tony&rodney

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.

Agree wholeheartedly with this line, but oh my what a low bar for defense. Brent Rooker can be a very useful DH. Handsome, statuesque sluggers in the corner outfield positions are not a pitcher's friend. Kepler gets a spot every time because he always plays defense and can get on a roll at the plate occasionally. I see Rooker as redundant to Donaldson, Sano, Larnach, and Arraez in two spots, DH and the field. Keep him if there isn't a way to use him as a part of a major trade.

This is the crux of whether the Twins can return to relevance next season. One FA signing ($20-30m) and one trade to complement Pineda, Ober, and Ryan would be the minimum expectation. I'm holding out for two trades and a significant free agent signing to bolster the starting pitching staff for next year.

A couple of the previous responses to the post are right on - the Twins have better options, especially if one believes in the value of defense, speed, and contact. Rooker will not return any player of value by himself, but in combination with some combination of Larnach, Jeffers, Arraez, Duffey, or others a strong return may be gained. Miami looks like a decent trade partner if conversations can find mutual agreement on needs, maybe Milwaukee or Oakland as well.

Miguel Sano hits the ball really hard and is a very controversial player because of his wild swings (pun intended) between strikeouts and hits. He should have value to another team, particularly if the NL adds the DH. Hopefully, MLB will get its act together on this by November. Regretfully, Sano may help the Twins in a trade to a team looking for power and a change may help him too. I would be sad to see Sano go but a shift in employment is often a beneficial course within life. for many people and may push Miguel Sano to a better place professionally.

Three solid picks by this post to have better seasons in 2022. For many people, it might be difficult to actually watch Colome after the struggles he had in the first two plus months this year. A return to major league rules in extra innings will help Colome because he doesn't strike out people and the ghost runner is a drag on his work. Colome would also benefit from being used in different situations than just the last inning. Finally, when Colome does not have his cutter working, just take him out. I do believe that Dobnak and Jeffers will be better next year, but I think they are more useful in a trade. Kepler is a player that must make some changes to his game or his career will shift to being a 4th outfielder. There is talent within the struggles of many Twins players and I hope to see some fire in the last two weeks.

Luis Arraez may be less than 100% but I haven't heard or read this news from the Twins. If he is less than 100% it sure seems odd to put him out on the field when others could play. Count me among those who believe that Maggi should get a few at bats and innings at the major league level. It would be difficult to explain sending him back to St. Paul because Simmons can play in Chicago. I'm hopeful that the Twins end the season with some upbeat play and decisions.

The circumstances this offseason are slightly different than in past seasons. This time there is a decision between rebuilding and retooling. The former means we hang with the Orioles while the latter means we stomp back up front in the AL Central. I loved the trade for Maeda and the Odorizzi trade worked wonderfully. While I welcome a similar "find" this Winter, there also needs to be additional aims for recognizable strong pitchers and a hopefully successful use of the free agent market. The Twins have an abundance of outfielders and redundant infielders as well as an extra catcher. Every player is available, including Byron Buxton, as well as all prospects. This is not a time to panic but an opportunity to use areas of strength to shore up weaknesses. This can be done with a 2022 budget of $125-160 million. There are many options and the Falvine duo has a chance to identify which teams and players to move and acquire. My first three choices (at this time) to add via trade are Alcantara, Marquez, and Lauer. My first three choices to look at via free agency are Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, and Thor Syndergaard. What none of us knows is the interest in our players as a trade partner or the potential cost of the free agents. Realistically, the Twins need to add three starting pitchers and some combination of free agents, trades, and "finds" will work.

This post lists three legitimate pitchers to target. Because they remain works in progress, each of Hernandez, Javier, and Toussaint profile as decent middle of rotation hurlers. These are good choices. I would add Eric Lauer as a possibility to that group and hope for some conversations towards a slightly better upgrade by targeting someone like Sandy Alcantara and/or German Marquez. Of course, these pitchers will cost the Twins. Unless the Twins are going to a full rebuild and are willing to lose 100+ games for a couple of years, a few (2-3) experienced pitchers will need to be added through trades or free agency. The Pohlads need only look at attendance figures for those teams that are competitive (TB/Oak = outliers) to see that a rebuild is near a million fans less per year. Prospects who are ready will push their way on to the roster, Tampa Bay being an example.

