A disastrous Twins season dribbles to a close
Over the course of 6 months, a franchise that looked to have fully pulled out of their 2010s rebuild and become a regular contender again, collapsed to a degree that the franchise appears likely doomed to another long rebuild, all the while remaining without a playoff game win since 2004.
And it all happened so fast. The Twins started 5-2 and yet were effectively buried by Memorial Day. The last 4 months plus of this season was just for show.
Everything is to blame.
The last offseason was a biblical disaster. Their big starting pitching moves were signing J.A. Happ and Matt Shoemaker, and giving Randy Dobnak an extension.
Their prized bullpen signing, Alex Colome, was historically awful in April when there was still hope, and only started pitching better when the results no longer mattered. Hansel Robles was also a flop. The bullpen makeover was so bad we spent the whole season cycling through minor league callups you have already forgotten pitched here. Brandon Waddell? Derek Law? Shaun Anderson? Oh, that last guy is who this genius front office traded Lamonte Wade for. All Wade has done is play a key role for a 100 win Giants team. Anderson was DFA'd after like 3 outings.
We handed the shortstop position to Andrelton Simmons, who refused to get vaccinated (even after COVID cost us almost a week of April games) then played average defense and never hit. And he also blocked Nick Gordon from getting a chance. The moment nobody bothered to trade for Simmons at the deadline he should have been released. Every plate appearance he took after July 31st was a complete waste of time.
At least we got Nelson Cruz back for an all star season.
The starting pitching was a disaster.
The one highlight was Jose Berrios, but he also represents the failure of this franchise since we dealt him at the deadline rather than ever make meaningful progress to extend him.
Kenta Maeda went from Cy Young runner-up to a miserable year where he struggled and was hurt, and ended with Tommy John surgery.
Michael Pineda was hurt much of the year.
Happ was awful (yet immediately better with St. Louis). Shoemaker got DFA'd (but only after he criticized the coaching staff...can't have that). Dobnak was garbage (yet I'm certain he's going to get a shot at the 2022 rotation).
So we got to see a bunch of rookies here too. Here there were at least some bright spots. Bailey Ober looks legit. Joe Ryan looks to have major potential. Nobody else looks worthy of making major league starts.
Injuries were just relentless. Almost nobody in the lineup made it through unscathed. Buxton had another season derailed. Mitch Garver had the worst injury of all time. Kepler, Arraez, Donaldson. Alex Kirilloff had a promising rookie season ended by injury. Injuries decimated the pitching staff at times too.
And when guys weren't hurt they just didn't perform as needed. That core group that was supposed to be in its prime and carry this team through another whole era of contention (not just a year or two) has pretty much fallen apart. Only Polanco, Buxton when healthy, and maybe Garver are still looking viable from that 2019 group, plus maybe Arraez, though he still feels like a player without a position.
Kepler is barely playable. Sano had another season of constant strikeouts mixed with a few hot streaks. These guys just are what they are at this point. But they cannot carry the lineup of a contender anymore.
I don't know what the future holds for this franchise. Derek Falvey claims the plan is to compete in 2022, but that smells like damage control. It would be great folly to pretend that what happened this year was a fluke. You can't just run this roster back, and add a couple more Matt Shoemaker types, and expect to match the White Sox. If they truly plan to rebound in 2022 there is only one path: pay REAL money for REAL starting pitching.
As of now the rotation next year likely includes Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan. I would guess the odds are strong that they bring back Michael Pineda again, but he can't be more than a #4 guy. Berrios is gone. Maeda ain't coming back in a meaningful way. Signing this year's J.A. Happ just isn't good enough. We have to be done with this nickel and dime bullshit.
But that's all this ownership ever really does. Even the discussion of what to do with Buxton shouldn't BE a discussion. Pay him. Is there a risk? Of course, but so what? Take a fucking risk. Maybe he keeps getting hurt, maybe not. But we know that if we trade him it will be a bad trade and he will star for whoever gets him. And we will have to keep watching Jake Cave hit .220 for all eternity.
Whatever happens, after the disaster of 2021 everyone is on notice in this organization. You can't keep asking a fanbase to do rebuilds when there are people going to college soon who were not alive the last time this franchise won a single postseason game.
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