Cooper Carlson

Matt Braun and Cooper Carlson of Twins Daily discuss the recent transactions of the Twins along with how they believe the offseason should go. We also discussed possible contract extensions for young players, and what would we would say is a successful offseason. https://open.spotify...vcqkYtfhFMbRc3nLink: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1uzg9wQvcqkYtfhFMbRc3n Topics discussed include: Free Agency officially startsOdorizzi extended the QOWhat would constitute a successful offseason?Extension candidatesMatt Wisler claimedPerez’s option not picked up (bless)Gonsalves claimed by the MetsKohl Stewart outrighted, elects free agencyTanner Swanson poached by the YankeesJeremy Hefner interviews for Mets pitching coach spotFan questionsCheck it out and leave any questions, comments, or anything else below or at our Twitter accounts: Matt: @matthew_btwins Cooper: @carlson_mntwins Click here to view the article

Alex Kirilloff, the Twins No. 2 prospect and a top 15 prospect in baseball, has been pushing to make it to the big league club over the last two seasons. There were a lot of rumors last September about a potential call-up that never occurred. Could 2020 be his year to finally debut with the Twins?Kirilloff experienced an up and down 2019 campaign compared to his stellar 2018 at A/A+ where he hit .348/.392/.578 (.970) with 20 home runs. The 2019 season was riddled with injuries, resulting in only 94 games played and 150 fewer plate appearances. He still put together a pretty average line of .283/.343/.413 (.756) but the . 165 point drop off in slugging is a bit concerning. Along with the drop off in plate appearances, Kirilloff had 26 fewer doubles, five fewer triples, and 11 fewer home runs. Nonetheless, Kirilloff has shown he has the ability to be an excellent hitter and he was still solid last season despite constant injuries and being one of the youngest players at AA. His final month was great as he slashed .311/.351/.500 (.851) in 26 games and tacked on his final five home runs. Could Kirilloff make the opening day roster? Alex Kirilloff will likely enter spring training fighting for a roster spot depending on what takes place this offseason. Will C.J. Cron be coming back? Could the Twins trade a starting outfielder? I don’t know, but if Cron or any of the three outfielders aren’t here to start 2020, then Kirilloff could win a starting spot on the roster. I doubt he makes the roster as a bench player because the Twins would rather have him get consistent at-bats in the minors so it's starter or minor leagues. He could take Cron’s spot because it appeared he was being groomed to do just that last season. The Twins began experimenting with him as a first baseman, and he played 35 games there while still playing 49 in the outfield. At first base he did fine for his first season with five errors in those games to give him a .981 fielding percentage. He will never be an elite fielder so if he is going to be a star then his bat will have to do most of the work. When is it most likely he makes his debut? If I had to project when I think Kirilloff will actually be up with the Twins, I would say late August or early September. If Cron or an outfielder is gone for the 2020 season I would expect the Twins to find a veteran placeholder like Avisail Garcia rather than immediately rely on a rookie. If Alex Kirilloff is performing well enough in the minors during the season to the point where he just has to be called up, I don’t think the Twins will hesitate to do so. They know the type of player he could become if everything breaks right. There is a reason he has earned some comparison to Joey Votto. He may not make it until late in the season, but I definitely expect we will see Alex Kirilloff wearing a Twins uniform before the season is over. When do you hope to see Kirilloff make his debut? What do you expect from him when he does finally make it to the majors? Leave a comment below. Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Not registered? Click here to create an account. To stay up to date, follow Twins Daily on Twitter and Facebook. More from TwinsDaily Twins Can Spend Themselves Into Uncharted Territory Important Dates for the 2020 Offseason "Robot Umpires" Coming to Some Affiliated Parks Next Season Download the TwinsDaily Offseason Handbook! Click here to view the article

I think a lot of the bashing is more about the process than the results. We watch him consistently swing at pitches a foot out of the zone and his fielding certainly doesn't help. Also, the .800 OPS is going down every season.

That could easily be as soon as this season.

