Riverbrian

If Polanco is viewed as a 2B only. This means we have 0 SS's on the roster. I can see the Twins acquiring a SS but under no circumstances do I see the Twins acquiring 2 players who can play SS. Therefore... Polanco will probably be at lowest #2 on the SS depth chart. Does anyone here have 162 game expectations for the acquired SS... whoever that may be?

I can't (or shouldn't) speak for Nick. However, I believe that you are making the same point he was trying to make. You clearly illustrate that assembling a winning baseball team isn't dependent upon having a bWar superstar at SS. I believe Nick was making that same point by stating that the Twins actually won baseball games with Polanco at SS. So... while recognizing that 2B is a better fit for Polanco it certainly doesn't mean that the wheels will completely come off with him at SS either. Speaking for myself now, I think the team was better at the SS and 2B positions overall with Polanco and Arraez than they were with Simmons and Polanco. I'm also not endorsing this and calling it progress either. If the Twins want to trade for Mondesi or sign Story, I'd be all for it. However, if Polanco ends up back at SS out of necessity, I think the sun will still rise tomorrow. ?

It does seem as if both sides are using the ticking clock as their primary leverage.

WIth all these new electronics, I find myself messing around with them trying to figure out what they can do. It doesn't take long for an adjustment here and an adjustment there to make things horrible with no clear path back. I am always grateful for the default setting.

The only way the Twins can build a competitive rotation will be through the farm system. Trading any of our farm arms for one year of below average veteran starters would be tragic. Ober, Ryan, Dobnak, Thorpe, Balazovic, Jax, Duran, Strotman, Winder, Sands and Vallimont are all on the 40 man roster. Having that many arms at this stage of their career on the 40 man roster should tell everyone what the plan is. The young arms are not only coming but already here. It will be quantity to search for quality and I think they will find some.

Here's a good read.) Nick, I've been singing this very song on TD for quite a few years now. I've spent a life time working with demographics and the obvious conclusion is: Baseball's current demo's are not sustainable for the long run, the sport will age out unless significant changes are made. The game needs to become more appealing to a wider demographic range for the future and it has to start ASAP. They can start by eliminating of Grandpa's stoic unwritten rules, that are still enforced today. Let players express themselves and have FUN out there instead of getting a bean ball for a bat flip. This move alone will increase youth interest across the board. There are many things the sport can do to increase youth interest. Old Grandpa rules used to be that ex-ball players were the ones qualified for coaching and front office positions and if you are hiring ex-ball players, the actual demographics of ball players will play a role in your coaching and front office numbers in the years to follow. However, the recent trend of Ivy league front offices have blown that old grandpa convention out of the water. Front office personnel who never played the game are all over the place now and if front office personnel who have never played the game are running things today and they are... Past and future baseball player demographics don't matter anymore. Meaning, we have qualified black candidates who can be hired today for advancement to the big chairs and there are qualified female candidates for the big chairs. And let's not forget about the females. There is absolutely no reason why a female couldn't do what Dick Bremer does or what Derek Falvey does. It is systemic. Baseball has a demographic problem because it has stubbornly clung to it's traditions and we have all read the history books to know what was happening when those traditions were set in stone.

I never judge draft picks because I really lack the knowledge to form specific opinions on individual players. However, I like the idea of drafting players with the skills that cant be taught, which are Power, speed and velocity. This guy apparently has the power so now the Twins are tasked with teaching the rest.

In Grand Forks North Dakota today. A funeral is being held for 29 year old police officer Cody Holte. Cody was shot and killed last Thursday while coming to the aid of other officers who were serving civil papers and unexpectedly fired upon with an AK-47. The suspect also accidentally shot and killed his mother while spraying bullets in the small apartment they shared and wounded a county sheriff. Cody leaves behind a wife and young child. This entire issue is complicated and beyond my skills as a human being.

Just using Rudy Gobert as an example. He felt well enough to mock the disease at a press conference and play 30 Plus Minutes in a game on Monday March 9th. By Wednesday March 11th, he tests positive, which led to the entire team being tested and the discovery that Donovan Mitchell also has it. Donovan Mitchell also felt well enough to play 30 plus minutes in a game on Monday March 9th and was suited up and ready to go with the virus on March 11th. No Symptoms and we have transmission taking place. Now expand outward from the NBA locker room in Utah to everywhere on the planet, businesses, households, schools, churches across the globe. People are infected and unaware they are. Are any of you sure that you want to use the current reported stats of detected cases and use them to support any argument?

