Blogs from our Community

Remembering Random Twins - Rob Bowen

The Twins drafted future MVP Justin Morneau in round three of the 1999 MLB Draft. This made up for the fact that fifth overall pick B.J. Garbe never made it past Double-A. Between Garbe and Morneau, the club selected high school catcher catcher Rob Bowen with their second round selection. Bowen and Morneau both began their minor league careers as catchers, but quickly took different paths. Morneau caught his final game in 2000 while still in rookie ball, then settled at first base after a b

Thursday at 05:20 PM

TV Contract

Future of Twins TV

As we end 2023, the Twins find themselves at a crossroads regarding local TV revenue. They have no current plan to replace the $55 million that BSN paid them last year. This is leading to an expected drop in payroll as revealed by management at an end of year press gathering. Where we go from here is an open question. Will the Twins play it safe, let the MLB handle for them, or do something truly innovative and adventurous? To figure this out we need to look at the options and the money beh

jharaldson in TV Contract

Wednesday at 11:46 PM

Remembering Random Twins - Wilkin Ramírez

Career minor leaguer Wilkin Ramírez had three cups of coffee in the bigs. He played 15 games for the Tigers in 2009, 20 with the Braves in 2011, and 35 with the Minnesota Twins in 2013. Ramírez came to the Twins organization ahead of the 2012 season, batting .288 with 19 home runs and 61 RBI over 113 minor league games. He hit .404 with ten doubles in 57 at-bats during spring training in 2013, which earned him an Opening Day roster spot. This was the best opportunity a team had ever gi

Wednesday at 04:57 PM

Remembering Random Twins - Henry Blanco

Henry Blanco was your classic journeyman backup catcher. Known for his glove, he hit just .223 over a 16 year career that was spent with 11 different teams. Minnesota signed Blanco to a one year deal in December 2003. The expectation was that he would be the number two catcher behind top prospect Joe Mauer, who made his Major League debut on Opening Day in 2004. But a knee injury limited Mauer to just 35 games that season, and Blanco wound up playing a career high 114 games that season.

Tuesday at 09:28 PM

Remembering Random Twins - Héctor Carrasco

Journeyman reliever Héctor Carrasco pitched for 12 seasons in the Major Leagues, which included two stints with the Minnesota Twins. He also played for the Reds, Angels, Royals, Red Sox, Nationals, and Orioles. Carrasco first came to Minnesota through waivers just before the 1998 season. The Diamondbacks had selected him from Kansas City in the expansion draft that winter, but he waived right before Opening Day and the Twins picked him up. He went 4-2 with a 4.38 ERA and a save over 63 reli

December 3

Remembering Random Twins - Justin Huber

Justin Huber was a highly regarded prospect who never panned out. He peaked as the 66th ranked prospect, according to Baseball America, and the Australian native played on “Team World” in the Futures Game three times. Some of his prospect value deteriorated after a string of minor league knee injuries forced him to move from catcher to first base, but Huber was still able to break into the Majors with Kansas City in 2005. Things never clicked for him in the bigs, and he began to bounce

December 3

As it Seams

Ex-Twins Pitchers are a Hot Free Agent Commodity: What Does That Tell Us?

One of the more surefire ways for know-nothing schmucks like myself to gain insight into the world of MLB is to examine market trends. The unprecedented money spent on relievers in recent years indicates the growing importance that front offices are placing on bullpens. Stars such as Xander Bogaerts, Trea Turner, and Bryce Harper have recently received contracts that will overlap with their AARP benefits - evidence of a new emphasis on skirting the annual luxury tax brackets. Now, in the ea

NishiokaStan in As it Seams

December 1

Remembering Random Twins - Darnell McDonald

The Baltimore Orioles took Darnell McDonald with the 26th overall pick in 1997, but he never really found his footing in the Majors until 2009 at age 30 with Cincinnati. This long path included a four game cup of coffee with the Twins in 2007. He did debut with the Orioles in 2004, but played just 17 games for them. McDonald spent time in the Guardians, Devil Rays, and Nationals systems on minor league deals after being released by Baltimore. Washington traded him to the Twins in June 2007

December 1

Remembering Random Twins - Sam Fuld

Minnesota acquired veteran outfielder Sam Fuld off of waivers from the Athletics very early in the 2014 season. The 32-year old was hitting just .200 through seven games with Oakland, and carried a career OPS+ of 79. Fuld then began to play some of his best baseball during his time with the Twins. He collected two hits in his Twins debut, including an RBI single against Rays reliever Brandon Gomes. That was followed up by two more multi-hit games, and a five game hitting streak to begin his

November 29

Remembering Random Twins - Dillon Gee

Dillon Gee was the 2017 version of what Dallas Keuchel did for the Twins in 2023. In fact, he was probably a little bit better. While he didn’t have quite the same name value, Gee was still a veteran in his 30’s who provided value as an innings eater late in the season after impressing at Triple-A on a minor league deal. Gee had a solid 3.91 ERA over 103 starts with the Mets from 2010-14, but he struggled out of the gate in 2015 before getting buried by a crop of young Mets starters. He sa

November 29

Remembering Random Twins - Randy Flores

Randy Flores was a late August waiver claim by the Twins in 2010, and that began the final chapter of his Major League career. He was a ninth round pick by the Yankees in 1997, and debuted with the Rangers on April 23, 2002. Flores spent most of his big league career with the Cardinals, and also had two stints with the Rockies. As a lefty specialist, he threw under ten pitches in 162 of his 350 appearances (46.2%). This includes 12 occasions where Flores threw just one pitch. Despite

November 27

Historical Play Through of the Minnesota Twins on OOTP 24 - 1967 World Series Champions!

