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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. tony&rodney
    Thank you. Great write ups and it is always good to read these briefs.
  4. tony&rodney
    Joe Ryan would love to pitch for San Francisco. It is home and the park is friendly for fly ball pitchers. Good rundown of a couple of young athletes that the Giants organization is high on right now. So what players can the Giants offer that fit on the 2026 roster and have years of control? None. There is your answer. The Giants have some interesting lower level players who COULD be really good some day, like by 2030. Joe Ryan isn't a player to trade for R/A/A+ ball players. I love the Giants and have a friend who works for them. No way can we accept lower level players for Joe Ryan. If that is the best the Twins can do, keep him. Ryan looks really good in a Twins uniform. There will be other suitors who envision Ryan pitching for them next year in the playoffs and willing to talk.
  5. tony&rodney
    A trade with Boston as you suggested would be reasonable. I'm not really all in on Abreu but he is good. I do think that either of Rafaela or Duran would be very helpful to the Twins team. I lean Rafaela a bit more due to his long friendly contract and he seems like a player who is going to consistently improve plus the defense is top shelf. My suggestion of Soderstrom considers his four remaining years before free agency, his rapid defensive improvement, and his bat speed making him a solid bet to continue with plus offense. I'm not as concerned about adding other pieces in a trade as getting the best player available. In fact, I could see adding a player like Alan Roden to Ryan if the return were Soderstrom. The fact remains we have no idea if teams will engage on the type of thoughts we promote. We can only hope. There should be very high and serious interest in Joe Ryan, especially in view of how the recent playoffs highlighted the importance of great pitching. Boston was serious about adding Crochet last offseason and paid a dear price. That loss of players did not hinder their team in 2025. I'm pretty sure if I were a serious Boston fan I would cheer on a trade for Joe Ryan because the price, while very steep, should not impede progress for the Red Sox in 2026. I say that despite preferring that the Twins trade with either Sacramento or Detroit.
  6. tony&rodney
    Shelton should leave uniform #8 for a player. That could be his first contribution to the team.
  7. tony&rodney
    Yes, but what can the Padres offer? They really don't have any prospects close to MLB caliber except one relief pitcher. The young catcher, Salas, can't hit in A ball. So I'm at a loss with the Padres.
  8. tony&rodney
    The more I look around Soderstrom appears like the best choice to target. An added bonus is that Soderstrom can play 1B or left field and can also be used as an emergency catcher which was his position coming up with the A's. Is he available? I would offer Ryan and Alan Roden, maybe try to push by adding a minor league R/A/A+ pitcher or even Charlee Soto. I'm doubtful that the Athletics would listen but prying and offering a large price may be tempting for them. Soderstrom has good bat speed, had 60 XBH last year, and is coming into his own after a couple of years. Again, unlikely to be available even with a push but the Twins need to find an angle to acquire someone like Soderstrom.
  9. tony&rodney
    Agree and have been pounding that table for quite a while. I'm not focused on positions either. I'll take more outfielders, infielders, etc. Ideally the Boy Genius sells one of our guys for a highly rated player who may not have a position open for them right now even while they badly need a #2 starting pitcher. I'm also willing to add a player or two to Joe Ryan or Pablo Lopez if that brings the talent needed to improve the club.
  10. tony&rodney
    Jack Flaherty decided to go back to Detroit (exercised his option) and will make $20M next season. Detroit also has Casey Mize and Reese Olson to fill in as #3,4, 5 starting pitchers behind Tarik Skubal. Detroit will be looking for a #2 starting pitcher and it could be worth a call. Joe Ryan is a real gem and if the return is not a deal, keep him. I have no idea where people find information to indicate Ryan is an angry elf who will somehow poison the clubhouse. He seems like the type of guy everyone likes to be around and we know he loves to pitch. Selling Joe Ryan low would be a mistake. Receiving a Garret Crochet return makes sense. Crochet is younger and has now had two really good seasons. Ryan has had four solid seasons. His fit on a team working to get to a World Series should be obvious. There will be teams willing to deal. They must pay though. I do not have a handle on how much value Pablo Lopez has across baseball. Last year Pablo missed a bunch of innings but he was really good for the six previous years. A clean physical with substantiating physician notes would increase his worth. His contract will not inhibit many teams from having an interest. Lopez may not have the value of Ryan but it shouldn't be too far off. I prefer that the Twins only trade one if they must make a move. Ryan Jeffers is in his last year as a Twin. The Twins are unlikely to offer him a qualifying offer and thus he would be gone without any return if kept in 2026. Catchers are rarely traded mid season due to the necessity of working with most of the staff in Spring Training. If an offer is put forth that strengthens the organization, the twins need to trade Jeffers. Place your bets now if you think the Twins are going to be a championship team in 2026, Jeffers final campaign as a Twin. Jeffers should be kept if only embarrassing offers are forwarded. The Minnesota Twins have a real problem with the sorry state of their ownership group and that is compounded by the poor efforts in the last few years by the front office. People can change and I'm hoping for some good outcomes this winter.
