PseudoSABR

Totally agree and times like that I tip my cap to the ACLU. If you want an example of when I have a problem: Boy Scouts. Now I deplore what the Boy Scouts do to homosexual boys as far as discrimination, but part of a free society is being able (to various degrees) to discriminate. As a private club, they have the right to make the guidelines of membership whatever they want. No matter how much we don't like that, it's an important line I don't want the government or anyone else crossing. Leviathan, I have great respect for your intelligence and reasoning, but I respectfully disagree. So long as the Boy Scouts are receiving tax-deductible contributions, it seems to me that they should not be allowed to discriminate against gays. When donors to the Boy Scouts take tax deductions, it effectively increases what other taxpayers must pay. In this way, the Boy Scouts are different from a private club, such as a country club. Members of country clubs don't get charitable deductions for supporting such clubs. But donors to the Boy Scouts are subsidized by other taxpayers. If the Boy Scouts want to stop sucking on the taxpayer teat by receiving tax deductible contributions, then I will not mind them discriminating. In the meantime, I resent indirectly subsidizing their discrimination. Right. Boy scouts can do as they please, but they shouldn't get a break, if they're going to discriminate. Honestly, charitable deduction is problematic altogether. Each charitable deduction just increases everyone elses tax burden in very undemocratic way. That donating to religious groups earns a tax deduction will never make any sense to me.

I just don't see these moves really working out for the Blue Jays; but we'll see.

Another way to read this, an optimistic way, is that most of the elite prospects should arrive in majors around the same time, giving the Twins a young nucleus to build around.

This.

By all means cite some examples of when one team has gone out and signed 2-3 of the top 7-10 FA starters in one offseason. Then we'll talk realistic. I don't doubt that the Twins "could" do this - I never said "impossible". I said insane and ridiculous because it was unrealistic. Again, you seem to have missed the point by imprinting your own interpretation. Which then got handed off to Nick to do the same errant interpretation. Look, you're placing ridiculous conditions on these supposed unrealistic blueprints. You're just strawmanning. The Twins realistically could acquire three competent starters in any number of ways. They can trade, resign, and yes use FA; and they might find great value in 10-15 of SPers that other teams don't see. No one, I mean no one, suggested that the Twins were going to sign three of the top seven free agent starters. No one said that. So just quit it.

Any other fallacies you want to throw out there? The market sets value. What you consider "overpaying" is far more subjective and less valuable as a measure. Oh, you're so fun to play shifty semantics with! Maybe we can play move the goal posts after?

Evidently the Twins overpaid for Josh Willingham last offseason according the collective board logic of the day.... Outbidding and overpaying don't necessarily equate to the same thing, although often they do.

Absolutely intentional. It takes a lot of smug to pass Nick. That said, goes back to my point - all the predictions were ridiculous wishlists - not realistic. Just to recap: I suggest the offseason "rebuild to contend" posts were ridiculous and insane because they were unrealistic and wishful, get called out for being too harsh and that most people didn't think that, post just a small sample of a much richer pile of evidence to prove that plenty of people did, then get told all of those things were unrealistic and wishful. Right where I started. I'd say wishful, but not unrealistic. It's certainly within the realm of possibility for the Twins to spend money on FA and even make some cost-effective signings. Wishful, sure.

What would you say its DORP is? fDORP or bDORP? Well done, guys.

So, basically you're saying the forum has been without substantive analysis for the last month or more and should be seen as nothing more than a series of 6 year old-esque Santa wishlists that shouldn't be taken seriously? In that case, we're in total agreement - thank you for making my initial point about how ridiculous those hopes were. This post is excessively douchey, even for you.

26 mil for a non-CF Torii Hunter. Have at it, Detroit.

It's the internet. You're not really surprised.

Missed the point bud. Most of this thread is saying "I can't believe they paid him that!" Welcome to free agency. Hence why the idea of solving this team's pitching woes there was ridiculous from the start. Oh, I got the point. But overpaying for damaged goods probably wouldn't be part of any good plan; so while I agree with you generally, I'm not sure the Baker signing is indicative of your point. The Twins could spend money, even overpay, for quality pitching. Will they? Probably not.

I can't imagine this working out for the Jays.

Agreed. Thyros was given ample opportunity to walk his claims back; he responded with cheeky arrogance.

Well, if that insanity included Baker as one of the "good" three starters....

It's no surprise that you would "read" Baker not signing with the Twins as part of the narrative you continue to promote: that Twins are awful. No one's surprised or impressed with your "reading." Baker probably went after the money. If he was concerned about winning, he'd have signed somewhere other than with the Cubs. Obviously.

The Cubs must think he'll have some trade value by midseason, otherwise I don't really get it from their end. 5.5 guaranteed is excessive. The lack of option years is troubling. If this is the deal the Twins gave Baker, I'd hoped we'd be pretty upset.

No. He's a schmuck. It's fine to be smart, but he's so sanctimonious it rubs the wrong way.

Seems pretty awful for the Braves. They get Span and crap.

Star Tribune Sports ‏@StribSports RT @gcrev: Beat change at @StribSports: Baseball writer@JoeCStrib will cover #Gophers football in 2013. @MillerStrib moves to #Twins.

Here's the tweet, Parker misrepresents the part about needing a RH bat in return a bit. #Braves would also have interest in LF Willingham, but #Twins at this point seem unlikely to trade, would need to replace RH bat in lineup

[h=2]Cheer Up, Republicans[/h][h=1]You’re going to have a moderate Republican president for the next four years: Barack Obama.[/h]

Bronco Bama wins.

Yikes! I was trying to be realistic. The Twins would totally make a deal like this.