brvama

It basically begins and ends with TR. As has been stated, TR will spend if he sees value. That is a good strategy EXCEPT it makes one risk adverse when going after elite players. Given that, Nolasco's signing last year gives a hint of that changing. I wonder if TR is willing to stretch it out to accomodate the talent that is arriving. Wouldn't it be encouraging if, for example, he signed a Lester/Scherzer so that the 'new' Twins had a certifiable ace with them?

I agree that Escobar is a valuable piece now and in the future. If it were my choice, I'd start Escobar at short and Santana in CF for half the games. The other times I'd move Santana to short to give him experience there with Escobar giving Plouffe and Dozier rest. For CF I'd use either Hicks or Schafer when Santana is at short, assuming both are on the team out of spring. After Buxton arrives I think Escobar would make an excellent utility man.

What I really am excited about Molitor is his expectations that he is putting forth immediately. He expects and thereby demands his players to work to improve their game. I think we will will see a team that we have not see for several years - one that is hard-working, confident, and seeking the ultimate in their abilities. In other words I like his no-nonsense approach.

While Molitor was my second choice, I am very satisfied with his selection. As far as being the odds-on favorite during this process should not come as a shock to anyone. He was well-known to Ryan and the Twins and thus he had a big advantage. That is a huge for anyone looking to fill any position in life. At the same time, the search doesn't become less important b/c of that. While Molitor may have been the one, interviewing others was important. It allowed Ryan to check out other candidates that they had some interest in and to see if they would be better, using Molitor as the standard; or, in this case, verify Molitor is the best of the lot in their opinion. To some that may be a "show", to me that is due diligence.

And you know that because......

Acknowledging that someone is talented is not the same as acknowledging that individual is right for this job. We don't know but there may very well be reasons Ryan might feel this way. And why is it the Twins are wrong here? Maddon's agent reached out to other organizations and not the Twins that had an opening. To me the say volumes about his desire to come to the Twins. Also, with the recent rumors of he taking the Cubs job, I am thinking all this was a smoke screen and it was there play all along to hook up with the Cubs. It fits some of his (or agent's) comments about working with a large payroll club and the challenge of the NL game. I would not be surprised if there was some tampering involved in this. Reason, how can any agent not know his clients contract? If that is true, the agent is failing his responsibilities.

I have refrained to get into this foray about Maddon until now. From my perspective, those upset that Ryan didn't contact Maddon come down on 2 fronts. 1.) Maddon is the best and is worth every penny he wants. 2.) It is a PR blunder to not at least contact him, which shows the Twins are cheap. #1. If Maddon was such a genius of a manager, then why did the Rays struggle this year. And hasn't there already been quite a discussion on the value of a manager toward wins. Maybe 1-2 per year. Also, there are many candidates in baseball that have the ability to be excellent managers if given the talent. It appears Maddon has seen the talent dry up in Tampa and wanted out. (My opinion only.) Nobody, and I mean nobody, is irreplaceable; including Maddon. #2. About not contacting him, maybe Ryan, through his contacts with other GM's and baseball executives discounted Maddon as a good match for the Twins. We, as fans, may like him but the front office has to be sold on him that there can be a good working relationship. Maybe, he viewed the current finalists as the best ones available. And to say PR is damaged is really a reference to the fans perception and not so much in baseball circles. The Twins have been acknowledged as one of the better run clubs in baseball. And to the label of "cheap" - Certain people have viewed the Twins as cheap for quite a while and I doubt anything outside of a payroll of $125 million would ever change that. But it seems to me that our cheap Twins to pony up some $$$ for pitchers LY. Call that cheap if you want, I don't. Before we continue that chorus, maybe we should see what happens in the next year or two first. Finally, whether we like it or not, Maddon was not coming here. His agent supposedly said as much, according to comments from MLB Trade Rumors. But reports were that 10-15 clubs were interested in him in some capacity. Apparently, 15-20 other teams don't think there is a role in their organization either.

