rv78

The fact that Correa had to have a no trade clause and the fact that there would probably only be a couple teams (Yankees, Dodgers) that would take on his contract prove that the Twins over-paid for him. Throw in the fact that he has only had 2 seasons in his 10 year career where he played more than 140 games also shows he is not a player that can be relied on. Buxton is even worse. I highly doubt the Yankees or Dodgers would be interested in him or they would have out-bid the Twins when he was available to start with. They knew he wasn't worth that amount of money, so yes they could take on his contract, but won't. The Twins have made their bed for the next 4 years trying to build around 2 part-time players. If they are now in a financial bind that is no ones fault but their own. $73M tied to 3 players in 2025 with a $130M payroll is the reality they have to work with. If their prospects cannot hit, or play fundamental baseball, or sustain enough energy to play a full season, or play against opposite throwing pitchers (lefty-righty matchups), that is of their own making. This is their team. Can anyone here really call it successful? Sorry, I don't see it. If you are trying to win now, you don't bring in players like Gallo or Margot or pitchers like Mahle or DeSclafani or Jay Jackson. They seriously don't know what they are doing, and until they actually win something meaningful beyond 1 playoff series and then go in the opposite direction the following season, my mind won't change.

Should have never signed him in the first place. Over-rated and over-paid.

At the end of the never ending day you must ask yourself WHY if you want to fix the problem. Why did the players under perform? If it is a lack of talent that is one thing that can't be fixed. Are we to believe that the players don't have the talent? Didn't seem that way earlier in the season. So it MUST be something else. If it is fundamentals or the WAY the Manager manages that CAN be fixed. Are we to believe that the players were exhausted and simply ran out of gas when most of them were platooned to death most of the season? That really doesn't equate into a common sense belief. That only leaves one aspect left to examine and that is team philosophy, chemistry, over-use of analytics, lack of confidence from the Manager and Coaches, poor fundamentals and unless the players aren't doing what they are told that squarely falls on the FO, Manager, and Coaches.

I don't understand the mentality of thinking.... that he performed better than expected. Why did they accept him in a trade if they didn't think he'd be a decent pitcher? Is the goal,.. to fill the minors with Randy Dobnaks? If anything, one should be critical of the FO for bypassing him for a DeSclafani or Varland. Those two literally forced their hand to go with him when their obvious choice was someone else. How's that for evaluating talent? Can we say Gallo and Wallner? Same situation. Or Margot and Martin? Same thing again.

Yeah, maybe they can find another injury prone player to flip him for.

Their "champion vision" is flawed. They'll have $73M invested in 3 players that are suppose to carry this team and 2 of the 3 can't stay on the field. Both have had injury issues their entire careers and can't and never should have been relied on to build around. Maybe Falvey hasn't spent on a "Nolasco" but he has given money to Mahle, DeSlafani, Paddack, and 1 year wonders that aren't any better than a Nolasco. It's going to take the young players in this organization, and a different Manager that shows some confidence in them, to take this team to the next level if they are ever going to be a serious contender, because the veterans Falvey brings in aren't good enough to do it. I just read an article written by Jim Souhan on a different site and he says the Twins need to bring in a superstar to help this team. Isn't that what Correa is, and was suppose to do?

Try again. Snell and Montgomery were never in the Twins radar due to cost. Polanco was a payroll cut. As far as knowing......... they did know what they were getting with the players I named and did it anyway. All were mistakes.

Chuck Knoblauch 1991

Wisely is NOT acquiring injured pitchers when you know they are having issues physically. Wisely is NOT acquiring a veteran Gallo who has hit under .200 the 3 seasons previously and has a lifetime batting Average under .200. Wisely is NOT acquiring pitchers that had 1 good season in their career, thinking they will replicate that 1 good season again, when their normal performance every year is NOT good.. Wisely is not having to roster 2 players for 1 position because you mistakenly gave a 6 year contract to a player that can't play more than half a season at a time and has proven it over his career to that point. Wisely is seeing other clubs back out on a player that they think is injury prone and doing the same instead of doing the opposite.

You are missing the part where one spends wisely and the other one doesn't. Mahle and DeSclafani are prime examples, should I also include Paddack, Gallo, and almost every bullpen arm they brought in for 2024? It really doesn't matter how much you spend if you aren't spending it correctly. However when you do you end up like Detroit, Cleveland and KC, who all proved that this year. I think the one thing that is over-looked is team chemistry. Players picking up other players and the Manager and Coaches holding players accountable for mistakes. If the Manager does nothing on the field to try to correct a problem or is the problem then you are doomed. Ever see Kirby not hustle down to 1st base? Yet superdud Correa does it all the time on a weak grounder to an infielder. Motivation and accountability falls on the manager and Rocco is an epic failure at both.

