Twins stuff from around the Web (Fangraphs, Twitter, Athletic, non-local news sites, etc)

[tvagle]

I hope he's only half-way right on this last post from his chat tonight

 

Falvine
6:17 Who do you think the surprise free agent the Twins could sign would be?
 

Jason Martinez
6:19 I think they'll be more active on the trade market. I will predict that they'll make a competitive offer for Manny Machado and will be in that race longer than anyone expects before he signs elsewhere.

[Squirrel]

 

I hope he's only half-way right on this last post from his chat tonight

 

Falvine
6:17 Who do you think the surprise free agent the Twins could sign would be?
 

Jason Martinez
6:19 I think they'll be more active on the trade market. I will predict that they'll make a competitive offer for Manny Machado and will be in that race longer than anyone expects before he signs elsewhere.

Yeah, just like Darvish ... woo hoo

[tvagle]

 

Yeah, just like Darvish ... woo hoo

I hope so...some other team signs him to Mega Millions and he ends up on the DL

 

Maybe that should be Falvine's sales pitch..."You know, the last guy who didn't sign with us ended up having a terrible year. Same with Jason Heyward...didn't sign with us and hasn't been the same player, I can never several more if you'd like." This is how WE baseball!

[Monkeypaws]

 

I hope he's only half-way right on this last post from his chat tonight

 

Falvine
6:17 Who do you think the surprise free agent the Twins could sign would be?
 

Jason Martinez
6:19 I think they'll be more active on the trade market. I will predict that they'll make a competitive offer for Manny Machado and will be in that race longer than anyone expects before he signs elsewhere.

 

Sounds familiar....

[USAFChief]

 

Sounds familiar....

They "can't give their money away."

 

 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

They "can't give their money away."

Second highest bid, again!

[ashbury]

I hope so...some other team signs him to Mega Millions and he ends up on the DL

 

Maybe that should be Falvine's sales pitch..."You know, the last guy who didn't sign with us ended up having a terrible year. Same with Jason Heyward...didn't sign with us and hasn't been the same player, I can never several more if you'd like." This is how WE baseball!

"That's a nice career you've got. Be a shame if someone was to set fire to it. Fires happen. Fings burn."

 

[Mike Sixel]

Marshall MN: I don’t disagree with your opinion on the ability of Royce Lewis to stick at SS, but if he can’t cut it there at what level would you expect to see the Twins move him to a different position? At AA?

 

Keith Law: That’s probably right.

 

Marshall MN: If you were the Twins would you look at transitioning borderline starting level pitchers like Gonsalves and Kohl Stewart into relievers? Any additional ceiling for those guys out of the pen?

 

Keith Law: Stewart yes, Gonsalves no because I think he can start.

 

JG: Do the Twins have any top 10 prospects on your list? Top 20?
Keith Law: I’ll just say I think their system is loaded.

 

Byron Buxton: Tell me how to fix me.
Keith Law: What’s broken? Buxton wasn’t healthy last year.

 

[Mike Sixel]

ay Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Are you surprised the Twins signed Jonathan Schoop rather than coming to terms with Brian Dozier? Or is the four year age difference and a changing front office enough to move past being the most sentimental franchise in the bigs?

9:37
Jeff Sullivan: Yeah, age is a big part. Maybe the Twins feel like they can help Schoop figure things out more than the Orioles could. Also, perhaps Dozier wasn’t available right now for one year. And furthermore, it can feel a little weird to arrange a reunion just months after an emotional farewell. Some teams prefer to just avoid those situations entirely

[Monkeypaws]

 

 

Jeff Sullivan: Yeah, age is a big part.

Given the youth of the Twins coaching staff, I totally understand going with the younger players as they have done.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Given the youth of the Twins coaching staff, I totally understand going with the younger players as they have done.

what does the age of the coaching staff have to do with the age of free agent signees?

[Mike Sixel]

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/sunday-notes-alex-kirilloff-wore-out-iron-mike-taylor-trammell-is-a-work-of-art/

 

Notes, with a long one on Kiriloff.

