TopGunn#22

Other than signing Buxton long-term (which is the #1 task of the Twins off-season) #2 is adding 3 veteran arms to the starting rotation. A #1, #2 and #3 either thru FA signing or Trade/Trades. The 3rd most important task is to fortify the bullpen. Indeed, a closer needs to be acquired, either thru FA (which WILL be expensive---think Kimbrel) or thru a trade, a younger arm, identified as closer material that can anchor the back end (think Joe Nathan trade result). Rogers is best as an 8th inning guy and occasional closer. Tampa Bay and Oakland are two good examples of teams that are able to identify these types of guys and go out and get them at a reasonable cost. The final task is to find a "bridge" SS. A Freddy Galvis/Jose Iglesias type to play 2022 as the regular SS, allowing Polanco to remain at 2B and giving Lewis and Martin time to further develop. Also, one or two of the young arms currently being used as starters could have an impact in the BP (Duran, Colina). I just don't want the mind-set for 2022 to be one of submission to the White Sox. They could suffer some misfortune in 2022 opening the door to possibly compete. Who in the heck thought the Giants would be in 1st place in the NL West on 9/4 ?? Everything was Dodgers, Dodgers, Padres, Padres. Who on TD would have predicted the kind of season SEATTLE is having ?? We are a horribly under achieved 2021 season removed from being the 2019 & 2020 division champs. The Twins are not devoid of talent. The FO squandered the seasons of 2019 and 2020 by not making a significant IN-SEASON move to put the Twins over the top either year. 2022's off season will be the biggest test ownership and the Twins FO has had. Are they up to the challenge ??

Thank You for a good topic Nick, it's one we're all going to chew on throughout the Twins off-season. We will just have to see how committed the Pohlad's and FO is for 2022. I will say this: We were supposed to win 92 games this season and come down to the wire with the White Sox for the division title. Injuries and an epically BAD off season by our FO torpedoed that. I don't want to see the Twins just throw in the towel on 2022. What if injuries and other misfortune nail the White Sox in 2022 ? We have a LOT of young arms with talent and potential. But they won't all be coming in 2022. We need some veteran stability in the rotation to bridge the gap between those young arms being ready. We need 1-3 years. Ober and Ryan will certainly be in the mix. Pineda and Dobnak should be part of our "depth." If there's one thing that's obvious about starting pitching in the 2020's it's that you need "options." Gone are the days of 5, 6 or even 7 guys shouldering the load for an entire season. Guys like Heaney, Taillon, are #4 or #5's. Eduardo Rodriguez could be a #3 but he's always had health issues at some point in a season---he's worth a gamble, but I wouldn't be counting on 175 innings and an All Star appearance. Without Berrios they darn well SHOULD make a move where they bring in a #1 like Gausman, Rodon, Robbie Ray. SPEND THE MONEY. They need to bridge that 1-3 year gap. Where they should shore up #2 and #3 is with trades. I have proposed a trade of Kepler and Jeffers to the Marlins for Sandy Alcantara on MLB Trade Values. The Twins are overpaying but Alcantara is 25 and talented. He would be a great target. The Marlins need a catcher of the future. They're already playing Jorge Alfaro in LF because his "D" is sub-par. Jeffers becomes their catcher of the future (I'm fine rolling with Garver, Rortvedt and Astudillo if it nets us Alcantara). There are other trade candidates like Means from Baltimore to consider as well. The starting staff: #1 Gausman/Ray #2 Alcantara, #3 Ober, Pindea, #4 E-Rod/Heaney #5 Ryan/Dobnak/Jax/Barnes/Balazovic/Strotman etc... If we sign a Heaney/E-Rod type for cheap that just gives the Twins another arm. Personally, I LIKE Heaney's potential. he seems to have great stuff but he always seems to leave a fat pitch up in the zone and gives up a 3-run HR. Maybe Johnson can fix that. I like E-Rod better than Heaney.

Eduardo Rodriguez is another LHP I wouldn't mind the Twins making a play for. He's youngish and has good stuff. Just need to keep him healthy. But they will need 2-3 VETERAN SP's for stability and let the young-guns fill out #4 & #5.

