tony&rodney

It is. I never liked Barry Bonds because of how angry and petulant he came across as a person. My dislike wasn't active just one of preferring a pleasant source of entertainment to a person who carried anger. So it wasn't really a dislike. However, I did think he could play baseball at a level rarely if ever seen. As time went on it became obvious that the relationship between Bonds and other people was often difficult, but it was also obvious that he had no tolerance for racism and unfounded criticism. He, right or wrong, felt people failed to give him the respect he thought he had earned through his play. I had the opportunity to see a closed session of batting practice in Spring Training 20 years a go. The display of skill when Bonds went to work was unbelievable: from the half dozen plus bunts to the ground balls to the line drives to the screaming drives off the fences to the lat dozen balls hit 400+ feet to all fields. Everything was crushed in a precise manner of direction with purpose according to a plan. When Bonds walked to the plate on that day every player and coach stopped what they were doing and watched. He wasn't well received by his peers or coaches. Bonds was a complicated individual with a host of ghosts in his life. I don't know him but the vitriol spilled on this guy by the unknowing public was as historic as his numbers. Why do people hate someone so intensely? Why do people separate Bonds from the others of his era for venomous denigration? Bonds was among the best players in the game when he last suited up and was sent off into retirement. I would say he has paid his bill, if there was one, more than any of the other figures of the steroid era. I liked Ortiz and Manny but they don't deserve a seat before Barry Bonds. I do think the time has passed for all.

126 340 75 94 192 14 0 28 66 132 43 54 5 0 .276 480 .565 1.045 1.06 Anyone interested in this player on a minimum pay contract? Released and passed over by every team.

"On the flip side, the Twins still have plenty of solid position players, and they should receive help from top pitching prospects in 2022. A deal for Manaea (and subsequent moves) would give them a fighting chance in 2022." The conversations on TD divide between using the current core with additions and other options. Bassitt, Manaea, Montas, and hopefully a few others offer an opportunity to bridge the gap for prospects. When you look around baseball you can see many examples of prospects who were traded, developed, and contributed positively for their new team. Manaea is just one example. The Twins cannot compete if they are risk adverse. My position mirrors others, such as Doctor Gast and TopGun#22, who want the team to target mostly right-handed pitchers in trade to support the current core. We might be seeing a Falvey strategy play out right now. The Twins are on the sidelines as mid-level pitchers and relievers are signed. Additionally, the Twins have not made an appearance, to my knowledge, in any rumors. Writers have suggested the Twins may see opportunities to trade for a number of pitchers. Oakland and Miami are the best fits. Means from Baltimore ... not so much.

Satire again, right?

FWIW, Barry Bonds was never found guilty of taking steroids and his conviction for obstruction of justice was overturned 10-1 by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Bonds was easily the best hitter in baseball, pre-steroids era. If any members who were ever whispered to have used steroids get into the HoF, Bonds needs to go in first. There cannot be exemptions or ... "But, he was a good guy" stuff. I'm not invested either way - let them all in or keep everyone out - I don't care. The hypocrisy is tough though. We don't like Barry, Alex is ok, Ortiz was a fabulous post season player- great personality, Manny was a jerk, etc. These judgments are just personal nonsense and hyperbole. All or none is simple.

We can cross Sandy Alcantara off any trade lists, although it was an extreme long shot. He is signing a team friendly deal with Miami.

It certainly seems like that might be true. I'm not in for Sixto Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, or Eliaser Hernandez, but count me open to a trade of either Garver or Jeffers for Cabrera or Meyer. Talent plays. I'm not sure how Miami sees their rotation .... Alcantara, Rogers, Lopez and then what. They have Hernandez, Sanchez, Luzardo, and Cabrera lined up for 4-7 and then Meyer. Additionally, Miami has a true potential #1 star in Eury Perez plus Jack Eder as a pitcher with talent on the mend from Tommy John. Alcantara or Lopez may be too rich in costs but Cabrera and Meyer might be possible.

Worth a shot though. Add a player or two if needed, but at least make a really strong offer.

This is, more or less, exactly the argument the keep Buxton crowd is making. We want to believe. Who has has the talent to replace Buxton? Answer = nobody .... if Buxton is healthy and playing. So, yes, it comes down to taking some risks and losing the gamble would suck but not be as bad as not taking a chance. Take the shot and hit it.

