EephusKnuckler

If they move Dozier, think they'll go and sign a big bat for DH? Falvey pointed out the obvious that it would be tough to replace Doz's power but there are guys like Bautista and Encarnacion out there. I think they would have to give up a pick to sign one of those but there are others available like Trumbo.

Damn, Joe just missed his spot there. I thought for sure we were getting at least one run there

So will it still be a Gardenhire/Anderson package deal in the future? What if a team wants Gardy but tells him he has to hire a different pitching coach? Will he tell them to stick it where the sun don't shine?

I saw a news nugget today that said the Rays and Padres are talking about a Wil Myers deal. SD has also been linked to Justin Upton, so clearly they're looking to add more pop in the outfield to go along with Kemp. Maybe see if they're interested in Arcia? Both him and Myers have two years in the big leagues now and Arcia has arguably been the better player (hitting, at least). Does that team have anyone worth a damn to trade for? They might be willing to part with Kennedy but Cashner and Ross are probably off limits (and those are the two I would want).

Of course the Twins want this guy, he's a ho-hum starter in the NL so let's bring 'em on over to the AL! Where does this philosophy come from? If a guy is a lackluster starter in the NL facing pitchers instead of DHs and overall throwing fewer innings, what makes them think he'll succeed in the AL? I don't get it. So the Twins have been linked to E. Santana, Gee, and now Kendrick. Does this mean the team isn't so optimistic about Meyer's chances, or would that be reading too much into it?

Well, Ozzie Guillen did say he was the fastest white man he's ever seen.

A few of their young talented arms have had bad injuries the past couple years. Brandon Beachy just had his second TJ operation I think and Kris Medlen also got hurt last season. I may be forgetting someone else too. Plus you can never have too much good pitching.

I think you might have pinpointed the one thing that shows how Moliter might differ from Gardy. When was the last time Hicks was talked about in a positive light? Seems like any time his name was mentioned to Gardy it would ruffle his feathers. Aaron always seems a bit stiff out there, especially at the plate. Hesitant and a bit unsure of himself. Then the whole switch hitting drama this year...Gardy was obviously very frustrated with the situation. A fresh start with a new manager could be exactly what Hicks needs to make things click. Hopefully PM can get him to relax and have fun. Now back to hammering on Mauer...has Moliter been asked the "what position should Joe play" question yet? I know it's probably a moot point, but do we know his opinion?

Thanks for the report, Glunn! So, did Molitor say anything here that was unexpected? Seems like he's very solidly in-line with the traditional mindset of the organization. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. I wonder how long it'll be before he starts ripping into young players in the media.

Put me in the "terrible idea" camp. I'm fine with him working in a minimal instructor/consultant/whatever role but no way do I want him on the bench for every game. He's still got a great mind for the game but I'm not sure his style would get through to the young players if they had to listen to him every day. Their eyes would glaze over when he starts droning on and mumbling.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/04/the-twins-are-dropping-their-pinstripes/ Apparently being unveiled next week. I like it. It's time for the team and fans to look forward and changing up the uniforms is a small but nice touch. Pinstripes are too associated with the Yankees anyway *spit*

I thought that right away too but there are still reports trickling out about second interviews. Could've sworn I saw something today that said Lovullo recently had his second visit. If that's the case, then there's absolutely no excuse for not sitting down with Maddon. Imagine the tremendous gnashing of teeth if the team surprised everyone by going with Lovullo and thereby revealed that they were truly open to an outside candidate all along.

Sucks, but I'm not gonna get bent out of shape. He's still only 20 years old, he'll heal quickly.

But aren't we past that point? I think the Rays already had their shot at retaining him but he declined and decided to opt out. If the reports can be believed, possibly a quarter of the league (or more) is interested in his services. He's gonna get paid. I guess I can't completely rule it out but returning to the Rays seems unlikely now, and I really doubt he'd say he's willing to sit out the season if he truly wanted to stay with the Rays. I wonder if the Astros, Diamondbacks, and Rangers are kicking themselves right now? The Twins are in a very fortuitous position with this. They should look at it like mana raining down from heaven because Maddon as the manager of the Twins makes a helluva lot of sense. They're an organization that wants to operate with a low payroll; Maddon has done that for many years and had success. *check* Pitching has been a major weakness but we have a lot of young arms in the system; Maddon's teams have consistently had solid pitching and did so with a lot of young guys. *check* It's Minnesota so we want a guy with a likeable personality; from what I've gathered, Maddon is a great guy and is well respected around the league. *check* I imagine there's a mutual admiration between TR and Maddon for how they both approach the game. Seems like everything lines up perfectly with him. Makes a lot of sense. Hopefully his contract demands aren't a dealbreaker for the Twins, which would be a shame because paying a manager $5+ million a year is peanuts in the world of MLB.

From the latest update on Rotoworld: Kind of a conflicting statement from his agent, no? Some kind of fancy agent-speak there. He's basically saying that Maddon will go anywhere if they meet his salary demands. He wants a challenge, so that means he's willing to go to a bad team...but they must be "committed to win", which is kinda tough to prove if you're a crappy team, right? How do you prove that a team with four consecutive 90 loss seasons is committing to winning? By opening up the checkbook, and when have the Twins ever been willing to do that? Just another sign that he'll end up with the Cubs. They've sucked for a long time so it would be a big challenge, plus they also look more "committed to win" than the Twins due to their recent hiring of a hotshot GM. And of course they'll be willing to pay more than the Twins.