Thrylos

Not.Even.Close. Jimmy Rollins had 20+ HRs and 30+ SB 5 times his career, including 30+ HRs and 40+ SB once. 8 seasons of 3.5+ fWAR and 3 seasons of 5+ fWAR. 1 MVP, 3 gold gloves and career 3.5 UZR/150 (peak 15.1) at SS. Career 49.4 fWAR. Rollins was a superstar. I'd be happy if Gordon gets close, but I don't even see him stick at SS...

Divine intervention à la Johan Santana Regardless what they do during the deadline, I hope they go hard after Michael Pineda during free agency...

Why? The Padres traded Jake Peavy to the WSux for Dexter Carter, Aaron Poreda (#63 BA), Clayton Richard and Adam Russell. Only one top 100 guy and much lower ranked than Gordon If you look at the KC Tampa trade: James Sheilds and Wade Davis for Patrick Leonard, Mike Montgomery (MLB #31), Will Myers (MLB #19), Jake Odorizzi (MLB #47) and subtract Wade Davis and at least on of the top 100 players on the other, you will see that the talent is pretty similar to that of Gordon, Gonsalves, Kirilloff

No he is not. He is a bona fide rising prospect. Sano is a bona fide rising star. Cannot call a guy who is performing well in AA in his first season with OPS >,721 a star, by any means. And his .825 OPS, is less than Buxton's .830 in AA, and we know how well Buxton is hitting in the bigs... Anothing thing that bothers me is his career 63/94 SB (9/12 this season). He should be doing better than that. Also there have been issues with his glove and most people do not think that SS will be his future position. The Twins have a glut of middle infielders in front and after him and they should sell high from a position of oversupply to get top of the rotation pitching. On the other hand, the 3 names mentioned are not what I would consider top of the rotation pitching. Quintana is a solid #3 pitcher in a championship team, Gray is getting there and Straily is a big questionmark with 4.11 and 4.23 ERA the last 2 seasons against the AL. I would not trade Gordon for any of them. I would not trade within the division to start with. Straily will likely require less to acquire because his inconsistency over the years, but he is pitching over his head against NL opponents. If someone like Archer, Stroman, or Carlos Martinez is available, then I would trade Gordon in a heartbeat. Otherwise he might look good as Dozier's replacement down the road.

I suspect that Molitor is part of the reason here. Looking at teams attempts/opportunity will not get you anywhere, because the Twins have at least a few non threats (Mauer, Vargas, Sano etc.) Interestingly enough, the Twins are tied for 9th in SB in the majors FWIW

Here is the thing: Buxton is right on top of the league in SB success, but right in the middle of the pack in attempting to steal. Career numbers: Buxton: 146 Opportunities (*) (H+BB-2B-3B-HR), 28 SB, 5 CS, 33 attempts, 22.6% attempt, 87.5 % SB success Hamilton: 460 opp , 222 SB, 45 SB, 267 att, 58% attempt, 83.1 % SB success Dyson 465 Opp, 196 SB, 35 CS, 231 att, 49.6% attempt, 84.8% success Turner: 171 opp, 70 SB, 14 CS, 84 att, 49.1% attempt, 83.3 % SB success Gordon: 724 Opp, 250 SB, 71 CS, 321 att, 44.3% attempt, 77.9% SB success Broxton: 125 opp, 41 SB, 10 CS,51 att, 40% attempt, 80.3% SB success Andrus 1486 Opp, 261 SB, 90 CS, 351 att, 23.6% attempt, 74.4% SB success Maybin: 839 Opp, 156 SB, 39 CS, 194 att, 23.1% attempt, 80.4% success Betts: 488 Opp, 69 SB, 15 CS, 84 att, 17.2% attempt, 82.1% SB success J. Ramirez: 394 Opp, 52 SB, 17 CS, 69 att, 17.5% attempt, 75.3% SB success Billy Hamilton goes for it 60% of the time he has an opportunity. Dyson and Trea Turner about half of the time. And Buxton is much more effective base stealer. He tries to steal at the rate of Elvis Andrus who is a pretty horrible base stealer. His attempts have to be close to 50% for the kind of speed he has. (*) The calculation of "opportunities" is ballpark and simplified, because it does not reflect the number of times the base ahead of him was occupied. By subtracting double (which is an opportunity to steal third) and not adding HBP, I kinda balance the two. Just looking for a quick way of calculating.

