Ron Darling and the guys on MLB Tonight give edge on the trade to the Marlins. Darling said the main plus pitch for the Lopez is his change, but really needs to work on his curveball.
MLB: ***2024 Minnesota Twins***
- Thread starter Marcelason78
- Start date
1B Kiriloff / Miranda / Farmer
2B Polanco / Lewis / Farmer
SS Correa / Lewis / Farmer
3B Lewis / Miranda / Farmer
RF Kepler / Gallo / Larnach or Celestino
CF Buxton / Kepler / Gordan
LF Gordan / Gallo / Larnach or Celestino
DH Miranda / Gallo
C Vasquez or Jeffers
SP Gray (six man starting staff)
SP Ryan
SP Lopez
SP Mahle
SP Ober
SP Maeda
Closer Duran
RP Lopez
RP Jax
RP Thielbar (L)
RP Pagan
RP Moran (L)
2B Polanco / Lewis / Farmer
SS Correa / Lewis / Farmer
3B Lewis / Miranda / Farmer
RF Kepler / Gallo / Larnach or Celestino
CF Buxton / Kepler / Gordan
LF Gordan / Gallo / Larnach or Celestino
DH Miranda / Gallo
C Vasquez or Jeffers
SP Gray (six man starting staff)
SP Ryan
SP Lopez
SP Mahle
SP Ober
SP Maeda
Closer Duran
RP Lopez
RP Jax
RP Thielbar (L)
RP Pagan
RP Moran (L)
I don’t love it but I’ll wait to see. I trust this FO absolutely zero in evaluating pitching. I pray he’s healthy and doesn’t need Tommy john by mid-May.
If Lopez needs to expand beyond two pitches, I’d feel at little better about his progress if we still had Wes Johnson.
Michael A Taylor brought in as presumably a fourth outfielder. This would seem to solidify that they are trading Kepler? With Larnach and Kiriloff, it seems pretty crowded right now. I know Kirikoff may be slated for 1B, but they also have Wallner who they expect to play some this year as well.
Great glove to add but not much for batting. Maybe we're looking to go back to small ball with pitching and defense....at least they're trying!
Would also make Celestino expendable. Gotta remember, too, that they don't have a full time DH, so some of those starts will come from the OF group.
I'd imagine Kepler and Celestino are available. Maybe even Larnach and Wallner for the right deal.
One of them will inevitably get hurt. And we know Kiriloff has that chronic hand, wrist thing.
Also, unless something magical happens, Buxton will end up needing to take a good chunk of those DH ABs.
Sounds like the Twins aren’t getting very good offers for Kepler. Might just end up keeping him.
If only they could go back in time, not pick up Gallo, and use that money on a reliever. I would have been fine keeping Kepler with how things turned out. Maybe they see something in Gallo.
Kepler was awesome in 2019 and has otherwise produced at a level that he's a borderline MLB starter as a corner OF.
Gallo sucked hard last year, but he was an AS and Gold glover in 2021, a GG in 2020, an AS in 2019 and hit 40 and 41 HR in 2018 and 2017.
Basically they would be betting that Gallo's 2022 was a bit of a fluke and he can produce again this year. With Kepler I just think there's enough data there to suggest like a few other Twins, 2019 was just a fluke year that they'll never recreate. Gallo is a SO machine, but he also gives you a little bit of defensive flexibility. If Gallo's 2022 is his new reality, he'll be out of the majors fairly soon. If 2020-22 is Kepler's reality, he's going to be a bench guy.
I'm not too optimistic about either, but hopefully they can cobble together a reasonable DH/OF around Buxton.
Probably right.
But if the Twins think they might end up keeping Max because of the lack of interest, why sign Taylor? Both are the same type of player, and both could relieve Buxton in center.
Agree, but now with Gallo and Larnach they could move Kepler to backup center if needed. Throw in Celestino and the Taylor addition seems like crowded field. Some must still be moving along with Pagone (I hope).
I think the front office got sick of hearing how bad they are at putting together a bullpen and decided to distract us by accumulating below average hitters at low value defensive positions
Can't wait for those lineups to include two corner OFs and a DH all batting .230 with 8 HR.
It has been stated in twin specific podcasts, that Kepler does not enjoy or want to play CF.