 

[Ben Noble]

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/sunday-notes-alex-kirilloff-wore-out-iron-mike-taylor-trammell-is-a-work-of-art/

 

Notes, with a long one on Kiriloff.

 

Good insight into his approach and development; the "Kirilloff isn’t Frankenstein’s monster" take makes me even more optimistic for his continued success as he moves up levels and will be forced to adjust.

[SF Twins Fan]

 

I'd be excited if they signed Cruz.

 

 

Not too surprising on the Corbin piece.

[SF Twins Fan]

Hopefully Kiriloff and Lewis are basically untouchable in the Twins FO eyes. 

[nicksaviking]

 

 

I'd be excited if they signed Cruz.

 

 

Not too surprising on the Corbin piece.

 

I'd like to know what makes Sipp, Warren and Herrera in the mix. There are a dozen guys of that caliber or better, are these guys who are interested in the Twins? Are the Twins interested in these three specifically, if so, what differentiates them? Did Wolfson just pull three names out of his butt? Just curious, we see this kind of stuff regularly. I'd like to understand how these three got name dropped but not say Joe Kelly or Joakim Sorria.

[Vanimal46]

I'd like to know what makes Sipp, Warren and Herrera in the mix. There are a dozen guys of that caliber or better, are these guys who are interested in the Twins? Are the Twins interested in these three specifically, if so, what differentiates them? Did Wolfson just pull three names out of his butt? Just curious, we see this kind of stuff regularly. I'd like to understand how these three got name dropped but not say Joe Kelly or Joakim Sorria.

Especially Sipp. He was terrible in 2016-2017. I didn't pay close enough attention to how Houston used him last season. I would imagine it was low leverage LOOGY opportunities.

[SF Twins Fan]

 

I'd like to know what makes Sipp, Warren and Herrera in the mix. There are a dozen guys of that caliber or better, are these guys who  are interested in the Twins? Are the Twins interested in these three specifically, if so, what differentiates them? Did Wolfson just pull three names out of his butt? Just curious, we see this kind of stuff regularly. I'd like to understand how these three got name dropped but not say Joe Kelly or Joakim Sorria.

 

He might be more connected than we know. I have no interest in Sipp and don't know much about Warren.

 

 

[SF Twins Fan]

 

 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Sounds like Twins want to try Romero in closer's role, per Strib a couple days ago. Didn't want to start a new thread.

 

I don't mind the idea but it's pretty rare to switch back to starting once you're used in short relief, and it seems like Romero was doing ok as a starter. Maybe they don't think he can learn that third pitch.

[gunnarthor]

 

Sounds like Twins want to try Romero in closer's role, per Strib a couple days ago. Didn't want to start a new thread.

I don't mind the idea but it's pretty rare to switch back to starting once you're used in short relief, and it seems like Romero was doing ok as a starter. Maybe they don't think he can learn that third pitch.

That's my guess. Plus they have a few too many starters unless they make a trade. If healthy, Berrios, Gibson, Odorizzi, Pineda and Mejia are probably your five man rotation in April. Stewart, Littell and Gonsalves back to AAA and Romero to the pen. I could see the Twins moving Stewart to the pen as well but we'll see.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

That's my guess. Plus they have a few too many starters unless they make a trade. If healthy, Berrios, Gibson, Odorizzi, Pineda and Mejia are probably your five man rotation in April. Stewart, Littell and Gonsalves back to AAA and Romero to the pen. I could see the Twins moving Stewart to the pen as well but we'll see.

A big, fat free agent contract for a starter would make that rotation more palatable, but as you and I know...

[Mike Sixel]

Scott
12:20 Who is a better player over the next 5 years...Buxton or Margot?ReactReact

 

Dan Szymborski
12:20 Buxton still.

