Thrylos

Arcia is about 5'10" (listed at 6'.) No way he is playing first.

Are we talking about the same BBWAA who on one hand deny Bagwell entry on suspicion of PED use while on the other do not take Braun's MVP trophy away after proven PED use?

I understand your point, but the current regime has proved that they cannot do that either. In 2006 they had a young core of 7 pitchers (Baker, Blackburn, Bonser, Garza, Liriano, Perkins, Slowey - alphabetically) who thought that they will be the core of the Twins' rotation for at least the next 6-7 years. Here we are 7 years later and what became of this young core? A single closer. Major failure (and no accountability). And the Twins have been paying for it the past 3 seasons (and probably more, if things will not change.) I just do not trust this group to build a balance team from within... And as for all the "priced" prospects in the organization: They still need 2-3 good starting arms. They do not have them, so building within is not much of an option...

Just wondering how many minor league games the guy who wrote this attended in person, not to even consider whether he has seen any of these players he lists play. This is why I just don't get these type of articles.Just taking a top 100 prospect list, shorting it by position and picking the top on each position does not add anything new to the discussion...

+1 but the Twins are not using trash diving to supplement their club. They are using it to build it these days with Ryan at the helm. I am just convinced that Ryan is not willing to pay $15 to bring in a single good player who will have a positive impact with the club, but instead he will spend that to overpay 3-4 mediocre players who will have negative impact.

Would it then make sense to get the retention pond closer to the fields, instead of close to a major sporting site and within a city? Move it by RSW

Check this write up out about Davis. A great summary of his performance and abilities. The problem I have with Davis is that he seems to be an injury and misfortune magnet. He still does not have a single season without something happening to him. Not sure that it is worth any money. At this point, I think that the Twins should play Parmelee/Colabello until the end of the year then invite Kennys Vargas to the ST and have all 3 of them fight for the position. Also I assume that Mauer will probably get at least 50 starts there in 2014.

Glad the planning has stopped and the construction will start as soon as the Miracle season is over. I have been to several standing room only crowds down there and it can get pretty hectic. I think that the wrap around porch will be fun. I suspect lots of people will buy standing room tickets just for the bar and for catching BP HRs. Been to Port Charlotte and those are some of the best seats. Will be fun to see what will change next spring. took me a while to think about where that "water retention pond" was and realized that he was referring to that mosquito breeding ground south of the complex by the county softball fields. Hallelujah that will be gone. One thing that needs to be mentioned: The approval of these changes (and the county funding securing) took place a while ago. It "cost" the Twins an renewal of the lease for another 30 years, which means that the Miracle, their GCL team, instructional league and ST facilities are set for another generation. And with the Nationals about to occupy the City of Palms (the facility the Red Sox abandoned to move to their new place) in a couple years, Fort Myers (if it were not) will be the place to be come Spring...

Carew immigrated with his family to NYC from Panama when he was a young teen and went to high school here, so he kinda does not belong to that list because he grew up here and his cultural adjustment to pro balls was zero, unlike some of the Latin kids. The Twins need Latin coaches as well and support for these kids. Still think that it is a shame that they were trotting around Ryo as Nishi's translator, while there was not a single Spanish speaker in the Twins' staff (other than Jerry, who was not fluent...) to help the young Latin kids like Gomez and Guzman and Rivas and Casilla. That was a mistake that I hope the Twins do not repeat. At least now they do have a single quasi-native Spanish speaker (Bobby Cuellar is a Texan Hispanic.)

Give it another 5-6 years and then we can talk about it... Too darn early. Catcher or no catcher. If he does not play another game, he is not a Hall of Famer right now. If he keeps it up for another 5-6 years, I think that he may be close. Point of reference: Mauer has a career 44ish WAR. Piazza has 59ish. And Piazza was not a first ballot HOFer. Fisk's is 68.3, Bench's 75.2, Carter's 69.8 (Berra's btw is a 59.3) Pudge's WAR is 68.3 also, and I think that he will make it... So Mauer needs a good 25WAR, which means 5 5-WAR seasons. This season he has a 5.1 WAR, his MVP year was 7.8. So he has his work cut of for him to be included in the discussion with those 4... Just being objective here, but it is too early to tell...

This rotation, minus Meyer will lose 90+ games this season... Do you think that Meyer will add 15-20 games on his own? I think that they need 3 FA pitchers better than Correia, let him slide into the 4th spot, have Meyer/Gibson/May/Worley fight for the 5th, and once Correia is gone by mid-season, slide another one to his spot, if he deserves it. Lincecum, Johnson, Nolasco, Garza, Haren, Hughes, Jimenez (has option), Lester (has option), Ervin Santana, etc. Pick 3, but don't pick bottom feeders like the Correias and Marcums and Macohlms of the world... Anything else will be 85-100 loss territory again...

I think that 1) is a no-brainer and I suspect (knock on wood and the concussion issue is resolved) that C will be shared equally between Mauer, Pinto and Herrman (that's about 55 games at C for Mauer in 2014) until one of the kids grabs the opportunity and runs with it, which will move Mauer at 1B (with potentially being an 'emergency' C in 2015.) 2) I see no reason in hey, other than selling tickets, to move Sano to the majors this September. He will be invited to ST, where I hope he wins the job. Plouffe, can be a Cuddyer-like super utility guy, playing 1st, DH and the OF. Hopefully 3) This is ridiculous. Not only Herrmann and Pinto will be blocked, but Pierzynski is older than Doumit and the Twins should be getting rid of Doumit first. So... one out of three, is kinda bad...

not official.

never is too long. The MN iteration of the franchise was the biggest free agent spending team before the 1991 season and they signed one of their own free agents (Kirby) to the largest free agent contact ever a season after that. Do not confuse the Ryan years with "ever".

