TopGunn#22

Well, I agree Castro would be my choice at 3B because he's a more dangerous offensive player than Farmer and is a good fit hitting out of the #9 hole. I wouldn't say he was "relegated" to LF. Castro is probably the best LF on the Twins roster. The fact that he's probably better at 3B than Farmer also speaks highly of his solid glove and versatility. If I was calling the shots for the Twins, my next move would be to promote Austin Martin after Lewis is placed on the I.L. Martin can be the RH platoon with Wallner in LF and still provide depth at 2B. It's time to get Martin up to the major league club anyway. How about a couple of classic piranhas hitting 8th and 9th in the lineup in Castro and Martin. The obvious callup would have been Brooks Lee but with the back issues let's give Martin a chance. Miranda isn't really a logical callup with Santana and Kirilloff. One or BOTH of them would have to be injured to see Miranda get the call. On another note: Wasn't it nice to see Julien come off the bench, step in against a tough lefty like Ragans, and proceed to line a shot up the middle for a base hit? Looks like the hard work the kid put in during the off season paid off.

I would have thought Jax being the BP guy who would get save opportunities whenever Duran wasn't available would have been the plan all along. I just bump everyone in the pen up one spot and re-set once Duran comes back fully healthy. The only deviation going forward without Duran would be to see Funderburk get a save opportunity or two if the last out or couple outs are tough LH hitters.

Yeah, Clevinger will only take a major league deal, and he's probably still sitting out there because he wants 2 or more years. I'd be interested in Reyes because of his fastball. Mondesi has always intrigued me, but he's never healthy (Twins fans are waaay to familiar with that). Boyd is at least a LH starter. Trevor Bauer just threw 4 scoreless innings against a Yankee "A-Squad" in Mexico. Someone will be desperate enough to sign him within a month.

I'm just glad Duran's injury is not to his arm. Jax and to some degree Stewart will have to step up. Hopefully he's back in 6 weeks strong as ever. I am actually fine with Varland stepping into "Disco's" spot, but I also wouldn't mind signing Clevinger (or dare I say it again...Bauer). Theilbar is no surprise at all. He will have at least 3 other stints on the IL for various ailments and I'm actually quite pleased with that. This should insure that Alcala and/or Funderburk break camp with the Twins. I'm convinced both of them are a better option than Theilbar at this stage of their careers. I drafted Duran for my Fantasy team and now I'm going to have to cut someone and pick up Jax.

To do well is never a bad thing. That said, he will start at St. Paul, where he has previously "raked" and if he continues to hit well, (again, that is not a bad thing), he could see himself back on the big league roster if needed. I don't think he has a long-term future with the Twins because he's been surpassed by better players at the positions he would play. I could see him being a trade chip to better the team in another area.

Doc I agree with your assessment 100%. In the first half of last season, or at least into June, Ryan was actually our best pitcher. I've got to believe, as you suggest, that his groin injury affected his Slider/Sweeper. It sure seemed like a darned good pitch early last year. I am always in favor of pitchers working to add new pitches, to expand their repertoire. The more the hitter has to be ready for, the more he's thinking too much in the batters box. Juan Marichal had quite a repertoire and it came from many different angles. He could command all his pitches from all those different angles. Joe Ryan doesn't have to be Marichal, but if he's a little more efficient with his pitches he may be able to go deeper into games. The strikeouts will always be there for Ryan. He just has a fastball that rides and gets hitters to chase. If adding a sinker that he feels good about throwing can make his other pitches better and he becomes more efficient he could be joining Lopez at the All Star Game this season. I also think the Twins plan for 2024 even without the payroll cut was that Ryan and Ober would replace Sonny Gray. I just think the Twins have confidence that both of them are going to continue to improve and spending $30 million on a SP wasn't necessary.

We all want "Good Max" in 2024 and it seemed like he had finally figured out how to get back to lifting the ball the second half of last year. I agree that the shift ban helped but only a little bit. The thing about hitting, is that when things go well EVERYTHING seems to fall into place. When they don't, things can go to hell in a handbasket quickly. If we get the "Good Max" in 2024, it will be tough to see him move on after the season. He will simply price himself out of Minnesota with Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins pushing for 2025. As you stated, the key for Max is launch angle, I am looking forward to him launching balls into the right field stands early and often this season.