I get that we're not a "Big Market Team Like the Dodgers." We also aren't a "Small Market Team" either. The Twin Cities is Media market #15 in the nation. That means only 14 markets are "BIGGER" than the Twin Cities. We should not have a top 10 payroll. We also should be nowhere near the bottom 10 either. Ownership/FO had a chance to spend a little more in 2019 & 2020 when it looked like the pieces were in place to make a run (maybe win a playoff game??). But with the colossal failure of the FO in the past off-season, some serious money is going to be needed to be spent to begin a reset. The young arms will never be ready to contribute "enough" in 2022. Some will do fine, others will struggle and others won't even get a sniff of the major leagues. Some solid, proven, major league arms need to be added for the immediate future (2022) and to be a 1-3 year bridge as those young arms mature and matriculate up to the big league level. Any conversations between ownership and the front office that doesn't recognize THIS is setting the Twins up for further failure and frustrations for the fans. We've seen what the lack of a plan can do with the Afghan withdrawal. We're going to have to hear some solid "plans/strategy" coming out of our front office this off-season. Lack of a plan or confronting what the reality of the Twins current situation is not an option.

Glad to see Ryan get the call. It will make watching tonight's game interesting.

I believe no one knows FOR SURE what the Buxton situation will eventually play out to be. Therefore, I'm approaching any off-season plan with the #1 goal of signing him to an extension that satisfies both HIM and the Twins. Because to trade him now would be selling extremely low (Kepler is valued on MLB Trade Values at about 34.0 points, Buxton at about 25.0 points and something that both sides can live with is certainly attainable. This task is the first big test of the current FO and ownership. If they can't accomplish this, it will be a major FAIL. Once Buxton is securely in the fold the FO needs to devote the vast majority of resources to acquiring 3 SP's and at least one BP arm that would be our clear CLOSER to solidify the back end. At least one major expenditure for a front line starter be that Rodon, Ray, Thor, Gausman---whatever. Then either two trades or one trade and another FA acquisition to fill out #2 & #3. Ober is penciled in as the #4 and the young-guns fill in as the #5 throughout the season. A stop-gap SS like Iglesias or Galvis will not break the bank. Depending on what you'd need to give up for Sandy Alcantara (Jeffers & Kepler or Jeffers and Larnach) the Twins MUST find a way to get more out of either Kepler or Larnach, whoever remains, and Miguel Sano in 2022. It's been encouraging to see Sano the last couple of weeks. The potential is there. Can he just be a BIT more consistent. Kepler just exasperates me. He's got talent. It's just not being coached properly. I'd love to keep him, but maybe a change of scenery (Miami??) would help.

Good points Lonestar. I had traded Kepler and Jeffers for Alcantara but if it's Larnach MLB trade Values would have that being an even bigger over-pay, and result in $10-$11 million more in salary for the Twins (Kepler's salary vs. Larnach's MLB minimum). Maybe Miami throws something else in for us. But I would still make a trade like this for 3-years of Alcantara. He gives the Twins a solid major league arm while the Balazovic, Ryan, Canterino, Winder, Woods-Richardson, Duran, Strotman etc...arms sort themselves out. Heck, if Alcantara becomes what we'd hoped Berrios would be, then the Twins should sign him to another 4-5 years (he would only be 25-26 when we would be acquiring him). Your suggestions on relief pitchers names are excellent and by not going for a big name (but guys who are younger, more effective and have a higher and longer possible upside, you're on the right track. Maybe more of those names will surface as the season ends, winter comes and "Hot Stove" talk heats up. But your points are good and you're spot on regarding has-been RP names who are too expensive and too risky. Find the Andrew Chafin types. That's what Falvey and Levine are SUPPOSED to be good at.

