brvama

I personally like having a true DH on the team, instead of inserting anyone to fill the void. It means, or should, that everyone in the line-up is there b/c they are they best option on the team. IMO, it forces the club to get position players that belong there. Now, this is not to intend upgrades can't be made, but using the DH as a last resort position shows a weakness in the line-up.

Great read. I have just become a BIG O'Rourke fan. Love the underdog bulldogs. Plus he's a lefty. Hope he gets his chance this year. "Everyone was born right-handed, only the greatest overcame it."

This is a good for the country's economy. Another guy gets employed.

Agree mostly with your roster, Seth. Might quibble a bit with Milone, however, he's likely to be the favorite UNTIL someone takes the job away from him. Maybe May or Meyer pulls a Gibson 2014 ST. Regardless, those two will be pitching for the Twins this year barring a trade or injury. Now the idea of throwing Nolasco aside, or even in the pen, at the start of the season to me seems shortsighted. As you said Seth, he has a track record and TR had enough confidence in him to offer that 4-year contract. His poor performance was the result of mostly injury, and maybe a bit to league adjustment. Still, he will and should be a given in 2015 to start in the rotation. If a pitcher that you signed gets hurt out of the gate, you at least see what he has after recovery before you dismiss him, especially with Nolasco's experience and history.

Dante, pretty much agree. I think the point is that the construction of the pen AND how it is used really depends on those that are filling it. There is no right or wrong way, IMO. I also would like to have the quality to run a RP out for more than an inning. Maybe that is so old school. I remember that use to be the norm.

IMHO closer by committee creates uncertainy and chaos. Who pitches today? How do I prepare? When can I get back otut there to blot out last nites bad inning? Etc. For it to work you need very unique individuals that are interchangeable with the ability to share the spotlight. Hard for athletes, most of whom have a healthy ego. Having defined roles help quantify one's job and the preparation to excell at it. It provides continuity to the team and management. It also eliminates some of the back door politicking or maneuvering that sometimes happen, which keeps morale stronger. Regarding the prospects coming up - how many will make and how many will be successful? And as someone has mentioned, maintaining that group could prove difficult. Having a pen with good RPs is more important then just heat, they need to be consistently effective. But, It's also good to have a second choice available for closer or setup. This would help in case of injury OR if the manager decided to use the closer early on occasion. Finally, let's face it, all are not created with equal abilities or mindset.

