h2oface

I think Dozier thought it was a fair contract at the time. One would have to ask him, I guess. But If he just performed at the level he did in 2013 and 2014, the two years before the contract years..... I don't think he did it "to help out his favorite team". Sure, he wanted to stay with the Twins, and still does. He could have gone the other direction, or got hurt. I think he did it for his own security just as much. He just surprised about everyone the last 3 years, including himself, I bet.....

There it is again.... the Dozier doom. He can't escape it, no matter how well he plays, or what he does.

It is just what I would hope I would do, if I was in the position. I agree, my view is my view, and since I am one person, it is one-sided. And yes, the owners get the shaft on contracts far more often than the players, and other than Lyman Bostock, I have never heard of a player wanting to give it back, or take less than they agreed to, when they sucked. I think I did say Dozier was unlucky. Dozier, like Jose Bautista, fell in the crack of unlucky, and basically got screwed for market value of his performance compared to the contract that he played for. Yes... I did. I am not saying what owners should do, I think I was saying what I would do. Personally, I would offer him a 15 million signing bonus, and a 36 million 2 year extension. Even if he falls off a bit, he deserves it for all the years he didn't get paid what he was worth. But owners are rarely that appreciative and fair. Yup, upon rereading, I did. I don't know that 18 mil/year for two years is above market. I don't think it is. The bonus is thanking him for the great performance that he didn't get paid for, and I am acknowledging, becasuse I am a special guy. But even if one looks at the $113.1 million value through the life of his last 4 year contract, and takes the total of $51 million I suggest over 2 years, or $25.5 million a year, it seems to be slightly underpaying if he continues to play anywhere close to the last 2 years. "Over the life of his current contract (2015 onward), Dozier has been worth 14.1 fWAR. To date, he’s been paid just $11 million of the total $20 million deal (leaving $9 million for 2018). In terms of dollars, Fangraphs quantifies his production having been worth $113.1 million through the life of his contract. By that metric alone, the Twins have recouped over ten times their investment in the player that the Southern Mississippi star has become."

Zack Granite. I will never forget watching the two of the most idiotic plays I have ever seen in all my years of watching baseball. Both involved first base. The first was at Dodger Stadium in July, where he threw a ball in from centerfield to first base were there was nobody there, and cost the game. The second was when he decided it was best to not even touch first base in the Wild Card game at Yankee Stadium, and killed comeback momentum. Both mind blowing to me. I don't know what it will ever take to consider him an asset, but it hasn't happened yet.

Dozier, like Jose Bautista, fell in the crack of unlucky, and basically got screwed for market value of his performance compared to the contract that he played for. No one ever seems to think he can repeat what he has just done. Every year, even the devout fans here were almost all non-believers, and endlessly called to trade him, as the last year just had to be his maximum value, and the fall was eminent. Maybe his only hope to really get paid well is to just keep agreeing to 2 year contracts for high value, and keep performing beyond expectation. His age is now his enemy for accumulating money, but I hope he keeps defying expectation, wherever he plays, and gets filthy rich. Personally, I would offer him a 15 million signing bonus, and a 36 million 2 year extension. Even if he falls off a bit, he deserves it for all the years he didn't get paid what he was worth. But owners are rarely that appreciative and fair.

10 PM EST, and still crickets on the Twins official homepage AND the MLB homepage. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Amazing.

I just hope that Jay gets to the show, period. He was horrible in the AFL. And hey..... Nolasco is still on the market......

Hildenberger is 27 already, and he just debuted in the second half of last season. It seems MLB career years are getting shorter and shorter.

I sure have read a lot of great articles here by Parker over the last couple years, years which I find out in this thread that he isn't writing for TD anymore. What's up with that? I also miss the days that the Twins Geek wrote regularly. And Gleeman. Video killed the radio star..... twitter is killing...........

I totally disagree with almost everything here. I come here specifically because it has many passionate people who are not tainted by doing it for a job, and not for a couple of beat writers. Once someone does something for money, it changes things. In my life, it was Hang Gliding and Skydiving. Once it was for a business (school, performance flying team, filming and making videos) the passion became a bit dirty for me. There is a strong pull to get paid for one's passion, but the passion is usually then somewhat supervised and controlled, and not by oneself anymore. This is a fun site, and has wonderful discussions. I find many of the intense researchers here vastly more talented than many so called "professionals", and the content they produce massively more relevant than most of the compromised writers with "access". I respect your opinion, but I think that this is not the home for what you are suggesting.

How about, when this happens.... one can automatically create a link with a paragraph... or at the end of an opening paragraph... or two (whatever one feels is enticing)... like the "read more" link ...... and it takes us to the blog. Or the link can be called "blog created". Or something. I would click on that for sure, and some of the very interesting tangential parts of the discussion would have a blog created, and the writer could be spared the admonishment from a mod of not staying on topic. Instead, the writer would be rewarded, and the worthy tangential discussion would have a new life of its own.

SNAFU. Pitching is but a side note.

