tony&rodney

This seems like the rational decision but the price for Cabrera (or Luzardo, etc.) may be much higher by July. Both teams could likely benefit from a trade but the question of which players is a very difficult one for each club. My best guess is that a gamble now is the ticket for October but I'm just guessing like everyone else. I would say that Arraez is the only sure thing, which should mean his value is higher than any of the other players discussed.

Dusty Baker understands and uses analytics extensively. He has spoken about this before in several interviews. There is a time to play the odds and there is a time to play the game in front of you. Francona has also talked about this same topic - when to use and when to ignore analytics. While it is more pervuasive in the game today, numbers have always been a part of the game. This is why guys like Baker and Francona are comfortable managing the game still. The post is about Baldelli, who is an emerging manager, one who appears to be very tightly tied to the game plan. Perhaps he doesn't have as free of a hand as a vet like Francona or Baker.

If Brooks Lee plays the field with average skills his bat could push him to Target Field this summer. That is super optimistic for sure, but he does profile as a rock steady player. I believe he was passed over by some teams in the draft because the guys ahead of him are super athletic with the potential to become superstars. Keoni Cavaco is such a player, which is why he was drafted by the Twins. Luckily, Lee fell to the Twins and he looks like a player that can start for the Twins for a dozen years and be very productive with his bat while playing a very good third base.

The trade would need to be after the Twins put a couple of guys on the 60 day IL. It is a good idea worth a prospect outside of our top guys, maybe Enlow. Hard to say what the Angels see as fair value for Adell.

Best case for Jorge Polanci is .... Jorge Polanco in odd numbered years.

The roster is not set yet. We need to wait until March 29 to make our predictions.

Pablo Lopez simply rates higher than any current Twins starter. That said, he has just two years of control remaining. The guys with multiple years of control (more than two) to look at are Cabrera and Luzardo. They also project as better than what the Twins currently have in their rotation. On the other hand, all of Arraez, Miranda, Kepler, Larnach, and Jeffers would be big pickups for the Marlins. NO, not all of them. The Marlins and Twins match up nicely for a trade and fans of both teams will find fault if it occurs, when their favorite player is moved.

Arraez is still improving as a baseball player and batsman. Miami is correct to target Luis but the Twins are right to be stubborn in their demands. That said, i do believe that both teams would benefit from a trade. The Twins need to take the gamble on the unproven starters with tremendous potential, while the Marlins get a sure thing to boost their offense. Arraez, Larnach, and two players not on the 40 person roster (Urbina, Miller) for Cabrera and Luzardo is my current deal. I would miss Arraez and Larnach, but I'm hoping for a breakout from Cabrera and Luzardo that pushes the Twins into post season baseball. Miami would also be a more balanced team.

McCutcheon was never going to happen unless he was still unsigned in mid March and the Twins felt a need at that time.

Yes, Houston has a pretty good bullpen. Let us look at the Houston-Minnesota starting pitcher innings. Twins IP Houston IP Ryan 147. 0 Valdez 201.1 Bundy 140.0 Verlander 175 Mahle 120.2 Urquidy 164.1 Gray 119.2 Garcia 157.1 Archer 102.3 Javier 148.2 Smeltzer 70.1 Odorizzi 60.0 Houston replaces Verlander and Odorizzi with a healthy McCullers and a top prospect Hunter Brown. Minnesota replaces Bundy, Archer, and Smeltzer with Maeda, Ober, and Winder. The Valdez, Garcia, Javier, McCullers, and Brown talents all slot above Gray, Mahle, Ryan, Maeda, and Ober. While the Twins do have good starters, they need to add one or two starting pitchers with talent/upside. Any of Cabrera, Luzardo, and Lopez would help and that alone would strengthen the bullpen. This would be especially true if the added starter pushed Maeda into relief, where he would be terrific and also build his arm strength.

What does Houston and Dusty Baker say on this?