Since LY was a missed year for Sano, I come to realize it was out-of-sight/out-of mind for me regarding him also. And since age has overloaded my data bank, I thought I’d go to BA and do a comparison of their career so far. To be honest, I was a bit surprised just how good Sano was and actually how c onsistent and improved Plouffe was in AA & AAA. Plouffe started in 2004 as a 1st round pick (20th) and began his career at age 18. Year(age);League;Games; Ave/OBP/SLG/OPS; ..Rank/League/Twins/BA 2004 (18): R-App (60g) .283/.340/.380/.720 ... 6 / 12 / - 2005 (19): A-MWL (127g) .223/.300/.345/.645 ...12 / 9 / - 2006 (20): A+FSL (125g) .246/.333/.347/.680 ...- / 19 / - 2007 (21): AA-EL (126g) .274/.326/.410/.736 ...- / 10 / - 2008 (22): AA-EL (58g) .269/.325/.410/.735 ... - / 13 / - 2008 >>>: AAA (60g) .256/.292/.420/.712 2009 (23): AAA (118g) .260/.313/.407/.720 ....- / 24 / - 2010 (24): AAA (102g) .244/.300/.430/.730 ....- / 24 / - 2010 >>>: Twins (20g) .146/.143/.317/.460 2011 (25): AAA (51g) .313/.384/.635/1.019 2011 >>>: Twins (81g) .238/.305/.392/.697 2012 (26): Twins (119g) .235/.301/.455/.756 [+2g rehab AAA] 2013 (27): Twins (129g) .254/.309/.392/.701 [+4g rehab AAA] 2014 (28): Twins (136g) .258/.328/.423/.751 Minor League: Age 18-25 (7+) (839g) .258/.320/.405/.725 Major League: Age 25-28 (4) (487g) .245/.309/.415/.724 BEST TOOLS League Twins Organization Best Defensive Infielder 2004 Best Defensive Infielder 2005 Sano was signed out of Domincan Republic in 2009(?) and began his career at age of 17. Year(age);League; Games; Ave/OBP/SLG/OPS; Rank/League/Twins/BA 2010 (17) R-DSL (20g) .344/.463/.547/1.010 ....- / 4 / 94 (2009) 2010 >>>> R-GCl (41g) .291/.338/.466/.804 ....2 / 3 / 60 (2010) 2011 (18) R-App (66g) .292/.352/.637/.989 ....1 / 1 / 18 2012 (19) A-MWL (129g) .258/.373/.521/.894 ....2 / 1 / 9 2013 (20) A+FSL (56g) .330/.424/.655/1.079 ....- / 2 / 6 2013 >>>> AA-EL (67g) .236/.344/.571/.915 2014 (21) DNP Minor League Age 17-20 (379g) .279/.373/.567/.940 BEST TOOLS League Twins Organization Best Power Prospect MWL 2012 2010-2011-2012 Best Infield Arm MWL 2012 2012 The area I find somewhat intriguing is their defensive ratings. Both came in as SS. Plouffe began his career as the Twins top defensive infielder. But IIRC, when he came to the Twins and moved to 3B, he struggled. It was with much coaching, hard work, and experience that he has rounded himself into an average plus defender. I remember one of his biggest problems was his throwing errors. That seems to have been corrected. On the other hand, Sano sounds like he has a great arm. I think much of his problem came with positioning and adjusting to the hot corner. As with Plouffe, Sano could develop into at least an average fielder with the proper coaching, work, and time. This leads me to the difference in time to the Twins. While both came in at relatively at the same age, it took Plouffe 7 plus years to grab a seat on the Twins roster. Sano could very possibly be here 3 years sooner. Hitting wise he was almost there. Considering the youth of Sano, a couple years of fielding struggles seems worth it to develop a long-term stud at 3rd base. And I see no reason, other than a very favorable trade, to let Plouffe go for now. (I apologize on the lack of formatting for the chart. Tried to edit it twice and nothing changes.)

This was a fun read. Top 10 lists are fun and generally similar but I like your unique perspective. Especially like 6 & 9. Thanks.

Just a random thought about Hicks: will the change in manager and mostly staff provide a change of scenery, so to speak? Could that along with Hunter help Hicks turn the corner to approach more of his potential? I'm really on the fence about adding a defensive CF vs. staying internal until Buxton arrives. There are good arguments both ways.

Very interesting comments, of which I mostly favor. With Plouffe we have the opportunity to give Sano time to develop fully, even waiting til Aug or later for a call up. IF Plouffe does push a harder decision, he is the one that I'd move to the OF. And of course a trade is possible for a good player. I guess I just restated ya'lls comments. I actually like the situation b/c it is an area of strength for the Twins, or will likely be. One more position to potentially move to the plus column.

Just a minor side comment on Sano and AA. I've see this comment before that Sano hasn't played much in AA. In fact he played 67 games in 2013 vs. 56 at high A. That is over a half a year. I would think that would be somewhat significant time. The rest is interesting about MiLb performance and MLB prediction. It does make sense that many statistics in low minors can be insignificant, like walks. Not sur I buy their predictions tho.

Building a team is not as easy as getting your fantasy league team together. TR and the Twins have to deal with the cards they had. (How they get there is another story.) As has been stated, the rotation stunk and needed to be upgraded. That was the biggest weakness and was and should have been the top priority. You lament that they are spending money on questionable returns, yet you advocate drafting and drafting pitchers to use as your staff. First that is what they have been doing. Second, that takes time for results at the MLB level. And third, untested young pitchers are more of a gamble than veterans. There is nothing guaranteed in baseball other than the ball being round and the bases are 90 ft apart. To ignore the spending for FA pitchers counters your goal of finding some guarantee. As far as hitting is concerned, your argument hints at the premise that offense is down b/c of incapable hitters. I would venture this is the result of the cycle towards better pitching. And I believe baseball, as with life, goes in cycles. Right now those close to the Twins seem to have power, something that has been miss for a couple of decades IMO. But there are the OBP guys here or near also. A smattering of both power and OBP hitters create a lethal lineup. Each feeds on each other. Finally, it has been proven over and over In MLB history that pitching wins more than hitting. So that is where they should start and keep funding, IMHO.