Eddie Rosario has been the most discussed Twins player this offseason, with the discussion focusing on the potential of trading him for pitching. But is he is worth trading? Fans seem to think he’s either too good to be traded, or not good enough to get anything substantial. Let's discuss his trade value.Rosario just experienced his worst season over the last three years. Don’t be fooled by home runs and RBI Eddie Rosario was the primary cleanup hitter in the 2019 Twins lineup. It didn’t seem Rocco Baldelli ever considered changing that, despite Rosario ranking ninth in OPS on the Twins. While a lot of fans may have just looked at the career highs in home runs and RBIs with 32 and 109 respectively, those stats don’t hold much weight compared to some others. In a season where the home run record in the league was broken by 671, Rosario's 32 home runs puts him at 44th in baseball. Rosario tallied a career high in runs batted in because he was hitting fourth. He had more opportunities to drive in runs than anyone else. Here are some fun rankings among all Twins hitters. Most pitches seen with RISPSecond-most pitches seen with anyone on baseMost pitches seen with go-ahead run on baseA lot of players would drive in 100+ runs when hitting behind Kepler, Polanco, and Cruz every day. Back to home runs, the best way to measure if a hitter would have hit as many as he did without help from the altered baseball is to look at the exit velocity and launch angle. Rosario finished 175th among all hitters with an 89.1 MPH average exit velocity and an average launch angle of 16.7 degrees. The average home run was hit 103.5 MPH with a launch angle of 28 degrees. Rosario’s home runs were hit 102.1 MPH at a 29 degree launch angle. It’s a safe bet to say the home run numbers will drop next season. Rosario continued to trend downward in 2019 The way Eddie Rosario's stats have trended over the past three seasons would make you think he is leaving his prime age, not entering it. The 28-year-old peaked in 2017 and ever since has slowly been declining statistically despite being seen by some as the face of the franchise. This chart exemplifies his drop since 2017: Statistics glossary Download attachment: hitting chart.png The slugging is definitely solid, but his on-base percentage is extremely underwhelming, the seventh-worst in baseball among qualified hitters. His wRC+ was close to being exactly 100, which is league average. Plate discipline is the key problem Now that MLB pitchers have adjusted and realized Eddie simply can’t help himself from swinging, they have stopped throwing strikes. This graph is just shocking at how little adjustment Rosario had. Download attachment: rosario swing%.png If he gets that under control, he could be the dangerous hitter many people perceive him to be. The problem is that he has not shown that he can change. Fielding took a major step backward Back in early August, Andrew Thares of Twins Daily pointed out something has happened to Eddie Rosario’s defense. The main stat to note is outs above average. Rosario finished with -17 outs above average. That was the worst in baseball by four runs. This came after -2 in 2017 and -3 in 2018. Andrew also used an excellent chart to show why he regressed so far down that I will basically just be updating with Rosario’s end-of-season numbers: Download attachment: fielding chart.png The feet/second feet gained being multiplied by two is also explained in the original fielding post so go check it out. Does he have any trade value? Rosario is trending down both in the field and at the plate. He is currently 28-years-old and ZiPS projections expect him to continue to decline in AVG, SLG, OPS, wRC+, WAR, and really any stat except OBP because it’s hard to be worse than he was in that area. He is under team control for only two more seasons before he becomes a free agent in 2022. I don’t think teams will be willing to part with a number three starter for an average hitter and quite frankly a bottom three fielder this last season. Final thoughts Eddie Rosario is a serviceable left fielder that is good enough to be in most playoff lineups. He is not a top four hitter that many have thought of him to be and he never will be unless he can fix his plate discipline. The Twins will likely shop him around this offseason, but he will not be the centerpiece of a trade for a starter. If he is traded for a middle of the rotation arm, the trade will be headlined by a Twins prospect. For more trade talk about Rosario and pitchers the Twins could acquire check out these links: 4 Off the Radar Pitching Trade TargetsTwins can Begin Cashing in on Prospects4 Potential Starting Pitcher UpgradesTwins Offseason Handbook: Pre-order before the World Series ends! Click here to view the article

Matt and Cooper of TwinsDaily discuss the James Rowson news along with speculation on other potential coaching changes. We also covered some other hard hitting content including what the best TV show is. Link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7bbCMRn0B6muoJ23lHrJ16This episode of the Leading Off Podcast is definitely one of our more interesting episodes. Life is tough with only one real piece of news regarding the Twins all week. We thought switching to every other week instead of every week for the offseason would give us more content, but we were wrong. With all that said, this is an enjoyable episode that covered many different topics that ranged from James Rowson, to time travel, all the way to a Mickey Callaway rant. It's a good time so give it a listen. Link: https://open.spotify...0B6muoJ23lHrJ16 Click here to view the article

I would love to bring in Tyler Flowers as a defensive minded backup. He led the league in extra pitch framing strikes, and could help Garver improve even more. Another good way to go (brought up to me by Tom) would be to just go get either of the Astros catchers because they know the Houston secrets to success.

