Congratulations! You're GM. Now Do Something!

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

We've had posts like this in the past, but I think now is a good time for one. The Twins seem to be making a lot of questionable moves and now is your chance for some suggestions. Crazy or not, anything goes!

Here is what I'd try.

 

1. Clean up the 40 man roster

DFA Jeff Gray and Tsuyoshi Nishioka

Add Anthony Slama, Sean Burroughs, and Pedro Florimon

39/40 Spots Filled

 

2.Promotions for the new open 25 man spot

 

Move Danny Valencia to the Major League Twins.

 

3. Further Cuts

 

Release AAA players Clete Thomas and Brian Dinkelman

Promote Benson and Tosoni back to AAA

 

4. Oswaldo Arcia

 

Watch him carefully and consider an advancement to New Britain.

[glunn]

I would focus the entire front office on studying the pitching prospects that other teams have in the minors, with a focus on teams that are likely to be contenders at the trade deadline. As for the MLB club, I would try to bring as many players up as possible to give them a chance to prove themselves, but try to keep players like Thomas and Dinkleman in Rochester so that the Red Wings don't come in last place again.

[peterb18]

This is more of an ownership problem than one of management. After cutting payroll so much there isn't a lot management can do until a new crop of players come through, which could take 6 years. Terry Ryan, himself, a few years back said when you miss a few draft classes that you have to wait for a new cycle. The only way we can have a decent team in the next few years is to spend money on free agents until the youngsters arrive. Providing there is talent below. However, I do admit that the coaching and scouting, in particular, have not done a good job lately.

[TwinsGuy55422]

Did I miss something? Where is the open spot on the 25-man roster? If Manship got promoted and Komatsu got DFA'd, then we're at 25.

[Boom Boom]

Add automatic flushers to the urinals.

[Rosterman]

We still have a good month and a half to see what develops with what we have.

 

Doumit, Pavano, Liriano, Capps are tradebait. WIllingham is danged. I listen when folks ask about Span and Morneau.

 

I hope Blackburn does something.

 

I hang onto Gray and Burton until they implode. Then bring up the next B-listers.

 

I advance people like Hicks and Sano as far as I can in the minors, keeping an option open to bring them up in September if roster spots exist.

 

At some point, Slama, Gutierrez, Guerra, Waldrop are in the bullpen. I would allow Slama to close.

 

I have no idea what my rotation will look like come August 1.

 

I would be trading my AAAAA ballers for AAAA ballers from other teams. Dinkelman, Tosoni, Valenica....trade them for comparable people from other systems

[NorthwestTwinsFan]

Did I miss something? Where is the open spot on the 25-man roster? If Manship got promoted and Komatsu got DFA'd, then we're at 25.

He DFA'd Jeff Gray in this scenario, opening up a 25th spot.

[TwinsGuy55422]

He DFA'd Jeff Gray in this scenario, opening up a 25th spot.

Ahh...thanks, I should have read it more carefully.

[Seth Stohs]

1. Clean up the 40 man roster

DFA Jeff Gray and Tsuyoshi Nishioka

Add Anthony Slama, Sean Burroughs, and Pedro Florimon

39/40 Spots Filled

 

Why would you add Slama, Burroughs and Florimon to the 40 man roster without calling them up?

[shs_59]

I'd DFA Gray, Demote Alex Burnett, Demote Brian Dozier to AAA.

 

I'd Call up Anthony Slama, and Sean Burroughs. I'd also find a SS to rotate in with Carroll for starting time. (not Florimon at least i don't think) (Dozier needs AAA Time)

 

- I'd trade A+ OF Oswaldo Arcia and AAA LHRP Tyler Robertson to the Texas Rangers for AAA SP Neil Ramirez.

 

I'd insert Ramirez into the rotation.

 

--- I'd draft Byron Buxton or Carlos Correa with pick #2 next week. with either 32 or 42 i'd take Minny prepster Mitch Brown RHP. and I'd hope to get Pat Light, J.O. Berrios, or Michael Nay or even Walker Weickel or Michael Wacha with the other pick.

[TKGuy]

Hope the Twins get hot come June/July and trade to try and replenish the system. Remember when we bitched when Ryan wouldn't trade prospects in July? Well Bill Smith showed what happens when that happens. See what you can get for Pavano, Capps, Liriano, Carroll, Doumit and Span.

