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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. tony&rodney
    Sounds great. The Twins could offer 6/$150M (two controlled years plus four add-ons) for a start, but the price could go higher. We all have to wonder what limits the Twins will have for payroll, extensions, and free agents. One must believe the trades in late July rid the team of unnecessary or superfluous players or that the return from the trades was exceptional if one now thinks money is not a factor. I'm having a hard time thinking of a direction for the team without any present clue of a financial reality. The July trades seemed to predict further trades but perhaps it doesn't happen. When I look at the current 40 person roster I'm optimistic of 75 wins. I can see potential problems that result in 55 wins. Maybe some additions and changes should be considered. However, I don't have a magic crystal ball and many people believe in the current roster. Falvey did the last two years and said so on numerous occasions. I'm not aware of any plan or statements thus far in this offseason. In the dark for now.
  2. tony&rodney
    I appreciate you putting your suggestions out.
  3. tony&rodney
    Festa may be best used in the bullpen. My guess is that gets decided after March and from there we can see what happens. Festa is pretty clearly among the 13 best pitchers in the Twins organization (imo). The guys you mentioned in the rotation do make up a solid core and Matthews might get moved to the bullpen if all of the names remain the same. If the Twins trade a young arm, who do you think they can acquire? The Twins are indeed rated as the #2 farm system in one publication, but one should also keep in mind that they are also rated as low as #15 in another. They have a good farm system in my opinion but Julien is the only guy to get votes for ROY in recent years. The polls are all over the place and we need to consider that when thinking about the value of our prospects if one suggests trading them. When you suggest the team is, more or less, solid and only a few players are needed you don't forward any suggestions. You likely have some people in mind. I am curious to see all suggestions from anyone. It is worth remembering that the Twins played roughly a 55 -60 win season after the July trades. This is the team they are currently rostering. A rebound and great play could result in as many as 75 wins and a similar product to what we watched in 2025 ..... or things could be worse. I'm going to suggest change is needed. A half dozen trades does not bother me, nor does a payroll of $80M. I'm looking for talent. Festa in the bullpen is fine but I'm specifically wanting something different at C, 1B, 3B, SS, LF, RF, and DH. This could be via improved play, position change, or adding players from outside the current 40 person roster. I'm hoping for a better team, at least for viewing, in 2026.
  4. tony&rodney
    Yes, that was clear from the press release. My point was the pitchers hear many voices, another is fine.
  5. tony&rodney
    Isn't this exactly what all of us Twins fans are hoping for, perhaps against all odds? We hope that in this offseason and next Spring the front office will awake, see that change can occur, and they will recognize the talent available and act. Hope is what we have. We are counting on it.
  6. tony&rodney
    It is easy to agree with signing a Devin Williams type relief pitcher but the combination of expected prices as seen on various signs with the expected slashing of the roster budget may make that a long shot. I'm hoping for something good to happen this winter. That confusing trade is in the past and I'm trying to forget it. The positive is that Varland played in the World Series and now works in a fabulous city. I do like Minneapolis and St. Paul. More worrisome is that the addition of Alan Roden makes me think (wonder?) the Twins do not hold out high hopes for one or both of Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez. It also points to a lack of confidence in Austin Martin and Kyler Fedko. Meanwhile both Trevor Larnach (less so) and Matt Wallner received plenty of grass time despite being clear DH's. Someone also was very impressed by the power of James Outman. There are some odd decisions being made and we are left wondering ...... hmmm.
