PseudoSABR

It seems like the rankings are based on two factors: [A] Present value to the Twins + Trade value (I think trade value incorporates potential/decline) Cron has plenty of present value but no trade value. Gordon has little present value, and his trade value, while higher than Cron's isn't what it was. Javier has no present value, but his trade value (once he's healthy) would--at least in Nick's opinion--eclipse both Gordon's present+trade value, and Cron's present value.

Those that admire the market's ability to develop competition for production of a particular commodity need to accept that the nature of producing this commodity--healthcare--does not create competition among providers no matter how much the market is unfettered. The reasons for this are manifold, but here's a few things that jump to mind: 1) there is no bargaining power for emergency procedures 2) providers have exclusive information about the quality, necessity and cost of a product/service, again denying consumers bargaining power 3) the results of any service/product is often far removed from the first purchase of that product/service (i.e. how long before you realize your surgeon was crappy (if ever), or that the medicine your taking isn't working?) 4) hospitals function as regional monopolies 5) the private insurance model makes it virtually impossible to even shop around for a pcp, what with a closed network of doctors for any given plan 6) patent laws 7) organizations like the AMA create parallel conduct and under cut competition among doctors. Not to mention that for-profit model creates something of a paradox for healthcare providers, as providing an expensive, life-long treatment is almost always more profitable than a one-time cure; whether it's the executives of a hospital or a pharmaceutical, they have an fiduciary duty to pursue the more profitable route. Single-payer won't solve all these problems or all of the cost inflating problems in healthcare generally, but it will prevent multiple layers of companies and individuals from skimming as much profit as possible at every level of each medical transaction, and it will take away some of the horrible incentives to not pursue inexpensive quick remedies.

Those rating show how tribal the American viewers are. 1.5M viewers for each of MSNBC and Fox, and then 1M for CNN.

Under this logic, every free agent signing would be a poor one. In any case, Seattle has been shedding salary not adding it this off season.

One year deal with an option. Ideal. Let Austin and Cron battle for the 1B spot in ST, and then cut bait with one.

They acquired a bunch of tradeable assets who may have more value at the trade deadline, given that there will be less money owed on their contracts, or even the Reds' willingness to eat the contracts. I imagine they could get better prospects than the ones they gave up.

Regardless of what voters wanted in 2016; the 2018 election was a repudiation on those voter's desires. Trump may have had some wiggle room shortly after taking office, but after a losing election and two years later? I don't think so.

Trump promised Mexico would pay for the wall. That he's now shutting down the government to pay for it shows how much he's jumped the shark. There is no mandate for his action.

I kinda like that signing for them. Especially the length, even if high AAV.

Keith Law doesn't hate the Twins! Woo hoo!

I've seen this floated on twitter and message board, but I haven't seen it sourced/reported any where. Kelly would be a heck of a candidate.

It certainly helped that Kushner's father is currently in prison, and reportedly he led the charge. This is a great first step, but so much more needs to be done both at the federal and esp. at the state level. But the Florida felons-can-vote vote shows that the public has an appetite for scaling back the harshness of our current criminal justice practices.

Is this sarcasm? It's nearly the same length with the same AAV; perks aside.

Normally, I'd agree. But I don't have much confidence in the AZ Dems putting forward a strong candidate. Sinema was something of an anomaly. I also thing McSally will conduct herself as a moderate while in the Senate, which should attract the voters who've been electing McCain and Flake. But then she does risk getting primaried.

Ugh. Ducey nominates McSally to fill Kyl/McCain's seat.

The Twins have three potential 2019 FAs locked into their rotation, bringing in a make-due-one-year guy makes little sense, unless the deal is more than one year. If they are going to add to their rotation they need to bring in someone they can rely on more than this season. I'm not sure how competitive the Twins will be this year, given that, I hope we can figure out what we have in Meija, Romero, Gonsalves, Stewart, even Thorpe. In the 2019 offseason, they'll have as many as FOUR spots to fill, and we need to know what internal options we have. Honestly, it's a difficult position for the front office, but I think they need to see what they've got. (That said, if Pomeranz or Bucholz is brought in on a very low deal and no guarantee, I'm fine with it; especially if such would lead to a trade, say, of Ordorrizi(sp?)).

IIRC, they offered him a hundred million dollar contract. That's not a low ball, though it didn't get the job done.

Awesome. I wonder how the exchange between pooches took place. Poodle was having some trouble but I'm sure s/he figured it out.

If we offer the best deal, he may take it. He may realize that if we fall out of contention, he'll likely be traded to a contender. (Still don't see him signing with us)

I don't really buy that the Twins are in on Cruz....it would really surprise me should we sign him.

https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2018/12/14/lin-wang-charles-barkley I've always liked Chuck, but this makes me even more of a fan.

I haven't looked at the ruling, but my guess it's a crock of pppp. It's fair to be worried, but I think an unfavorable outcome is unlikely.

Your reading seems awfully strained to me. (That the Democrats are "smart" is not mutually exclusive to Republicans being smart too). It is a burden if you can't bring to bear your education and intellectual accomplishments for fear of being framed as speaking down to people. Anti-intellectualism is abhorrent. Yes, humility is important, but it's also a great thing to have really smart and educated people running things as important as our government (case and point POTUS). Somehow, conservatives evade criticism of elitism when bragging about their business and wealth accomplishments, and literally speak down to everyone. (Trump isn't the only example of this, simply the most salient; the talking-down-rhetoric is what Rush Limbaugh has been doing for a generation). There's something more going on here than a lack of humility that the conservative base decries intellect so consistently. I mean how did Ben Sasse ever get elected to the Senate, with gasp, a PhD from Yale (conservatives are fine with their own elites, it's just the other tribe's elites they have a problem with).

Since we've been debating the issue; here's CNN's most recent rankings https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/13/politics/2020-rankings-presidential/index.html

The heart