stringer bell

A one year plus option year might work very well for the Twins. They probably would have to pay more for the guaranteed year in order to get the club option. Since everybody on this board is in agreement that paying more next year can (and should) be done, it is probably a good move to pay Baker a bit more for 2014 in hopes that he comes back to the form he had pre-TJ.

How do you rebuild a rotation? Look at Cleveland last year. Two starters with pretty big upsides--Jiminez and Masterson--pitched much closer to their ceiling than their floor. They gambled on a rehab project (bought a lottery ticket) and won with Kazmir and filled the rest of their rotation with their own prospects. The Tribe had a pretty good bullpen to draw to and markedly improved their pitching. What can the Twins learn from this? I guess you don't give up on good arms. Research your "lottery tickets" and develop from within. The biggest difference between the Twins and Tribe is that of the pitchers who have had success (I'll say Correia, Diamond, and Worley) none have as big an upside as Masterson or Ubaldo. I think the Twins should sign one highly sought starter. Ubaldo, Hughes, or maybe Feldman to what Ryan surely would consider a "monster contract"--three or more years for more than Willingham is making. They need to also high a high-reward guy, perhaps Johnson or maybe Pelfrey, as well for their lottery ticket. Beyond that, I think they have a lot of candidates to fill out the rotation. To succeed like Cleveland did, they need to "hit" on their free agent signings and have Gibson develop and Diamond or Worley bounce back.

With the emotional event of Kill leaving the team to treat his epilepsy, the team has played just about as good as it can for the last two weeks. I see another win or two and perhaps they can sneak out another against one of the "big boys" against Wisconsin and Michigan State. The question I have, though, is whether this is as good as a Kill-coached team can do. Can he get better talent, especially with the epilepsy issue and can he continue as coach with his epilepsy. The Big Ten is historically weak this year. Getting four or five wins is doable, but I am not sure the road leads to moving up among the higher echelons of the Big Ten.

I saw Lee pitch in person at Cedar Rapids, and he got hammered. Lots of hard-hit balls. Shortly after he was put in the bullpen, but returned to pitch well late in the season.

Bum Phillips and Lou Reed.

Of course, you remember the Gophers last win against the 'Huskers. I do, I read about it in the Sports Peach the next day.

I'm on board for adding Morales (relatively young and can play first base, switch hitter without platoon splits). Hart is another question. He missed all of last year and may or may not bounce back and be a productive hitter. I would avoid Loney, since he had his best year since 2007, seems like an aberration.

I think Mauer was one of the 3-5 top defensive catchers in the AL this year. I don't think he's deserving of the award precisely because of what is being volleyed around here--he caught 75 games.

I get your argument Levi, but don't fudge the numbers. You use .800 as Mauer's 1B OPS (with no power) and mention .850+ OPS at catcher. While I'm not making the claim that Mauer absolutely will be a better hitter at first, I will say that he would be at least as good as he is at catcher, so use .850 on both sides of the equation. I can't prove it but I think he would be an improved hitter as a full-time 1B. That "projection" should also part of whether or not he should be moved.

I had Mason Melotakis as my Adopt-a-Prospect in 2013 and I got to meet him in Cedar Rapids when I made a trip there in June. He seems like a nice young man and seemed legitimately surprised and flattered when I told him he was my Adopt-a-Prospect. He seems to have the skill set to advance quickly and he did a good job last season overall. I would expect that he'll advance quickly when his role (starter or reliever) is determined.

Both sides have made their points. IMHO, Mauer's concussion and a first base vacancy have accelerated something that almost everybody agrees was going to happen anyway. The Twins may try to start the season with Mauer as their primary catcher, but one of several factors will probably change that--an injury to Mauer, Pinto proving to be too good for Triple A, ineffectiveness/failure of the first base options--and Mauer will become the Twins regular first baseman. On the topic of not getting a premium player if Mauer is moved around, a first base/DH like Morales would fit and also if somehow/some way Parmelee blossomed, he presents the option of going to the outfield and providing Joe a chance to start frequently at first. I still think the organization would be wise to move Mauer sooner rather than later, but the Twins front office and field staff has shown itself to be extremely conservative in cases like this.

I'm not sure I am comfortable with Herrmann as Pinto's alternate. It is nice to have a guy that can play serviceably both behind the plate and at an outfield corner, but Herrmann couldn't hit in AAA, and his numbers for the Twins overall were uninspiring.

Overall, I like the addition of Molitor. He was a talent that became a great ballplayer and sustained his performance well into his 40s due to a great baseball IQ, probably combined with good health. Molitor really knows baseball and he's very articulate. Certainly, it would make sense to add an Hispanic coach, especially with young talents such as Arcia, Rosario and Sano already here or on the way soon. It's probably equally as important to add a voice from outside the organization who signifies that it won't be "business as usual" going forward. I hope that hiring comes next, but adding someone like Molitor probably shouldn't be delayed.

