Riverbrian

I wasn't At least not until you mentioned it. Thanks... Much appreciated.

She is probably the only person on the planet that follows the serving size recommendations on packages. Two Oreo Cookies is a serving size. I noticed that the other day as I was polishing off a row of them.

They don't 162 game catchers. That's why they are always over pays. Catchers require rest. Besides all that. Camargo and Cartaya can battle it out. Let the winner get more playing time. I'm all for letting the players decide. Less letting Management just go down with the Vazquez ship like they have no other option. If you don't have options... You better go get some.

I think others do. I don't how many articles this website has posted and how many comments that I've read saying just move Vazquez to clear 10 million for spending money. Like a snap of fingers is going to make it happen. Like the Twins just have to decide to do this. I'd be shocked if they could do that. It takes two teams to trade. The same reason everybody is pointing to Vazquez as the obvious trade candidate to free up some spending money... is the same reason nobody is going to trade for him. Twinsdaily writers and posters don't want him... Why would another club at that price point. I really think that 10M is a problem that CAN'T be fixed this year. I think that the unwillingness to audition Camargo during the 20 plus games he spent with the big club last year was perhaps an even bigger problem that that. I think that the 3 year 30 million contract that they gave Vazquez was a stupidity tax (Ashbury's term) for not developing your own. I think that if Camargo can't audition in front of a .575 OPS. I think they will have to pay that stupidity tax again next year when they are searching for a replacement for Vazquez when he isn't resigned. I think it never stops until the farm system can produce a major league catcher and today... I'm just a little more hopeful... just a little more hopeful that someone will rise from the streets and we can take catcher money and invest it into someone who plays every day instead. I know... I do too much thinking. 😎

Getting the 10 million off the payroll is going to cost you at least 5 million would be my guess. And then you would have to spend that extra 5 million for another catcher who hits like Vazquez anyway. Camargo not getting any playing time last year told me all I needed to know. The team was pot committed to Vazquez and nothing was going to take his job away. For 2025 and beyond... I feel a little better... just a little better that Cartaya is here to provide another option since Camargo couldn't unseat .575. Camargo was just too risky apparently. The Twins have lost ground to make up in the catching development department. I'm not advocating an immediate 26 man spot for Cartaya. I'm not even thinking that Cartaya is Johnny Bench. His stock has fallen far for the price we got him. That isn't where my happiness over this move lies. I fully expect Jeffers and Vazquez to be the tandem out of spring. My happiness is having another option, that might provide whatever confidence Rocco and the front office needs to give someone the chance to try and OPS at least .580.

Ouch that hurt. My brain is feeling that. Kinda like eating ice cream too fast. OK... but... since I've imagined that .375 OPS. I was reading the wrapper on the ice cream packaging. It says that .375 won't solve our problems but it also won't cost 10 million that we don't have. Having an option remaining means he can be sent down if he .375's it. And if he uses up that option and he is still .375 OPS'ing it next year. You don't care if he passes through waivers in 2026. It's a dice roll... I'd start him in the minors and let him compete with Camargo for next man up. But... I would have my finger on the eject button ready on Vazquez in June if he's going to keep the under .600 crap. Vazquez for the past two years has been bypassing the taste buds to drop the entire tub of Bridgeman's directly onto my brain.

Agreed... No need to rush him. Let him AAA for a bit and let him compete with Camargo for next man up.

Agreed However, if Cartaya is alright defensively. Vazquez is a pretty darn low offensive bar. If Cartaya can't hit... Oh Well... The other guy can't either. Like Bob Dylan says... "Go to him, He calls you, You can't refuse. When you ain't got nothing... you got nothing to lose". Now that song will be stuck in your head.

One of her places did according to the news. Which means the food left over in that Garbage will be heated when you pull it out.

True... He was DFA'd. However, the Dodger system over flows much better stuff than other systems. If you got to eat out of the garbage can. Don't go to my house... Go to Paris Hiltons place.