Maybe the reason San Diego's small deals payoff better than Falvey's is because Preller is way better at evaluating talent than Falvey is. Solano who was a good hitter for the Twins in 2023 (.282-BA and .369-OBP) was cast aside by Falvey who decided Santana (,238-BA and .328-OBP) was going to be better. Maybe signing injured pitchers like Mahle and DeSclafani isn't a winning strategy. Maybe Jackson Merrill was better because he got consistant playing time. That's something the young Twins hitters never get with Rocco at the helm. Maybe the reason the Padres got rid of Jayce Tingler is because he's not worth having and knew they could find someone better. Seems the Padres righted their ship when they got rid of him, and the Twins added him and still struggle to play good ball. He's brought nothing. Maybe someday, Falvey and Rocco will be held accountable for their failures. They really don't deserve another chance in 2025. In the end, comparing the Padres to the Twins is like comparing apples to oranges.

Without the powers that be, being shown the door as well, I just feel like this is another attempt, by those powers that be, to appease the fans and hold someone else accountable for their own mistakes. Could it be that the players on this team, that are directly attributed to being here by this current FO, really aren't that good and no matter who the coaches are, they aren't going to become the goose that lays the golden eggs. One of my best friends sayings was, "you can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear". Eventually you have to take the hype they are feeding you and flush it down the toilet, especially when you see year after year that the hype never materializes.

Why would it be a kill-shot? Would it keep the team from making the playoffs? It appears they don't make a difference evidenced by NOT making the playoffs. Would it keep the fans from coming to the games? A lot of Twins fans, roughly 300,000 (I heard, less than last year) didn't come to games this year. And from the sound of things there will be even less next year. When 57% of your team salary is eaten up by 3 players that account for 17% playing time, you have a serious problem that will only go away BY trading them. Is this team really serious about building a championship caliber team or are they just trying to appease the fans into coming to games and spending money? Let's assume the Twins won's increase payroll, which also means they won't be bringing in any additional talent, at least none that will make a difference to this team or the way they play. We all know after watching Rocco manage the last 5 years he isn't going to change the way he manages so in effect it will be up to the players to change the way they try to hit, field, and play fundamental baseball. Are Correa, Buxton and Lopez going to change at this point in their careers? I highly doubt it and I'd bet you or anyone else feels the same way. That leaves it up to the young players to get better. What is the best way for them to do that? CONSISTANT PLAYING TIME! Think they will get that with the way Rocco manages? NOPE! You don't get better by sitting on the bench everytime a matchup is against you. You get better by facing it and playing regularly at the same position, Becoming comfortable at what you do. It can make a BIG difference verses playing tight, which almost always leads to mistakes. The 2 BIGGEST detriments to this roster are Correa and Buxton. Neither can be relied upon to be there. Neither have a history of being full-time players in their careers. (Correa has played 140 or more games 2 times in 10 years, and Buxton has done it once, 1 flippin time!) Losing both of these guys would NOT hurt the team. It could possibly open up consistant playing time for 2 up and coming youngsters, if a new manager would also be brought in that doesn't play the analytical paper game to death every chance he gets. One that shows some confidence in those players to become better in areas that they aren't so good at. Yah! Whoopie! Rah Rah! the Twins won a playoff series last year. In the mean time they are wasting time on their young players by NOT letting them play everyday and becoming better, which only hurts the team long term. Did bringing Gallo help any young player? NO. How about Santana this year? Did he help win a few playoffs games? NO. Or Margot? Who did he take valuable playing time from? Sorry, I don't buy into the "tired excuse" at the end of the season. Most of the players were part-time players all year. Maybe they were mentally exhausted from not knowing if they were going to be in the lineup or not, or where they were even going to play in the field, or the on again, off again being pinch hit for and not being able to get consistant at bats. Your subs on the bench should be just that, subs. One like Willie Castro should not be leading the team in at bats. If no one else can take a spot on the field and play it 140-150 games a year then maybe they aren't worth having..... and Correa and Buxton are 2 of them.

