bunsen82

Nelson Cruz (8.3 War), Solana (1.6), Bader (2.7), Santana (2.5) say hi.

I think they could have the perfect offseason and people would still complain.

That Nationals trade is awful. I don't see anyone defending that trade. They have the 26th best farm system. Now they traded their #2 player who wasn't even a top 100 prospect. There is no way you can defend that trade. None. Then proceed to rip the Twins. If you want to utilize the Brewers trade fine, I could agree with the rational.

I think at this point you are coming at this from anyway I can remain pissed off point of view. The players of value in the trade deadline in my viewpoint - 1. Tait 2. Bradley 3. Abel 4. Rojas 5. Mendez 6. Roden 7. Gallagher 8. Jimenez (with a massive up arrow). Then a bunch of garbage including Outman. The players that can help the big league team are Bradley and Abel. Roden maybe but I am not confident. Roden also seems redundant so its not imperative that he hits. If you want to be mad so be it. Here is where I am at, We have drafts picks and prospects that have the potential to become players or we can utilize as trade bait. I don't think we could win a championship in 25, 26 or 27. You seem to be on the same page, so trading those relievers seems like a prudent idea. I think you should rip the bandaid off and traded Buxton, and Ryan, see if Lopez could regain his form then trade at the deadline. Now that Gore trade - woof. I would tell you to be pissed off if we were on that side of a trade. I take the Peralta return everyday of the week. I think Im just going to sit back and continue to be the fan I am. If people are beyond frustrated there is nothing that I can say that will change their opinion.

Huh, by every indication Bradley is a starter this year and Abel is as well if SWR is in the bullpen. Abel will battle Matthews for the last spot. Roden is also likely in the outfield, especially if we trade Larnach.

We have consistently had a bullpen that has performed better than expectations. Taking 1 year, that included a bullpen that wasn't fully stocked for 2 months doesn't seem fair.

1. Making broad strokes before all the ingredients have been put in seems foolish. 2. Modest additions do not necessarily have modest impacts. This bullpen will be clearly be a whole is greater than the sum of its parts situation this year. That is ok. They will not be one of the worst bullpens. They know how not to put players in bad positions, and they will have ample depth from selling AAA invitees, signing potentially 1 more releiver or trades, with potentially converted starters for more leverage positions - the end product will be much better than most have been moaning about. 3. Flaws - not sure what you are getting at. We have some pieces that currently we don't see how the twins plan to fit them together, As of now we need 2 spots on the 40 man, and due to a delay in the announcement, my guess is a trade is incoming. Jackson, Larnach, Wallner, one of the fringe 40 man prospects, I don't know. We want to talk about a lack of athleticism, but the athleticism will be coming from new prospects coming up. Jenkins, Rodriguez, Culpepper. This won't be a perfect roster - I still think for some reason we are going to keep outman around (ugh). But that you have a pretty decent 1st baseman option if we choose to move Clemens to second, Keaschall to outfield, or a DH in Bell, that Caratini is an excellent secondary option for this year and next year. We seem to be filling the holes this team had. 4. If you want to look at this from a glass 1/2 full you have that option. All things considered, to me they have the makings of a pretty decent team. Now I thought they would have to spend more to build the bullpen I would have preferred, but I am starting to see the potential vision on a bullpen that so many including yourself seem to bemoan.

Where the Brewers really seemed to do well on the trade value they got - if I was a Washington fan the currentl deal is beyond meh. I take our return from the Varland, Jax and Duran trades over what Washington is getting for Gore.

If we are over .500 - the bullpen seems functional and seems like could be effective if we trade for 1 or more bullpen arms at the deadline.

Ummm, not sure if serious or not. You asked me why, I gave you an answer. If Priellip shows the stuff he may or may not pitch enough innings to get off of the Prospect lists. All I know is he has the stuff to be a legit high end starter. I tend to rank players differently than the lists that come out. I have Gonzalez, Mendez and Soto higher than they are ranked. We have 4 players that I could see as #1 or #2 options, thats the point I was making so not sure why we are going down this rabbit hole.

Its the same as Coloumbe. We seem to get more performance out of these arms than others.

So lets say we sign 1, we develop 1-2, we can trade for a reliever at the deadline if we are doing better than anticipated. More than anything it gives us time - to try to create a decent bullpen. Maybe we find some magic left in his arm as well. Overall- $2 million isn't something that is going to hamper us if it doesn't work out.

Because we seemed to utilize him better than others and may be able to squeeze more juice out of him. Here he will be given an opportunity to potential earn more next year or even convert to a 2 year $10 million contract.

1 win really? We blew 18 leads down the stretch because we didn't have enough reliable arms (and we choose to go that route). I'm not viewing it as a closer or reliever, what he is, is an experienced reliever that can eat up some innings, give us time to develop a younger player, and at $2 million gives us the chance to go after someone with more upside. I think you need 1 high leverage reliever. For me Dominguez is the most likely choice. Kopech could but that comes with some health concerns. We could try to convert a starter, but I think that comes with its own questions. If we can build a pen of 7-8 solid arms, with some decent options in AAA or prospects converted, as a whole yes this is 1 move, as was Orze, but in combination with 1 more leverage reliever the sum change could be a 10-15 swing on wins and losses based on the quality of our relievers. Sum of parts could be worth much more than the individual War calculations.

