JB_Iowa

I believe that for now, that void has to be filled from the outside. And, I think it is a void in two ways, one a vocal leader willing to kick b*tt, etc. and second, a bit of an entertainer or clown (a la Cuddy or Redmond) who may be able to lighten things up in what looks like another season of struggle. As for Dozier (or similar) stepping up into one of those roles, I think its a possibility after another successful season but I just don't think the team has many established position players to take on that role. (From what I've read of Willingham, he's a nice guy and a heck of a poker player if I remember right but I haven't seen anything that would indicate that either he or Doumit really fits either of those roles). It would also help if the veteran they sign that might have those qualities is able to stay on the field. (I think that is part of the problem with Willingham, Doumit and even a bit with Mauer -- there have just been so many injuries that they contribute to the dead men walking persona at times).

Well, Willihammer, I'm not a Pohlad pocket protector. My thought would be that signing Arroyo (although I'd rather overpay for 2 than go 3) would be that it gives some stability that let's you take a flyer or two on some younger pitchers with upside. Pohlad's pockets be d*mned. (I also don't have much faith in saving spots so if they can sign 3 FA pitchers instead of 2, all the better).

As for timing which pitcher you sign first, its not always something you can control. You start with what you can and add for your other open needs as you can. I don't think you should really evaluate individual pieces of an off-season -- it really needs to be how the total "plan" plays out. Let's just hope that the Twins have a plan and that its a good one.

I have mixed feelings about this. Of course I would like the Twins to sign pitchers with more upside the Arroyo. And, I also have the fear that signing Arroyo will be the Twins "big splash". I also have fears about how Arroyo will age over the next two years -- and could not tolerate seeing a contract for longer than 2 years or with a team option for a 3rd with a reasonable buyout (this reminds me a bit of the re-signing of Pavano). But, Arroyo does appear to me to provide the leadership and stability needed for ONE of the open spots in this pitching staff. I'm not a big Rick Anderson fan but even if I thought he was the best pitching coach in the world, I would still feel that the staff also needs a veteran leader that they can learn from. Someone who can show younger pitchers how to endure adversity, how to overcome challenges, the value of durability and going deep into games and, simply how to handle themselves and their emotions on the field. I don't know much about Arroyo but am assuming that he has developed those characteristics and is willing to provide that type of leadership. If that's the case, I have no problem with his signing. I just don't want it to be the only splash the Twins make in the free agent pitching market.

There are different kinds of leadership and I firmly believe that the team needs more than one kind. I have no doubt that Joe Mauer leads by his professionalism and work ethic. But I don't think he wants to be -- nor should he have to be -- a vocal leader who is willing to call out bad behavior, enthusiastically encourage and cajole or kick butt when necessary. The problem is that the team seems to shy away from the more vocal types. I remember a story a few years ago when Gardenhire was talking about Mauer and Morneau and mentioned something about Morny coming in and putting money on his desk because he was fining himself for some minor infraction. That's great but its pretty unrealistic to think that most players will be like that. Mauer is a great example of a true professional but the team also needs someone who can be a vocal leader. And, in my opinion, it also needs someone who can be a bit of a clown or entertainer and relieve the boredom and tension of a long season (a la Mike Redmond or a bit of Cuddy). As for Mauer's decision, life changes you. He's not the same boy he was 10 years ago or the same man he was even 3 years ago. He'll be able to take his intense focus and apply it 1B.

Are we thinking that Joe Mauer isn't willing to share info? It's not like Mauer is traded or dead. He'll still be on the team -- and I'd expect that he'd be willing to share his vast store of knowledge with younger catchers particularly since the choice to move to 1B was ultimately his own. I always liked AJ -- even when he was with the Whitey's -- mostly cuz he was the antithesis of boring.

They also have enough payroll flexibility that they can sign a stopgap and work on a long-term solution. The best thing about all of this is that Mauer made the decision NOW rather than two months from now, or worse yet, in spring training or during the season.