Huge News - I don't know anything about Vazquez... but I don't care. This is a very necessary dice roll in consideration of our catching depth system wide. Cartaya may go down in flames because he's been a rolling stone downward to get him to this price point but, they got to give him every opportunity to become something of value... so toss them dice. The ceiling is potentially huge for the Twins, the floor is a temporary waste of a 40 man roster spot. In the meantime, 2026 is going to need a catcher on the roster. Cartaya has just become a Twins player who will get a decent sized portion of my fingers crossing, wishing on a shooting star allotment.

After listening to Jeremy Zoll. Barring a trade... Like for example someone really important to us to Boston for Cases. I don't see many fantastic options for the Twins to add at 1B. So I'm almost ready to assume that Miranda and Julien will pair up to handle the position with the Gaspers and Fords and Severino's to slide into a 1B role if necessary... when necessary. It's sure sounding like the Twins are planning on Lee at 3B and it sounds like Lewis will at least try to become our 2B in 2025. I really don't believe that Keirsay will break camp with the club because of his left handedness so that leaves Helman as that last 26th man option if they do nothing. I don't think the Twins will allow Helman to fill that role. I'm still guessing that they will continue on the search for RH hitting OF and they will find some cheap Connor Joe to bounce Helman down. Leaving the opening day roster at: Jeffers, Vazquez at Catcher (2) Correa SS, Buxton, CF, Lewis 2B, Lee 3B and Castro (LF plus other places as needed) as the primary (5) that play every day apart from maintenance days. Wallner RF, Larnach DH (and LF), Julien 1B as the full allotment of platooned left handed hitters. And Miranda, Martin and RH OF type addition as the full of allotment of short side handcuffs to Wallner, Larnach and Julien. There's your 13 coming North barring injury. When injury starts to occurs, I'd imagine that Miranda would be the first player to gain the extra AB's. If an injury occurs to Buxton - Miranda goes full time 1B. Julien and Helman would pair at DH, Larnach would pair with Martin in LF and Castro slides to full time CF. If an injury occurs to Correa - Lee slides to SS, Lewis goes full time 3B, Miranda full time 1B while Julien and Helman pair at 2B. If an injury occurs to Lewis - Miranda goes full time 1b while Julien and Helman pair at 2B. If an injury occurs to one of our left handers - I'd guess that Erod is the call up... not Keirsay. Erod would simply slide into whatever platoon role is vacated. This is what I'm thinking right now. I will allow for the off-season to conclude so the front office still has the opportunity to surprise me.

I don't see the virtue in becoming what the Padres are currently at the catcher position. I don't see the virtue of digging the same hole that you are helping the Padres fill. This is targeting the Padres for a trade because they have need and ignoring that we will be creating the same need for ourselves but even worse. These trade ideas would leave the Padres with Jeffers and Campusano while the Twins have Vazquez and ??? IMO... I'd take Campusano over Vazquez so they would have two catchers better than anything we currently have. I do not recommend trading a catcher until the Twins show that they can develop a replacement. The Twins will not show development of a replacement as long Camargo sits and watches Vazquez OPS .575 One last thought on this whole mess. Ryan Jeffers's trade value was sky high following the 2023 season. He was one of the best hitting catchers in the game with an OPS of .858 that year. Last off-season was the time trade Jeffers. Trading him for financial reasons this off-season after a drop to .732 OPS in 2024. That would show everyone that the front office has the inability to time the market... Selling Low instead of Selling high. By waiting until this off-season to trade him, not only will you get less for him but you will also force yourself to over pay for a catcher the following year because Vazquez will also be gone leaving you with ZERO. This is why Camargo on the bench watching Vazquez OPS .575 last year was a huge deal. This increases the odds that the Twins spend payroll they don't have to acquire another Vazquez type talent. If the Twins have to move a catcher this year... Vazquez is the only one that makes sense because he is a drain on resources and he can't hit. While acquiring Vazquez will make very little sense to the other teams because he is a drain on resources and he can't hit. They need to let Camargo show that he can be a viable option in 2026 by being a viable option in 2025. I'm not to comfortable with that after they just by-passed 2024 for unchallengeable, irreplaceable .575 OPS. They have chosen to put all of their catcher eggs into the Jeffers Vazquez basket. I'm afraid that they must lie in the broken yolks of the basket they made.

