Riverbrian

I don't believe that "Long Man" is even the slightest bit necessary anymore. I know it is different in the playoffs. I know that 162 games is a grind and therefore different than the playoffs... but... look what Girardi did to us in WC Game. We jumped on their Ace Severino and he lasted one third of an inning. Chad Green comes in early and pitches two innings and then Robertson for 3.1 followed by Kahnle for for 2.1 and then Chapman for the 9th. No long man and a frustrated Twins lineup. The Twins countered that with: Santana 2.0 Berrios 3.0 Hildenberger 1.1 Rogers .1 Busenitz .1 Belisle 1 Molitor treated Berrios like a long man and if the Twins advanced. The starting rotation was compromised. There is only one answer in my opinion. 7 Guys in the Bullpen... 7 Guys who are all trusted and can all knock you out. Load it up!!! Your top gun in the bullpen gets used like Andrew Miller. Pitch when backs are against the wall and you need someone. You can also name a dedicated closer for value purposes. Pitchers will want that role because it tends to pay more in the current climate. After that... No Dedicated 8th or 7th inning guy... No Dedicated Long Man. Use the guy who is rested and ready. pitching well and matches up well with batting order you are facing. Don't name a set up guy and try to ride him out when he is struggling. Give the ball to those who are performing at the time. Have enough talent to be flexible and let it rock. That's how I'd do it and the Twins are pretty close to being able to execute this way. The Pen has potential and there is significant replacement depth in the minors.

I'm not advocating a weak 9th inning closer. I'm greedy... I want a bullpen full of guys who get people out with authority. However... while we are just entering the age of bullpen enlightenment. The 9th inning will devalue down the road. Bullpens have to be looked at differently.

IMO... Any team that isn't signing, trading for... or creating their own version of Andrew Miller is making a mistake. If this is the plan for Addison Reed... I'm excited about it.

I still contend that the Yankees and Dodgers are out unless they are able to move a significant amount of money. Ellsbury and Kemp will be real hard to move. I believe the Astros are out after Cole. It doesn't look like the Cubs are shopping at the top of the market. It's the Rangers that I worry about and I don't care if Jon Daniels says they are out. They have been rumored to have been holding discussions about Darvish, Arrieta and Greinke this off season. They ain't out.

I'm hoping for Berrios, Gibson and Gonsalves.

https://www.wthr.com/article/while-rangers-want-to-add-rotation-depth-yu-still-unlikely I read this article and thought to myself. "Damn it... Yu is going to sign with the Rangers. The Rangers have been attached to rumors for Darvish and Arrieta. They have been mentioned as kicking the tires on a Grienke trade. Jon Daniels has had two public meetings with Darvish. The Rangers have been listed on the list of 6 teams still in on Darvish. Jon Daniels should think about public office... the big liar!!!

Personally, Anything Tom writes... he has my full attention. He could write an article on the importance of radishes and I'll read it because Tom has earned my full respect. It may not change my mind on radishes since I don't care for them and I am locked in. There is a reason why I'm not sold on radishes and it's probably more complicated than "I simply don't like the way they taste". To break down the complicated answer would take some time and energy so it is much easier to say "I don't like the way they taste". Radishes and UZR are pretty much the same thing for me.

Or maybe... the selection of Burdi and Bard made them think. "****... We lost two... better grab somebody... who ya got."

1. His sprint speed is still plenty fast. Aggressiveness is a possible explanation. 2. I'm not a UZR Guy. I don't believe the story it tells is accurate. The Inclusion of UZR makes me not a WAR guy either. 3. He used to be a Kamikaze base runner in his younger days. He might be getting smarter.

I love it. A staff full of decent arms with decent replacement options stashed in Rochester. It’s what every team wants.

The rumors will typically get crazy in the void of actual news.

Kinley would be #1 on my list. Unless Falvey and Lavine are sure he is the next Johan Santana. His selection made very little sense and when it happened it scared the hell out of me. I thought to myself... OMG... the Twins just committed a 25 man spot to a project. It was the exact opposite of the direction I wouldn't them to go. I kept thinking if the Twins were going to improve that bullpen.. .they wouldn't have given a spot to this Kinley experiment. Thank Goodness the Twins have signed Addison Reed who can effectively force the experiment off the roster. It should be Kinley first Boshers 2nd.

I agree... To assume that Ryan wouldn't notice the financial flexibility. You would have to first assume that he was blind and completely inept and that would be a terrible assumption to make. My opinion of Terry Ryan is mostly favorable. Even if I felt it was time for a change. However... There really isn't any history of Ryan shopping at the top of the FA pile or trading for an established veteran with a significant price tag. Ryan never got a chance to prove that he could or would spend when necessary. The timing may not have been right or... well... I don't know.

Only Darvish can decide if he comes here. If he comes or doesn't... I'm already buying into the indicator that the Twins have demonstrated it isn't business as usual by simply being in the mix for him. They wouldn't be in the mix without a significant dollar amount thrown in that direction. I'm pretty happy today.

