All Things 2024 Minnesota Twins In-Season Thread

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on the Twins - I confess - I had some things going on today and forgot the Twins had a day game until I saw a tweet about Wallner's HR. I was also watching the US Men's Soccer team lose its opening match to France at the Olympics. the US offense was about as productive as a Manuel Margot pinch-hitting appearance.

but, from the highlights I saw, Festa looked a lot more comfortable than he did in his earlier appearances. that is a positive - IF he can duplicate the effort.

haven't seen any update on Paddack other than a tweet with him reportedly saying "he expects to pitch again this season." also, last I heard, Royce Lewis and Miranda were both expected to join the Twins for the road trip.

and the international man of mystery, Justin Topa, threw an inning for Fort Myers on Tuesday. no runs and no hits with 1 BB and 1 K.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
on the Twins - I confess - I had some things going on today and forgot the Twins had a day game until I saw a tweet about Wallner's HR. I was also watching the US Men's Soccer team lose its opening match to France at the Olympics. the US offense was about as productive as a Manuel Margot pinch-hitting appearance.

but, from the highlights I saw, Festa looked a lot more comfortable than he did in his earlier appearances. that is a positive - IF he can duplicate the effort.

haven't seen any update on Paddack other than a tweet with him reportedly saying "he expects to pitch again this season." also, last I heard, Royce Lewis and Miranda were both expected to join the Twins for the road trip.

and the international man of mystery, Justin Topa, threw an inning for Fort Myers on Tuesday. no runs and no hits with 1 BB and 1 K.
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FWIW, Miranda’s first rehab game is tonight, so maybe not until the road-trip is done in NY?
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
FWIW, Miranda’s first rehab game is tonight, so maybe not until the road-trip is done in NY?
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Miranda was 2-4 in Wednesday's game - a day game, BTW. Royce Lewis was 1-3. Saints are in a home stand, so I suppose they could let them play on Thursday and then fly them to Detroit in time to play on Friday.
 


short ornery norwegian said:
Miranda was 2-4 in Wednesday's game - a day game, BTW.
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I thought Audra said during the game, they were playing at night and she had no update on their efforts, when she reported on it.

short ornery norwegian said:
Royce Lewis was 1-3. Saints are in a home stand, so I suppose they could let them play on Thursday and then fly them to Detroit in time to play on Friday.
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I’d be surprised, if their rehab is only two games for Lewis and one for Miranda, not a lot of ABs against live arms - although, I could be wrong, I often am.
 
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Gopher_In_NYC said:
I thought Audra said during the game, they were playing at night and she had no update on their efforts, when she reported on it.


I’d be surprised, if their rehab is only two games for Lewis and one for Miranda, not a lot of ABs against live arms - although, I could be wrong, I often am.

Thanks for your reply to this question😉
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Miranda's off time was not much longer than the rest of the team for the All Star Break, so as long as he does not look silly at the plate and is relatively healthy after a couple of games, I say get him back up.

Lewis was a little more extended, but I would say the same after a couple of games if he passes the fitness test and can field his position, bring him aboard.
 


gophersfan said:

Look For Buxton to land on IL in a week or so. yes he stay in the game. But look for him to get remove soon.
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He’s tougher than he looks - from MLB App -

July 24: OF Byron Buxton doing fine after exiting game due to hit-by-pitch
Though Buxton underwent a lengthy examination from manager Rocco Baldelli and athletic trainer Masa Abe after he was struck in the right forearm by a pitch in the seventh inning of the Twins' 5-4 victory over the Phillies on Wednesday, Baldelli announced after the game that X-rays revealed no fractures in Buxton's arm. A cheerful Buxton said that he'd initially lost all feeling in the hand, but he was using the hand relatively normally in the postgame clubhouse and said he planned to play moving forward.

"It ain’t broken, so I’m good," Buxton said. "Normally, that’s what happens, so I’m always on the positive side when nothing crazy happens."
 



this could impact what happens at the Trade deadline - MLB is going to use some money collected under the luxury tax to help teams that lost revenue on their local TV deals. (i.e. - Twins could have more $ to spend on payroll)

from The Athletic:

MLB teams whose TV revenues are hurting have a little help on the way: the money collected from teams that spend above the luxury tax.

The Athletic has learned that Major League Baseball and the Players Association have agreed to alter the collective bargaining agreement so that the league can use its portion of competitive-balance-tax proceeds to give teams losing TV money up to $15 million each — with an estimated limit of $75 million in those payments leaguewide.

Teams “whose local media revenue declined from the year prior (2023) or from the two years prior (2022)” are eligible for what’s being called a “media disruption distribution,” largely intended to deal with the problems of the Bally-branded regional sports networks and RSNs formerly operated by Warner Bros.-Discovery. The arrangement is good for one year, and is the product of months of negotiations, after MLB approached the MLBPA about the idea early in the year. The union agreed to it on the belief that teams will now spend more on players.
Individual teams, meanwhile, can receive a maximum of whichever is lower: $15 million, or the amount of revenue lost.
 