He finished 10th in average home run distance (minimum 10 homers). He will likely be ok when the balls are normal again.

Strikeouts are definitely okay if you make up for them with bombs. Stanton 2018: 2nd in total strikeouts, 4th in total home runs Judge 2017: 1st in total strikeouts, 2nd in total home runs

Miguel Sano was supposed to be the next great Twins player right alongside with Byron Buxton back when they were playing together in the minor leagues. His first three seasons in the majors were good, but not anything to get extremely excited about (.844 OPS, 124 wRC+). He was supposed to take that next big step in 2018, but that quickly became a disaster of a season and a lot of fans started to lose hope in him. The 2019 season was seen as a make-or-break campaign for the 26-year-old third baseman, and he certainly outplayed the poor expectations to solidify his spot in the middle of the Twins batting order.If you remember back to this past offseason, you'll remember it was a huge one for Sano. He seemed to fully grasp the idea the Twins had for him by dedicating his time to eating healthily and working out in order to get into peak physical form once again for the season. It was obvious the Twins still had big plans for him when new manager Rocco Baldelli personally flew out to his home town in the Dominican Republic to connect with Sano for the first time. Download attachment: baldelli sano.png Sadly, before the season began, all of the offseason excitement for Miguel was halted and doubt started to slowly creep back in when it was announced he suffered a heel injury while away from the team. It suddenly seemed like not much had changed, and we would once again be seeing a lackluster season from Sano. Luckily for the fans and for the Twins, Miguel Sano would actually turn out to be better than ever. When Sano finally did return to the team in the middle of May he got off to a hot start with a .963 OPS in May. He then completely bottomed out to the point that every fan on Twitter was calling for his immediate release when he hit .184/.253/.395 (.648) with a 45.8 K% from June 1 to June 27, when he went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts. The very next day, amidst all the criticism, Sano went out and blasted two home runs to get his final three-month offensive surge started. From June 28 to the end of the regular season, Miguel Sano had the fifth-most home runs, 11th-best wRC+, eighth-highest slugging%, and fifth-highest ISO in the major leagues. He also crushed the ball on a daily basis, having the second-highest average exit velocity at 94.4 mph, and the highest hard hit% at 57.2, just barely ahead of Aaron Judge. He finished the season with a .247/.346/.576 (.923) line and a wRC+ of 124. This came with 34 home runs and 76 RBIs, which were both career highs. For a guy who entered the season surrounded by doubt and with a lot to prove to himself, the fans, and his organization, he definitely showed the kind of player he is capable of being when healthy. While the fielding is still a future question mark for Sano, who had -5 defensive runs saved and a -6.7 ultimate zone rating (career low), the bat definitely plays and it is more than good enough to where they will have to either stick with him at third base, or try moving him to first for the future. Overall, the impacts the front office, Rocco Baldelli, and especially Nelson Cruz have made on Miguel Sano seem to have helped him turn the corner to become the player the Twins had envisioned as he was rising through the system. Now entering 2020 with a clean slate and a solidified place on this team, it will be interesting to see if he continues to take even more strides at the plate. Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Not registered? Click here to create an account. To stay up to date, follow Twins Daily on Twitter and Facebook. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY The 2020 Offseason Handbook Is Now Available for Preorder!Hot Corner Consideration: Potential Third Base Alternatives to Miguel SanoALDS Takeaways, Part 2: Miguel Sanó and the Athleticism Gap Click here to view the article

Boyd would definitely be an upgrade and he's only going to continue to get better. Gray and Musgrove would certainly fit in the middle of the rotation as upgrades over Gibson/Perez/Dobnak etc. If Robbie Ray is your #5 starter then you have an excellent rotation.

