LastOnePicked

Sadly, one of the biggest takeaways from this year for me is that though the team seems to draft quite well, they develop and evaluate/promote talent extremely poorly - and they have since the Ryan years. And that means the team pays for drafting and time in the minors, only to lose that talent. Essentially, they invest in their major league opponents. For all of the talk about our two up-and-coming OFs, Wade and Baddoo are clearly better players at this point - and they were lost for nothing. True, not many fans could have predicted that, but that's not our job. It's the FO job to make these calls. And they've been wrong far more often than they've been right this year. If that continues, this team has no hope to contend.

You seem like a sharp GM. Good moves, and sharp read of the deadline possibilities. If the Twins are serious about the belief that they can contend in 2022, the HAVE to keep Berrios and Buxton, don't they? What's the harm in seeing if the team has fight in 2022? If they falter early again, put Berrios/Buxton on the trade market in June. If Berrios/Buxton specifically falter, then you save yourself from trying to lock them into a new contract or you go year-to-year with them while they rebuild free agent value. I wouldn't trade either one of these players now in 2021 if I had even the faintest idea that this team could make a run in 2022. However, personally, I don't think they have a chance to knock the White Sox from their perch for another 2-3 years or so. So I might lean towards a greater rebuild mode than most.

This all feels too public. Buxton is struggling with overcoming terrible injury luck this year, and this is a stress he doesn't need. Why have the offer details leaked from the Twins FO? It feels very much like a set-up to make Buxton look like the bad guy for turning down an offer, but this just should not be being discussed publicly right now. Plenty of time in the offseason. It's not like the Twins FO would sell low on him before the 2021 deadline - that would be incredibly unwise.

I'm going to have to do a little research on the concept of a "deceptive fastball." I hear that term bandied about, but I don't understand it in a major league context. Seems like the only thing that a straight fastball can do to deceive a big-league hitter is to be incredibly fast. Good trade. I hope. Though I'm afraid the Rays will turn the AA pitcher they got from us into some kind of an ace.

This 2021 team struggles in high-leverage situations, and that was certainly true in Rocco's playoff appearances as well. And that's troubling, because it signals something that, to me, seems to be the primary value of a big league coach: getting players mentally and physically ready to excel in tense game situations. I don't quite know what the best managers do, though. I don't know if they run drills that the Twins don't. I don't know if they take a more active role in interpersonal dynamics in the clubhouse. I don't know if they create an environment where every player is clear on his role and expectations for his play. Whatever it is, Rocco doesn't have it, He comes across as a nice guy, but also very weak and indecisive. And he's been given a good chance here, but his teams have fallen short of expectations. I know it's an unpopular opinion, but with a youth movement on the way, in 2022 I'd bring in a manager with more seasoning and more experience with playoff success (either as a player or a coach). In fact, I'd fire Rocco this August, just to send a message that the team's play this season is unacceptable.

If you're not into satire, or if you're easily angered by talk of Minnesota Nice, please don't read this. All others, please enjoy: Yup, you betcha! Gardy is back, right where he should be. Sure, it took me awhile to understand it, but that’s just because I’ve been spending too much time watching other “coastal” teams like the As and Rays. That’s a big no-no. I need to keep my attention at home, right where my folks always told me to keep it. You see, from a true Minnesotan’s perspective, bringing back Gardy makes all kinds of sense. In fact, in Minnesota, the word "Gardy" actually means manager. You can hear it in the halls of some of Minnesota’s top companies: "I’ve gotta go see my Gardy for my annual performance review.” And you can hear the response from coworkers in their cubes as he walks down the hall “Go on! Get after it!” Why confuse the good people of Minnesota by forcing them to think about another word for manager, like "Molitor," or "Glynn," or … "Martinez" (hey, let’s not go crazy now). Sure, he’s had some bad seasons, but in Minnesota, “bad” and “season” are our two most commonly used words. Besides, Minnesota is the land of misplaced optimism and 10,000 chances. What else could explain such odd cultural phrases as, say, Vikings playoff excitement or Timberwolves draft party? Not successful? Don’t worry so much. In Minnesota, we know all too well that getting to the big games and enjoying the limelight are overrated anyway. Just ask Walter Mondale or Tim Pawlenty. Besides, we’re a health conscious state, and the proud home of the Mayo Clinic. Turns out, we learned some pretty tough lessons with our last run of baseball success (or should I say “excess”?). The playoff series of 1987 and 1991 left countless numbers of our people exhausted, hoarse and with at least temporary hearing loss. Productivity at workplaces and schools suffered, and to make matters worse, we willfully polluted our beautiful downtown streets with pounds and pounds of shredded paper landfill. Some of our young people even stayed up past 10:00pm! Is that really the way we want to live in this state? I don’t think so. And don’t forget, we don’t even have a roof on our home park anymore. Playoff baseball would just let October’s deadly chill sink into the lungs of every single fan at Target Field, as it did for two games in 2010. Fortunately, the resigning of Gardy is a clear statement from management that this should never happen again. And really, we HAD to resign Gardenhire. After all, not extending his contract after it had ended is practically the same thing as firing the poor guy, and that’s just a place none of us wanted to go. So hurtful! Besides, it’d clearly be wrong to treat a southern guest and Oklahoma native so callously, particularly one who likes fishing our lakes. Minnesota nice! Now some say that there is a wave of talented immigrant Latino ballplayers on their way up, and I say who better than Gardy to anglicize their names with fun pronunciations and a y-sound at the end? Besides, we need somebody to assist them with cultural acclimation, and it’s reassuring to know that, even if J.O. Berrios (that’s kind of flashy -- can we just call him “Joey”?) isn’t entirely fluent, he’ll still know how to say “I threw the living fire out of the ball” and “they just got after it more than we did” in perfect English. And not to worry, if it turns out that this new crop of players can’t adapt to the Twins Way (hallowed be that phrase), we can always trade them in for utility infielders and established closers. So, dontcha know, where once I was lost, now I am found. Terry Ryan, whose stern presence and no-nonsense talk reminds us all that, after all, baseball isn’t supposed to be fun, made the right choice. Bringing Ron Gardenhire back after zero league pennants and three straight 90+ loss seasons may seem odd to outsiders, but it’s fundamentally, exclusively, quintessentially Minnesotan.