  7. tony&rodney
    Always good to see what others conjure up as solutions to the malaise of the Twins roster. Curious choices though. You can't sign future Hall of Fame players to a team that cannot compete for a World Series. They won't sign for $30M per year with the Twins. They are chasing rings and call their shots. You want to add Tristan Casas, an injury prone molasses slow pure DH to play 1B. He is a common choice on Twins Daily but he is also already in arbitration and unproven. The Twins have a DH, Matt Wallner. Lastly you trade for Sebastian Walcott, a totally tooled up kid with huge promise to play shortstop or 3B. The Rangers are pretty flush with pitching and are focused on adding bats. They wouldn't trade Walcott for Ryan because it doesn't help their team. Walcott has struggled to play in the infield and will almost certainly be a right fielder. I watched him play a number of times last summer. The Rangers might keep using him at 3B or 1B next year but I'm expecting he moves to the outfield. He is young and already being moved off of shortstop. Think Miguel Sano at 20 years old, which is a terrific young athlete and massive bat. FWIW, I loved Miguel Sano. All that said, Walcott has a high upside and I do like his prospects moving forward. If the Rangers would trade Walcott for Joe Ryan, I could get behind that move. It would shock me though. You have identified a guy with great potential. How did you arrive at Walcott for your pick to click?
  8. tony&rodney
    Bottom line is that a pitcher must be in tune with their body and each of their pitches. It never hurts to listen to the coaches, but when you get on the mound and face batters it is your decision what to throw. We can be pretty sure that all pitchers have experiences working with numerous pitching coaches and have heard conflicting information at various points. When the camera pans the dugout we often see the starting pitchers with each other in conversation. Amid the mindless chatter no doubt these guys discuss pitches, hitters, and pretty much all things related to their craft. In fact we often see guys comparing grips on the baseball. Hawkins will be a different voice than the last guy but he has experience and knowledge that can be heard.
  9. tony&rodney
    Hang in there young fella. Seems you missed the Glory Days of Twins baseball (1961-1970), but hope is always our friend and good times could be a short couple of years away. A #1-1 pick next summer could be the catalyst to good fortune and an early debut (2027) of that player could align with the successful rise of several other prospects to renew our spirits.
  10. tony&rodney
    Solid choices and a fine article. Will the Twins spend any money?
  11. tony&rodney
    Tony Oliva - 3 Silver Bats and a Gold Glove.
  12. tony&rodney
    I'm not setting myself up for disappointment again. The last two offseasons were brutal. Our leadership decided the Twins had the roster to win it all. We all know that corporate speak is to be supportive and say how exemplary the employees are and that business is going great, but Falvey gave numerous interviews where he went off conversation to state how he felt the team was in a great place and had all the elements to win. This could happen again. The Twins roster may be set, more or less right now. "We tried blah, blah ...." That said, I remain hopeful because I do believe people can change. The front office is faced with the reality that many other teams, such as Milwaukee, Cleveland, and a few others face most years - a lower budget. I would be surprised if the budget fell below $70M in the same way I would be surprised if it was above $120M. There are opportunities to improve the talent within the roster but it will require some guts and gambling. The only free agents I can see being signed are a few relief pitchers in late January or early February. However, the one certainty is that we simply have zero idea what goes on in Falvey's brain or what he views as good baseball or his thoughts on making attempts to draw fans to the Twins product or how he evaluates people. No doubt the guy has some skills and clearly there are important people (the Pohlads) who are enamored with him. I don't know what will happen. I am looking for trades. I'm willing to gamble at the expense of moving on from some potential. Another season of a poor baseball team doesn't excite me. Hope is all I have for the Twins.
  13. tony&rodney
    You could be correct on Clemens. I was hopeful the past two years of some positive change and was dead wrong. I guess if the Twins are set on losing 100 games Clemens is a starter. He hit some home runs and played hard. I'll give him that. I'm holding out for hope of changes to the roster. I'm only asking for about 5 trades and a couple of free agent signings. I can do that for $90M. If it doesn't happen, well then ....... ....... at least those folks who want to see the same team that was rostered in September get their wish.