Today from MLB Trade Rumors -- Latest on the Twins' manager search: "The Twins have had no contact whatsoever with Maddon, reports Berardino, whose report indicates that expected cost may be a factor. A source in Maddon’s camp tells Berardino that the former Rays manager would have welcomed the interest but would probably be looking for a team with a clearer route to competing in the near term". Boldface for emphasis.

It is really interesting how a couple of days change things Friday and Saturday Maddon was viewed as the manager of all managers who must lead the Twins. Today there is some question as to if he is really that much better to be worth the extra cost. Is the TD base doing their 'due diligence? It is certainly very difficult to quantify the value of managers. It really boils down the talent that they manage. I will not be disappointed if Maddon becomes the Twins manager, nor will I be disappointed if he isn't. I guess I am as interested in the coaching staff as the manager.

The loss of life is always sad, but the loss of our young is difficult at best. My prayers for his immediate and extended family.

Like this analogy and you might not be far off.

Thank you for the clarification. Upon review I can see why you had that response and after thinking about it I have to retract some of that statemet. I made the mistake of classifying loyal fans as those that might be on this site or people that might delve into the organization in depth . In retrospect, I have several friends who I'd call 'loyal" fans who have no idea who is the top prospects in the minors. Still, some have season tickets and some attend games regularly. Thank you for pointing that out.

Not sure what bothers you.

Thanks SD Buhr. That was the best chuckle I've had in a month.

Interesting letter and well-thought out from the view of a "Loyal Twins Fan." And that is where I think the disconnect comes regard support. IMO casual fans get excited about winning, not "splashes." Loyal fans like the splashes b/c we are looking beyond and see the potential. Using KC as model for this year's activity may not equate to the Twins current situation. IIRC, KC had much of their core playing. Timing is so important and am not sure if this is the time for a bold move - unless it fits into a 3-5 year plan.

I would fall into Jorgenswest camp of "Sign big or sign no one." At the same time I would not be disappointed if they sign Masterson - assuming they are not ready to promote Meyer and Milone is not a favaorite for the rotation. Other then that I would either wait for next year's free agent class or (my preference) look into a trade for a young, top of the line SP. IMHO, it is somewhat foolish to add SP that, while that might be an improvement, it doesn't represent a #1 or 2 SP. I believe patience is the key here - that is to find out what we have and then react to our needs.

Regarding some of the people that were not considered may be the result of 2 things. First, if a coach is under contract with another club, the Twins may not have gotten permission to contact them. Maybe that team may have there own ideas - as SD Buhr suggests on Martinez. Second, other candidates were likely crossed off the list before they got to the interview because it was determined that they would not be a fit, either from the resume or knowledge of the person. Example would be Ozzie Guillen. This we do not, and likely never will, know. It would be good to get this over and to see the staff assembled. It looks like it is very close. I agree with tobi0040 as my choice. Lovullo, Molitor, then Mientkiewicz.

I actually have come around to Lovullo. He comes from a good baseball organization that has had success and I especially like his philosophy on young players. i hope he gets the job.

Very interesting comments. Thank you all. I am on the fence with Kepler. But I think it has to do with timing, like life. He was signed as a young international FA who had lots of talent but not a lot of baseball background, being from Germany. It takes time and that is one thing that may likely run out on him.

Mostly agree with your plan. Having Masterson on the staff shouldn't create too much of a problem. Likely someone will go on the DL or be ineffective. Plus Masterson is a ground ball pitcher IIRC, which would take advantage a better defensive infield vs. the outfield. Totally agree on Arcia. Let's see if the new coaching staff can help improve this young man's defense this year. For CF & LF, I'd used a rotation of Santana, Hicks, and Schafer in center and Hicks, Schafer, Parmelee, or Nunez (or whomever) in left with Ortiz in AAA, if needed. Give Santana about half of his games at short and the other half at center, until either Rosario or Buxton comes up. And they either need Pinto to start in AAA to refine his defense or play him 40-50% of the time in ML.

I did not intend to derail this thread or insult the intelligence of many of you. But my response was to H2Oface's contention that the process is dragging on. It sounded as though there was a lack of understanding how the process works. In the end Old Nurse probably has it right.