Doc Bauer literally said everything I would have. (and he said it better anyway). I'm excited to see how 2024 goes for Wallner. Just the nature of his strengths and weaknesses means he's going to have hot streaks and cold streaks. It's the normal course for a power hitter. Having Margot gives us a decent platoon option for especially tough lefties but he needs to hit against some lefties to get better. I agree though, 20-25 HR's in 450 AB's seems VERY possible.

Prior to C.C. the Twins had a Black Hole at SS for many years. He had a tough season in 2023 but seems primed for a major bounce-back. I'm cautiously optimistic that is going to be the case. And with Farmer, Lewis, Lee and Castro the twins have developed more depth than they've maybe ever had for the SS position. We're in good hands.

Canterino is the Wild Card. When you look at how much he's pitched for the Twins in the minors since Rice University over-used him it just doesn't seem possible he could reach 125 innings. Yet, smarter people than me have stated he can do it. There is no question Canterino is worth more as a SP than a RP and with his stuff, if he could just stay healthy he could be VERY valuable as a RP. Canterino is probably the #1 guy I'm curious to see how 2024 unfolds. Will he be a SP? Will he end up in the bullpen? Will he FINALLY stay healthy? The stuff is undeniable. Yes, I'm also very interested in Brooks Lee, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins. but Canterino sits at the top for me and who he becomes will be very interesting in influencing the Twins fortunes in 2024 and beyond. So while the article is interesting and has elicited some excellent conversation, I'd just leave Duran in the bullpen.

I think DJL44 makes some fair points. Falvey should know Clevinger quite well. If he signs Clevinger, I can accept that. I also don't think DJL44 was being "snide" when he mentioned taking Kirby out of the Twins HOF. Puckett was accused of some truly awful stuff. Sadly, he passed away and with him all that stuff. I just try not to be so judgemental nowadays. Being forgiving is a tough thing to do with some of the stuff going on, but it IS a virtue and I make an effort. I prefer to remember the "good" Kirby Puckett. Clevinger is a pitcher who has the talent to make a difference. He's better than DeSclafani. And while Nick said "don't bother to bring him up" the Twins couldn't do better than a major league minimum contract with incentives for one year of Trevor Bauer. I think either Bauer or Clevinger are the only difference makers in this group and Falvey knows BOTH very well. That he hasn't moved on either is probably all the answer we need. BUT...that was before DeSclafani's "situation." I don't like hearing about DeSclafani having this issue already, but it's not a total shock either. I'm really quite fine with Varland, Canterino and Festa being the depth. But with the Twins flush with the Balley money for 2024, they certainly have the ability to sign someone to add one more "major league" caliber depth arm. Like I said in an earlier post, I'm content to sail into this season with what we have. But MY expectation is that if this season goes well for the Twins and they seem positioned to make a significant run at the World Series, I'm hoping the Pohlad family will FINALLY make a major move at the trade deadline to get us over the hump. When your greatest deadline acquisition is the immortal Shannon Stewart, you don't have a very high bar to clear there. Don Baylor was a shadow of the player he had been when we added him in 1987.

Giving grades before the actual season begins is a good exercise and "everybody does it" even though we all know the real grades come once the season is complete. That said, the tone-deaf messaging certainly deserves an "F." The #1 goal of our off season, by acclamation, was to get a #1 or #2 SP to replace Sonny Gray. Our #2 goal was to find a solid replacement for Buxton should he spend copious amounts of time on the I.L. They already had Austin Martin but he's unproven. They acquired Margot at the cost of a Platinum Glove minor league SS who I will certainly miss, but with Correa, Lewis and Lee, not to mention De Andrande and probably two more SS's drafted this June I can live with that. The glaring hole is the rotation. DeSclafani is a major question mark. Paddack as well. Both have potential upside. Both could leave the Twins scrambling with Varland and Festa replacements. I for one am O.K. with Varland and Festa as well as Matt Canterino if he remains a SP. However, it's fair to point out that the Twins still lack a LHP in their rotation and that the two best pitchers on the FA market are a 2-time Cy Young Award winner and a guy who pitched very well in the playoffs as a key member of the defending World Series Champion Texas Rangers. And both are Left-Handed. It's a little frustrating...BUT...I've never seen so much ambivalence toward a 2-time Cy Young winner. It's not just the Twins ! EVERY team in MLB is hesitating to sign Blake Snell at the price Scott Boras wants. Montgomery is a nice #3 SP. He's not an Ace! Montgomery is solid and he would slot at #2 ahead of Ryan and Ober. But would he be significantly BETTER than them in 2024? I'm not so sure he would. I can forgive a lot of the off season because the Twins are bursting with young talent who while they may have some growing pains, they project to be pretty darn good in the years ahead. I'm looking for a BIG deal at the deadline if the Twins are in position to make a run. That's been my frustration with the Pohlad's ever since they bought the team. All through the 2002-2010 era, with Mauer, Morneau and Santana their biggest deadline acquisition was...Shannon Stewart! I can be very forgiving if they make a deadline deal and land an Ace that propels the Twins to the World Series. At this point, I can't be overly critical because if Blake Snell isn't taking 5-years and $150 million guaranteed from the Yankees what would it take to get him to sign with the Twins?? I don't think he's worth more than $25 million per year! So far, I can be happy with what they've done and look forward to what Lewis, Julien, Kirilloff and Wallner can do and hope for better health and production from Buxton and Correa. That should be enough.

