot value". That's something organizations like the Pirates and Royals do. To me, that's such a defeatist attitude. Welp, let's not go get the best talent we can, because we don't want to sign them. Yes, I understand I'm being a bit hyperbolic, and what you lined out is a strategy to get more guys. But they need high-end talent. Just draft the best guy you can and work it out.
That's not true at all. Atlanta, Boston, NY Mets, Colorado, Angels and Texas all signed their 1st round picks well under the slot value this year for example. Others were slightly below. The Twins actually did the opposite. Lee slipped to them at 8th even though he was predicted to go in the top 3 or 4. They ended up paying above his slot value.

It isn't about not drafting the best talent. They may have liked Royce Lewis just as much as anyone else available. They were able to pay him a little less than slot value which gave them more money to spend on other picks. In the end they ended up with more talent by being able to pay another guy (Enlow) who many thought would go to LSU instead of signing with a MLB team.

Teams are going to spend all of the money in the pool, it's just a matter of how you break it down.
 

on the Twins - if you are looking for a reason to pay attention the rest of the season, for me it would be this:

do they try anything different with how they use players and pitchers?

do any of the injured players try to come back, and if so, how do they look?

BTW - saw a tweet. can't vouch for it, but it stated that Rocco has used 138 different starting lineups this season in 147 games. that's nuts.
 

on the Twins - if you are looking for a reason to pay attention the rest of the season, for me it would be this:

do they try anything different with how they use players and pitchers?

do any of the injured players try to come back, and if so, how do they look?

BTW - saw a tweet. can't vouch for it, but it stated that Rocco has used 138 different starting lineups this season in 147 games. that's nuts.
There is no reason to bring any injured player back. There is no reason for Bundy or Archer or Fullmer to pitch another game this season. Thank them on the way out of the clubhouse and call up younger players to get a look at them.
 


That's not true at all. Atlanta, Boston, NY Mets, Colorado, Angels and Texas all signed their 1st round picks well under the slot value this year for example. Others were slightly below. The Twins actually did the opposite. Lee slipped to them at 8th even though he was predicted to go in the top 3 or 4. They ended up paying above his slot value.

It isn't about not drafting the best talent. They may have liked Royce Lewis just as much as anyone else available. They were able to pay him a little less than slot value which gave them more money to spend on other picks. In the end they ended up with more talent by being able to pay another guy (Enlow) who many thought would go to LSU instead of signing with a MLB team.

Teams are going to spend all of the money in the pool, it's just a matter of how you break it down.
Back to my original point, you have to use top picks to get top pitching. Flavine has not. To say that there are busts, well sure, but you have those at all positions.

I looked at the last 14 years of Cy Young winners to see where they were drafted (yes, random, but I gave up after a while). Of those 28 awards, 17 were 1st round picks, and 22 were 4th round or higher. There was also one international FA, one 12th rounder, two 9th rounders, and one 7th rounder. Not that it’s surprising, but look at where Falvine has used their picks. Take their top 3 picks each year (3 picks x 5 years), and 5 of 15 are pitchers. And the highest drafted one they already traded to get Gray. Then add in the international signings the last two years which have also been extremely position player heavy (a whopping 3 of 20 were pitchers). Where are these top pitching prospects supposed to come from?

I’ll just have to agree to disagree with you, but I really don’t think it’s a stretch to say they haven’t prioritized pitching enough. The on-field results and ways they’ve had to acquire their big league roster of pitching would seem to back me up.
 

BTW - saw a tweet. can't vouch for it, but it stated that Rocco has used 138 different starting lineups this season in 147 games. that's nuts.
I heard this stat on the radio as well. If so, it's pretty nuts. According to Dick Bremer (via 93x) the Saints have had like 83 different players this season too, so injuries have been hitting AAA as well. I thought he said like 50 some was a lot of players for one team in a season, so 80+ is a crazy high number.
 





Last home games this year will be Sept 23-29. Haven't made it to a game this year, gotta see if I can try to make one next week. This weekend is out.
 



The question must be asked why was Max allowed to play hurt for so long down the stretch while Wallner was raking in AAA. Yes there were injuries, but they also did no make some moves early enough to help offset those injuries.

Yes it’s great max played on broken toe and showed youth “tough” he was. Of course he played for shit and was incapable at the plate but hey he still played.
 



That's not true at all. Atlanta, Boston, NY Mets, Colorado, Angels and Texas all signed their 1st round picks well under the slot value this year for example. Others were slightly below. The Twins actually did the opposite. Lee slipped to them at 8th even though he was predicted to go in the top 3 or 4. They ended up paying above his slot value.

It isn't about not drafting the best talent. They may have liked Royce Lewis just as much as anyone else available. They were able to pay him a little less than slot value which gave them more money to spend on other picks. In the end they ended up with more talent by being able to pay another guy (Enlow) who many thought would go to LSU instead of signing with a MLB team.

Teams are going to spend all of the money in the pool, it's just a matter of how you break it down.

Hood news regarding Brooks Lee - recently promoted to AA - three levels and his cumulative average is .303

I wonder if Royce gets moved to third or second as I’m thinking his range might be limited and it can help limit his movement as well
 



The question must be asked why was Max allowed to play hurt for so long down the stretch while Wallner was raking in AAA. Yes there were injuries, but they also did no make some moves early enough to help offset those injuries.

