tony&rodney

Addison Reed was a good gamble on a mid innings reliever, not to be confused with either Hendriks or Hand. Maybe the Twins like what they have right now, for the prices.

Pineda for $10 or Kluber for $11/12? Those decisions are made elsewhere. I guess the Twins may be looking at opening the year with a budget closer to $110. .... or, as I keep adding, ... Bauer?

I am supportive of the Twins, but have never understood the hype for the current front office, nor do I get the vitriol that has been spewed on an excellent baseball man, Terry Ryan. The decisions are largely financial and we mostly accept that concept. The Twins have not competed in either the World Series or the series to get into the World Series for a long time. There are multiple factors that can account for the drought. Perhaps signing an established relief pitcher would help. Claiming Hand seemed to be one opportunity. The risk was not outlandish. He is now likely to get multiple years at the claiming price. Looking at the options remaining, Rosenthal seems like a solid choice to sign.

Exactly. Thorpe and Smeltzer do their work when all others are off and Dobnak has been a very pleasant surprise until suddenly he gets hit around; a good #5. That leaves Balazovic and Duran. I would like to see them, just as there was curiosity about Berrios a few years ago. Are we waiting for Bauer?

The miss on Kluber makes me think that the Twins budget is closer to $110 million.

A trade for Sonny Gray and / or Luis Castillo, extremely unlikely, or a stab at Joe Musgrove might be all that is left that works. I thought Kluber at $12 million was a no-brainer gamble. I was wrong. Paxton at $6, Walker at $3, or Odorizzi at $8 million are all possible gambles as well. The timing to push the rookies forward may have come. Dobnak, Balazovic, Duran, and Thorpe are all good enough to fill in the last two slots in the rotation. I'm ok with that. A Bauer signing? Are the Falvines quarantined?

Agree with ashbury, even if the article is nicely done. We are Twins fans and Smeltzer, Thorpe, and whoever may be the team's solution. Relief pitching is funky and results come in all shapes - sign Kinzler.

Kluber may or may not be returning to form but he was as good a gamble as there was out there this year. Plug in Dobnak, Thorpe, Balazovic, and Duran and keep Smeltzer loose too. If the Twins can't sign Kluber for $12 million then it is time to give the kids a shot and i guess I'm fine with that decision. Just no Homer Bailey, please.

Well, I guess the Twins were daydreaming ... a miss.

Every year Minnesotans wait for Spring ... and the Twins. Patience is our lot. April isn't far off - stay safe and warm.

Hendriks is really good and I hope he has a fantastic year. I love that he was tunneled from a very young age to throw to spots and learn his craft. It has all come together for him and every baseball fan should be delighted at his success. The White Sox did get great outings from their closer last year, however, and Hendriks alone doesn't win the World Series for the White Sox. The Twins are very good right now and it should be a fun summer of baseball. We may pay more attention than in past years because of the competition. I bet on the Twins.

We all get that MLB wants the players to back off from the cba as currently devised, but the fact remains that at this time baseball (commish/owners) is playing with the integrity of the game. Teams cannot build their rosters until there is clarity on the rules. This affects roster construction and the players' preparation. Does every team go to the playoffs, do we play high school rules again for a full season, and so on. MLBPA needs to demand two full years notice of changes to the game before rule changes appear in their next cba. Until the playing rules are set for the entire year, teams will be dangling and hedging on their decisions. Pinch runners and re-entry in every inning - better sign a track star and so on. Of course, that is ridiculous but so are the other amateur hour changes. I'm fine with rule changes if they are put in place twenty-four months preceding an opening day. This allows for owners, management, and players to adjust and hopefully place the best product on the field. I listened to the first Twins game and have followed baseball way too intently my entire life, but I'm quite frustrated by the angling with rules currently on display. My opinion is that this adversely affects the quality of play and turns fans off. I can sit in my chair or boat with the radio off too. Town ball becomes a more appealing option as well.

Both are fine players but ... hard pass in favor of other needs: bat, pitching, and pitching.

Ted, I always love your posts. I'm not hearing the hints from the Twins, so we all keep hinting for them. I'm hinting Cory Kluber, Trevor Rosenthal, Nelson Cruz, and Ehire Adrianza. I would love to see Simmons come aboard or a trade to bring in Sonny Gray too. Any move that substantially improves the Twins is fine with me. However, the silence from the Twins makes me think they are pretty staunch in their belief of the current roster with 2-3 additions from the vast array of players still out there. My main concern, above all else, is MLB's total incompetence in setting the rules for this coming season. It's total negligence and GM's are waiting to see if they only need to build a team that wins 80 games in a full season because every team qualifies for the playoffs. This is the main hangup in my view.

This - Cory Kluber can neutralize the White Sox 5-6 times this summer. He has a good beard, is cool, and is super fun to watch pitch as he carves up hitter after hitter. Doesn't that sound good?

The dollars direct the team. The Twins can add Kluber and Adrianza to sit around $110 million. They can add Cruz if they are somewhere near $120+ million for the roster. Where life gets interesting is if the Twins are open to a payroll between $130-155 million. I cannot fathom a scenario where the Twins sign Ozuna because they are loaded with corner bats and players to rotate through the DH position. Nelson Cruz is a short term cost and his past production warrants another look, not because the team owes him but because he has been consistently good. While there is some evidence of decline, it is scant and Cruz still compares more than favorably with all other options. A roster of 26 also affords a team to carry a player like Cruz who only carries a bat. At this time, with this team - no to Ozuna.

