Twins Fan From Afar

Good point -- a guy that can play 3 infield positions well has a shot to move up in this organization!

[Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] This was my second year attending the Rock Cats' Annual Welcome Home Dinner. The players attend this function shortly after arriving in Connecticut. In fact, some don't even have housing or vehicles arranged yet! It's truly a crazy time of year for these guys. Last year, I had the good fortune of sitting with Twins' top prospect Alex Wimmers at this charity event that raises funds for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Wimmers was kind, funny, and excited about 2012. Looking back, of course, 2012 was indeed a forgotten year for Wimmers, who is now rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. I'd like to think that I wasn't a bad omen for Wimmers. I'd also like to think that he can fool those who no longer consider him a solid prospect. [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]Rock Cats players, including MN's own Nate Hanson (red), and Daniel Rohlfing (blue), awaiting introductions.[/TD] [/TABLE] Back to 2013. I thoroughly enjoyed this event, which was held for the first time at Hawk's Landing Country Club. The food was very good -- standard banquet fare, with an inexpensive cash bar. As always, the guys were great about signing autographs, especially for kids that were very excited to see real, professional baseball players. The player seated at our table this year was a gentleman I had never heard of: Jason Christian. I bet you probably haven't heard of him either. Originally a 5th round draft pick of the Athletics in 2008, Christian has bounced around the A's, Reds and Braves organizations, peaking at the AA level, before signing as a minor league free agent with the Twins in 2013. The lanky infielder, who will be 26 in June, prefers shortstop. He got in a couple of the major league games toward the end of Spring Training. A top prospect Jason Christian is not. In fact, he's probably happy to be playing professional baseball for at least one more season. Speaking with Jason, a true class act, was a great reminder that, for every Miguel Sano or Aaron Hicks, there are HUNDREDS of Jason Christians trying to live out their dream against the odds. But hey, if there's one position of need in the Twins' organization, aside from starting pitching, it's quality infielders. Stranger things have happened. Recently. I'll write more about the 2013 Rock Cats soon, but I think this could be a very interesting team. What they lost in terms of offense (Aaron Hicks, Chris Herrmann, Oswaldo Arcia, Chris Colabello) might be mitigated by the presence of excellent pitching prospects Trevor May and Alex Meyer. Additionally, I'm excited to watch Danny Santana, and firmly believe that there are going to be more than a couple pleasant surprises this season in terms of player development. [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center] [TD=align: center]http://www.milb.com/images/2010/09/11/AvHP2fBH.jpg[/TD] [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]Jason Christian with the Kane County Cougars in 2010. Credit: Paul R. Gierhart[/TD] [/TABLE]

[Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] This was my second year attending the Rock Cats' Annual Welcome Home Dinner. The players attend this function shortly after arriving in Connecticut. In fact, some don't even have housing or vehicles arranged yet! It's truly a crazy time of year for these guys. Last year, I had the good fortune of sitting with Twins' top prospect Alex Wimmers at this charity event that raises funds for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Wimmers was kind, funny, and excited about 2012. Looking back, of course, 2012 was indeed a forgotten year for Wimmers, who is now rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. I'd like to think that I wasn't a bad omen for Wimmers. I'd also like to think that he can fool those who no longer consider him a solid prospect. [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]Rock Cats players, including MN's own Nate Hanson (red), and Daniel Rohlfing (blue), awaiting introductions.[/TD] [/TABLE] Back to 2013. I thoroughly enjoyed this event, which was held for the first time at Hawk's Landing Country Club. The food was very good -- standard banquet fare, with an inexpensive cash bar. As always, the guys were great about signing autographs, especially for kids that were very excited to see real, professional baseball players. The player seated at our table this year was a gentleman I had never heard of: Jason Christian. I bet you probably haven't heard of him either. Originally a 5th round draft pick of the Athletics in 2008, Christian has bounced around the A's, Reds and Braves organizations, peaking at the AA level, before signing as a minor league free agent with the Twins in 2013. The lanky infielder, who will be 26 in June, prefers shortstop. He got in a couple of the major league games toward the end of Spring Training. A top prospect Jason Christian is not. In fact, he's probably happy to be playing professional baseball for at least one more season. Speaking with Jason, a true class act, was a great reminder that, for every Miguel Sano or Aaron Hicks, there are HUNDREDS of Jason Christians trying to live out their dream against the odds. But hey, if there's one position of need in the Twins' organization, aside from starting pitching, it's quality infielders. Stranger things have happened. Recently. I'll write more about the 2013 Rock Cats soon, but I think this could be a very interesting team. What they lost in terms of offense (Aaron Hicks, Chris Herrmann, Oswaldo Arcia, Chris Colabello) might be mitigated by the presence of excellent pitching prospects Trevor May and Alex Meyer. Additionally, I'm excited to watch Danny Santana, and firmly believe that there are going to be more than a couple pleasant surprises this season in terms of player development. [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center] [TD=align: center]http://www.milb.com/images/2010/09/11/AvHP2fBH.jpg[/TD] [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]Jason Christian with the Kane County Cougars in 2010. Credit: Paul R. Gierhart[/TD] [/TABLE]