Alan Page played college football at Notre Dame at somewhere between 275-295 pounds. He was the first defensive player in NFL history to get a single vote and subsequently won the MVP award in the NFL as a Viking playing at 245-275 pounds. Page became concerned about how the weight he carried would affect his health long term. He is a runner and dropped his weight to 218 pounds when Coach Grant demanded he add back weight. Page refused, wound up playing his last four years quite effectively with the Chicago Bears. I wonder if Sano has any concerns about his weight. The past few years, we saw several examples of the big man huffing and puffing after scoring from second base on a single. Sano is extremely muscular but also well over 100 pounds larger than he was as an 18 year old. Honestly, I don't want to see Sano have a heart attack. His health and attention to conditioning are his only paths back to MLB. I wonder what Miguel Sano at 220 pounds could accomplish after rebuilding his swing and quickness.

I watch way too much baseball, the Twins and snippets from other teams as well. Sanchez was really brutal behind the plate for the Yankees, to the point where several pitchers demanded a different catcher when they started. The issue was growing. One had to feel bad for Sanchez because he plays whenever he is asked to play and rarely sits due to an injury. Gary looked renewed as a player for the Twins compared to his last two Yankee years. My comment is specific to his catching. I actually think he was acceptable last season and appreciated that he was available all year. Christian Vasquez, however, should be a major upgrade behind the plate.

It is a good idea for baseball fans to watch Francona manage about 100 complete games to get a better idea of the difference a manager can make within a game. Just watch how Francona talks with the players, press, umpires and how he goes about making decisions. 100 games of watching Cleveland under Francona is very instructive. I don't have any problem with Baldelli specifically. He just lacks the skills of Francona. Not every team can have Francona either but if you watch at least 100 Cleveland games you should be able to understand the differences, and then you will know that Baldelli is not the perfect modern manager.

Alex has implored people to be more positive and pointed out that signing Correa recently and Buxton last year are signs of the Twins moving towards putting a solid team together. This is a fair idea. He also hopes the Twins add more guys, clearly indicating a wish to see even better players. The Twins have struggled the past several seasons with fundamental baseball and the station to station game is partially to blame for declining attendance. There can be disagreements with how a fan wants their favorite team to play the game and what happens. No use for anyone to get personal or too excited because we have no control. It is usually more beneficial for one's personal health to think positively and hope for the best in situations where one has zero control. We can disagree on baseball issues in a civil manner and still have strong opinions. Falvey makes the calls, we watch the results. I'm hoping for the best but am also wishing to see the Twins clean up some of the poor play due to lazy mental errors which I see as different from tired or stressed mental errors. Physical errors are going to happen. I'm also hopeful of seeing a team that considers all means of scoring runs. Station to station baseball is too tough for me. I'm almost ready for Spring Training. .... just one or two trades left.

Buxton is concerning, very much so because he started 51 games in CF last season. I'm hopeful that Byron is ready to escape the torrent of injuries to actually stay on the field. He is still young, athletic, and strong. Correa has to stay focused on maintaining the routine to keep the back issues away. Otherwise he is good to go. I agree with those who mention the availability of Kirilloff for the duration of the year, and add Jorge Polanco. Still, the two stars are Buxton and Correa, picks #1 and #2 with the talent and skills to attract attention across the country. Their presence is key, for sure.

Yah, mol my point said in a hopeful tone.

Yes, the Twins have a better team today than they had at the beginning of last season and they have also improved their roster since the season ended. There is still an opportunity to make the squad better too. Gary Sanchez played better than I expected but if Christian Vasquez can stay healthy all year the pitchers will love him; possibly the biggest improvement. The injured have healed over the past few months and good health alone should be the Twins best hope. Signing Correa and trading for Farmer were also improvements. I'm not a fan of Joey Gallo but he can be effective if he can hit .240. The pitching staff should be improved too because they have gained experience, and again, the return to health of Mahle, Maeda, and Alcala should make a difference. Is it also possible that Ober and Winder pitch through an entire season free of injuries? Improvement is needed because the gap between Cleveland and Minnesota was significant last year and this coming season will also include a more balanced schedule. The teams in the AL Central will need to step it up, which is why the Twins need to complete one or two good trades.

Good roundup on the roster and another reminder that the Twins could benefit from a trade with the Marlins. Last season was a horror show of untimely injuries and ill fortune with health. If a report that Kirilloff is pain free for the first time in two years is correct that is a strong start to some fortune and good luck. I like how deep the Twins are at the moment with position players but there are not enough plate appearances to distribute amongst their players. A trade with Miami is possible and my hope is that either of Cabrera or Luzardo comes north. I would see Arraez and Larnach as a reasonable return for either player.