Bingo. The Twins are a classic insider's society. Today's decision (what am I saying? this was decided months ago) to retain all staff will provide barriers to the development to those considered cultural outsiders. Expect Sano, Buxton, Rosario, Berrios, et. al. to have great careers -- once they've left the organization.

Cleveland fans are on Line 1 with a rebuttal. But I love your unfounded enthusiam, Thegrin. Let's meet back here on TD after the 2014 season and compare our predictions.

Can I ask for a moratorium on this strawman argument.? We aren't just saying that Gardy hasn't won in the playoffs, it's that the team didn't even appear competitive in the playoffs. We did not expect a World Series title; we expected the team to give the competition a run for their money, rather than turn themselves into an "E-Z Pass." If that isn't Gardy's responsibility, then I have no idea why teams even keep a manager on staff during the postseason.

I'm really questioning if ALL of them are being asked. We might just be hearing from "Gardy's guys."

Seth, I'm just asking, but did you ask or observe the responses of Arcia, Pinto, Florimon or any of the non-white players? Seems like the local boys and the southern guys always get to speak for the entire team. Might be important to hear what the other players think, too.

No need for a question mark on that, my friend. Terrible day for Twins Baseball. A few predictions for the next two years ... 1) Buxton, Rosario, Sano and other Twins top prospects will underwhelm, underperform and ultimately appear disoriented on the major league roster. 2) At least one more 95+ loss season is ahead. The team will not finish above .500, much less compete against the strongest teams in the league. 3) Twins starting pitching will continue to rank at the bottom of the league in strikeouts, ERA and WHIP. 4) Target Field will host at least one more division clinching celebration by an AL Central foe. When none of the key variables change, the outcomes become increasingly easy to predict. I hope you all can stomach what's ahead. I don't have the heart for it anymore.

This will be a test of my ability to read Ryan's signals. I'm not an insider by any means, but I say the evidence suggests that this "wait and see" stuff is just cover, and that Ryan has already committed to bringing Gardy back for at least two years. I expect that this will be announced on Monday or Tuesday. And I'll save more of my commentary for then.

I understand that those of us who want changes in the managerial and FO staff have been banging our drum pretty loudly lately, and I apologize if I've put people off with my comments. But I'd just respectfully ask why we can't learn from Cleveland's turnaround right now? Badsmerf's comments about KC's failures by trying to build primarily through prospects seem really important, and I don't think that the word that best describes what's happened in Cleveland this year is "lucky." If anything, Cleveland's had to contend with a stronger Tigers team and a fairly competitive Royals team.

Would love for Ryan to comment on this. Hope that Mackey or some other columnist gets to ask him about this apparent "slip" of the plans for 2014. This just seems like bad business. Setting aside the team's dismal record, the players have seemed almost entirely unresponsive to coaching this year, despite claims that they like him as manager. To give Gardy an extension now seems like a reward for a job poorly done. Of course, "bad business" has become a hallmark of this organization in the last few years. Batting practice tickets, anyone?

