tony&rodney

Ah, just an fyi or fwiw ... he received the fourth most votes by writers of The Athletic to win the Cy Young this year. National articles hold Jose Berrios in very, very high regard and have for quite some time now. It is actually Twins fans who underrated him, if anything.

Archer has better stuff and looked pretty comfortable/strong in his appearance recently. Bundy is still "finding" his pitches but has some experience. The two are not really comparable. The key difference this year is we hope there are healthy bodies to help out when needed. Winder has looked good and Smeltzer is a call away. I'm trending towards the positive view of the Twins as the season gets close and my desire for warmer weather and disdain for snow/sleet, ice and cold grows.

You hit right in your first paragraph. While no pitcher can be guaranteed, a Gausman or Ray type is a worthy gamble. I would include Berrios, Stroman, and Rodon in there as well. Still, these are tough decisions. San Diego really doesn't have anything we want. The Twins are lighting a ton of votive candles for their pitchers. Your second paragraph hinges on "hopefully". Twins Daily and many Twins fans are not in agreement with the vast array of baseball writers who see their prospects as "average". We exhibit the characteristics of Garrison Keillor's mythical village, Lake Wobegon. While you can include me as one of those helpless hopefuls, it was nonetheless maddening to see the Twins tip-toe so carefully through free agency and the trade market last November leading up to the lockout. The Padres are supposedly in a similar market as the Twins. I don't believe that San Diego is going to win and didn't last year, but the Twins should be evaluating their options with fewer constraints when it will make a significant difference. At this point a significant trade for a pitcher is unpredictable. I am not a fan of trading with San Diego unless it includes Gore and Campusano, which is not happening. I am not a fan of pitchers like Cueto, Manaea, or Pineda either. Perhaps the Twins get lucky with a Marquez type or Miami, but the Twins are likely to roll with what they have right now and it might work with a tweak. Let's get Bryan Reynolds and his four years of control for left field. I'm looking forward to Friday's opener.

Manaea has some solid games and is a good pitcher, but he doesn't carry the talent level needed to be a difference for the Twins. Bassitt was the miss from Oakland. Montas works if there is a reasonable deal to be made.

Yah, it is fun to imagine the Twins being good. I do. Correa, however, doesn't have any speed though so no imagination help there.

I'm fine with the Twins rolling with their current roster ..... because that is the way it is. I do wish the team would take a chance once in a while to get better. Some might say that Correa was a chance but I would term that a gift from Correa/Boras knowing what a joy it will be for CC to hit with Buxton and Polanco. When I read about rumors involving the Pirates outfielder, Reynolds, I think to myself - why not the Twins? It is actually possible too. It would be nice to see some forward movements. Nevertheless, I'm hoping Winder, Duran, Canterino, and Balazovic make spectacular meaningful debuts this year along with Jose Miranda. It is possible that the next guys up are ready to go right now and that this is the year that the former youth play to their potential too.

Count me as one who believes that Ryan Jeffers will be solid this year, but also put me down as a person who remains befuddled by the purge of depth at a position so integral to a pitcher's success. It wasn't necessary unless one accepts that JD was reviled by all with the Twins organization, for which I claim no knowledge whatsoever. Clearly, it wasn't the money. Great article pushing forward Jeffers' breadth of skills - hope he has a wonderful year.

Agree with this take. Understand that the Twins saved $6 million in the deal and no longer have any JD contract but this wasn't a move to win. The deal that Boras/Correa offered could have still happened and kept the payroll in total control of a healthy profit. It seems Miranda will need to prove himself to be better than he was last year. He could certainly work to improve in all areas as a player for the Saints, so not a terrible result. It doesn't make any sense to add someone from the 40, unless the knee injury to Kirilloff is problematic. Then maybe Garlick. Nick Gordon has improved since his health returned last year. He looks decent and can cover a ton of positions when needed; a perfect utility player.

Yes. This is correct. Anyone that doubts any part of this should spend a few minutes on a Baseball-Reference site. Oh, and look up the number of putouts and assists by Mays, Trout, and Buxton. A helpful note - there were stopwatches in the 20th century. Finally, I have consistently been a huge fan of Byron Buxton and will not be surprised if he does win an MVP and Mike Trout is hands down the best MLB player of the last decade.

I miss the antics of Eddie Rosario.

The Dodgers signed Andrew Heaney for $8.5 million. They roll every rock for any player that might win a game. Yes, they have resources that the Twins cannot match but from trades to free agents to minor league signings their net is decisive. Meanwhile their farm system is amazing at developing players. To me the Twins are reactive as opposed to proactive in nearly all of their dealings, from the draft to the big roster. The Texas trade made some sense if the Twins were going to highlight defense. Then they traded with the Yankees. I miss plenty but have never read nor spoken to anyone who spoke poorly of Josh Donaldson regarding his work habits, professionalism, or willingness to work with younger players. I don't know him, but have heard from some who do which is an indirect link. I do not understand the negativity cast toward him since the trade. Does anyone know him personally or have specific quotes or links to indicate otherwise? Losing JD, IK-F, & BR meant the Twins were weakened at DH, catcher, 1B, 3B, and SS. Fortunately for the Twins, Scott Boras picked up the phone and dictated a deal. Hope. At this point the Twins are leaning very heavily on their younger players to be very good if the season is to be competitive. Hopefully this can occur. The team is also leaning heavily on Shoemaker/Happ types to resurrect their careers and it could happen. Bundy, Archer, Smith, and Sanchez have had good years. The problem, in my opinion, is that the Twins are not proactive in their plan (whatever it is). The entire season will rest with guys like Jeffers, Kirilloff, Ryan, Ober, Winder, Alcala, Duran, and a host of other young players. We already know that Polanco, Correa, Buxton, and Rogers will be good. National writers are mostly placing the Twins below the midpoint of all MLB teams. I guess we can hope for a pile of luck and monster seasons from the unknown guys like Sanchez, Sano, Urshela, Arraez, Kepler, Gray, Archer, Bundy, and Smith.