  14. tony&rodney
    I'm ok with those numbers. My suggestion to talk with Naylor's or O'Hearn's agents is based on a budget in the $110-120M neighborhood, which I do not expect. People are clamoring for a solution to 1B and to add a bat. Presenting an offer that is large to Sacramento might have a 10% chance to pry loose Tyler Soderstrom. The Twins need talent and they can suffer the pangs of uncertainty with young pitching better than they can watch the currently rostered position players continue on their course. That means some change needs to occur.
  15. tony&rodney
    Good luck to all of those guys. They have decades of life ahead of them and can excel at their next careers. Also, there are always Senior Mens Leagues looking for guys who like to have fun playing baseball.
  16. tony&rodney
    Sure would like to know why the Twins picked Tait over Miller. That was a curious choice. Tait has boom in his bat but his position is still not settled. Hopefully he can pick up catching and become proficient at the position. I like the potential in his bat. The Mariners are holding Emerson for a year. He has looked really good. In 2027 Emerson will slide into the shortstop spot for Seattle.
  17. tony&rodney
    Skip to why Josh Naylor makes sense at 3/$75M or why Ryan O'Hearn fits. If the Twins can ratchet their 2026 season opening budget to $105-110M, there is room for one of them. Unfortunately, for those who dream on Rhys Hoskins or Dustin May, no room.
  18. tony&rodney
    The only reason to trade Joe Ryan is because there is about 1,000 - 1 odds against the Twins winning their division. I'm a Twins fan, pick them to win too many times, and even I must be realistic. If the rebuild goes perfectly, the Twins are competitive in 2028. Joe Ryan will be with a new team at that time. The Tigers have a good team now and they should improve next year. The Tigers suffered among the most of any team in baseball from injuries last year and their fortunes are bound to be much better in 2026. The guy to front their rotation and lead them is Tarik Skubal. Take him away and the team falls back into a scramble with Cleveland and Kansas City. It would be monumentally a mistake to put the Tigers back into a rebuilding at this time. Detroit should be trading for Joe Ryan not considering trading Tarik Skubal. Think of it this way. If the Twins were the AL Central leaders with a young, deep, athletic team that needed one guy or maybe two to make them favorites to compete for an AL title, would you trade for Tarik Skubal and the chance to win it all? The cost could be something like Walker Jenkins, Connor Prielipp, Kaelen Culpepper, and another player. If your Twins already had a shortstop, good outfielders, and were pretty deep in pitching, does it make a difference to offer up a huge pile for Skubal? That is the situation for the Tigers. A Joe Ryan can elevate them. Trading Skubal would bring a load of prospects but they wouldn't be ready and the window would pass for a few years. The Twins didn't do what they needed to do in 2023 and now they must reboot and build for a couple of years. Crap, that was convoluted. Sorry, but you should understand the difference between Detroit and the Twins.
  19. tony&rodney
    The Pohlads are not tuned into baseball. They spent money to hire Falvey and gave him the keys. The Twins have spent more money during the Falvey years than their divisional opponents on baseball and we have been told repeatedly that the Twins spent a pile of dough on other expenses. Who drives the philosophy of the team? The last two years have been a total wreck where fans have witnessed some of the worst baseball in franchise history. People can change their minds and ideas. I believe that Falvey can make strong moves. The opportunity is there. This is a crucial offseason. If the front office cannot take the steps to stem the decline and create some momentum for the future all blame should fall 100% on ownership for not ending the rain of errors.
  20. tony&rodney
    Not even close .... for me (imo). The Giants are quite unlikely to discuss Eldridge because they need a first baseman and a power bat wrapped up in a controllable low price because they are spending money elsewhere on their roster. That aside, the Giants and Twins are not a match. The Twins have players in Rookie ball, they have Winokur, Houston, and Culpepper. They should have a high draft choice next year. There is no such thing as too much talent but Ryan needs to return players who have excelled at AA and AAA or have already made a mark in MLB. If there is no market, keep him.
