tony&rodney

Yes, it would be really interesting to see Trevor Larnach line up next summer for the Twins. I think he would mash. Only the Twins brain trust knows the answer to whether these two are ready but watching Larnach swing a bat delivers confidence in his hit tool. One of my iterations includes TL batting 8th, ahead of MG, and following LA-JD-AK-NC-MK-BB-JP. Maybe, just maybe, a gamble on youth but through the years there are players who manage themselves well when tossed into the fray of mlb action. The deciding factor may be how the Twins manage resources in building a better bullpen and add to their starting staff. That and how committed Falvine are to Cruz might well determine if Trevor Larnach gets a shot, waits, or is traded. If we must bid goodbye to Rosario, I'm ready to see Larnach shine. Maybe he will even agree to shave his sorry goatee, or at least add further facial hair.

The suggestions for trades are pretty decent because they each aim to improve the local squad. I like that. It is what i want to see from Falvine; two heads better than one. No matter how we turn this winter the budget will ultimately drive all trades and free agent signings. Like many of the readers, I play with ideas that range from a reduced financial state to an idea of largesse towards contracts. In all scenarios there are good options and the one thing that pains me is to see and hear so much discussion of moving on from those bombs from 2019 in some form or another. Garver, Sano, Cruz, Rosario, and Kepler all took pitchers deep and now more than a few of these players may not wear the Twins colors next summer. The post suggests Story but his contract would push aside several others and reduce our options for the bullpen and starting pitching. Ketel is intriguing but his salary commitment is significant in an area we may have other options. The Woodruff trade seems to be the most likely to fill a real need for MN. I'm not sure the Brewers are interested, however. What if we sent sent Garver instead of Larnach and dropped Hader from the deal? Woodruff would fit in nicely as a #3 pitcher for us. I'm also wondering what is needed to pry Snell away from TB.

Lindor is really good and the Mets do match up well in a trade. Interesting that both Peterson, Rosario, and another (or two) could be the price Cleveland sets, which means that the players the post identifies as of interest to the Twins are now in the other dugout for 19 games a year. Garver is an anomaly right now. In 2019 he was nearly a Mike Piazza who could actually catch, but then came 2020. The Twins have some wealth at catcher and only a real deal will make them listen.

A strong bullpen is important and wouldn't it be nice to have some combo of two of Hendriks/Hand/Rosenthal/May? The post references potential starters, however, and Kluber on an incentive contract makes sense as does the same for Hill. Pass on Paxton (price) or Archer (questions). Either way, it looks like three pitchers are needed. Who will it be?

Count me as an Eddie fan. Good job with the comparisons here and keeping it simple too. I would guess that a detailed look from every possible angle would return similar rankings. The one item that jumps out is games played. Rosario is almost always available. I have nothing to back this up but he seems to play through injuries better than others, and i am not advocating for playing while injured at all. Sometimes Eddie played when the other options didn't exist. I am wondering, like everyone else, how the team will handle roster decisions this winter. It does seem like one spot should be available for the youth, but any number of shifts can take place from trades to inability to resign Cruz. Eddie Rosario is an exciting ballplayer and I would love to see him rake again next summer.

Speaking solely for myself-I'm just a baseball fan. There may well be significant obstacles that present themselves next Spring, but for now I'm a hopeless optimist making that leap of faith. The only reasoning behind any of my simple suggestions is towards improving the Twins roster. Additionally, I do believe that management can see some potential in reaching high. One year ago, nearly everyone protested any consideration of Josh Donaldson. The Twins signed JD. Then Covid happened to mess up the entire year. As this year draws to a close there is a distinct possibility of next summer being a good one for baseball fans and owners. The Twins have bank, as much as any team, and their careful negotiations over the years have placed them in a positive position to act aggressively this winter. The money is there and we get to speculate whether the purse will be tightened or loosened. Baseball keeps their books totally private and all attempts by bloggers to assign values are mere guesses. The formula for making money remains producing a product that many will want to consume. There are bound to be a few owners who see the pent-up demand for baseball next summer as an opportunity. I'm hoping one of those owners is a Pohlad.

We all seem to agree that the uncertainty of the schedule will affect the bottom line. For sure there will need to be some sort of negotiated agreement between MLB and MLBPA. If not, all of our thoughts are out the door. The key will be how the owner approach the players. Other leagues manage to meet percentage-based agreements. Why not baseball? In the spirit of positive negotiations and an expected pent-up demand next summer for baseball, my hoped for budget for the Twins is in the $130-140 million range. This number will be lowered through shared loss agreements involving both players and owners if the Covid barriers remain high. If restrictions are lifted by June, then summer baseball will be a cash bonanza. My best guess is that contracts will contain some language related to opportunity to earn based on attendance possibilities and games scheduled. I totally agree with the need to carefully construct a solid bullpen. The pen was pretty strong last year and a strong pen is necessary again in 2021.