Miami is the team we need to target (no pun intended) along with Oakland. Alcantara is my first choice but most on TD would not trade Lewis or Martin as part of the package needed to haul in Miami's big righthander. Miami may not consider losing Alcantara. My proposal is Garver or Jeffers, Larnach, Vallimont, and Canterino for Edward Cabrera and Max Meyer. Hopefully there are many conversations between the two teams. Garver and Kepler for Alcantara works for me though.

I saw this DFA and wondered if Niko might be worth a small contract risk. Good post and it seems like a lot of money to throw away if Goodrum is cooked, but there should be some scout's analysis out there on him. The current options are not looking better, so yes.

TheTwins farm system is currently rated about middle, #15 or so. The Twins best pitching prospects, which we all look forward to watching, are not among the top ten rated minor league pitchers. Royce Lewis and Austin Martin are the two Twins rated highly (top fifty) and both have questions about their position. While I think the Twins have some solid prospects, there is a glaring lack of defense among those players and without the current core as teammates, specifically Buxton and Polanco, the Twins would suffer growing pains for more than just a year. Berrios struggled, Viola struggled, and most young pitchers and everyday players do until they gain several years of experience. When blended into a lineup of proven players, prospects often do better because of reduced expectations. Like everyone else I'm guessing but a team of prospects doesn't look good to me and it also seems unnecessary because the Twins can navigate through this offseason positively if they are willing to take a few risks through trades. Free agents may fill one or two spots but without making 2-3 trades, the 2022 Twins will be in a world of hurt. I'm waiting, like you, to see what plan is executed over the next few months.

Ouch.

Love is a good thing. Thank you. I am not aware of anyone offering a contract for $30 million per year. The main point in comments has been that a base of near $11 million would be accompanied by incentives. The incentives would raise the salary, yes, but it would also mean that Buxton is playing which has been a winning proposition for the Twins. Those who look back and dwell on the injuries have an argument to make and are fine with going on without Buxton. Those who have watched Buxton grow as a player and see his potential would like to see that potential shine in a Twins uniform. Both sides are entitled to their opinions as fans of who or who not to watch. I do believe TD comments should ease off the FO who are just following orders from above them. Still, the comments by Falvey this week were weak, poorly phrased, at best; not his best day.

This is a fair question. First, it is not a case of everyone reacting to trades, but more that many readers feel Byron Buxton is a unique talent. Because of his injuries, he also would not likely bring back a major MLB ready player due to the risk assumed by the receiving team. Many have discussed trades of most of the other Twins. This list has included Rogers, Duffey, Sano, Donaldson, Garver, and Kepler as well as less expensive younger players. Jorge Polanco is the Twins most consistently productive player on a very team friendly contract. Prospects all have an uphill climb. The standard to reach a good productive year is 5-7 years from signing, maybe 1-2 years less for a college player, but this can vary. Teams that are looking to win are not usually selling off their established stars. They are willing to part with players who have flaws and may be replaceable. I myself have stated on numerous occasions that there are opportunities for the Twins to be competitive next season, and have also stated a willingness to trade any player if it makes the Twins a better team next year. Players like the Twins top prospects may have good seasons next year. We hope so. The reality is that rookies and prospects struggle to become established at the ML level. Even the Rookie of the Year, Randy Arozarena, struggled, was traded, and needed time to flourish. He just finished his 6th year of professional baseball not counting real experience in Cuba. Martin has just had a brief time in AA ball and we hope he gets at bats next season with the Twins, but he has a ways to go. Ryan just made a few starts for the Twins and next year will be carefully guarded in his usage, thus reducing his overall mark even if he stays ahead of the adjustment of the league. His fastball plays up at 91/92 mph and this is tough territory for a pitcher. Dobnak seemed like someone just a year ago and may still be good. The route to being an established productive MLB player is long and Jorge Polanco and the experienced Twins are well ahead of the prospects at this time. Removing the core in favor of prospects yields a tough climb. Houston made the journey and Baltimore is trying. Many Twins fans are not ready for another batch of difficult seasons because we think the current core can be supplemented to do well next season. It is just all opinion, more or less.