  21. tony&rodney
    Exactly. Any trades of a guy like Joe Ryan, even the suggestion, for highly rated lower level players should be ignored. The recent playoffs highlighted absolutely the importance of strong starting pitching for those clubs who strive to play for a World Series trophy. I cannot fathom top teams like Milwaukee or Detroit ceding their places at the table by trading Tarik Skubal or Freddy Peralta. That would be crazy. No rookie could replace those pitchers. The Twins are not anywhere near an invitation to the postseason. A recent podcast of national writers discussed that the Twins were likely to fall below the White Sox without numerous changes. No true Twins fan wants Joe Ryan to be traded and there are many who just can't accept the team moving Ryan. However, if one considers that there SHOULD be a few teams that feel they are one good starting pitcher away, Ryan could certainly return players who could quicken the Twins return to relevance. I have forwarded Tyler Soderstrom as one name. Steve Adams and Anthony Franco of mlbtraderumors posited that Sacramento would benefit from trading Soderstrom for a top pitcher. I believe the Twins might need to add Alan Roden and maybe Charlee Soto to convince the Athletics of a deal. There are other opportunities but they mostly involve prospects or somewhat uncertain players. The Red Sox have bodies. My interest there would begin with Ceddanne Rafaela and demand two more from Arias, Mayer, Tolle, Casas, and Perales. The Tigers should be calling and this is a big ask - Max Clark. There shouldn't be limits on the ask. Teams need to strongly evaluate their windows. Teams that squirm can return to fighting for a Wild Card shot or be happy winning 81 games. My expectations mirror what TopGunn#22 wrote - demand a good and fair return for Joe Ryan or keep him.
  22. tony&rodney
    If the players noted in the article are representative of a Twins shopping list it is going to be a very sad winter dooming the 2026 season. We should expect more than slightly below average for a low price.
  23. tony&rodney
    Not too hot, to answer your question. Arizona does have some infielders ready, more or less and an outfielder but, alas, three positions are taken in the infield. Arizona does have a former top prospect and they are looking for starting pitching. The Diamondbacks GM has stated he would consider trading a young pup for a pitcher. The young fellow to target is Jordan Lawler. His first go at MLB was really rough. He is a very smooth shortstop but couldn't adequately handle third base. While most people assume a good shortstop can play all positions, there are a few guys who don't like being that close without any space. I'm wondering if Arizona would be open to a Lawler for a young pitcher trade? The D-Backs could pick one from the lot: Abel, Bradley, Festa, Matthews, Morris, or Woods Richardson. I would also give AZI the option of choosing Bailey Ober. This trade would probably see varying results from a tool like BBTV, but Arizona would stand to benefit from gaining a good back end rotation pitcher with years of control and they really don't feel any loss because while they are currently wondering if Lawler can play centerfield he has not made his mark in the desert. The Twins pick up a talented player who has failed badly but carries the potential to play slick middle infield defense, run the bases, hit with power, and hopefully transfer his minor league consistency at the plate into The Show. My thought is that the Twins can afford the gamble on trading one of these young starters. Matthews or Bradley should be quite attractive to Arizona. Lawler should be quite attractive for Minnesota. This seems like a mutually beneficial exchange.
  24. tony&rodney
    There are arms to choose from within the organization and there will be opportunities to add an arm or two via trade or free agency. Line them up and find out who wants a job. There are guys like Topa, Sands, Adams, Ohl, and Funderburk who can fill in the back side of an eight person bullpen. Maybe a couple of guys like Raya, Morris, and Klein step forward to grab a role. I do believe putting Prielipp in the bullpen would not be an automatic end of his career as a starter and he might learn quite a bit in the major leagues as a reliever. Festa might be a clean transfer to the pen. It should not be impossible for the Twins to add an arm or two via free agency or trades. I don't think anyone should expect the Twins to spend much money on relief pitchers. If the Twins field well and hit enough perhaps the bullpen weakness heals faster.
  25. tony&rodney
    Thank you. Great write ups and it is always good to read these briefs.
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