  11. tony&rodney
    Hard work and honesty are not an asset in our current world. Who do you know and how can you benefit personally in every transaction? From friends to spouses to children and onward, the prevailing or controlling element today is transactional. People are trying to change that dynamic but power prevails for now. Anyone who expected honesty is not paying attention. If Derek Shelton had answered questions in a direct substantive manner he would have been fired. Things can and do change; people change, hope for change.
  12. tony&rodney
    The Marlins were foolish to identify a slick shortstop with a weak bat as a return for Luzardo and they didn't trust that Luzardo would escape further injuries. The Phillies were the first on the scene because their GM is always in touch with everyone. Joe Ryan is a more stable pitcher than Luzardo imo. I agree that it is generally not a good plan to trade a guy with multiple years remaining on their contracts/control. In the case of Ryan, I do think the Twins could extract the type of value necessary for their team. The big question remains - Can Falvey identify and require the needed return? If not, the Twins should keep Ryan.
  13. tony&rodney
    Reality is often harsh. We have, as stated in quote above, watched these scenarios play out on numerous occasions. The offseason is my time to imagine, or reimagine if you will, a change in the fortunes of our favorite nine. My plans are severely displaced from reality, even if a trade idea here or there can be viewed as mutually beneficial for the involved clubs. Many of us as Twins fans grasp for whatever hope we can identify as a possibility, however remote. Thus, a few see Matt Wallner playing right field in an adequate fashion and playing 150 games with an OPS in the high .800's and it could happen. Others feel Royce Lewis will heal and become a superstar, reliving those grand slams type moments as a regular feature of his play. Byron Buxton finally played 126 games and came to the plate a personal record times, 542 PA. Next year, surely Buck will play more than 140 games and be even better. It's what we do as fans. We want the team to play exciting baseball and win half of their games with an opportunity to reach the playoffs and once there to suffer magic like in 1987 and 1991. The fight is to avoid the darkness. Numerous people have mentioned 2027 as a year when baseball is unlikely to be played or if played to be truncated. Often those comments seem wishful and include cries for a salary cap. The reality doesn't support even a month long lockout. Caps are not in baseball's view yet. Look around the league. The Mets lose money short term but their valuation has doubled in the past few years. The books are closed and a cap requires open books. The odds of open books exist but probably trail the Twins odds of winning back to back World Series titles in 2026 and 2027. In fact only a few teams lose money. There is a near zero chance 16 teams vote to wash away a season or any significant part of a year. The MLBPA won't just fold with a flush hand. Expect more revenue sharing attached to penalties for overspending and underspending increasing as a form of control. The genie cannot be put back in the bottle. The Dodgers total outlay with penalties will exceed $550M while some teams are under $80M. The goal will be to decrease one number and increase the lower figure. mikelink45 might be correct that the guys who evaluated players and constructed the rosters to reach this point are hopeless but I'm a fool hoping and thinking that people can change and there can be changes to bring some light to the team.
