Riverbrian

I'm sick and tired of people blaming all the players hitting under .217 for the past month with an OPS under .677 for the past 30 days, All with enough playing time for over 68 AB's during that stretch. It makes absolutely no sense to pin this on Kepler, Dozier, Morrison, Grossman and Sano. It's about time someone hit the nail on the head and fixates on the real problem... Jake Cave.

It shows an eagerness to get the job done.

Sano has to get his head right at the plate. His plate discipline must improve. If he improves it... I think we could all be quite happy with the results and it could happen quickly. If he doesn't... He'll be Chris Carter at best and we already have one of those. He's needs to cut that strikeout rate... Significantly. Sending him down is a two birds with one stone move. It gives them a chance to work on the severe issues that have taken him over and do it out of the spotlight. The 2nd bird... Molitor can't play him... the temptation to let him work his way through it is removed and that could actually improve the team in the short term. Should Buxton be next? I'd say Buxton has been worse so I vote yes.

My philosophy is going to pretty simple. As long as Adrianaza is hitting and producing and he is one of the few that is... Keep letting him hit and produce. I understand that many have made their minds up about Adrianaza and are very willing to look past this hot streak and wait for the eventual crash down to earth. I'm not a long term believer in Adrianaza myself but in the current Twins offense context, in my strong opinion, you can't bench one of 3 guys actually hitting for someone who isn't hitting but is supposed to be hitting. It's all about opportunity and this is his opportunity to extend his career and I'm going to cheer him on while he lasts. Before he arrived with the Twins... the most he had was 113 AB's in a season with the Giants. Let's see if he can extend this run for awhile. Dave Roberts of the Dodgers would never allow Buxton, Sano, Morrison to perform like they are without a reduction in playing time. I'm sure the Dodger Fans were not very excited by Max Muncy especially since he was released by the A's. Well... he figured something out and Roberts has him in the starting somewhere most nights because he is performing and he is taking away at bats from Dodger mainstays who were not performing. This is how depth is created. Let players get a chance to be depth. If they come out of nowhere, let the come out of nowhere. Disclaimer: I'm not predicting that Adrianaza is going to be a superstar going forward... but I am saying... let's find out... at the very least... it is fact that he is out performing everybody else on the roster not named Eddie at the moment.

Let me throw a hypothetical example of what I'm talking about. The purpose isn't to discuss the hypothetical names chosen at the granular level because I have no idea how much a free agent will cost or what teams will give up what players. This is for a broad sense of how the resources it would take to acquire Realmuto could provide more bang for the buck. I'm not taking the time to research how many years of control or salary for this exercise. This is just for a general sense. Catcher: Castro (If Castro can't play - Get Mathis or the Best Defensive guy you can find) Garver AAA Depth: Best AAAA Guy you can find. 1B-3B: Mauer (Or FA Matt Adams if Mauer retires). Matt Adams can also play a little OF on occasion. Eugenio Saurez (Trade with the same pieces it would have taken to trade for Realmuto... They take the prospects and replace him with Senzel). Sano - Can play 1B-3B-DH (Let him compete for the Lions Share of playing time. AAA Depth - Kennys Vargas or someone like Mark Reynolds. 2B-SS: Polanco Eduardo Escobar (Please bring him back... whatever it takes... He is capable at so many positions) Jurickson Profar (Free Agent Signing) Multiple Positions... Can also play OF. AAA Depth: Nick Gordon OF: Rosario Kepler Buxton Reds OF in the Suarez Trade (Duvall or Schebler) AAA Depth: Lamonte Wade Do not sign a dedicated DH... The DH spot can be used to get the extra bats in the lineup instead of a guy like Morrison who is 1B only clogging things up. Now... This is just a quick example of what can be done to build depth and provide insurance in case any of the players are playing like Buxton, Sano and Morrison have been playing this year.... you are also protected against injuries should they occur and they do. You will have honest to god competition at all positions. A good manager will manage the playing time obviously but a good manager can find a way to do it based on Hot/Cold and Matchups or gut... Like Maddon does, Like Roberts Does, Like Hinch Does, Like Martinez Does. I'm not sure that Molitor is that guy but he won't have to tolerate a sub-par performance anywhere with a roster like this. (Besides Catcher of course). You might be able to spend a little more on a Catcher if you'd like and you have money left over after addressing the Bullpen. Here's a sample lineup: Kepler - RF Escobar - 2B Saurez - 3B Rosario - LF Sano - 1B Adams/Duvall - DH Polanco/Profar - SS Garver/Castro - C Buxton - CF

This is exactly what I’m talking about. I don’t know the prices but I’m looking economical as I can. Instead of paying 17m for McCann. I’d go 1 or 2M for someone who can catch but hits .200 instead of paying 16m for a guy who hits a little better but still much less then other position players and then spend the extra 15M and 16M too fill two other holes. More bang for the buck. Keep in mind... I’m not a starting 9 guy so I will never look at Buxton and say CF is filled until he actually performs like it is filled. Until he does... I want that safety net.

