Riverbrian

Yeah... my post contained a lot of in between the spaces commentary and it shouldn't. I normally caution against that sort of lip reading because the job has to be fluid reacting to ever changing context that they can't predict. These guys are asked questions all the time and they have to provide some sort of answer or at least skillfully dance around it. Public Relations is task. With that said... I found it interesting that his top of mind was. 1. He likes the pitching 2. 1st base 3. Right Handed Specialists.

I wasn't able to listen to the entire interview but I heard the first two questions he was asked and what I took away from the answers. He didn't argue or correct the interviewer when the question was phrased with the words "Payroll Flat". Falvey said they have been primarily talking with other clubs about trade possibilities which I took as... not particularly active in free agents. This was not a surprise to me. When asked what the needs were and what they were looking for he starting by saying that he liked the starting pitching options. He went on to say that they were 7 or 8 deep. Personally... I'd love to add a big arm... we all would but in the absence of a big arm... I'm Ok with him being somewhat comfortable with the rotation as my hope remains that they don't bring in an innings eater. The first need that he did mention was replacing Carlos Santana at 1B. He talked about Julien and Miranda getting work at 1B but the first thing he mentioned was a Carlos Santana replacement so I assume 1B is the top priority based on the sequence of his response. The 2nd thing he mentioned was right handed replacements for Margot and Farmer. This made me sad. I had to get out of the car and back to work so I didn't listen to the rest of the interview. Unless I hear differently later on in the off-season. I fully expect a couple Margot and Farmer look a likes to join the club. That is going to suck... I'm not surprised but yeah the confirmation is disapointing.

I don't care much for placing players in boxes. Can you hang a zero and how many can you hang. 71 Innings last year with an 0.87 WHIP! Why wouldn't we want more innings from someone who does that? You should always strive to get more AB's from your best hitters and you always strive to get more innings from your best pitchers. I will always be against purposely limiting talent for the purpose of keeping them in a box. Go for it

Mid 80's would be a team in contention... Mid 80's would be games that matter in September. I've given up trying to predict baseball a long time ago. Correa, Lewis and Buxton could all play 120+ games and it's also possible that one or all of them OPS+ 90 so you wish that they hadn't played all of those games. If you could predict it... why watch? Tell me you saw the Tigers coming after selling everything at the deadline. I'm pretty sure that the Twins didn't see the Tigers coming and I hope they realize now that they can't predict things either and just GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY! If I have a bone of pessimism... that's it. I don't think the front office can get themselves out of the way. I have lowered my hopes and dreams to begging for no specialists. Don't spend a dime, if specialists are the only thing your budget allows. I don't want Margot's Twin brother taking AB's from Larnach. I want Larnach to solidify himself so he solves 2025 and 2026 and 2027. I don't want Larnach, Wallner, Erod or Jenkins to be some Margot dependent junkie. I want the Twins to go into rehab. This way if you are right and you might be right that there is no reason to get up in the morning. At the very least... we kicked the Margot habit and maybe just maybe... Larnach, Wallner, Erod, Jenkins are better for it and 2026 is better for it. 2027 is better for it. If we are going to suck... Suck YOUNG!

I'm not going to beat my head against the wall. The Budget is the budget. Pete Alonso isn't coming... Mark Canha isn't going to help. He's actually going to hurt. What can be done? Get out of the way. Take your 4th place and store it in your heart. I'll keep it out of mine.

Pete Alonso isn't coming, We have a roster. Let's GO!!!

I start every season optimistic even if I spend the off-season pessimistic. Bottom Line: Youth doesn't scare me. The Tigers just went on an incredible run with nothing but youth after trading away vets at the deadline. Youth doesn't scare me... Bad baseball that doesn't go away is what scares me. Here's the optimism for you. Youth has built in advantages that Margot's and Bundy's don't offer. If youth goes bad... you can send them down and try someone else. If at the end of the year... youth doesn't work out... at the very least... they got some major league work in... in theory... that makes them better for next year. Or at least a better idea what is needed next year. It's usable information on players coming back as opposed to throw away information acquired on a guy that's going away after collecting a 4 million dollar pay check on a 1 year deal. The Twins can only sustain themselves through development... so... let's just remove those hurdles and get out of the Margot followed by Margot look a like death spiral. I'll keep my hopes real simple... just one thing this offseason. Please... no specialists... Let's see if we can make some young players special from top to bottom instead. There is nothing worse than have a bad season with Margot's and Bundy's. You have a bad season and you did absolutely nothing for next season.

