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Right now, I don't think I'd do anything. As disappointing and frustrating as it is to only have 5 wins, April is too early to start blowing this thing up, and panic moves do not tend to translate into long-term improvement.
Let's see where things are in mid-June.
We aren't at a point in the season where teams are a lot of other teams are looking to deal. I think there will be more potential trade partners in June and July.
Wake up people! The nats wouldnt give up Zimmermann for Span AND Sano.
A more realistic scenario is Span for Detwiler OR a mid-level SP prospect.
1) DFA Gray, add Slama to take his spot in the bullpen, promote Deolis Guerra to take Slama's spot at Rochester.
2) Trade Revere to the Rays for RHP Alex Cobb. Give Cobb Hendriks' spot in the rotation and send Liam back to AAA. Release Brendan Wise to make room for Hendriks and send Daryl Thompson to the bullpen.
3) Decline Scott Baker's $9.25M option for 2013 and resign him to a 1-year, $5M contract with a $9.25M option for 2014. This is basically a do-over of the final year of his deal, prorated for an anticipated mid-May return from TJS rehab. He can earn a $200K bonus for every GS over 25, in case he gets back into shape early. That sets the Twins up for an eventual 2013 rotation of (#1 starter), Baker, Cobb, Hendriks, & Blackburn at a total cost of $11.5M. That leaves plenty of room in the budget to bid heavily on one of the available front-of-the-rotation FA next offseason. Yes, TR, you can afford Greinke!
For those of you completely sold on this being a rebuilding year:
1) Trade Justin Morneau to any team that will take him with his salary in full for pitching prospects (poor as they will probably be). The same for Pavano, Liriano, Marquis, Carroll, and any reliever except Perkins.
2) Resist the urge to call up any prospect until they are ready. Let them earn their chops in the minors without wasting service time in the majors. Fill all holes with cheap, replacement level players.
3) Take out a full page ad in the papers reminding all Twins fans what Gardy and Ryan have done for the Twins during their time here. Tell the fans to lay off Gardy and Ryan for at least 18-24 months to see if they can re-right the ship. Also remind them that any regime change will still be bound by the rules the Pohlads lay out, and if Ryan/Gardy are replaced, it might be Bill Smith all over again (or worse).
What's everybody's problem with Jeff Gray? Are we looking at the same stats, or do people want to see him gone before he regresses to his career norms? His current BABIP is unsustainable at .185, but we have a bullpen full of replacement-level pitchers. What makes Gray so much worse than the others?
Maybe we can pickup Bobby Abreu, we need another dh.
1. Minor League Arrangement Changes. Promote Sano and Rosario to High A Fort Myers. Deolis Guerra to AAA. Angel Mata to Beloit. Diamond recall and Devries promotion to MLB club. Swarzak optioned and Maloney placed on waivers.
2. Fire the training staff and hire a new one.
3. If I can't fire Gardy can I trade him? A la Ozzie Guillen?
If that's a no, I'd promote Nishioka then immediately designate him for assignment. Just hoping, praying actually, that someone else wants him.Quote:
Originally Posted by YourHouseIsMyHouse
I like your closer by committee approach. Between Perkins, Burton, and Capps. It gives us a little more flexibilty.Quote:
Originally Posted by rogrulz30
My previous three wishes have not been granted. I want a mulligan.
1. Drop the AAA affiliate in Rochester, choose Washington DC instead.
2. Promote pitchers Strasburg, Gonzalez, Zimmerman, Detwiler, Jackson, Rodriguez, and batters Harper and Ramos (the latter just because).
3. Profit!
1. Purges, DFAs, and Sorry, we tried you out too soon:
Release Clete Thomas
DFA Jeff Gray, Matt Maloney, Anthony Swarzak, and Sean Burroughs
Option Chris Parmelee
2. An addition I wanted last November, and some promotions
Sign Bobby Abreu incentive-ladenly to replace Thomas
Promote Anthony Slama, Scott Diamond, and Jeff Manship to replace Gray, Maloney and Swarzak
Promote Darin Mastroianni to replace Parmelee and Ray Chang to replace Burroughs
3. Set the damn lineup and rotation:
vs. RH
1. Denard Span, CF
2. Joe Mauer, C
3. Josh Willingham, LF
4. Justin Morneau, 1B
5. Ryan Doumit, RF
6. Bobby Abreu, DH
7. Danny Valencia, 3B
8. Jamey Carroll, SS
9. Alexi Casilla, 2B
With Chang backing up three infield positions (and 1B if needed), Mastroianni backing up all OF positions (and 2B if needed), and Trevor Plouffe backing up RF and 2B (and SS, LF, and 1B if needed)
vs. LH, Plouffe in for Abreu, Mastro in some for Doumit and Chang in for Morneau.