Great, great post. Is that the girthy body of Matt Capps on the Fein card??

The ESPN article on the signing quotes the Rangers' GM saying that Hamilton didn't -- as the sides previously had agreed -- give the Rangers a chance to meet/exceed the Angels' offer. Kind of interesting.

Yes, but Scott Diamond (the top pitcher on your list) conceivably could -- should -- improve Oh My... That didn't take long to get two different projections on Diamond. Don't worry ... my opinion on Diamond is uneducated! I wonder whether Diamond or Correia is more likely to improve on their past season's numbers.

Yes, but Scott Diamond (the top pitcher on your list) conceivably could -- should -- improve, and will be earning, what, $500,000 this season?

Let's set aside the fact that Hicks had a good, but not great, year at New Britain, and is hardly a solid bet to be a plus player on Opening Day. If you bring him up you're still just trading two months of Aaron Hicks the prospect for a year of Aaron Hicks the seasoned major leaguer in his prime, and hopefully playing for a contender instead of a rebuilder. Hicks, by almost all objective standards for measuring the ability to play the game of baseball, did indeed have a great year in 2012. .286/.384/.460; 21 2B; 11 3B; 13 HR; 61 RBIs (he served as leadoff hitter the last half of the season); 79 BB; 116 K; 32 SB; 11 CS. He accumulated 472 at-bats and scored an even 100 runs. How about his stats when compared to the Eastern League: His .286 average is good for 15th in the league. The 11 triples are tied for first in the league, and the 100 runs are solidly in first place in the entire league. Hicks tied for first in walks, was third in stolen bases, and eighth in on-base percentage. His defense was already major league ready going into 2012. I wrote a little more about his 2012 season here, if anyone cares to read. In any event, I'd call it a great year. Very, very solid numbers across the board.

IMO, Joe Benson needs more than a good spring to earn a chance at starting in the majors. He looked horrible during his first MLB stint and couldn't hit anywhere last year even when healthy. There were serious question marks about his plate approach even before 2012, so I personally don't think he should even be in the conversation at this point. Maybe after a few good months in Rochester. For me, the choices come down to Mastroianni, Hicks or outside stopgap. Choosing Mastro would require them to find another fourth OF who can play center. If the org truly believes it will be more beneficial for Hicks' development to get a few months in Triple-A before tasting the majors, so be it, but I'd hope that's the only factor in their evaluation. I don't believe the contract stuff should have much bearing. In defense of Benson, I did hear that there were other, unpublicized injuries that took their toll on him, in addition to the injuries that were known to Twins fans. I wonder if, at any point in the season, he was even close to 100% healthy? Either way, though, it was a totally lost season, and he certainly has a chip on his shoulder going into 2013. As for the service time argument, yes I do think it matters in this situtation. I'm accepting that there is little chance that the Twins are going to compete for the playoffs in 2013. If you believe that Hicks is the best CF option for this team (which I do) to open the season, then, yes, if this team was playoff contender, perhaps it makes the most sense to sacrifice that extra year of team control and put the best player on the field the full season. With this Twins club, however, the focus clearly is on the future. Sacrificing a few weeks, or 2 months, or whatever it is, of Hicks in CF doesn't damage the present very much, and if we believe that Hicks is the future CF for the Twins, having an entire extra year of team control makes Hicks more valuable, not just to the Twins, but to other teams in the future, should a guy like Byron Buxton make Hicks a tradeable commodity at some point.