Before I lay myself open to well-deserved scrutiny, here is my disclaimer. I wake up every morning happy I get to go to the bathroom before it's too late. And so far, I go to bed optimistic that I'll wake soon enough to avoid any accidents. So here is my GUESS - May comes north as the 5th starter. Milone and Meyer to AAA, with Meyer at the top of the call list. Pelfrey, if still around, goes to the pen, probably as the long reliever. Why? #1. New coaches (Allen) and Manager. TR is going to give them every bit of a honeymoon with player needs and roster decisions. It is not in his best interests to create an environment where player personnel derail any mutual goals they have. He will, or at least should, want to give PM as much as he requests, within reason, to right the ship. If not, TR is the next one out the door. I think, (hope?), that we can say goodbye to Gardy's penchent for veteran superiority in player decisions. Yes I'm optimistic that the club will be different than the past decade. #2. May's tryout last fall showed improvement to the point of a legit backend starter. Molitor witnessed that. UNLESS, their were obvious flaws that need work on in AAA, I can't see them demoting him - what would that tell him. While Allen is unfamiliar with May (& Meyer), he is familiar with young pitchers and I think that bodes well for our prospects. As someone has already mentioned ST conduct and impressions will go a long way with both M&M. Yes, I am optimistic that the prospects finally get their due. #3. As with May, both Milone and Pelfrey showed what they had last year. Neither were compelling enough to be slotted in front of May based on LY's performance to start 2015. If Milone does have an option left, he could easily be stashed in AAA until a need arrives (after Meyer, of course.) Pelfrey I think has the most to make up but will likely start in the pen IF he is anywhere close to servicable. Yes, I am also optimistic that filler veterans will now become fillers of depth and short-term needs. #4. Dawn of a new age. Finally, I am optimistic that there is a change in how things have been done in the past. Player acquisitions, change in team management philosophy, new influence form different background and experiences, and finally, starting to see change coming from the farm system. It's a process, still in the works, but is showing growth. Now, For these four, spring will be very important on whether they come north or not. It is very possible that someone could implod, or someone could blow the doors off. That definitely changes the result. But for now, I have etch May as the 5th starter in the snow.

I would be mildly surprised if Milone gets the 5th spot over May and even Meyer, unless his ST was outstanding. There is a change in leadership and I think that Molitor will want to move toward youth. If Milone comes north it's as the long reliever. Second, May improved substantially at the end of the season. I don't believe that is the Twins to demote a promising player that was starting to perform over one that struggle last year. Example, Gibson. Of course, a lot will depend on ST. Milone will have to prove he's worthy to jump May, and Meyer. I could see Meyer in AAA and then be the first one up. Also on Milone, why are we so enamored with someone that was traded by a replacement player? Granted he had some success, but he's certainly not a Johan or even close. Even on the Twins staff he's a 5th starter at best, especially with the prospect banging on the door. If Molitor is going to put Santana at SS, doesn't it follow that he will push for similar scenarios for other prospects? TR & PM both have hinted of different approaches. Let's hope they follow thru. I believe their goal for 2015 is to be competitive, BUT to set up the team for the future run with our prospects. Milone fits as a backup plan.

NOPE!!!!!

I've always been partial to Hicks. but he is perplexing and I don't have a clue. I do agree with Dantes about not sending him to AAA for the main reason of when/if he figures it out he will likely be a 4th OF. It's time to see if he has it or not. With his exposure to MLB pitching and with Hunter on board I think it be best to give him the job this spring in CF. Platoon with Schafer on the tough RHP if you like, but give the bulk of time to Hicks. By mid-season see what's there. If he has improved great, if not send him down or packing.

