Front Page: Offseason Blueprint: Spending Every Penny

[Cooper Carlson]

Jim Pohlad has had it up to here with you people. After checking his burner twitter account (@matthew_btwins) and once again seeing someone call him a Pohlad Pocket Protector, he officially snapped. He told Falvey and Levine they can spend as much money as they want, and they did not disappoint.The 2019 Minnesota Twins set the home run record last season as an offensive powerhouse. The obvious need this season is starting pitching, but this blueprint will be different. What if the Pohlad family decides to just say screw it and spend north of $200 million with the main focus being offense? Here is the most realistic blueprint so far:

 

Sign Yasmani Grandal to 4-year, $60 million contract.

 

The Twins obviously loved the catching tandem they used last season with Castro and Garver, so why not upgrade it? Signing Grandal gives the Twins two of the top five catchers in baseball and Grandal is also excellent defensively.

 

Let C.J. Cron go, move Sano to first base.

 

With $200 million to spend and the lineup I have planned, Cron is unfortunately the odd man out on this team. It will be the same situation as last season for him where a team can claim him for his final year of team control. Moving Sano to first base is something that seems inevitable so why not do it this season? It will be a downgrade defensively, but the bat makes up for it.

 

Sign Anthony Rendon to an 8-year $264 million contract.

 

With Sano at first base that leaves a hole at third. The best way to fill that hole would be to sign a top three third baseman in baseball, Anthony Rendon. He would be very expensive, but that doesn’t matter to the Twins. They’re building a juggernaut on offense and Rendon should be a part of that.

 

Twins trade Eddie Rosario, Alex Kirilloff, and Nick Gordon to the Red Sox for Mookie Betts.

 

The final offseason lineup addition will come to the Twins via trade. It will be the former MVP Mookie Betts and he will be in his final year of arbitration. He will be due roughly $27.7 million until the Twins of course reach a long extension with him. The Red Sox immediately get back a starting outfielder, a top 15 prospect who has upside as good as Betts, and then a potential starting infielder.

 

Sign Zack Wheeler to a 4-year $72 million contract.

 

The first addition to the rotation is Wheeler. After spending more money on the lineup than the entire 2019 payroll I had to cut it back for the rotation, but only a little bit. Wheeler has the best upside of any starter not named Cole or Strasburg and if any team is going to unlock it, I would bet on the Twins do it best.

 

Sign Hyun-Jin Ryu to a 3-year $54 million contract.

 

Ryu is coming off a career year after betting on himself and taking the qualifying offer last season. This year with no draft pick attached he will be popular despite the injury history. The Twins will win him over by offering the third year guaranteed.

 

Bring back Kyle Gibson for 1-year and $10 million.

 

Last year was a wash for Gibson. I am extremely confident he could get back to being his former self (3.76 ERA from 2017 All-Star break to 2019 All-Star break). If he does that in the number five spot in the rotation then the Twins will have an elite staff pitching for one of the best lineups ever.

 

Summary:

 

The Twins just spent north of $200 million to build one of the greatest lineups ever assembled along with an elite rotation and solid bullpen. The Twins have six or seven guys who should receive an MVP vote in this lineup and their 2019 home run record could be broken by this team.

 

I’ve been trying to figure out how this lineup would be constructed but it is so difficult because everyone is so good. How would you create the lineup?

 

This is probably never going to happen but you never know, and if we keep calling out the Pohlads and their pocket protectors maybe we can make it happen. If you had the chance to spend around $200 million on the Twins, how would you do it differently?

 

Download attachment: Lineup.png

 

Download attachment: Rotation.png

 

Download attachment: Bullpen.png

 

Final Payroll: $202.6 million

 

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[DavidGould]

Honestly I’d be happy with just getting Wheeler, And grandal.. and hopefuly madbum with guys like Keuchel, Pineda, Pomeranz, to maybe fill things out

[Patrick Wozniak]

Stop being cheap and throw some $$$ at the 'pen!!!

[Twins_Fan_For_Life]

I love Rendon. It'll never happen, but just think if it did!

[darin617]

Betts trade would be a disaster. Why give up Kirlloff for 1 year of Betts? Could care less about the other 2. I would pass on Rendon and sign Moose to play 3rd. No to Gibson.

[ChrisKnutson]

Betts has one more season until free agency, no need to make a trade. Just give Buxton one more season to truly establish himself. If he fails, go all in on Betts.

[Matt Braun]

Jim Pohlad sure has an interesting burner account

[Nash Walker]

So good and fun to read Cooper. I would say my lineup would look like this:

 

1. Betts LF

2. Polanco SS

3. Rendon 3B

4. Kepler RF

5. Cruz DH

6. Grandal/Garver C

7. Sano 1B

8. Arraez 2B

9. Buxton CF

 

MLB 2K13 MyCareer.

[mikelink45]

This was really fun and I was all in until Gibson came back.  

 

If I spend time to think about it I really do not see Betts as a good trade - it is one year and gone which is not good enough for that load of talent.   If he came with an extension I would be all in.

[sweetmusicviola16]

Cooper seems to allude to a forthcoming extension for Betts. Might make things pretty interesting if we had him around here for 5 seasons.

