tony&rodney

Correct. I do realize that few hold Festa in as high of a position as I do. I would agree to trade Polanco, Festa, and another for any of Kirby, Gilbert, or Luzardo. If I am looking from Miami's or Seattle's view, I do not trade those pitchers. FWIW, I do believe that both the Marlins and Mariners are in a bit of a bind because they should keep their pitchers but their bats are not going to cut it. I get the move by Seattle to cut strikeouts. Apparently salary was also a key factor in their trades. Losing Gonzales, White, Suarez, Hernandez, and Murphy plus the end of other lost money to players no longer around from 2023 has saved the Mariners a pile of dough. I'm not privy to their financial stability, but it seems like they will mostly sit out the larger free agent market. Mitch Garver could be ok for them. If I am a Mariner's fan, I'm nervous about 1B, 2B, 3B, LF, and RF. Some people like the guys they hold in those positions now, but Sometimes it is as easy as pretending to pick teams and then the Mariners look weak. Thing is they play the games and it all tells us the story at the end of each season. Long way of saying that SEA & MIA will probably be calling Falvey from time to time.

I would not trade Festa for Meyer and would hesitate to trade him for Cabrera. Then again, admittedly, I see much higher potential from David Festa than most and time will tell on that guess. Cabrera is out of options, has great stuff, but struggles to throw strikes. His issues are seemingly growing, not receding. We do not know where Falvey or the Marlins sit on Cabrera. I still would like to see the Twins acquire Cabrera but don't have a feel for what Miami wants in return. Certainly, Polanco, SWR, and maybe a rookie league guy, at least. I don't believe they will entertain offers for Meyer though. Money and years of control is a real thing for teams like Miami, Milwaukee, Seattle, and Minnesota among others. Large market teams would place greater value on Polanco and not be interested in moving him. Jorge looked pretty healthy in October. I don't think other teams or the Twins feel Polanco has to prove himself. He is an established MLB ballplayer who is highly respected around baseball even if some Twins fans are now giving him the Mauer treatment. Luzardo is on another level of projected value, similar to Royce Lewis. What intrigues me is whether Miami has financial concerns which would facilitate a move of the injured Alcantara to save money which would reduce the cost of a Cabrera. However, perhaps the Twins have more serious money troubles. It is a difficult offseason to read.

RpR gives a good response. I used Catch-22 in much the same manner. Perhaps that needs some further explanation. Polo nor any other Twin has the ability on their own to return a Logan Gilbert or George Kirby. Teams that are trading for Jorge want to win and are not giving up their best pitchers. Polanco also does not have the future value to return a top young prospect. Trading him for a player that does not improve the team for the coming year weakens the team because the Twins can certainly use the depth, experience, and level of professionalism that Polanco brings to the field. I hope that makes sense or helps somewhat. The unknown is whether the Twins would put together an aggressive deal that includes several players to potentially lure a GM into trading a #2 type starting pitcher. Polanco, really anyone could be in such a transaction. This assumes we are talking about just this coming season and not trying to engineer some mini rebuild for 2-3 years from now.

No hurry to even worry about Solano as an option right now.

It's the same old song. The prevailing thought last winter on Max Kepler still applies this winter to both Max and Jorge Polanco. If a team has an interest and can offer a player in return that makes the Twins a better team in 2024, then the Twins can trade either or both Max and Jorge. Conversely, it makes zero sense to trade either or both for a return that does not help the team in 2024. Unless, the Twins are rebuilding ...... then it doesn't matter and a lower level prospect is a good idea. We can read sixty plus comments that include various numerical justifications to trade Polanco (and Kepler) and the adjoining guess that age plus injuries have muted their skills. The reality will remain that these two are on short term team friendly deals, both players have questions, and neither will return a significant starting pitcher/player or prospect of note by themselves. If Miami wants to trade one of Max Meyer or Edward Cabrera for Jorge Polanco, I think the Twins take a chance. I'm just not seeing these type of deals being completed right now. The old worn saying, "a bird in hand", probably applies to the Twins and Polanco/Kepler. I believe the loss of either or both players will be a loss the Twins cannot handle next season, unless we are talking about a major deal that returns a player on the order of Pablo Lopez. So unless the big deal is out there, Polanco and Kepler stay. I guess I should address the money saved from a potential trade since it seems to come up often. The Twins are not going to sign Snell or Montgomery even if all of JP, MK, Farmer, and Vazquez are traded. If the Twins cannot field a team at $120 million next season, there are perhaps some bigger issues, which I do not predict or expect. If either or both of Max and Jorge are dumped for salary relief, I predict the Twins do not win the AL Central. On to speculative trades .... many have been floated. Brewers? Burnes plus Quero for Polanco plus Ryan and Raya. Miami? Alcantara plus Cabrera for Polanco plus Jeffers. Seattle? Polanco plus Lee and Raya for Gilbert. I don't believe any of those will work, nor suggest they should. Just throwing Polanco in a few trades. Polanco is not a player to trade if the Twins are looking for a starting pitcher or hoping to win the AL Central in 2024. He has more value for the Twins than for another team to give up a stud pitcher. Catch-22.