In most science fiction shows I have seen, somebody is in stasis (I hope I spelled it right and I am using it correctly). That means that the person or creature in question is in an unchanged state as time goes by. It is my opinion that the Twins basically spent 2013 in stasis. I expected at the start of 2013 the Twins would move some veterans, find out about some prospective regulars and start in the development of a starting rotation. None of that happened. almost all of what was unsettled going into the season is still unsettled. Ryan Doumit and Josh Willingham are still Twins and Morneau was on the team until September 1. The Twins have no more answers about their starting rotation than they did a year ago. Further, almost no positions have a regular. We Twins fans still have Chris Parmelee competing for a starting position and Trevor Plouffe as the nominal regular at third base. We don't know for sure if Joe Mauer will be the primary catcher, and we aren't sure who will start at any of the outfield spots. The aforementioned Plouffe and Parmelee are bigger question marks going into 2014 than they were heading into this year, along with Scott Diamond, Vance Worley, and probably Kyle Gibson. The team lost 90+ games again and really didn't move forward at all. Exactly one starting pitcher is guaranteed to be in the rotation next year and exactly one position player established himself as a major league regular. I find those results totally unacceptable for a rebuilding team. It makes 2014 a virtual certainty to be another losing season and has delayed the needed roster turnover until the coming season. I expected improvement this past season, whether or not it was reflected in the won/loss record. Instead we saw stasis.

I am totally on board with Mauer converting to a full-time first baseman, who would catch only in an emergency. I would expect that he could play 150+ games and hit better and probably for more power. While Mauer is a fine catcher, he isn't the freak of nature that the most durable catchers have been. He is a Hall-of-Fame hitter and moving to first is good for his long-term future as a hitter. The next blow to the head from a foul tip could cost him at least a month or might cost him the rest of his career. Something like 50% of the players disabled on the concussion list were catchers. It is undoubtedly less risk for him to be a first baseman. That the Twins have a clear vacancy at first only makes this decision easier.

And I'm older than both of you!

I agree that both players were disappointing in 2013. I think it is to the point where Parmelee will have to win himself a spot on the 2014 Twins and if he doesn't hit, he will be sent to the minors. I believe he is out of options, so if he fails to stick with the team, he would be exposed and I don't think the Twins will worry further about losing him. Plouffe, OTOH, did play slightly better defense and lifted his average above .250. The power never materialized as it did in 2012. Providing the most charitable take I can for both players: Parmelee seemed lost and drained of confidence this year. Perhaps he will "find his mojo" and be the good hitter he was in September 2011 and at AAA in 2012. Plouffe has a miserable two months, but was otherwise more than serviceable and was one of few bright spots in September. He could benefit by healthy and productive players hitting in front of him. There is room for him to grow defensively and maybe the sight of Sano in his rear view mirror will make a more focused Trevor into a better ballplayer.

Lincecum re-ups with the Gigantes--2 years, $35M!!??

Now that Wilken has been DFAed--Colabello.

Semantics here, but I believe Ryan said that Molitor on the coaching staff "wasn't the right fit" or something like that. That isn't saying the same thing as he wasn't fit to be on the staff.

Manager in Waiting?

Radke belongs in the Twins Hall of Fame without question. No more, no less. Please let's stop being slaves to WAR. It is one measure, but I don't think it is the be-all or end-all.

I think Brandon Phillips is a lot closer to finished than a monster. He will be 33 before midseason and he only OPSed .701 last year. The Twins won't contend until they have pitching, so why spend their money on Phillips.

First point, the lynchpin is Mauer. If he's at first, then Doumit probably starts the season as the primary catcher. If he is the catcher, then first base needs to be filled. I still expect Mauer to be the primary first baseman. Secondly, Mauer probably hits #3 next year with Presley leading off and Dozier batting second. I'll call it Mauer at first: 1) Presley cf 2) Dozier 2b 3) Mauer 1b 4) Willingham dh 5) Arcia lf 6) Doumit c 7) Plouffe 3b 8) Parmelee or FA rf 9) Florimon ss Of course, I expect changes. Doumit should be gone by the deadline if not before, Sano should replace Plouffe as soon as his Super 2 eligibility is gone, maybe before. I expect that Hicks should be back and starting before midseason. I have said that Parm will start in right, but it could be almost anyone including a free agent.I would like to see the Twins acquire somebody like Kendrys Morales, which would cover first if Mauer catches or make him the primary DH if Joe moves to first.

Thanks, TDers! This was a far better discussion than I read anywhere else. You all demonstrated more knowledge and more civility than I have witnessed in any other threads regarding the ACA/Government Shutdown. I probably am closest to Brock in this matter, in that I see the ACA (Obamacare) as cumbersome, confusing and somewhat ineffective, but I think that the far Right is way out-of-bounds in their vitriol and the extremes they have resorted to in order to short circuit the Affordable Care Act. I, too, hope they are punished for their disrespect.