Hmmm. One wonders if someone forgot about that. Tough to bench both Arraez and Urshela for Miranda if the rookie has a poor glove. I'm not sure what the Twins think about Miranda. He looks good at the plate.

The Twins should roll with this group right now ... unless the price goes much lower on Montas. I thought the miss was not making an adequate offer for Bassitt, because the Twins could have bested the Mets offer. Another big miss was not taking a risk on Carlos Rodon. Of course, we all know that so many little things can ruin any signings or trades. Winder looks good to me - patient, mature, and not afraid to attack or make a mistake. He will need to wait for his chance. There will be opportunities for young pitchers to make an impression both starting and in relief. But, yeah, the prices are too high and it is time to see who has the pitches to keep the Twins in a game until their offense shines, because the bats should be solid.

The Twins absolutely need to be more athletic going forward. Fly balls that drop and line drives just out of the reach of slow defenders (of/if) are really discouraging for a pitcher and often force changes to increase strikeouts. Royce Lewis and Austin Martin are both athletic and profile as decent defenders in the outfield or at 2B/3B. The jury is out on their abilities to play shortstop. If they can hit, they will play. Jose Miranda must scare the Twins in the field because he looks more dangerous with the bat right now than either Urshela or Arraez. There are very few prospects who have years as dominant at the plate than Miranda had last year. It is only his athleticism in the field that stops him from being given the third base job. Lewis and Martin will not face those questions in the field. Hopefully they will hit.

"If there’s a team that could go up or down more than almost any other in baseball it could be Minnesota." Agree wholeheartedly with this. The Twins could be pretty good or pretty bad. I'm feeling that the other teams in the AL Central will be better than they have been in the past. Chicago will be healthier and have a strong bullpen. Detroit picked up some solid experience to go with their youth and their young pitchers are getting ready to win. Kansas City has youth and a few vets. Greinke in 2022 profiles as better than any Twin starting pitcher and his choice and enthusiasm to return to KC brings excitement and experience to the team. Finally, the Guardians have a top 10 farm system of players who have plenty of minor league experience and will now get their chance. The Guardians with their pitching and Terry Francona could really surprise a bunch of people. It is a sorry situation where the owner won't spend just $20-30 million more to buttress this young team. The Twins need to click in order to win enough to make the playoffs and this AL Central has zero resemblance to those weak teams from 2019-2021. I believe the division will be much better.

Both Martin and Lewis are expected to be good with their bats, feet, and gloves. I'll take Lewis in RF and Martin in LF if they play great defense along with decent on base and batting average skills. A power hitting outfielder that cannot catch the ball in the gap or run down a ball down the line hurts the team. I would never compare any player, ever, to Ricky Henderson who played LF. A reason that Kepler has a long rope in RF is his defense and speed. Hopefully he rebounds with his bat this year. There is always a place to put an athletic player who hits, runs, and plays defense. Lewis and Martin just need to prove themselves to get their shot.

I hoped against all hope that the Twins could pry Alcantara away from the Marlins in November of 2020. Miami signed him to a favorable contract. He would cost the about farm right now: Lewis, Kirilloff, Martin, and Balazovic. That is a no and the Marlins are going to hold tight to their young pitching.

Oakland is squeezing the market. It may pay off. Bassitt is better than Manaea and Oakland should have been fine with a Sands, Strotman, Rooker deal. On the other hand, the Twins may not be willing to go that high for Manaea. I really like Montas, but he does not have the pedigree of a Berrios or even a Gray. Montas has good stuff and one year of success. I was/am hoping for Montas but a package equal to Berrios would be just wrong.

USAFChief is correct that as the season goes along it is usually a mixture of which pitcher lines up against which opponent's pitcher. The start of the season and immediately after the All Star Game are different. I would begin the season with Gray, Ober, Ryan, and Winder. This leaves Bundy and Gray for the Dodgers. Unless the Twins add an experienced "good" pitcher via trade, they will need to use Winder and he is ready to go now. The only other option looks to be Smeltzer. I'm choosing Winder at the moment.

Trade? Yes. Otherwise ... Gray, Ober, Winder, Ryan, Bundy.

Good read. Ober is fun to watch. Last year, he was a mild revelation. Now, he looks like an emerging piece to a good starting pitching staff. Just watching him pitch on video, Ober controls the batter more consistently than any of the other pitchers. I think he has great value as a Sonny Gray type of pitcher and now the Twins have Gray too. It would be sweet if the Twins can add a pitcher to slot in between Gray and Ober.

Brooks Lee falls to the Twins.

The Twins are in a tough spot. Ryan, Ober, Bundy, and Dobnak are all back of the rotation pitchers. Winder could go in April, maybe Balazovic as well, but the hope has to be that at least one good pitcher is gained in a trade. Montas or Manaea look most likely. Still a couple of weeks to go.

The Twins are better on defense with Urshela and better on offense with either Arraez or Miranda. I would go with Miranda.

Yes, Duran would look good in the bullpen. Strotman may be another guy to stick in relief. However, I'm good to use both of those guys in a trade. The Graterol trade was fair for both teams and an example for a similar move this March.