I’m not a war guy so I tend not to speak that language. Once 2019 hits... we could be looking for a replacement for Mauer, Dozier, Rscobar, Morrison, Lynn, Santana, Rodney. Plus Buxton and Sano are question marks at the moment. We will have other needs besides catcher and I’m not sure that Nick Gordon and Realmuto will fill all those spots.

Yeah I get that but the price for top end catching remains high regardless. Realmuto with that team control you mentioned should drive the price through the roof and the Twins have under performance in a lot of spots besides catcher so I think it makes more sense to pull in a bigger fish elsewhere with our limited resources.

Who knows what is realistic? I know I don't. I used Marcell Ozuna for an example because Ozuna was traded but who knows if the Orioles part with Schoop or if the White Sox part with Abreu. And then you gotta factor in years of control, salary, which is going to skew the discussion. I'm just saying... Catcher are over pays. Lucroy cost the Rangers Brinson... Brinson got Yelich. Avila cost Candelario. We have posters talking about 4 players out of our top ten prospects for Realmuto without batting an eye. I'm batting an eye and saying if you are going to give up 4 players out of our top ten prospects for someone. Go get someone who will step into the 3 spot and play every day.

Not many get my brilliance.

Realmuto would be great. Just worried he would be cost prohibitive because of position scarcity.

Not giving up on. Managing playing time more appropriately. This is why I've always said that I'm not a starting 9 guy. I personally have a problem with shoe-horning a guy into a starting role and taking whatever comes from him. I believe in Buxton but believing in Buxton doesn't mean he gets to show up to the ball park to see his name in the lineup every night with his slash line. I look at this way... We don't have to dump Buxton. Just change your expectation of him until he can provide it. if we simply keep him on the roster (don't completely bench him) and let him dictate how much playing time by how much he contributes. We go from forcing a .383 OPS guy into the lineup every day to having depth. Honest competition for the playing time. Look at the Brewers... They had a great outfield and they still signed Cain and traded for Yelich. Now they have depth coming out of their ears at all positions. If they had Morrison hitting like Morrison they have an option to play instead. They don't have to suffer through a .400 OPS from Keon Braxton while they wait to see if he is gonna be what everyone says he will be. They'll call him up when Yelich or Cain get's a boo-boo. Catchers don't hit that well and they don't play that often. If you are going to pay the price for position scarcity... Pay it for something that really moves the needle.

I agree Realmuto will probably cost more than it costs to get Ozuna but Ozuna will give you more production and be able to play 162 games when Catchers are rare if they eclipse 120 games. If you are going to pay that kind of price for Realmuto... you might as well spend it on something that really moves the needle with 30 plus home run production.

My idea is a little off the wall. Instead of trading Sano and Buxton out of frustration at the low end of their potential value. How about we just keep them on the roster and manage the expectation that they are the pair to lead us to the promised land until they play like they are the pair to lead us to the promised land. They are still cheap... Keep Sano as a 3B/1B and make him compete against a 3B and 1B with talent for playing time. Make him earn it... make them all earn it. Keep Buxton as an OF with Kepler and Rosario but bring in someone better than Grossman to compete with all 3 of them for playing time. Make Buxton earn every day playing time by actual performance instead of what you think or hope his performance should be.

Every team has budget constraints. I'm not really sure why anyone has a problem about recouping 6 Million bucks of dead money especially when teams are not just going to burn 6 million without consequences. This is how teams get dead money off of the books. They have to give up something painful to get someone else to share the pain. San Diego could have waited to pick him up at the minimum. Just finding a team that would invest 6 million in Phil Hughes had to be difficult and it took a draft pick to get it done. Now it's up to Minnesota to draft well with the picks before that and the picks after. Will the money be directly reinvested back into the product. Not directly because it really can't be calculated because the money is going to get mixed together with all the other dollars coming off the books and then spent according to opportunity and need. It's not here's 5 bucks now go buy a 5 buck hamburger. Having 6 million more of it... means you have 6 million more of it and that may open some doors on specific players and it also might... (speculation from me) it might look good to Ownership who just might be heartened that if he signs a big contract like this in the future, there is a possible escape hatch. In the end, they get to draft one less prospect. I think that can be survived.

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Actually... this is when I like Rodney... He's used to it. I'd rather he didn't start innings because he tends to fill up the bases.

Yeah... I like effort but I'd like a little more instinct.

Dear Sano, You don't have to dive for that one either. Keep moving your feet.

I'm happy I'm just watching Sano and Buxton real close right now... I'm in coach mode.

At least it wasn't an outside slider.

C'Mon Sano... Two Strikes... Don't chase... Bat on Ball at least.

Yep... It was looking good for awhile. Kinda like stopping on the 17th hole.