Starting rotation:
Carl Pavano
Liam Hendriks (letting him work it out at this level)
Scott Diamond
Nick Blackburn
Jason Marquis
Bullpen:
Jeff Manship
Anthony Slama
Jared Burton
Francisco Liriano
Alex Burnett
Brian Duensing
Glen Perkins
Matt Capps
ROC is left with
Revere
Dozier
Parmelee
Benson
Carson
Bates
etc.
If Swarzak clears waivers, he replaces Diamond. If not, oh well. He's the Luke Hughes of the staff.
Some of you guys are nuts!
Anyway, my motive was to bring in some fresh faces. Six new guys on the 25-man roster looks good to me.
There are lots of good ideas here, but also some crazy ones. For example, if Benson is not hitting in the minors, it does not make sense to bring him up.
I would give the team another week or two to start winning, and unless there are major improvements, then I would be trying to trade for minor league pitchers who are close to ready for the majors.
I'm with Seth and others who want to lock and load for 2014 and beyond. ANd that's what I think they ARE doing. SO):
1. I do close to nothing before the trade deadline. Parmelee will get enough AB's and he's not overmatched up here. Yes, I might DFA Clete Thomas or one of the Gray/Maloney combo just because I can't stand watching them, but their 2012 replacements, guys like Tosoni, Revere, Waldrop, Guerra, and Robertson (unlike many of you, I think Slama will fail in MLB), are served well in AAA for now.
2. I dandle the whole damn 25-man roster at the deadline, for prospects only. I want value, but pitching will be my priority. I'm not fussy about the current level in minor league ball, just interested in future talent, hoping for two or more quality prospects per trade. No one will want Mauer bad enough to offer value, and unlike others, I'm not concerned about freeing up budget with him. The likely trade chips are Span, Willingham, Pavano, maybe Liriano, and Perkins. I have to get what I want, and if not, I continue to do nothing and let the season play out. BUT, I expect to get at least one pitching prospect that will be ready to challenge for a rotaion spot in 2014.
3. Baker gets an incentive-laden one-year deal. My rotation in 2013, with injury alternates, is probably Baker, Liriano, Blackburn, Gibson, Hendriks, Wimmers, Diamond, Swarzak, and maybe Stuifbergen and one of my trade deadline pick-ups. Maybe my 2012 1st rounder is knocking at the door by 2014. I will probably pick up one mid-level FA starter for even more depth. But, for 2013, I'm banking on keeping the fans engaged with my everyday lineup and the new blood: Benson, Dozier, Parmelee, Revere, Tosoni...and with growing excitement about that next wave: Hicks, Herrmann, Morales, Michael, Arcia, Rosario, Sano...PLUS whatever I've garnered at the trade deadline.
2015 is looking good to me now....
Not bad, Birdwatcher. Slama should still get the opportunity to fail, though. God knows so many others have . . . .
"Give Joe Maurer, Danny Valencia, and Clete Thomas their unconditional release. (when someone, somewhere picks up and renegotiates Joe's contract to market value, use the $23M next year to sign 2 free agent starters to 3-4yr $10M deals. Call up Brian Dozier, Drew Butera, and Joe Benson."
If the Twins release Joe Mauer (never happen) and another team snatches him up, why would they renegotiate his contract when the Twins' have to pay it.
Really, those are what you would waste your wishes on? You wouldn't use it to have the pitching staff magically improved to all be the best starters in the majors? and #2, to have the Twins average with RISP jump up to .750?
Bumping this. Because maybe it is all the relevant after some time for people to think about this again.
I still say an injection of new blood is needed immediately. Clete Thomas, Drew Butera and Matt Maloney have to go because they are terrible. Parmelee because he doesn't belong in the majors right now, etc. Give Slama, Chang, Carson and soonish (hopefully) Dozier a chance. Sign some legitimate guys instead of Clete Thomas.