Thrylos

Same reason they did not drop Perkins the last couple seasons: insurance reasons.

I'd probably put both Turley and Rosario at 2. Rosario is not someone who is missing bats and Turley a.has had 10 seasons to find his control and it is still lost, and b. his K% did not translate in the majors. Still, I'd given up on Boshers and Slegers as well. They are both replacement level and I hope that someone worthwhile does not leave the organization because they occupy spots on the 40-man roster. Need to add Liam Hendricks to the list with Hicks and Swarzak.

That pick will be given up only if they sign one of the following: Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, Jake Arrieta, Wade Davis, Lance Lynn, Alex Cobb, Greg Holland and Carlos Santana I think that they can sign better free agents and avoid giving that pick away. Or (what a concept) trade some of the previous years' picks, and some veterans for better players.

He is 25+. In 2017 he had 6.46 ERA, 5.70 FIP, 5.3 K/9, 3.5 BB/9. If he improves all by a point in 2018 (5.46 ERA, 4.7 FIP, 6.3 K/9, 2.5 BB/9,) he still will be replacement level. BTW, his best season was 2015 at the Fort (other than his rookie season.) He went downhill 2016 and improved slightly in 2017.

The one fallacy about this is that they projections totally discount their 2017 MLB numbers, it seems. Jacob Turner who is rated so high pitched 39 innings for the Nationals with 5.3 K/9, 3.46 BB/9, 5.08 ERA and 5.88 FIP. That's horrible. Worse than eg. Buddy Bo, who does not belong in a major league competitive team.

Some of those could potentially be better than Slegers who is the definition of replacement level. These guys do not need to be on the 40-man roster unless they make the team. And if they do, it will mean that they beat the Slegers, Duffeys, Curtisses and Presslys of the world, which gives them their spot.

The Cardinals did the same thing a few years ago. Cannot remember the kid's name, but he did not live to his original billing. Vision, too.

The one who took an 84 win team to 101 wins.

Congrats, but he was not worth it. Unless someone wants to give him a pass for the 103 Loss team that he also led. Net change from 2015 = 2 games. That a MoY should does not make. If anything, he deserved it more in 2015. And if someone thinks that the 103 losses in 2016 was because of the front office only, that someone should be asking for Antony's (the GM for half the season) head.

Tapani and Aguilera won the Twins the 1991 World Series. The one prospect did not pan out, so what?

(I assume "here" is MN and not SF) Lemme see: He is from the St Fernando Valley. He lives and works in Miami. Why would anyone in their right mind abandon all that and go to Minnesota to be shown as a dog and/or pony in the Winter Caravan in every little Podunk, ND, SD, and MN, for a month with ridiculous weather? Same $ for him. Were me, I'd rather be sipping mojitos in South Beach in January.

Need to add Tonkin to balance that trade. Rats!

His deal is pretty interesting. Signed thought 2020 for $4.5, 5, and 5M, but he can opt for arbitration and potentially cost more. Will be 28 soon. He was once a starter, did decently, and has 3 pitches. Wonder whether the Twins are looking at him as a starter. Cinci will be looking for long term assets, so this might be a good match

Nova is a pitch to contact type. He does not miss too many bats and the Twins need pitchers who do so. Pass. On the other hand, plenty of quality in Pittsburgh, for the Twins to work out a trade.

Yeah. Saw that a while ago. That was scary. Hope he is ok. Seemed to more all digits ok. (But he had no business being where he was in that play, to play devil's advocate.) And my first thought was "nice tackle"... 'tis the time of the year

Interestingly enough, I finished the second part of my blueprint with a trade based on Dozier and Santana (and a few more pieces) that lands the Twins a legitimate Ace. Here.