No miracles and no guarantees but I do think that given Mauer's body type and his prior knee problems, his likelihood of catching in his 30's were less than for some others. I also think that the odds of him prolonging his career are better at 1B than catcher.

Jon Morosi ‏@jonmorosi 58m On MLB/NPB posting system, I continue to hear two things: An announcement will come this week, and changes will not be large in scale.

Powers column is kind of interesting: http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_24500567/tom-powers-twins-joe-mauer-makes-painful-but

Of course there are negatives associated with this situation but to me, they are outweighed by the risk factors and the positives. 1. It is a very good thing that Mauer made his decision fairly early in the offseason so that the Twins have time to react and to incorporate his status in their offseason strategy. 2. The concussion and injury risks associated with playing first base have got to be lower than those associated with catching. 3. Does anyone still remember when the Twins were actually winning and one of the biggest complaints about Mauer was that he didn't play on "get away" days? The position switch should substantially increase the likelihood that fans will get to see the Twins biggest draw actually play. 4. I agree with Joe Preusser that Mauer's power numbers should improve with the switch. I have no doubt that Mauer will become an elite defensive first baseman and, even if we don't see those 20 homers, I'm hopeful that his doubles will again go up. But a lot of that is dependent on the Twins putting some players around him that pose at least a bit of a threat. Let's face it, no hitter operates in a vacuum. Mauer still has five years to play under his current contract (and hopefully 60 or more years to live as a husband and a father). IMHO this move maximizes the odds that he will be successful at all of those things.

I found the money issue interesting as well. Not just in the projected salaries but in Mackey's comments about what the Twins' payroll may be ... especially this exchange in the comments: Jesse Haraldson · Minneapolis, Minnesota Phil, does this analysis includes the extra $25 million the Twins will get from MLB due to increased national MLB TV contracts? http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-new-national-tv-contracts-and-2014-payrolls/ Phil Mackey · Top Commenter · Reusse and Mackey Show at Hubbard Broadcasting Every team gets that. For the Twins consider it a bandaid for the drop in attendance. So, now we are talking about merely pocketing the $20- $30m that went unspent this year that helped LEAD to the drop in attendance. PLUS we are saying that the extra $25m from TV (or $12.5m if you want to use 50%) also doesn't play a role. I'm getting a sick feeling in my stomach. (Not that I find any of this unexpected but it pretty much proves to me that until I see Terry Ryan spend the $$$, I'm not going to get my hopes up too high).

Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 14m Mauer said he "probably had several (concussions) that went undiagnosed. I was just wired to play through it." Mike Berardino ‏@MikeBerardino 15m Mauer: "What concerned everybody involved was how long it took me to be symptom free." Took until late October, he said

I'm glad this decision was made. And have to believe that not only a concern for Joe Mauer's future but also a cost/benefit analysis played into this move. While he was uniquely valuable behind the plate, that value was only there if he stayed on the field. After the Morneau saga, I would expect the Twins to be somewhat cautious with their most valuable (and most expensive) player asset. First base was open -- and while it may have been somewhat easier to fill, keeping Joe Mauer on the field while acquiring a catcher with, perhaps, better defensive skills, makes sense. (Now let's just hope they can also sign someone who can hit because I, too, hope that they don't go with the current roster at this position).

