All Things 2024 Minnesota Twins In-Season Thread

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on the bullpen - I saw an item the other day about Brock Stewart, and I realized that I had completely forgotten about him. unfortunately, the item wasn't positive. said he was throwing from 90 feet and hoped to move up to throwing from 120 feet, but sounded as if he wasn't close to getting back on a mound.

Stewart is one of those guys who drives you nuts as a fan. when he's healthy, he's really good - but based on what we've seen, you can only count on him being healthy for a couple of months a year.

point being - if Stewart was healthy and available, that changes the bullpen picture.
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as far as trades, Aaron Gleeman had an article in The Athletic looking at where the Twins could consider improving the roster. and then he concluded by saying that management was too cheap to add onto the payroll, so they probably wouldn't do anything. he's just a little ray of sunshine.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
on the bullpen - I saw an item the other day about Brock Stewart, and I realized that I had completely forgotten about him. unfortunately, the item wasn't positive. said he was throwing from 90 feet and hoped to move up to throwing from 120 feet, but sounded as if he wasn't close to getting back on a mound.

Stewart is one of those guys who drives you nuts as a fan. when he's healthy, he's really good - but based on what we've seen, you can only count on him being healthy for a couple of months a year.

point being - if Stewart was healthy and available, that changes the bullpen picture.
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as far as trades, Aaron Gleeman had an article in The Athletic looking at where the Twins could consider improving the roster. and then he concluded by saying that management was too cheap to add onto the payroll, so they probably wouldn't do anything. he's just a little ray of sunshine.
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What do you want Gleeman to say? Ownership was very vocal about not adding payroll. He's a journalist for a reputable outlet, he's supposed to be objective. He's not an overt homer who's cashing checks from the team like psychopath Paul Allen.
 

Happy 83rd birthday to former Twins pitcher Gerry Arrigo, born in Chicago on this date in 1941 (a good summer for baseball).

He took a no-hitter into the ninth and completed a one-hit shutout versus the White Sox at Met Stadium on June 26, 1964.

IMG_6754.jpeg
 


Breakin' The Plane said:
What do you want Gleeman to say? Ownership was very vocal about not adding payroll. He's a journalist for a reputable outlet, he's supposed to be objective. He's not an overt homer who's cashing checks from the team like psychopath Paul Allen.
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my point - once upon a time, there was supposed to be a line between news and opinion. a reporter provided information but they were not supposed to inject their own opinions into a story. today, those lines have been blurred or eliminated.

you say Gleeman is supposed to be objective - and I'm saying that a truly 'objective' reporter would not insert their own opinions into a story - unless the story was clearly marked or indicated as an opinion piece or analysis. He's not quoting anyone from ownership or the front office. he's giving his personal opinion that he doesn't think the team will add to the payroll.

I understand that this is the way journalism is heading. but I don't have to like it.
 



short ornery norwegian said:
my point - once upon a time, there was supposed to be a line between news and opinion. a reporter provided information but they were not supposed to inject their own opinions into a story. today, those lines have been blurred or eliminated.

you say Gleeman is supposed to be objective - and I'm saying that a truly 'objective' reporter would not insert their own opinions into a story - unless the story was clearly marked or indicated as an opinion piece or analysis. He's not quoting anyone from ownership or the front office. he's giving his personal opinion that he doesn't think the team will add to the payroll.

I understand that this is the way journalism is heading. but I don't have to like it.
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I have always looked at Gleeman as more of a numbers based columnist. He has a much different job from Dan Hayes (who does the gamers).
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
Sounds like Martin will be filling his spot.

I wonder if AK is done at this point?
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Interesting, I thought it would be Wallner but he hasn't looked great at AAA either.

I think his chances are running out for the Twins. Does anyone know if he has any more options after this season? I'm thinking no.
 

GophersInIowa said:
Interesting, I thought it would be Wallner but he hasn't looked great at AAA either.

I think his chances are running out for the Twins. Does anyone know if he has any more options after this season? I'm thinking no.
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I’m fuzzy on how the option process works in its totality. So, beyond my knowledge level.

Martin’s OBP was .466 in St. Paul during his demotion.
 



