DannySD

The Twins are the perfect situation for him. He could be the missing piece to the start of the season. He'd be competing with Dobnak, Smeltzer, Thorpe, and Bailey for 3 roster spots.

Eddie is a predator and he makes the lineup better. You can squint and see Larnach or Kiriloff having good numbers in replacement, but Eddie is a huge part of the team and I don't think he goes away as easy as people think.

I'd be willing to bet the Pete Rose lifetime ban has prevented a whole bunch of managers from betting on baseball. I see your point because obviously things come up later and I think Rose should be forgiven at this point, but: effective.

MLB could (mostly) prevent it by announcing anyone caught doing it in the future will be banned for life. Juventus was stripped of two titles and relegated, along with their GM being banned for life. MLB can't relegate the Astros to AAA obviously, but they could give them a huge fine and prevent them from going to the postseason for a couple years, which would effectively force them to trade and rebuild.

Be honest: you knew, as we all did, that Berrios was going to lose the Yankees in game 1. A healthy Rich Hill, a deadline-deal ace, an unsuspended Pineda, and Jake Odorizzi all would have a better chance at beating them. That's all I'm saying. No agenda, and I hope he proves me wrong.

If our "clear cut number 1 starter" can't pitch well late in the season, then Yes, he's in the bullpen. And probably not a number 1 starter. No use wasting a postseason game just because we've labeled him.

Assuming health right now, Berrios would be the Game 4 playoff starter (until he fixes his late-season issues). Adding a good new guy would make it like this and actually give us a shot: Games 1 and 2 (in Yankee stadium of course): Hill or new guy, Pineda. Games 3 and 4 at Target: Hill or new guy, Odorizzi. So yes, if we want to compete in the postseason, we need one more starter. The question is whether the Baileys and Dobnaks of the world can get us to July in decent shape.

The best thing about this is that I can read TD again. The nonstop posts about the failure of an offseason was tiring.

Definitely. He's a nice 4th starter with the chance for more, and fits the culture. 1/$8 with a 2021 $12 team option.

Pretty much everybody's plan (not just on TD, I mean everyone) includes a low ball offer to Wheeler so I just don't see it panning out. He'll get more money and have his pick of where to play.

Sign Didi. Polanco's arm can handle 3B just as well as it can handle SS.

They should pursue both without wasting much time on it. Neither will sign here.

I like the rotation but I feel Sano and Rosario are part of the team's' heartbeat and that was the biggest part of adding wins in 2019. Trading them both messes that up.