Considering Rogers or Thielbar was part of a pen I would have built even when I was spending crazy money - I was spending 25 million plus on a bullpen - this is a really good signing for 2 million. Why did we blow so many leads last year after the deadline - because if we weren't throwing Sands, Topa and Funderburk you were going to lose. When we have 7 reliever arms - you only really need 1 to be really high leverage to make it work. Maybe we can home grow it. As of now it appears Dominguez or Kopech is on deck. If we are one of the last primary landing spots and we got Rogers for $2 million (expected $3.5) - We have $5.5 million left of the original $20 million budget we had to spend plus or minus whatever we do with Larnach. If we end up with a Dominguez, Rogers, Sands, Topa, Orze, Ohl, Klein Festa bullpen - I can think its a pretty solid bullpen - with minor league options of Altavilla, Bash and Hartwig. By mid season we may switch Priellip to a reliever as well.

Those fighting for the role - on 40 man - Ohl, Adams, Klein - AAA invitees - Bash (Numbers pretty Solid), Hartwig, Altavilla Converted Starters - Festa, Matthews, Priellip Raya ????? I expect 1 more signing for the closer leverage position, you have 2 options - Dominguez and Kopech I still think we have potential trade avenues as well. You can build a pen if we sign 1 more pretty solid arm or get 1 in a trade.

I think there is 1 spot available between Ohl and Adams, Ohl seems to have better stuff and did decent when he was operating as a true reliever. You start stacking multiple innings and he had more chances to flounder.

Boom. The Twins held serve and now are one the last real landing spots. You now have a pitcher who had 8th and 9th inning experience. Even if that isn't where he is now. You sign Dominguez, and this plan effectively worked to perfection for putting a pretty solid team together. Yes most likely a .500 team, but it does have the potential to outperform. For $2 million it gives us a lot of options moving forward.

With what we have ahead of him - and the fact he has only pitched 1 season in the last 5 seasons, I could see them leave him at AAA get his bearings right for a 2027 start. Remember we have Ryan, Lopez, Ober, SWR, Bradley Abel, Festa and Matthews who likely deserve a shot and a chance before Priellip.

Priellip is an odd case do to injuries not talent. If he is looking like a #1 type pitcher, he could easily be one of our top 2 prospects.

Ive liked Gonzalez since we got him. The swing is legit, no different than Mendez. What rankings are good for is potential ceilings and probabilities of hits - nothing more nothing less. Im not hyped I am just saying in a top 10 to 20 prospect is one that is a multi all star ceiling that can lead an organization. Top 100 prospects generally good ball players could hit all star level. After that its hit and miss and how much WAR a player can amass. You can have a player like Arraez that is never rated high that outperforms. Or a Ryan, Ober ect. You can have other high rated players that flop.

How about this - I would not be suprised at all if Priellip, Hill, Quick or Soto are in the slot for the #2 or #1 slot by the end of the year.

Buxton won't be traded. Likely only 1 of the pitchers, and Jeffers I have no idea on. I could see Jeffers being traded in the next 2 weeks, I could see him traded at the deadline, or I could see him playing out his contract with the Twins. If the Twins are around .500 though they will be in the playoff hunt and likely won't be sellers. Again 74 is as is currently constructed. I still think there will be some additions to the bullpen. Likely not as much as we want, but the bullpen will also perform better than anticipated, like it has done much of the Falvey area. Its an area that has been continually neglected.

I actually disagree. Ratings are flawed and heavily biased. All these rankings basically tell you is ceilings and then probabilities of succeeding. If we are going by stats and defense and positional scarcity, Culpepper is a top 30 prospect. Gonzalez would be top 50 to top 60. Rodriguez probably stays where he is at. The Twins have depth in 2 area. 1. We have a lot of players in the 2nd tier of talent below those top 20 MLB prospects. I don't think there is much variability between #2 Culpepper and #10 Quick, I would also add #15 Soto, and #22 Mendez. That is 11 players that are ranked in the top 200 prospects in my opinion. Debarge can easily show he should be rated higher. Then we have 2 wild cards in Young and Winokur. I say one of them is a top 5 prospect at this time next year. Odds are 1 is going to have a heck of a season with the bat. We then have legit prospects rated into the 20 to 40 range, which I cannot recall since following the Twins or prospects list. Rosario, CJ Culpepper, Amick, Olivares, Olivar, Ellwanger, Reitz, Barr, De Andrade, Fedko, Schobel, Ohl, Adams, Bowen, Beltre, Diaw, Jimenez, Bohorquez, Mendez (already mentioned). Whether trade bait, whether we play it out and see who makes it to the big leagues, there is a lot of talent in that group in a range of prospects that is generally devoid of talent.

For me Gabriel Gonzalez is our #2 prospect. He has the best hit tool currently of anyone in the Twins minor league system. He had a .329/.395/.513 slash line across 3 levels (utterly ridiculous). He does not play an elite position or have above average defense, but that bat will play at the MLB level and will likely lead him to some all star appearances. If anyone was at Wichita in late July to early August - you had Jenkins, Culpepper and Gonzalez stacked in the lineup. Some will say Culpepper struggled wore down a bit which is true. But at that point Culpepper no longer had the protection of the other 2. When those 3 were on together they were steamrolling teams. Gonzalez showed he wasn't slowing down at AAA either, although we do need to see a bit more power.