GophersInIowa said:
It's great to see his confidence back. He looked so lost early this season. Once this team is healthy, he should be taking playing time from Kepler at this point.
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I wouldn't write off Kepler yet, and this was the same point many wanted him gone last season. Outside of HRs which are down, his other numbers were much worse through this point last season. But then he became one of their best hitters the last two months of the season.

I doubt he's in their long term plans, but I think he'll be the everyday RF as long as he's healthy the rest of this season.
 

confirmation on Miranda and Lewis from Dan Hayes at The Athletic:

Assuming good health, Royce Lewis and Jose Miranda will be in Friday’s lineup at Detroit. Lewis went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run in his second rehab game at Triple-A St. Paul. Miranda went 2-for-4 with a run and will play for St. Paul again on Thursday before heading to the Motor City.

and this on Topa:

Rehabbing reliever Justin Topa returned to the Twins clubhouse on Wednesday, one of the last remaining players affected by travel delays. Topa was stuck in Florida long enough to begin his rehab assignment with the Low-A Fort Myers club instead of St. Paul, pitching a scoreless inning during the team’s six-inning no-hitter at Dunedin on Tuesday. It was Topa’s first outing since he was sidelined by left patellar tendinitis in early May. Topa is encouraged by how his knee feels since receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in mid-May and hopes to make an impact down the stretch.

several Twins players and other personnel were caught up in the flight disruptions of the weekend:

Topa continued his rehab in Fort Myers, Fla., over the All-Star break and was set to return Saturday and pitch for St. Paul before his flight was canceled. He had an additional flight canceled in Tampa and drove back to Fort Myers for another canceled flight, which prompted the decision to pitch at Low A. At long last, Topa caught a 7 a.m. flight on Wednesday.

Other members of the Twins organization who got stuck over the break included Kyle Farmer, who finally flew back on a private jet Tuesday after multiple canceled flights; radio play-by-play announcer Kris Atteberry, whose trip home from Rome took 48 hours and he arrived 20 minutes before first pitch Saturday; athletic trainer Masa Abe, who was stuck in Japan until Tuesday afternoon; and media intern Randy Escabi, who flew from LaGuardia to Florida to Atlanta to Memphis before arriving late Monday night.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
confirmation on Miranda and Lewis from Dan Hayes at The Athletic:

Assuming good health, Royce Lewis and Jose Miranda will be in Friday’s lineup at Detroit. Lewis went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run in his second rehab game at Triple-A St. Paul. Miranda went 2-for-4 with a run and will play for St. Paul again on Thursday before heading to the Motor City.
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Yippee , I’m right again 🤷‍♂️🤣🥳😃
short ornery norwegian said:
and this on Topa:

Rehabbing reliever Justin Topa returned to the Twins clubhouse on Wednesday, one of the last remaining players affected by travel delays. Topa was stuck in Florida long enough to begin his rehab assignment with the Low-A Fort Myers club instead of St. Paul, pitching a scoreless inning during the team’s six-inning no-hitter at Dunedin on Tuesday. It was Topa’s first outing since he was sidelined by left patellar tendinitis in early May. Topa is encouraged by how his knee feels since receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in mid-May and hopes to make an impact down the stretch.

several Twins players and other personnel were caught up in the flight disruptions of the weekend:

Topa continued his rehab in Fort Myers, Fla., over the All-Star break and was set to return Saturday and pitch for St. Paul before his flight was canceled. He had an additional flight canceled in Tampa and drove back to Fort Myers for another canceled flight, which prompted the decision to pitch at Low A. At long last, Topa caught a 7 a.m. flight on Wednesday.

Other members of the Twins organization who got stuck over the break included Kyle Farmer, who finally flew back on a private jet Tuesday after multiple canceled flights; radio play-by-play announcer Kris Atteberry, whose trip home from Rome took 48 hours and he arrived 20 minutes before first pitch Saturday; athletic trainer Masa Abe, who was stuck in Japan until Tuesday afternoon; and media intern Randy Escabi, who flew from LaGuardia to Florida to Atlanta to Memphis before arriving late Monday night.
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GopherWeatherGuy said:
He can’t go 0-fer forever, Rocco probably feels like the odds are in his favor by this point.
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I lost 11 straight roulette spins once betting "ODD", then bailed out. I hung around, I think it got into the low 20s before it finally hit.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
One team executed- the other team didn't. Tomorrow is another day.

Having said that, I do not like using the closer in non-save situations. That's where having Brock Stewart would really help.
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It worked today using Duran again in a 4-4 tie in the 9th. Sort of surprised Rocco & Falvey spreadsheet did that given his heavy 27 pitch load less than 24 hrs previously and he had also warmed up Monday.

I would argue as the home team, once if it's tied going to the 9th, you're going to have to put in your Closer at some point in the game in a non-save situation, otherwise you're not ever going to get him in.

Best to use him in what is deemed the most favorable match-up in the 9th or 10th.
 