2020 Offseason Plan My basic theories/assumptions: A. Be realistic. If your plan assumes Cole, Strasburg, Ryu, Rendon, Chapman, or Bumgarner will sign here, I think you are doing this exercise wrong. B. Teams are likely to hang onto those solid #2/3 starters (Syndergaard, Minor, Ray, etc) in the offseason unless you overpay or they are trying to dump salary. C. Keep our young hitting core intact. D. Our top prospects are not quite ready. E. Supplement existing team with the best starter, reliever, and position player we can realistically get. F. Trade for an ace and a really good reliever at the deadline, unless 2020 is not our year or Berrios takes a big leap. G. The FO is willing to spend up to $160 Million in salary to field a really nice team NEW FACES: 1. trade for Trevor Bauer (something like Balazovic + Javier + Rijo/Vallimont) - I see Bauer as the best gettable starter. - his trade value is hurt by a bunch of factors but it's hard to say by how much. this could obviously backfire. * backup plan: trade Rijo for Arrieta + salary relief 2. sign Didi Gregorius (1 year, $18 + player option) - he'll have a strange market, and he'll want to be in the middle of a good lineup to build value so the Twins are a perfect fit for him. 2-3 years works also with Marwin gone after 2020, but I don't think he wants that. - I'm assuming the Yankees are saving money and won't offer a QO 3. sign Dellin Betances (2 years/$22 + team option/buyout) - I'm OK with the slight overpay, hard to say how much he'll get coming off a bunch of injuries. COMING BACK: 1. pick up Nelson Cruz' option ($12) - duh, done 2. re-sign Sergio Romo (2 years, $8) - solid vet back there 3. re-sign Michael Pineda (2 years/$30 + team option) - mike was our best pitcher the second half of 2019 4. re-sign Jake Odorizzi (3 years/$51) - this will end up being a slight waste of money but needs to happen anyway 5. re-sign Kyle Gibson (1 year/$8 + team option) - 3.62 ERA in 2018/career 4.29 FIP/nasty illness in 2019. why does everybody want to dump the Twins lifer? I think he will be a well-above-average #4/5 starter and a dominant reliever in the postseason. 6. Sign/extend Mitch Garver. (5 years/$50) - yes I know he is about to turn 29 POSITION SWITCHES: move Sano to 1B move Polanco to 3B OPENING DAY PAYROLL is around $158 million, I guessed on the arb numbers. LINEUP: 1. RF Kepler ($7) 2. 3B Polanco ($4) 3. DH Cruz ($12) 4. 1B Sano ($6) 5. SS Gregorius ($18) 6. LF Rosario ($7) 7. C Garver ($2) 8. CF Buxton ($3) 9. 2B Arraez ($0.5) Gonzalez ($9) Astudillo ($0.5) Wade ($0.5) Adrianza ($3) Lineup recap: replace Cron in the lineup with Gregorius, while improving the defense a bit and making Astudillo just a catcher. STARTERS: Bauer ($16.5) Odorizzi ($17) Berrios ($6) Pineda ($15 adjusted to $12) Gibson ($8) BULLPEN: Rogers ($5) Betances ($11) Romo ($4) Duffey ($1.5) Graterol ($0.5) May ($3) Littell ($0.5) Smeltzer ($0.5) POSTSEASON STAFF (projected): 1. Ace via midseason trade 2. Bauer 3. Pineda 4. Odorizzi Berrios (until he gets past late-season faltering, he's in the pen in the postseason) Betances Reliever via midseason trade Rogers Duffey Gibson Romo Graterol THE DUMPED: 1. decline CJ Cron - too much meh 4. decline Sam Dyson - and send the Giants a nice gift basket full of sharp, dangerous objects 3. decline Martin Perez - offer him a minor league deal 4. other FA position players (Castro, Schoop) 5. trade Jake Cave for a minor leaguer with options REMOVE(D) From 40-Man: Cave Castro Schoop Cron Torreyes Lamarre Miller Dyson (possible 2 year Pineda-esque rehab deal) Perez (offer minor-league deal) Harper (offer minor-league deal) Stewart (offer minor-league deal) Hildenberger (offer minor-league deal) Poppen (offer minor-league deal) PROTECT from Rule 5: Raley Duran Jax Blankenhorn Colina ** T. Wells also still on the 40: Thorpe, Shashak, Dobnak, Gordon, Alcala, Gonsalves, Romero ** Wells can be transferred to the 60-day DL after the season starts, which is why I protected him. PITFALLS: 1. only 2 catchers to open the 40-man is not ideal, but should attract good minor league FAs. 2. not a ton of room to add payroll at the deadline unless attendance kicks ass the first half. 3. not many backup position players who are close to major league ready. Gordon, Raley, Blankenhorn, and a 3rd catcher (Rortvedt/Jeffers/Telis/other minor league FA) better be ready to play.

It would be great to have him for 3 years. We need someone to start playoff games in Yankee stadium.

Shortstop throws are generally considered longer and more difficult than 3rd baseman throws, which I'm sure you already know, so whatever you were attempting to point out doesn't make sense to me. But yes he could also play second.

Polanco needs to be the long-term 3rd baseman for defensive purposes, Sano to 1st, Cron gone. Gordon or Adrianza can start at SS if we can't trade for someone better. Basically replacing Cron's bat with Gordon's in the everyday lineup, which isn't that bad actually. It does take away some of Marwin's versatility.

Imagine how different this series would have been if our game 1 and 2 starters were Bumgarner and Pineda. Having veteran guys like that throwing well makes hitters more patient, moves Odorizzi and Berrios to games 3 and 4, and just the best bullpen arms can be used.

The pitchers were scared to throw strikes and still the Yankees first 5 runs all came on balls that bounced off our infielders gloves. We can win the series, just need to settle down. And let's face it, we knew Berrios would be our worst starter this series.

I'd definitely save him for game 3 for all the talked about reasons, because I think that makes game 3, with the excitement of coming back to Target Field, as close to an automatic win as you can get in this series. And then he would be available in relief in game 5. Maybe even an inning in game 1 instead of his bullpen. Split in the Bronx, win games 3 and 4 behind Odorizzi and the bullpen. That is our best chance.

He's going to want a lot more money than all of these suggestions. If he keeps playing like he did this year and keeps working hard as a person and a baseball player, he'll get it.

I think Buxton is trying too hard to be a superstar right now. If he can settle in as a great center fielder that catches -almost- everything and saves his speedy but fragile body from violent contact with hard objects, he'll be a very good player. But Sano's turnaround in pitch recognition since June this year is amazing. I think he'll be a bigger contributor to a contending team than Buxton.

Randy Dobnak started the year in High-A and he will more than likely start a playoff game. Never give up kids!

These bullpen games are the only blueprint I see for winning a playoff series. 9 starters, 2 bench players, 14 pitchers, seriously. Rosario-Kepler-Cave/Sano-Polanco-Arraez-Gonzalez/Garver, Cruz. Bench: Adrianza, Astudillo. And 14 pitchers.

Since we don't need pinch hitters until the world series, let's just have 14 pitchers on the postseason staff and pitch all bullpen games. That is about our only hope at this point.