Brandon

I would do a 3/39 for him as he is likely to give us 200 ip per year around a 4.00 era (this is why I liked the Pavano deal 2 years ago as he should have given us similare results) but Dempster is likely to k 7or 8 per 9 innings for most the contract. Do it and move on to Myers.

Dream: Sign Sanchez, Dempster, and Myers, and trade for Asdrubal Cabrera as SS as he is available for prospects. What I hope for: McCarthy, Myers and Jurrgens and another solid bat at MI or on bench. What I expect: Saunders, Myers and Jurrgens and a bullpen guy and thats it. I do expect Terry Ryan to come away spending around 25 million for pitching if he can find enough to get us to contention or he will will go bottom of the barrel and look to trade Morneau. I think he do the first one over the second one.

Cleveland is looking to trade their SS and OF and anyone else they can to stockpile prospects. What about a trade of one of our prospects preferably OF to Cleveland for Cabrera? I know cabrera costs money but is an above average former All Star SS. What would it take to get this done and would the Twins dare?

Inge Hanrahann platoon? Actually I see cleveland is dangling their SS for prospects. Would one of our OF prospects do the job? Arcia for Cabrera?

Here's my take. although I do wonder if Arcia should be higher as his hitting seems to be improving as he climbs the minorleague ladder. and Buxton is so far down the road at this point. I included Meyer for the above poster. I feel he is debatabley right there with Hicks as the 4th or 5th best prospect at this point. As I tend to give more weight to projectable players at AA and AAA over rookie and A ball leagues. I do like the depth and it is only going to improve with our draft position next June. Sano Buxton Arcia Meyer Hicks Rosario Kepler Berrios Gibson Harrison Goodrum

I feel at this point the 2 top pitching targets for Minnesota are Myers and Jurrgens. I cant wait till we get at least one pitcher signed and out of the way.

I think Bonnes point about pitch calling by the umps is a good point. he has written about that in the past. I do think 50 runs is a bit excessive too. I do believe that you have a point though about framing and calling pitches and the potential to cost runs. However I think that the offense is an important part of the game and with us lacking on so many areas. Now if Doumit could play 3rd that would be nice.

Depends on the extension amounts. We can always do the deal with 1 less year with the option. He's not arbitrtion eligible till after next season. so the contract extension now whould shape up something like..... year one 500,000 year 2 1,000,000 year 3 3,000,000 year 4 6,000,000 Option 8,000,000 so i could see a 3 year up to 5 million extension or 4 year 11 with options at the end of each, why not? Its obviously team friendly with the risk Revere regresses but if he maintains then it is a good deal for us and who he eventually gets traded to.

My questions for you is how you divy 15 to 25 million with absolutely no more than 25 million going to Starting Pitching? http://twinsdaily.com/entry.php?2212-25-Million-left-for-3-starting-Pitchers

After the trading Span the other day we now have 70 million or so in commitments for next year. That should leave around 25 million to sign 3 pitchers. Since the Twins have announed they are unlikely to trade for a pitcher at this point. They can really only look through FA at this point for next season. The Twins have talked to 20 plus pitchers this offseason to guage what it would take to sign them and their interest level in comming to Minnesota. Several more pitchers are now on the market as Lannan, Pelfry, Jurgens, and Karstens were non tendered today. There are several ways to divy up the money and get starting pitching. the Question is whats the best formula for achieving that? there are several pitchers on the market that is going to get anywhere from 10-16 million or possibly more. Some one like Sanchez, Jackson, Dempster, or Haren is only a possiblity if we sign one of the bargain pitchers like the ones listed above or others including Pavano, Liriano, Villanueva, Bedard, Milwood, Lowe, and more or do we focus more on the midlevel SP Marcum, Myers, Blanton, McCarthy, Saunders, and so on, or we could sign one from each group or go the Twins way and see if we can get this done for 15 milion or less. I really hope we get one from each group as a 50 million (or large) contract would cause a lot of excitement in Minnesota. And if we were to get (1 from top tier and 1 form the middle tier) Dempster and Myers or even(2 from middle tier) Blanton and Myers for example, I would be fine with Karsten or Jurgens as our 3rd starting pitcher. What configurations of high dollar and low dollar pitchers do you feel comfortable with? Try not to spend more than 25 million per season. The closer to being between 15 and 20 million you can get the more realistic your guesses will be. There are lots of options as I count at least 40 FA starting Pitchers on www.MLBtraderumors.com we only need 3 of them. Also with that last statement I wanted to point out there there are tons of options out there. So we have time to be competetive for next year.