Sometimes his uppercut swing is so severe and patently off that one wonders where the hot streaks come from with Sano. He could be a really good DH and become more consistent. 1B is not a good deal for the team when Miguel is over there, despite his decent ability to scoop errant throws. What to do, what to do .... with Sano. There will be some real interest in the Big Man if the NL uses the DH. It has always seemed possible for Miguel Sano to be more productive and reduce his K-rate and increase his batting average substantially. The number of strikeouts are too numerous and his approach hinders him against the better pitchers.

Yah, there were plenty of other choices. I would have kept Wells and likely not protected Baddoo, but there were 5-6 players that has less potential than either Wells or Baddoo .... Smeltzer, Thorpe, Blankenhorn to start.

Excellent move by the Twins. Maggi is a great example of the love of playing baseball. Congratulations to Drew Maggi and kudos to Seth for this post.

Wells was a bad decision on management's part because of his size, potential, and experience. Baddoo was a tougher call because of his inexperience and injury but his athleticism was important to evaluate.

Isn't it fun to watch Big Mike and all of his quirks? I'm thinking he can be an option on an inexpensive contract for next year as he is good for 20 starts of competitive ball. Great game for the bullpen too.

Every single player in the Twins system should be available. If a trade improves the team, make it. Josh Donaldson and Jorge Polanco are the only two Twins who can hit and field. Byron Buxton is a true talent but if he cannot be signed, the Twins need to see what other organizations may offer in return for our dynamic CF. Miguel Sano hits the ball as hard as anyone, but his deficiencies are pretty big as 1B and his slumps, K's, and average make him expendable if he returns a decent pitcher. Max Kepler is an enigma offensively but his defense is solid. The team needs good defense and Larnach, Rooker, and Kirilloff do not begin to measure up to Max. Again, if Kepler returns the pitching the Twins need he can be traded. Starting pitching help is needed unless the Twins plan on a full stripping of their current core and totally rebuild. Ryan, Ober, Dobnak, Thorpe, Smeltzer, etc. will result in 100+ losses. I do think Ober and Ryan could work as the back end of the rotation. My comments are not aimed at wholesale trades and sweeping change across the diamond but to those of us who watch the Twins play it is obvious that there are changes needed to the roster if the team wants to be competitive in 2022. I do not denigrate those who are looking for the Twins to roll with the current squad and let the young arms get experience, but am hoping for a return with relevance next season through 4-7 offseason moves.

I'm not sure how you arrived at #4, personality. I watch and/or listen to too many Twins games and I do not see any problems whatsoever. Because I have never met JD and do not know him it seems odd to me to include personality in your post. Health is the only item that slows down Josh Donaldson at this time. He and Jorge Polanco are the only two steady figures right now for the Twins lineup. I do wonder if JD can play an effective 1B to add to his play at 3B and use as a DH. There needs to be a place to try Jose Miranda and Alex Kirilloff next season if they are with the team.

Simmons is not a reasonable alternative for 2022. It seems like Polanco is the only in house option and count me among the crowd that wants him to remain as our 2B. Javy Baez or Story on one year make good deals? One thing is clear - there is plenty of work to do this offseason for the young Falvine duo.

Aaron Whitefield is a great story. We already saw that he can run and play great defense. It would be a wonderful thing if he can put it all together and be an on base machine. The Twins need players who can run and field in addition to hitting. Rooker, Larnach, and even Kirilloff (somewhat) are worrisome in the field. Good writeup.

Sad hitting day. The Twins need to run the table to finish above .500.

The lower spots in the rotation do allow for some of the prospects to see what they can do. This is what Ober and Ryan are doing right now. To use a third spot would be pretty risky. It is one thing to finish the year with all prospects showing their skills in a lost season but another to begin the year experimenting with prospects. A staff of "seeing what we have" at the start of the year would almost certainly guarantee 100+ losses. Pineda on a lower paying contract with incentives may fill a #3 spot, although that is not a preferred path. I'm hopeful that a few trades and several free agents can right the ship. There is always room for any player to push their way into a lineup or rotation. Lastly, there should not be any repeats of signing "we hope that..." veterans.

Big Mike for $2 million is acceptable. He can spot start or be a long reliever perhaps.

Not a good showing tonight, but hey, if the Twins wins their last 22 games they finish above .500.