Ope3 said:
It worked today using Duran again in a 4-4 tie in the 9th. Sort of surprised Rocco & Falvey spreadsheet did that given his heavy 27 pitch load less than 24 hrs previously and he had also warmed up Monday.
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I’m not surprised based on the following -

Off day on Thursday

You want to get back on the horse ASAP, once you get bucked. I’m sure Rocko was pleased as punch today’s opportunity presented itself. I bet Duran was chomping at the bit, to atone for the previous game’s issues.

It’s HUGE for the team’s psyche (As Yogi so beautifully put it - “Ninety percent of the game is half mental.”). I’m sure Rocko wanted this series bad, as he knows - You wanna be the man, you got to beat the man.

Provus was spot on when he called it the most important W of the season. I’m looking for the team to go on a juicy run, especially as we’re getting healthier.



Ope3 said:
I would argue as the home team, once if it's tied going to the 9th, you're going to have to put in your Closer at some point in the game in a non-save situation, otherwise you're not ever going to get him in.
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Exactly
Ope3 said:
Best to use him in what is deemed the most favorable match-up in the 9th or 10th.
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Agreed
 
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Guards letting their guard down🤔?

Tiggers with the 3-0 W today, only 4.5 out now. Man this is going to be fun 😃
 

howeda7 said:
You have to admire Rocco's persistence in using him as a PH.
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Manny and Rocko speak -

Manuel Margot is aware of the stat. Of course he’s aware of the stat. How could he not be aware of the stat?

Margot is now 0-for-25 as a pinch-hitter this season despite one of his primary roles late in games being to take plate appearances against left-handed relievers -- such a prominent role that he actually leads MLB in pinch-hit plate appearances this season.

And when Margot is asked about it, it’s clearly not a sore spot -- because his first reaction was to break down in an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

“Oh my God,” Margot finally gasped. “Why do you remind me of that?”

He says he reminds people of it himself, too -- but it’s clearly not of much concern to manager Rocco Baldelli, who indicated that he feels this is an aberration that isn’t predictive of future performance, and that he’s going to continue betting on the man who has a career .282 average and a .763 OPS against lefties.

“With as much as he normally puts it into play, you’d expect him to just hit a few singles,” Baldelli said. “Even by luck, he’s going to hit a few. Going forward, we’re going to keep putting him out there and letting him hit.”

Considering Margot has only struck out in five of those pinch-hit plate appearances, some of those balls, logically, should simply get through, indicating that this is almost certainly an aberration that Margot will be eager to leave behind.
 


No thanks. I'd rather Festa get a shot.

Twins: Starting pitching
Minnesota’s rotation ranks 21st in the Majors with a 4.39 ERA, and with Chris Paddack’s latest injury, the Twins are thin behind Pablo López, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober. Another injury would leave the Twins in a terrible spot, making a rotation addition a priority.
Potential fit: Frankie Montas (CIN)
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www.mlb.com

Finding the best trade match for every contending club's biggest need

Separating contenders from pretenders is as difficult as ever this season, because a good (or bad) week leading up to Tuesday’s Trade Deadline can completely flip a front office’s plans. Through Thursday, 20 teams are within five games of a postseason spot, presenting some significant decisions...
www.mlb.com www.mlb.com
 

in the end, I think it all comes down to payroll. If the Twins get an extra $10-15 million from this new luxury tax payback (for teams that lost local TV revenue), that money is specifically meant to go toward payroll. that might make a difference in the type of pitcher they target.

and now - not to bring anyone down - was reading an article about the Twins' expected future payroll, and it noted that the Twins have $90 million committed to their five highest-paid players for next season: Carlos Correa, Pablo López, Byron Buxton, Christian Vázquez and Chris Paddack.

yup - everyone's favorite catcher and a pitcher who can't stay healthy make up two of the top-five highest paid players.

more from that article by Bobby Nightengale in the Strib:

Several players are in line for significant raises through contract extensions and salary arbitration.
More than a third of the Twins roster includes players who are eligible for arbitration next season, a group that includes Willi Castro, Ryan Jeffers, Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, Griffin Jax, Jhoan Duran and Royce Lewis.

What it means is the Twins could lose all their impending free agents — Max Kepler, Carlos Santana, Manuel Margot, Kyle Farmer and Caleb Thielbar — and still enter the upcoming offseason with their payroll at their current $130 million level.
 

Breakin' The Plane said:
We're off and running toward the trade deadline as the Dbacks pick up AJ Puk from Miami and the Rays deal Arozarena to the Mariners.
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Arozarena didn't cost that much for a guy that is under team control for a few more seasons. I know he was really bad early this season but has been good in June-July. Seattle sent them their 12th and 22nd ranked prospects.
 

GophersInIowa said:
Arozarena didn't cost that much for a guy that is under team control for a few more seasons. I know he was really bad early this season but has been good in June-July. Seattle sent them their 12th and 22nd ranked prospects.
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It's a great move for Seattle, like you said, he's not had a great year, but the guy has proved he can do the heavy lifting in the postseason.
 


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