beckmt

Find this to be a great signing. My guess in that Vargas is gone, and probably Grossman also. This covers a wide range of options at a great price. It could possibly mean the end of Mauer here after this year, but I expected that to happen anyway. Great signing.

The new regime puts more on 'spin factor'. That may or may not work as well in relief roles as in starting. I was not happy with the losses, but will have to wait and see how it all works out. There does not seem to be much faith from the new regime to the 2 lefties as they have added Duke to the mix, who would seem to block at least one of them from progressing. Other factor is that players are getting used to higher levels of speed and can dial it up to hit the 100 MPH fastball as long is it is straight. Late movement seems to be more important to this group. I cannot say that is an error. Other factor here is the change back to multi-inning relievers who can be effective over 2-3 inning stretches when needed. The pitchers we lost were not of the typical multi-inning types so that could be a factor. With the shorter starts and analytics showing the third time through the batting order usually helps the hitters to solve starters, you will need 3 - 4 multi inning types to pitch in innings 6 - 7 regularly so that limits the number of 1 inning pitchers you need. You still may need the LOOGY for late inning situations, but may only need to carry one of these.

Do not like Lynn and cost will be too high. I would do 1 year $18 million first.

I hope they keep hitting on the prospects. Last draft will probably go down as one of the best (Several have a chance to be special). Just hoping the timeline moves for the pitching a bit. We are going to need better starters soon.

According to Mlbtraderumors J.D. Chargios has been placed on waivers. Guess on the site was that they were trying to sneek him through while he is injuried. This comes from an update from the Pioneer Press.

Can see a lot of options here. Also doubt except for Kohn that any of these players have a chance to open 2018 in Minnesota. Expect the prospects will only be a phone call away and if the Twins fall out of it this year will see Gonsalves, Gordon (if we were to trade Dozier at the deadline), and Wade up here. Wade may be here sooner if he continues to hit. Twins may also have the option of trading either Rosario or Kepler as part of a package for a front line pitcher if Wade can hit at a big league level. This would be a good problem to have.

Two big ifs, if Odorizzi has gotten rid of the back issue he should be fine. If Twins help him with another pitch mix or move the fastball around more. Fixing either should help.

Still like him as a starter, and the Twins need him as a starter. After Romero next Twins starting batch will probably be ready at best in 2020, more likely 2021. That is the end of the window for the current crop of hitters, not counting the ones the Twins extend. I still feel the Twins will probably extend 2-3 and see how the rest fall out.

Jay is the pitcher with the biggest question marks as well as one of the highest upsides. The first half of 2018 will tell. He will either make it or not. If he is great he will be in Minnesota the second half of the year. If not he will fall a long ways in the rankings and become another big question mark. (Read Chargois, Reed) etc.

You seemed to have missed my point. The bottom end pitchers we use this year are likely to be Gonsalves, Romero, Slegers, Littel etc. That could be light years better than Colon, Turley,Tepesch .

I said deeper which you have seemed to confuse with better. Gonsalves, Romero, and Sanchaz are probably going to be better than Tepsesh, Turley, Wick and the others the Twins have run out there lately.

The Twins are much deeper in starting pitching than in any of the last 20 years. This year may be a revolving door as the opening to the future. I also feel this FO will move the good minor league pitchers in the lower levels much faster than the old FO did (At least I hope). That would have us with a homegrown rotation by 2021 at the latest.

Still do not have much hope here. Gibson has had stretches where he seems to do well followed by a year or two of hopelessness. He has to be in the rotation to start, but I would have him on a short leash. If he does not figure it out early this year, he could be a mid season release candidate.