Playoff wise it looks encouraging, based on the following data -

FanGraphs’ projectionsassign the Twins a 61 percent chance to make the playoffs, including 21 percent to win the American League Central and 15 percent to get a first-round bye. Baseball Prospectus projects the Twins at 65 percent to make the playoffs, while Baseball Reference gives them a 71 percent chance. Nothing is guaranteed, but those are encouraging odds.

In fact, if the regular season ended now, the Twins would be playoff bound as a wild-card team. They’d be headed to Seattle for a best-of-three series against the Mariners, who have won exactly as many playoff series as the Twins over the past 20 years. Both of last season’s World Series participants were wild-card teams that started with best-of-three series on the road.
 

What a difference a year makes and still only 23! Impressive as all get out!

Regarding his last start in The Steel City -

Making his 10th start of the season, Woods Richardson struck out six and walked none, lowering his ERA to 2.84. Even with the tough loss, the Twins are 7-3 with Woods Richardson on the mound, a big change from the starter he replaced in the rotation, Louie Varland, going 0-4 with a 9.18 ERA in four starts before a mid-April demotion to Triple-A St. Paul.
 

A fun article about the knuckleball. It appears to be making a comeback to some degree. Matt Waldron for the Padres throws it. I threw an occasional knuckleball in HS. Sometimes it was pretty good and others not so much. Was really fun to see when it was a good one and how much it moved around.

I especially enjoyed this quote:
Hall of Fame hitter Willie Stargell maybe put it best:

“Throwing a knuckleball for a strike is like throwing a butterfly with hiccups across the street into your neighbor's mailbox.”
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www.mlb.com

History of the knuckleball academy in California

The Official Site of Major League Baseball
www.mlb.com www.mlb.com
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
Playoff wise it looks encouraging, based on the following data -

FanGraphs’ projectionsassign the Twins a 61 percent chance to make the playoffs, including 21 percent to win the American League Central and 15 percent to get a first-round bye. Baseball Prospectus projects the Twins at 65 percent to make the playoffs, while Baseball Reference gives them a 71 percent chance. Nothing is guaranteed, but those are encouraging odds.

In fact, if the regular season ended now, the Twins would be playoff bound as a wild-card team. They’d be headed to Seattle for a best-of-three series against the Mariners, who have won exactly as many playoff series as the Twins over the past 20 years. Both of last season’s World Series participants were wild-card teams that started with best-of-three series on the road.
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You're definitely better off as the 3rd wild card playing Seattle than the 2nd wildcard playing Baltimore.
 



GophersInIowa said:
Interesting, I thought it would be Wallner but he hasn't looked great at AAA either.

I think his chances are running out for the Twins. Does anyone know if he has any more options after this season? I'm thinking no.
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I can never figure out this stuff, but the rule seems to be 3 option years, but there's an option for a 4th year based on accrued service time. He was up in 21,22,23 and 24, so this has to be it. Or maybe not. I don't fully comprehend this.
 

Options 101 - borrowed from Twins Daily

When a player is added to a 40-man roster for the first time in his career, he has three option years. Option years are used when the player spends time in the minor leagues, whether it’s a full season or a few weeks spread over months. A player can be sent down once or several times in that year, and it will still count as a single option year, assuming that he meets the 20 day threshold.

Players who do not play in the minor leagues in a given year retain their option years. If a player uses an option year in 2024, he will have two remaining. If he then spends all of 2025 on an MLB roster, he still has two. If he then gets sent down in 2026, he will have one. If he’s sent down again in 2027, he will have no options left, and if the team wants to send him to the minors in 2028, he would need to be waived first.

There are some nuances to these rules to be aware of. First, if a player is in the minor leagues but is not on the 40-man roster, the team is not using one of his options. However, if he is called up to the major league team, and thus added to the 40-man roster, the team can only send him back down by using one of his options (if he has any) or exposing him to waivers.

As of 2022, a player can only be sent to the minor leagues five times in one season, which includes starting the season in the minors. After the fifth time, the subsequent demotion requires the player to be waived. They will still have any future option years, though.

as of April 7:
MLB Players with One Option Remaining
Willi Castro, Daniel Duarte, Jhoan Duran, Alex Kirilloff, Bailey Ober, Cole Sands, Josh Staumont, Josh Winder. Larnach and Miranda also have 1 option left providing they do not spend 20 days in the minors this season.
40-Man Players with Multiple Option Years Remaining
Jorge Alcala, Jair Camargo, Matt Canterino, Kody Funderburk, Brent Headrick, Griffin Jax, Ryan Jeffers, Edouard Julien, Royce Lewis, Austin Martin, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Joe Ryan, Yunior Severino, Justin Topa, Louie Varland, Matt Wallner, Zack Weiss, Simeon Woods Richardson
 

Don’t really follow all the players league wide like I used to, but wondering if Correra is hitting himself into the All Star game, not sure how he compares to other AL SS.

