tony&rodney

It might be time to retire any idea that all trades made by any front office of the Twins are bad. Falvey & Sons have made a number of really good deals. Trades of good players always contain an element of gambling, especially when one considers injuries; the unknown can be tricky.

The most exciting player, hands down, that I ever watched in baseball from my era (1961-2024) of following baseball. Not my favorite but the most exciting. I loved the first person Ricky interviews. RIP #35. Wearing #24 later was a tribute to Say Hey.

I read that the Twins already completed their coaching hires for next year.

That ship has sailed. The determination on spending needs to be made by the close of the World Series. Perhaps the team owners are not totally set on exactly $130M or less, which allows for something in the neighborhood of $135M. We can be pretty sure though that nothing significant will added to payroll and live with the loss of Paddack's contract via a trade as a minimum reality.

Correa and Lopez are not only different people playing different positions but their contracts are also far different affecting their different value. Add that the Twins do not have anyone to play even passable shortstop and all conversations stop there with Carlos. Pablo should be held tight unless another team wants to get stupid with an offer. Yes, that happens. Mostly, these threads are throwing out ideas which is always ok.

It will be interesting to see what happens to Pete Alonso. He may just go for a one year deal if nothing materializes. As far as the Twins go, they should just stay away from any of these players unless they manage to deal current options like Miranda, Julien, and Lewis making a reunion with Santana a possibility.

The Twins don't have a direction now, so no long term contracts. I don't think anyone knows yet what the Twins have in any of Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, or Luke Keaschall. At this point they are prospects and the Twins are in limbo on money.

I was in Milwaukee when a routine fly ball directly to Delmom (5-10 ft.) nearly conked him on the head. It was ruled a double. Something about that guy was oddly adorable, even as I wanted him gone.

Keaschall may not be a 2B/3B player and we already know he is not a SS. Left field is a position he might be really good at in a few years. I would say he has more of a likelihood of being average out there than what the Twins have been using in the recent past. First base is also a consideration. Either way, I believe we shall get the answer this year and his bat may force the Twins to find a position for him. Emmanuel is MLB ready with the glove and his bat will either thrive or curse him. Put him in coach, he's ready to play.

Miami may have a position of holding Alcantara. Tough to know because that organization seems a little dysfunctional. If I were the Miami GM, I would like the high number of prospects my deal offered. I might throw in Raya. Right now I'm too bullish on Festa. I have never been much of a fan of BTV. The search for a catcher continues. My original idea (from October) was to focus on an athletic type and/or defense-first young catcher. The list included guys like Teel, Ford, Romo, Rushing, and a couple of others. My top choice was/is Jeferson Quero because his glove plays now. The reason I cooled on both Rushing and Cartaya was because neither is expected to play much behind the plate in the next two years. They are well behind in learning how to catch. I was not very impressed when I watched Rushing behind the plate last season. I was impressed when Dalton was at the plate; he can hit. We have to remember that Dodger and Yankee prospects always get more hype too. I'm unclear what Seattle requires for Harry Ford. Would Julien and Varland get it done. After shifting around for the last month plus on ideas, I'm right back to my first thought - Quero for Brooks Lee. Finally, I expect that Woods Richardson is more than enough for Rushing. I guess we can only hope the Twins are engaged in conversations seeking to upgrade the catchers of the future. What strikes me about this offseason for the Twins is that one deal is unlikely to solve their problems and a trade may actually require another deal. This complicates how the team proceeds but if the Twins intend to compete for an AL Central crown they will almost certainly need to consummate a couple of transactions. I would be delighted to humbly eat these words next October if the current roster blooms.