Yes it’s great max played on broken toe and showed youth “tough” he was. Of course he played for shit and was incapable at the plate but hey he still played.
There is no good excuse. And it doesn't matter now, but where the hell are Polanco, Larnach and Jeffers? I get not bringing Buxton back and maybe Polanco. But Jeffers and Larnach could sure use some major league at bats.

This entire organization is a mess and I don't see how anyone can sincerely want to run it back with the current regime.
 

Last home games this year will be Sept 23-29. Haven't made it to a game this year, gotta see if I can try to make one next week. This weekend is out.
Prices on the secondary market should be low for those. I might have to see if the wife and kids are interested too.
 

I can't see a scenario where Correa stays. Kepler and Sano are obviously gone. The core players next year will be Buxton, Arraez, Polanco, Miranda, Ryan, Maeda, Duran and Lewis (after June).
I don't think Kepler is obviously gone. No doubt, he's stunk this year.

With trade value low, I think it's worth seeing if the rule changes help him out next year. It's been speculated that he could be a benefactor with the shift being banned/modified next year.

Next year after a 150 ABs, if he's still brutal then by all means, cut bait.
 

I don't think Kepler is obviously gone. No doubt, he's stunk this year.

With trade value low, I think it's worth seeing if the rule changes help him out next year. It's been speculated that he could be a benefactor with the shift being banned/modified next year.

Next year after a 150 ABs, if he's still brutal then by all means, cut bait.
If he has any trade value, trade him. Larnach/Buxton/Wallner/and a FA RH 4th OF'er who can play CF once Buxton is hurt rotating in with the DH spot should be the OF on Opening Day 2023.
 

If he has any trade value, trade him. Larnach/Buxton/Wallner/and a FA RH 4th OF'er who can play CF once Buxton is hurt rotating in with the DH spot should be the OF on Opening Day 2023.
Fallacy of sunken costs applies here as well.

Rand asked Reusse about Kepler on their podcast and Pat opined that while Max is a gifted athlete, he probably doesn't LOVE baseball; tough game to play, if you don't as it so much mental and tedious, fielding drills in the cage. As a guy in HS quipped when I asked him while he bailed on baseball, he said football practice is fun, but baseball practice bored him. Lot of wisdom there IMO, unless you're a seamhead.
 

I like how a writer comes out and says Buxton is done for the year, and people are taking that as some kind of confirmation.

Look, it may very well be true, but I want to hear it from Buxton, Rocco or Falvey - not from some guy who works for the Pioneer Press.

on another note - the rule change restricting the number of September call-ups has impacted the Twins. under the old rules, I suspect that a number of younger players would have come up sooner - as long as their minor-league teams weren't involved in a playoff series.
 

If he has any trade value, trade him. Larnach/Buxton/Wallner/and a FA RH 4th OF'er who can play CF once Buxton is hurt rotating in with the DH spot should be the OF on Opening Day 2023.
I would guess Kepler's trade value based on the combination of performance and health is virtually zilch.

Counting on Larnach & Buxton to be healthy for the majority of 2023 is a huge reach, IMO.
 

I would guess Kepler's trade value based on the combination of performance and health is virtually zilch.

Counting on Larnach & Buxton to be healthy for the majority of 2023 is a huge reach, IMO.
Certainly not counting on a healthy Buxton, but Kepler is not really a replacement for him. Rather trade Kep and sign someone like AJ Pollock.
 

Back to my original point, you have to use top picks to get top pitching. Flavine has not. To say that there are busts, well sure, but you have those at all positions.

I looked at the last 14 years of Cy Young winners to see where they were drafted (yes, random, but I gave up after a while). Of those 28 awards, 17 were 1st round picks, and 22 were 4th round or higher. There was also one international FA, one 12th rounder, two 9th rounders, and one 7th rounder. Not that it’s surprising, but look at where Falvine has used their picks. Take their top 3 picks each year (3 picks x 5 years), and 5 of 15 are pitchers. And the highest drafted one they already traded to get Gray. Then add in the international signings the last two years which have also been extremely position player heavy (a whopping 3 of 20 were pitchers). Where are these top pitching prospects supposed to come from?

I’ll just have to agree to disagree with you, but I really don’t think it’s a stretch to say they haven’t prioritized pitching enough. The on-field results and ways they’ve had to acquire their big league roster of pitching would seem to back me up.
Many of those guys were drafted a long 10+ years ago. There isn't as many pitchers that are head and shoulders above the other guys as there was 10+ years ago. There's a lot more comparable talent in the 2nd and 3rd rounds now is all I'm saying.

And the Twins have used 3 of their 6 1st-3rd round picks the past two years on pitchers so it's not like they aren't drafting pitchers in the early rounds. It, again, comes down to not being able to develop.
 

Hood news regarding Brooks Lee - recently promoted to AA - three levels and his cumulative average is .303

I wonder if Royce gets moved to third or second as I’m thinking his range might be limited and it can help limit his movement as well
Don’t worry that situation will be resolved by an injury and no one will have to get moved.
 








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