This news made my Saturday. I was worried they were done in the bullpen. I’m smiling. I’m guessing that Reed signs for less years to be a closer. Rodney will have a new role and his agent is probably calling to air grievances. No way this takes them out on Darvish. Two Years around 8M per year. Should have no influence on a multi year 100 plus million deal.

Quite Possible. They are being rumored on Darvish and Cole for a reason. I still can't see them going with both Darvish and Cole. They would certainly have to deal some of that surplus. I also believe that the Astros are not desperate and don't have to over pay for anyone. If they don't sign any more pitching. They are in pretty good shape right now. It'll be hard for the Pirates to squeeze them... It'll be hard for Darvish's Agent to wring extra dollars out of them.

My guess... I think it means the Yankees have spoken to his agent in broad strokes. They will stay engaged as much as they can. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/cashman-yankees-chances-landing-darvish-article-1.3752216 They have publicly announced they will be under the cap. They have to move money to make it work.

If any of the above is true. Its dangerous for the Twins to wait for one of the other teams to cave. Because if they do... The Twins will probably lose. All the Twins eggs seem to be in the Darvish basket. They need a solid Plan B such as a trade for Grienke in place and then they need to give Darvish a quick deadline to take the offer or they complete the deal for Grienke. I can’t see an advantage for the Twins letting this play out. The D-Backs just might take Hughes and a prospect for Grienke so they free up some money to sign JD Martinez. The money will probably come out even AAV with two less years for Grienke. Who Knows... I might be

Taking this a step further to support my personal narrative. Trying to look at this logically with no inside information. 1. Do the Casablanca thing. The teams listed as still in the running are a list of the "Usual Suspects". Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, Rangers and Astros. Houston might be somewhat new to Free Agency participants but they ain't the same Astros from years past. They can be FA Players now. Seeing the Astros on a list with the usual suspects shouldn't be that shocking. 2. Do the Seseme Street thing. One of these teams is not like the other. That would be our Twins. The Twins have never been working at the top of the market. My assumption based on the Twins inclusion on this list with the usual suspects is this:: The Twins must have the top offer on the table right now. How else would the Twins get included on this list. Why would the Twins be on the list with the usual suspects if they are not doing something extraordinary to get themselves included. 2A. If 2 is true... I think it is. It would also signify that Pohlad is willing to spend a little. 3. The Pirates and Cole might be a reason for the slow developing FA Market. Cole at 3.75 Million this year and whatever he gets in Arbitration next year is going to be a lot less riskier than Darvish at 5 or 6 or 7 years. It stands to reason that if a team asking about Cole has a loaded farm system... the Pirates are going to ask for the top of the pile in return. For example... The Yankees may be willing to part with Frazier but the Pirates will ask for Glayber Torres and a stare down takes place waiting for the other to blink. The Astros may be willing to trade Derek Fisher but the Pirates will naturally demand Kyle Tucker and a stare down ensues. 4. If the Astros and Yankees are waiting to get a deal done. Darvish becomes insurance in case they don't get Cole or Archer or whoever via trade. In order to keep Plan B alive. They must continue the conversation. 5. Agents have been through this before. They are probably looking at the Twins top offer and advising their client to wait until the usual suspects really come to the table... instead of kinda coming to the table. 6. They can't really come to the table unless they clear some money to make it happen. The Dodgers have to find someone to take half of Kemp's contract and they need to trade Puig. The Yankees need someone to take half of Ellsbury's deal or trade Robertson or Gardner which weakens them in other areas. 7. The Cubs... How did they get outbid for Wade Davis? Settling for Morrow instead. Why are they letting Arrieta go? They know him... They don't really know Darvish. I'm guessing that they are trying to get salary under control. They are really acting like a team that would like to bring payroll down. The Cubs would probably like to be involved in the Harper, Donaldson, Machado, Blackmon thing next off season. 8. Hope that the Astros land Cole to take them out. Leaving the Yankees and Dodgers with the Luxury Tax problem still causing problems for them. In my opinion... The Good News... I really think the Twins have the highest offer on the table. The Bad News... I think Darvish is waiting for someone to top it or come close to it. I gotta start thinking about the Vikings for a little bit. BEAT THOSE SAINTS!!!