I spend a lot of time looking at these lists from past years. As a result of looking at such lists from the past for all 30 teams... It makes me worry less about current lists. I've concluded that there doesn't seem to be a canyon separating players in the top 5 and players outside the top 10. That 2021 Blue Jays class was highly regarded in 2021. Only Catchers Kirk and Moreno have cemented MLB jobs. The Rays farm was considered top of the pile that year. Wander Franco obviously went horrible for non-baseball reasons but beyond that. Arozerena 3rd ranked prospect in the system, McClanahan 7th ranked and Joe Ryan 14th ranked in the system are the only players with a job 2025 job locked up. Same Year 2021 Twins: Balazovic was ranked 4th, Sabato 7th, Celestino 9th, Cavaco 10th. On the other side. Rooker 13, Wallner 14, Miranda 20. Ober 25. Things will change Develop or Die

Trades are usually equal when made. All GM's know the value of their players. Value disparity typically doesn't exist at the time of trades. Trades are won and lost later based on which club does a better job increasing the value of the player or players they acquire. So far so good with SWR. On the offensive side. Will Austin Martin be strip mined for parts? WIll Austin Martin make the team as a 25 year old short sider? WIll Austin Martin be waiting for injury to someone else just to shed the short side constraints only to return to short side duty when the injured return? I believe... Yes he will be... is the answer to all of the above questions. This will leave Austin Martin with no path to significant value. Even if Austin Martin has a decent showing when the constraints are shed due to injury to someone else. He will be returned to short side duty because somebody always has to handle the short side. If the Twins are going to win this trade... It will be up to SWR.

No white smoke in this case. With no fanfare, he's just going to put on the traditional garb, a white cossock, zucchetto, 1st base mitt and walk out on to the field and start blessing us.

It's both a Car and a Martini.

I don't know what he will become. If the club chooses to give him opportunity... it'll be up to him to take advantage of it. However... After 1 season. Austin Martin is the least of my concerns. Just needs to add some slug and he'll be fine. If allowed to toss out the defense... I know some on this site will throw the defense right back in there after I toss it out... but if allowed to take the defense out for a moment. His performance at the plate was on level with Max Kepler last season. Better than Kirilloff, Farmer and Margot. He's the least of our problems. I have no problem with him in a Twins uniform this year. Now... while I have no problem... if he struggles this year... therefore creating a problem. Well... there are two options that can still be used on him so he doesn't have to stay and Margot the place up. Now... if you put the defense back in. I admit he that he hasn't displayed mastery at the multiple positions that he has played. Well... those players still can have value as long as they can play multiple positions at least OK... and he can do the... OK thing. It's up to him and that piece of wood in his hands. His bat will keep in the big leagues. If he can add some slug... he'll be just fine. Not meaning home runs per se. Hopefully, he can find some more gaps... add to the double and triple pile and he'll be just fine. Go get em Austin... I'm pulling for you. Even if you are not pulling pitches into the seats.

The Dodgers thought highly enough of him to protect from the Rule 5 vultures. The Dodgers have certainly proven over the years that they know how to pick up a phone and make deals. It makes me very curious to why a DFA was necessary for the once top IFA signing and 14th ranked prospect in all of baseball as recently as two years ago. He is still only 23 years old. Perhaps the other 29 teams have an issue with giving this kid a 40 man roster spot. With all of that said. Maybe... just maybe... He could be a younger version of Joey Bart who was another ballyhooed prospect that went from a DFA with the Giants to taking advantage of injury opportunity in Pittsburgh... Bart rose from the dead... maybe Cartaya could do the same. Trade cost? Dodgers won't want a 40 man guy back so younger prospect not on the 40 man... plus whoever we would have to jettison from the 40 man to make room. I hate playing games with 40 man roster spots. However. For a catcher. Give me those dice.

With the Trade of Gavin Lux and the DFA of Cartaya. The Dodgers roster sits at 39. Could me making room for Kershaw. Could be getting ready for a young pitcher from Japan who will make his decision after January 15.

