LastOnePicked

Not the kind of grades you'd be eager to show your parents. I think most fans understand that FA starting pitcher acquisitions are hard for non-top-tier teams. Most top FAs want to go elsewhere for greener pastures or fatter paychecks. In that regard, I don't really hold these less-than-stellar acquisitions against them. HOWEVER, I expect that highly-touted pitching developmental pipeline to start flowing. Whatever essentials one can't buy in the marketplace, one has to develop at home. We need to start seeing tangible results in 2022.

Ah, don't worry, Mr. Gilchrest. The '22 Twins will find a way to teach young people that nothing gets better, Colome or no Colome. Funny stuff, by the way.

Good stuff as always, Tom. The Hicks trade was embarrassingly bad, and rightfully helped to end Ryan's second run as GM. The Yankees saw us coming on that one, as they say. Yuck. Trading Buxton will likely be the defining moment for this FO, and it may take years to assess the outcome. Will it make the team stronger, exchanging an injury-prone CF for hot prospects and durable MLB-ready talent. Or will we watch Buxton finally set the league on fire for a new team while our meager returns fizzle away, Murphy-style? For the record, I don't want to see Buxton traded. I'd much rather look back on an interesting Kepler, Arraez, Rooker or Sano trade. But this FO has already totally fumbled the contract extension talks, so once the new CBA is set, I fully expect Buxton to be moved. If so, they better get it right - their legacy here absolutely depends on it.

Yup. Buxton now and Berrios next year should be our big $$ upcoming free agent priorities. I have no problem with bringing Simmons back for 2022 and have him platoon with Gordon and maybe even Lewis or an under-the-radar prospect in September. Cost effective and maybe even solid. I mean, if we can sign a bigger name FA SS, so be it. I don't want to break payroll or trade prospects for one. Maybe trade if we can get some kind of amazing steal for any combination of Kepler/Arraez/Rooker.

Sure, we fans can handle another PtC pitcher - we just can't handle another PtC drafting and coaching philosophy. But, you raise a good point. If we put $$ into a PtC starter, we better shore up our infield defense.

If this were 2021, I think I could better see the argument. However, the 2022 Twins are not anywhere close to contention and we need our solid prospects to develop for the future here. Plus, we have payroll flexibility - why trade for a SS when you can sign one without losing future impact players?

I agree with the takes here already. I see the allure of having a Jack Morris-like veteran anchor the staff in the hopes of a surprise playoff run, but Morris had hometown ties that these veteran aces don't. They won't sign here. Would you, if you were looking to join a winner? However, the Twins can see how things play out and maybe make a trade for a veteran ace if they're in contention down the stretch. By that point, it should be clear as to who remained healthy and durable as well. I say all this, but I also remember that the Twins have never made this kind of high-impact ace trade before, not even with this FO staff, so not sure why that would change in 2022.

Fifteen years ago. Good gosh. I was a HUGE Twins fan 1986-1995. Went with my dad to a lot of Metrodome games. We saw the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Then I moved away, got married, started a career and mostly ignored the Twins until getting sucked back in around 2006. I told my Dad that it seemed the Twins now had two(!) aces after years of having none, and that we had to go see this young guy named Liriano. It was a new era for our team. The glory days of World Series runs were coming back. Liriano blew out his elbow that game, and the Twins lost 1-0. My Dad essentially told me to wake him up the next time I thought the Twins might have an actual shot at contending. He was out. Funny, but in 2019 I did sit down with him to watch the Twins take on the Marlins on TV. I thought it would be an easy victory for the Twins and he'd enjoy watching Buxton and a dominant Twins team. Of course, Buxton separated his shoulder and Dyson blew the game in the 9th. Ah, memories. Baseball is a funny game, and the Twins provide more than their share of odd memories and heartbreak. But I still consider myself lucky that my fandom started in that golden little span of twin titles.

I'm disappointed too, but don't let it ruin today. Just put that feeling on hold if/when the team seems poorly coached in April-May. I mean, I try to be generally fair. Tingler paid his dues and impressed people along the way. Even up until June he was well-respected in San Diego. I'm pulling for redemption, and some fire in him to prove he's worth an MLB coaching or managerial spot. He wouldn't have been my pick, but I'm at least happy to hear that he was known for an emphasis on baseball fundamentals.

Again, hard to know anything for certain from a fan's perspective, but it seemed San Diego was very displeased over Tingler's inability to inspire his players when they were in a fight for a playoff spot. He's seems soft-spoken, sharp and unsure of himself in a leadership role. I was really hoping the Twins would hire a counterweight character to Baldelli, who appears to have a similar approach to coaching ... and maybe even similar weaknesses.

