Young/Kubel/Thome

[Big Dave2]

Hallelujah!

[PierBridge]

WE need everybody playing good as I'm expecting a trade for Roy Oswalt here any day!

So Young or Kubel and one of our catchers along with a current starter for Oswalt anyone?

[ozzie]

The only catcher they would want from us is Joe.....they already have a top tier catching prospect I beleive......and I would say we will get rid of a pitching prospect like Perkins and maybe they would want Crain also!!! LOL wouldn't that be something!!!

[hcmpls1]

The only catcher they would want from us is Joe.....they already have a top tier catching prospect I beleive......and I would say we will get rid of a pitching prospect like Perkins and maybe they would want Crain also!!! LOL wouldn't that be something!!!

Yep you are correct. The Astros drafted Jason Castro in the 1st round in the 2008 draft and he's their top prospect... If anything they'd want to bundle a trade for some of our minor league talent... I'm sure any trade talks for pitchers will involve Gibson... at least talk coming from other teams.

[Dylan33]

WE need everybody playing good as I'm expecting a trade for Roy Oswalt here any day!

So Young or Kubel and one of our catchers along with a current starter for Oswalt anyone?

Hilarious! I give it a .0000002% chance that we even make an offer for Oswalt. We might talk to him, but we will not get him...The Twins just don't do stuff like that

[mrklean]

oswalt would be a nice add to the roster thats for sure

[JBMasterAngler]

Kubel's stats from last year aren't goin to win us any games this year! Not that I think we'll make any trades this year, but he should be our #1 trade bait if something should transpire.

[blue_healer_guy]

not a chance

[Big Dave2]

Kubel's stats from last year aren't goin to win us any games this year! Not that I think we'll make any trades this year, but he should be our #1 trade bait if something should transpire.

Well then maybe you should try looking at his stats for this year. He is only hitting about 5 point less than Thome and has the second most RBI on the team. He has 11 less at bats than Super-Star Joe Mauer but has 4 more RBI.

He will be OK, there is absolutely NO chance of him being traded.

[fishgutz77]

Kubel stays, end of story.

Crain and Mahares go.

[mrklean]

crain and mahares are the problems i think our bats are fine, yea punto stinks and harris is much better but the bullpen is whats hurting us

[PierBridge]

UMMMMMMMm we have one of the best bull-pens in baseball.....Harris can't hold Punto's jock strap in any way shape or form....

Anything else? let me know I can help...

[Rippinlip]

Punto's defense, I have no issue's with.

But when it comes from the plate......funny to see the other teams expressions when they announce "coming to bat NICK PUUUUUUUNNNTTTO"

the other teams are "shaking".....

[mr_jman]

I'm also on the Kubel band wagon. Have been for a long time.... Surprised people would want to get rid of a guy that when he is on is a very dangerous addition to our lineup. When Kubel gets to play the field he instantly becomes a better hitter as well.

We won't get rid of Kubel because he provides us something Thome can't... A more than capable outfield substitute. He came up big in Cuddy's absence, and if someone goes down he will be out there and we won't lose any talent in the field.

Based strictly on coming off the bench for one at bat I'd take Thome, but if he reaches he is immediately subbed for which leads to another point. Kubel has "speed" on the bases where Thome has none. Thome hasn't played an inning of defense either. Why would we dump our 4th outfielder who provides the Twins with more options than Thome does.

I completely respect Thome as a person and as a player! (He is the only player when the Twins played the Sox for the AL CENTRAL in 2009 that I respected and was "glad" that he hit the homerun against us instead of the rest of that team!) But still, as far as overall team importance, I'm taking Kubel!

[Duffman]

Twins have no problem getting rid of duds, they have an eye for talent, hence holding on to Cudd, Young, and Kubel. Young is starting to pick it up, Cuddy and Kubel can still take over a game. I'd like to see a little more consistency from all three though. The Thome experiment isn't a failure, but it's hard to get him more at bats with Kubes potential during any game.

As for Punto? I luv him, but he sure does irk me at times.