And . . . with the Ben Revere trade now official, please add Vance Worley as, I guess, a #3 starter to this list. He had similar service time to Revere, so my guess is that he is a ways from free agency, too.

Good catch on Hermsen. I liked what I saw out of him for the Rock Cats last season. I'm no expert -- it's tough to project what his ceiling is. It would be great if he could add a couple MPH, though, to go along with his good control.

Thanks, Brock. You guys do a fantastic job -- the website just has grown significantly, and of course there's only so much you can do.

I'm in total agreement, and it's one of the reasons why I have been commenting less often. It seems like, especially the last few months, the comments in some posts have gotten pretty ugly. Granted, perhaps we might all be in better moods if the Twins hadn't lost almost 100 games last season and seem poised to do the same in 2013, but at times the name-calling and harshness gets a little old.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dS2x4TU9e8k/UL-4HDSaK7I/AAAAAAAAAgc/JQ6KoS-k0Gg/s320/Wimmers.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]Alex Wimmers: Let's Not Forget About Him [/TD] [/TABLE]  [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] It's no secret now that the Twins are essentially punting in 2013. It's disappointing. I felt it coming months ago (as did many of you). Make no mistake -- I'm not fine with it by any means. But I more or less accept it (or I'm just mentally tired of being angry about it), provided that this organization is willing to spend next season at this time to bring this team back into contention. Honestly, it's simply too draining to continue yelling at the organization to spend more money where there is not much hope of it happening. It's also no secret that pitching seems to win championships, or at the very least, goes a long way toward getting a team into the playoffs. And of course, it's starting pitching that the Twins lack now. The Denard Span for Alex Meyer trade is -- potentially -- a big step toward helping shore up a future rotation. With that in mind, I want to take a quick look at who could comprise the Twins' rotation in 2014 or 2015, and what will be left to purchase on the open market. Scott Diamond. Let's hope he continues to prove that he can be a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher. Let's hope that he can improve with more experience. He would be affordable and under team control in 2014 and 2015. Liam Hendriks/Sam Deduno: I hope one of these two players pans out as a #4 or #5 type starter. Something a little better than an "innings-eater." For the sake of this post, I'm just going to guess that one, but not both, will become a permanent starter. Again, both will be under team control and inexpensive in 2014 and 2015. Alex Meyer: The Twins would not have made the Span trade if they did not believe that Meyer was a top-shelf prospect. I've read that he projects as a #2 or #3 pitcher. That's great. He can also throw 100 miles per hour. Accordingly, he becomes the organization's best pitching prospect. If he can stay healthy and successful and reach the majors in 2014, that is excellent. He, too, will be cheap for the next several years. Kyle Gibson: What will 2013 bring for Gibson? In my view, a spot in the Twins' rotation is his to lose. Expectations should be low in 2013. So what if he has a little trouble adjusting to the majors? Let him get it out of his system in 2013, so that he's a better, more experienced pitcher in subsequent years, when wins will matter. Gibson is also cheap in 2014 and 2015. And the player about whom not to forget: Alex Wimmers. I'm disappointed that he's apparently being written off by some Twins fans. Yes, he has had his share of mental (control) and physical (Tommy John) issues. So what? None of that really matters if he now has the ability to stay mentally and physically healthy. He also profiled as (probably) a #3 starter, maybe a #2 at his ceiling. He is older -- just having turned 24 last month -- so as long as he is healthy and dominant, the Twins will have no reason to hold him back in terms of development and advancement (but, of course, they would be prudent to limit his innings in his first season back after surgery). Even though Wimmers' anticipated debut was significantly delayed as a result of his surgery, he still could join the Twins' some time in 2014. As I see it -- trying to be somewhat optimistic, but also realistic -- this organization has a few #3-type pitchers, a #2 pitcher in Meyer, and the possibility of #4 and #5 starters, all of whom could make close to league minimum in 2014 and 2015. Given these possibilities, acquiring an "ace" type pitcher for 2014, or even 2 very dominant and experienced pitchers, is absolutely doable, and affordable. And let's not forget J.R. Berrios. Because he is so new to the system, and to professional baseball, I didn't even mention him in this post as an option for 2014 or 2015. But he was successful in his first half-season of pro ball, so let's hope that he keeps it up and pushes for a spot -- whether he sticks as a starter or becomes a dominant reliever -- sooner, rather than later! Yes, anything can happen. Diamond could prove to be a flash in the pan. Hendricks may never establish himself as a viable starter, and Deduno may never be able to sufficiently control that fastball. But for as much bad luck as the Twins have had the last couple years, just having 1 of those 3 pitchers turn into a reliable starter, and having Meyer and Wimmers reach close to their potential -- as they should be expected to -- and the 2014 or 2015 Twins' rotation, primarily composed of homegrown pitchers with hopefully a couple expensive studs, doesn't look too bad.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dS2x4TU9e8k/UL-4HDSaK7I/AAAAAAAAAgc/JQ6KoS-k0Gg/s320/Wimmers.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]Alex Wimmers: Let's Not Forget About Him [/TD] [/TABLE]  [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] It's no secret now that the Twins are essentially punting in 2013. It's disappointing. I felt it coming months ago (as did many of you). Make no mistake -- I'm not fine with it by any means. But I more or less accept it (or I'm just mentally tired of being angry about it), provided that this organization is willing to spend next season at this time to bring this team back into contention. Honestly, it's simply too draining to continue yelling at the organization to spend more money where there is not much hope of it happening. It's also no secret that pitching seems to win championships, or at the very least, goes a long way toward getting a team into the playoffs. And of course, it's starting pitching that the Twins lack now. The Denard Span for Alex Meyer trade is -- potentially -- a big step toward helping shore up a future rotation. With that in mind, I want to take a quick look at who could comprise the Twins' rotation in 2014 or 2015, and what will be left to purchase on the open market. Scott Diamond. Let's hope he continues