tony&rodney

A good pitcher is the single most important need for the Twins. In fact, they need three starters and likely two relievers. The shocking reality is that this offseason there is a real opportunity to actually complete those necessary additions. What is going to hurt is the pieces given up in a few trades, but as Linus has already stated, "you have to give something valuable up."

The development of Jorge Alcala was a pleasant part of the 2021 season; there are always some positives in a disappointing year. Alcala should be in ink for the bullpen going into next season.

Garver or Jeffers, Larnach, Celestino, Sands, and Dobnak for Alcantara and Meyer. A ton to give, but pitching - well, the Twins need pitching.

Hmm? Odd timing seemingly which leads to further speculation. Was the move necessary this week?

Winning? The Twins need three starting pitchers better than Michael Pineda, a couple of relief pitchers, a shortstop, and a leftfielder. While I would welcome Big Mike back, there is a ton of more pressing trades/signings needed if the Twins want to be above .500.

Fine post. One quibble is that past milb players within the Twins system have also received great attention and high marks by fans. Willie Banks anyone? Going way back -Willie Norwood. Prospects are exciting but each 5-10 year stretch seems to forget that the road to the The Show is strewn with high velocity arms and can't miss sluggers (Michael Restovich). Baseball is a tough business from the players' side.

I'm a big fan of Big Mike and do not miss his starts. Like i said previously, I love his quirks and how effective he often is as a pitcher. However, I respectfully disagree with your assessment and feel Pineda is best seen as a #4. I would love to see him return next year in that role.

Rooker hits the ball hard and I'm hoping another team feels they would like him in their lineup. Rooker is pretty rough in the outfield and may be most valuable as a third or fourth piece in a trade for a pitcher. Still, Brent Rooker is a player that is worth a roster position and certainly should be on a 40 man list. He is still developing and gaining experience and his past indicates improvement over time.

Nick, thank you.

The Twins finished on a positive note - that is a good thing.

Thank you for the milb game summaries. This is a big reason I come to Twins Daily.

The reports published around the trade deadline indicate that there is near agreement on a base contract for Buxton. The next discussions will revolve around incentives related to at bats and games played. The Twins will want some give if they provide a guaranteed base of $10-11 million per year and Buxton's agent will argue for a high dollar ceiling for incentives. The Twins are probably less worried about injuries than many fans. They need some protection because of his career thus far. Regarding injuries ... Buxton is healthy and athletic enough to maintain his current condition for at least five years. We are not seeing him bang into walls any longer and he is more restrained in his daily play than previously. Some of this intentional and some is due to gained experience. The hit by pitch injuries are not predicable. Finally, it seems like several years have passed since Buxton has had debilitating migraines. In sum, Byron Buxton is a solid bet for the next seven years within the context of a contract that contains a base plus incentives. This type of contract recognizes that there have been previous concerns which management must consider. The question is how high will the Twins go with incentives. Will they pay $35 million if Buxton wins an MVP? I cannot see why the Twins shouldn't be able to work out a deal but there is always the slim possibility to let the contract play out. Pitching is the primary need for next season but the last week has shown how valuable Byron Buxton is to the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins really need to decide whether Buxton is "their" player and hopefully there is a deal worked out based off of a base plus incentives. Buxton is the real deal when on the field. If, and only if, it is necessary to trade Buxton then the Padres and some other teams could be decent partners. In the proposal by Capt'n Piranha quoted, I suggest a simple tweak, pulling back Garver and Ober and substituting Ryan. Moving Buxton means major adjustments and pulling Garver back allows me to trade Larnach, Jeffers, Dobnak, Rooker, and Celestino for Sandy Alcantara and Max Meyer. Jose Miranda will get a chance to play 1B, 2B, and 3B next season if he shows the tools next Spring Training. I'm excited to see him play for the Twins. The disappointment of 2021 has manifested itself across the region and Twins fans want a return to playoff baseball or at least a relevant competitive team. Just recently Falvey reiterated that he plans to make moves that return the Twins to a different place in the standings. We shall see. We hope Buxton is back but all contingencies need to be examined and Jose Miranda is also certainly a piece of the puzzle.

Sorry to read that Ben Rortvedt is on the IL with a concussion. He is easily the best catcher and maybe he can learn to hit .225. Garver and Jeffers are better offensively but will never match Rortvedt as catchers. I'm interested in what other teams think about our catchers.

Agree. I didn't suggest the trade but just wonder what value Buxton holds for another team. If the Twins cannot sign him they need to allow teams an opportunity to negotiate a contract with Buxton. This then changes the calculus of value to some extent. Back to the Padres ... I have wondered what they value and it is worth remembering that no prospect is a star yet. Buxton is a unicorn of sorts and I am predicting decent health and a strong career from him going forward. Of course, this almost seems foolish given his troubles staying on the field but he is young, strong, has not lost a step, and has begun to gain some real MLB skills. I hope Buxton signs with the Twins but am in the dark as to value to another team.

Doesn't it seem like everyone likes Big Mike? I like Big Mike because he is so quirky and still manages to keep the Twins in most games he pitches for 5-6 innings. Management should likely expect 15-20 starts and from 75-125 innings from Pineda. The budget will determine whether there is money to pay whatever he wants. Pineda will have some demand as a bottom of the rotation pitcher from a number of teams. What do the Twins want to spend for a #4 starter? I'm guessing that Falvine will not invest $15 million in Michael Pineda.

