beckmt

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.

Remember that all of this Twins class will not have to be here after 2021. Twins need to get some deals done, so we know what we will have. From all I have seen Sano does not seem to want to sign here (that explains some of the trade rumors). So we need to be allocating payroll and making our plans.

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.

Prices are still too high on the rest of the FA pitchers. At this time I would guess the prices will drop if unsigned by the first of March. And a lot of clubs are waiting for that.

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.

I wonder if this will become the new norm for contracts. Making it much easier to cut ties in the last couple of years and just eat the money. Player gets paid either way, but more protection for the club if the player is real bad for a couple of years.

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.

Don't care if it felt good. Question is does he have any stuff and is he able to control it. 90 mph meatballs will not get it done.

After resigning Kershaw next year, they will be in luxury tax territory and the penalties go up every year, so Dodgers needed to reset the clock.

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).

Bullpen would also need like a Mike Marshall for 5 -7 inning.

I am saying it is viable, but the bullpen would have to be much better than it is at this time. So practical answer for this club is no. Bullpen would look like the Yankees with a couple of more options and a better reliever than Becienties (I know I cannot spell) for the 7th inning.

I ran this for an 80 - 96 game season at that time and then the playoffs. My starters were crap, but I could hit the ball and relief pitching was great. To give you an idea, I think (even though it may not have been this season) I gave up like 39 runs in a 4 game series and swept the series scoring around 60. I also had a stadium that was a bandbox.

Toronto and Baltimore are clubs to follow as they may go into a semi rebuild mode in midseason if things do not go well (and Baltimore will not probably go well). That is why you may find starters available there in midseason not available now.