Jocko87

They did what?!?! Cheap Polhads!

Not a lot of those guys on that list and the payback on that front line free agent pitcher isn’t always that great. There’s a reason they don’t play deep in that market. I don’t see a name on the list that can’t be picked apart with very little effort. Some of that money suggested is flat out irresponsible. As for the money, a lot of it is already spent, TV deal or not. I agree the TV won’t matter much for the short term. If they sign up for 5/125 where does that fit with arbitration increases in two years? A Lewis extension, a Duran deal, 3 young starting pitchers doing nothing but getting more expensive all have to be accounted for. If you make a big signing, you are sacrificing a young player later one way or the other. That takes the edge off prospect cost for me. Also, If I have to read one more why is Wallner et al still at AAA article I’m going to puke. Yes, lots of at bats are available but when your #1 prospect is behind 7 guys someone is moving. It’s the balance of depth and playing time they have to solve. Not everyone is staying and the back log is infielders and left handed corner outfielders. I’m predicting those excesses will be turned into starting pitching in some form. At these estimated prices, that’s the way I would go too.

This is just one websites value estimation and this is just a quick look at a name I've heard bandied about. I'm not they guy whos looking deep at other rosters for targets so don't get hung up on the names. I just think value matches are out there. You could throw in several prospects in place of Larnach that make it work as well. I originally used Yasser Mercedes but Salas, Canterino etc work as well. If they were to do this deal and say we think we can unlock Detmers I'd be all for it. By position of strength I'm referring more to positional logjams rather than production. If Lee's bat takes a season to adapt they can wait as he can play good defense at 2nd. Julien has to hit to be playable.

Age and control years. Lopez at 5 yrs and 79m total spend is a bargain compared to this group. And Julien is certainly available. The guys they stick with and extend will be glove and stick players, they can’t afford any other way. I’m taking all calls on Julien but my price is high. Maybe the pitcher will be AAA instead of MLB established, maybe the extra prospects go the other way this time. I’m not as focused in filling the #2 hole as getting guys that project to that in the near term. I’m taking the cheaper and higher upside solution dealing from a position of strength. There will always be a rental ace available at the deadline. I don’t see any reason in that list of players they would suddenly change their ways and start making it rain on free agent pitchers.

If that's the list, I'm out short of an Ohtani miracle. They do need one more stud arm though but I'd rather try and find another Lopez and pay the prospect cost. If it's anyone but Lee, Lewis, Jenkins and Erod I'll consider it a bargain.

I agree it will be a slow start and that may force them to tip their hands on plans for some of the youngsters. They won’t hesitate to bring in someone later but in the meantime they will have to do a few things.

I watched the clip someone linked earlier in the thread and I’m already worn out on Marney. She did 20 minutes on Gleeman and the Geek and was fantastic but the booth is a different communication skill. She might get into a groove with time but this is a time where they need to know what they are getting.

I'll take the Powertrip thing as I think it was meant. A discussion starter idea that was never intended seriously. Look at all the reaction it got! Well done. Someone has to vocalize bad ideas to get good ideas to flow. I don't have any good ideas here that haven't been brought up already. Provus would be fine but I'm a radio guy and couldn't live with Atteberry. Radio is still crucial in Twins territory much more than others with all the tractor coverage and whatnot so I'd rather not mess with it. Provus is fantastic and the radio reach over the years dwarfs Bremer. What I will say that Brian is on to, is that with the combination of the TV rights deal and Bremer leaving, that there is a perfect opportunity to revolutionize this whole deal. It is also required. I've written in the TV deal forums that the current distribution system is dead. Not gone, but dead still walking. I believe they are aware of this as well. We may ultimately end up with a pretty standard booth in the end but a completely different distribution system and that would be fine as well. If they take the production in house they can really do some great things with a relatively traditional booth. Can I have a full time ump cam? It may not be a crazy morning DJ type but they could do awesome features with the access they would have. The would also be producing based on local feedback and not the generic national format. The play by play guy is only a part of the broadcast and may not be the spot to get funky, just yet. Spicing everything around them may accomplish the same goals.

Those at bats will be helpful tomorrow though. The last thing Texas wanted to do was use Smith and Leclerc tonight after going up 10.

But he still doesn't care lol

Count me as one who wants him to stay at 3rd base, for the foreseeable future. Lee or no Lee, he needs some stability. What he’s done is even crazier when you factor all the moving around without game experience. I’d like for him to have a boring offseason for once and just work on his craft.

Part of my hot take is that as much as I love Polo, Farmer is better for this roster at this time. He can do much more that Polo cant than just play shortstop. It's not a simple discussion and better for a different article but they are both miles ahead of Lee.