LOL. Not to your suggestion, which makes sense. I had to chuckle yesterday when i saw Frazier DFA'd because Yankee fans were always suggesting a Frazier or Anduhar for Buxton or Berrios trade. Yankee fans are funny.

"In six years this front office has inherited a stinker of a team and converted it into a core of players" ... Just my take, but the current FO does the best that they can to put a team on the field that can play competitive baseball given their orders from above. The core of the current team was in place when they came, in fact. The previous FO also did what they could given their orders from above. The evidence would suggest that Ryan, etc. faced more restrictions than Falvey. TD needs to pull away from the idea that folks such as Gardenhire, Molitor, Ryan, etc. were inferior in any way to Baldelli, Falvey, etc. Baldelli and Falvey are good baseball people as are the others. The current group has less experience than the former but are learning. The Buxton conversation and the challenges of this offseason will test Falvey. A more important question concerns the view from above Falvey. The Twins cannot make the moves needed if the budget falls below $120 million and it may be set considerably lower. We just don't know. The premise of the post of the post is arguably correct. If Buxton goes, there is virtually no way the Twins are competitive for the next five years unless the budget suddenly goes to the $145-160 million range. A budget of that size changes the entire narrative. Buxton goes though and the core is broken. Lastly, I want to note that we still don't know whether Buxton actually wants to remain with the Twins. We also don't know what value Falvey places on Buxton. Those are two important answers to a puzzle. What tolerance does Twins Territory have for a rebuild? My guess - very little.

From Manfredball to today, I cannot see how Rob Manfred serves the interests of the game. I know he works for the owners, but healthy and positive public relationships along with cooperation grow the game and create economic gains for the owners much more than to the players. He is a confusing man.

Yes, it seems unlikely as a point of little interest to either negotiating party. However, Tampa Bay used 61 players last season. They shuffled their 40 person roster frequently, one would say adroitly . I was just wondering if this would open jobs potentially for some players who get shifted back and forth with slim opportunity to manage their lives.

On a loosely related note, I have wondered if the MLBPA might look to reduce the size of the protected roster from 40-35 in the next CBA. This doesn't seem very important to the MLBPA though and is more a matter of gaining choice for minor league players and thus unlikely.

Pray for this. The minor leaguers added are fine - all seem like solid choices. Now it will be time to trade. This can even include some players that do not need to be put on the 40 person list yet. The Twins have the pieces necessary to complete 2-3 trades. The only iffy person was Palacios. I might have protected him. Then again, I haven't recently looked at the rosters of other teams. I did notice the Yankees DFA'd Clint Frazier. This should end all Frazier for Buxton, Luis Castillo, etc suggestions from Yankee fans.

I read the ESPN article, have followed this closely, and know from many years ago that this has been a real problem. Glad to hear of the positive step. I am in favor of the removal of the Sherman Anti-trust Exemption that baseball operates under. The time has passed for that special treatment, if it ever was warranted. Thank you for the post Lucas.

Buxton is a risk. He will not bring back a player of his talent. The Twins are sticking their necks out for a 7/$80 million contract. The incentives would not be a risk. Buxton has not slowed down. The injuries are not really a sure prediction of the next decade, but there is risk. Both sides have valid points in the sign/unaffordable-trade discussion. I would think that now is a good opportunity for the Twins to risk a $11 million per year potential loss, if Buxton is lost to injuries. Think of this as the Happ-Shoemaker Bill. One item not discussed is whether the Twins could insure Buxton's salary against injury. A trade is likely if Falvey believes the team is five years out from contention in the AL Central.

Joey Wendle is my choice. Problem is .... what does Tampa Bay want for him? Maybe the Twins can send Strotman back, or perhaps they will take Duffey in exchange. Wendle is a good baseball player.

What does Josh Donaldson have to do to convince Twins fans that he is a good baseball player? I think next year is a good time to work Jose Miranda into playing time and also believe that Donaldson would benefit from being a DH a couple of times per week. Chapman has little value for the Twins unless he comes for prospects in the #20-40 range. Great defense, the bat should rebound, but not a fit for the Twins. We have JD already and Miranda waits.