They could and I agree that you can never have too much pitching. However... it's a weird market this year and I think it is luxury cap related. With the Astros... It would be overkill. They got 5 big league arms right now in the rotation. ' Verlander Kuechel McCullers Morton Peacock They could move Peacock to the bullpen to make room Cole or Darvish but it would be pretty strange to move any of the other 4 unless they go with a 6 man rotation but even if they go to a 6... They still have Musgrove and McHugh who are slated for the bullpen because of lack of space. I'm guessing the Astros are out if they trade for Cole out of plain ole' overkill. With the Yankees... I think it's all about resetting that luxury tax penalty and staying under the threshold so they can sensibly pursue Harper and Machado. This competitive balance tax escalates with each year you are over. 1st Year you are over - 20% Tax on the overage. 2nd Year - 30% Tax on the Overage 3rd Year and Subsequent Years - 50% Tax on the Overage In addition... there is a 12% Surtax if you are over the cap by 20 million and a 42.5% Surtax if you are over by 40 million. In Addition... Brand New for 2018... If you are 40 million over the threshold. Your Highest Draft Pick will be moved back 10 place. If you can get under threshold for a season... The Tax Rate is reset back to 20% for the next time you are over. The Yankees have been over the threshold for 15 Years straight. Harper, Machado, Kershaw, Donaldson will be threshold busters. If the Yankees and Dodgers don't reset... they could be paying an addition 300 million on a 10 year contract for Harper. By resetting... they can go all in 2019. The only reason I think the Yankees would entertain the idea of Darvish is because they have Jordan Montgomery in the 5th spot and they just got Stanton to start the fans buzzing. Signing Darvish puts them over the Threshold unless they can get someone take Ellsbury's Contract. Trading for Cole at 3.75M makes much more sense and if they get Cole... The Need to go over the cap with Darvish is less necessary especially when you consider that they still need a 2B and a 3B. Just a theory of mine... But I really think the Rangers and Twins are the legit options here.

Rumors... Just Rumors... But Rumors suggest the mystery team is the Dodgers. The Dodgers... I really believe the Dodgers are trying to reset that Tax penalty. Or else that Braves Trade makes less sense. So... The Dodgers would have to find a taker for Kemp and that isn't likely. OR trade Puig and another fairly costly player. There were rumors of Puig for Jackie Bradley awhile back so... maybe. But... I gotta believe not likely. The Yankees have been over the luxury tax line forever so they might just keep going full speed ahead and augment the Stanton addition but... this is the first year in a long time that they have a chance to reset the penalty and I think they will try. Signing Darvish will leave them very little room to address other needs like 3B and 2B. If they acquire Cole... they will be immediately out on Darvish. the Astros can make this deal easy but again... If they acquire Cole... They will be immediately out on Darvish. So Cole will take out one of those two. The Cubs could make the deal happen. They are kicking every starting pitching tire it seems but something isn't adding up. The rumored 3 year 42 million dollar offer to Cobb. Signing Morrow and letting Davis walk. Letting Arrieta walk. I have nothing to base it on but it seems like the Cubs are cutting some corners in preparation for next year's FA Group. The Rangers... They are the team that scares me. They have the need, the space and a comfort factor. I'm hoping the Darvish is just too rich for their blood. Of course... I have nothing to base this on... besides my little head and it's ability to read between very blurry lines.

Yep... Let's see how 2017 goes. My hope is that the Twins Front Office is fair to Joe and I hope that Joe is fair to the Twins and they reach an easy agreement on a series of 1 year contracts for quite a bit less annual value until Joe says it's time to leave. The hard part is while I hope this happens.... I also hope that the presence of Joe doesn't prevent the Twins from bringing in a big time 1st baseman. I hope the Twins uniform is the only uniform he wears and I think it will take mutual desire and cooperation to make that happen. .

In my opinion... Collusion isn't the right word. It's more like a collective reset. Multiple things in no particular order. The Dodgers and Yankees seem to be on the sidelines as they try to reset the luxury tax. Taking the two big boys out will slow a market. Harper and Machado are already a factor. I think the Dodgers, Yankees and quite a few others are looking at next year and doing some pre-prep for that. The young GM's are seeing the danger of Jason Heyward length contracts. They are not colluding but they are all seeing the same obvious data.

You have my respect.

I hope Falvey and Lavine are as forward thinking as rumored. I hope they didn't sell their Best Buy Stock in 2012. I hope they noticed that Aroldis Chapman was acquired by the Yankees after the Dodgers pulled out and the Reds were panic selling in December 2015. I hope they noticed that 6 months later... in the heat of a pennant race. Nobody was too concerned about the events of December 2015 because Chapman was traded as a rental for a HUGE HAUL!!! I hope they noticed that 1 Year later... Chapman was signed to a record breaking free agent contract. 5 Years 86 million... the highest ever signed for a reliever. I hope Falvey and Lavine are cold... calculating... and thinking about the asset and future value. I hope they don't opt to pay the price for Sano's issues... Because Sano is going to get paid if he performs like he is capable of. I hope they understand that if the Yankees offered Chapman to the Twins today... 2 years later... I'm guessing that maybe 95% of all Twins Fans would welcome him to a Twins uniform. (as long as we don't have to give up prospects or something). I hope they realize that the reason Cashman is calling them every day right now... is because he is a vulture!!! I hope Falvey and Lavine keep their heads. Today is Today... Tomorrow is Tomorrow.