Allegedly the Pirates' GM said to the Pittsburgh press that the PTBNL is "significant". A couple speculative names thrown around from the Pittsburgh side are 25 year old LHSP Jeff Locke (who has been up and down for a couple years now and is not shown on these lists) who can actually strike people out a bit, consistently throws a fastball in the 90s, does not walk many and induces a ton of ground balls (Sounds like a typical Twins' guy, but better) and LHB 24 year old OF/1B Andrew Lambo (who also is not on these lists). He is a big strong kid with a big swing (32 HR, 99 RBI this season with close to .300 isoP in AAA) who the Twins might think they can plug into 1B ahead of Colabello or Parmelee next season. I thought that the Twins will go P, but this might make sense as well... Another point of interest: Ryan watched all 4 games of Rochester vs. Indianapolis (the Pirates' AAA team) last week or so. Starting pitchers were Jameson Tailon (No way, too good), Brandon Cumpton (possible), Andy Oliver (possible, and, yes, the Twins drafted him, and you know how they like to get people who they drafted but did not sign), and Kris Johnson (no way, too old.) Duke Welker, another possibility, finished two of the four games got 5 Ks in 2.1 IP, surrendering one hit and a BB. He is a closer now, but is a converted starter, who is throwing in mid to high 90s Lambo hit a HR and a single in the first game and then got recalled to the majors. Presley (the guy who was named) played in a couple of games and did ok... I am on the road right now, but when back in PA next week, might get some more info from there (because the Twins do not talk.)

win-win situation. I suspect that the PTBNL is the key here, and likely a AA/AAA pitcher on the Pirates' 40-man roster. Presley was a throw in, since he was a AAAA OF who was going to be a MiLB type FA after the season was done... Equivalent of Thomas for the Twins.

He has been pretty much the same pitcher he has been the last 2 years in Colorado, if you normalize for his BABIP (.245) this season. Another guy the Twins should sell high this off-season (unfortunately the missed the boat with Fien) because there are better options in the minors (Tonkin, Achter etc...) 6.3 K/9 do not cut it as a reliever.

That would be Rosanne. No e

Are you sure about that? Must be all the World Series rings... FACT: Ryan has been the Twins' GM twice. Both times his teams had worse record than his predecessor's.

for starters: Matt Garza Dan Haren Phil Hughes Ubaldo Jimenez Josh Johnson Jon Lester Tim Lincecum Ricky Nolasco Edinson Volquez Lester and Jimenez have options that they may decline. Not a bad list, and there are secondary pitchers available either aging veterans like Hudson, Halladay et al, or mid range like Maholm.

Not sure that I can say that Deibinson Romero has been overlooked in the organization. He was added to the 40 man roster a few years ago to be protected and was invited to the ST this season. I like him a lot and I think that the Twins know what they have in him. I am really not that high on Beresford as some people are. I've seen him play a few times now. And all I can think is Dinkelman or Tolleson. Despite the allegations of a great glove. Grimes is having a great season, but he is at least a couple of levels below his age group. I want to see what he can do in New Britain, where he should be age-wise Hard to omit Kennys Vargas in the most overlooked list. He should be in New Britain and in Rochester next season. I'd probably add Matt Koch and Evan Bigley in the list as well. Heck, I overlooked Bigley until last season as well. And unfortunately he has been injured most of this season, but I think that he's got it...

At this point, just getting rid of Willingham (letting the Orioles take him for nothing) is a win for the Twins, since a. Arcia/Parmelee will be unblocked, b. give some young players more playing time in 2013 and c. the Twins will save $9M that they can put towards a real starting pitcher for 2014. I cannot see any negatives about letting him go at this point. The past is past and Ryan should had traded him last off-season and it was a mistake he did not. I hope that he does not make the same mistake twice, but it is Ryan we're talking about...

One of the (very few) things that Ryan has done correctly lately, has been keeping Blackburn and his salary (the highest paid P in the Twins) in the minors. Same with Nishioka and his salary. I think that if Doumit does not perform, he will follow the example... But for a couple of weeks earlier this season (before his concussion) Doumit was the Twins' best player. Give that to this manager and he will continue playing him (as Brock said...)

If it will happen (and should happen) will not be in 2014. It will be in a Caribbean Winter league, maybe supplemented with instructs and will continue in ST. Since he is hitting RH anyways, there will be no mechanical adjustments, just learning how to pick up the ball off a RHP's hand. And this can be done in a batting cage. And as a matter of fact, he has already been hitting as a righty off righties during BP, when the next team starts a LHP. Not that huge of an adjustment. I think that it is overdue in a lot of respects and I am surprised that the Twins (being such a LHB-rich team) did not make the switch earlier. But remember who the MiLB Director was...

Amazing. He looks like a different guy. Major change. Here is how he looked late in his first Spring Training with the Twins (2012) And that was after he lost weight from training: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7098/7022468801_d4f3a60aba_b.jpg