jokin

1) I'm still confounded that Ryan doesn't grasp this basic concept after 20-some years. 2) The general trend in baseball is getting your best pitchers and their live arms up to the majors and established before age 25 (the reasonable gamble being not wasting their best finite innings and years while they are in their 20s and before their arms possibly blow out).

Whose style is it then....?

Butch Davis journeymanned through 10 seasons in AAA w/ this slashline: .299/.340/.455/(.795) (Talk about typecasting for his role in Bull Durham...)

***Most organizations call that "Plan B" contingency management. The Twins, as exemplified in the cases of Hicks and Santana, have been wrong on either end of the "evaluation of readiness" spectrum, and positing Jason Bartlett as a Plan B solution.

I appreciate the possibility that the Twins made a concerted effort to get some prime and fresh perspective from outside the organization. My only quibble is that Doogie seems to be the willing go-to back-channel guy that the organization feels free use when it tries to shower itself in "post-transaction-runner-up glory."

I'm not as certain in your conclusion on Polanco's potential career arc. This was Brad Steil's take last week on Polanco at SS in 2014 and going forward, at least a smidge more than "cautiously optimistic": Clearly, Dozier is not the athlete or prospect that Polanco is. Regarding Ryan's alleged negativity on Polanco, this is the only thing I can find from Terry Ryan on Polanco,and it appears to be totally related to justifying Ryan in not making him Polanco a September call-up, with Jeremy Nygaard questioning the decision: "Polanco opened eyes in a pair of emergency midseason promotions, but Ryan said he wasn’t a serious consideration at this point in his career. 'I didn’t think he was quite ready for this,' Ryan said. 'He had all he could handle in Double-A. That wasn’t going to be wise.'” <<<>>>Jeremy countered, saying: "Jorge Polanco was the offensive star for the Rock Cats. He had an RBI single in the first inning, an RBI single in the eighth inning to tie the game and finally an RBI walk-off double in the bottom of the 13th. Terry Ryan said Polanco “isn’t ready” for a September call-up. I’d beg to differ." Polanco had 157 PAs at New Britain, and Terry might have felt justified to stop paying attention after the first 77 PAs... but that would have been a mistake... as in his last 80 PAs at AA to close out the season, here was Polanco's slashline: .347/.413/.431/(.844). Yes, it's only 80 PAs, but at the very least, it appears that he was making the proper plate adjustments to pave the way for a potential breakout season in 2015. You're right though, he may never be the ideal answer at SS, but it appears that Steil and Ryan are going to let this play out for at least one more season, we might have the novelty of two offense-first Twins SS on our hands (w/ Santana?).

Manny Macchado... screams "debate..."

"...Can't give our money away...."

1) To possibly save upwards of ~$25M in payroll over six years to utilize more productively elsewhere. 2) To smooth out payroll growth more predictably for future anticipated needs (through frontloading, backloading or steadyloading). 3) To make the possible acquisition of Dozier by another team more attractive and/or affordable than said team going out on the ever-increasing costs in the FA market- thus yielding a higher level return in talent to the Twins. In the case of Dozier, it's a close call, to be sure, but very bright minds are making just these kinds of deals, even for the likes of Gyorko, let alone Seager. They must know something about the financial trends in baseball revenues that makes these deals justifiable. For the Twins not to at least consider a move like this, would mean that they forsee that a Blackburn-esque outcome for Dozier is still a possibility- or that they're convinced that, in fairly short order, Polanco and Santana are going to take both of the MI jobs away from any and all comers, including Dozier. If that's the case, then this entire thread is moot.

I would bet that there are many moves to come. And don't forget, the A's were never mentioned during the Cespedes sweepstakes- which culminated in a mid-February signing in 2012- that international avenue for an upgrade is still available to them- in either Japan or Cuba, or both, as well.

Yeah, I wasn't sure of the PTBNL rules in such a case as Rodon. As you suspected in the case of Ramirez, here's what just came in on MLB Traderumors for some likely suspects: Beane likes getting guys with under-appreciated upside, pitchers Erik Johnson and Daniel Webb might fill the bill for the A's. I would have to think that Micah Johnson would also have caught Beane's eye. He's the #2-ranked 2nd base prospect in all of baseball, and assuming that Johnson is fully recovering from his 2014 hamstring injury, he could possibly be the Sox starter at 2nd in 2015, and the A's might even see him in the same role in Oakland. RHP Frankie Montas has electric stuff and appears to have turned the corner on his control, but he would be a year away from the majors. Tyler Danish is another pitcher who is moving up fast. And the son of NBA legend, Michael Thompson, 6' 4" freak athlete OFer Trayvee Thompson is someone that might appeal to Beane.