I guess I was agreeing with the general point that prospect lists are a jumble but also adding the enormous change in value brought on by the big money today. I think Baltimore sees Holliday as the future face of the franchise. Milwaukee just gave a huge guaranteed contract to Jackson Chourio, who may not even make his debut this year although I expect he will due to the contract. The one thing that remains true is that the players need to prove it on the field.

The 1977 Twins would argue that the 1970s were a loss. That was one of the most exciting teams to watch, but oh my, the pitching.

Falvey is not playing fantasy baseball. There isn't a GM in MLB that would trade Max Kepler for Ty France, save for the suddenly flabbergasted Jerry Dipoto of Seattle. Ty France is a good ballplayer but he does not compare to Kepler. For one, you might consider that they play different positions. I'm not sure why you look down on Kepler and Polanco or if you genuinely believe that the Twins need the money badly and should just dump both players. I will be the first to openly congratulate you if Falvey just decides that both Polanco and Kepler have limited value. Until the final decisions are made, we can wait.

I agree that the prospect lists are mostly for entertainment, but it is also very true that in the game today prospects and generally many younger players carry significant value due to their years of financial control. The high contracts (@$15M per year) and paucity of those available for back end rotation pieces makes any breathing starting pitcher look attractive. This is even more true if the guy has some years left before free agency. Also, the players who are ranked in the top ten have crazy value before ever taking an at bat. I'm pretty sure that Baltimore would not trade Jackson Holliday for any two Twins. Prospects are a gamble, for sure, and as the money grows so does the gambling.

Yah .... I like Meyer too, but so do the Marlins.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/reds-to-sign-frankie-montas.html Another off the list; Montas makes money too.

Meyer is right handed, was the #3 pick, and Miami would certainly ask for Brooks Lee, the #8 pick.

I'm not sure Miami sees Alcantara as having negative value. If they do there may be some real value in working towards a bigger trade with the Marlins. I'm pretty sure that Brooks Lee and/or Ryan Jeffers are names that come up in that mythical discussion.

We don't really know what are the limitations for the roster budget, but it would seem that a contract as you suggest for Clevinger could fit. It is also possible that Clevinger wants 2/$36M+ or 3/$45M+ too. If the Twins were going to sign a pitcher for "limited" dollars, the contract for Kenta Maeda was likely as good as it gets. From watching the offseason play out, it looks like the Twins are sitting out free agency. If the Twins are indeed hoping to realize a gain in quality through a trade or two, I would expect that pitchers such as Luis Castillo are not on their list due to his contract. Why trade useful players when a similar player could be gathered in free agency? The new year may bring some surprises but the deadlock right now is real. I'm not seeing too many trades for decent pitching that does not involve Lewis, Lee, or Julien in some form. I thought Giolito might sign a one year deal and hope to cash in next year but his new contract with the Red Sox gives him opt-outs and a possible third year. Either way, Giolito did well for himself. These contracts, partnered with the chaos of the Twins media uncertainties, have left the Twins on the outside looking in. Clevinger is still there. I thought Gurriel Jr. was a potential addition and many have mentioned Rhys Hoskins. The Twins may have to go with the team they have and look for good health and further positive development from their younger players, especially the pitchers.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/red-sox-in-agreement-with-lucas-giolito.html A good contract for Giolito.

Good grief. Why make suggestions about Max Kepler when all he has ever done is suit up to the best of his ability. Do those of you who question any part of his integrity think before you type? Kepler is the best outfielder we have right now. Rocco Baldelli is happy every time he puts Kepler's name in the lineup. The notion that Kepler is overpaid, spoiled, and selfish just doesn't jive with any reporting ever much less my few conversations with Twins employees. I always liked how Jake Cave hustled, but I sure wish so many people didn't spend their time wishing for him to return. Or maybe some people prefer we sign Kyle Garlick, Mark Contreras, or Tim Beckham. BTV has a trade where the Twins receive Brent Rooker for Kepler, Farmer, and Thielbar. Now there is a deal someone thought of and it was accepted too. Are you in? Max Kepler is needed in the outfield and if the Twins still have Byron Buxton around on April 1, he is the centerfielder. There are plenty of guys to fill: Willi Castro and Austin Martin to begin. They also have a glove guy in AAA, Kiersey Jr. Unless the Twins are going to sign Cody Bellinger or return Michael A. Taylor, centerfield is set.

They are both wonderful. The French are charming and friendly. Having rented a car and driven all over France on numerous occasions, I suggest you plan your next trip to ..... France. Oh, carry a tiny translation book (or phone) to manage your French and stay at Bed & Breakfast places for inexpensive travel.

Kiermaier seemed like a possibility for a second or two but BB + KK = $26 million. I'm fine with Willi Castro, Nick Gordon, and Austin Martin backing up Byron in CF. I might be more interested in the Twins adding a year to Kepler's contract than moving him off of RF. Hopefully in two years the Twins can bring up a prospect or two in the outfield. I don't see any of Lee, Lewis, or Julien as outfielders and Kirilloff is best left at first base. One thing is becoming clear - the Twins have some guys who can provide offense and the team will need an improved run total this coming year. Depending on what happens with the media discussions, perhaps the Twins can add Rhys Hoskins as a 1B/DH bat. I know many people have suggested this and there is a maybe still out there. I think it is a possibility that may sign a one year deal in order to prove himself healthy and get back on the market next season. The Twins would be a good choice for him. For now, the Twins have stayed away from free agents due to cost, just never say never. I have been one person who has doubted a RH signing but I'm keeping all things possible.