Both of the Mets players are interesting to think about and a sicko like myself, following too many minor leaguers, is quite familiar with them. The catch is how to match up on a trade. The Mets have been burned a few times recently and it isn't clear if a utility player and a possible 5th SP are worth much versus the Twins assets. If Garver has value from 2019 the trade options should be better, but as is he has value to the home squad. Still. I enjoyed the write-up and speculative thought; a good read.

I like May and Clippard, but we would almost certainly see statistical improvement from having Hendriks and Hand on our roster. Still, a return of Clippard and May sounds acceptable, sure.

These are all good arguments for many years in Twins history. However, this coming season will be pivotal for the Twins because of the core foundation in their system. If the Twins are not ready to compete with Berrios, Maeda, Rogers, Duffey, Garver, Sano, Polanco, Buxton, Kepler and so forth ... then let them be free agents and field a team at $20 million this year. This winter will be anxiously exciting with the Yankees stewing because they didn't win, the Mets looking to blow wads of cash stupidly, and among the viable teams for the 2021 World Series are the Twins. Decisions about who to fill their roster should be solely based on what makes the team better. The manipulation done with young players will go away with the next CBA because of the shenanigans of the last decade. Kirilloff, Larnach, Rooker, Duran, and others should or should not make the team based solely on if they make the Twins a better team. Same with trades or free agent signings. The window is open now.

Then again, wouldn't Hendriks and Hand nicely complement Rogers and Duffey? The money is there.

Blankenhorn is an athletic guy with a fair stick and will be average defensively. I would like to see him stick. The decision for a player to use as a reserve shortstop comes down to Polanco's recovery from ankle surgery. If the Twins are worried I wonder if Simmons is an option. The return of Adrianza is also a fair plan. Neither of those decisions should get in the way of rostering Blankenhorn. I hope he sticks. The one really important consideration is the timetable or team view on Royce Lewis. The next CBA should dismantle the abuse of holding rookies down and maybe we see Lewis from Day 1 next year, playing 5-6 days per week all across the field. That may hurt the utility role waiting for Travis.

I'm in on a couple of relievers. The Twins need to look hard at Liam Hendriks, Brad Hand, Trevor Rosenthal, and others. Why not? These players will make the team better and that is all i want Twins management to consider. The window for this core is here now and I wonder, how can the brain trust make that happen in 2021?

2020 is ending and hope returns in 2021. The future is bright. My own idea is to aim high: the World Series. Why not? Last November I argued for the Twins to sign Donaldson and my only reason was-why not, Jd makes the Twins better. 2020 happened and JD was only ok and that was a disappointment. Well, that was in 2020. Next February the Twins will gather again, as Minnesotans get sick of being indoors, dry, and cold. There will be pent up energy gathered in a positive manner for a summer of good weather and baseball. In the spirit of the post. I too want a look at the potential of this team and how to maximize the possible opportunity to pull everything out of that talent. I agree that it isn't our baby; we don't get to make the cuts or increase the payroll with our choices. Still, when you have a window and a great view, it is a time to grasp the present. The dire years of the mid 70s and 90s and 2000 early teens are a scary alternative. Neither the owners nor fans win in those futile years. So the job is to look directly at what is needed and how best to make it happen this offseason. What do we need? One SP, one (maybe 2) reliever, a reserve for the infield, and a decision on the DH. So, in actuality not too bad but still plenty; both. Let the debate be about Bauer or Kluber and Odorizzi or Stroman; Hendriks and Soria or May; Simmons or Profar; and don't forget a place for Kirilloff, Larnach, Rooker, Jeffers, Duran, Alcala, Colina, and maybe Lewis and Blankenhorn. Whatever the decision, let the management decisions be made for a purpose. The money is there. Spend only to make the team better, but either way The Twins must make the team more positioned to win in 2021.

Liam Hendriks-3/$33. Do it.

This winter there will be plenty of options available but the understood obstacle is still a budget in consideration of the ongoing problem of our friend, Covid. The Twins have the core to win and their decisions must be directed toward that end. How would contracts to Hill for $6 million and Kluber for $7 million look for SP? I'm curious whether management would think about Liam Hendriks at 3/$33 million. If the budget falls below $130 million, which many of you are reasonably predicting, the Twins will need to get real young. My hope is that the long view comes into play and payroll settles around $135-145 million. This seems optimistic, but the money is there. Whether we want to discuss it or not, The Twins have the money.