Edited November 17, 2019 by sweetmusicviola16

[rv78]

1.Been saying the Twins don't need another/different catcher. Use the money on pitching.

2.Signing Rendon is a dream in NeverNeverLand.

3.Why trade Rosario, Kirilloff and Gordon now? Wait 1 year and add Betts then. Won't cost 3 players. 

4.Adding Wheeler and Ryu is fine but if money isn't an object then why not Cole and Strasburg?

5.Time for Gibson to move on.

[USNMCPO]

Stuff like this is why the off-season is fun. Thanks

[sweetmusicviola16]

 

1.Been saying the Twins don't need another/different catcher. Use the money on pitching.

2.Signing Rendon is a dream in NeverNeverLand.

3.Why trade Rosario, Kirilloff and Gordon now? Wait 1 year and add Betts then. Won't cost 3 players. 

4.Adding Wheeler and Ryu is fine but if money isn't an object then why not Cole and Strasburg?

5.Time for Gibson to move on.

3. I have no problem pursuing a Betts trade. You get a year to work out an extension. But Kiriloff being in the deal would make it a very poor one for the Twins. Rosario and Gordon would be fair at this point. Red Sox would be getting a replacement in Rosario and a prospect for Betts and much needed salary relief.

 

2, That's what Twins fans get to do is dream. Cuz we have zero history of top FA signings or blockbuster trades.

[Mike Sixel]

Entertaining! I'd want some assurance from Betts I can extend him first....

[darin617]

 

Entertaining! I'd want some assurance from Betts I can extend him first....

Zero chance. Betts has said for a long time he is awaiting Free Agency. Of course if some team was foolish enough to trade for him and then publicly issued an 8 year $275M dealhe would certainly perk up.

 

I would pass for sure. I hate those long term deals especially when the last 2 years at least are a complete waste for the team. (Pujols) is first of many that popped into my head.

[Mike Sixel]

Zero chance. Betts has said for a long time he is awaiting Free Agency. Of course if some team was foolish enough to trade for him and then publicly issued an 8 year $275M dealhe would certainly perk up.

 

I would pass for sure. I hate those long term deals especially when the last 2 years at least are a complete waste for the team. (Pujols) is first of many that popped into my head.

I'm not sure you get the idea of the OP....

[Brandon]

If we trade for Betts we have to win the World Series or it's all for naught trading Killeroff....could we trade a different prospect instead?

[Ruraldinkytowner]

Why would you demote Garver to less ABs?

[Wax Kepler]

If you're going to spend 200+ at least get Cole or Strasburg. Leave Sano at third, forget Rendon, forget Betts, put Kiriloff at first and give Garver some starts there too cuz I like the Grandal signing very much (and the Ryu signing).

 

Use the money you didn't spend on Rendon and Betts on blowing away any reservations either Cole or Strasburg have to coming to Minnesota.

 

You play with the idea of going over $200 mil and don't land either of the big guns?! Turrible! Skip Rendon and Betts and overpay Strasburg or Cole. $40+ million a year? Welcome to Minnesota!!

[brvama]

I hope you didn't bite your tongue while it was in your cheek.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Thanks Cooper. That was fun.

[TopGunn#22]

Nice job.  This was a fun read.  However, some thoughts:  No Gibson.  Don't want a sequel to "The Nibbler."  The points guys are making about trading for Betts, spot on.  Plus, Betts is a Gold Glove RF'er.  He'd play RF, Kepler would play LF.  Rendon will sign with the Dodgers...if we want a 3B-man go after Moose.  Wheeler will need 5 yrs, $110 million.. Ryu would just resign with the Dodgers for 3 yrs $51 million.  We'd need $20 million a year to get him.  And lastly, my lineup would be:

 

1  Arraes

2.  Polaco

3.  Betts

4.  Cruz

5.  Rendon

6.  Kepler

7.  Garver/Grandal

8.  Sano

9.  Buxton

 

This was FUN.  Keep them coming.  

 

 

 

[Richard Swerdlick]

I don't see the Twins doing any contracts longer than what they gave Polanco and Kepler. They are not going to throw hundreds of millions at any one player and certainly not for 7 or 8 years. Building through the farm system along with some smart free agent signings and strategic trades is the prescription for the future. We are more of a Tampa and Oakland model than anything else.

[Doctor Wu]

Some fun ideas, but I don't see any of those happening in our realistic Twins world. And please, let's not bring back Gibson at this point. Thanks, but goodbye.

[srlarson]

no way it takes 10 million to sign Gibson..... would rather have Pineda for that money....and think our #5 starter needs to be a cheap guy...(Dobnak or Graderol)

 

Need Garver in the lineup every day....so maybe 1st...leave Sano at 3rd makes those spots affordable.  

 

No way Cave should be on the roster....proved last year he is not a major league talent.  

 

like Wheeler..... odo as 3, pineada as 4 and young guy as 5.  Save about 20-25 million.  

[Greglw3]

 

Betts trade would be a disaster. Why give up Kirlloff for 1 year of Betts? Could care less about the other 2. I would pass on Rendon and sign Moose to play 3rd. No to Gibson.

I agree about signing Moose for 3B and no to Gibson as well.  

 

[Devereaux]

I'll sign the petition. Gibson can stay for a WS ring.