Well, this is true in the high minors. Big reason for this is that a lot of the young "hitting reinforcement" is in the bigs already. Sano, Buxton, Kepler, Polanco are yet to enter their prime. While they will be entering their prime, they can be supplemented by Gordon (in Dozier's spot) and Garver. Maybe LaMonte Wade. After those 3, ETA 2019 or so you got (random order) Lewin Diaz, Luis Arraez, Jermaine Palacios, Jaylin Davis and 2020 or so Wander Javier, Travis Blackenhorn, Akil Baddoo. There is a pipeline, but there are some gaps, esp. at the OF, but I suspect that some of these infielders could be converted to OFs at some point fairly painlessly. There are not (m)any "top-100" names, but not many national prospect writers spend much time in Ft. Myers, E-town or Cedar Rapids... C'est la vie

The magic number of the core 4 is 4. That's the number of seasons of collective team control for all of them, including 2017. I would think that it will be almost impossible for the Twins to be able to extend all 4 for longer (unless they are willing to extend Sano starting next season.) So they really need to retool and make sure that they are building a team that can contend in the post-season in the next 4 years. I would add Polanco to the core for sure. He is just slumping the last month or so and is hitting better than Buxton

Because Santana is regressing rapidly towards his 4.68 season FIP. His ERA last month was 5.38. Despite that, his .217 BABIP and 83.6% LOB% are not sustainable. This might be the highest value Santana has and I think that we have seen the best of him. If you can get a couple of good young arms, one you can plug in the rotation right away and one at the end of the pen, you do it. If Santana's ERA from now on is at the 5s and 6s, you can definitely win in 2017 and 2018... And let's not forget that the guy is a half a UCL or another PED positive from giving the Twins nothing...

I have not change my mind on this. I think that the Twins should be both buyers and sellers and make adjustments that can help them both in 2017 and in the long run. Things I would do: -I would knock on the Pirates' door to see whether Buxton (.663 OPS last month) can fetch Starling Marte (28 and under team control until age 32 season in a reasonable contract and the last 2 seasons with team options) and Felipe Rivero (25 and under team control for 4 seasons). That will give the Twins a gold glove CF and lead of option who actually gets on base and steals some, and a real closer. -I would knock on the Yankees' door to see whether Santana (5.34 ERA last month) can fetch Jordan Montgomery (24, 6 seasons of team control) and Giovanny Gallegos. (25, 6 seasons of team control). Montgomery jumps into Santana's spot in the rotation and Gallegos at the set up role. - I would knock on Milwaukee's door to see whether Dozier (.645 OPS last month) can fetch someone like Corbin Burnes (22) and Freddy Peralta. (21). Both of those guys go to AA and Nick Gordon comes up to replace Dozier as the Twins' second baseman - Go for a rental starter that will not cost an arm and a leg. Matt Moore (28) might be an interesting target there, since he can be a free agent after this season and has 2 team options. Change of a scenery guy that might just take another change of a scenery guy (Santiago) to get him. - Sell High on Kintzler and get the best prospect package you can get. That will give the Twins a rotation of Berrios, Montgomery, Mejia, Moore, Gibson, a lineup of Marte, Mauer, Sano, Vargas, Kepler, Polanco, Rosario, Castro, Gordon, and a pen of Rivero, Gallegos, Rogers, Hughes, Duffey and two rotating pieces with the minors. The pen and the lineup will be a definite improvement and the rotation a likely improvement esp. with short leash on Gibson and Moore who both have options.

$ is not the issue during the season. The cost of prospects for a rental is.

.360 BABIP, 45.6 % LOB and 14.3 % HR/FB makes me think that he will improve and his ERA might regress close to his low 5s SIERA and xFIP. That would make him the 4th best pitcher for the Twins this season Uffda (on both counts) The other side of this equation will depend on what Flavine decide to do with Santiago who is the one that Colon effectively replaces and saves pitchers like Jorge and Turley from being embarrassed Which actually makes me think that it is a temporary measure and (hopefully) if the team looks to be close enough in the deadline, they will go after better pitching. In other ways, it is a lot like the Steve Carlton signing back in '87, and I have nothing bad to say about that signing, so I better not horribly dislike this...

Felipe Rivero, Addison Reed, Tyler Thornburg, for starters. And that is not hindsight. Go look at the relief leaders of 2016 for K-BB% and pick the non-closers. Simple. How much? I don't care, but even a couple of pen prospects would worth the cost.

That may have anything to do with FA relievers but nothing to do with trades. For example: The Red Sox got Kimbrell \a couple seasons ago at his age 27 season for a song from the Padres. He had no choice in the matter.

