beckmt

IF you are not going to sign Contreras, then Narvaez won't break the bank and would work for me.

I don't feel the Twins will win any bidding wars, which is what Rodon will take. I am guessing the Yankees up the payroll and game after this year as Cashman feels the heat and Yankee payroll gets close to $300 million and they send some starters on their way and pay for quality.

I am ready for one of them to take over either second or third. I like working the pitchers and running up pitch counts. So maybe if the league puts a stop to the shuttle service, wreaking pitching staffs will be a talent. Would like to see the shuttle cut to 3 baring injury.

Depends on where you take your risks. I think you need 2 bullpen pieces, a catcher, a right handed hitting outfielder (this are around), and maybe a starter or a shortstop. Would prefer the starter (we have shortstops in the pipeline), and look at the top end (Rodon, maybe Bassett, or others closer to that end), Otherwise we need to see what our young pitchers have to make decisions at the end of 2023.

Don't see much there. Am more likely to roll with either a top of the rotation or more lockdown bullpen help. We seem to have enough starters unless one falls into our lap, but 2 extra bullpen pieces would really help.

I would prefer IKF if not tendered, which seems likely. Stop gap and spend money elsewhere.

I like the thought of IKF being signed if non-tendered. Good stopgap for the next year. Hopefully one of the prospects should be ready for 2024. Also clears up money to buy pitching. That is a good thing.

You also have forgotten Lee. My feeling is that if you go cheap, move Polonco back to SS. Twins now have mainly a fly ball staff. You could even play Urshala there for a few months. Julian may also be ready soon. Twins have a lot of decisions to make, and I for one would rather put extra money into pitching, extending Gray for a couple of more years, finding one or two bullpen arms (we still have Lopez for 2 years and Alcala may come back). Fullmer would be fine for me for a couple of years. IF you want to get a shortstop go big and let things settle out, some propects may be back a very good reliever or a #2 starter.

for those of you who forget, this is the last year for Gray, Mahle, and Maeda (if I am correct). That is a big hole to fill. We also will probably need to replace Kepler (that could be done now) and Polonco (though I believe we have a 2024 contract or option there). This is a lot of holes to fill. You have a decision to make, either spend the money on Correra or someone like him, or after this year or being this year use Lewis, Lee, Martin at SS and use the money to rebuild the pitching staff. If nothing else Cleveland has taught us pitching wins. I would rather pay the pitchers starting this year and have the bridge with the good young players to held balance the teams budget. Only reason for paying Correra and his ilk, is I believe the Twins TV contract is up in the next couple of years and we should get a fair amount more money out of that.

Pederson is at best a platoon player. Martin probably cannot handle shortstop, that is why Lee is projected their long term, though Martin could be a short term action. Abreu will probably command at least $15 million for a short term contract . You and I agree on Contreras, you could be correct on his salary.

Could be, person I wanted was the cub catcher.

What about Kirloff and Laurach? Just ignore those?

you seem to be lacking 3 relievers.

Don't think May is still a major league pitcher.

You are way low on some of the free agents. Need some revision here, and who do you think are going to take the Twins current outfield?

Would like to replace Kyle Garlick, could not find an option worth pursuing. This is setting up more for 2024 and find out what we have and what we need replacing. Do not expect Kepler to be here to start the season, but think a trade will be at the end of spring training when someone gets hurt. Do not like Pagan, but do not think the Twins will cut ties, maybe see what Sisk has, but do not know if he can harness his stuff enough, so start him in St. Paul. Someone forgot Moran on this list. Should have plenty of backup pitching in St. Paul to start. Would prefer Wallner to Kepler, but Twins will not cut ties. Polonco at SS is only until either Lewis returns or Lee is ready. C: William Contreras ($22.0M) 1B: Luis Arraez ($4.50M) 2B: Edouard Julien ($.70M) 3B: Gio Urshela ($9.00M) SS: Jorge Polanco ($7.5M) LF: Alex Kirilloff ($0.70M) CF: Byron Buxton ($15.00M) RF: Max Kepler ($8.50M) DH: Jose Miranda ($0.70M) 4th OF: Kyle Garlick ($0.70M) Utility: Nick Gordon ($0.70M) Utility: Gilberto Celestino ($0.70M) Backup C: Ryan Jeffers ($.70M) SP1: Sonny Gray ($12.00M) SP2: Tyler Mahle ($8.00M) SP3: Kenta Maeda ($9.00M) SP4: Joe Ryan ($0.70M) SP5: Bailey Ober ($0.70M) RP: Jhoan Duran ($0.70M) RP: Jorge Lopez ($3.00M) RP: Griffin Jax ($0.70M) RP: Jorge Alcala ($1.00M) RP: Caleb Thielbar ($2.00M) RP: Ronnie Henriquez ($0.70M) RP: Jovani Moran ($0.70M) RP: Emilio Pagan ($3.00M) Payroll is 18.86% under budget