  14. tony&rodney
    You have a lineup that is almost certainly closer to the 2026 likely version than what I would suggest, so realism is your line to an extent. Casas would be a lotto ticket at the plate with some potential to hit. He also, like Wallner and Larnach is not suitable to play in the field. The return of six currently rostered names to the lineup just fails to move the needle for me. The squad that took the field from July 31st onward is ticketed for 55-75 wins. That team was more interesting after mid August (Rocco's revenge) but still had problems fielding the ball. I'm hoping, against all odds, for half the position roster to turn over. In the end we are all guessing but I have followed the Twins since 1961 and the team the last few years was among the worst fielding, base-running, and situational hitting clubs in that time. It was a struggle to watch them play for me. Thus my optimism for the future is tied to change. All of us Twins fans will have vastly different ideas and we wonder what the POBO will do. It is entirely possible he likes the roster as it stands today. We wait to find out.
  15. tony&rodney
    I'm not sure what young first baseman looks good. I'm not a fan of Tristan Casas because he is a pure DH, brutal glove and slow. I'm thinking the Giants hold their tall drink of water. Ryan O'Hearn is a possibility as is Josh Naylor. If the Twins can afford $110M there is room for a 3/$75M deal (hopefully less) for Naylor. Maybe Tampa Bay would trade Tre' Morgan. I do think the Twins can add two relievers at about a nickel each. Maybe the payroll reaches $115M. My idea for shortstop may be difficult and controversial but he has low value at the moment. See if Arizona will send Jordan Lawler for either Ober or Matthews or Festa. Would they? Seems like it might be possible because the D-Backs have three infielders entrenched and a pile of solid prospects. Lawler is a great shortstop but totally bombed at third base. He doesn't like the position spacing. Arizona is moving him to CF in winter ball. There should be some ways to complete meaningful trades that benefit both teams.
  16. tony&rodney
    No way to know without asking. Get in touch with every team. I think the A's are a possibility. My target would be Tyler Soderstrom, sending Ryan and Alan Roden to Sacramento. The A's need a really good starting pitcher to front their talented but inexperienced starting pitching staff. Their window is open. They have a very solid offense, decent defense, can run, and have collected a pile of good arms in the bullpen. Nobody should be surprised if the A's win 85-88 games next season. We can't know right now but Joe Ryan might enjoy being back close to home. Would Sacramento take the leap? Hard to know.
  17. tony&rodney
    France does a good job at playing first base but his range is definitely limited compared to some past first basemen. The reality is that the current pile of American League first basemen are not stellar. That said, I am hoping that the 2026 Twins have a guy at first base who can replicate what France did in the field. Byron is still a decent centerfielder but he no longer is among the best at the position.
  18. tony&rodney
    This has already begun. There are other teams though and several of them could be partners in mutually beneficial trades. Our hopes ride on the Twins guys (Falvey & his followers) making sound baseball decisions and not giving away a Twin player for lower range prospects/ career utility type guys. There should be a couple of teams who actually paid close attention to the recent post season and see themselves as a Ryan short of flying a flag.
  19. tony&rodney
    The Twins at this time are (for better or worse/more or less) basically in the same territory as Pittsburgh, Washington, Chicago White Sox, Colorado, Los Angeles Angels, and maybe a few others. The team is definitely seen as among the bottom ten clubs in baseball, to be generous. The Twins are not a team that suffered unfortunate injuries that collapsed their fortunes in the summer. They were a bad team. Change is necessary to avoid being even worse. The determination of who to trade or who to hold belongs to the Twins teetering POBO. The simple reason that Ryan, Lopez, and Jeffers are noted among national lists is because Jeffers has one year and the two pitchers have two years remaining as Twins. They could have great years on a 65-75 win team or the Twins could seek players to continue following whatever they had in mind when they traded Duran, Jax, and Varland. The course of action where the Twins make a heroic effort to compete for the division is also possible. That would require a budget the equal or greater to what was on the rolls for the beginning of 2025. It can be done, possibly. Who thinks the folks who make the financial decisions will give a green light to those expenditures? Fans are left guessing and hoping that whatever is decided the direction of the team involves rostering a product that is watchable, win or lose.