I don't know about "a lot more options" but yeah better be more options available to any major league franchise. However, the other options could be a rabbit hole of chaos because once you borrow from here to fill here, you have to borrow from here to fill back over there. That's why I only see boring or chaos and nothing in between.

Your article states exactly why I feel the off-season will either be about as boring as humanly possible or extremely chaotic with nothing in between. Given the two choices... I'll hope for boring. Last year when they moved Polanco. I questioned weather it was a good thing to take the Polanco money and break it off into multiple players. Hindsight based on results showed that Polanco wasn't worth much. It also showed that the smaller piece Carlos Santana by himself was produced better value but I'm still going to wrestle with the same question ths year. And I'll say NO... It's not a good thing to take one player and turn them into multiple players. Yes Santana may have worked out but the other smaller piece players did not and this team is only going to be successful if they get production from every roster spot. So I guess... I'm hoping to be bored to tears this off-season. Please... Please... No Specialists. It may be all you can afford... Just honest open competition for playing time. The youth is going to have to bring us home. Even if they fail to bring us home... they will be closer to hopefully bringing us home in the following year. Let's see what the players with options remaining can do. Larnach, Wallner, Lewis, Miranda, Jeffers, Julien, Lee, Martin, Helman, Keaschall, Keirsay, Erod, Festa, SWR, Matthews, Raya, Adams ETC can do. If it works out, we are stronger next year. If it doesn't work out we will be stronger next year. If the Margo look alike doesn't work out... we will not be stronger or closer next year. There should be no consideration from the front office that this team is just a Mark Canha away. The front office made the bed... Lie in it. The team needs to take the proper steps to get themselves out of the Margot necessity cycle.

Exactly the guy the Twins front office needs to replace Margot. Exactly the guy the Twins need to make sure that they will need to sign another one just like him for 2026. Exactly the guy the Twins need to make sure that Trevor Larnach's will be less value to our team as a player and other teams in a trade.

If they are rebuilding. Trading our controllable starters would return the best bang, If they are not rebuilding... actually trying to win. It would make trying to win as difficult as possible.

Why is he still on the 40 man? Why was he ever on the 26 man? .575 OPS is a bar so low to clear that it is almost under ground.

I don't like it one single bit and I want to be clear that it's not my idea but I have no reason to expect different simply based on consistent utilization of the 26 man roster for the past two seasons. If Keirsay makes the club out of spring training. Assuming Wallner and Larnach also make the club out of spring training. That is three left handed OF's on the roster. Wallner, Larnach already require a right handed handcuff... Keirsay will require the same I assume. We can't put 6 Outfielders on the 26 man roster... three lefthanders and three right handers on the roster so Wallner, Larnach and Keirsay all avoid left handed hitters. So... it stands to reason that Keirsay will be taking the roster spot that is needed for Canha or whoever the Margot replacement is going to be and Canha is needed because we have been starving Wallner and Larnach all of this time. This forces Keirsay to wait for a Larnach or Wallner injury opportunity to get the call. He may play CF when he comes up while someone else plays in the corner but Keirsay will have to wait for Larnach or Wallner to go down because not waiting will force Wallner or Larnach into the lineup against left handers because we will have too many of them. Also if Keirsay has to wait for Wallner or Larnach and he would have to wait based on 2024 utilization. The lefty swinging Erod will probably be the first choice... so in reality... Keirsay will have to wait for two of Wallner, Larnach and Erod to be unavailable to get a chance. All of this doesn't even factor Julien on the roster because Julien's presence on the roster is going to require a Farmer replacement or pull Miranda into a short side hell on the 26 man roster. Bottom Line: If the Twins continue with this overweighting of the Right/Left Platoon split. You might as well release Keirsay right now.