Duran needs to pitch in the majors to see how this trade worked out. Escobar was a proven player with multiple skills and has done well in Arizona. He was well-liked by other players, the fans, and produced on the field. Duran is a prospect. While my personal preference is for the Twins to put Jhoan in the 5th SP slot in 2021, he still remains an unknown talent for MLB purposes, whereas we all know that Escobar was a talented player. For now, the trade favors the Diamondbacks but this can turn with the emergence of Duran this coming summer.

Great story and his different offerings should play again in 2021, At least I hope so.

Eno Sarris was one, from TheAthletic.com and there were two others from last week - too uninterested to look these up for you, but I do get your skepticism and perhaps I should have copy/pasted those links in to a doc right when I read them over the last few weeks and years. Thing is, like many of us, but not all, I read way too much baseball junk. It was lazy of me to write without proper sourcing and I apologize.

A deeper problem is that we hear that in game decisions are made by upper management via messengers. Whether by electronic or foot traffic this practice is a can of worms. Cheating, gambling, and financially based switches are open season. Keep the game and the decisions on the field. There is enough information in the manager's binders and brains. If Falvine or other executives or employees want to make in game decisions, they should be managers. There are already too many coaches in the dugout. Analytics is just statistics used appropriately and have been a part of baseball forever. If I know a player cannot ever hit a curve, that is enough. We will throw curveballs then. If a pitcher is really slow to the plate, take the bag. Kevin Cash has general respect around baseball but he and his coaches did not do anything special to advance the team this postseason. Dusty Baker, on the other hand, managed brilliantly throughout the postseason and came up just short with the reviled Astros. It was quite a credit to Cash that his players had his back after the game, but pulling Snell was a bonehead move. Mookie Betts, a pretty good player and also always respectful, noted that the Dodgers had not had any good at bats all day and were at the mercy of whatever Snell was throwing in Game 6. Cash himself would admit this but the word is that the decision was made upstairs. This is an issue.

Kluber, if healthy, is my choice for a 4th starter. There may be someone looking at the Twins players who may offer a pitcher but one doesn't jump to the front page right now. Maybe San Diego?

The money is the issue. $5 million is a lot of money but Soria just had a couple of really good years earning more moola. Why would he sign for much less? I guess we find out what the floor is this winter. I wish there would be a negotiated agreement on a percentage for players' salaries. A strike doesn't benefit any of us fans who missed a hundred games this year. Baseball likely needs a salary structure of sorts. Soria might fit but there are so many options this year: May, Treinen, and Hendriks for just a few options.

The DH has been in baseball for nearly 50 years now and different rules for each league has not caused any loss of fans. The decision to make it uniform might make sense but it is also an interesting twist to have a some differences between the two leagues. Interleague play has largely been a bust except in the biggest markets. Tweeking the DH rule does nothing to add to the game. Tinkering has been infrequent in baseball because the players have adapted to changing circumstances, moving from speed to power and shifting each decade. The human element gets lost as there are subtle moves towards video style changes. Analytics is now 20 plus years old and is mirrored by shifts in the 1960s, albeit more frequent now, and the defensive alignments of the Orioles outfielders during their short run. It has been curious how easily the commissioner and fans let slide the blatant cheating of the Astros and Red Sox, which was justified by "everybody does it". The current rules are fine concerning the DH. If there is housekeeping needed in the game, it mostly is related to getting the pitcher on the slab and the batter in the box while allowing coaches to coach and players to play without electronic aids or notes in their pockets. Many fans have noted the excellence and specialty of the modern day pitchers and the big money makes keeping those pitchers on the mound and away from the batter's box. Cruz is still fun to watch-keep the DH as it is.

He might consider 17-20 million, but forget about it otherwise.

I'm wondering if anyone on Twins Daily is familiar with Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Triston McKenzie, Zach Plesac, and Adam Plutko? These were pitchers in the #5 spot. We cannot expect a Bieber, but why can't the Twins field a #5 pitcher from their system? Berrios is good and older than all but Plutko. It is very reasonable to put a young arm down for the #5 SP slot, especially with off days early in the season. I'm a big fan of the vets like Cruz and Donaldson and also a fan of seeing a few young players move on in at an appropriate time. 2021 is a good time. Let's see what we got.