Doctor Gast

I agree with you we need an ace. Also signing Buxton is a priority (Tom's video) so if we go all out on a FA ace we won't have enough $ to do much of anything else. To get our ace we need to get one via trade. I agree with Minnesotabro that MIA would be a great option yet I agree with 2win87 that Kepler and Sano won't come close to get it done, there are higher valued players that we can live w/o that can make it happen. Doing this we'd have the $ to sign Buxton, a capable SS and some BP help.

Thank you Andrew for this article. Makes me excited about these guys. Your work is professional and should be on front and center news at least the forum format. Not the overlooked sometimes blog. I'm a fan keep up the good work and don't be swayed.

Cave should be DFAed. He'll pass waivers easily but Twins should not offer him a minor league contract because Baldelli will still give LF and Buxton sub position to him. He has taken a spot on the roster for too long instead of some one who is capable.

There's no doubt that Miranda is a great hitter. I haven't yet heard how good he is at 3B besides he's adequate. I'm curious how does he rate at 3B? Like fielding and arm.

I really like your rotation selection, Nick. We really need a top pitcher like Verlander but doubt we'll find one via FA. I'd prefer trading for one of MIA available pitchers like Lopez. Also I see them bringing back Pineda. As far as your positional players selection, we take a big hit defensively. This last season we had a bad OF because we didn't have a decent LF and decent Buxton sub. Kepler was the only dependable OF we had and you want to trade him? Kepler is under valued and much needed glove for this team. I don't expect him to hit as many HRs as in '19 but I do expect to him to adapt, be a very good glove and even possibly reinvent himself as a hitter. There are more redundant and some over valued players that makes lot more sense to trade than Kepler. Cave should have been traded last year, DFA him this season does not weaken our team but makes it better because it opens up a spot for someone else that can get it done, which you failed to do. If you want to compete, you just don't throw anyone at SS. You need some one who can get it done defensively and be around avg. offensively.

Nash, being an ex teacher, I concur that your grades are spot on. I agree that Dobnak gets an F. But I don't him fault him, I fault the way that he was used and instructed how to pitched. Shoemaker complained that he was instructed to pitch contrary to his strength. I'm 100% behind this pitching staff but if they are forcing their pitchers to pitch contrary to their strength, it's wrong. If they didn't like the way he pitched, they shouldn't have signed him if he's not willing to adapt. Dobnak is a ground pitcher, which fit great with this greatly upgraded infield. Their attempt to transform Dobnak into their SO pitcher (with his new slider) on the fly, totally backfired and rightfully so. You can't force a pitcher to stress the use of a newly discovered contrary pitch and run with it during the season. It needs to be sparsely used in specific instances when he has a feel for it and developed in the off season. So the devastating results and shortened season are to be expected.

If Taylor doesn't get the deal that he wants, I believe that he'd want to return to LA. He is loved there and LA values super utility players unforunately Twins do not. We haven't had a true super utility player since Caesar Tovar, I believe.

I agree that starting pitching is our top priority, it should have been last year too. But especially now with Berrios & Maeda gone, we desperately need top end starters. Many are crying out for Marcus Semien to solve our SS problem. Looking at our fianances and going for any high end player (SP or SS) is not very practical. Our best SP solutions are via trade. We are backed up with corner OFs and INFs, 2Bs and DH types, we need to clean house by putting packages together to obtain these starters. Here we get our SPs we need plus we alliviate our 40 man roster crunch. We still need to address our SS problem. If we can't find a SS via trade then, go find a bargain via FA, priority 1st splendid glove 2nd average bat. If Taylor can be had at a bargain then yeah go for it. To fill out our BP we can go in house and there are FA bargains but we need to look at potential and how they fit in our system, not past stats.

There's a good chance that the Braves wins the NLCS and the way that Rosario is playing he deserves to be MVP.

Eddie loves to be a hero. He has certainly had that opportunity with the Braves. I'm very happy for him. Go Eddie and the Braves!!!!!!

Good question. It'd be great if they could work it out. But I doubt if they will.

Thanks for the heads up.

To answer my own ?. It looks like they offered him 70M for base pay. This I've heard he has no problem with, it's the incentives where there's a problem. To me Buck isn't asking too much.

Andrew, love your article! Love your common sense backed up with unbias data. I encourage you to write as often as you can because you're a pleasure to read and to disarm any false ideas out there. This is a fair contract (the # of years could be tricky), no more fooling around. Get it done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BTW, what has been offered?

SS and CF are the most important and most demanding positions, almost all candidates don't make it let alone excel there. I don't know if Lewis or Martin will stick at their proposed positions, odds are they won't. We won 100+ games in '19 because we had an awesome line up that were all hitting on all 8cyl.s (with a juiced ball) and a top rate rotation ( where Pineda was the # 5 and he was raking) until the BP blew up. The rotation (especially a sick Gibson and a transformed BP Perez, they pitched much more innings than Odorizzi and Pineda) were overextended and limped across the finish line. We can't ever expect these conditions to exist and ignore our defense. Our goal isn't to be lucky & win a 100 games but to advance in the post season and even win the big one again.

