Riverbrian

What does this mean for Lavarnway?

Daniel Hudson? Is he that damaged? John Axford or Andrew Bailey or Ronald Belisario for the Pen? I like Chris Nelson as a ball player... Justin Turner? I can't say I'm interested in Tommy Hanson anymore but what about Jerome Williams. Is Coughlin worth looking at? How bout Mat Gamel? Garrett Jones returning? The Power of Arencebia is already being discussed. Any Non-Tenders trip anyone's triggers. Obviously not a non tender but with AJ signing in Boston what does it mean for Ryan Lavarnway?

Well said... Warren Buffett says that you should "buy when there is blood in the streets". Or was it Jim Morrison who said that?

That's what I'm Talking ABOUT!!! I would actually be happy with the attitude of both catchers in this video. Apart from the acute Pitching Needs... That's what this Minnesota Twins Team Needs. I'm tired of watching the team get out of the way on the base paths so the SS has an easy throw on a double play ball... I'm tired of Scott Diamond meekly sticking up for his teammates with lame message pitches at Gardy's behest... I'm tired of Plouffe not diving into the hole to pick up grounders... I'm tired of Mauer's lack of triples. I'm tired of every single player with a bat in their hands under performing expectation by a large margin. Accept for Brian Dozier of course... Dozier was the one player you could count on to get dirty in 2013 and he seemed to over perform at the plate as well. I believe it's how winning teams play ball. I believe this sort of thing rolls on and into everyone in your clubhouse and gets your teammates going even if they don't understand why or how. Just look at the high fiving in the White Sox dugout afterwards. I believe that if the team played this way... Josh Willingham would not have hit .208 in 2013. I think Josh Willingham hit .208 because he went to sleep playing baseball with this club and so did the rest of the offense. I believe that the Fans deserve this when they buy a ticket. I believe that fans are getting ripped off... not because of the talent level... but ripped off because the team is not engaged enough to do the things I mention above. Give me A.J... Play him and let him loose in the clubhouse. Whatever he hits, frames, or whatever doesn't matter. Give me A.J. It's time for Mauer to be Mauer and let someone else lead this team... We don't need no quiet leader. The quiet leader ain't working and we have young talented prospects who need an example of how to do it. Or else we might as well just turn them into quiet followers of quiet leaders. BTW... This video is circa 2006. The White Sox had just won the world series in 2005. It's quite possible that the White Sox had a little attitude back then. I know the Twins used to have a little attitude around that time. Torii Hunter didn't creep up to catchers and give them a hug before he crossed the plate. He would run them over if the catcher was blocking the plate. The Catcher is blocking the plate... What shall I do? I have a pretty good idea what they should do. When's the last time you saw it from a Twins uniform?

There was a time when Phil Hughes was the top pitching prospect in baseball. He was the Dylan Bundy of 2007. He had stuff and that stuff worked quite well in the bullpen setting up for Mariano. As as a starter though... I haven't seen decent use of his secondary pitches to make him a quality starter for multiple innings. I've seen some decent starts from Hughes but usually I've watched him fold when it gets tough. I'm excited about his potential and ability. I'm happy he is here because of that potential and ability... It's something that just might be realized down the line. But... I've watched him throw too many cookies when a cookie was a bad idea to be completely comfortable. The downside is quite low but I hope he figures it out because his upside is as high as is downside is low. In my opinion... Of course.

1. Doumit has more value to other clubs then he does for us. Trade him for some speed. We don't have any speed and we need some. 2. Worley needs another chance and he doesn't have any options. It's on Worley. His time in Minnesota depends on it. 3. Hendriks is inexperienced yet and still intimidated. Once the intimidation washes away... He may turn around and surprise some people. 4. Diamond is left handed and that could provide a longer leash. 5. Albers... Insurance... Replacement for when we have a couple guys on the DL. Great story... I pull for him. 6. Colabello... I sure wish he'd pan out. His power is legit and then some. I'm just worried that MLB pitchers are going to continue to exploit his batting style until he adjusts. He may be too old to adjust. 7. Parmelee... This is his year... He makes himself a major league ball player this year. I'm making the call. He just has to get his brain engaged at the plate to catch up to the high fastball. His defense in RF... BTW... Is darn good. Decent range and a great arm. He can play that wall like he's played it his whole life. I do not feel that Parmelee is even close to a defensive liability as some on TD claim. I think he is a defensive asset.