Odorizzi should get 3/$39-45 million. I hope he does for his sake, but I don'y envision the Twins signing him at those numbers. If nobody bites, perhaps the Twins circle back for a one year contract as high as $13-15 million. Falvine have their eyes elsewhere.

Cory Kluber is fun and really cool.

We just cannot guess the trade market right now, although it would be sweet to add Sonny Gray and/or Luis Castillo in a blockbuster move. Agree that the free agents are not real inspiring but Kluber may be worth a gamble, especially if he is interested in a host of incentives within a contract that can include a second year. Kluber is intoxicating because he was so much fun to watch.

Starting and relief pitching and a couple of bats with some insurance for the middle infield have been the needs since last season ended. There has been considerable speculation and support for allowing young prospects to hold at least one of the hitting slots, if not both. Apparently, there is increased interest in adding a top shortstop as well. No doubt a strong addition could help, especially if our middle infielders are not fully recovering from their injuries. There does seem to be more available players than there are teams willing to spend. This may help with final negotiations for the Twins even as they miss on the top available talents. The trade market seems so unpredictable and it would be something to complete a trade with the Reds for Sonny Gray and/or Luis Castillo. The wild card remains ... where does the roster budget settle? The Twins should be good at $100 million, but the options open as the number rises. A final figure near $150 million, while seemingly unlikely, remains a real possibility and even a more acceptable midpoint around $120 million (an often noted number) leaves some very valuable moves to be made in the next month. Kluber, Rosenthal, and Adrianza would add less than $20 million to the current rolls, Is that enough? Walker, Hill, Yates, and Semien add about $25+ million. Odorizzi, Paxton, Bradley, and Kike add $35 million. There are so many options it is almost impossible to accurately guess the opening day roster. I do think that a starting pitcher is our biggest need and would gamble on Cory Kluber. Next - a reliever. However, I'm still hoping for a big trade as well. It's a circular discussion.

One consideration that may present the Twins fortunes to come in a more positive light is the depth of their players who are at or approaching significant contribution status. This list could include Duran, Balazovic, or others. The Twins seem to have more depth than the White Sox. However, the post makes solid points that the next month may be crucial as the Twins solidify their major league roster with a few key additions. Management seems to have a plan and when April rolls around it does appear that the Twins and White Sox could be well matched to compete this coming season. The competition is healthy.

Buxton, Sano, Berrios, Maeda, and more are all available under the right circumstances. Twins Daily articles and discussions have mentioned Garver, Sano, and more in trade conversations. The post has a lock like Cave, but leaves off two players who are just as certain as any others to be locks on the roster. Donaldson because of his contract is an exception, but the Twins would trade him too if they could. I'm not opposed to any combinations of moves that result in the Twins being a stronger competitive team in 2021 than in 2020. The post was locks for the roster and I believe Arraez and Polanco qualify as locks. Others disagree and want a new set of players in the middle of the infield. I think the Twins are looking for two reserve players, one or two starting pitchers, and one or two relief pitchers. If they stumble into JT Realmuto or other free agents or find a trade that is too good to pass up, then they will gladly make a move. The roster is pretty set on one hand but with a big wallet in hand, the Twins would clearly react to a favorable set of circumstances. It is possible to see the Twins signing Bauer, Adrianza, and Clippard and call it a day. An example of a player the Twins really needed but was clearly not available at a cost suitable to the Twins planning sheet: Liam Hendriks. So they wait, call, talk, and listen.

Cruz is a victim of his own magnificence. A normal 40 year old former MLB star plays amateur ball where reduced skills are the norm. Cruz has been terrific and if he was even 35 the discussions would be totally different. But he isn't and age happens. All of the arguments are well put and it does seem like the internal options are great, but wouldn't it make some sense to see Nelson Cruz again this coming summer. I can even accept if he is injured or suddenly cannot Boom. I'm of the mind to offer $15-17 million for this year with some option that is at the team's discretion and might include a path into coaching. Nelson Cruz is not even the shadow of Harmon Killebrew but letting the Killer go to Kansas City was the single worst mistake in franchise history. The Twins can afford to take a swig of Cruz in '21. Who knows, he may once again forget how old he is and do his little tip-toe jog around the bases enough to keeping us all smiling at the absurdity of it all.

There are two scenarios where Polanco and/or Arraez are not total locks for the coming season. 1) One or both of them are disabled and unable to play which necessitates a sudden decision to sign or trade for a regular shortstop or second baseman. 2) The Twins complete a total blockbuster trade like some have suggested. For example, Sonny Gray, Luis Castillo, and Mike Moustakos arriving in return for Luis Arraez, Mitch Garver, Trevor Larnach, Randy Dobnak, and Lewis Thorpe. The Twins signed Polanco to a very team friendly long term contract and while not permanent there were discussions about his position and place on the field at that time. Arraez has a unique set of skills that portend possible special player status. Nothing short of debilitating injuries or a major trade will change their status in my opinion. If this was a gambling site, I would play 10 to 1 odds on Polanco and Arraez as locks. However, I have lost before. Such is life. Go Twins.

This would be a smart move, especially if the Twins could sign two, perhaps Kluber and Garrett Richards or even a return of Hill. We shouldn'r forget that Dobnal, Thorpe, Smeltzer, Duran, and Balazovic are in the wings; these players are valuable. Kluber is throwing on Wednesday.