It is interesting that there hasn't been any mention of what is currently happening with Sano by anyone. The suggestion of Miguel as minor league depth in this post is the first really and fair. The injuries, the wavering focus, and the bad swing habits pushed Sano down a deep hole. I have wondered if he had the fire to play baseball any longer. The travel, the judgments, and lifestyle can be daunting and attack an individual's confidence. Perhaps Sano has everything he needs and more right now in his orbit to live the lifestyle that he chooses. Satisfaction and happiness is very inexpensive when one finds their own environment. If Sano still has the desire to excel at baseball, he could make the necessary moves to put him in a position for another opportunity. First, Miguel must be completely healed and healthy. Second, he needs to be in top physical condition because as an athlete ages the loss of youthful quickness must be balanced by experience and conditioning. Third, Sano needs to correct the flaws that crept into his swing. All of these are very difficult but possible. The main question is whether or not Miguel Sano has the deep yearning to return to baseball at the highest level. What is he doing right now and what has he done since last October? The lack of any information on Miguel makes me think he has stepped away from the game. It would take less than five minutes, in person, to discover whether Sano is still interested in playing baseball. If he is, sign him.

I guess it is good to be optimistic and suggest that Spring Training will be used to help the Twins improve in some key areas: hit the cutoff man, cut off man gets to the correct position, run out of the batter's box, take the extra base whenever possible, move runners along, score runs from second and third with less than two outs, contact with two strikes, remember how many outs there are, steal a few bases, etc. Last year the Twins were abysmal on the bases and with basic fundamentals. The success rate for stealing bases should be near 80%. Teams that run more often force the action and are often rewarded. Playing station to station baseball bores most fans and is also nonproductive. A new season allows the Twins to change the vibe of how their team plays the game. Make the changes needed.

Emmanuel Rodriguez is untouchable. Period. There isn't any pitcher available that would shake that tree. It is unlikely that the Twins trade either Brooks Lee or Royce Lewis. The Yankees are not trading Cortes and it is unlikely that either Gallen or Woodruff are available. The focus of trades and numerous posts have been repetitively about the Marlins pitchers because Miami has expressed that all of their pitchers except for Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez can be acquired if the return to Miami consists of the right collection of bats. Pablo Lopez is considered more highly by national baseball writers and evaluators than any of the Twins starters. I favor Edward Cabrera or Jesus Luzardo over Lopez due to cost, years of control, and upside. I would rather see the Twins go into 2023 with the pitching they currently have than to see trades of prospects or signings of washed up arms. I really want to see a trade for Cabrera, which might be nuts, but am fine to watch all of Ober, Winder, Varland, and Woods Richardson get an opportunity if the young Marlin cannot be acquired.

The adoption of ABS is inevitable and we should expect to see it in 2025. No doubt there will be some form of a challenge as well.

I love to watch Arraez hit because he projects confidence and nearly dares the pitcher to try and throw strikes. The way he responds to pitches outside the strike zone is entertaining and he nods in appreciation when a pitcher throws an unhittable pitch that Arraez takes for a strike. Luis is fun to watch as he pokes the ball around the diamond and occasionally launches a ball over the outfielder's head or even into the seats. Arraez is an accomplished batter. I do not think Arraez is a good comparison to Tony Gwynn because while they have similarities at the plate, one is an infielder with limited defensive skills and the other was a fairly decent outfielder. Additionally, Gwynn was a decent base runner. This is not to diminish the skills or accomplishments of Luis Arraez, it is only to say he doesn't need the yoke of being compared to the Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. As far as whether the Padres ever considered trading Gwynn, I'm not sure that is important but yes San Diego did examine offers at one time. It would be cool to see Arraez play ten more years in the major leagues and win several more batting titles too.

What would the Twins offer? They do not sign pitchers to long term contracts thus far for significant money. Neither is worth $20 million per year, thus it is difficult to envision the Twins going that route. Maybe 3/$45 if one or the other has a good year? It could happen but I don't see it, which is not to say I'm against signing free agent pitchers.