 

Try to trade OF prospects for major league talent, preferably relatively decent starters. Play both ends at the deadline.

 

We need to be more aggressive moving players through the minors. I'm not talking Sano/Rosario, we need to move the college pitchers through more quickly, like my prospect Pat Dean, etc

 

Bring up Slama, Gutierrez, Waldrop, Bromberg, Guerra, Oliveros, Parmalee, and D. Romero and see what you have.

 

Throw tons of money at Grienke.

[clutterheart]

Move Dozier to 2^nd base.

Move Floriman to SS for the MLB team

Promote Santana to NB

Promote Goodrum to Beloit.

Send Michael to EST

Put Boer in the Bullpen of NB and see if he can cut it.

Hope like Hell Broomberg can pitch at AAA and for the big league team next year.

Bring up Burroughs as the every day 3^rd baseman and see if he can cut it.

Move Arcia to NB and invite him to ST next year hope he makes the team.

Promote Pat Dean to NB and hope like hell he can continue pitching well

Promote Wheeler to FM

Never let Swarzak start another game.

 

Hire a witch doctor to fix the elbows of Baker, Wimmers and Gibson.

 

Do NOT trade, Span, Willingham, Morneau or Mauer. If this team had competent Starting pitching this team would be close to .500 and potentially a playoff team. Wait until next year then overspend on any and all FA starting pitchers next year.

 

If the Pohlads refuse to spend money on pitching, quit.

[Top Gun]

I would start by firing Gardy and all the coaches. Bad decisions in spring training has the team playing without any leadership. Why build TF if you can't play 500 baseball? How can

you sell seats with no product? Why cut payroll? It starts at the top!

[Montecore]

Fire Gardenhire, Ryan, Vavra, Anderson, the rest of the coaching staff, the training staff, and start afresh. Do it tonight. It should have been done years ago.

[Top Gun]

Manager Mike Redmond, ass. Mickey Hatcher, Hitting C. Tom Brunansky, Pictching C. Bobby Cuellar, 1st & 3b C. Darin Erstad & Paul Molitor, head scouting Seth Stohs.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

Manager Mike Redmond, ass. Mickey Hatcher, Hitting C. Tom Brunansky, Pictching C. Bobby Cuellar, 1st & 3b C. Darin Erstad & Paul Molitor, head scouting Seth Stohs.

New GM - Andre David. Talent abound. Seriously, he did hit a homerun in his first major league at-bat after all...

[spideyo]

Why in the hell would the first guy you cut from the 25 man be Jeff Gray? He has been a pretty solid, dependable arm from the bullpen, and certainly has been a lot more consistent than most of our starters. He's had a few bad innings, but really how many games has he actually cost us? Now compare that to how many games some of our other pitchers have cost us.

 

 

Personally, I'd be getting rid of Plouffe and trying to trade Swarzak long before I'd start messing with any of our regular relievers

[twinswon1991]

Fire Terry Ryan, entire coaching staff, medical staff and ESPECIALLY the scouting depatment. DON'T LET THIS FO MAKE ANY DECISIONS IN THE UPCOMING DRAFT.....THIS DRAFT IS TOO IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE CLOWNS SCREW IT UP AGAIN!

[mlhouse]

At a minimum, the hitting coach needs to go. HIs approach is obviously not working with young players who come up to the majors, completely struggle, and then go back to AAA worse than they ever were. In the end, the entire coaching staff probably needs to go because they are a veteran's coaching staff, not a developmental/rebuilding staff. THey have not shown any patience with young players and want to pretend that we are competing for a divisional title, rather than giving young players experience in the majors.

 

THe next step, the entire way the organization looks at minor league development needs to change to match the current strategy. Before, when we were at least playoff contenders, we could hang onto our prospects and move them deliberately up the minor league ladder. But, it is now 1982 again. We need to bring the prospects up in a hurry and let them develop at the major league level. THe critics of this idea can talk all they want, but Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, and many others demonstrate that this is a legitimate way of developing players in a rebuilding mode, as long as you have the staff at the major league level that is willing to lose 100 games and work with the young players. RIght now, we have a staff that is NOT willing to work with the young players, and prefer to play 38 year old players, and lose 100 games or more. That is not getting us anywhere.