Why is Jorge Polanco so underrated? I have asked this before and put it out there again. Ty France is a decent player, but he is not the power hitter that Polanco is and strikes out more often. He is a hack at first base base, a plod on the bases, has two more years of control and costs $7.2 million this year. The only thing that France does better than Polanco is getting hit by pitches. Memory can be a faulty tool, which is why we can look up a player's performance. I like Ty France as player but would suffer to trade Cole Sands for him. Many people on Twins Daily have apparently forgotten Polanco. He has missed time to injuries but is scheduled to enter Spring Training at 100% for the first time in several year. Do we have any other infielders who have missed time with injuries in the last two years? Should we trade them? The $10.5 salary is pocket change in today's MLB. Unless Polanco is a part of a package that returns Kirby, Gilbert, or Luzardo or returns a top 10-25 global prospect, people and Falvey should start to get excited for a full productive year from Jorge.

This was a really simple decision. The Twins need pitchers in their system. Alexy wants to continue his career as a professional baseball player. It works from both sides and there are zero risks taken as well.

Posters on Twins Daily have speculated about various trades and comments regarding starting pitching nearly always reference an expected trade for a guy to slot in behind Pablo Lopez as a playoff type starter. A few of the names thrown out include: Mitch Keller, Corbin Burnes, Jesus Luzardo, Logan Gilbert, and George Kirby. Guys like Lucas Giolito would not only be very expensive but slot in as #4 starting pitchers. While it would be wonderful to acquire one of Seattle's main guys, it is unlikely. If the Twins were to trade, the cost will be some combination of Lewis, Lee, Ryan, or players among that group. Polanco, Kepler, Farmer, Vazquez, and minor leaguers are not going to return the kind of pitcher the Twins need. I have no idea what other teams want from the Twins. A Lewis for Kirby or Gilbert deal might work. A Ryan plus Lee for Burnes and Quero might work. These trades may be too costly for some people, including Falvey. Louie Varland is (as a previous comment pointed out) the type of starting pitcher the Twins are looking for, one who can pitch a full slate of innings over a full season. Ryan, Ober, Varland, and Paddack are as good as Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo or at least they are all in the same proximity. While I'm still hoping for someone like Kirby, etc. to fit into the Twins rotation, a look around the league and the dollars for free agents leaves me feeling plenty confident in Louie Varland as the #4 guy in front of Chris Paddack. We already know that Paddack is a stretch beyond 120 innings. Perhaps a surprise happens which will be welcomed if it makes the team stronger, but I'm fine with the current team.

Recently I was reading an article and comments comparing Mauer and a few other players, all of whom played in the field. It was actually shocking to read words making a direct comparison in games and years played. I would humbly submit that anyone who does this has no idea of the demands of catching. If you ever played both ends of a nine inning doubleheader you still have not come close to experiencing the physicality of catching nine innings. Having thrown nine innings many times I will suggest this comes close but is still different because it is more a case of the effects on the arm which needs a few days off. I never pitched back to back nine inning games in the same day but had an idiot coach in Babe Ruth League throw me on back to back days a couple of times for seven innings. Catching is easily twice the work and more of any other position and the writers who fail to consider this show little knowledge of the game. I'm not all crazy about who does and who does not get into the Baseball Hall of Fame but the ignorance and willful incompetence of many of these writers (those who have a vote) is rather appalling, as someone else already suggested. Why is baseball so poorly run?

The Twins have Jhoan Duran to close games and a decent corps of setup relief pitchers in Jax, Stewart, and Thielbar. A back end starter runs about $15 million. Guys like Wacha, Flaherty, and others are getting paid good money. Eventually the Twins need to find out what they have in Varland. If he does not show well next season, they can transition him to the pen. After two seasons of being the Twins Minor League POTY and a strong showing in April and May last year, Varland deserves a good long look in the rotation.

Varland has been handled carefully in his career, but has thrown 150 innings in each of the last two years. He can can handle an increase. It is Chris Paddack who will be quite restricted next year. Take the under at 120 innings on Paddack. Effective pitching is all that will restrict Varland. The Twins may add someone for spot starts but Snell, Montgomery, oe even Giolito seem unlikely. Negotiations are ongoing with Bally, apparently, and perhaps we are all surprised. I'm in favor of a trade that brings in guys like Kirby, Gilbert, and Luzardo. That seems very unlikely as well. Unless something financially helpful occurs, it looks like the Twins add someone behind the back end of the rotation. I'm less worried about Varland than some of our position players, with Buxton being the main concern among some others.

Totally agree. Varland is a perfect #4 starter because he can pitch effective innings ahead of Chris Paddack whose innings will need to be controlled to some extent. In a best case scenario, Varland pitches 180+ innings with an ERA around 4.25 - 4.50.