Teams are filling up their roster needs while the Twins seem to percolate around the idea their team is already complete. Maybe it is, as many here on Twins Daily believe. Seems like there were some opportunities and I would suggest there still are some deals possible. The comments expose differences among our beliefs. I never put Walker in my plans at 1B because i put Royce Lewis there. The idea of exploring Walker seemed worthwhile because of his athleticism at a position where the Twins could benefit from his skills. Tristan Casas has big time power, similar to Matt Wallner. Unlike Matt, he is slow and would be a real downer for our less than sterling infielders. Casas is a strictly a DH, but not nearly in Yordan Alvarez territory as a bat. in fact, I would not trade any of our top three prospect bats for him. A number of people have advocated trading for Casas. We simply disagree on him. I did state that Boston is extremely unlikely to even consider trading Duran, but there were a few articles out of Boston similar to what we read about Lopez. The Red Sox could really use a top flight starter and they are flush with cash and outfielders. Any trade of Pablo Lopez needs to lean in the Twins favor because a healthy starting pitcher of his type is pretty rare. Finally, your proposed trade for Casas seems like something Boston would favor and it might benefit the Twins. However, I really believe in Matthews more than Casas and Duran should be the topic of many queries sent to Falvey, which may bear better fruit. All of this is total wishing/"spitballing" because the indications favor the position of Falvey being content with the current roster.

A month ago I suggested a trade for Sandy Alcantara. My proposal was two players who can play for the Marlins now (Miami's choice:Julien or Miranda and Chris Paddack) plus three prospects that do not need to be placed on the 40 person roster (Charlee Soto, Billy Amick, and Gabriel Gonzalez). I would be ok with replacing Paddack with Christian Vazquez and adding a prospect such as Kaelen Culpepper. If I were a Miami fan this might seem fair. It is a pile of players. I am higher on David Festa than most, so no DF. FWIW Alcantara had a value of 27 on BTV one month ago. I'm not in favor of a 6 man rotation because it puts additional pressure on the bullpen guys. There isn't any evidence that a pitcher goes another inning or two with an extra day between starts. Jesus Luzardo may make a strong return and he is worth trading Julien and Kaelen Culpepper plus the comp pick, but I don't like the fact that Jesus has been unable to complete more than one year without incident. I'm unlikely to trade for Luzardo. It is my belief that some people are underestimating Zebby Matthews and Luke Keaschall quite a bit.

Well, he did it which is significant. But perhaps you are thinking of looking at the hitter minus that one short stretch, which may be worthwhile.

Walker signed for 3 years and $60 million. I suggested that a conversation should have been had with Walker, offering more money in total but spread out over more time as a way to lower the annual cost (5 years and $70 million). The idea of not being in on Walker doesn't bother me but it might be a good idea to shoot higher than fourth place. So you read that wrong, no big deal. You can't trade free agents. I have no idea how you say "traded away our best SP for a slightly above average 1B?" The thread is discussing the Twins listening on Pablo Lopez. I have specifically called for the Twins to hold any team wanting Lopez for a ransom, suggesting that Boston send Jarren Duran if they want Lopez. That is extremely unlikely. In any event the Twins are doing nothing. When you read various sites, pretty much all of the writers state that they hear the Twins have no plans but are "listening."

It's important, that's for sure.

Ryan?

This might be what the Twins think too. 78-84 win team?

Pablo Lopez has huge value and there is less reason to consider trading him right this second than there was this morning. With Lopez traded, the Twins might have had room to sign Christian Walker to a 5 year/ $70 miilion contract or at least engage on the topic. Now Walker has signed with Houston. The continued and total inaction by the Twins tells me the team is largely already completed. We shouldn't have to worry about a trade of Lopez.

9:46 of video where the blogger introduces the thought that mechanics don't matter where he essentially tells us how much mechanics matter. There is money to be made in the online world. Tech exploded in the 1990s and has really ramped up in the last decade plus. MLB and other sports turn over every rock looking for an advantage. The cost of an NBA, NFL, MLB, or NHL player is pretty high and so if a team can employ 10-20 people for $150K per person to seek and implement an idea or two that helps win a game or fix or improve a player it is a cost effective matter. Mechanics matter ... a lot. As an old geek and former manager and player, there are literally thousands of examples to cite. I will just use one that might be very difficult to measure bio-mechanically. The manner in which a pitcher grips the ball and then puts pressure on the ball with their fingers from standstill through the windup until release has a significant effect on movement. Pitching coaches, managers, and even teammates will all drop an observation at times. Trips to the mound are nearly always a brief reminder of a mechanical issue, although sometimes the visits are merely to crack a joke and give everyone a breather. If I were a pitcher going to Driveline or a similar school, I would absolutely require (contractually) that all information gained be solely mine and not left for anyone else to view or share once our agreed upon sessions and collaborations were complete. Privacy still matters.