Thank You for the great topic Cody, although I have to admit, it's frustrating to no end to have you lay out the "typical" Twins approach taken by the Pohlad regime. The fact is, if the Pohlad's don't start investing some serious money into their "baseball team" their business model is going to smell like fruit rotting on the tree. Self imposed salary levels are BS. The product they put on the field this year is embarrassing. And they can't use the excuse of "injuries.' EVERYBODY deals with injuries. As I've stated before and will continue to: When you compare how the White Sox approached this off-season to how the Twins did (the counter moves the Twins made to the moves the White Sox made) you see a team SERIOUS about contending and another that was completely UN-serious. How else do you compare the signings of Lynn, Hendricks and Keuchel to Happ, Colome and Shoemaker ??? So it's either FO complete incompetence or it's penurious ownership. Or BOTH. Neither is a satisfactory answer if the Twins don't want to play before crowds of 7,000 people at beautiful Target Field in 2022, 2023 and beyond. Jimmy Pohlad is going to have to blow up the "business model" and spend some serious cash this off season or the only money this franchise will make will come from TV revenue (and have you seen what the ratings are for Twins games lately???). The plan: Sign Carlos Rodon (28 years old) to 5-years $110 million. Could have offered that to Berrios but traded him instead. Now you have a #1 for 5-years. Other options, same money are Kevin Gausman, Thor, (or Stroman for a bit less). TRADE for pitching. MLB Trade Values has this trade as doable; Twins trade Jeffers 27.9 value and Kepler 37.5 value (Total 65.40) to the Marlins for Sandy Alcantara (25 years old) 61.90 value. It's a bit of an overpay but that's the price of Starting Pitching. I'd talk to the Orioles about Jon Means (28 years old) and probably over-pay a bit there as well. So in 2022, I have a staff of Rodon, Alcantara and Means with Ober #4 and a cast of thousands to fill #5 (Maeda if/when he's healthy, Dobnak, and ALL those young arms (except any young arm I trade to Baltimore in the needed Means trade). The Twins need competent pitchers for 2022. If I have to give up a Duran, Winder, Strotman etc... to get Jon Means it must be done. We've got "arms aplenty" in the pipeline. We need some arms that can help the Twins NOW. And an earlier suggestion on another thread to sign Kimbrel to close and another arm (Rosenthal/Yates/etc...) to build the back end of the bullpen needs to happen. It will cost cold hard CASH. But that's the price the Twins need to pay to regain some stature in this market. Whether it's Pohlad or the FO, the Twins have been trying to get by on the cheap for as long as we can remember. I for one REFUSE to accept the same old same old CRAP from this franchise. So instead of the "likely" scenario laid out by Cody, I challenge the Twins from TOP to BOTTOM. EARN MY INTEREST. Because if they lose a baseball guy like ME, they've lost their FOUNDATION. And they will not recover.

AMEN Mike ! AMEN !! Can I get an AMEN for mike8791 !!! That is really "it" in a nutshell. If the Pohlad's (lookin' at YOU Jimbo) are "content" with this season and these massive front office failures, NOTHING is going to change. And 2022 is a crucial year. Sign Buxton to something that works for him AND the Twins and then get serious about adding quality pitching. They have a LOT of potentially GOOD pitchers in the pipeline. Health is the #1 concern for each of them. But the Twins have the resources to rebuild their pitching staff, albeit at a COST. Some of those young pitchers are 2-3 years away. We need a year or two to bridge the gap. If the Twins signed a "Rodon: and traded for someone like "Alcantara" and then some of those young pitchers blossom at the right time, the Twins would have built themselves a solid foundation. Coinciding with the young pitching would be the development of Kiriloff, larnach, Martin and Lewis. But after 2021 (and zero playoff wins in FOREVER) it's time to make a commitment. Or sell the team and spend your days counting your money.

