As the MLB trade deadline nears, Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is making it clear that his team is a serious contender: “The time is now.” The sixth-year manager declared that his second-place Twins, fresh off a series win against the Detroit Tigers, should be taken seriously after the All-Star break.
“It is a serious collection of players. Not decent, OK players,” Baldelli told The Athletic’s Dan Hayes. “There are some stars out there on the field and some excellent young players that we don’t know how good they’re going to be yet, but they’re already pretty good. It’s a nice mix, but these guys can really play at a high level. So come see them.”
This isn’t the first time Baldelli has made bold statements to motivate his team. In May, he publicly challenged his team to improve its struggling offense during a rough patch.
Despite a two-game losing streak against the Brewers, the Twins have recently found their rhythm, winning two out of three games against the league-leading Philadelphia Phillies at home and then taking two of three on the road against the Tigers. The Twins now have two consecutive series victories to begin the second half and have reason to feel optimistic, especially with Royce Lewis returning to form after a stint on the injured list.
After missing several weeks, Lewis has gone 3-for-9 at the plate, including a double and a two-run homer against Detroit ace Tarik Skubal on Saturday. Since the All-Star break, the Twins’ offense has been on fire, averaging nearly five runs per game.
Baldelli’s team is set to get even stronger as their stars return to health. Jose Miranda, who has been hitting well, is expected back soon, and superstar shortstop Carlos Correa should return from the 10-day injured list next week.
Bailey Ober Shines Amid Twins Resurgence
The Twins’ rotation continues to impress, thanks in part to Bailey Ober’s dominant performance on Sunday, where he pitched 8.0 innings with 11 strikeouts and allowed just one hit. Simeon Woods-Richardson, Joe Ryan, and Pablo Lopez have all delivered quality starts since returning from the midsummer classic.
After Ober’s 11-strikeout, one-hit game against the Tigers, Baldelli expressed confidence in Ober’s abilities moving forward.
“He’s very consistent,” said the 2019 Manager of the Year. “He’s mentally very tough. He’s strong. He knows what to do. He slows the game down very well. He’s a very good pitcher.”
Despite being in the midst of the MLB trade deadline, the Twins have not made any moves to strengthen their already talented roster.
With a series against the New York Mets coming up, the Twins and Rocco Baldelli may continue to remind everyone that “the time is now.”
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