Ok... Maybe I've sung a long to "Superstar" by the Carpenters a couple of times. Maybe... Only a couple of times when no one was around and only the chorus. But... I put on some Thin Lizzy immediately afterwards.

She can't spell either... Gurls. C'mon Katy be a role model.

LOL... Hey North... Your South!!! I did notice that you correctly spelled "Tennille". Most Tragically Hip Fans only spell Captain right. The correct spelling suggests some love.

It sure seems to be heading that direction. Gibson will probably have to start in AAA. In my opinion... No way do you let Deduno go if healthy... If not healthy... The DL will have room for him. You can't let Worley go... That 5 spot should be his until at least May... unless you think that 2013 will be repeated. The Twins should have an idea if 2013 is going to happen again by then. Diamond could slot into the bullpen. So... Unless Deduno or anyone else needs DL time. Gibson starts at Rochester and is called up at the first opp.

The short answer is no... because... the reason he is not taken seriously as an artist... Is because the musical direction he chose is not taken seriously by Rock elitist's (such as I) or snobs of any other Genre from Classical to Bluegrass. Critics do not favor the soft rockers. Never have... Probably never will. It's just overdone emotionalism in my opinion. Don't be offended by the word Snob... We are snobs... Put it on your sleeve... It's ok. Michael Bolton is the 80's version of the Carpenters. Michael Bolton sold more albums than Skynyrd did... More albums than Tom Petty... More albums than Rush. I cant listen to him but someone bought his albums and it's probably someone you tried to take home after buying them a dinner or 10 drinks at the bar. I imagine Bolton is ok with his career choice and has come to grips with being torn to shreds by the Motley Crüe fans. Disclaimer: I do not own any albums by Michael Bolton, Bread, Carpenters or Celine Dion. I don't have any songs from the above 4 on my IPod. However, I have been caught singing along with Benny Mardones "Into the Night" twice. I knew it couldn't happen a third time so I quit cold turkey.

I was not a Hughes fan but I am now. The FA arms available were what they were. TR just jumped up grabbed two of the best choices. It's great. At the very least... New blood in the clubhouse. The old blood wasn't doing so well.

While I agree with the overall complete context of your statement. I do disagree with the first sentence. Stuff? Sam Deduno has Stuff coming out of his ears. Top of the rotation stuff without a doubt. What's not coming out of his ears... What remains in between his ears... is my only question about him and he seemed to have had made great progress on that last year.

I'm gonna do the opposite... I'm gonna point out a stat that sucks: BB/9 That's it. The rest of his stats from 2009 pitching in Colorado Springs to 2013 pitching in Minnesota are decent. Quite a few them look even better than decent when you consider what the BB/9 did to them. Yet... In the end... It doesn't matter to me at all. Because... I don't care what kind of twisted combination of data is used to bring him down. I just don't understand how anyone could WATCH him pitch last year and say to themselves... Jeez... I can't wait until they get this guy off the roster. In his 13 starts before we started reading reports of suspected dead arm that turned into a shoulder issue. In those 13 starts... He gave the Twins a legit chance to win 10 of those 13 starts and we did indeed win 8 of them. Will he be shoulder healthy in 2014... I don't know... Will he regress... Maybe... Will he progress... Maybe... Will he stay the same... Maybe... But until his shoulder issues last year... He lowered his walk rate significantly and he was a dang fine pitcher. The Twins can sign Nolasco, Hughes, Kazmir and Garza and depending on Deduno's health.. They would still be idiots to throw him away after his 2013 performance. Especially if they threw him away because they were not happy with his walk totals in 2012.