GREAT topic mike8791 ! Sorry I'm finally seeing this on a Saturday (as opposed to Wednesday when you posted it ). Your plan is also my plan with of course some subtle differences. My plan is also contingent on the idea that Jim Pohlad actually WANTS a competitive team and is willing to pay for it in 2022. My #1: Sign Buxton to an extension. Tie lucrative bonuses to "games played.' If Buxton PLAYS he will be productive. Take care of HIM and protect the Twins in case of injury. This is not a difficult concept and should already have been done. #2 Sign a #1 SP. I'm cooling on Thor. Him not being able to throw breaking pitching for the rest of this year has me a little nervous. I've targeted Rodon in previous posts. Watching him this season it looks to me like he's figured things out. Kind of like when Johan Santana started to figure things out. The Twins FO had their behind's battered by the White Sox last season. Just steal him away from the CWS. Strengthen the Twins rotation while weakening the primary division competitors. PLUS, I think Rodon would be cheaper than Thor and a better option. Failing that, a Robbie Ray/Kevin Gausman option is an absolute necessity. Especially with Maeda a possible question mark. a "Pineda" type is also necessary to slot in behind Rodon and Alcantara while Ryan/Ober/Dobnak and others fill out out #4 & #5. If Maeda is O.K. then you have a potential: Rodon, Alcantara, Maeda, "Pineda type" and Ober/Dobnak/Ryan/etc... for #5. Compare THAT starting staff to the junk we fielded this season. I had already posted a trade with Miami for Sandy Alcantara that was a slight overpay for the Twins. Alcantara for Jeffers and Kepler. Miami has LOTS of young pitching. They're already playing Jorge Alfaro in LF. He's not their answer at catcher. Jeffers gives Miami a solid defense catcher (which they desperately need) who will eventually be a decent hitter. Kepler gives the Marlins a solid defensive OF'er who with a change of scenery and instruction, may just return to the promise he showed just 2-seasons ago. As I said, it's a slight overpay for the Twins but something they should certainly pursue. I'm willing to give up a solid young catcher like Jeffers because we NEED a SP like Alcantara, and I'm fine with Garver, Rortvedt and even a journeyman like Tomas Tellis to be more than adequate behind the plate. Having a bona fide CLOSER is a MUST. Maybe the Twins would be in a little better position in the Central standings if they (Colome) hadn't blown so many darn games to start the season. The whole "vibe' of the season was damaged by that miserable start that the Twins never recovered from. And our bullpen went from a team strength to an albatross that dragged us down all season. This needs to be corrected. I've mentioned signing a Rosenthal/Yates type but your suggestion of Kimbrell caught my eye. He's healthy. He's a proven closer. And he's been unbelievably GOOD this year. My fear is that he would regress. But we're talking about an elite closer throughout his career. He's a gamble worth taking. But your suggestion of signing ANOTHER high-leverage BP arm is something I agree with. Who it is, and how much it costs is something that should become clearer this winter. But a BP that has Kimbrel, Taylor Rogers, "mystery addition," Tyler Duffey, and Jorge Alcala has some juice and goes 5 guys deep. A couple of other arms could come from Jhoan Duran or some other young, promising arms that could be brought along slowly in low leverage situations. The potential is there for the Twins to once again have a dominant BP. Is the will and the strategy in place to address this ?? One area I agree but disagree is SS. I'd rather invest in PITCHING, PITCHING, PITCHING, than Trevor Story, Javier Baez, Cory Seager or Carlos Correa. However, I'd bring in an affordable vet with a solid glove and acceptable offensive skills so I could leave Polanco at 2B and Arraez as my leadoff hitter and super utility guy. I would sign either Jose Iglesias or Freddy Galvis. Each is a defensive upgrade from Polanco and they are NOT Simmons. Iglesias/Galvis is my 1-2 year bridge to finding out if Lewis is my SS of the future or not. I believe Kiriloff will hit. He could be in RF (probably, with Kepler in a package for Alcantara) or possibly 1B (although that's where Sano would be if Kepler is traded). Donaldson and Mirada/Arraez man 3B (Josh also DH's a lot). Larnach his potential but he doesn't just get handed LF. A RH option is needed. I've been impressed with Refsnyder's hustle and production this season, but I'm willing to concede a better option is needed. Garver C Sano 1B Polanco 2B Iglesias SS Donaldson 3B Kiriloff RF Buxton CF ?? LF and Arraez DH is not a bad lineup. especially when you field the possible starting rotation and bullpen listed above. That team could CONTEND. And a BIG SPLASH at the trade deadline at a position of need could be VERY intriguing. Last off-season while the White Sox were building a winner, we sat on our behinds. The failure of this FO was simply EPIC. What's it gonna be in 2022 Jimmy Pohlad ???

I like your list. I would add Ryan to the list and as much as i like Canterino, maybe drop him to #10. I might put Ryan as high as #3 ahead of Jordy Blaze, because Ryan is further along and will "arrive" ahead of Balazovic.

