Riverbrian

Kinda surprised that it would be necessary to be this specific to try express my level of my disappointment... but OK. Since November, I've got a plastic bag that has gotten stuck very high up in a tree in my yard. When it's windy... it's makes this flapping sound that makes me look up at the bag and it disappointments me. I have no control over the wind that put it there and or the wind that makes it rustle. And there isn't really anything I can do to get it down. I'm going to continue watching the Twins and I'm not going to sell my house. Better? Yeah I meant Sanchez.

Yep... Just change the names and this article can be cut and pasted for the other 29 teams.

I was sitting in the living room with a freshly opened beer on the end table... I want to be clear that I was using a coaster because I'm not a cave man. I reached for it... knocked it over and it spilled on to the floor. Now my wife doesn't want me having any drinks in the living room because she worries about the carpet. I presented the argument that my beverage consumption in the living room typically goes without incident. The next day, I heard her tell my mother-in-law on the phone that I spill all the time.

Sure looks like 3 Catchers is the plan. Unless you have a Cruz type talent... I'd prefer the DH spot be spread around to get some AB's to the entire roster. It sure looks like we will be disappointed because Garcia is most likely not Cruz and I worry that Godoy will be under utilized and therefore a waste of a spot. I'm with you when it comes to my level of disappointment. My wife wanted to go out for dinner and I said "Sure... Wherever You'd like to go". I didn't really have a preference but I didn't feel like Chinese Food at that moment. She chose the China Garden... and that was a comparable disappointment. I had the Cantonese Beef Chow Mein and now I'm getting 3 catchers.

I Agree with the sentiment. 3 catchers with a 26 man roster is the last thing I want to see. However, if you think about it... I actually may be more disappointed with the 28. With the quick spring training ramp up... I am hoping that the two extra slots go to pitching. They will need the extra arms. I think it would be a little on the risky side asking arms still ramping up to produce 100 pitches out of the gate. The bullpen is going to be utilized early and often. Therefore, giving one of two extra spots (that are only being provided to teams because of the quick spring training) to a third catcher, a catcher that just ends up being a roster causality when the roster tightens back. Well this would be an incredible waste of the emergency provision and the reason for the provision in the first place. So... if you are going north with 3 catchers... you'd have to assume that 3 catchers would also be the plan for the 26 man roster. So if 3 go North. 3 catchers for the season is the plan. Sanchez spending a large portion of time at DH would be the plan. One less roster position player slot for someone just to accommodate Sanchez and the Sanchez shortcomings would be the plan. Using the DH to provide AB's for Sano, Arraez, Rooker, Larnach or Miranda is less of an option would be the plan. I'm not going to like that plan. ?

I'm already saying I told you so... just not publicly. ?

Who they pick is who they pick... it won't be permanent with adjustments forthcoming. However, I will be disappointed if three catchers come North.

There are a lot of people who feel the way you feel. However, if you are willing to dedicate exclusive playing time to a selected few based on very very very small margins. You have to be right... I mean you haaaavvvvve to be right... because the wrong will keep being wrong like a church bell while you have been injecting pentobarbital into the right player, When that happens... we never really know what we lost but that's ok because the continued playing time of the failed chosen player is always justified with the standard "Well... there is nobody else to play anyway". ?

"No Wise Man has the Power... To Reason Away".

Options to choose from and utilize is a terrific problem to have. Back when I was programming rock radio stations. Radio Stations all over the country were using test scores to determine playlists. Listen to the Music by the Doobie Brothers tested at a 75 so I could play it without a consultant crawling up my... China Grove tested at a 74 so I couldn't play it or the consultant would crawl up my... 75 was the line. The end result: Listen to the Music was the only Doobie Brothers song that played in a playlist of 200 songs spanning the 60's, 70's and 80's and China Grove is gone to fade into oblivion. That's a small difference and a hard line that produces a needless tight play list and eventually Listen to the Music stops working for ya. Urshela and Kepler are Listen to the Music Arraez and Larnach are China Grove ?

Who are the best 9 is the question that no one knows the answer to and how big of a difference is there between number 4 and number 13 is also an important question to be asked? The answer to that question can only be determined on the field. Sing for your supper... let the best man win.

I don't believe in a bench. Buxton, Correa and Polanco should be in the lineup close to every day. Everybody else on the roster needs to compete for the most playing time at the available positions.