Diamond after last year... OK... But... I don't get the Deduno reference. I'm a Sam Fan... I hope he's healthy and in the rotation and I expect big things if he is. Deduno can pitch... He has actual stuff that can confound a hitter and I believe he has shown that to all of us watching. I guess... I just don't understand.

With Parmelee... To me it seems... It's the high fastball he has trouble catching up with. He seems to be quite good with the low pitch... I think that can be fixed... the more fastballs he sees. I just worry he won't get to see a bunch of pitches this year. With Plouffe... The guy is just in my doghouse. He has 30 homers pop so I pray for him t put it together but he just seems lollagaggie! I thnk he is going through the motions and doesn't realize that he is. If Plouffe doesn't get some mental focus for X-mas this year and an acute sense of urgency for Valentines day. He will be run over like Kevin Klein in "A Fish called Wanda" by a steamroller driven by Sano.

Robinson Cano is a fantastic all around baseball player. Not only can he hit... He can play the position extremely well. Very few players are worth the big dollars in my mind. Cano is one of those who is worth it. As for 2014... I'm very happy with Dozier and Florimon working the middle of the field... I think we can win with those guys... I really do. Right now... I'm just not sure if we can win with Willingham, Doumit, Parmelee and Plouffe. Those are the guys who have to dig themselves out of 2013 and play 2014 with much more energy, passion and POWER!!!

Parm is my pick for breakout player. If he gets a chance? Escobar breaking out ala Dozier would be huge.

If it's Nolasco... I'm happy... However... Someone is going to have to keep the sharp knives and spoons away from Shane Wahl.

Exactly... I think you are right on... and I'm now adding the equation of responsibility to the market itself to it. So that leads to the Nutshell question. How does a Team like the Twins... Last place... Struggling returning roster... Northern Climate... Value mainly on the farm just looking to steal a vet's job. Yet, some money in their pocket. With all of that... How do the Twins get ahead of the market and become the pacesetters that some posters on TD are frustrated about. It seems to me that they can't. All they can do is kick tires and see where the markets sets itself and then decide if they want to jump in with both feet once it does. Tim Hudson and Josh Johnson are not going to sign with the Twins early unless it's exactly where they want to be. Or unless they absolutely overpay and that leads to all my other questions about weather they can do that.

This is what I'm talking about... Not the TR part but the salary escalation part. Again using Ricky Nolasco... The Agent would start out being Coy because he's not sure what teams would be willing to pay. He's say things like... He wants at least 4 years and at least 60 million. Let's say the Twins, Mets, Rangers and Angels are willing to pay 4 years 60 million for Nolasco. 4 teams are willing to pay that price. Now What? Nolasco grew up in the California Desert... The Rangers are close to winning... The agent will certainly tell the Twins and Mets that Nolasco grew up with the Angels and he likes the Rangers chances this year and beyond. Now the Twins have to go up to 70 Million to convince him to get on the ground floor of all the great prospects coming up through the farm. Prospects who will eventually take his job. The Mets would have to either drop out or move up to 70 million. Each individual Free Agent case as the potential to get out of hand... Something has to be holding it in place. It seems to me... it would foolish to sign quickly unless you know that is where you want to be like Josh Johnson did with San Diego. You also wouldn't want to sign late as leverage goes away with each signing. I'm just guessing because I have no idea but I think I'm right... I think it makes the FA game very difficult for our Twins and I think the market has to set and it hasn't yet and I think that a couple of signings will break the log jam and boom... They will start making deals in pretty fast fashion. Even Pelfrey is probably going to want a wait before excepting the Twins offer. To see if the team that is in on Nolasco fails to get him and therefore comes up in price on Pelfrey as the next option. Only a Gentlemens agreement could keep the thing from spinning out of control for any player that is coveted by more than one team.