Nice picture of 2 young Twins fans. I feel sorry for them. Without any significant changes in the forseeable future they will never know what it's like to watch a Twins team that knows how to play good baseball. Without the HR ball the Twins would have scored ZERO runs today. Nothing new..... it's the only way they know how to score, and that includes their Manager. A fitting end to a one dimensional offense.

When Pohlad says, "we will have a better product on the field next year" it tells me that they are admitting they failed..... Or, he's flinging BS. I'm going with the BS.

LOL! This proves winning is NOT a priority. Accountability means nothing here. They really don't give a crap about the fans.

It's obvious the writers here are enamored with Buxton. A guy that only plays part-time and has never led the team, or even helped them, to anything significant. Every article written about Buxton is meant to win over the fans and convince them how great Buxton is. 1.So his power has evolved into something special? Really? If he played a full 162 games his total this year would be 28 HR's. That's a half a season's worth for a real power hitter. Has it helped take the Twins to the next level? NO! 2.Yes, he's injured too much. Nothing's changed and at this point of his career, a full season from him will likely never happen. You can't count on him and when the team needs him the most he's never there. 3.$15M may seem like a bargain but you forgot to factor in the cost of having to roster a replacement for him because he can't be relied on to be there. Plus the cost of that replacement player taking up a roster spot that could be used for a purpose more important than another CFer. The days of a player 140-150 games haven't passed and that is what should be expected of your highest paid players, which he is one of. Anything short of that is detrimental to the team. I'm still waiting for the Buxtons and Correas to lead this team to the next level. Unfortunately they don't have what it takes, and the last 4 years of their contracts will be more of the same.

The powers that be (the FO and Rocco) won big in 2019 with the HR ball setting a MLB record. They've gone whole hog in that direction and now they are paying the price. You don't teach fundamentals, like baserunning, holding runners, sacrificing, bunting, situational hitting, opposite field hitting, etc, etc, if your only goal is to hit the ball as hard as you can, swinging for the fences. Without even checking, I'd be willing to bet the majority of the games they won were games they hit at least 1 HR or more, and the games they couldn't score enough to win, they didn't hit any.

Max had 1 good year in his career with the Twins and that was during the famous juiced ball season. He played good defense in RF and if that was the only criteria for making the Twins HOF he'd be in, but it should take a complete player or something he did that was special, like Gladden in the post season. He's an average player overall when you account for his low BA (.237) and low OBP (.318) over his career. If that deserves HOF status anywhere, then baseball has fallen off the cliff.

If he's going to be an effective starter going forward, he better develop a third or even 4th pitch he can rely on, or he'll eventually just become another bullpen piece, which it seems, is where most of the Twins starters end up.

The top spending teams that need a SS might bite if he'd agree to go there. He's not going to win anything if he stays with the Twins. We've seen that for 3 years now and if ownership is going to keep cutting payroll there's nothing that is going to happen in the last 4 years of his contract that will take this team to the next level. His contract is a waste of resources that could be spent better elsewhere.

Another feel good article for Buck. You gotta appreciate a guy that can tie on the cletes for $15M and play part-time. Of course he isn't there when they need him the most. That's too much to expect. Maybe someday this organization will go back to signing full-time players instead of role players, washed up veterans and injury prone part-timers.

I'd much rather see them ask Correa if he'd waive his no trade clause and move him verses Lopez. Even if you only consider Lopez a #2 verses an Ace he would be much more difficult to replace and his contract is $10-15M less than Correa's. They have more options at SS than they do at #2 pitcher and if they look at Free Agency or a trade, acquiring a SS will be cheaper than a pitcher of Lopez's caliber.

Everyone should be available to pitch tonight except for Varland. Sure, Jax and Duran only if needed and also limited on pitches if they are used at all. That will take some nifty managing by the "not so nifty Manager" since there is a 3 batter minimum unless the inning ends before that. Thielbar probably should have been used in the 8th yesterday and not Duran with a 5 run lead. Kudos to the Manager for not saving a fully rested Duran for tonights game. ......... Oh, no problem, Tom Kelly is going to let Jack Morris go 9 innings for the win.

Maybe not, but the chapters when he has been a Twin haven't been worth reading when it comes to his superstar salary. He's played in 150 or more games in a season ONCE in his 10 year career. And of those 10 seasons, 5 of them have been shortened by injury. I think the "damaged goods" claim is reasonably accurate. Then take into consideration athletes with a history of injuries usually don't age well. The book looks like a floppy paperback that will never be on the best sellers list. Now the FO must deal with the mega salary that hampers their ability to bring in talent that will actually help the team.