The gain is always significant in my eyes. The gain is the roster spot. The gain is MLB evaluation of players that might or might not have something of future use. I honestly admit... I don't know where I would have pulled the plug on Shoemaker... I'm guessing that I would have started plug pulling on Shoemaker and others right about the same time that I started looking at 2022 instead of 2021 which was probably sooner than the front office was ready to. Yeah... Barnes and Jax were slight improvements (if that) and I agree that they certainly didn't significantly move the needle for 2021 but I wasn't too interested in 2021 anymore. That roster spot provided to them should have been helpful for the upcoming 2022 decisions that were just around the corner. Barnes was evaluated and he isn't here now. I'm lot more comfortable with the decision on Barnes than I was with the decision on Nick Anderson because Nick wasn't given the chance to strike out two batters an inning for us at the major league level. Now, the argument that is typically used against my thinking is that the front office knows who to give that opportunity to, They do... better than I... but they haven't perfected it or Nick Anderson would have gotten that roster spot over Matt Belisle and Anderson is probably on our DL right now. I agree that 2020 put a huge crimp in the development arc that limited the 2021 options. 2022 looks like a different can of beans. This year... we got some young arms on the 40 man that are crowding the gate. Winder is 25... Archer was 23 back in his glory days... So... while I'm willing to give Bundy and Archer a chance to show that they can help us, if they go Shoemaker on us... I'd like less rope. ? These types of signings always make me nervous. It's the rope... It's the rope.

I was aware of that. The June 4th start in Kansas City where he achieved one solitary out while giving up 8 Earned Runs was his final start (rightfully so) and his ERA ballooned from 5.90 to 7.28 over the course of that one third of an inning and then off to the bullpen for further elevation of the ERA. Actually... if he could have just avoided starts against Kansas City his ERA would have only been 6.04. 16 earned over 3.2 innings is bound to hurt a little. ? Shoemaker wasn't the sole life sucker of our miserable season. We have a bunch of 1 year deals that I could of included in what would be my overall point. I'm singling out Shoemaker to make a briefer example. I'd rather it be easier to escape from out and under the bad free agent. Younger players with options would have been sent down in May... even with better numbers. The fact that 5.90 isn't "an automatic cut". is my point. These vets get more rope and that rope can hang us. I get why they get the rope but I'd rather go young for roster movement ease and future development.

You are probably correct that injuries played a role in the length of Shoemaker's leash... our injury situation got ridiculous, however it still doesn't hold water. Shoemaker's ERA was 8.08 when he was finally designated for assignment on July 1st. However, no matter the injury situation. Finding someone better than 8.08 should never be a problem for any organization. Select Charlie Barnes earlier... sign Wade LeBlanc off the scrap heap if you just can't give Charlie Barnes a chance. Wasting a 26 and 40 man roster spot on a vet pitcher on a 1 year deal with an 8.08 ERA is how the life gets sucked out of an organization. You literally try anybody else. I'm ok rolling the dice with Archer and Bundy... but if the dice roll is snake eyes, they can't be allowed to kill us all the way into July like Shoemaker... like Logan Morrison was placed in the lineup over and over again. They can't be absolutely terrible and block youth from auditioning. No more Logan Morrison's... No more Matt Shoemaker free agent mistake double downs. Vets have always gotten the longer leash and it should be the other way around. I say this as a supporter of the front office.

I agree with you. This is likely a 1 year deal and it will leave the Twins with a nice piggy bank to reinvest next year. But... Yeah... Massive Injury is the nightmare scenario.

I'm thinking it's possible that the addition of the Donaldson money probably knocked the Yankees out of a possible 1 year high AAV for Correa. Might have knocked them out of Freeman as well. Who knows... but the Yankees have a budget that they try to adhere to just like everybody else. ?

The #3 pick that year was Zunino... Let's go get him!!!

I have no idea obviously but... 3 years wouldn't have been on the table under any reasonable circumstance would be my guess. Correa wanted the 10 year deal like Seager got at a higher AAV or a 1 year deal so he can try again next year for the 10 year deal. A 3 year deal would get Correa back to FA at a much older age and less value because the older you get... the harder it is to get a 10 year deal.

Puppies will also chew up shoes and crap on the floor. ? And there is lead in the drinking water.

I'm going back to bed. My Doctor says that sleep is important and this getting up early for no reason is starting to cause hallucinations.

LOL... I think the crowd was already whipped up based on the glow of the torches behind you. No... Josh Donaldson could not be easily flipped at the deadline. There are very few teams that can take on the 33 million plus that he will still be due. Of the teams that can just drop 33 million on Donaldson... none of them will and that's if Josh has a good year as you suggest he will. The options are not there at that price point. However, If Josh has a rough year due to age, health, or punching an umpire. Moving Donaldson at the deadline or in the off season will go from trying to pick a lock with your teeth -- to trying to pick a lock with your teeth and but now you have no teeth.

The Twins didn't give away Donaldson. Essentially, the Twins paid the Yankees to take Donaldson. The Twins had to give up value to make up for the negative value attached to Josh. We paid with our starting SS. A steep price that should show how hard it was to get out from under the contract and how badly the Twins wanted out of that contract.

When it comes to pleasing both of us at the same time. It appears obvious that front offices will have a difficult time accomplishing that. ?

Trevor Story Splits do not scare me. Someone jumping out of a box while yelling Boo does from time to time.