 

The next step in the process is coming up within 2 weeks, the draft. THe Twins need to look to rapidly rebuild their pitching staff, particularly the starting rotation. THey have 4 picks in the top 100, and I believe each and every one of those four picks should be college starters. Depending on what Houston does, I would take whatever is left between Appel and Gausman, and once he is signed he would be in the Twins rotation. I don't care if his initial ERA is 6.00 as long as he is showing stuff and the major league staff is working with him. Frank Viola's ERAs in his first couple of years were not very impressive either, but I guess he turned out ok.

 

From the other three picks, and considering former college starters Gibson and WImmer in the mix, I would hope we could get 2 guys up into the rotation in the next 2 years. IF we can get one of our previous HS draft selections, like BJ Hermsen or David Bromberg to reach the majors in addition to the college guys, that would be the beginning.

 

We may be passig up "potential" and maybe some of the college arms do not have true #1 starting stuff, but we need starters #1-#5. So getting an adequate/above adequate #2, #3, and #5 starter from the draft would be a huge improvement over what we have. Then, there is always next year. IT is pretty apparent that we will have the #1 pick next year and then maybe a true #1 arm is available. IF that is the case and he can get to the majors quickly, our rebuilding will be that much further along.

 

THere are severel players that need to be evaluated that the Twins seem to be reluctant to. I would make Anthony Slama the closer, at least the co-closer. We are getting no where with Matt Capps, why not find out if this guy can do it in the majors. If he can't, he can't.

 

And, other veteran players need to be traded in a firesale. Doumit, Carrol, and even Justin Mourneau. I would listen to offers for Joe Mauer and the only reason why he would not be the first to be dumped is his ticket sale value in his hometown. I would like to keep Willingham as our veteran player to work around our rookies/youngsters.

 

It is going to be a long year, probably a longer next year, and then we should see some light. BUT, if we continue the road we are on, pretending that we are not a rebuilding team, it will be even longer.

[stringer bell]

Tade all the 30+ veterans with the exception of Willingham and Morneau (Still untradeable I think). Carroll is an ideal utility player on a good team, Doumit brings a decent stick, catcher ability and an expiring contract, Burton is a pretty good setup option, Pavano (if healthy) fills out a rotation. Shop Span and Capps, as well. While Oliveros and Guerra have better upsides, try Slama and Waldrop first. Move Duensing into the rotation.

[Top Gun]

Matt Capps blew his first save of the season in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Tigers.

 

He also took his second loss. Tasked with protecting a 3-2 lead, Capps allowed a leadoff single to Quintin Berry before serving up a one-out, two-run bomb to Miguel Cabrera. A bad afternoon, but not an outing that is going to cost Capps his job. He's the owner of a 4.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 9/1 K/BB

[Top Gun]

Rebuilding takes forever, Twins don't have the time. They need to sign 3 or 4 top free agents, fire Gardy and his coaches. gain some repectablity put a good product on the field.

Everyone needs to be held accountable, Pohlad paid 44M now it's worth 150M Don't say have to cut payroll with the new Target Field. It's starts with him!

[Rosterman]

Keep Duensing and Swarzak in the bullpen. Please.

[Riverbrian]

It's a tough job... Pitching is the way back and we don't really have any. Here are 10 things!!!

 

#1... Payroll

 

Don't overspend on average Veteren players... Take the money and save it for a time when the spending of money will provide a chance and take that money that you have saved on players and re-invest that cash into the scouting department. Identify the best Scouting Director and Scouts across the league and pay them a lot more money to entice them to join the Twins. Totally rebuild the scouting department at all levels with the sharpest eyes and best track records. Cover the globe and be competitive with the contracts of young signable prospects. It should be shopping time for the scouting and player development departments. Spend your moeny here and ignore the fans who are complaining about the drop in player payroll because they are going to complain.

 

#2... Coaching

 

Make sure that your coaching staff from Majors to rookie ball are the best teachers period. I'm a Gardy fan, He's one of us but I have questions if Gardy is the best guy to handle young players at the upper level. Maybe we have the best teachers right now in baseball. Evaluate it and change it if needed. Be competitive from a salary standpoint. Make it obvious that the best will be compensated to again entice their coming over.

 

#3 Timeline

 

Set a reasonable timeline for reasonable return to title contention and shoot for it. Let's say an aggressive plan for 2014. Don't let building for 2013 get in the way of building for the year you have identified. Every contract you sign should be signed with the year 2014 or 2015(whatever year) in mind. If you sign a player for 2013... They are signed because they can help in 2014 or 2015. Or you if sign them to one year contract. You sign them for their potential value and if they can be traded for talent that will help you in 2014 or 2015.