As baseball fans we understand small sample sizes. This virus is 3 months old. The stats dont mean much right now. Odds are that all who have it haven't been identified yet. I'm not sure we are ready to compare stats to past outbreaks of anything. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm not sure how anyone can watch the unprecedented measures taking place and still try to compare it to other outbreaks that didn't require these unprecedented measures. I'm not panicked, I'm going to carry on as normal with the exception that I've decided to not make my weekly visits to see my Dad in the nursing home an hour away. I'd appreciate it if the nursing home didn't allow me to visit if I tried in consideration of the unknowns and elderly vulnerability. I'd like to visit my Dad again. I'd like my 401K to quit dropping, I'd like to purchase TP stocked on the shelves and I'd rather not pay triple the price when I do. I'd like to attend baseball games. The quicker we get this under control is in my best interest. I'm listening to the experts and I'm not assuming conspiracy.

Sano has never been healthy for entire year, Donaldson has been hurt before, Rosario played half the season injured, Kepler was down for all of September. We have Buxton though. He usually stays healthy. We had Marwin last year and we had to create another Marwin with Arraez to get through the season. ANd it worked. I'd love to see Sano get through the season but I'd be surprised.

Man, That Kiriloff is going to provide a real mid-season boost.

I get that Howie and certainly understand the differences between teams in different stages of the cycle. However, I would argue that the Twins were never in full rebuild mode and I would certainly say that after 2015, 2016 was time to compete and not take flyers on youth with uncertain outcomes and possible learning curves. But mainly, it would have been better to work them in instead of cementing themselves to a do or die situation.

I believe how we handled Hicks and Buxton was a terrible short sighted mistake, I believe that all front offices should avoid repeating this mistake at all costs. Yet... We kept repeating the same mistake over and over again in CF. Hicks and Buxton were shoved into the opening day lineup with no Plan B should they fail. They failed and the Twins kept trying and they kept failing. With this so fresh in our memories... I don't understand how people can just say... Next Year Kiriloff will start in LF and we can trade others to accommodate. It is so much better to debut your minor league talent in the middle of the season surrounded by talent who can absorb struggles from the newly promoted minor league talent. And if the minor league talent performs... like many are these days. Continue to incorporate them into the mix. When people see a roster full of talent... many think "Blocked". I don't think "blocked"... I think it's the perfect opportunity to let others show what they can do when injuries occur. The team is protected if they fail. If they fail... send them back down. If they succeed... You've improved your lineup and you've found a cheap option for next years roster which can free up cash to improve somewhere else in the lineup. All you have to do... is give them a chance to win a job. Let them play if they win it... Send them down if they don't perform. Depth is a good thing. If you don't play your depth... you don't have it.

It depends on how you view your prospects. Do you view prospects like the rookie years of Buxton, Hicks and Oswaldo Arcia? or do you view prospects like the rookie years of Jordan Alvarez, Fernando Tatis, Pete Alonso, Keston Hiura, Bo Bichette, Eloy Jimenez, Mike Ford, WIll Smith, Aristedes Aquino, Vlad Jr, Bryan Reynolds, Mike Yastrzemski, Tommy Edman, Brandon Lowe, Christian Walker, Alex Verdugo, Kevin Newman, Austin Nola, Cavan Biggio, Matt Beaty, Michael Chavis, Oscar Mercado, Austin Riley, Victor Robles or our very own Luis Arraez? If you view them like the rookie years of Buxton, Hicks and Arcia. I can see why you would want to hold that door shut. However, if Kiriloff is hitting like Jordan Alvarez or Tatis or Alonso or Hiura. Holding that door shut would be tragic.

"Destined for less than 100 wins" ??? Where does this destiny come from with a MLB Roster so loaded that top prospects are held back?

Cleveland was hammered with rotation injuries. They had no choice, they needed Civale and Plesac. Now they have purposely chosen Civale and Plesac. The Twins remained healthy and chose Martin Perez. Now they have chosen Homer Bailey. The Twins are not Cleveland yet.

Riverkent doesn't have the same ring to it.

Best looking name on the back of a jersey.

You could be correct. However... I can't think of any team that is deep at Catcher. It's the shallowest of all positions.

Cesar knows he wasn't a dawning. He was a light bulb that lit the sky in his corner of the world during a time when people assumed that light bulbs were some sort of sorcery.

I love Arraez but if I had my wish. He'd remain Super Utility. He can still get the bulk of the playing time at 2B but giving him some time at other positions will keep him prepared for replacing Marwin next year. Someone will have to replace what Marwin does next year. Astudillo. I love flexibility but I'd rather not see the Turtle at 2B. That's taking it a little bit too far.

Hallelujah!!! It's why I'm a big fan of the work being done by this current regime.

I'm still not sure how many people were actually paying attention to 2019 and were able to notice the complete change of roster/lineup management. Or even noticed how well the difference worked. Or even tried to put two and two together. Marwin playing multiple positions in 2019 was the key to executing that successful change. The question is not "Should Marwin be on the team in 2020"? The question is "Who will be replace what Marwin does in 2021"? If he isn't re-signed. The day of simple utility should be gone with the wind. The day has dawned for Super-Utility.

Winning the Central will be considered a success by me. Make the playoffs And then get hot. That's how it works.