IF & WHEN in the distant future relations are re-established it will be good for baseball and to the Cuban people. I not only regret that political comments have to enter our baseball world, but am somewhat amused by the political naïveté expressed on the state of Cuba. Isn't it interesting that a majority of Cuban Americans are against this move? Guess I've said more than I should have. Before we turn this into a political debate, it is probably wise to focus only on the impact on MLB baseball. Let me be the first to apologize for straying from the topic.

Riverbrian has it pegged We often fail to remember that while these are professional ball players, they are also human. Subject to the ebb and flow of human inconsistency. The elite sometime will play under their capability and others will play over their head. It's not luck but timing to win it all. So, while you want to build the best team possible, given all the variables, the goal has to be to build a team worthy of the playoffs and then hope that they play their best in the post season. If it was so easy as to just acquire the best talent to win the WS, then wouldn't we just have champions from the Yankees, Red Sox,or Dodgers. And regarding aces, how many times had Felix won the WS in Seattle. Aces are good but their are 24 other players that make up the team. Build the team to get there first, then let the chips fall where they may, IMO.

Good questions and answers. Thanks ya'll. Nick I tend to agree with your take on the Twins position going into spring training. Let's see what we've got and roll from there.

As usual Seth good article. It certainly plays well for the future with all the young talent. One problem, being able to retain all this talent. Of course some of that will be taken care of by their progression or lack thereof. Btw, where does Meyer fail? Thant also to, KGB, great link.

Really enjoyed the posts so far. Also got some good NEW information, thanks. As far as Mientkiewisc disappointment, I'd be concerned if he wasn't. Given his personal concerns maybe we shouldn't read too much into his disappointment, of which would be disappoint anyone in the same situation. I have to believe, b/c I'm an optimist, the family culture of the Twins will indeed take into account his situation for this year. They could certainly shuffle coaches next year, which has been done in the past. Finally, it would shock me that the Twins would create an environment for one of their in-house managerial finalists to leave shortly afterward.

Great piece Parker, as usual. This also helps with my belated enthusiasm on Santana. Great video on his delivery. It looks like he changed from stepping toward the 1b side to stepping directly toward home plate. That closed he body at delivery and thus was easier to replicate. I am ready for some baseball!!!

Mike, I totally agree and these points are critical to the Twins success. BTW a bit skepticism is good and I thank you for your "positive" skepticism. "Shelden is immune to sarcasm."

Personally I don't subscribe to the change in the mindset theory, nor to making a statement. What it appears to me is that TR is executing his plan to bring the Twins to a level of being very competitive each year. I do think that Pohlad has assured Ryan that the money is there to use. I am confident that his plan has involve Pohlad in the development. Simply, I think his strategy follows this general plan. 1. Build the talent in the minors basically through the draft. 2. Improving the talent on the roster each year through FA and/or trades. 3. Bridge the gap of developing our prospects and core with better players. 4. Add players of need when the core is ready via trade/FA signings. 5. Manage the payroll now so that needed acquisitions in the future are not limited greatly by payroll concerns. While I wasn't gaga over the Santana signing it is a good signing. It fulfills #2 &3. It is part of the process. ML team management is fluid. Players perform or not, injuries happen, team attractiveness varies with each player, prospects often bust, FA signings/trades sometimes fail, etc. Keeping to the strategic plan is imperative while adjusting along the way. For the fans, this seems like an endless process. For me, I'd rather build the team for the long fight than a short skirmish. IMHO.

As a rebuilding team, If you sell high on your good players you never get better. You only become a feeder system for othrt teams. Certainly it's imperative you listen, but the trade has to favor the Twins. That said, I really believe that Dozier is a cog for the future, at least until a competent replacement is available. The problem moving Escobar, is we really don't know if Santana is ready for SS. We do know what Escobar brings. Worst case, he stays as a serviceable utility INF. With the demand for MI he could be moved this summer or next season. But if someone is disparate, then.....?