to prove that he can be a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher. Let's hope that he can improve with more experience. He would be affordable and under team control in 2014 and 2015. Liam Hendriks/Sam Deduno: I hope one of these two players pans out as a #4 or #5 type starter. Something a little better than an "innings-eater." For the sake of this post, I'm just going to guess that one, but not both, will become a permanent starter. Again, both will be under team control and inexpensive in 2014 and 2015. Alex Meyer: The Twins would not have made the Span trade if they did not believe that Meyer was a top-shelf prospect. I've read that he projects as a #2 or #3 pitcher. That's great. He can also throw 100 miles per hour. Accordingly, he becomes the organization's best pitching prospect. If he can stay healthy and successful and reach the majors in 2014, that is excellent. He, too, will be cheap for the next several years. Kyle Gibson: What will 2013 bring for Gibson? In my view, a spot in the Twins' rotation is his to lose. Expectations should be low in 2013. So what if he has a little trouble adjusting to the majors? Let him get it out of his system in 2013, so that he's a better, more experienced pitcher in subsequent years, when wins will matter. Gibson is also cheap in 2014 and 2015. And the player about whom not to forget: Alex Wimmers. I'm disappointed that he's apparently being written off by some Twins fans. Yes, he has had his share of mental (control) and physical (Tommy John) issues. So what? None of that really matters if he now has the ability to stay mentally and physically healthy. He also profiled as (probably) a #3 starter, maybe a #2 at his ceiling. He is older -- just having turned 24 last month -- so as long as he is healthy and dominant, the Twins will have no reason to hold him back in terms of development and advancement (but, of course, they would be prudent to limit his innings in his first season back after surgery). Even though Wimmers' anticipated debut was significantly delayed as a result of his surgery, he still could join the Twins' some time in 2014. As I see it -- trying to be somewhat optimistic, but also realistic -- this organization has a few #3-type pitchers, a #2 pitcher in Meyer, and the possibility of #4 and #5 starters, all of whom could make close to league minimum in 2014 and 2015. Given these possibilities, acquiring an "ace" type pitcher for 2014, or even 2 very dominant and experienced pitchers, is absolutely doable, and affordable. And let's not forget J.R. Berrios. Because he is so new to the system, and to professional baseball, I didn't even mention him in this post as an option for 2014 or 2015. But he was successful in his first half-season of pro ball, so let's hope that he keeps it up and pushes for a spot -- whether he sticks as a starter or becomes a dominant reliever -- sooner, rather than later! Yes, anything can happen. Diamond could prove to be a flash in the pan. Hendricks may never establish himself as a viable starter, and Deduno may never be able to sufficiently control that fastball. But for as much bad luck as the Twins have had the last couple years, just having 1 of those 3 pitchers turn into a reliable starter, and having Meyer and Wimmers reach close to their potential -- as they should be expected to -- and the 2014 or 2015 Twins' rotation, primarily composed of homegrown pitchers with hopefully a couple expensive studs, doesn't look too bad.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jgbOh8Mq8aw/UL9W-7td2cI/AAAAAAAAAfo/I262BsuGsts/s320/AW+Pitch.JPG [TD=class: tr-caption]Steely Determination [/TD] [/TABLE]  [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] This past spring, when I attended the Rock Cats' annual welcome home dinner, where I was seated with (a pre-Tommy John) Alex Wimmers, I purchased $5 worth of raffle tickets and won the opportunity to throw a ceremonial first pitch before a Rock Cats game. I was pretty happy with the prize -- certainly better, and more unique, than a signed team ball or free game tickets. I scheduled my pitch for a game in August for which I already had purchased tickets. When the day arrived, I have to admit that I was a little nervous. I have played in a softball league for a couple years now, but throwing a baseball is different, of course. I pitched in high school, too, but that was half a lifetime ago for me. Mostly, I was worried about two things: bouncing the ball and possibly causing injury to the player catching it; and throwing it wildly to the backstop. You probably won't be surprised to hear that there are about 5-10 first pitches before a game now. Between charitable partners, season ticket holders, and drawing winners like me, there was quite a line that night. One nice thing -- the stadium was only about half full due to a late-arriving crowd. When my turn came (I was last in line, I believe, and was slightly intimidated follow a 10 year old kid who hurled a perfect strike), I decided to go with accuracy over velocity. After they called my name, I stepped up to the mound and, with a two-seam grip, was able to "fire" a strike to the catcher (who, I believe, is usually the most recent AA call-up). Just like that, it was over. No embarrassment; no Rock Cats player writhing on the ground; no popped shoulder joint. With these pictures, I'm hoping that TwinsDaily's Parker Hageman can analyze my arm action and recommend some areas for improvement (thanks in advance, Parker!).  [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center] http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SrUzJh4WOvs/UL9YAD27lBI/AAAAAAAAAfw/Sb1zLNg9F84/s320/AW+Pitch+2.JPG [TD=class: tr-caption]Look at the follow-through [/TD] [/TABLE]  That same evening, Terry Ryan happened to be in town. This was a couple weeks before the end of the Rock Cats' season, and the possibility of September call-ups. Make no mistake -- Ryan was hard at work, closely charting pitchers all night while conversing with either a member of his own staff, or someone from the Rock Cats. On my way out of the stadium, I decided to say hi to Ryan. He couldn't have been nicer, especially after learning that I am a Minnesota native. We talked briefly about a few players, most notably Chris Herrmann, of whom Ryan stated, "he has plenty of bat to be a major league catcher." Oswaldo Arcia and Aaron Hicks also came up. Of course I didn't want to take up much of Ryan's time, but he was kind and courteous all evening with fans coming up to say hi, ask for an autograph, or give advice to a MLB general manager. Yet another unique aspect of Twins' minor league baseball. Thanks to my friend, and Rock Cats season ticket holder, Sean, for the images and the company at New Britain Stadium!  [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I5F3rU6pSFA/UL9ZUJqKFeI/AAAAAAAAAf4/S3rmgrDoIsc/s320/AW+Terry+Ryan.JPG [TD=class: tr-caption]Terry Ryan, pictured here trying to sign me to a MiLB contract after watching me throw a ceremonial first pitch strike. "Sweet Lord, we need arms," he said. [/TD] [/TABLE] 

