beckmt

I like this rotation. 1. Santana 2. Santiago 3. May 4. Hughes, if stuff returns, otherwise DFA option 5. Berrios/Mejia/ other FA signings(Hammel?) Just do not see Gibson as a ML starter.

Like this move, but probably more the health issues. Duffey can move to the pen and Twins have more relievers coming than starters.

All these guys are relievers Pitchers that is.

Over the next two years payroll is going down. Spending a little money to make the team better now should be done. A very good to great bullpen is a way to cover a lot of other issues, ask the Royals. No reason not to sign a couple of people off the top of the list. If you need to call up youngsters forcing their way easy to flip or cut bullpen pitchers. Good clubs do this all the time.

I can sort of understand what is going on, but still am disappointed. Still think the Twins should sign some relief pitchers, those can have returns during the season. 1. Evaluation. Twins are brings about 9 starting pitcher candidates to ST. Innings are going to be at a premium. Twins need to be correct on which ones to keep, which ones to cut and which ones to send to Rochester. Reading between the lines on Neil Allen's fastball control, I can see both Duffey and Berrios starting at Rochester until they gain the neccessary control. That still leaves several starting pitchers battling for 5 spots. It is hard to evaluate pitchers when they are getting about 15 innings before cutdowns start. 2. Relievers. This is less crowded and their are only about 3-4 spots open. I my mind there should only be one or two spots closed(Rogers and Changos), but that is what it looks from here. I would sign Holland(if terms are good) and at least one other reliever, lets give ourselves a chance to compete. Starters are not going deep into the game, very good bullpen is necessary. This assumes May is going to start. 3. The only reason for DSan to be on this roster is if you are going to trade Dozier and need another infielder. I guess how things play out you can always cut him at the end of spring training. Maybe that could let us send him to Rochester. Do not see another middle infielder yet who could start here if we traded one of our top three, by mid season we should know how Michael and Goodrum turn out. 4. This roster construction also somewhat ties are hands in the draft. Would we have to take the best college pitcher so he will be here in 2 years, while if better we could roll the dice on the best player available(right now this is Greene). 5. Maybe the new FO needs more time, but this is not a good start and communication to the public as to what is going on is terrible. 6. Do not know why Pohlad intervened to keep Molitor as manager. If the Twins do as we all expect, there is 0 chance of him coming back and you are just torturing a classy HOF for a last year. Can somewhat understand this, but what is the plan?

I am still unhappy that Twins FO have not added any possible major league pitching. A couple of decent relievers should be signed. If they do not work out cut them, if they do flip them. Is Tonkin still on this team??

I think the Rays knew what the deal was a week or two ago. It was then just a case if the Twins would cave. They did not cave so the Dodgers finally pulled the trigger on the deal they knew they had.

If the 20 are the bottom 20 and we have not yet seen Gordon, Twins will have at least one more. You did not give Gonsalves rank, but 81-100 seems right. Kirilloff has played one year in the minors, will know more depending if they send him to Cedar Rapids or try and jump him to Ft. Myers. I hope the latter, as he will see about the same or just slightly better pitching at Cedar Rapids. Gonsalves will probably start in Rochester and will get a better read on if he will make it there. Who was the third Twin on his lower list?

This may turn out bad if De Leon is really good. I doubt that if the Dodgers felt that way, they would have offered 2-3 A ball or lower prospects with very high upsides. Had a feeling when the Rays cleared out Smyle that this was coming. Only time will tell and there is still spring training. Friedman is known for winning trades and Falvey has a reputation of coming from an organization that seems to find low level pitching prospects. Comfort zone was just not there. Dodgers wanted Dozier at their price and Twins wanted more. Let it play out, but all of us will be bummed if Twins pitching continues as bad as it is.

​Draft is still near 1/2 year away. I am concerned with any overused college pitcher as a possible TJ surgery before he hits Minneapolis. At this time I am in the Greene camp, but there is a lot to shake out this spring.

If you do not trade Dozier, you run with Polanco at SS for the first half of the year. Only issue comes if he cannot handle it, and has to be a super utility player. Still think there is a chance that Dozier will be traded, but it is not the end of the world if he is not. Other point is if Twins do well and Dodgers get off to a bad start. Things can change in a hurry.