We sure hope Buxton continues as a Twins and plays like a superstar, but his contract situation is difficult to figure. Additionally, it is really hard to know what value he would have in a trade. Someone wrote in a comment elsewhere that the Twins should trade Buxton for C. J. Abrams and Mackenzie Gore. Hmmm? Both of these guys are viewed as potential stars but could also fizzle too. It was fun to watch Buxton play last night and I'm hoping the Twins can find common ground with him. His status is the first piece of the offseason puzzle.

I'm also confused why anyone sees Donaldson as anything other than a positive for the Twins. I guess it continues to beg the question - what are the Twins plans going forward? Jose Miranda has had a terrific season and if he is ready to contribute at the major league level there will be a spot for him. He can be a piece next year or perhaps included in a trade for pitching. If the Twins are planning to be competitive next season (.500 or better), they will need to explore every decent free agent and trade possible. Every single player can be traded from the current roster if the trade makes the team better. Obviously, there are players we want to hold (Polanco, Buxton, Donaldson) or develop further (Ryan, etc.), but the goal needs to focus on a better team in 2022. Miranda needs to play where he is a better defender. If he can play an average LF and hit, fine. The Twins do not need any more weak defenders. I'm hoping he gets 500-600 at bats next year for the Twins and hits .280 with production as well as playing sound defense, likely between 3B, 1B, and 2B.

I agree with this, but I believe the Twins need to attempt to overwhelm Miami with an offer of multiple current MLB players. Unless the Twins are looking to 2023/2024 to compete, they will need to add players to bolster their talent. The offense has not been particularly productive and it seems counterintuitive to subtract several of Jeffers, Garver, Sano, Arraez, Larnach, Kepler, or Buxton, but the path to victory runs through pitching. An important question regards how Miami views Jeffers or Garver and whether two to three additional players might entice them to part with what we need.

I echo the comments by TopGun#22. The AL Central was pretty weak from 2019-2021 and looks to be stronger going forward. The Twins will have opportunities to return to the top with aggressive moves this winter.

Miami needs catching and has pitching - the Twins and Marlins line up for a major trade. Rortvedt is a good catcher and can hit .225 and works in a platoon situation.

2021 was not as big a disappointment for me as other years because i couldn't see how this Twins team would win more than 81-86 games. I did expect a winning season. The pitching was predictably shaky and not just in retrospect. Berrios and Maeda are very good MLB pitchers. Maeda's difficult year was not expected. Still, I couldn't look at Happ, Shoemaker, Pineda, and Dobnak as parts of a solid staff. Perhaps it was a surprise that one of Duran, Winder, or Balazovic did not step forward to bolster the rotation or that the Twins received nothing from Thorpe or Smeltzer. There were options to trade for a starting pitcher and sign a closer last offseason, however, and the decision to roll with Colome, Happ, and Shoemaker set the tone pretty early this year.

Exactly - What are the plans? The budget and Twins desired direction will determine how the offseason unfolds and whether we see a possible return to the playoffs or a KC/Detroit rebuild with expected heavy losing. Also, the DH in the NL is a definite factor in Sano's value. Will MLB get its act together? These questions directly impact Sano. He slots neatly into the DH role and Kirilloff at 1B makes the defense better, but I do think a team like Milwaukee would be interested in Miguel. Either way, there is still value in Miguel Sano.

I have not seen Jose Miranda this season. His numbers are amazing. What is the report on his prospects for being a full time contributing MLB player? Can he be counted on to take a position next season? What about his glove, does it play at 3B? The answers to these questions are important to a consideration of where Miranda fits on a Twins roster. The average, contact, patience, and power are very impressive and if he looks anything like Kirilloff he deserves a real shot at playing time. This, in turn, affects who is available to trade. Congratulations to Jose Miranda for a spectacular season. I wish I had had an opportunity to see him play. I checked milb.com every game for his line for each game and the consistency of his production was so laudable.

Brent Rooker is still young enough to evolve into a fine, productive MLB player. A 5-10 year MLB stint is quite an accomplishment for an athlete. He does not need to be an All Star to have an excellent career. The issue for Rooker is his skill set in relationship to the needs of his team. As mentioned, DH is his best position and the Twins have a half dozen players to man the DH spot right now. Rooker also hits right-handed pitchers well so he does not fit in a platoon role easily. He can play left field adequately but increasingly the better teams use better defenders across the outfield. I will add that the athleticism of professional athletes is often severely underrated and anyone who has played against an MLB athlete knows that how they look from the stands or couch is not what is a reality when one is actually playing on the same field; these guys are athletic to a different degree. Naturally, by comparison within MLB, some players are far less skilled. We don't want to compare Rooker to Buxton, but he isn't much different than Kirillof as an outfielder and is more or less the same as Larnach. So the crux of the problem for Rooker is playing time on a team that has so many similar type position players. Rooker may benefit from an opportunity on another team, especially if the NL adds the DH. He would be a valuable additional player in a larger trade with other significant players. Similarly, if others are cleared from the Twins roster, Rooker may fill the DH position decently for the Twins. I don't believe Brent Rooker will be left off of the 40 man roster. He has a future as an MLB player. My scenario sees him as a part of an offseason trade because another team also sees his value. That value is not in a one for one trade but as part of a multi-player transaction.