 

Cold in MN
12:50 The Twins have to do something else this off season, right? I know they won't get Harper/Machado or come near last year's payroll but they still have to get a starter/bullpen arm?! Also, Donaldson would have been a nice 3B/DH option

Dan Szymborski
12:50 I think they'll close the deal with *one* of the next tier down from Machado/Harper
They *really* wanted Darvish
which turned out badly so far, but I still think it was good at the time

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/dan-szymborski-fangraphs-chat-12-17-18/

[S.]

 

Dan Szymborski

12:50 I think they'll close the deal with *one* of the next tier down from Machado/Harper
They *really* wanted Darvish
which turned out badly so far, but I still think it was good at the time

You'd think they wouldn't have lowballed him so hard if they *really* wanted him

[GP830]

I keep seeing folks predict the Twins will make a splash with a second tier FA. However, I'm wondering who those players would be. Keuchel? Cruz? Kimbrel? 

[PseudoSABR]

 

You'd think they wouldn't have lowballed him so hard if they *really* wanted him

IIRC, they offered him a hundred million dollar contract.  That's not a low ball, though it didn't get the job done.

[Mr. Brooks]

IIRC, they offered him a hundred million dollar contract. That's not a low ball, though it didn't get the job done.

Lowball is a relative term. Amounts of money mean very different to different people, in different circumstances.

The offer to Darvish was never going to be accepted, without a player opt out. So while a staggering amount of money to us, it was a lowball relative to what it was going to take to sign him.

[nicksaviking]

 

Lowball is a relative term. Amounts of money mean very different to different people, in different circumstances.
The offer to Darvish was never going to be accepted, without a player opt out. So while a staggering amount of money to us, it was a lowball relative to what it was going to take to sign him.

 

We don't know what they offered him.

 

 

Scott
12:20 Who is a better player over the next 5 years...Buxton or Margot?ReactReact

 

Dan Szymborski
12:20 Buxton still.

 

Cold in MN
12:50 The Twins have to do something else this off season, right? I know they won't get Harper/Machado or come near last year's payroll but they still have to get a starter/bullpen arm?! Also, Donaldson would have been a nice 3B/DH option

Dan Szymborski
12:50 I think they'll close the deal with *one* of the next tier down from Machado/Harper
They *really* wanted Darvish
which turned out badly so far, but I still think it was good at the time

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/dan-szymborski-fangraphs-chat-12-17-18/

 

Who is in the "next tier down"? I don't see them giving out 5-6 years to Kimbrel and I have zero interest in Keuchel. I haven't heard them tied to Grandal and Kikuchi isn't going to Minnesota. I wouldn't hate Pollock, and the Twins not-too-terrible OF depth might be a fit with his tendency to play less than 150 games, but he's not very good OBP-wise and I think the team would be better served by someone who is.

[twinsfansd]

Next tier for me would be Britton, Ottavino, Miller for the bullpen Maybe Herrera and Allen another step down. For hitters I think they have committed at second base unless they make a good deal on Marwin Gonzalez, a right handed outfielder would be nice, but who fits? And Cruz or Moose to fit in the 1B, 3B, DH mix.

Has anyone considered the possibility of Tyler Austin getting some time in LF against LHP? He was an OF coming up. I don't really know anything about his defensive metrics. Obviously the Yankees didn't need him there, but does that mean he couldn't start games there and have a defensive replacement later in the game?

[bird]

 

You'd think they wouldn't have lowballed him so hard if they *really* wanted him

 

This is untrue and unfair.

 

They got outbid by one team. The ONLY team to offer a 6th year (which they'll perhaps regret, BTW).

 

Players are like office buildings. They're worth what you can get in rent. Isn't it rather obvious that the Cubs can sell more jerseys and put more fannies in the seats by acquiring a guy like Darvish? He was "worth" more, a lot more, to them.

 

The Twins CAN outbid other teams, and they do, albeit infrequently. When they win a bidding war, they just have to live with less rental income than teams like the Cubs and the Yanks. It's prudent for them to set a price they're willing to pay and stick to it.

 

They did not lowball Darvish. They lost a bidding war.