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jgbOh8Mq8aw/UL9W-7td2cI/AAAAAAAAAfo/I262BsuGsts/s320/AW+Pitch.JPG [TD=class: tr-caption]Steely Determination [/TD] [/TABLE]  [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] This past spring, when I attended the Rock Cats' annual welcome home dinner, where I was seated with (a pre-Tommy John) Alex Wimmers, I purchased $5 worth of raffle tickets and won the opportunity to throw a ceremonial first pitch before a Rock Cats game. I was pretty happy with the prize -- certainly better, and more unique, than a signed team ball or free game tickets. I scheduled my pitch for a game in August for which I already had purchased tickets. When the day arrived, I have to admit that I was a little nervous. I have played in a softball league for a couple years now, but throwing a baseball is different, of course. I pitched in high school, too, but that was half a lifetime ago for me. Mostly, I was worried about two things: bouncing the ball and possibly causing injury to the player catching it; and throwing it wildly to the backstop. You probably won't be surprised to hear that there are about 5-10 first pitches before a game now. Between charitable partners, season ticket holders, and drawing winners like me, there was quite a line that night. One nice thing -- the stadium was only about half full due to a late-arriving crowd. When my turn came (I was last in line, I believe, and was slightly intimidated follow a 10 year old kid who hurled a perfect strike), I decided to go with accuracy over velocity. After they called my name, I stepped up to the mound and, with a two-seam grip, was able to "fire" a strike to the catcher (who, I believe, is usually the most recent AA call-up). Just like that, it was over. No embarrassment; no Rock Cats player writhing on the ground; no popped shoulder joint. With these pictures, I'm hoping that TwinsDaily's Parker Hageman can analyze my arm action and recommend some areas for improvement (thanks in advance, Parker!).  [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center] http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SrUzJh4WOvs/UL9YAD27lBI/AAAAAAAAAfw/Sb1zLNg9F84/s320/AW+Pitch+2.JPG [TD=class: tr-caption]Look at the follow-through [/TD] [/TABLE]  That same evening, Terry Ryan happened to be in town. This was a couple weeks before the end of the Rock Cats' season, and the possibility of September call-ups. Make no mistake -- Ryan was hard at work, closely charting pitchers all night while conversing with either a member of his own staff, or someone from the Rock Cats. On my way out of the stadium, I decided to say hi to Ryan. He couldn't have been nicer, especially after learning that I am a Minnesota native. We talked briefly about a few players, most notably Chris Herrmann, of whom Ryan stated, "he has plenty of bat to be a major league catcher." Oswaldo Arcia and Aaron Hicks also came up. Of course I didn't want to take up much of Ryan's time, but he was kind and courteous all evening with fans coming up to say hi, ask for an autograph, or give advice to a MLB general manager. Yet another unique aspect of Twins' minor league baseball. Thanks to my friend, and Rock Cats season ticket holder, Sean, for the images and the company at New Britain Stadium!  [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I5F3rU6pSFA/UL9ZUJqKFeI/AAAAAAAAAf4/S3rmgrDoIsc/s320/AW+Terry+Ryan.JPG [TD=class: tr-caption]Terry Ryan, pictured here trying to sign me to a MiLB contract after watching me throw a ceremonial first pitch strike. "Sweet Lord, we need arms," he said. [/TD] [/TABLE] 