....In a division with 3 opposing teams that are renowned for their rather spendthrifty ways in much better ballparks.

Samardzjia is from closeby Hammond, IN, which is on the IL/IN border and is traditional White Sox country He grew up a Sox fan. I would think that the Shark would prefer playing in Chicago if the Sox make a competitive extension offer. Plus, he has a point to make with the Cubs. The Sox officially "lapped" the Twins last year, and now it's apparently up to the Twins prospects to start producing as hoped for to improve from their current last-place status in the Central.

Were you thinking of any team in particular, here?

The Chicago Sun Times is reporting that one blockbuster deal wasn't enough for Billy Beane. "That said, sources confirmed the Sox are in discussions involving Samardzija, with one speculating they are past the “just talking” stage. “I believe serious talks are going on (with the White Sox),” an AL source told Sun Times reporter, Daryl Van Shouwen. http://chicagosuntimes.com/sports/white-sox-talking-with-as-about-jeff-samardzija/ A starting rotation featuring Sale, Shark, Quintana and Rodon (would this deal involve Rodon?) would be a major shot across the bow in the AL Central. Both the Sox VP and GM have recently made some pretty bold statements about making a move, now they appear to be backing up those words. A little more muscular offseason thus far than in Minnesota.

I think you're shortchanging the haul that the A's got, just a bit. Nolin was a Top 100 guy in 2013, Graveman was stellar through FIVE levels of play in 2014 (is that some kind of record for promotions?). And Barreto is likely to join the Top 100 list some time in 2015. Lowrie has the talent, he was a 1st round draft pick, after all. Perhaps the A's think they know how to solve his oblique problems. Despite what some have written about the chances for Nolin and Graverman as starters, here's what your BA article said: As others have pointed out, including me, Oakland tends to get more out of the guys they acquire than what was expected, witness Jesse Chavez, who they got off the waiver wire from the Blue Jays, a lot of those guys labelled "back end starters" have a chance to do better in Oakland. Nolin seems like a perfect fit.

Sean Nolin K-rates for his primary team and level- 2010- A- 10.24 2011- A 9.39 2012- A+ 9.38 2013- AA 10,00 2014- AAA 7.63 I don't see the trend in declining K-rate you speak of. His minor league stat line, on the surface anyway, appears would work quite well in the spacious Colosseum.

Au contraire, Sir Contrarian, you are not alone. I think Beane took a good calculated risk. Brett Lawrie is plenty young enough (only 25 in January), and talented enough, to bounce back from these nagging, but non-chronic injuries. In which case, Beane can flip him in a year or two, and get another good haul in return. In addition, MLB.com has already put 18-year-old Franklin Barreto as the A's #3 prospect, with an ETA to the majors in just two years. In a couple of years, before the 2017 season starts, in exchange for Donaldson, the A's might have a couple of good rotation starters, plus a potential high-impact rookie starting position player, plus whatever haul they might get from trading a rejuvenated and impactful Lawrie after 2015 or 2016.

You got that right, Nick. Sean Nolin led the Eastern League in 2013 in IFFB% (w/ more than 90 IP- 11.8% [vs., May @ 11.1%]) and he was 3rd in the International League in 2014 (w/ more than 87 IP, 11% [vs. Meyer 10.3%, May 10.0%]). Trevor May was the 2014 H/9 leader in the IL @ 7.1, Nolin was #5 @ 7.6. Those are the kind of batted ball numbers that are tailor-made for O.Com. Add that Nolin is a MiLB 9.2 K/9 strikeout pitcher, and you've got a big, soon-to-be 25-year-old LHSP who is odds-on a likely regular rotation guy. I can easily see him with the potential to quickly surpass Drew Pomerantz and Jesse Chavez in the A's pitching hierarchy.

I tend to go with the theory that any "respect" talk is cheap, until someone puts their money where their mouth is... I believe Groucho also put it best when he added another old dictum: 'I have nothing but respect for you -- and not much of that.'

So much "respect" out there that no team saw fit to lure him away to be their own team's bench coach?

At a minimum, either ROY or Comeback Player of the Year.

I think most of us would prefer getting an upside pitcher always. In the case of De la Rosa, it's baffling, and perhaps a pause for concern?, that a team that has as many holes in its relief corps as the Tigers would expose a guy with this level of stuff- and his upside is seemingly destined for a role in the pen as a major leaguer. (His low K rates indicates he really needs to get "coached up", have we got the coaches in Allen and Eddie to get it done?).