Last time I checked, the Astros came to the Twins' home and swept them with the closest game being a 5 run deficit for the Twins. That's about the credit I give them...

a. Giving up Dozier is not a bad thing necessary. Not sure that Gordon as a replacement will not put better numbers overall that Dozier's league average 101 OPS+ and below league average -2.5 UZR b. Getting to the post season as a wild card team without any plan for long term winning it all will give you about as much possibility of wining as practically not being there. Ask the Twins of the 00s if you don't believe me. Been there done that, should learn something from it. c. One bullpen arm, even though better than no arm, would not close all of the Twins holes towards getting to the postseason and going far in it. And potentially that single arm could be Curtiss, Bard, Reed etc. d. By doing a half-rear end buyer posturing, also will be conceding 2017 but would also have the team miss the opportunity of selling high on older players and building for 2018. If between them Santana, Kintzler, Dozier, Gimenez etc etc could bring an MLB-ready arm that can be plugged in behind Berrios, a corner OF type of player who would be MLB-ready and a late inning bullpen prospect, the Twins will be better in 2018 (esp. if they go after a young SP free agent like Pineda) and might even be better in 2017 getting youth in those positions...

I am all for improving, but you got to get a rotation arm at the Berrios level, a couple of arms better than Kintzler in the pen and at least one, maybe 2 bats in order to have a chance against the Astros in the post season. If they are willing to do all of that, have at it. I am just done with half rear end "improvement" jobs and living on a prayer for the rest

The question that the Twins should be asking is whether Neshek and/or Hand will make them beat the Astros in the post-season when their top 4 SPs will be Santana, Berrios, Mejia and Gibson, and the collective team OPS+ is 96 (and 90 the last month.) If not, they should either do (a lot) more, or be sellers and promote within hoping that the young arms will make a positive difference. In the list of the names mentioned among Twins' minor leaguers, I would add Luke Bard who is finally pitching up to his ability (61 K in 38 IP) All or none. Not half rear-end again. And Neshek and/or Hand alone would be just that.

Not that fast. It would have been a bullpen day today for Santiago. 8 pitches so far. If he gets yanked unreasonably early, he might still start

Slegers started for Rochester when Santiago did, then Turley yesterday so he is out. Gee is slated to start today, so it is wait and see if he makes the start. Gonsalves started when Santiago did for the Lookouts, with Romero the day before. No announced starter yet for the Lookouts. If Gee starts today, he is not it, and looks like Romero might be it with an extra day rest. Or Jorge with an extra day rest. Who starts the AAA game tonight will be telling...

To call him up in September he needs to be on the 40-man before September, thus burning an option.

Yes they should. Maybe. But would they? Cutting Santiago is going to happen sooner than later, I'd rather see one of Jorge or Romero (both of 40 man) replace him, but it looks like it will be Gee who is 2 years older than Santiago. Gibson pitched well the last time out, and below average previously. He is your typical end of rotation type starter who seems to over think things. Will his stuff play better out of the pen? Will be intriguing to see because he can tough 94-95 in the rotation, so he should be a couple notches higher in the pen. A conversion like this happens better in the offseason. So you got Santiago outta here and Gibson in the pen and replace them, ideally with Jorge and Romero (but likely with Gee and Turley based on past experience.) Are Jorge and Romero ready? Will they give the Twins better posibility of winning games than Santiago, Gibson, Gee, or Turley? That's what the Twins' brass has to decide. I think that we have seen enough of Santiago to say that he should go. As for the rest I am not sure. This is not 2016, if the season ended today, they are in a tie for a play in game. At this point, I'd rather see them go out and get a rental that can pencil in on top of the rotation, it will give them a better possibility to win than other options, and try to find who would be the best 5th pitcher by trial and error, among the 4 mentioned. If Romero breaks through and pitches the way we hope he can pitch, I'd consider that a bonus, but I would not count on it.

Rodriguez is a pretty intriguing guy. Super doubtful that he can make the majors as a starter (he has 2 pitches only), but he can as a reliever and given the fact that he can play OF pretty well, he might be an intriguing double switch 7th inning guy.

Glad for both. Hope this increases Santana's value as a trading chip.

Signed for under $150K. He attacks the plate with 3 pitches that he has excellent command over. Velo does not matter (it is 90-91) since it is guaranteed to increase as he grows up. Graterol picked about 8 mph in 2 years and that after TJ surgery. He is 6-3, 170 and will grow and fill up.