Up to .297 w/29 Ribeyes
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
Don’t really follow all the players league wide like I used to, but wondering if Correra is hitting himself into the All Star game, not sure how he compares to other AL SS.

Up to .297 w/29 Ribeyes
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Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson are AL All Star SS locks this year (and likely beyond). He's in the conversation with Seager if they take 3 (I type as he hits a two run homer to left). Doesn't help that the Yankees have an emerging star at SS too.
 

Alcala’s ERA is down to 2.14 - nice to have him in case Stewart remains incommunicado.
 
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Breakin' The Plane said:
Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson are AL All Star SS locks this year (and likely beyond). He's in the conversation with Seager if they take 3 (I type as he hits a two run homer to left). Doesn't help that the Yankees have an emerging star at SS too.
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The Twins best bets are probably Ryan, Jeffers and Jax.
 

GophersInIowa said:
The Twins best bets are probably Ryan, Jeffers and Jax.
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FWIW, I am Groot (his nickname 🤪, per his MLB profile page)

Has the second highest BA amongst AL SS, his .299 trails only Witt’s .330.

He is sizzling over his last 30 games YIKES

AVG OBP SLG
Last 7 .552./594./690
Last 15 .361./379./541
Last 30 .316./357/.518

I think he’s extremely motivated to reestablish himself on top of the pecking order, after last season’s ordeal. I bet he’s got a couple more knocks in his stick tonight.

Man I love watching him play
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
FWIW, I am Groot (his nickname 🤪, per his MLB profile page)

Has the second highest BA amongst AL SS, his .299 trails only Witt’s .330.

He is sizzling over his last 30 games YIKES

AVG OBP SLG
Last 7 .552./594./690
Last 15 .361./379./541
Last 30 .316./357/.518

I think he’s extremely motivated to reestablish himself on top of the pecking order, after last season’s ordeal. I bet he’s got a couple more knocks in his stick tonight.

Man I love watching him play
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He's having a great season and should get in over Seager but I just don't think he will. People will look at Seager's 14 HR compared to Correa's 6. But they'll ignore the fact that Seager has just 5 doubles. In fact Correa has 1 more extra base hit than Seager (20 vs 19) with 34 less at-bats.

Correa is automatically at a big disadvantage against a guy like Volpe because he plays for the Yankees.

If Correa hadn't gotten hurt, I think he'd have a better chance.
 

GophersInIowa said:
He's having a great season and should get in over Seager but I just don't think he will. People will look at Seager's 14 HR compared to Correa's 6. But they'll ignore the fact that Seager has just 5 doubles. In fact Correa has 1 more extra base hit than Seager (20 vs 19) with 34 less at-bats.

Correa is automatically at a big disadvantage against a guy like Volpe because he plays for the Yankees.

If Correa hadn't gotten hurt, I think he'd have a better chance.
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Good points.

Do the manager still pick the reserves? Is it pennant winning manager from the previous season or the AL team currently with the best record? That’s Texas and Yankees managers, respectively 😝
 

Joe Ryan has had a good season but his ERA is still 31st in MLB (3.24). Last year that ERA would have been 9th best in baseball.

In fact, last year 16 qualified pitchers finished with an ERA under 3.50. Right now there are 45! It's a pitchers game right now.
 


Gopher_In_NYC said:
Good points.

Do the manager still pick the reserves? Is it pennant winning manager from the previous season or the AL team currently with the best record? That’s Texas and Yankees managers, respectively 😝
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I think the manager (Bochy) get input, but technically the reserves are selected by player ballots and "The Commissioner's Office".
During one of the games last week, Plouffe/Perkins made some suggestions on how Jax could make his case to Bochy to be a reserve.
 


Go ahead and throw those shitty uniforms back in the dumpster behind Ikea. I assume that is where they found these.
 

We can't pinch hit Jeffers for Vazquez there?
 


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