I understand all of this. I'm not diminishing the need for a catcher with defensive abilities. What I don't understand is the thought that Vazquez is somehow not replaceable... necessary to the health of the bull club because of his defensive abilities. Surely there is some catcher who can play defense and not hit a bit out there in the universe that can play for the league minimum. If Good Defense and horrible hitting costs 10 million and can't be replaced. How much is it going to cost to find someone with good defense and good hitting?

I never really understand this point. I understand the value of defense but I never really understand this point. Surely there is another catcher somewhere in the universe who can frame pitches and can't hit a lick. Maybe it's a young catcher who holds the bat cow-handed and closes his eyes when he swings but the guy can play D. Surely this guy is out there somewhere and ready to make the major league minimum. If framing and defense at the catching position with absolutely no offense at all is worth 10 million a year. FRONT OFFICES... please take your catching prospects with defensive skill, coach them up and advance them up the ladder as quickly as possible. Bat skills are not necessary. 😉

Even if we don't undo it now. It opens us up to trouble if Jeffers breaks his leg in April. 😎

Keirsay on the roster will force Wallner or Larnach to hit against left handers. We will be over our allotment of left handed bats. I'm Ok with this... Are the Twins? I don't believe they are. Keirsay on the roster will also take a spot that is needed for a right handed bat that has to play against left handers so Wallner or Larnach can sit. If the Twins don't change their extreme left/right policy that limits their roster construction decisions. Keirsay will need to wait for an injury to Wallner or Larnach. A Buxton injury has nothing to do with it. Castro and Martin will continue to be the Buxton insurance policies.

No they can't shake up their catching corps. If they are able to trade Vazquez... they most likely have to eat some money or include prospect value to amke it happen. I don't believe they can put the full 10 million in their pocket. If they trade Vazquez and get some money to spend. Let's say 7 million to spend. They will have to spend that 7 million to get someone decent because CATCHERS COST A LOT. If they all of sudden say... we will take that 7 million and spend it elsewhere... that's great. I could get behind that but I have one big problem with that scenerio. Here's the problem. Camargo is all of sudden the guy. The same guy who sat for 20 plus games and couldn't get a sniff of the lineup card while Vazquez was deemed not replaceable while compiling an OPS of .575. Camargo couldn't clear that low bar without damaging the Twins chances to win last year but this year he won't be a drain on the teams chances to win ball games for some reason. Trading Vazquez to install Camargo would be a bunch of bull crap based on how they handled catching last year. Yet... Here Camargo is... once again taking up 40 man roster space as the primary option and the Twins have already told everyone that they don't think he can improve a .575 OPS hitting catcher draining 10 million out of severely depleted funds. . So... to answer the question. No the Twins are not ready to shake up their catching corps. They were too busy locking in to the current catching corps.

I think this off-season will be about as boring as it could possibly get or It will be a breath taking juggling of personal. Due to assumed financial limitations... I don't think it will be anything in between. If I had to place a bet... I would bet on as boring as it could possibly get.

