However this shakes out it is encouraging that the FO is thinking big. Semien would be a solid addition as would Simmons or Hernandez. Any of these three noted above would provide more quality, depth and flexibility to make other moves.
He was MVP of Arizona Fall League. Some noise around how good he was this summer. His tool set is unmistakable, but you do make a good point - his production to date doesn't = his tools.
Trading Arraez is a mistake even if his trade value is high. He should be considered part of the core and contenders don't trade core players unless the return is great. (One year until free agency doesn't do it.)
Eddie has been an asset to the Twins and a key figure for better or worse in terms of team culture. But his asset value diminishes as his salary increases unless the Twins can project some improvement in his numbers. The Twins will likely (hopefully) get greater value out of the pool of in-house replacements because they can approximate Eddie's numbers in the short term at a much lower salary. Mid-long term the Twins are counting on at least one of the youngsters to surpass Eddie's level of production. Having said that, I have enjoyed rooting for him and hope his career continues on a good path.
Nice article on a central issue for the Twins off-season / progress. It seems Sano or Kepler are the most valuable trade pieces with the most obvious replacements in-house. Their contract status enhances their value - couple the return of assets they could bring with the likely production levels of Kirilloff, Larnach and/or Rooker in their place and a viable trade strategy emerges that enhances the roster.
Interesting take on the state of the game. It would take some doing to reinstitute a small ball/old school approach as the development process for many aspiring major leaguers focuses on launch angles and pulling the ball, which result in more home runs, strike outs and defensive shifts. All things adding to your negative view of the state of the game. Time for a counter-revolution?
Do what works best - the object is to win the game you are playing and win as many as you can during the season. I don't mean to appear snarky, but we shouldn't over complicate this issue. The team's decision-makers primarily use their experience, observation of others and available applicable data to determine how best to accomplish these two outcome based goals.
Whatever asset value the Twins get in return for Rosario only needs to surpass one season of Rosario at 9M a year. (Should be able to find that.) The Twins will likely move Kepler or Rosario, but not both. I agree withe the premise that Kirilloff projects likely into a significantly better hitter than Rosario as does Larnach. (Unsure about Rooker, but he offers a RH power bat.) That depth creates a situation in which the Twins are trading from a strength - almost always a good practice.
Teams focused on winning consistently and winning championships in almost every sport deal from positions of strength. They are typically bold, make sound evaluations of talent, and don't hold on to players past their trade-worthy shelf-life unless they are completely vital to the core of the team. Based on that logic such that it is, of course the Twins should consider moving Kepler. There are many, many examples - one that might hit a chord is the Dodgers trading Kenta Maeda to the Twins!
I recognize there seems to be a troubling pattern of failure to produce under post season pressure for the Twins. If this has truly become a franchise culture issue and/or systemic since the 91 Championship or thereabouts it's going to take some decisive and dramatic changes to get different results. Chilling about it won't solve it.
Great point about OBP. Dropped from .338 in 2019 to .315 in 2020. Just too many players with a lot of AB with poor OBP - Rosario, Sano, Buxton, Gonzalez, Garver, Polanco, Cave...
Impressive article demonstrating the odds against the Twins losing like they have. Also it sheds light on the trauma endured in a special way by Twins' fans.
Three times this basic group of core Twins have weakly bowed out of the playoffs in the opening round. Does that cause the FO to shake up the core some?
Being a life long Twins fan these gut punch losses are common, but remain painful. I would like to see more intensity even if it's "out of character" for Rocco and his crew which has a little too cool for school look and feel to it.
Twins are in a mini-surge that gives them a shot Division and #2 or #3 seed. The Indians, if they win tomorrow may well pass the Chisox as well. This is good stuff - consider what things looked like when Twins lost last game to the Sox?