It appears that Gardy's extension is already a done deal. Ryan is referring directly to Gardy's role on the 2014 squad already in interviews: Minnesota Twins have plenty of 'issues' in 91st loss - TwinCities.com

Bruce Brothers' Pioneer Press column on Tuesday's loss contains this quote from GM Terry Ryan, regarding the need to upgrade the 2014 staff: "I would like to think I'm going to be able to get Gardy some people here." http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_24169672/minnesota-twins-have-plenty-issues-91st-loss This seems to confirm rumors about Gardy's future contract status raised by ESPN 1500's Wolfson, and provides the most clear evidence to date that, at the very least, a one-year extension has already been agreed to, despite Ryan's previous claim that no decision would be made on Gardy's position with the team until after the season. More to come, I'm sure ...

These recent interview snippets continue to disturb me. Ryan uses distancing language when talking about FA strategy: “There are many different ways to go about accumulating talent." “You [emphasis mine] have to be prepared to pursue all of them.” I don't see Terry use "I" when talking about pursuing free agents. And his track record supports this. Meanwhile, Gardy continues to refer to his involvement with the team going forward as a "we" or an "us." Considering his relationship with Ryan, it seems clear that the skipper has already been given an implicit contract extension, with details to be announced after his 1000th win or after the season's end. I'll be very surprised, and very happy, if I'm wrong about this, but all signs are pointing that direction. As for Radcliff's comment at the end (“There is some free thinking going on, and we are not afraid to get outside the box.”) -- this is almost laughable. Sounds very much like an out-of-touch person trying to convince young people how "hip" he is. And the corporate cliches circa 1990 actually hurt his argument that the Twins are ready to move forward into a new era of baseball. As with all things, the proof of these executive's commitment to success is well, actual success. Until then, it's all just talk and empty promises.

"No one wants them to build a WS contender out of FA" I might be alone, but I'd be 100% okay with this. It would signal at least some commitment to success from ownership. But, of course, it won't happen, and it probably IS better to build a deeper, longer-term contender. I don't have the faith that we have the leadership to do that, but I guess it's good that a few others do. To me, the larger issue is the club's myopic vision and static approach. Ryan's quote speaks to his belief that there's ONE right way to do build a contender, and for some reason, he still seems to think he knows what that way is. Evidence continues to point to the contrary. Personally, and this probably belongs on another thread, but I'd rather the team throw $30-$40 million at signing up some of the Cardinals / Rays / A's pitching scouts and coaching talent. Overpay for good infrastructure, I say.

Cannot believe a WALKING DEAD reference didn't get tossed in there. So fitting.

Darn you for wet-blanketing, Hageman. And just when I was penning my "Josmil Pinto > Joe Mauer" article. Like you, I hope he proves to be the exception, and produces at a high level for 2014 and beyond.

I recall hitting a point in the late 90's when I was just done with this team. I completely walked away for about four or five years. I think I'm there again. I'm done with this organization. They have no vision, no leadership, no guts and no heart. Their superstar prospects are going to be great someday, but only after they've left this organization safely behind. Ryan continues to mislead fans, all while serving ownership loyally and preserving the organization's broken structures. He isn't part of the solution, and that should be clear to everyone now. I'm mad. I'm hurt. I'm done. I hope this team faces some serious challenges from the remaining fans, and I hope Target Field will soon sit as empty as the hearts and minds of its leadership. Goodbye, Minnesota Twins. I'll be pulling for a future sale of the team, and for better days to come along ... bit I'll be pulling from a distance.

Somebody on TD did some important research on a post a few months back regarding pitcher K rates before working with Anderson and after. The drop in strikeouts was pretty alarming -- lending creedance to the idea that Anderson works pitchers too heavily towards pitching to contact (or, as he calls it now, "attacking the strike zone"). Of course, all of this discussion falls into the larger framework of the Twins bleeding talent over the last 4-5 years, and that may not entirely be Anderson's fault. But at this point, I just can't imagine what would be lost if Anderson were fired.

Apologies if this is a tangent to your post, but I'm wondering if MLB will switch to a draft lottery in the future, like the NBA. Maybe it's my perception, but I can't recall seeing so many MLB teams that just flat-out stink the way that this year's cellar dwellers do. It almost seems as if there's a race to the bottom, just so a team can lock up the next future star. Maybe it's a result of baseball's growing gap between the big media money players and the small market moneyball squads. Or maybe it's just what I'm seeing.

Negative response? I saw a HUGE positive in the article: if this were 1948, our pitching staff would be kicking a__. Now, where does Ryan park the team's DeLorean?