my vote was for Correa, when we needed him he preformed at a very high level and tried to carry the team. He also played a very critical defensive position. Arreaz is a very good player and going forward will be very good, but for overall value my vote is Correa.

I think Garlick will stay on the roster until a better option comes along. He is not that expensive and I am hoping we use our extra money somewhere else. Kepler is the same unless we get a decent offer for him. Closer to moving Kepler as we might get something we can use in return. Too many outfielders and prospects close to use Kepler as anything but a 4th outfielder at this time who can play center field, and perhaps we use Gordon there.

I am talking about all outfielders other than Buxton, sorry it was not made clear. We still need an upgrade to 1 or 2 better hitting right handed outfielders.

Who is your right-handed hitting outfielder, Unless you ticket Wallner for St Paul, you have 5 left-handed hitting outfielders and only Celestino and Garlick from the right side. The alternative would be Helman (I don't know if he is a right handed hitter). Would not want to use Gordon in the infield any more(he just doesn't pass my eye test). Would like to introduce more pest and contact types and remove some of the swing and miss we seemed to have issues with this year. Maybe you DFA Garlick and hope you can resign or find his replacement. Would add a couple of the young outfielders from the marginal list, only because you will be moving on from Kepler after this year and would not want to lose them. Sisk, would definitely add, maybe remove Sands (I see him as more of a AAAA type). Should be a wild ride, lots of propects, but little guarantee how good any of them will be.

Given the Twins current payroll situation, they should be able to afford Correa, and I am hoping they do. If they intend to compete, they need a player like him, since he is covering one of the only black holes in the Twins defense. If you think Lewis can fill the hole (I would really worry about this), maybe you get a stopgap, but Twins are setup to compete now. Kepler and Polanco will soon be off the books, as will Gray, Mahle, and Maeda. Don't waste their last year in a Twins uniform, by not trying to compete. Other choice(not my choice) would be to move Polanco back to SS until Lewis is ready, and use either Arraez or Julien at 2B (I am hoping Julien), Miranda at 3B and Kirloff and Arraez at 1B. You then have Kepler, Gordon, Buxton, Laurach, Wallner as outfielders (Gordon should not be used in the infield any more except break glass in time of emergency.).

I also believe that SWR will be in the Twins rotation at some point next year. The pitching pipeline is arriving. It will be nice to have a lot of the pitchers in St. Paul as a backup to the twins rotation. Henriquez may be the exception as I could see him as a long reliever on the Twins staff.

Problem is that both Polanco and Kepler are under contract and either might get you a lottery ticket at this point, not a good sell time. Kepler is now a 4th outfielder and if you plan to have Gorden as the 5th, then Celestino should be gone. We need a decent right hand hitting outfielder, Gordon and Arreaz as utility types and Miranda probably at 3B. Urshela should be kept at this point until we know there is no regression from Miranda and Polanco is healthy. You either have to sign a SS or move Polanco back there until Lewis returns. 2023 if going to be a transition year (with hope), and expecting the Julien, Rodrequiz and others will make their mark in 2024. Still need one major starter and one major bullpen piece.

I feel they will DFA Pagan (what reason to keep him) I would rather they sign Fullmer (probably about the same money). IF they want to take a chance sign Mahle and Paddock to extensions, lower the Average value. Mahle may take it due to the risk he never makes it back for any length of time. They still need to do roster cleanup, I could also see Celestino being a cut, looking for a better option, since they have Gordon to back up all the outfield positions. One high value BP piece and one high value starter can replace some the question marks. They should have the money to pay Correa, since it will be a while until a lot of the players reach arbitration. Urshala is another question mark, as where does he play, though I think a trade is more likely than a non-tender.

I think he will be back, as he has little value in a trade. However if he can be in a bigger package for a starter, go for it. It is evident the Wallner will probably replace him, and left field will be a combination of Laurach, Gordon and Kirlloff. There is little place for him here except as a 4th outfielder and Buxton replacement in center field.