Puuuuuuuunto......Suave

[PierBridge]

I'm really impressed with Kubels outfield play which I thought I'd never say.... He really seems to get a good jump on the ball compared to Young or Cuddy and he's moving a lot better these days. Gardy has to be elated on how his outfield is shaping up..

[soldoncass]

Kubel surprises me in the field......seems to see/play the ball well, playing RF or LF doesn't seem to matter. He has a strong arm, gets rid of the ball quickly, and is accurate. I really can't remember ANY poor plays from him in the field. I don't think his speed is great, but is adequate, with his good jump on the ball. Thome is very valuable as a DH, or pinch hitter, but this may be his last year. Having him on the bench is a HUGE improvement from Harris, Moralis,etc. , and now Butera doesn't know what a bat is for.....

Young is having a good year for him, IF he keeps his weight down and keeps working, he may get good enough to justify that trade to get him. I like the "pop" in his bat, and IF he was more selective at the plate, his OBP would really improve. THEN he might be worth moving up in the order.....as it is Gardy has him at #8, so he is basicly the clean-up hitter for the bottom half. Results speak for themselves.....he has been driving in Cuddy and Punto, who both have higher OBP's than Delmon.

[Coach1310]

Thome is what he is at this point... a pinch hitter and a spot DH... great in the clubhouse and a HUGE upgrade for the Twins in the late inning, PH department.

We are in a bit of trouble if we have to use Kubel a lot in the OF. He really can't run all that well anymore. When he is Thome's age, he'll be even slower than Thome... I would say he is average or below in range and arm as well.. When he is locked in at the plate though, he is absolutely terrifying to pitch to.

I can live with Punto's atrocious offensive skills. He is a GREAT defender no matter where he plays and for a lot of teams they have a spot or two they sacrifice in the lineup for defensive purposes. A lot of times it is Catcher, but we are spoiled in that regard.

[soldoncass]

I think Kubels arm is good, it's his speed and range that concern me. He is a very valuable #4 outfielder. He has been "just missing" most of the hittable pitches he gets this year...so far....but he is very dangerous, and probably will get HOT at some point yet. All hitters go hot/cold....Morneau WAS very HOT early, has cooled off. Mauer was hot, then COLD, now average....hasn't hit his HOT,HOT streak yet. Cuddy has been consistent, but has hit a lot in "bad luck"....SMOKED balls at people, for outs....hot streak coming. Young hot now, will cool off to flailing away probably like normal.

It is AMAZING to me we are leading anything though, with all the infield injuries we have had in the infield key spots. Got to get Hudson and Hardy back for the rest of the season. Harris and Tolbert can go..........just go.

[pikestabber]

Kubel is definitely on the way back up. No bandwagon here... I have defended him ruthlessly even when he was scraping the bottom and he is proving me right each game going forward. Currently at .246 (which is a heck of jump from the low .210s he was in), and I am quite impressed defensively. He doesn't have the longest or most accurate arm on the team (read: Cuddyer), but he gets rid of the ball faster than anyone else in our OF. Yes, I said anyone. Watch his release sometime. I couldn't believe it in right field against the Braves. I had to do a double take. That quick release holds runners to one bag or gets a guy at the plate when you are long and accurate enough, and he is.

[fishgutz77]

As good as Harris is defensivly he may need about 4-5 weeks back in AAA to twist him back into hitting form.

I think Garrdie may have to have a little mid season, come to jesus talk, with the boys soon so we don't slip into a mid season funk. I've seen it developing and the errors are on the rise.

[SledNeck]

Hardy and Hudson is our answer!

[mr_jman]

Agreed with SledNeck it seems like we forget that we have two amazing players that haven't played a lot in the last couple weeks. We are still in first even while batting the likes of Tolbert in the #2 hole. As for Kubel he is HEATING UP... He's starting to get those monster shots and even if his avg. is down, the threat of that homerun power is enough to make guys pitch around him. This team will be o'right and getting Hardy and Hudson back will only make this team better, PLUS we are giving some good major league experience to some of our probable September call-ups!