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ----------- My premise this off-season is for the Twins to be competitive deep in the 2018 post-season, they need 2 starters better than Berrios, and at least 3 relievers better than what they have now. A few days ago, I discussed three free agents who can play a vital role in the Twins' 2018 pen. Unfortunately, unless someone believes that the Shohei Otani lottery ticket will land on the Twins' lap (it still could, btw; I just don't like living on a prayer,) there are no suitable free agent pitchers who fit this bill, as far as starters go. So the Twins have to trade for two top of the rotation pitchers. As far as who their first trade partner to accomplish this would be, I was crystal clear. As far as who their target should be, I was not, until I had an epiphany. There is a great synergy for the New York Mets to be the Twins' trading partner again. The Twins traded both Frank Viola and Johan Santana to the Mets, in trades that met both teams' needs needs (albeit the Gardenhire Twins were too quick to give up on the superstar centerfielder they got in return). Two of the biggest New York Mets' needs are a veteran starting pitcher who will be there to eat innings and be an example to their young Five Aces, a second baseman, and a power bat. This clearly spells Ervin Santana, and Brian Dozier, ladies and gentlemen. As far as who the Twins should be after, I have been really focusing on 29 year old Jacob DeGrom who has been their most consistent pitcher, has 2 years of club control through arbitration and about to get pretty expensive. Or the 25 year old lefty, Steve Matz, who did have a health scare, but his reconstructed UCL was fine after all, and might have the highest potential of them all. But then it hit me. There is a guy who would be as great a fit to Minnesota as Ragnar, and probably more than this guy: The Scandinavian god of thunder, Thor, himself. Indeed, the Twins should go after 25 year old RHSP Noah Syndergaard. Probably fell in their depth charts behind DeGrom, and with Matz, Steven Wheeler, Robert Gsellman, and even Matt Harvey ready to step in his shoes, Thor can rule in the frozen tundra in 2018. Just imagine the sponsorship opportunities for the guy. What will it take for the Twins to get Syndergaard? Assuming that he is fully recovered from his lat muscle issue, Santana and Dozier might not be enough. I think that adding Nick Gordon (a top 20 MLB prospect according to Baseball America), and Tyler Duffey and/or Jake Reed will help sweeten the deal. The Mets do need help in their pen and the Twins have plenty. So here is the deal: Noah Syndergaard to the Twins for Ervin Santana, Brian Dozier, Nick Gordon, and Tyler Duffey and/or Jake Reed. Mind you, this is not a trade between a team that wants to shed payroll and a competitive team. This is a treat between 2 competitive teams that are comfortable trading and rearranging assets. Not many of these kind of trades happen. The last one the Twins did, also involved the Mets, who traded Ricky Reed for Matt Lawton. This is not a Santana or a Viola deal that was centered on prospects. And the Twins have their opening day 2018 starter. And this is a match made in a Scandinavian heaven. And the Mets and the Twins meet in the 2018 World Series (Hint: Twins in 7.)

I am currently working on my blueprint. And those A-D options are not mutually exclusive. Good teams do all of the above and are opportunistic. The Twins need to trade both prospects and established players (with Dozier and E. Santana being the 2 best chips here) as well as hit the free agent market for value. They will need 2 starters better than Berrios, a closer, a lefty set up guy and another reliever better than what they have now. Fortunately, the free agent market on relievers is good. I think that the Twins should go after 3 of them. Still working on the starter pieces, but I think that there is good trade opportunity there as well. If Otani falls in their lap, let it be. But not plan on it. Can Burdi, Jay, Romero etc take a step up next season? Can May return to be a stud? Maybe. All of those are bonuses. Teams who are looking to compete deep in the post-season do not count on bonuses, but just welcome them as nice to have problems... About time for the Twins to adapt this attitude.

So are Buxton's. 90 OPS+ 2016, 94 OPS+ 2017. Can you count on him, since he has not proved otherwise over the course of a whole year? If you can count on Buxton, based on his second half, why cannot count on Gibson, based on his? Gotta use the same yardstick. Buxton went down, something clicked and he improved. We all hope its permanent and talking about the second coming of Kirby Puckett. Gibson went down, something clicked and he improved as well. Not all of us are as enthusiastic as we are regarding Buxton, and expecting him to suck. Don't get it. Really. I suspect that the truth is some place in the middle regarding both of these fine gentlemen

Who is this Jax guy? Last time I heard he is a part-time ball player... Jelfry Marte is grossly underrated. He got high 1st round draft bonus $, and at least should be treated as such...

Spendthift beasts. They'd rather go for 3 mediocre pitchers than give the same money to a top of the rotation pitcher. Spending is not the issue. Spending well, is the issue. Like extending Pelfrey, and singing Nolasco and Hughes instead of spending that $ 30 M or so to go after, lets say, Greinke.

Then there is the risk of injury. The last place I want him on a fly ball is near Buxton or Dozier.

That has to be played very carefully. Because we really do not know how his hitting will could translate in the majors. Last season he hit .332/.403/.540 as a 23 year old. I do know that he was nursing injuries and had a much better 2016, but... The non-mentionable in his age 25 season in Japan, before he came over, hit a very comparable .346/.423/.482 that did not translate quite well in the majors. Maybe the fact that was badly injured played a role here (and went he returned to Japan his numbers were pretty pathetic, too,) but, to quote Great White, once bitten, twice shy baby. That's about his hitting only. No worries whether his pitching will play. Likely the best Japanese pitcher to make it to the majors. But committing that he will hit on a regular basis, does carry a risk.

Nah. Has to be wrapped in lefse (butter, white sugar and all) instead of seaweed. Cream of mushroom soup drizzle and french fried onions optional.

I'd love to see what a full season of Vargas, a healthy Park, and even Brent Rooker can do before I spend $ that should be dedicated to fixing pitching (2 starters, 3 end of the pen relievers.) I would not mind taking flyers on MiLB contracts and see whether any of them can stick. That's about it. The bat are not the problem here. Grossman is fine as well.