The Minnesota Twins are in store for a starting rotation overhaul this offseason with only Jose Berrios and Martin Perez under contract. The free agent market will definitely be explored, but the area the Twins could land a top of the rotation starter might be the trade market. With the opportunity to win wide open along with an abundance of prospects, the time is now for Falvey and Levine to make a trade.I will be listing four starters the Twins could acquire via trade along with their age, team and free agency year. While none of them are Noah Sydergaard or Max Scherzer, the trades I listed would definitely help the team. Detroit Tigers: Matthew Boyd, 28, 2023 Free Agent 2019 statistics: 4.56 ERA, 4.32 FIP, 1.23 WHIP, 4.76 K/BB, 3.3 WARBoyd will be very interesting to monitor over the offseason. He was being shopped at the trade deadline, but Detroit was persistent on wanting major league talent which teams in contention were obviously reluctant to part ways with. The hope is that now, after a rough second half (5.51 ERA), the price will drop enough for a team to acquire him. The Tigers southpaw is extremely talented, but his main problem was giving up the long ball (worst HR/9 in MLB at 1.89). He held an elite 11.56 K/9 while his walk rate dropped from 2018. Boyd would hold a top two or three spot in the rotation until 2023. Now it just depends on what Detroit is asking for. Colorado Rockies: Jon Gray, 27, 2022 Free Agent 2019 statistics: 3.84 ERA, 4.06 FIP, 1.35 WHIP, 2.68 K/BB, 2.9 WARThe Rockies are coming off a 91-loss season and could be looking to part ways with a starting pitcher. Gray would be a nice piece for the middle of the Twins rotation, and the Rockies could be a solid team for Eddie Rosario to potentially join because of Coors Field. A trade for Gray would likely require three players who can contribute now or very soon. Pittsburgh Pirates: Joe Musgrove, 26, 2023 Free Agent 2019 statistics: 4.44 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 1.22 WHIP, 4.03 K/BB, 3.3 WARMusgrove is someone whom no one is really talking about, and I first heard his name from Twins Daily contributor Matt Braun on Twitter. He is coming off his best season and at 26-years-old with three years of control, he would slide right in to the long-term rotation plans. He has a fastball/sinker combo that was hit hard last season, but an excellent slider and changeup make for an interesting Wes Johnson fix. Arizona Diamondbacks: Robbie Ray. 28, 2021 Free Agent 2019 statistics: 4.34 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.34 WHIP, 2.4 WARRobbie Ray is interesting because he would be a one-year rental, but if the Diamondbacks are open to selling him for a small price then it would be a solid move. Ray is someone I was really hoping the Twins would acquire at the deadline, but ultimately the price was just too high. Hopefully now that Arizona is unlikely to win in 2020, he will be easier to acquire and could slide in as an excellent number four starter. Click here to view the article

Matt and Cooper of Twins Daily set their sights on the offseason and what moves specifically the Twins may make as they head into 2020 with a lot of room for molding. Link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5tqjO8dYdn17IwPakSzpaR?si=y2DWE9h_S26GtGfBm_SmygHey everyone, your favorite or probably least favorite duo is back with another podcast! This is our first official episode during what we expect to be a fun offseason, and we previewed it all here. We included some free agent targets, 40-man roster questions, building a rotation, and much more so check it out. Click this link to go to the Spotify playlist! https://open.spotify..._S26GtGfBm_Smyg Time stamps 2:10 The baseball is different? 6:45 The offseason is here...what now? 14:15 Twins have some free agents 27:40 40-Man roster questions 42:00 discussing some free agent targets 55:00 Fan questions Alex Kirilloff or Rosario on opening day?Realistic starting rotation?Which SP is likely to sign with TwinsA genie question Click here to view the article

Definitely what I was thinking. A 31-year old who has been solid for over two years will have a good market for sure. I wouldn't count the Twins out, but it's not likely.

I think you try to get two starters back. Try for Odo and Pineda but if either of them move on then bring Gibson back.

Nobody wants them all back, but 1-2 are necessary because you cant just overhaul a pitching staff while your window is open. Bring back Pineda/Odorizzi, go sign Zack Wheeler and trade for someone to pitch ahead of Berrios.