greglw3...I could only "rec' you one time. Consider my "rec' 1000x. This FO has completely spit the bit TWICE in 5 years. The first time for Molitor after Molly had led the twins to a playoff appearance and THIS off season. The question for me, is did the Pohlad's doom this season with payroll considerations or did our FO just massively miscalculate ?? The "company line" is that the Pohlad's said "Do what you feel you need to for us to win the division and while we're doing that, hey, let's win at least ONE playoff game...O.K." ?? That's the "company line." Assuming that's true, just for the sake of discussion, the current FO shouldn't even be allowed this off season. 40% abject failure is not what we, as fans were sold when we helped fund Target Field, nor when we hired the current geniuses to "build a pitching staff equal to the Cleveland Indians in philosophy and execution." So is this the Pohlad's willing to accept mediocrity or worse ? Or is it the current "brain trust" in charge of talent judgement and procurement ? Or is it Rocco, unable to manage without a team capable of hitting a Major League record 307 HR's in a season ? Because when I look at what the White Sox did this off season and the "moves" the twins made to counter. or I look at what the S.F. Giants are doing this season (both their FO and their Manager) I see a night and day difference. Again, I say "are the Pohlad's "satisfied" with where their team is and how this off season and season of 2021 has turned out??"

Yup, this is the guy I see as a future Twins #1, the other possibility being Ryan. He should already be in St. Paul as the Saints make their playoff stretch run. Lord knows, we should probably be taking some of the Saints talent up to the Twins soon. But you're right Nash, Jordy Blaze (and I would add Ryan) are the two SP's the Twins really need to get their feet wet and show promise for 2022...IF 2022 is going to be something other than a 75-82 win season.

I'm with you tony&rodney. Oliva and Carew are my Fav's. Killebrew is the greatest. Here's my try: Carew 2B Puckett CF Mauer C Killebrew DH Oliva RF Gaetti 3B Bostock/Allison LF (platoon) Morneau/Hrbek 1B (tough call) Gagne SS Tovar (Utility) SP: Santana, Blyleven, Kaat RP: Nathan, Aguilara

I totally agree with the second opinion. Never "rush" into surgery of any kind unless necessary. If he's possibly going to miss the entire season next year, then a couple days or even a couple weeks don't matter. Be thorough, and proceed with caution. Assuming he's out all year next year, would this change the FO's plans for 2022 ? This opens up an entirely new range of issues for endless discussion on TD. One approach would be "heck, he was our #2 or #3, scrap any chance of contending in 2022, let's look at a LOT of young arms." That might be their approach already. The other would be to look at Maeda as a sunk cost for 2022, go out and sign/trade for a #1 (a Thor, Rodon, Gausman type) and then aim a little higher than a Dylan Bundy/Pineda type as a 2nd FA/Trade acquisition. Lineup is by and large intact with some minor tweaking so let's see what 2022 brings. Then, when Maeda comes back for 2023 you're that much deeper and you've seen what some of your young can or can't do. The problem is, unlike a team like the White Sox, that sees an off-season of opportunity and just flat out goes for it, the Twins have disappointed all the way back to the Santana, Mauer, Morneau years. So to expect them to get serious about our favorite baseball team would be expecting a philosophical awakening.

If 7/$80 is acceptable and the "incentives" are what's holding this up that is insane !!! Tie his incentives to games played. If Buxton PLAYS he will be "productive." In many ways. I would pay him up to $25 million a year with with games played incentives added in EASILY. Maybe more in years 6 & 7. As wise people on here have mentioned: We don't have anybody who is even close to a replacement in CF. If the Twins are going to have a prayer to be relevant and contend they need much better pitching...AND...BUXTON !! If Buxton gets hurt and doesn't play in the necessary games to attain various bonuses the Twins are PROTECTED. If he plays, he will be worth every dollar. Heck, Buxton being up gives me a reason to tune into or go to a game now. I'm certainly not engaging with anything Twins to see Jake Cave play !! When you look at what his last 153 games played line is, that's impressive. You load incentives tied to games played. If Buxton plays, he gets PAID ! If he doesn't, the Twins don't have a ton of guaranteed money like Mauer's contract weighing them down. This is NOT rocket science.