Cheap years are especially good for teams that could be near the salary cap. Do not know his splits, but if he hits LHP good, might be a good platoon if not a starter. One year more of control, plus 1 more cheap year could be what the Dodgers ordered, and De Leon(who for everyone here is not a sure thing) and a lottery ticket might be what is needed. And that might not be a lot less than they are offering for Dozier.

Problem is in the playoffs the Giants have Bum, who has turned into the best postseason pitcher in a long time. He is left handed, how will the Dodgers do against him(they won't with their current lineup).

5 years of control, and the possibility he could be really good. Clubs do not give that up without a great return.

Do not think the Braves would see Wong as an upgrade. And Reyes is off the table.

Answer to all your questions was above. Rays need a better 1B player. They want Bellinger, that is off the table for the Dodgers.

Was surprised by this ranking, but probably not all that unfair. Twins have a number of decent prospects in AAA or AA, but no stars. Outside of Gordon most of the upper level players are bullpen types and those are very hit and miss. Romero is the only other player that I feel could be an impact player and he is at least a year away. Better prospects much more miss than hit with higher upsides are at the lower levels. The attests to the failure to sign a lot of Latin players over the past 2-3 years by blowing by the cap. That would have restocked the system a lot faster.

The same article mentioned Profar as a likely candidate. This may be pure troll or have some heat to it. Would think Hernadez from Philly might even have a bigger price tag than Dozier. I think that Dodgers may decide to move on or this could be just putting pressure on the Twins to fold. I am of the feeling of don't give in. Misguess by the Dodgers in this line will put them behind the 8 ball by middle of next year.

Pitchers tend to move up quicker from AA because "stuff" plays. However do not see more than 1-2 of the current bullpen staff would be on a team that makes a noise in the playoffs. So signing 1-2 relievers on 1 -2 year deals and letting them battle it out would not hurt this club. As long as the deals are not big buck(though I would love Holland on a 2 year deal with no opt out), you are not blocking anyone as you can always either flip(if they are doing well and you need the spot), or just cut bait.

I believe that one service that did analysis claimed the Twins should have been a 71 win team last year. That is a long way from 59. Assuming some improvement I am looking like most of the rest between 75 and 80 wins. PItching shouldn't be as bad and hitting could be way better even close to elite status(if Dozier is not traded and only regresses slightly, with big upsides from 2-3 of Sano, Rosario,Kepler, Buxton, Polonco. If Dozier is traded not so likely, but defense would be better plugging in either Escobar or Vielma to SS. Way to early to tell what final roster will be so this number could well change. A couple of upper end bullpen types would make a big difference, but do not know what Twins are seeing from Perkins or if the new FO thinks some of the younger relievers are ready.

Metrics were much kinder to the Twins, as it looks like we underperformed our stats by a fair amount. That does not say much for Molitor as a manager. If you look at our base as a low to mid 90 loss team, changes + experience would probably push us to the 75 - 80 win area. Dodgers are playing a game of chicken, looking for one of the three teams to fold and give them what they want for the lowest possible cost. One reason nothing is happening and the Twins still are in the forefront is that both the Tigers and Rays want Bellinger to headline the deal. That is a nonstarter for the Dodgers. It may well take mid to late spring training for this to resolve. Injuries could change the landscape. So could another team(Brewers for one) to put together another multi player deal the Dodgers would like. Braun and Puig would be the headliners and Gennett would just be one of the players in the deal.

Hope he can return at full strength. See it to believe it, don't hold your breath.

Playing Joe 4-5 days a week should work. That will give Park and Grossman(if he is on the team) plenty of AB's vs LHP. Just pick your spots. Did not see an analysis of day vs night games. That would also be useable information. I would tell Joe this was the plan before spring training. He may change his mind on some things if he does not like it. Hopefully he retires or agrees to waive his no trade clause. I doubt this will happen, but we all should be aware that the best young manager in the system the Twins have is his brother Jake. Twins might not want to ruin that relationship if they make a change.

Wheeler is about right, depth filler at AAA. Rest are all lower round draft picks, hope 1 clicks, nice list.

Garver should be here sometime this year. Depends on what the new FO thinks of Murphy, since they have nothing invested in him. If Murphy can be the other half of the platoon, then Garver will be given a full year at AAA, hopefully he learns to either hit or lay off of a quality breaking ball.