Just saw that the Rays added Amed Rosario to their roster. Tampa Bay, with Wander Franco's legal issues and Caminero being so young, would have been a prime spot to trade Farmer. That possibility is over now, but there will be other opportunities that will present themselves.

Lee "may" need more time at AAA. One should never put too much stock in spring training stats, but it's certainly possible that Lee turns in a very solid spring. This may speed up his timeline to the big league club sooner than the front office is looking at. If Lee impresses and either comes north with the Twins right out of camp or after 3-weeks in St. Paul what player on the big league roster does that most acutely affect? Kyle Farmer. Lee would do everything Farmer would do. Back up 2B, 3B and SS and at a fraction of the cost. Julien could still play some 1B, but with Santana on board and if Kirilloff is healthy and hitting, Julien will still play a decent number of games at 2B. Kirilloff could play more than we think in LF/RF. I could see Rocco rotating Lee throughout the infield with Julien, Santana and Kirilloff rotating between 1B and DH. The other guy that is affected if Lee breaks came with the Twins or joins early in the season is Larnach, because that could push Kirilloff to more games in the OF. So if Lee is on the big club, Farmer is more likely to be traded to a team that has a SS emergency, much like the Dodgers did with Gavin Lux last year. Larnach would be tethered to St. Paul and it would take a rash of injuries or very sub par play from Lee for Larnach to have much of a role with the Twins. But make no mistake about it. Lee is going to be a Twin THIS season. How soon that is will largely be up to Brooks Lee and to some degree how healthy certain players are or are NOT for the Twins.

Lee "may" need more time at AAA. One should never put too much stock in spring training stats, but it's certainly possible that Lee turns in a very solid spring. This may speed up his timeline to the big league club sooner than the front office is looking at. If Lee impresses and either comes north with the Twins right out of camp or after 3-weeks in St. Paul what player on the big league roster does that most acutely affect? Kyle Farmer. Lee would do everything Farmer would do. Back up 2B, 3B and SS and at a fraction of the cost. Julien could still play some 1B, but with Santana on board and if Kirilloff is healthy and hitting, Julien will still play a decent number of games at 2B. Kirilloff could play more than we think in LF/RF. I could see Rocco rotating Lee throughout the infield with Julien, Santana and Kirilloff rotating between 1B and DH. The other guy that is affected if Lee breaks came with the Twins or joins early in the season is Larnach, because that could push Kirilloff to more games in the OF. So if Lee is on the big club, Farmer is more likely to be traded to a team that has a SS emergency, much like the Dodgers did with Gavin Lux last year. Larnach would be tethered to St. Paul and it would take a rash of injuries or very sub par play from Lee for Larnach to have much of a role with the Twins. But make no mistake about it. Lee is going to be a Twin THIS season. How soon that is will largely be up to Brooks Lee and to some degree how healthy certain players are or are NOT for the Twins.