O.k. Tony&Rodney here's an example of what you're talking about based on MLB Trade Values. Twins get: Sandy Alcantara 25 years old 61.90 value Marlins get: Ryan Jeffers young catcher 27.9 value and Max Kepler OF'er 37.5 value. Cost controlled talent. Total Value: 65.40 I have the Twins slightly over-paying because Starting Pitching probably needs to be slightly over-paid for. I hate to give up what we're giving up, but we have Garver and Rortvedt (and Telis as well as Austidillo). Jeffers is an asset that should probably be heavily considered in off season moves. I hate to give up on Kepler, but maybe a change in scenery is what he needs. It frustrates me no end that with the entire left side of the infield WIDE OPEN Max is hitting .200. Miami needs offense and Max could bounce back in a big way for them. With Kiriloff, Larnach, Lewis and Martin we can make a move like this. The second potential deal with the Marlins would be Max Meyer 29.3 value acquired for Jeffers and Brent Rooker 3.3 value Total Value: Twins get 29.3. Marlins get 31.2. With the Universal DH coming and Rooker having undeniable power, this is a worthy gamble for the Marlins. They get their catcher of the future and a DH with POWER. We get a young pitching prospect with high upside. The question is how soon would Meyer be in the Big Leagues. The Marlins are loaded with pitching, so either Alcantara (who would head our rotation immediately) or Meyer (who would arrive at a to be determined date) would be hard for them to give up, but like us giving up Kepler and/or Jeffers the Marlins have the depth to seriously consider either of these moves.

I think Brandon's listing of the potential roster is a "starting point" that doesn't take into consideration what FA moves or trades the Twins could make. I think that was Brandon's intention, because what fun would there be if he laid out EVERYTHING leaving us nothing to talk about. I had a fairly long take on what the Pohlad's and FO (as well as Rocco) have for their upcoming off-season. In a nutshell: Last year the White Sox showed a real sense of urgency to compete. They needed a closer, and signed the BEST on the market, Liam Hendricks. We needed a closer. We signed Colome. They wanted better starting pitching and signed Lance Lynn and Dennis Keuchel. We signed Happ and Shoemaker. Etc...Etc... The White Sox passed us like a speeding bullet. Our off-season was an epic fail. And it's not the only time this FO has failed epically. How serious are the Pohlad's about their "investment" ?? We've been hearing ad-nauseum from our FO that there are no restrictions from the Pohlad's on payroll. Prove it. It's harder to get a Saints ticket than a Twins ticket. Is that what the Pohlad's consider "optimal" ??? Most of our lineup is indeed set. If they don't sign Buxton to a mutually agreeable extension then just sell the team boys. Your "investment" will crater. Baseball teams "contend" when they pitch. It's true for just about every team, ever. The Twins are no exception. We have a LOT of young, talented arms that have proven nothing at the major league level. Name a team team that has "contended" with the list of SP's that Brandon provided. I can't. Brandon did this intentionally to spur "conversation." They need a #1 and a #3 added to that SP rotation. They can let Dobnak and whoever rises to the top fill out #4 & #5. They need a proven CLOSER. (did you get my drift above on the contrast between us and the White Sox on who had a serious approach last off-season and who didn't)?? So a CLOSER and a reliable vet arm (ala Clippard-type but not limited to him) would help the BP immensely. Extend Taylor Rogers. Bring back Duffey. Some of the young arms can get their feet wet in the pen. Shortstop is something that can easily be filled with a Jose Iglesias/Freddy Galvis type, maybe Simmons (for a dirt cheap one-year deal). Give Lewis a year at AAA to get a better sense of his potential positional home. I had been very much in the camp to get a Trevor Story type SS. Not so much anymore. We need PITCHING. (the Dodgers deal for Trea Turner and Scherzer was brilliant. Watch Cory Seager shift to 3B and Justin Turner DH with Scherzer in their rotation for 2022. BRILLIANT) !! I look to bring in a new hitting coach with a particular focus on Kepler and Sano. I'm all for trading Sano for anyone who would take him for a bag of baseballs just to open up his $10-$12 to add more pitching. Failing that, he gets one more year to improve or I just cut bait. Same with Kepler. I stick with Larnach. I see potential but I see the holes. I think he'll work out. I keep Refsnyder. He plays hard and would be a good #4 outfielder. I think after the season he's had in AAA Miranda deserves a real shot at a big league roster spot. What else does he have to prove at AAA? I say goodbye to Cave, Garlick, Austidillo, and Rooker. If they find a way back to the Saints roster, fine. But I'm expecting moves and 40-man roster decisions where these guys (especially someone like Cave) don't deserve a "lifetime bench position" on a major league ballclub. Seriously, guys like this can be replaced without breaking a sweat. Gordon is AAA, nothing more. Guys like Martin and Lewis will be pressing soon enough. And there are a number of pitchers out of options that the twins can move on from. I noticed Canterino wasn't listed. Not sure if he's not at a high enough minor league level or was just missed but I am very high on his potential. He's in the mix for 2023 for sure, if not sooner depending on health and performance.

