twinsnorth49

Nice to know he'll be around for a lot longer.

Joe's probably going to be thinking about that lost ST opportunity for awhile. Hopefully he can move on.

Glad to have you.

"Who the hell decided to put the toilet all the way up of these freaking stairs"!!

No, but if he won the CY Young I would certainly be thinking about extending him. The difference being Perkins has proven he can do it for years, for Hughes that would be an anomaly. No, the last deal Perkins signed was mainly as a set up guy with some contingency pay if he became the closer. If he lost the closer job it still would have been pretty fair to both sides. What's your point here? Never sign a long term deal in any circumstances on either side of the equation? This is nothing more than the inherent risk of doing business, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and just as often it works out both ways. In this case it's a pretty good educated guess for the Twins that it works in their favor. All the Twins have really done is lock up a player they feel will continue to have value for them for an additional two years at a pretty decent price in the long term. If he doesn't stay healthy or under performs that's the price of doing business. If he continues on his present trajectory they secured him for an additional two years for far cheaper than they would have in his contract year.

Lol, complete brain cramp, it's been a long day. Take the left handed part out and my opinion stands........doh!!!!

There is risk in any contract, at some point you have to just get past that, as well a show of faith in a quality player is not a bad thing. Yes he's technically under control through 2016, this just allows them to delay whether they are going to exercise the option or not, it's a good chance by 2018 they don't. If he performs close to the level he has been for the next two seasons the Twins will have got a great deal, that's the gamble with any player.

He was under team control through 2015 with a team option for 2016. Not every closer has a short shelf life and Perkins has been very durable. The Twins get an all-star closer for an extra two years, during which part of they might be competitive team, for a reasonable price. It also makes it easier for them to turn down his option in 2018 as opposed to 2016.

Big thumbs up, it's a great deal for the team and I'm a big Glen Perkins fan. It will be great if he retires only wearing Twins colours.

Pretty successful day then, mission accomplished.

So far it's Deduno, still time for the other guys to give people something to think about though, which I have to think the team wants considering age and options.

iswydt

Sold!

If the Twins have any promise in the infield it's at 2B, I'm not sure what the interest in Franklin would be. The Mariners mainly want to get a decent pitching prospect back in return, I wouldn't part with what it would take to get him.

This calls for another '87 bobblehead

Possible Pseudo, hard to envision though ,but don't get me wrong I would love to see it. At the end of the day though it's all about oil and money, despite what the people want. The West is only going to prop up Ukraine financially for so long, unless the US in particular is willing to make a major investment in developing (or restoring more accurately) the country's own gas industry. I just don't see all the talk of alternative energy coming from the US being overly viable, from a cost perspective and a political one, Russia will certainly flex it's muscle again if that does occur. The biggest part of the problem as I see it is the rampant corruption that exists there, largely led by Russian Oligarchs. Since independence in 1991 the country has maintained such close ties to Russia it has resulted in heavy political influence by them within the country. The Kuchma government barely separated themselves from them allowing the oil barons to sew their seeds within the political infrastructure. The reality is this whole thing has really been going on since 2004 and the Orange revolution, a huge example of political corruption and the control the gas industry in Russia has over Ukraine, where was the West then? As long as the illusion of legitimacy remained, it wasn't their problem. Victor Yanukovych came to power as a result of the Orange Coalitions desire to take Ukraine more towards Europe and Russia's desire to stop it. Yanukovych was once a member of the Orange Coalition, wonder what happened there? I don't see much of a difference in what is happening now as opposed to back then, other than the US and the EU making a little more noise about it's displeasure, which over time I imagine will die down. Putin is just using most of this as a stall tactic in order to find another political alternative to the one the West has installed. As far as reading goes, there is plenty to read about the pro Russian sentiment in the East and South, which at the end of the day may create a secession movement within the country. Any European newspaper or magazine is full of great views on the subject.

With all due respect I think you underestimate the dependence countries like Belarus and Ukraine have on Russia. Belarus is not going to be joining the EU anytime soon, at least until they pay down the enormous debt they have with Russia, and find a new source of affordable energy. Ukraine is in much the same situation, they are far more dependent economically on Russia than many think. I'm guessing the average Ukrainian is going to opt for gas to heat their house over whatever goods they desire from the West. You don't think Putin knows that? He sure as hell does and it's one of his most powerful weapons. What does the West have to offer them? At best Putin maintains his political influence in Eastern Europe, Crimea is just his not so subtle reminder that it's his ball. At the end of the day he will ultimately dictate the direction of the new government and what decisions they will make in terms of their economic future. There is nothing the West can or will do about it, he knows it and whatever it is they threaten him with he cares very little about. Russians are used to hard times, economic sanctions from the likes of the US, Canada and the EU are of very little consequence to them

Everyday baby.....best 18 ever.