We have all seen the discontent from the players union and major league ballplayers about this offseason and a readjustment in front office thinking about player valuation. This has been coupled with 3 major spenders sitting out this offseason to reset the luxery tax committements and several clubs (low spending) going into rebuild mode. This has left a small number of teams as possible destinations for this years free agent crop and a remarkable price drop in the contracts the players have signed (against the mlbtraderumors early offseason estimates). After the 2021 season and the end of the current contract, I feel if this market continues we could be looking at the following issue items to avoid a strike from the players standpoint. 1a. Minimum spending requirement for all major league teams (guessing this would be in the $90 - $100) million range to prevent total dumping and it could be higher. 1b. Abolishing the salary cap and luxery tax Players would insist on one of the two above to loosen spending by teams 2. Cutting original team control to 5 years maybe 4 with arbitration in year 3. This would have more players reaching free agency in their prime and increase players earning power within the prime years of their career. 3. Cutting option years to 2 for minor leaguers and having minor league free agency after 5 years. This would prevent big money teams from stockpiling talent and using their AAA farm club as a rotating 40 man player roster. 4. Raise the minimum major league wage to $1,000,000. This would allow players to make enough money even on a medium length career. 5. Insist on a full system of draft for all players in the world. Set hard money limits as to which draft picks are paid how much (more of a pro football system). This will prevent the games major spending teams play to get picks to tell teams what they want to be paid and allowing teams to play the game of draft picks knowing what team they will probably play for. System is now that for a very good high school senior their representative telling teams what the player will sign for, allowing deals to be cut since they already know of a team that will pay the high school senior that amount, Twins did this game with Enlow this year. There may be more items, please discuss. We are seeing with the end of the steroid era, a return to where physical ability on midlevel players drops in the early 30's and most major league players never see a free agent payday. These above would help fix that issue in favor of the players. With the number of small and midmarket teams that struggle to compete on a yearly basis, I feel that some adjustment is needed to make it work. That being given you are never going to get a hard salary cap passed by the players. The players have to realize that they have to work for the good of all players, not just the major league players getting their way and dumping on the minor league players.

Rays seem to have been under orders to cut payroll. That is what seems to be happening with the latest 2 trades. Palacios seems to be able to hit, and fits the Rays timeline, so maybe the Rays saw something there. Rays will tread water until new stadium gets approved and built.

I don't get all the hate. If he shows absolutly nothing he get cut (most likely). If they want to continue to see him they send him to AAA (not like we don't have other replacement level pitchers there). If he looks good, he makes the club rather than rushing one of the prospects. Then they reevaluate when Ervin comes back. Just another flier.

I have the same concern, major leaguers will foul off the very hard to hit pitches from Gonsalves and cream the mistakes. Can he be fine enough to get major league hitters out on a regular basis, time will tell (and so will year 2).

Maddux had great control, he also had (with his catchers) a way of getting pitches well of the plate to be called strikes, I do not believe this will happen any more.

My feeling is that Joe will not be back. Twins have too many potential 1B types and Joe is going to want more money than the Twins want to pay. It could work if he wants $3 - 5 million a year in a transition year, but do not see him going much beyond next year here. It could be Jake Mauer saw this and it was one of the (unspoken) reasons he left the organization.

Nice take, but depending upon Archer's price (and I also expect it is too high) Twins should pass. Maybe taking Span off their hands as part of this deal might lower the price in front line prospects as the Rays are known to be cutting payroll, and their upswing will not start until 2020/2021 with the new ballpark(possibly) coming in 2023. Problem is while I am willing to include Kepler, I am not willing to include any of the Twins lower level super prospects. Gonsalves/Romero sure and maybe a couple more lottery tickets, but do not think this would be enough. Do not like any of the rest though if I had to take one it would be Cobb. McHugh might be interesting. There are ways and the Twins had better find some to increase pitching on this club. Losses count as much early (If not more as we will have one trip through the division early in the season). Those are easily winnable games (except for Cleveland). Do not blow this.

Chris Heisey is reserve depth, also an add if the Twins should trade an outfielder for a starting pitcher (more likely than not).

Don't know if this is true, didn't I hear Cuellers for the Astros threw 24 consecutive curve balls to the Yankees in game 7 and they did nothing with them.

As I have commented in other posts, It is harder to find starting pitching then to find outfielders. By the time the potential ace or aces are here we are at the end of this group of core players except for the ones we extend. We still need pitching, outfielders can be found for a reasonable price or maybe Wade can work out starting next year to be a full time player, do not view Granite as one. Rest are at least a couple of years away so let's find some pitching.

Houston also has Brad Peacock in the same area, and he might be more valued that McHugh.

Is McHugh much better or much worse than Lynn. Elbow worries me, but as a cheap deal for a couple of lottery tickets might as well go that route. I believe Lynn and Cobb both carry QO issues, so that would cost you your #2 pick next year plus some international cash.( I am not sure on this). That could be worth more than 2 lottery tickets. If Houston want more than that you always have another plan.