Well, now I'm not so sure!!

Hiring a new manager is not a simple and quick process - much more than going to Best Buy for the new latest phone. Several factors come into play. 1.) The SEARCH Phase. Most companies of any size hire a search agency to identify potential candidates to target. I don't know for sure, but I would guess the MLB assists the clubs in that regard. With all the coaches and managers, in and out of baseball, where do you start? That's where that assistance comes in to play. 1a.) Within the search process, an agency or the organization itself will develop a criteria of the type of manager they would desire. It might identify experience as a manager, for example, or experience with different clubs or in different positions. There are usually several characteristics that are identified - sometimes are prioritized. 2.) DUE DILIGENCE Phase. This is where resumes are evaluated, backgrounds are checked, and individuals are identified as worthy (acceptable) candidates for the organization. 3.) The INTERVIEW Phase. This is the phase the Twins are in now. Their list of candidates has been established and now they are being interviewed. Some will garner additional contacts, some won't. The problem the Twins may have had is that a candidate was still in post-season play 4.) The SELECTION Phase. Usually from the list of interviews, candidates are discussed and ranked to preference, with their strengths and weaknesses. If there is not an individual that rises to the top, they may conduct additional interviews of the finalists or start the process over until one is selected. To do a proper and effective job, these steps cannot be rushed. This is an important hire and you need to take care in doing it right. Patience is important and usually is rewarded.

Generally, I would tend to enter next season as standing pat. Now I am not in the group that believes '15 presents a playoff contending team, but hopefully pushes a .500 club. 2016 is possible, but? With a new manager and staff (including some holdovers), I think the goal this year to find out what they can do with what we have in house and coming up, FIRST. As we agree, LF and OF defense, along with pitching remain our major concerns. Improving those areas outside the organization, is not the road I'd travel UNLESS it is for long-term. That would likely leave out most free agents, but certainly trades are a possibility. I am willing to look at internal solutions first. Next off-season is a different story. Also, I will not rule out any in-season trades or acquisitions however. So for LF, I think that at some point Rosario will be up and could fill that position. He has the defensive skills, speed, and hitting ability to work in nicely. That is assuming he continues to play near his AFL showing. Until then, I'd use Shaefer and Hicks there. I am also assuming the new manager understands how to play his players for their and the teams success. OF defense. Here we are really talking about Arcia. Can the new staff help him improve. His hitting has too much potential to pass on to someone else. Work on the defense and he becomes a plus RF, even as an average or slightly below, fielder. Along the same vein, why would we move Vargas? Possibly, the next "Papi." For a long time DH has been a revolving door. Another potential core player to build off. Besides, he can be back-up 1B. Now on pitching I agree with Thylos and don't have much to add there. Yet I would still kick the tires on Masterson and see if he would sign for a Hughes like contract, 2 years or less. To build a championship team, one needs a good core. For 2016 and beyond, as of now, I believe that core starts with Perkins, Hughes, Gibson, Nolasco, Mauer, Dozier, Vargas, Arcia, and Santana. Coming soon are Mays, Meyers, Buxton, Sano, Burdi, Rosario, Berrrios, Reed, Pinto and Polanco. Who am I missing? Of course, some of these players will be busts, some need improvement, and some will flourish. For the time being, players like Plouffe, Escobar, Hicks, and Shaefer fill in adequately until the cavalry arrives, then we will decide their fate. Mid 2015 and beyond becomes the time to start making the adjustments with external options, FA or trades. My target is to get to mid-2016 with the core team I want to move forward with.

You can call going to the WS a crap shoot or whatever, but it is very simple. The Royals are 'hot.' That is the point of post-season play, it is not the team on paper that is important - it is the team that is playing good baseball, or should I say better baseball than their opponent. Maybe the Royals are probably playing a bit over their head, but they are playing excellent baseball. Maybe the baseball gods are in line this year. Any given tournament usually finds an some team that hits a hot streak. Should we be surprised?