Thank you to any and all of you who have served or are serving in our Armed Forces. Your sacrifice allows us to enjoy a life with freedoms and privileges beyond the imagination of so many in the world. Since this is a baseball site, I’d like to relate a brief story about one of those sacrifices. I’m a bit of a local historian and recently came across a booklet prepared a number of years ago for a reunion of the class of 1940. In the booklet, each graduate submitted a brief biography of his or her “life after high school”. One of the members of this class of 22 graduates was a good baseball player. A year after he graduated he was fortunate to be invited to go to Omaha to try out for the Cardinals. He was successful and received an invitation to Spring Training in 1942. But then came December 7, 1941 and Pearl Harbor. Suddenly baseball was unimportant. Although the major leagues continued to play at the request of President Roosevelt, many of its players enlisted and the ranks of the major and minor leagues were decimated. Players interrupted their careers – or never really started them – to serve. As I read the biography of the gentleman from my town, I was impressed with his tone and how there was no bitterness for “missing his big chance” but just an acceptance of what was most important. His sacrifice was, after all, primarily that of an opportunity. After his service, he went on to raise a family and live (and still lives) a wonderful life. So many others lost their lives or were injured and forever changed. But it is a reminder that sacrifices came in all shapes and forms. So to each of you who interrupted your life to serve your country, THANK YOU. P.S. I tried to find something to tie this into the Washington Senators so it could qualify for the "Minnesota Twins" forum but while I didn't find a lot specifically about the Senators during World War 2, I greatly enjoyed this site about "Baseball In the Military": http://legacy.stripes.com/baseball/article6.htm P.P.S. That site has a great page about Cecil Travis, a Washington Senator: http://legacy.stripes.com/baseball/article2.htm so there is that elusive connection I so wanted!

I like the idea of a fluid payroll, too ... but ONLY if it means that it is fluid both ABOVE and BELOW the 50%-52% mark. There are times when a team has all young players and the payroll should be less. But there are also times when many players are more mature in their careers and payroll should be more and where exceeding the 52% mark, even by a substantial margin, to bring in a player or two to "put them over the top" would seem rational. I just haven't seen any evidence that the Twins are willing to do this. So, if they are going to say 50%-52%, I want to see them using it to put the best product they can on the field.

Well, Willihammer, I'd probably modify the Ryan statement by saying you can never have too much GOOD pitching but I agree with the sentiment. Stockpiling pitching is a good idea because 1) you can seldom count on pitchers to stay healthy; 2) it seems like Twins pitchers are more likely to underwhelm than overwhelm by their performance; and 3) if, miracle of miracles, you actually have a surfeit of good pitching, there are ALWAYS other teams who want some of it and you have a valuable trade chip. I'd love nothing more than for the Twins to "overcommit" on good pitchers.

Always nice to see updated figures. Presumably that means that about $25 million or more of the 50-52% went unspent this year. Maybe they could give all season ticket holders a nice rebate? Or throw a great party for the state of Minnesota? Or make an extra-special donation to Twins charities? Or announce that they were putting that money in trust to be held for when they need to spend more than 52% to "put them over the top". The possibilities are myriad for doing things other than merely pocketing profit.

To add a little from Berardino: Minnesota Twins, Josh Johnson appear an unlikely match - TwinCities.com

I'd rather hear what I'm hearing now than what I heard last year. I'm just not going to get my hopes up about the results. And if they manage to sign one of Jimenez, Nolasco, Santana, Hughes, Tanaka (or a few others), I'll give a sigh of relief. Their choice may not work out but at least it would indicate to me that the TR is willing to go outside his comfort zone. And signing 2 instead of 1 would be even better. But again, until I see it, I'm an agnostic.

I want to believe, really I do. But I remember a lot of pretty high hopes around here last year at this time. While these reports may be somewhat more positive than we saw last year (and while the owner has seemingly given a directive to acquire something "better"), I would still rather be pleasantly surprised than to have hope dashed again. So until I KNOW that they've signed some good free agent pitching, I will remain a skeptic.

Well, I do kind of think that the Twins need an exorcism. I don't know if there's a "curse of the big Papi". I'm pretty sure there is a curse of the trees. And a "revenge of the metrodome". For all I know, there's also a "curse of the Kestrel" (whatever happened to him?). Of course, some power hitting and power pitching might break all those curses. Still, it's worth considering a little voodoo.

LOL, I didn't have a clue that was what the little triangle was for! I have enjoyed this thread a great deal. I hope to see it continue with new stories for a long time. If the Twins would just start winning, I have a feeling we'd be seeing lots of "newbies".

Glad to hear about the Chief. On the other hand, I'd think they could come up with something a little more stylish than that C.

Very cool story. Thanks for the heads up.