The 2019 season has come to an abrupt end after 101 wins. This means we may have seen some players in a Twins uniform for the final time. With a lot of question marks about the rotation and a few key position players, I take a look at who should come back and who should be on the move.The key Twins who could be moving on to a new team for 2020 are listed here. (* = option or ARB eligible) C Jason Castro1B C.J. Cron*2B Jonathan SchoopSP Kyle GibsonSP Michael PinedaSP Martin Perez*SP Jake OdorizziRP Sergio RomoNelson Cruz was originally on this list, but as expected, the Twins have picked up his option for 2020. C Jason Castro Castro began the season as the starting catcher, but Mitch Garver took Minnesota by storm with one of the Twins best hitting seasons as a catcher. That mixed with Castro’s struggles in the second half (.196/.333/.299) make it unlikely that he will return. He can probably find a starting job somewhere in free agency as a left- handed hitting defensive catcher. The Twins could also bring him back on a one-year deal if he does decide to stay and that wouldn't hurt. 1B C.J. Cron Cron will still be under control next year, but it comes down to if the Twins want to pay for his final season or let him go to a new team like the Rays did last season. He suffered a thumb injury this past season that altered his production a lot. He had a .700 OPS in the second half and a .685 OPS vs RHP on the season. He plays a decent first base and crushes left-handers. With Alex Kirilloff on the horizon, I think Cron comes back for 2020 but could end up in a platoon role at some point. This could also depend on the Twins plan for Sano to either stay at 3B or move to 1B in the future. 2B Jonathan Schoop The emergence of Luis Arraez along with the drop off from Schoop made it fairly clear who the starting second baseman will be next season. The Twins will likely ride with Arraez on Opening Day next season, and Schoop will definitely be able to find a starting job somewhere else in 2020. He was a solid addition and the Twins probably got what was expected from him. SP Kyle Gibson Moving on to pitching, Gibson is one of the longest-tenured Twins after seven seasons that started off rough, but ultimately ended well for him to land a nice deal next season. He had a 3.72 ERA from the 2017 trade deadline until now even with some unfortunate health concerns. He will probably get a multi-year deal with someone other than the Minnesota Twins and all of you who hate Kyle will be extremely happy. SP Michael Pineda Despite having his 2019 success stained by his suspension for a possible PED masking agent, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring Pineda back for next season. His 3.04 second half ERA, as he basically carried the rotation, was extremely impressive so he could be back. The Twins will likely bring two starters from this season back, and Pineda has a good chance to be one of them. SP Jake Odorizzi The Twins acquired Odorizzi before the 2018 season for AA infielder Jermaine Palacios who had a .192 AVG this past season. Odorizzi has produced 6.9 fWAR over those two seasons and was a 2019 All-Star. The Twins will likely send a qualifying offer around $18 million and if a team doesn’t want to lose a draft pick for him then I think Odo could be back. He could also come back on the QO because he can't be offered the QO two years in a row so he may come back to build his free agency stock for 2021. SP Martin Perez With a $7.5 million team option for next season, I don’t expect to see Perez back for the 2020 season. Maybe I can get behind seeing him as a relief pitcher, but the Twins should definitely be moving on from him in the rotation. From June to October he allowed a 5.93 ERA and a .831 OPS so I would hope the Martin Perez experiment has come to an end. RP Sergio Romo I challenge you to find one Twins fan who does not love Sergio Romo. You can’t, so don’t even try. The 36-year-old reliever would be a valuable asset who I believe will be back for 2020. His veteran presence mixed with his playoff/World Series experience and his electric energy on and off the field are all tools that would fit right in on this young team. Plus he is also an effective late inning reliever so that’s a plus. Alright, now that I have finished going through all the players, here are my predictions: Returning for 2020: Cron, Pineda, Odorizzi, Romo Heading to a new team: Castro, Schoop, Gibson, Perez As the off-season progresses, each one of these players will be monitored closely by everyone here at Twins Daily, so follow us on Twitter and be looking out for more in- depth articles about each player. Leave a comment here saying who you would like to see come back for 2020. Click here to view the article