Are the Twins the Most Improved Team in the AL Central This Winter?

IF, and it is a gargantuan if, the Twins stay healthy, they are good enough to win the division.

One of these years all the games will be played via holograms based on WAR and a host of other statistics or is that MLB The Show? Until then I guess we will need to watch each season to see who wins and who loses.

1 hour ago, Jocko87 said:

But I'm reliably informed that there is no path to a passing grade this off-season. 🤣

 

I think these can be consistent. We have/had an opportunity to do something big this offseason and make us massive favorites in the division. We’re not going to thus the failing grade. 
 

we slightly improved our already good roster while everyone else save the Tigers got worse. Thus we are in the running for the most improved. 

You forgot we lost Margot, which was our greatest gain. Nothing this FO has done has moved the needle. Coloumbe might have helped a little, but the others have just occupied valuable roster spots.

1 hour ago, Cody Christie said:

However, it has added depth which will help when injuries arise. 

We could have just brought back Farmer and Margot as added depth. Same, same.

Well I'm glad they added a couple of players finally but they are very marginal indeed.  Although they just spent $10 million on free agents (chump change in the scheme of things) they are very likely going to wind up dumping that amount and probably more through trades upcoming.  They still have a chance to move the needle buy it hasn't moved yet.

It's starting to look like a trade is coming. My guess is that two or three guys on the 40 man roster will be moved for either Cease or Mountcastle. Or something like that. I'm pretty sure we're not done with the 26 man roster.

Cory , I've got to say you are the most enthusiastic twins daily writer , it's good to have enthusiastic twins fans ...

Reality says the twins haven't had the 2nd best off season , but it could change before the season starts ...

We signed coloumbe as a bullpen lefty and he's had some years of success  , Bader will give us depth covering the defense in the outfield , it would be helpful to the twins if he could hit around 250 ...

Let's take a look at the hitters , the streaky hitters that is  , 2023 it took half the season before the hitting materialized for a divisional win ...

2024 they were once again asleep at the wheel for a month  , May through July they raked and then August through September they took the field and did not come to play  ...

If the FO thinks that is going to change overnight with 3 new hitting coaches , then once again they are living on hope ...

Projections are nice on paper but they still have to take the field and come to play ...

Pitching will keep us in alot of games , but the twins will lose alot of 1 run games if our hitters get just 3 hits a game ...

Again pitching is our strength and our hitters and defense are a concern until they're not , they didn't improve the lineup with the addition of Bader , they helped the defense in the outfield  is all ...

Still sticking with my prediction of the twins finishing 3rd or 4th in the division with royals and Tigers , the team's to beat , I really don't know how Cleveland does it , they are a beatable team but they win with less quality then most teams ...

I did a double take this wasn't RandBall Stu. 

How have they improved? By doing next to nothing?

My goodness.

Think about it this way:  I am in school with 3 of my friends.  In the 1st semester my one friend got a B+, two others got a B, and I got a C.  2nd semester comes and each one of us tries to do better, but my friend with the B+ drops to a B-, one friend with the B goes to a B+, the last one stays at a B, and I rise to a B-.  I rose the most from where we all started, but should I be bragging?  😏

(My analogy is based on where we finished in the standings, and the belief that KC didn't drop as much as Projection Systems has them). 😉

13 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

Still sticking with my prediction of the twins finishing 3rd or 4th in the division with royals and Tigers , the team's to beat , I really don't know how Cleveland does it , they are a beatable team but they win with less quality then most teams ...

They do this by evaluating, drafting, developing & then trusting their unproven young player to get the job done. I'd like the Twins to start doing this if anything that Falvey had brought over from CLE this would be it. & if they have any extra money, I wish they extend our foundational young players, not throw it away on FA.

No way are the Twins the most improved team in the division. Even factoring in projections and WAR and whatever sort of metric you like, the Twins  haven't done nearly enough to improve the team. I have somewhat high hopes that the Twins WILL be better this season, but that's only based on key players NOT going on the IL and perhaps some rookies making a positive impact at some point. But any expectations for improvement are not due to any moves that the front office has made thus far. 

2 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

They do this by evaluating, drafting, developing & then trusting their unproven young player to get the job done. I'd like the Twins to start doing this if anything that Falvey had brought over from CLE this would be it. & if they have any extra money, I wish they extend our foundational young players, not throw it away on FA.

What is one sure fire way to keep payroll low(er), never let your prospects hit FA in their prime. If they can hold off ERod one more year and the other big two a couple of years, their earning power goes down.

Now a smart team with get Jenkins and Keaschall up as soon as possible and quickly signed them to a couple year extension, buying out their prime years or you can hold them back and say they need more seasoning.

I like the Coulombe signing, but Bader is just a depth move. Unless we make a trade to acquire a first baseman or Dylan Cease, I think anyone besides CHI could win this division.