Press release here: http://www.milb.com/documents/2012/12/03/40498190/1/Rock_Cats_Announce_2013_Coaching_Staff.pdf

I commented on knuckleballsblog.com, and will repost it here: Sort of branching off of your main point about it not being about the money when it really is, I have been thinking about the Twins’ failure to develop talent at certain positions. Over the past several years, we’ve been blessed (more or less) with the ability to field a competitive outfield without having to pay a guy $20 million a year to play center field. Kirby, Torii, Denard, and even Ben Revere have done well in that position and never completly broke the bank. In other words, we haven’t had to grossly overpay for outfielders. And it’s a trend that I think will continue with guys like Oswaldo Arcia, Aaron Hicks and (hopefully) Joe Benson. But what do you do when you consistently cannot develop MLB average or above-average talent at a particular position? You have to pay market price, whatever that currently is, or you have to trade away prospects that you highly value in order to make up that deficit — if you want to be competitive, that is. With the Twins, of course, it’s the inability to develop starting pitchers that is extremely problematic (and middle infielders, too, but to a somewhat lesser extent). It hurts as a Twins fan to think that we could have a cost-controlled outfield for the next few years, but that ownership is seemingly unwilling to “make up” for that financial surplus by investing some extra money in starting pitching. Yes, we’re hardly into the offseason, and I hope that I’m wrong. But I am a little nervous that Joe Blanton is going to be our prized starting pitching pick-up this winter.

I'm curious whether, in going through the interview/negotiation process, the Marlins informed Redmond (or any other candidates) that there were likely to be significant roster changes this offseason that would drastically impact the Marlins' ability to even field a .500 baseball team in 2013? In the end, Redmond probably accepts the job either way -- after all, it's a MLB managing job, and there are only a few vacancies each off-season. But you do wonder what Redmond was thinking this morning as he was drinking his coffee and reading the Miami Herald sports section.