Sure. Case by case. Lynn is pretty affordable, just a relatively long commitment. In this case, the Cards would rather take their chances on the cheap up and comers, than Lynn, who they know the best of any team and FO. Sometimes the player just doesn't want to play for the team anymore, and/or they want to play for the highest dollar, regardless of the team. Like Torii Hunter, perhaps. Sometimes, you just let a Plouffe or a Pelfrey go........ for good reason. My gut says that is the case with Lynn. And then there are the mistakes.... like David Ortiz.

What pitcher is the same pitcher as he was last year? Very few. Maybe we get lucky. I really think it is foolish for these guys to push the clock and the healing for a couple of months of pitching that has more of a chance to do harm than good. The positive thing about all the pitching considerations...... is that Perkins hasn't come up, eh?

There is a reason the Cardinals are making no effort to resign Lynn, and I can't believe it is just $. I trust they know best.

A pick like a Kohl Stewart, or Levi Michael, or Alex Wimmer, or Tyler Jay, or Klye Cody! (some were even first rounders!) Such important picks. I think the draft pick is the least of the concerns in regard to getting a good MLB pitcher that is desperately needed. Much less risk in a MLB proven pitcher than hoping that some pick will ever make it.

I am a great fan of this site, but am not wanting to be a "writer" - a staff writer, etc. I always feel that quality is more important than quantity. I don't see a need to grow as much as maintain. I hate the nickname "twinkie", and can't find myself ever wanting to go to a site that thinks that is clever/cute... so much that it names it site something that, to me, disparages the very entity that it is honoring. So this is the place to go for Twins' news for me. I understand the pull to podcasting, and the hope for some fame. I personally find most independent sport's podcast very tedious, repetitive, and self indulgent. I don't care about the waitress or the beer etc. Concise and informative, rather than rambling and off topic, is way better than long and laborious, to me. Just like musicians and their audiences, readers are just as important to writers, for without the readers, there is no audience to the writer's articles. If the goal is to grow, rather than maintain, it could be quite difficult. There are only so many people that will have an obsession like those here that participate. I will try to figure out a way that I may contribute other than just reading and commenting. I like this site.

I was having a fine Christmas day........ and then I thought about the coming baseball season....... and Rodney...........

If clubhouse chemistry is their reason for signing Napoli, it really, to me, speaks for their lack of respect and confidence in Mauer and Dozier. Personally, I hope they pass on Napoli. Napoli, to me, at this point, is a step backwards. The other playoff teams are truly making impressive steps to improve, and this FO seems to be hoping for the old and fading to shine bright one more time. I fear this tact is destined for derailing progress in 2018. Leadership needs to come from the young core now. And growing together. This is really depressing to me.

I guess that instead of a splash, this FO is looking for a ripple, like that which occurs from a perfect entry into the water from a spectacular dive. If clubhouse chemistry is their reason for signing Napoli, it really, to me, speaks for their lack of respect and confidence in Mauer and Dozier. Personally, I hope they pass on Napoli, and there is a splash coming. Napoli, to me, at this point, is a step backwards. All these end of career options is depressing.

Joe's shot was to go out with the concussion injury. The catcher stats and performance was HOF. The sympathy factor would have made up for the short career. But you don't get to have two MLB careers. You are only one person. And the first base years have destroyed his chances, I feel.

I totally agree. A 4.23 ERA with 4.2 BB/9 last year in 55.1 innings. How he got 39 saves last year is a miracle. Maybe we will get lucky and he will get hurt in spring training..... Now that's not nice...... but it will save the inevitable damage early in the season, and just cost money and not games.

This from Bollinger: "Levine said the Twins will continue to be patient yet aggressive in their pursuit of a front-line starting pitcher to join Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios. The Twins have yet to make an offer to Darvish, but he's not expected to make a decision anytime soon. "The top end of the market tends to be more patient, because it's not like interest is going to evaporate," Levine said. "I think there are two tiers, with Darvish and Arrieta linked and then Lynn and Cobb linked. Time will tell how much they impact one another." I just don't get how not making an offer is aggressive, at all. Seems that is just the opposite of being aggressive. One can't make a decision on it or accept an offer that is not made! If you want something, you make an offer. Before it is too late. Change it if it is rejected. But if you want Darvish..... make an offer!

I already said that every case is different, and all are special cases, and acknowledged that this was a unique example. I am not trying to win an argument with you. There are plenty here that might enjoy that engagement. I don't. I am not really into the deep stat linkage, but often enjoy other's offerings that are, and I refer you back to riverbrain's comment that I replied to and you quoted for a great summary, in my opinion. I move more organically. Ignore me if you like. No problem.

Great post. Let me amend my previous statement of championship teams to the elite teams - the elite teams will include a great bullpen, a deep bullpen, and pay for it. They may come a couple strikes short in game 7 of the World Series, like Cleveland, and not win the championship, but it is the future. Especially with starters being so limited on pitches they are allowed to throw.