I like what you say about development not being in a straight line. I agree one thousand percent. I hate the AAAA tag. I get what it means but like you said development isn't in a straight line. There is no reason that age 27 means spoiled. Coaches don't stop working with you at age 27, you can find that adjustment that unlocks something at any time. Development isn't linear... however,,, the CBA imposed timelines are linear in regards to how long you can develop someone before advancement is required... like 40 man placement, 3 options yada yada. My point that I'm trying so hard to make everyone see and I know that I'm failing with some. It's not that we lost Rooker. IT'S WHO WE KEPT INSTEAD. Who we kept makes it X amount easier to lose someone like Rooker. I get the attempts at justification being made by many... however the responses afterwards "Oh Well... It Happens". "Who could have seen this coming"... "we had a Log Jam"... don't see it. Letting a Rooker type talent get away for no value sucks especially for an organization that can't survive without development... especially for an organization that can't afford to sign a ROOKER type talent via free agency. It sucks but it happens to all teams... maybe not Rooker large but assessment mistakes happen to all teams. However... it's not the main problem that is hurting our development. The development problem is the players that we kept instead. Getting absolutely no development out of multiple rosters spots. Players that are out of baseball today taking up roster spots yesterday. Rooker destroying baseballs in Oakland is the BILL COME DUE for Garlick, Astudillo and Celestino taking up roster space instead. I don't care who among us could predict what Rooker was going to become. I'm telling everyone that the FRONT OFFICES can't predict it and if they can't predict it... why are they locking into below average? Garlick, Astudillo, Celestino... Specialists just prevent you from locating someone better. I've been saying this for years. Rosters spots are limited by the CBA. There is a large pile of players on a non linear development course crashing into linear timelines outlined in the CBA. Yet Right Now... the Twins front office is combing through spreadsheets trying to find another Margot... to dip Wallner, Larnach and Julien into cement... dip them into cement to ensure that their will always require a Margot type and ensure that their value to a team or trade value to other teams will never exceed Joc Pederson. Only to rinse and repeat with Erod and Jenkins in the future. I can make a reservation at this same restaurant right now for three years in the future. Twinsdaily can repeat the "Oh Well It Happens" discussion in 2027 when someone else that we gave away is in an all star game in a different uniform. Rooker strikeout rates? Was that the issue? Maybe... who knows but I have an argument against that. That argument is just one year later... The Twins signed Joey Gallo. Who has done nothing but demonstrate a high propensity of striking out. Spent 10 million on him knowing he would strike out a high rate. Gallo kept his spot all year. Who'd we lose because we kept Gallo all year. I don't know but because Gallo kept his spot all year... the odds increase that we lost someone.

With respect I ask. When did he lose that shine? What caused him to lose that shine? He hit a home run every 14 AB's in the minors. Did a .688 OPS in 189 Major League AB's cause the shine loss? Please don't take my questions the wrong way. I am curious. He's been labelled as AAAA and such by others.

As usual Mr. Chia Pet. You see it. Others who simply say... Oh well it happens don't see it.

Rooker was part of the Royce Lewis draft class in 2017. That was the very first draft with Falvey and Lavine at the helm.

The Twins are not going to sign Juan Soto. We all know that... we should all know that by now. The new owner most likely is going to be more of the same. We don't have the luxury of filling roster spots with top level free agents.,, we have never had that luxury. Correa signing with us is pretty rare thing in the history of this franchise. Big picture. Development is the only way that this franchise survives year after year. It isn't going to survive just patching holes with Margot and Kyle Garlick for a year and then finding the next Margot and Kyle Garlick to replace them the following year. We are not going to sign Juan Soto... we have to develop Juan Soto. Rooker isn't Juan Soto but he was a better hitter last year then anybody on our 2024 roster. This is the bill you pay when you choose Kyle Garlick for a specialist role. Franchise sustaining development is going to be much harder to accomplish when Wallner and Larnach are strip mined for parts instead of fully developed. Franchise sustaining development is going to be much harder to accomplish when Margot and Garlick types are needed to take additional roster spots so you can strip mine Wallner, Larnach and Julien for parts. I was for the Paddack Rogers trade when the trade was made. Actually... in all honestly... I was excited about it. Acquiring Starting pitching is expensive and I saw a starting pitcher as more valuable than a bullpen arm because of the potential to throw 3 times as many innings. I saw Paddack... liked the deal. Rooker... I had no idea what he would become... how could I? If the Twins are not going to utilize Rooker... might as well let him go. However, in hindsight, If the Twins knew what Rooker was going to become what he became. Would they have included him in the deal? They would not have. Why would they? Rooker would return more in a trade today than any of the pieces in this deal combined. Misses happen. The Twins obviously missed and they obviously didn't know. It happens. Who they kept instead is the development problem.