Poland is already a member of the EU. Why does this push Ukraine closer? It may turn out that way but it's far from a certainty, Russia holds considerable sway over Ukraine. The two countries are inextricably linked and as much as the country desires it's independence it has had a difficult time releasing it's dependence on Russia, which is a main part of the problem and one which Putin is very aware of. The next government is going to have to have a steel resolve if it is to join the EU, it will come at a heavy price from Russia, I think many people are aware of that. Sadly, if that does indeed happen, I don't envision the West stepping up to fill the void. Putin holds all the cards here and there isn't much the US or the EU can do about it, he's not afraid of any of them and knows quite well they have no response that will have any teeth.

It's pretty funny. Option A. Join the Russian Federation or Option B. Vote to reinstate a constitution that lasted all of 15 days and hardly any of you know what it means.

It wasn't a matter of being gutsy Pseudo, it was a matter of shrewd political timing. Which democratically empowered border states are going to move further to the EU? Latvia, Estonia, Poland? They're already members of the EU and the first two arguably would not take much persuasion to join the Eurasian Union if Ukraine goes that way. They don't have to give up sovereignty, Crimea is not a sovereign nation, that's not the issue. This isn't about territory, it's about economic and political influence. Ukraine is the big fish here, Levi is right, there is no way Putin is going to allow the West to walk in and bully or backroom deal it's way into Ukraine joining the EU. The EU and the US decided it was in it's best interests to remove Yanukovych to further it's interests, Putin decided he needed to react and give people something to think about. What the US and the EU is missing is that there is significant support in Ukraine for Russia, the East and South of the country are predominantly Russian, he's pandering to that and trying to create enough civil unrest to ensure that their (and his) political voice is heard when the next government may be decided. I'll agree that Putin has lost any goodwill the Olympics may have brought Russia, though I'll argue most of that was mostly for the press, he doesn't much care.

First Twins pitcher to win at the dome.

Actually what is happening in Ukraine is quite the opposite, the West is responsible for stirring up the revolution to set the stage for a coup. The rejection of the EU by Yanukovych was a direct result of sanctions and economic pressure from Putin towards Ukraine. Military intervention is not a viable alternative for Russia, Western sanctions against such a move would hurt them greatly and are far from meaningless , the overtures in Crimea could still have that same effect however Obama and the EU don't seem to have the will to enforce any . In other words, if he doesn't go any farther they pretty much don't care if he takes Crimea back. Further, Romania and Bulgaria may not be as resistant to Russian influence as you may think, their association with the EU has been anything but beneficial to them so far and they legitimately may have more interest in Putin's Eurasian Union. Kazakhstan is already in the Eurasian economic union with Russia, as well as many other former Soviet states. In other words, they already have tremendous influence on decision making in the region, including Ukraine.

Ukraine's refusal of the EU was heavily influenced by Russia, I don't think it had as much to do with a reluctance to bail out all of Europe as it did with economic threats from Russia, as well as promises of greater fortunes by joining Putin's Eurasian Union. Also, Yanukovych is decidedly pro Moscow, so the ultimate decision to join the Eu was always pretty nebulous, despite whatever majority within the country or any Western powers wanted. What's curious is the decision to crackdown so violently on the pro EU protesters by Yanukovych, what forces influenced that? Clearly it provided the catalyst for a reprisal against the government and shifted the focus from a economic political one to a social political one, the fight is no longer about the EU. The big risk to Putin in the uprising is the uncertainty of what the next govt may bring and what it's attitude towards Russia's existing presence in Crimea might be, obviously influenced by the US and the EU. With the region being essentially Russian (outside of the Tatars) it provides an easy position of strength for him and a source of unity for the pro Russian people in the East and the South. Of course much of this also has to do with his vision of the rebuilt former glory of the past, one which many Russians share. I don't see what his end goal is politically though, there is no way he takes the Ukraine by force , he may just ride out the current wave and try to exert some further political will within the country to influence who forms the next government and to ensure it is not one chosen by the West.

Held up his end of the Knobby deal I'd say........ but then he brought us Lil" Nicky.