Man, I did not want to jump back into this thread, but this .... First of all TwinsDaily is chock full of thoughtful passionate human beings. You can disagree with their conclusions and bemoan what you think is a lack of reason, but there's always good stuff here by good people, both in the article AND the comments. This comment applies that all you find here is a sort of "bitching" rabble, which is just pretty insulting. Second, I appreciated Brock's argument. However, there are two points worth contending: 1) "Mediocre" is an evaluation of quality, not of quantity. Brock argument is that one can use a single quantity - a benchmark of W/L record - to define what was a mediocre season. To me, that's like saying a steak was mediocre because it's a certain weight or size or a beer was mediocre because of it's alcohol content. In short, I don't personally find numbers like these helpful framework for discussing the quality of something as complex as a baseball season. 2) Brock's argument is also that Twins fans are fortunate because we have merely experienced the W/L record extremes, and not the muddling middles. My response to this was that Twins fans are about as unfortunate as they come. Only one other team in all of MLB has had as long of a drought of playoff victories, and I contend that the playoffs are THE REASON why the season exists. I used the cake and frosting metaphor before, and I stand by it. I think a lot of people are expressing the same points of contention to this article here, but maybe not in so many words. It doesn't mean they lack reason, but that their passion and their frustration over so many seasons of missed opportunities (and plenty of excuses from FO staff and ownership) is palpable. At this point, the team is pretty lucky to even still have a passionate fan base. BTW, and expectation that the team win maybe just ONE playoff game in 18 tries doesn't seem "well beyond reason" to me, but what do I know. But as for the back and forth in the comments - from the rational numbers arguments and the hot-blooded heart takes - I always love it. I hope you will, too.

Not much to object to. Very well argued and reasoned. Do you make house calls, Doc? If so, pay a visit to Falvey and Levine before the Winter Meetings.

I get it, and I know I'm guilty of this. I guess my response is rooted in the idea that the regular season matters for individual performances, but not for a team. Nobody really cares what a team's regular season record is. Most regular season games are played without much pressure and not all that many fans. Memories are made in the postseason. Plus, I get bristly when team ownership and FO defend the team's annual failings by pointing to regular season successes. To me, it's like claiming you're a great baker of cakes yet you just don't have a recipe for frosting. Sorry, a cake without frosting just isn't worth talking about. Or eating. But yes, I get it, my dead horse is now thoroughly beaten. Just don't trigger me with even the suggestion of "spoiled Twins fans."

No, that's my fault, wsyndes. I was agreeing with your post and then responding to the title of the article itself. You were completely clear, but my response wasn't. And, you were spot-on.

They are not going to sign a top SS free agent when SS candidates are nearing the bigs, and a top SS free agent isn't going to want to sign with a last place club with no starting staff. And if the FO cared about fan response, they wouldn't have traded Cruz and Berrios. All signs point to a Simmons reunion. And I'm fine with that. He's solid at SS, and perhaps due for a little bounceback at the plate.

Exactly this. Who remembers much about any regular season? Any baseball season is pretty enjoyable to a baseball fan, even when your team is mediocre. I get your point, but I don't think Twins fans are "spoiled" by anything at this point - our team hasn't won anything when it counts. We have the second-longest postseason victory drought in all of MLB. When we celebrate a Twin in mid-to-late October, it's only by watching them play for another team.

Chicago strong. Detroit and KC rising. File this under: "Famous last words." I'm kidding. I mean ... I hope I'm kidding.

Mary Popkins. Quality offseason pun. Way to show some hustle, Greglw3.

Sweet swing. I was sorry to see what the wrist injury did to him, and I'll hold out hope that it won't be a lingering issue moving forward. Does anyone know if other players have come back strong the next year from this specific surgery?

I just can't see a need for JD on the 2022 Twins. We have no established starting rotation and one of the league's worst bullpens for much of 2021. The only path to contention in 2022 is a string of incredibly-smart trades and brilliant free agent signings, and those players then having career years here in MN. In short, keeping JD is banking on something that just doesn't have a precedent here. What does have a championship precedent here is letting talented young players and a few home-grown vets get hungry and develop as a core. Miranda has more than earned the opportunity to join this core. He'll take his lumps in 2022, sure, but that's as it should be. Gotta admit, I'm surprised by the number of folks who seem to think this team can compete next year. I expect that hope will cool a bit after the free agent signing period ends and we head into late February.

I favor the second option. A space needs to be cleared for Miranda, and the Twins desperately need a full year to get a better assessment of their prospects at the big league level. There's likely no need for Donaldson here in 2022. I like him, and I wish this was 2019 again so he could have played a role on an up-and-coming contender in MN, but it's not. Brewers would be a good fit.

Great work, Tom. Though I do wonder a bit about this: "Houston Astros have made rebuilds work in the not-so-distant past" Yes, it seems like in many ways the sustainable success the Rays and Astros have had recently was built off of the prospect capital that they amassed during their many down years. Essentially, build the infrastructure for development, draft high year after year, and then as your team improves trade the home-grown stars as they near free-agency for other teams' top prospects. This is the route the Orioles are taking, I think. They know it'll be a very long haul. I'm not saying that this is the route I want the Twins to take, but I don't think we have anywhere near the superstar prospect capital that the Astros and Rays had as the foundation for their successful seasons. And our FO just isn't yet very good at assessing, trading for or keeping impact talent. So, we might end up taking the Orioles route after all.

I think I initially misread this as an "in 2022" article, but I like that it wasn't. This all seems a bit more plausible to me over the longer haul, though with the exception of Jax matching Duffey's prime success (that seems downright impossible to me). 2022 is going to be very bad for the Twins - way too many rookies who are going to take their lumps - but a good year in terms of development and growth could set the table for success for 2023.

Everything about this article is perfection, Brock. Please print it out and tack it to Falvey's office door.

That 9th inning against Chapman. That beautiful, beautiful inning. Dip it in gold and put it on a shelf. And ... it ended the Yankees season early. One more win, and the Yanks would have hosted the WC game. Different outcome, I'm sure (just don't look up the Yankees home/road splits in 2021 ... it doesn't help my argument here.) So there. Hey Yankees - DON'T MESS WITH THE TWINS!