Well, I'll defend thrylos since he's not around to do it himself, and since I think that this piling on is a little ridiculous. Yes, many of his comments involve his dislike of Gardy and Andy, and he clearly has some animus toward the front office. Yes, he probably comments too much on that. To me, that's not much different than some posters here that tie every Twins move (or non-move) back to things like the Mauer contract, or the Pohlads' perceived thriftiness, or the perceived "pitch-to-contact" mantra that no longer works, or the JJ Hardy trade that we got nothing in return for, or the "promote-from-within culture" that arguably hasn't gotten this team very far into the playoffs. I personally am guilty of doing this, too. I think we're all entitled to our sticking points, with the caveat that others probably tire of reading them. Thrylos probably does it more than some others do. And just like anything else on the internet, I guess we're all free to read, or not read, what he writes, and we're all free to comment, or not comment, on what he writes. I actually enjoy reading thrylos' blog during the season. He has a good knowledge base about prospect stuff. And I will maintain that he does add positive things to this site. So he was really, really wrong on this. Big deal. And I suppose he deserved a little heat for declaring this a done deal when it clearly wasn't, and for being so wrong on it in the end. But maybe we can move on now to other baseball stuff. Rather than discussing thrylos, I think I'll return to the forum discussing Baker and read some comments from other people on how the heck we're going to add 4 pitchers to create a legitimate rotation.

I would gladly give up any of our 7-10 prospects for one great year from Dickey. So would any other team in baseball. I guess my question would be, where does that get us? If this is part of a major rotation re-vamp, and the Twins legitimately expect to contend with the Tigers next season, then sure. Count me in by all means. But if 2013 is going to be rebuilding under the guise of fielding a somewhat decent team -- which I guess I'm sort of resigned to believing, and am actually somewhat OK with for this year only -- then I'm not sure that getting an extra 8-10 wins (or whatever difference Dickey might provide) for just 1 season does it for me, regardless of how those #7-10 prospects eventually pan out.

I'm interested, but would feel better about surrendering one of our top prospects if we can get Dickey and sign him for more than just 2013. Don't get me wrong, he'd be a great addition to the rotation (well, Dickey and Diamond would be the rotation right now), but I'm not in favor of giving up one of our top 10 prospects for one year of good (or even great) pitching from one pitcher. It would be one thing if this team was just 1 above-average pitcher away from competing, but we all know that's not the case.

This is small thinking. The Twins are 3 starting pitchers away from competing next year and a few minor adjustments. Baker has a good chance of comming back. Gibson should be ready next spring too. There are numerous starting pitchers available as free agents and we also have players we are able to trade. We should compete next year, there are too many opportunities to get the job done. If we are not competing next year then TR failed. I'm not quite sure how this is small thinking. If the Twins intend to compete next year against, for example, Detroit, they need -- according to you -- to get 3/5 of a new pitching rotation. That alone is significant. Then there is the left side of the infield. Then there is second base. Then there's hoping that Span, Morneau and Mauer stay as healthy as they did last season. I'm not suggesting that this is not possible. I am suggesting that, for 2013, that is a tall order, and might not be feasible, considering that this team does have a budget (whether or not we, as fans, agree with that budget).

I would love to get Shields. I'm of the belief that if we fix the starting Pitching problem, we have a chance. Shields is a step in the right direction and a great step at that. He will be 31 next season and has averaged at least 200 innings for 6 consecutive years. All the while giving up less than one hit per inning during that span. The real question is what does Tampa want in return? I think they will trade Shields this off season. It fits their MO. Span is working on a very friendly contract, which should add value to the transaction. Who else will we need to throw in? Do we throw in a better prospect and they give us a lesser prospect in return? During the TR interview, he mentioned that we would see some action early. I wonder if he had a trade in mind or a FA signing? I know some have downplayed the value of Shields in past threads, but I would not mind if we overpaid to land him. I wonder if Span and Benson would be enough to get it done? Absolutely agreed on the emphasis on fixing pitching. Shields and one other above average starter would go a long way to helping this team become respectable in 2013. And if Span and Benson for Shields could get the job done, count me in.