After the trading Span the other day we now have 70 million or so in commitments for next year. That should leave around 25 million to sign 3 pitchers. Since the Twins have announed they are unlikely to trade for a pitcher at this point. They can really only look through FA at this point for next season. The Twins have talked to 20 plus pitchers this offseason to guage what it would take to sign them and their interest level in comming to Minnesota. Several more pitchers are now on the market as Lannan, Pelfry, Jurgens, and Karstens were non tendered today. There are several ways to divy up the money and get starting pitching. the Question is whats the best formula for achieving that? there are several pitchers on the market that is going to get anywhere from 10-16 million or possibly more. Some one like Sanchez, Jackson, Dempster, or Haren is only a possiblity if we sign one of the bargain pitchers like the ones listed above or others including Pavano, Liriano, Villanueva, Bedard, Milwood, Lowe, and more or do we focus more on the midlevel SP Marcum, Myers, Blanton, McCarthy, Saunders, and so on, or we could sign one from each group or go the Twins way and see if we can get this done for 15 milion or less. I really hope we get one from each group as a 50 million (or large) contract would cause a lot of excitement in Minnesota. And if we were to get (1 from top tier and 1 form the middle tier) Dempster and Myers or even(2 from middle tier) Blanton and Myers for example, I would be fine with Karsten or Jurgens as our 3rd starting pitcher. What configurations of high dollar and low dollar pitchers do you feel comfortable with? Try not to spend more than 25 million per season. The closer to being between 15 and 20 million you can get the more realistic your guesses will be. There are lots of options as I count at least 40 FA starting Pitchers on www.MLBtraderumors.com we only need 3 of them. Also with that last statement I wanted to point out there there are tons of options out there. So we have time to be competetive for next year.

The more I think about it, the Twins should have recieved a throw in to the deal. Maybe a c proscpect in a ball or a reliever, or lambardozzi or something as Span is a bargain at 21 million for 3 years compared to what Bourn will cost when he signs. Meyer is a great prospect and does a great job headlining the deal but he is still in A ball and we should be able to get something else to mitigate that risk so we still end up with some value should Meyer flop.

He'll sign for less than 5 million or we would have traded Alexi Casilla or someone like him aready or so would someone else. I am going with a lower base plus incentives to 5 or 6 million. We should absolutely contact him. If we can get 2 solid starters through FA. then we can handle 1 reclamation project like Jurgens, or Baker, or Pavano. We just don't want to have all projects as that wont work.

also lets wait and see what other moves are made for our rotation this year. I was expecting a MLB ready pitcher in return for Span as he is a poor mans Bourn and will make approximately half what bourn makes the next 3 years.

Willingham stays no doubt about it. this team doesn't have enough power as it is.

One last ? how much will Jurgens from atlanta get once he gets nontendered?

So the Twins are looking at Brett Myers and Liriano to go with Scott Diamond. I like that they are all different Myers and Diamond are the soft tossers right and left handed respectively and Liriano is more power. now how much will they cost? Myers 3 years 9-10 million per season Liriano 1 year 6 million with incentives? or will he get more years? Lastly who will the Twins trade for?

He has enough speed to be useful. He plays 3B, 2B, and a little SS if i remember right. will cost the same as escobar with more experience. By signing him to a utility position you can't go wrong. If he hits so bad you gotta replace him you can, and if he hits well he can spell the player in a slump which would be really helpful if 2 players are slumping and Carroll is out there playing everyday. There really is only upside in this scenario.

Rumors are that Boston is looking at stop gap 1b this offseason so after 1 year of Pena at 1b they could go after Morneau next year and with .850 OPS production. I am sure they would be willing to go close to 30 million for 2 years cause its only 2 years. Nobody is going to hand out a 4-5 year contract for him with a concussion knocking him out for good. 3 years is possible for the desperate.....

Myers is worth a 2 year 18 million contract. If the Twins can get him signed and then trade a CF for another starting pitcher then we are only one more starting pitcher away from a rotation.

States need to insert clauses that payroll needs to be a certain figure when they fund ballparks or the difference goes to them to pay the taxpayers back for duping them. Those of you in minnesota should lobby for an anti duping legislation. There are enough liberals up there to do it.

To me it makes sense if the Twins still go out and get 3 pitchers for next years rotation. I am ok with Pavano competing with DeVries, Dedunno, Hendriks, and Gibson for that last spot. I think the Twins will be better off with Gibson starting the season in AAA. and having depth for when a pitcher has an injury. Signing Pavano could give the Twins an out if they only get 2 pitchers though and that would be upsetting too me.

Its not so much that I am anxious to see them make moves to jump in there but It would make it easier for them and give management more leverage if they can get 1 of the starters needed signed and done cheaply. I think that is why we are upset that we lost Baker. yeah he piched solid for us but we thought he would sign quickly, cheaply filling 1 of the 3 spots so we would only need 2. We know the 2nd is likley to come via trade so we would only need to focus on 1 FA instead of 2. that is where my anxiety comes from. I am not concerned at all about the other holes the club is going to try to fill this offseason.

The blow it up talk is total crap. we are what 3 starting pitchers and a few bench/ bullpen arm away. not an impossible task to overcome. We do need to be smart how we deploy resources. We can sign a mid rotation pitcher and trade for another then we are just 1 arm away.....bench. there are several low cost options available and same with bullpen. Get the starting pitching and everything will come into place. The biggest offensive question has already been resolved with Parmalee going to right field that increases the power output in our lineup. Bench could be strengthened with several players, Gomez, Andrew Jones, Inge, and others. bullpen.... we should have plenty of options there too.

We'll probably get 2 solid starters and sign Livan Hernandez to round out the rotation. Maybe they'll finish the job next offseason maybe they will wait for players to develop and promote from within. maybe we are aiming to be a .500 club to placate a fan base. Either way the Twins will make the moves that they see as reasonable that will do the most that they feel they can with what they have to make us competetive. At least we are not Marlins fans. MLB should force ownership change there. I also hope they average less than 1000 fans per game until that happens for attendance.