Eris, that was indeed a fascinating article on Bauer. He certainly puts a lot of thought and effort into improving his skill as a pitcher. To say that he is somewhat eccentric would be an understatement and he's certainly opinionated, but how many other professional athletes are the same way? He's also very driven, and that turn some people off. I've been clear from the beginning that I'd be willing to take a chance on him. The benefit exceeds the risk, certainly the financial risk. However, as others have pointed out, Falvey knows him pretty well. If he passes on him, he's got better reasons than I would ever be privy to. I don't think it means anything that Bauer hasn't signed with anybody yet. I think many teams are keeping tabs on him if they have a "situation" or "emergency" pop up, (like Baltimore has with Bradish right now). Spring training is just getting started. The way Bauer trains he would be in tip top shape prior to anyone signing him. He'd show up at camp "ready." He could still be a pretty effective #2 without having to consider trading an Emmanuel Rodriguez, Eddie Julien or Brooks Lee.

The better the team on the field is, the more revenue they will see from ticket sales and novelty sales. Sometimes you gotta spend a little to make a little more. This was an excellent layout for how next year could develop. There will certainly be other player moves that will affect what will ultimately be the outcome.

jishfish, that Brandon Crawford comp is a good one! That would probably be the ceiling, but I'd take THAT in a heartbeat.

And I think the reasons many have stated are why Snell and Montgomery are still unsigned. None of the 5 Boras clients are perfect fits for the Twins. Maybe if Bellinger was a switch-hitter? JD Martinez is a DH only. Scratch JD off the list. Bellinger helps in CF, 1B and even RF. But we already have LOTS of LH hitting OF's and Emm-Rod and Walker Jenkins are coming soon. Scratch Bellinger. Matt Chapman is a 3B. Scratch Chapman. And finally the SP's. Snell has won 2 Cy Young Awards and yet, he's been so inconsistent throughout his career that he's got the lowest value I can ever remember for a 2-time winner. He doesn't really evoke confidence of 5 years of excellence. And his contract demands are clearly not going over very well with every major league front office. Montgomery is much more consistent but he's almost like Brad Radke. He's a #3 SP and we need a #1 or at least a #2. I'm not comfortable paying #1 SP money to a guy who's clearly a solid #3. Honestly, would the Twins get nearly the same kind of production from a Clevinger or Bauer at a fraction of the cost? I'm leaning very heavily in the "I think so" direction. Scratch Snell and Montgomery. The money is there. But it doesn't HAVE to be spent. I'd much rather sign Adam Duval to have a RH bat with power to mix into my lineup (and send Larnach to St. Paul) and look for the right kind of pitcher at the trade deadline. The more I think about this, the more sense it makes to see how our season begins and progresses as well as see how Brooks Lee, Camargo and Emmanuel Rodriguez are doing and come the deadline or a little before that, determine what we're going to do with Kepler, Farmer and Vasquez and what SP we want to go after.

Thanks for the assistance in identifying Miller. I can only hope I finally remember it. With a glove THAT GOOD the hope is that his offense starts to come around, which he showed some progress in the 2nd half of the season last year. If the Twins in 2-3 years have Lewis, Julien, Walker Jenkins, Emm-Rod, Kirilloff. Wallner, Jeffers, Brooks Lee, Correa and Buxton here's hoping Noah Miller can have his mates pick him up on the offensive aspect of the game. A glove like that at SS will always play. Shortstops, like pitchers, will always be in high demand.

I agree that the Twins have some solid depth at the SS position in the minors. I always get confused WHO the Platinum Gold Glove winner we had at SS in the minors was last season...Miller? Or Schobel? It's not that I'm discounting De Andrade, but I also am not willing to concede that Brooks Lee is doomed to either 2B or 3B either. De Andrade, Miller, Schobel are all good prospects and are in some respects similar to Emmanuel Rodriguez. This year will determine if Emm-Rod is a BIG TIME prospect, or if he has some major flaws that need correcting. All three of these SS's could take a big step forward, or stall. To me, of these three SS's the one constant and least likely to slip or stall is the Platinum Gold Glove talent. That really caught my attention. Defense plays and is a consistent talent season over season. Whoever that guy is (Miller/Schobel) is who I think eventually takes over at SS when Correa needs to move to 3B. (unless of course, Brooks Lee fulfils all expectations. It's also why you could see Lewis in LF at sometime if Correa is destined for 3B in a couple of years. But a lot of THAT depends on how our OF prospects develop.

