Twins' Derek Falvey: 'I think we're in for a fun second half of this year'
Despite sitting one game below .500 at the All-Star Break, Minnesota Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey remains optimistic.
"I think about some of the great pitching performances we've had," said Falvey when discussing his thoughts on the first half of the season with KSTP-TV's Darren Wolfson. "The way we've pitched all year is a testament to the guys who have worked real hard to come into the year and have some of the best starters in the game. To lead Major League Baseball in ERA, that's a great place to be. I think we haven't even hit our stride yet. I think there's still more to come with this team. We know offensively we could be better. We know there's a group in that room that continues to progress and get better. We know that if we can match what we've done in the first half, certainly with our pitching, with what we're capable of offensively, I think we're in for a fun second half of this year."
When asked about his pitch to Twins fans to remain hopeful for an exciting second half, Falvey went back to the pitching well while reiterating his belief that offensive firepower will come from struggling stars like Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton.
"We keep pitching and throwing the ball the way we have, we stay healthy on the mound, this group is going to pitch well through the end of the year," Falvey said. "That's one side of it. Pitching is one of the hardest things, as we all know, to have when you need it in the second half, and we've been seeking that in different years.
"We believe in this club offensively and it has not played the way we expected it to this point. When we match up that offense, when we see guys like Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton lead the charge, and have all of those other players behind it...we've got to come out of it with an expectation that we're going to be there all the way to the end."
At the break, Correa is slashing .225/.291/.400 with 11 homers and 38 RBI. Buxton has been equally underperforming with a .208/.300/.436 line with 15 homers and 34 RBI.
"We know that those are key members to the core of our team," said Falvey. "I said this in the offseason, I'll say it through the course of this season, we go when those guys go. Ultimately, when they're in the middle creating runs for us, in some way shape or form, whether it's leading off, driving a ball out of the ballpark, these guys can do that and we need them to do that. And they know that. I think that for us, when we look at where Carlos is tracking, when we see where Byron has been tracking of late, those guys are going to be a big part of our second half and hopefully elevate the rest of our offense."
Buxton has been bad all season. He hit .179 in May, .160 in June and so far in July he's batting .214 with just six hits in 28 at-bats, including three of his six hits in one game. Correa has been tracking better with a .300 batting average in July, though he has just one RBI to show for it.
Buxton and Correa haven't been the only hitters that have struggled for the 45-46 Twins this season. Slugger Joey Gallo has gone through moments where he's crushed the ball but also stretches where he struggle to make contact and provide offense for the Twins.
Another batter tracking well is Max Kepler, who despite finishing the first half on a four-game hitless streak, he was on fire in the 14-games priorwith five home runs while slashing .342/.400/.707.
"I've always been a believer in Max," said Falvey. "He's someone who... he's saved at least one, two games defensively. He contributes in different ways. Sometimes it's ones that don't show up on the stat sheet and the box score but, of late, he's certainly swinging the bat great. We feel like he's the type of talented player, that with Carlos, with Byron, with Jorge Polanco coming back at some point in the second half, he could be a core member of what we need to do offensively."
Meanwhile, here's what Falvey said about the looming trade deadline.
"We're preparing for the trade deadline for sure. I truly believe the core to winning or losing on this team is already in that clubhouse but the ability to add, to supplement, to round out, to see if you can find another piece, we'll see how that shakes out. Right now there's a lot of teams in playoff contention. Teams that kind of see themselves in that mix. The reality of the current playoff format allows for more teams to stay in it longer. So, the flurry of activity will likely come in the last few days, as it always does, but maybe even more-so this year as you feel out teams that are still not sure where they are from a buyer or seller standpoint."
He's focused on the potential of adding a right-handed bat to the lineup.
"I think some of it is going to depend on what's available and what you can get," Falvey said. "You might draw up a script of exactly what your roster looks like but if that isn't available on the market, and you can't get it via trade, you got to think about ways to jigger it in a different way. I think that we are thinking about that already, as to how we can move some players around and what that looks like. We have a very versatile group that can play multiple positions so it leaves us open to maybe having some exploratory conversations on unique ways to supplement this team."