I kind of wonder why Buxton isn't just playing games for the Twins ?? If he's healthy enough to play, is he any more likely to get hurt playing in the majors or the minors ? I would say he's probably MORE likely to get hit by a AAA pitcher who still has "command issues." I realize this season is lost, but if he can play CF and take at bats for St. Paul, he should be in CF taking AB's for the TWINS. He doesn't need "practice." He's GOOD. Get Buck up to the Twins and say goodbye to Jake Cave.

Good Analysis Major League Ready. Thanks !!

Where does a guy like Griffen Jax fit into this equation ??

Versatility is the premium value nowadays. Balazovic AND Canterino (finally healthy) pitch today. I'll have to pay attention to the minor league scores to see how Wichita and Cedar Rapids do today.

The SS position will be the biggest decision the Twins FO makes in the off season, because it will have a domino effect on many other moves. Let's say they spend BIG and go for a Story or Baez. Infield "D" would be solid and the offense would pick up another bat (although with all the K's, is Baez really nothing more than a slightly better hitting version of Sano? Probably). And throwing THAT kind of money at one position negates the ability to do anything meaningful with the rest of the roster (does anyone want to do Happ/Shoemaker AGAIN??). If Gordon had ANY chance to be a SS for the Twins he'd be playing it NOW. Let's put a pin in that balloon. Guys like Lewis are "hoped" for but I've always seen him as an Outfielder and as has been pointed out, he really hasn't played for 2-years. His BEST hope is to somehow be a September call-up next year. That's his BEST Hope. I'm reading Martin is viewed more as an Outfielder, and I get the sense more as a 2B-Man than SS. Wander Javier has squandered any future as a Twins SS. So that leaves us with a kind of "status-quo" with Polanco being the best option. If there was no realistic option for 2B I'd just say "leave Polanco at 2B." I like what I've seen from him there. But Arraez belongs in the lineup and at the top of the order EVERY DAY (please Rocco, pull your head out of your...whatever...and put him there). As always, the key to Arraez is health, but his bat and on-base skills plus his ability to work pitchers means he needs to play. So, there is one obvious, affordable choice at SS that could play for 1-2 years, give us good "D" and a better than you think bat and that is Jose Iglesias. If there REALLY is a possibility Lewis could play SS then Iglesias is the guy to target, for a 2-3 year contract. If you're planning for now AND the future, Iglesias holds down Short for 1-2 years and finishes his last year as an IF utility guy. He has "value" but a reasonable contract could be fit in to the Twins budget for 2-3 years. The Angels don't need him. Fletcher or an upgrade could fill SS for them. If you sign Iglesias to a reasonable contract the Twins have THAT headache taken care off. Then they can focus on how they would like to attack their SP and BP needs in the short term (2022-2023) and how they can integrate the myriad of young arms they've got moving up in the system.

Matt Braun...I love your assessments. However, Rocco would have to smart enough, or willing to hit Arraez leadoff CONSISTENTLY and then also smart enough (or willing) to see Martin as the perfect #2. I'm fully on board with that. I just don't think Rocco has "gotten there" yet, and may never do so.

LOVE the comments and the debate is legit. My goodness we've acquired some interesting talent and had some prospects (Miranda) just "shoulder" their way to near the top of the list. I don't like to do this, because it will be perceived as "lazy" but I'm glad I'm commenting right after Doc Bauer. I agree with every point he made. I want to see Miranda up with the big club soon. Certainly by 9/1 or Labor Day. Play him at 3B and 2B and get him plenty of AB's. I want to see what he can do. Promote Ryan along the same timeline. Either start him, or give him the 8th inning. I want to see what he can do as well. I love Canterino's stuff, but he's not coming up, but Balazovic could/should get a start or three in September. Some of these guys that have missed a lot of time this season, I'd love to get some Winter Ball innings in if it's feasible. Duran, Canterino, even Balazovic. 40-man roster spots are going to be precious. We still have a winter-off season to get Buxton signed and determine whether we can compete next year. Guys like Thorpe/Smeltzer really do not factor in to any future plan.