With the $47-$48 million dollar windfall the new TV deal gives the Twins this is certainly a possibility. Or at least it should be. I would argue that Snell is just as much in play as Montgomery because with the bullpen the FO has assembled the Twins could certainly afford to let Snell go out an dominate for 5 innings. In fact, Snell is a much more similar comp to Sonny Gray than Montgomery would be. Snell walks too many, but the strikeout stuff is undeniable. I would be happy with either Snell or Montgomery as the #2 behind Lopez. Maybe I make DeSclafani the Snell piggyback. The money is already there but if they needed to justify the expense for either pitcher they should focus on trading Farmer or Vasquez. Kepler should be kept for this season. Farmer will probably be replaced by Brooks Lee sooner rather than later. Lee is not playing a full season at St. Paul this year. He may not even play a month there. Vasquez is a good defensive catcher who should see his offense improve from his miserable season a year ago. But I'm not expecting much out of him offensively either way. He could be dealt to the Marlins for a minor league piece. Word is Miami would LOVE to have him. Jeffers becomes the #1 catcher and Camargo moves up. The TV deal is settled. The Twins are getting 85% of the $55 million they got last year. They have Farmer and Vasquez, two contracts that CAN be moved because there are young players pushing for their chance and they have talents that other teams would desire. I'd risk weakening the bench by an inch to add a MILE with a solid #2 SP at the top of our rotation.

LOTS of analysis. I think I'm getting a headache. I'm all in favor of letting the LH hitters work it out. You can't get comfortable hitting lefties if you only see one every two weeks or so. Certain LH pitchers I would sit someone like Julien or Kirilloff. A healthy Kershaw with his slow breaking stuff and pinpoint control is not a good matchup. Blake Snell on the other hand walks a lot of guys. That plays into someone like Julien and his strike zone discipline. Usually, switch hitters are better from the left side, although Mickey Mantle always said he was a much better RH "hitter" even though his power from the left side was superior. Is Brooks Lee decidedly better from one side or the other? While I'm happy to have the consistent and stable presence of Santana at 1B and in our lineup, I'm also looking forward to seeing Brooks Lee at 2B and either Julien or Kirilloff nailing down 1B for the long term. Either way, I would like to see Wallner, Julien and Kirilloff get more ABs against lefty pitchers this year. I DON'T want to see any of them get pinch hit for in the second inning.

I agree. Bellinger would be an interesting signing and certainly would be helpful due to his versatility. But Santana has 1B covered and Kirilloff just might stay healthy and deliver on all the potential this year. Centerfield is where Belly could come in the handiest, but maybe Buxton really IS feeling better than he has in years. Otherwise, Adam Duval as a RH hitter makes more sense (as he did in 2023 vs. Gallo). Plus, I agree that Kepler could come very close to equaling whatever offense Belly provides this season. Finally, if we've got that kind of money to throw around (and we DO since our TV contract will be adding $47-$48 million to our coffers) why not just sign Snell or Montgomery and have your #2 SP locked in for the next 3 years??

All this time I've been salivating for Canterino (and Varland) to be unleashed in a bullpen role. Now, I find, through an embarrassment of riches in the pen, he/they may actually get a longer look as a SP. WHAT A COUNTRY !!! I still think each would be filthy in the pen, but we have OPTIONS! Let Varland and Canterino strive for a starting role. Stewart and Topa are actually good insurance for each other. I agree with arby58 that it was almost unfair how Stewart dominated hitters before he went down. If both can replicate what they did in 2023 this season the Twins are flush. If not, they have tremendous depth to plug any holes. I am disappointed that Funderburk isn't part of the bullpen to begin the season. His stuff is impressive and I liked his "bulldog" attitude. No worries there though, Thielbar will spend a good part of the season on the sidelines in my estimation. He's getting long in the tooth and the injuries are predictable. Funderburk will be the prime replacement for Caleb and between the two of them I see a lot of effective innings. Staumont is the real deal. If he's healthy he's got GOOD stuff. He was a sneaky good signing. Okert and Jackson give me a better feeling than Winder and Balazovic. Maybe Alcala can finally stay healthy and show his "stuff." At this time last year, the Twins had done almost nothing to make the pen better and deeper, and then ended up releasing the two veteran arms they took a chance on as camp was breaking, only to see both pitchers have good years on another team. Let's hope we don't repeat those mistakes this time.