Introduction of the series here Part 2: 1961-1962 Offseason MLB expansion here Part 3: 1964 World Series Champs! here Hello friends! Putting a slight pause on the series to ask a question in the comments below. In the meantime, enjoy another WS title winning run in 1967! Below are my notes since the last time I checked in... 1964-65 Offseason: CF Jackie Brandt wins a Gold Glove, and 4 Twins win Silver Slugger Awards - Mincher, Rollins, Killebrew, and Allison.

November 27

Trade stuff

Seattle wants Polanco

Seattle just traded their 3B to AZ for a back up C and pitching prospect. They were looking for a second base upgrade before but this makes it even more important for them to trade a starting Pitcher to Minnesota for a package around Polanco. The pitcher acquired may not replace the starter we acquire but will help give them more depth. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/dbacks-trade-seby-zavala-mariners-catcher.html A deal with trader Dipoto in Seattle will get done.

Brandon in Trade stuff

November 22

Free Agents

Cheap Roster Answers?

I noticed this this mornings and thought maybe there's a couple of players that may fill a need on the Twins roster. 36/40 man roster filled. Intriguing free agents after the tender deadline (mlb.com) Nick Senzel in CF wouldn't be the worst fit. He's also a pretty good bat against lefties. Juan Yepez as a RH 1B/OF option? This one a question even mentioning. Was pretty good in 2022...Minor league signing?

weitz41 in Free Agents

November 18

Sonny Gray

Gray declines QO

First, I congratulate Sonny Gray for coming in 2nd in the CY & thank you for what you accomplished as a Twin. As expected Gray turned down the Twins QO. In this thread I like to show how Gray should appreciate the Twins. Below is a '21 comparison between Gray & Mahle before the '22 offseason Name G GS W L PCT ERA SV IP H

Doctor Gast in Sonny Gray

November 17

Historical Play Through of the Minnesota Twins on OOTP 24 - 1964 World Series Champions!

Introduction of the series here Part 2: 1961-1962 Offseason MLB expansion here In the 1962 regular season, the Minnesota Twins showcased their talent with players like Harmon Killebrew, Jack Kralick, and Don Lee earning All-Star nods. With a 45-40 record, they stood in 4th place at the All-Star break. A notable trade saw Lenny Green moved to the St. Louis Cardinals, paving the way for the rising star Tony Oliva. However, their playoff hopes dimmed by September 20, finishing tied for 3r

November 14

Historical Play Through of the Minnesota Twins on OOTP Baseball 24 - MAJOR Changes for MLB Heading into 1962!

Introduction of the series here The 1961 season was a bit of a rollercoaster for the team, finishing with a record of 79-83 and landing in 8th place in the AL. The World Series saw the Los Angeles Dodgers triumph over the Chicago White Sox in a thrilling 4-3 series victory. In terms of transactions over the course of the 1961 season, there were none worth noting. Despite the temptation to sign young free agents like 17-year-old Sandy Alomar, the decision was made to stick with the exis

November 11

Twins Offseason Moves

Should the Twins be the front runner for Ohtani??

First off, NO... I do not expect the Twins to be anywhere NEAR in the running for Ohtani. He most like lt has zero interest in a midwest location, and we will not spend that much. The question however is SHOULD we be in the running? and the answer is an unequivocal YES. Everyone is talking about how we will be lowering payroll, primarily because of the lack of TV contract. I would suggest that actually signing Ohtani would give the Twins leverage to sign a bigger contract. The guy is a m

Doc Munson in Twins Offseason Moves

November 10

blog

Maybe, Spend Now?

I know with the TV issue and the revenue stream from it, up in the air. The Twins will probably want to lower the payroll But, with Pablo Lopez going from 8.25M in 2024 to 21.75M in 2025. And, with Royce Lewis, Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, Bailey Ober, Griffin Jax, Trevor Larnach, and more ALL becoming Arbitration eligible in 2025. It maybe makes more sense to spend a little more on payroll in 2024. We have a defending Division champion, and the other teams in our division are NOT that strong. So why

rico7961 in blog

November 9

A Historical Play Through of the Minnesota Twins on Out of the Park Baseball 24

As the crack of the bat fades away and the echo of cheering crowds subsides, the hallowed fields of baseball fall silent, marking the end of another thrilling season. As the final out is recorded and the last pitch is thrown, a hush descends over the diamond, signaling the inevitable transition from the sun-soaked days of summer to the crisp embrace of winter.* Since winter is upon us, and I still have the itch for baseball, I decided to try something new... Out of the Park Baseball has a mode i