 

#4... Pitching is the way back and it's our biggest problem by far of many problems. Overload on College Pitching in the draft. The majority of pitchers are not going to work so you have to draft and acquire more arms to provide a better chance of some of them actually filtering through to MLB production. The upper farm need to be re-stocked quickly. So College pitching is necessary because in theory they should be able to get to the upper levels quicker. If you end up over drafting and end up with too many arms. You can trade the excess for position holes that occur. Pitching can always be traded because someone is always looking for Pitching. Make no mistake that this part is going to be hard but it's something that must be done or we will be struggling for awhile. I'd let every expiring pitching contract expire during this off season. Start fresh and re-build with your timeline in mind.

 

#5... Do not compromise your defense for a slight OPS upgrade. I'm not talking about errors, I'm talking about defenders that make the plays they should make and a bunch of plays that they shouldn't make. Range and speed increase. Yes I know you have to score runs and offense is important but the bottom line is this... Giving your opponent extra outs will kill you and it inflates your pitching metrics and makes it real hard to get a true gauge on the pitching that you desperately need to evaluate to get ready for 2014 or 2015. Some pitchers have a 4 plus ERA because they deserve it and some have a 4 plus ERA because the Left Fielder laid up on a ball that could have been caught with two outs and the next guy rips a 3 run dinger and the next time out the 3B couldn't handle a well placed bunt and which made the lead off walk even worse. No errors committed and a nasty ERA that could have been prevented.

 

 

#6... Offense

 

Build according to the timeline you have set forth. Do not hold back MLB ready talent in the meantime because the position is currently held by a one year rental Vet. Let the kids make their mistakes for awhile.

 

#7... Leadership

 

You need hungry players. Players so hungry that they make the ones who are going through motions feel stupid because they are getting outworked day in and day out. That's leadership... It isn't speeches in the locker room or putting an extra 45 pound plate on the weight bar. It's the guy who wants it and cares if the ball drops on the grass and lhe rubs off on the next guy. They have to be a special type of bulldog because they need to have this bulldog attitude while losing games. If you have half assed players that get swallowed up by the reality of game #67 on the Schedule and 15 games out of the division lead. Look to move them.

 

#8... Let Capp Close until you move him... Don't screw with any value that he has.

 

#9... Pick up the phone when it rings... Pick up the Phone and call when it doesn't. No one is untouchable. You need pitching. Know your value and don't worry about what your giving up. Instead you should worry about what your getting in return. This will help keep you from selling low ala Delmon Young and JJ Hardy.

 

#10... READ TWINS DAILY FOR GREAT IDEAS!!!

[camby23]

In order of importance:

1. Fire Deron Johnson

2. Fire Joe Vavra - promote Brunansky

3. Fire Gardenhire - Promote Gene Glynn on a temporary basis until a new manager is hired after the season.

4. Fire Anderson - Promote Bobby Cuellar

5. Don't underestimate this one....cut ties with Tom Kelly. His approach to pitching to contact pitchers and slap hitters continues to hang over this franchise like a dark cloud. Just ask David Ortiz.

6. DFA Butera, Plouffe, Mastroianni, Nishioka, Tosini, Burroughs

[glunn]

It's a tough job... Pitching is the way back and we don't really have any. Here are 10 things!!!

 

#1... Payroll

 

Don't overspend on average Veteren players... Take the money and save it for a time when the spending of money will provide a chance and take that money that you have saved on players and re-invest that cash into the scouting department. Identify the best Scouting Director and Scouts across the league and pay them a lot more money to entice them to join the Twins. Totally rebuild the scouting department at all levels with the sharpest eyes and best track records. Cover the globe and be competitive with the contracts of young signable prospects. It should be shopping time for the scouting and player development departments. Spend your moeny here and ignore the fans who are complaining about the drop in player payroll because they are going to complain.

 

#2... Coaching

 

Make sure that your coaching staff from Majors to rookie ball are the best teachers period. I'm a Gardy fan, He's one of us but I have questions if Gardy is the best guy to handle young players at the upper level. Maybe we have the best teachers right now in baseball. Evaluate it and change it if needed. Be competitive from a salary standpoint. Make it obvious that the best will be compensated to again entice their coming over.