Agreed, but the roster and 40 man spot has to come from somewhere. Lots of moves still to come but Farmer, Miranda and Castro are in line in front of him as well as the main 4. We probably even see Severino first with Gordon completely froze out. I would agree that they won't want him on the bench which is why I don't think we see him until late summer at best with a settled spot in 25.

My hot off-season take is that Farmer is the most important non-obvious guy they could bring back including center fielders. (Polo, Kep and Castro are my obvious choices) Plays all the infield spots well, can function in the corner outfield, emergency catcher, hits right handed and can be a good sub on both offense and defense. He is the perfect veteran fill in player for this roster and would get in 130 games. Miranda gets first shot at Solanos spot. Most of these are things that Brooks could do as well and that makes Farmer the guy Brooks has to beat out. After watching the rookies have to beat the door down this year I can't see a situation where they just hand this spot to Lee, especially on a contending team. Might be a different discussion around the trade deadline but I just can't see it out of camp.

Tha new Carter retains his rookie status for next year. The only comp to Brooks Lee is that he's also a baseball player.

On the other hand, it could be because he's tearing it up. I'll be the optimist here I guess. I am pretty sure they will make him beat out a veteran somewhere if they follow anywhere close to their normal patterns. They will probably look for a way to get him up early if they think he can hold his own though. The draft pick incentive is out the window after April 15th so it may be 2025. Refresh my memory, did they do that by tearing his ACL? If he wins ROY he gets the service time. He has to be up by April 15th for the Twins to get the draft pick. Considering all that, opening day 2025 with a typical prospect late season call up makes the most sense. He has a lot of people to beat out, he still has to beat up AAA and shortly after the trading deadline there would be a spot that doesn't affect his rookie status. None of that can be looked at as service time manipulation. Even if he OPS 1.100 in AAA he still needs a place to play and this isn't the Angels roster he's trying to break into.

I love this question! I for one am really missing Cash Considerations, I was really excited to see them in crunch time. Mark my words, we will rue the day. Great baseball name as well. Great post!

He's not Hunter Greene or Spencer Strider, agreed. But the list of studs this age is pretty short. He is still well ahead of the pace for a major league starter.

23 and 30 days to be specific. Turned 23 after a full season at AAA. That's a good thing. He's years ahead of pace but being at AAA puts him in the front of mind. Perspective.

Let's pump the brakes on make or break year stuff with SWR. He's the guy that feels 28 but then you look and oh dang, he just turned 23 a month ago. A 22 yo struggling at AAA isn't exactly the end of the world. I choose to look at it as having a 23 yo starter prospect at AAA is still 3 years ahead of pace. He's learning how his man muscles work.

I'm only offering it if I feel like he would reject it. I think it's 50/50 he declines, the team will have a much better idea. Pitching is expensive and he's never been a free agent. It's not as cut and dried as it seems.

But, from a flexibility perspective, which this FO and I love, the QO would give them a nice buffer time frame with which to sort that out. If they just sign Kenta, that's money straight out of the free agent budget. Failing the bigger free agents, hes a good fallback. This is assuming that they wont offer it without being relatively certain he will reject. I think he wants to see free agency as bad as Gray.

Very interesting, and good context. Obviously an advertisement exception can be made as there is some precedent. I was also curious if they just never cut to commercial? Sounds crazy but hear me out. The time between innings becomes a cutaway feature piece sponsored by Joe Mauer Buick etc and the Twins now control the ad flow front to back. Just like the signs on the walls aren't for the people at the game but for the repeat exposure on the TV. It would make the park look like the Astros Nascar field but getting over the air broadcasts might be worth it.

It’s not the worst idea. The most important part is that they have the player and have certainly been having these conversations already. They will have a pretty good idea what he will do before they do it. Considering his contract history he might be as ready as Gray to test free agency. He’s got some salary to make up and one chance to do it. The Twins can still sign him after he rejects anyway. He’ll also have an idea of what the Twins would be willing to do for two years etc. Maybe some sort of performance option on top of 2/25? If he’s healthy he profiles like someone who would age well, it’s not like he can lose much velo anyway. Even if he doesn’t get a postseason start he can competently chew a ton of regular season innings and that has value.

Neither was Chase Petty who begot Sonny Gray. I could see then doing something similar again but I don't think Festa suits that model. He's to close to the model of what they would trade for rather than trade away. They are looking for guys about to breakout that they can tweak. I'd like to see them throw more of these guys at the bullpen to get them going in the bigs. I would not be surprised if they pulled the trigger on a Charlee Soto for a Pablo/Sonny type next year again though. Present value for the contending window.