Thread: Souhan: Being A Twins Fan Requires Patience

Originally Posted by PseudoSABR

You're being pretty assumptious that the guys you mention would receive maximum value this offseason. All those guys can still be traded.

I'm not saying they should be traded but if this is the course the franchise is taking, they should have been publicly available. I understand that trades don't happen overnight but there is plenty of talent to shop on this roster if the team is planning a full rebuild.

And if they're not planning a full rebuild, they should have spent some money. That's my issue with this offseason. They're straddling the fence instead of committing to one course of action.

Originally Posted by SpiritofVodkaDave

Wow Brock, never thought I'd see you join the ranks of the mouth breathers crew on this site but you just gave it a good shot. Carroll has no trade value and is much better then any internal option, they actively shopped Willingham and didn't get any good offers, I wouldn't be shocked if he was traded later this year and plus, the twins can compete in 2014 when he is still under contract. Perkins is still young and could be a big piece moving forward, unless you wanna go out and overpay for a closer when the Twins do compete again.

iMO the only terrible decision made this off season was giving Corrieia the 2nd year. But at least that is only 5 mil

Yes, Dave. I'm a "mouth breather" by stating that the team should either try to win (within reason) by spending some money on the free agent market or they should blow up the roster and liquidate players. It wouldn't have taken much to pick up quality FAs. Skip Correia, pick up Saunders and Marcum instead, then pick up a mediocre middle infielder. All of that would have cost a grand total of $15m. I'm not asking for the world. I'm asking that the team not try to shovel crap down our throats and expect us to appreciate the gesture.

And I saw absolutely zero evidence that Willingham was shopped this offseason.

Originally Posted by SpiritofVodkaDave

Nov 9th MLB trade rumors:

The Twins might not receive much more than a No. 4 starter in exchange for Josh Willingham, an AL executive tells Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities Radio. "There's no doubt Josh has a very good contract, but I really doubt a team would trade a viable starting pitcher for a guy with a strong bat but who is limited defensively," the executive said. "It's a lot easier to find a left-field or DH-type than to trade a good starting pitcher for one and then have to backfill the rotation spot." The 33-year-old Willingham is owed $14MM through 2014 and posted an .890 OPS last season, but another AL executive says Denard Span is a better trade chip for Minnesota.

Read more at Josh Willingham Rumors: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

That was before Span was traded. It's pretty obvious that once Revere and Span were gone, any chance of trading Willingham was off the table (if it wasn't off the table from the get-go). My point is that if the team isn't going to spend even a moderate amount of money on the FA market, the front office should put everyone on the trade block.

I don't even mind that Willingham wasn't traded. My point is that they didn't try. It's very possible that nobody want Willingham right now. That's understandable, given his breakout (and probably career) season in 2012. But unless you're going to make a legitimate attempt to build a decent roster, everybody should be available.

Originally Posted by Brock Beauchamp

Yes, Dave. I'm a "mouth breather" by stating that the team should either try to win (within reason) by spending some money on the free agent market or they should blow up the roster and liquidate players. It wouldn't have taken much to pick up quality FAs. Skip Correia, pick up Saunders and Marcum instead, then pick up a mediocre middle infielder. All of that would have cost a grand total of $15m. I'm not asking for the world. I'm asking that the team not try to shovel crap down our throats and expect us to appreciate the gesture.

And I saw absolutely zero evidence that Willingham was shopped this offseason.

This somewhat accurately sums up what many of us are saying (between breaths), plus I will add that pretending to "fire" members of the coaching staff, retaining marginal-to-no-talent players year-after-year, and offering Butera anything other than a minor league contract seemed a blatant disregard of the fans.

Originally Posted by Brock Beauchamp

It's very possible that nobody want Willingham right now. That's understandable, given his breakout (and probably career) season in 2012.

And that he did not play in any of the final 8 games due to a bum shoulder. That's more than just a day-to-day situation, and he might have been DL'ed if it wasn't September. If I'm another team's GM I wait-and-see until mid-March at earliest.