This is what I see as well. Alcala should be a one inning weapon with a clearly defined role. If this isn't going to happen then it would be very easy to find a team who values Alcala. The blowup was a bad day but as I watched that I wondered something .... (and this is my first Rocco complaint ever despite not being a big fan of his style) .... where was the pitching coach and manager. It was clear Alcala had to be pulled. There was time. That has already been discussed ad infinitum. The manager takes the blame for that brain spasm. Julien and Miranda are so inconsistent. They would have more success on teams with dissimilar personnel. The Twins are loaded with players who have stiff gloves, run like joggers, and are inexperienced, yet still have talent. Both Miranda and Julien deserve to be in the major leagues but need a correct place/team. The best days for each may have colored the eyes of management and made it tough to move forward without giving both another shot. I just wonder what value these two would have for another team. It seems like Seattle or Arizona are fits.

There were a few comments on this topic (trading Lopez) last night on a previous Lopez thread. The underlying issue with the Twins has two angles from my viewpoint. The money factor continues to be real or at least it seems to be a factor in completing the 2025 roster. Reducing to $130 million should not be difficult whatsoever though as there is likely quite a bit of interest in Chris Paddack. The return for Paddack would not be of much interest except to rid the team from worrying about payroll. Another angle is the view of Falvey & Sons regarding the players currently rostered. It is entirely possible that the Twins are satisfied with the players on board now. We read a ton of comments on Twins Daily regarding "the core", which often includes nine position players. So the roster may be already set, minus a few minor league free agent signings with an invite to Ft. Myers. Pablo Lopez is a very good starting pitcher and his contract is looking really good. Kudus to the Twins for the extension. It is entirely possible that the Twins can get a load of value from a trade. A couple of teams will not have a chair to sit on once Burns signs. Pablo Lopez is probably the least risky pitcher in MLB who could be traded. So it is wise to listen. If Boston gets major angst they may be willing to discuss Jarren Duran. Every player should be available and there are opportunities for improving the talent on the Twins team, but only if the Twins are not already satisfied with their current roster.

The Twins are not in any position to sign players to long term contracts and the players aren't going to sign unless the terms are crazy in their favor. On Wallner .... if the Twins don't see value in him getting 600+ plate appearances per year (if healthy), there is an easy solution. Pittsburgh is in dire need of a right fielder and would trade Jared Jones for Wallner right now. Both have terrific upside and questions. Jones throws a little too straight and Wallner strikes out. I would just plop Wallner in right field and in the 3 or 4 hole in the batting order. Baldelli might disagree, as might others. Jones would be a really good addition to the pitching staff and allow for the Twins to be more creative in their trades. The real question remains the same. Do the Twins believe they already have their team?

Money. It always comes down to money. I'm guessing Ryan is willing to go year to year, betting on himself to reach a time when he chooses where he works. The thought crossed my mind that San Diego would exchange Cease for Ryan to save some money. But, that doesn't work either. Money. Right now, Ryan fits beautifully into the rotation and budget. Sure hope he can sustain health and be effective for 175-200 innings next season.

Don't know if this is scary or not. I'm of the mind to hold an AL East team hostage for a big return, something like Jarren Duran from Boston. While that seems unreasonable on the surface, the Red Sox know they have outfielders and can buy a couple of bats. They need better pitching in order to play with the Yankees. Orioles - Samuel Basallo is interesting as is Heston Kjerstad. Baltimore won't pay the price and Falvey should not cave in negotiations. Prefer to keep Pablo unless the price is paid. The Twins don't need any more sorta decent players.

Max Kepler is gone, to the East Coast. I thought he might wind up on the West Coast. I wish Max all the best. Guessing that the $10 million was higher than most people thought was possible. Good for Kep.