Hope is On the Horizon... But Have You Noticed How The Horizon Isn’t Getting Closer?

Hope springs eternal…but…seriously. We need to take stock of this team in some sort of realistic way. Yesterday I read that all the Twins have to do is win every series the rest of the year and they might….MIGHT….make the playoffs.

Josh Donaldson hits a first inning homerun and he talks trash to Giolito? Enthusiasm is one thing, but…seriously? Giolito, from what I understand, mocked him…something about being in last place. Shows what Giolito knows….as the Royals are a half game behind the Twins. Last place? Ha!

The Twins sit at 33-44. To get to 85 wins, over the final 85 games, the Twins would have to go 52 and 33. Possible? Sure. Anything is possible, I guess. But, realistic? Have you seen this team? Would 85 games make the playoffs….probably not, but doing the math to get to 90 wins, would require a record of 57 and 28, and that seemed, well…insane. In order to retain any vestige of credibility, I felt that 52 and 33 seemed better….trust me….that was sarcastic.

Did any of you watching last night’s game truly believe that a 2-0 first inning lead would hold up? Have any of you watching the Twins this year, believed after the first two weeks of the season, that a 2-0 lead would hold up at any time in any game? I guess it’s great that Donaldson has that “fire” and that he is trying to propel his teammates to victory, but starting a fire in the context of this Twins season, seems more apropos to metaphors involving dumpsters rather than championships.

I don’t begrudge Donaldson for trying, in fact, I’d surely criticize him if he wasn’t. Fire is good, but perhaps this team is at the point where dignity requires steely resolve and quiet determination, less than outward fire. I mean, the White Sox are likely laughing at that display today…..the White Sox! The Twins have fallen. At the start of the season, it was Twins fans who were talking trash, and now…well…silence is golden. Steely resolve, quiet determination, eyes on the “one game at a time” thing, as pointing at the scoreboard isn’t really becoming when the scoreboard is this ugly.

So, while I know I risk the wrath of Twins territory by acknowledging what seems obvious to me, that wait ‘til next year is the only true approach to the rest of this year, it’s time. The trade deadline looms, decisions need to made to get this train back on the tracks for the future. Buxton, (and who could have seen this?) will likely be on the IL during the deadline, so I trust he’ll be our starting centerfielder next April.

Beyond that, all bets are off. Any reasonable offers should be considered. It would take a lot to wrestle Larnach or Kirilloff or Berrios away from the team….as it should. I’m not sure the Twins could possibly get a fair return for Arraez, so I don’t see him leaving, either. But….Donaldson, Simmons, Kepler, even a seemingly rejuvenated Polanco, all are fair game for contending teams.

It’s difficult to consider the value the Twins have in the bullpen….because, well….it’s difficult to consider the value the Twins have in the bullpen. I know that Robles, Rogers, and Duffey should probably be kept, but beyond that, the “value” of Colome? Is Spam food?

As I’ve mentioned before, trading Cruz, would be the decent thing to do for Cruz. Trading Sano would be….well…who knows anymore? Would the Twins get value in return? Will he “find it” someday, and Twins Territory will be fraught with sadness over what could have been? Who knows? Personally, I could be persuaded either way.

Assuming Buxton will be healthy in April (and I really don’t), then we need to figure out how we build the team around his undeniable talent, until of course, he leaves as a free agent at the end of 2022. None of this seems hopeful. Hopefully, it does seem realistic.

It’s time for Twins territory to acknowledge that the territory has evolved into a state (sort of like the Minnesota territory ultimately evolved into the State of Minnesota). Unfortunately, the state into which the Twins have presently evolved, is into a State of disrepair, a State of uncertainty, a State of lowered expectations. Sort of like, say…the State of Idaho (I struggled there to pick an appropriate State upon which to level that particular cheap shot…Idaho seemed safe somehow). I’m sure there are many lovely people in Idaho who don’t deserve that, but there are many lovely Twins fans who don’t deserve this season either, so in the end, we’re all in this together.

Come to think of it, Killebrew was from Idaho. I take the Idaho cheap shot back….I meant Wyoming. This season is like Wyoming….a whole lot of vast emptiness, with a hopeful horizon that seems very far away.