Miranda sitting against RHP. I get it... logical in consideration of how they do their business. Someone has to step aside for Julien. But... yet... Miranda Last year: .856 OPS against Right Handers. Ranked 4th on the team in that regard. Ranked 6th in AB's against RHP. And of course the less stable smaller sample of his 2024 work against the lefty. .573 OPS against Left Handers. Ranked 15th on the team in that regard. Ranked 4th in AB's against LHP. Regardless... Yeah... this is probably what the Twins will do with Miranda. Make him a short side specialist until injuries force him into more regular playing time. These are the types of things that happen when adherence to the platoon controls roster decisions.

The Twins have always had a payroll that falls in a range with a bunch of other clubs. And all of the AL Central teams hang around primarily in that same range. While we worry about spending... they ain't spending either.

Lots of platooning going on out there. But... Plenty of exposure or development as you and I are calling it is also occurring. It isn't just about the super-star Freemans of the world. It's a lot to expect Wallner or Larnach or Julien to become Freeman but is it unreasonable to hope that Wallner could become a Cronenworth? McMahon, Verdugo, Bleday, Naylor, Pasquatch, Schnauel. There are others. The line that you've drawn is fine because lines after to be drawn for starting points but your line is also influenced by the same things that will influence my list below. The numbers of left handed hitters on the roster, injury and availability due to when they were called up or traded for will heavily influence this list... However... I still think it has value so here are a list of pure left handed hitters (no switch hitters allowed) that were in top 9 in AB's against left handed pitchers for their club. Orioles: Gunderson (Led the Team) Cowser Mullins Red Sox: Duran (Led the Team) Devers Yoshida Abreu Cases was 10th (Lots of time on IL) White Sox: Benindendi Sheets Lopez Guardians: Gimenez J. Naylor Kwan B. Naylor Tigers Greene (Led the Team) Keith Torkelson Astros; Alvarez (Led the Team) Tucker Royals: Pasquatino Melendez Angels: Schanuel (Led the Team) Twins: Nobody Yankees: Soto (Led the Team) Verdugo Rizzo Athletics: Bleday Butler Mariners; Crawford Rays: B. Lowe Rangers: Seager (Led the Team) Smith Lowe Jays: Varsho Horwitz D-Backs: Carroll McCarthy Braves: Olson Harris Kelenic Cubs: Bellinger (Led the Team) Busch Crow-Armstrong Reds: Friedl Benson Rockies: McMahon Blackmon Jones (10th but hurt most of the year) Dodgers: Ohtani (Led the Team) Freeman (2nd on the team) Marlins: Chisolm Sanchez Brewers: Turang Yelich Frelick Mets; Nimmo McNeil Phillies: Schwarber (led the Team) Harper (2nd on the team) Stott Pirates: Cruz Padres: Cronenworth (Led the Team) Merrill Arraez Giants: Conforto Yaztremski Cards: Donovan Burleson Gorman Nootbaar Siani Nats: Abrams (Led the Team) Wood Garcia Winker Platooning is happening. Development is also happening. The Twins have taken it to a level that is beyond what any other team is doing. A. They either know something that nobody else knows B. Struggle to fully develop players C. Have purposely challenged the future for possible short term gains in the moment by strip mining nearly 50% of the active offensive roster for parts. D. Have possibly overweighted the data for left/left splits to the point that it controls roster decisions. E. They were extremely unlucky to have 4 left handed prospects with absolutely no hope of ever hitting a left handed pitcher.

Touring around Roster Resource - 38 players are listed as projected closer. Main Closer or Co-Closer) Only Josh Hader is listed as main closing option solely. 4 other are listed in co-closer roles. Josh Hader - Astros Chapman - Red Sox (Co-Closer (2)) Horton - Tigers (Co-Closer (3)) Garcia - Rangers (Co-Closer (2)) Ferrer - Nationals (Co-Closer (2)) That's 5 out of 38 - 13%. Even less than the 25% of lefties in existence. Hader is the only guy to take on the Margot replacement you are searching for so you can yank Larnach in the 5th.