  20. tony&rodney
    Yes, I understand your point about not overpaying for a catcher. I was flummoxed by the choice of Tait over Miller as was reported in the Duran trade. Tait swings a mean bat but his ability to catch is still very much in question. I think EmRod for a top catching prospect is different because the team uses a highly valued but variable prospect to fill a position of need without weakening their team. I have Buxton still in the outfield for 3 more seasons and believe in Walker Jenkins. That only leaves one outfield spot for a regular. I'm trading Ryan for an outfielder that is ready or a highly rated prospect who is close. I'm not bringing in more pitching for Ryan or seeking catchers for Ryan. I cannot think of any infielders available for Ryan unless Ceddanne Rafael is a part of the package from Boston which seems tough. Even then Rafaela is best in centerfield, a real difference-maker. The Twins can cover the loss of EmRod unless he becomes the next Juan Soto, which is not a thing. These conversations are just exercises because we have zero idea of how clubs value their players. I like to think of how Seattle, Milwaukee, Detroit, and so forth would see their roster strengthened by a trade. I do think a team can cover the catching position by Vazquez (or another veteran) or a Rortvedt. I might be in the minority but a catcher who is exceptional and has catching skills is more important to me than if they reach base (Maldonado, but we do need to remind ourselves that even great defensive catchers lose their skills as he has). Thus my prospect for prospect idea.
  21. tony&rodney
    Totally agree with this position. Even if the Twins are wildly successful in completing a couple of trades, the club will still be in need of experience for their young players which means some growing pains. I don't have a good thought idea for trading Jeffers. I know Tampa Bay wants catching but I doubt they go for Jeffers. A Jeffers for Brody Hopkins trade with the Rays would be a wild outside guess. I need help with better ideas. What teams would seek to add Jeffers and return something with potential to Minnesota? One possibility to add a good catching prospect may be a prospect for prospect trade. These are gambles to an extent but that seems to be where the Twins should play this offseason. Would the Twins and Mariners or Twins and Brewers consider an Emmanuel Rodriguez for either Harry Ford (SEA) or Jeferson Quero (MIL)? EmRod has huge upside with potential on base ability, power, speed, and defense as a draw. Both catchers are pretty athletic and Quero, especially, would provide defense. The ceiling of each would put EmRod well above the other two but the floor puts EmRod beneath the other two. Both Seattle and Milwaukee seek power hitting players who are excellent defensively and Emmanuel is their ticket in that way. Too much risk for the teams? Emmanuel Rodriguez has to still have quite a bit of value, more than combining Austin Martin, Alan Roden, and Charlee Soto as an example.
  22. tony&rodney
    Toronto went from last to first. What do they have that the Twins lack? Guerrero Jr., Springer, Bichette, and Kirk are well supported by Clement, Varsho, and others. The Twins have Byron Buxton. Will the Twins spend $160M in 2026 on their roster? Each person is free to conclude themsleves. Throughout the comment section there are occasional references to Pittsburgh, Colorado, and the Chicago White Sox. How did the Twins do against those teams last season? There is your answer to what fans can expect if there are not significant changes. The talent simply does not currently exist within the roster. We should not only expect change, we should call for it.
  23. tony&rodney
    All these articles and comments point to the most important offseason in a decade for the Twins.
  24. tony&rodney
    We were able to see Walcott a number of times this past summer when Wichita played Frisco. He is a big time prospect. The defense is still shaky and he was ok hitting but didn't stand out. Remember though that he is only 19. Texas has pitching but really needs bats so it is unlikely they would trade a bat for a pitcher. There are other top ten prospects that could possibly be had in a trade but it would be a little unusual and difficult to pull off. Edit to add: Walcott is very unlikely to play infield. He profiles as a rightfielder. I don't know how many times you have seen him play, but I would not trade Ryan for Walcott although I do believe the young slugger could have a fine MLB career. The Twins have Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins more or less ready now. Either way, the Rangers do not need pitching.
  25. tony&rodney
    My thoughts are that we don't know if the ownership or front office is aware of the fanbase. I think they do, but there also isn't any evidence. All Falvey's comments have been the same. One could copy/paste the words into virtually any year or situation. Awareness has not been evident, at least to me. Perhaps everyone but me has knowledge of that as pertains to ownership or front office. This made me wonder - Does anyone think or believe there are people within ownership or the front office who read blogs? I can't see it. The idea of a payroll above $115M is entirely possible. $130-135M or more is also possible too. Am I the only one who would be surprised? Where is the shock level? I guess below $60M or above $135M. To the post - a manager has to have good relationships with the players, but the win/loss record is almost entirely due to the work of the players.
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