Of coarse he's our most valuable trading chip because he's our MVP, he did it all, was under paid and was durable. But should we? The answer is absolute NOT. 1st reason is he's still underrated because he's finally just recovering physically from his bout at SS and this was his 1st year return to 2B (Being 3rd defensively at 2B is amazing). As he continues at 2B and proceed to get completely well and find his groove, he'll regain his prowess (offensively and defensively), fulfilling his potential by becoming a MVP. Ever increasing his worth to us which is irreplaceable. 2nd reason is by trading Polanco we are stating we are rebuilding. Then we are committed to trade away all our underrated valuable core players (Polanco, Buxton, Kepler, Garver and Donaldson). And let's throw in Sano, we won't come close to get what they are worth. This will cause a large influx of prospects, flooding our roster. We have already a serious 40 man roster crunch, losing valuable undeveloped CF and pitching prospects via waivers. (I've stated this for a while now). Now multiply that by the wave of new prospects, this is irresponsible and impractical. Our problems this year weren't due to the players where we need to get rid of the core and rebuild. It was due to management. I give them credit for removing Polanco at SS and getting a real SS. But I do fault them for not going out and trading for very good starters and closer that were bargains, instead dumpster diving FAs. Also how they mismanaged LF and CF subbing, relying on a weak rotation and failing BP. To name a few. Many blame injuries, good management allows for this by providing quality depth. Chicago had more serious injury problems from the beginning of the season but still handily won the division. I could go on. Since our management is returning, our only hope is that they transform their mindsets. If not and they choose to rebuild. They would have appropriately selected the right uniform (to commemerate the '91 WS win) to usher in the new "Twinkie Era". UGH!

Tons of promising players go years floundering until they find themselves w/ a team that recognize them, coach & encourage them and they go on to have successful baseball careers. Twins failed to recognize, coach & encourage Broxton when he showed signs of breaking out hitting. He has always shown excellence in other aspects of the game. Again my hope is that he recovers from the kick in the gut the Twins management gave him & have a successful career, like so many other players the Twins have given up on.

"I have a feeling that Cave will play more and out perform Broxton next year. " Not if Broxton finds an unbias coach that's sees his true potential and put his trust in him. Especially if you include defense and base running, there's no comparison. I hope Broxton recovers from the kick in the gut that he received by the Twins. Still next year doesn't erase this years absolute blunder.

The most embarrassing moment was after spring training when Baldelli left Broxton off the active list in favor of Cave. Broxton is a 5 tool CF that showed he could hit and Cave an ok 4th OF that had a terrible ST. 2nd FO ridiculous pitcher FA signings 3rd Reliance on a failing BP & weak rotation. Not relying on long relief in which they could have interjected new prospects sooner. 4th Using Dobnak all wrong. All other embarrassing moments later are related and of consequence to the earlier decisions. Together w/ poor coaching

That trade suggestion stinks on many levels. 1st it adds to our 40 man dilemma, 2nd reduces our impact level, 3rd it doesn't reduce the payroll that much, 4th I believe Miranda isn't ready quite yet and could use the mentoring that Donaldson would provide (not saying that he could put some time in the majors this year). Hopefully we can find an adequate and cheaper CF sub than Bradley.

If Polhad wanted to spend the money to get any of these top ranked SS none would want to come. Baez had the most interest to come but we traded that reason away. We still have greater need at starting pitching. Spending $ on top FAs almost never pay off, so I'm not in favor of signing any of them. We definitely need a SS but they are not worth it.

My hope is to pick up a high end pitcher to at least compensate for the loss of Berrios, via trade. At this point we don't have anyone who we can count on to go past 5 innings so I'd like an additional 2nd pitcher who can take us to at least 6 innings and give us a chance to win. My sentimental 3rd addition is to try a flier on Chris Archer. He still needs to build up his arm strength, he's great for 3 innings this season but after that he's vulnerable. He has great upside especially with some specialize instruction from Wes Johnson perfect his already very good FB and slider also Santana can greatly improve his already good circle change up. We can use him in long relief or piggybacking until he's able go 5 or more. We can offer him a low base contact with pretty good incentives. If he works out he'll be well worth it if not we're not out anything.

Remember when I saw that, I could see that Broxton had a bead on that ball and could have also caught that ball but saw Celestino had the best shot. And yielded to Him. Like you said he was just as happy that Celestino made that catch as if he had made that catch himself. That's a player I'd like to play on my team.

Have always liked Celestino, he's got great potential. It's much easier to have a CF play the corners than have an ok corner fielder play CF, which we have been doing for years. Where was he 4 years ago. Too bad he was rushed last year, hope he adjusts quickly. Now that he's almost ready he'll have stiff competition from Austin . It's better to have excess of CFs than corner fielders.

I'm on board with you Tom. Boston and SF surprised me even though I expected them to do well because they did smart moves not expensive foolish ones. Better evaluations are better than deep pockets and poor evaluations. We are in poor shape to rebuild because of our 40 man chrunch. We are losing valuable undeveloped talent because they were left off a crowded roster. Just think of us trading away our underrated needed core for a wave of new prospects. What added problems of losing our needed prospects on waivers. New priorities need to be adapted.