 

#3 Timeline

 

Set a reasonable timeline for reasonable return to title contention and shoot for it. Let's say an aggressive plan for 2014. Don't let building for 2013 get in the way of building for the year you have identified. Every contract you sign should be signed with the year 2014 or 2015(whatever year) in mind. If you sign a player for 2013... They are signed because they can help in 2014 or 2015. Or you if sign them to one year contract. You sign them for their potential value and if they can be traded for talent that will help you in 2014 or 2015.

 

#4... Pitching is the way back and it's our biggest problem by far of many problems. Overload on College Pitching in the draft. The majority of pitchers are not going to work so you have to draft and acquire more arms to provide a better chance of some of them actually filtering through to MLB production. The upper farm need to be re-stocked quickly. So College pitching is necessary because in theory they should be able to get to the upper levels quicker. If you end up over drafting and end up with too many arms. You can trade the excess for position holes that occur. Pitching can always be traded because someone is always looking for Pitching. Make no mistake that this part is going to be hard but it's something that must be done or we will be struggling for awhile. I'd let every expiring pitching contract expire during this off season. Start fresh and re-build with your timeline in mind.

 

#5... Do not compromise your defense for a slight OPS upgrade. I'm not talking about errors, I'm talking about defenders that make the plays they should make and a bunch of plays that they shouldn't make. Range and speed increase. Yes I know you have to score runs and offense is important but the bottom line is this... Giving your opponent extra outs will kill you and it inflates your pitching metrics and makes it real hard to get a true gauge on the pitching that you desperately need to evaluate to get ready for 2014 or 2015. Some pitchers have a 4 plus ERA because they deserve it and some have a 4 plus ERA because the Left Fielder laid up on a ball that could have been caught with two outs and the next guy rips a 3 run dinger and the next time out the 3B couldn't handle a well placed bunt and which made the lead off walk even worse. No errors committed and a nasty ERA that could have been prevented.

 

 

#6... Offense

 

Build according to the timeline you have set forth. Do not hold back MLB ready talent in the meantime because the position is currently held by a one year rental Vet. Let the kids make their mistakes for awhile.

 

#7... Leadership

 

You need hungry players. Players so hungry that they make the ones who are going through motions feel stupid because they are getting outworked day in and day out. That's leadership... It isn't speeches in the locker room or putting an extra 45 pound plate on the weight bar. It's the guy who wants it and cares if the ball drops on the grass and lhe rubs off on the next guy. They have to be a special type of bulldog because they need to have this bulldog attitude while losing games. If you have half assed players that get swallowed up by the reality of game #67 on the Schedule and 15 games out of the division lead. Look to move them.

 

#8... Let Capp Close until you move him... Don't screw with any value that he has.

 

#9... Pick up the phone when it rings... Pick up the Phone and call when it doesn't. No one is untouchable. You need pitching. Know your value and don't worry about what your giving up. Instead you should worry about what your getting in return. This will help keep you from selling low ala Delmon Young and JJ Hardy.

 

#10... READ TWINS DAILY FOR GREAT IDEAS!!!

I like a lot of the posts to this thread, but think that Riverbrian's is the best. I wish that he could actually become the GM.

[stringer bell]

Reasonable piece by Riverbrian. I think this mess will take two full years to pull out of, for sure. Actually, I am certain that the Twins have improved in some areas this year--defense, offense, bullpen and health--but the total failure of the starting rotation has masked the improvement to the point that their record isn't better. Also, some of the improvements are coming from players who won't be around for long--Doumit, Carroll, and perhaps a couple of bullpen arms--so it is questionable that the improvements will be carried forward.

 

The starting pitching has to be redone. Blackburn could be a fifth guy, but hasn't even shown that much this year. Nobody else is likely to be back. I guess I would try Duensing in the rotation again. If they can sign a guaranteed above average starter, they certainly should, even if they overpay a bit.

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

Did I miss something? Where is the open spot on the 25-man roster? If Manship got promoted and Komatsu got DFA'd, then we're at 25.

There is one open spot after I DFA'd Gray.

 

EDIT: I didn't catch the other guy who corrected it. Never mind.

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

Why would you add Slama, Burroughs and Florimon to the 40 man roster without calling them up?

The only reason I did so was to show they were next in line for a call up. Options aren't an issue with any of them, so I don't see a problem.

[snepp]

Options are irrelevant, there's no reason to put a player on the 40 if they aren't immediately getting placed on the active roster.