Yeah... I get the stupid contract... They can be ignored so using a stupid contract is a bad example but even the Zito contract had to have an effect on the market. But what about that offer that simply goes over the line a little. Once Nolasco signs at 60 million doesn't that change Hughes from 30 to 40. We all know what happens when two people are desperate for one of something. They try to outbid each other. 50, 51, 52, 53, 58... (Pause) 65... (the Crowd Gasps). If you can offer 52... You can offer 54... Doesn't the pursuit of a Free Agent have a direct cause and effect on everyone else. Agents are watching and keeping score... Teams are watching and keeping score. In my reasoning... Isn't this why... you typically see a log jam of sorts at the start of free agency... The type of log jam that gets TD posters worked up over the lack of action and then a couple of key signings happen and boom the log jam breaks and the FA's start picking up the pen and affixing Signatures en masse. Isn't it possible that responsibility to each other is a reason for the log jam. Not entirely but at least partially.

I think the Robinson Cano elite level are the Blood Diamonds... I'm more concerned about the Nolasco's and Salty's of the FA World. The guys in our Kitchen. I'm thinking about relationships with other clubs. I'm thinking about Winter Meetings. Clubs getting upset with each other for potentially screwing up the market. Josh, I had a deal with Nolasco at 52 Million but after you signed Hughes at 60 Million when no one else was willing to go 40 million. Now Nolasco's representation wants 16 million more and all of sudden the Rangers are at 58 Million on Nolasco when they were not budging at 50 million before. I hope you die in a fire Josh. Don't think about calling me for anyone when you are looking to deal in the future and I know quite a few other GM's who feel the exact same way... Maybe... in the future... I'll throw a ridiculous offer at some of the guys I know you covet. Just to be a pain. I know it's collusion at it's heart but I can't see how it doesn't exist to a degree. How does the line get drawn? I will pay Nolasco 52 Million. I will not pay him 53 Million.

I asked this question once before and never got a reply so I'll start a thread with the question for hopeful discussion. Is it possible that Teams have a responsibility to each other when it comes to FA negotiations? In other words... For example... The Twins want Nolasco... The Agent wants 4 years 60 million. The Twins really need and want Nolasco. They have the money to afford it. So... The Twins offer him 5 years 100 million just to get a deal done right now. I'm pretty sure the Twins won't do that but if they did. Wouldn't every team in baseball be pissed at the Twins because offering Nolasco that kind of deal would effect prices on every single free agent pitcher. And every Free Agent period. Doesnt that eventually screw the Twins next year in negotiations for a player by changing the market. Wouldn't an agent no matter the size of an offer than tell all suitors that he has a 5 year 100 million dollar deal on the table to try and get a 5 year 105 million dollar deal. Wouldnt the Twins and everyone else be pissed every time the Angels, Yankees, Dodgers whip out the checkbook and pay a ridiculous amount for certain players. Doesn't it make sense for smaller market teams to hold a line to keep things under control. I understand this conversation is collusion-esque. So let's call it a Gentlemen's agreement. Doesnt this make sense and wouldn't it explain why Teams will wait to make formal offers and Agents will wait to accept formal offers? The market has to kind of set itself first. If you are willing to pay 4 years 52 million for Nolasco... Why wouldn't you offer 4 years 54 million to get a deal done. If your willing to do 4 years 54 million. Why not 4 years at 60 million if you need to. If the Cubs will do 4 years at 62 million... Why not 64 for the Twins. And then what would stop the Cubs from saying 4 years at 66 million and pretty soon... Nolasco has a deal that makes us all go WTH. It just seems to me that responsibility to each other has to be a factor in these FA negotiations. How does the hard line get drawn? The Twins walking up to a targeted FA and saying 4 years 52 million take it or leave it and refusing to go a dollar higher doesn't make sense. Thoughts?

I'm a big fan of Bailey. I agree with the players that a VD lists as untouchable and I will add Gibson to that list because I think we would need Gibby right now. Anyone else... I'd consider. Bring me Homer.