Kelly Vance

It is not as simple as "trade prospects or don't trade prospects" or "Trade veterans or acquire veterans." There is usually a lot of reasoned calculated thinking involved. Would be contending teams with a glaring need at the MLB level should look to fill that hole with an established veteran who is likely to work out. When you are close to making the playoffs one or two veteran presences can make the difference. Case in point, our own Marwin Gonzalez. This is even more the case with established front line starters like Verlander. In those cases prospects are most valuable, not for their future contribution, but for what they can bring in a trade. On the other hand, teams that are several players away, need to evaluate their upcoming talent and plan for the future. Like the White Sox currently. In those cases, an established stud is more valuable for what he can bring in the way of prospects that are likely to pan out in the show, a little bit downstream. To me, the overriding factor is that, if you are close, there are only 9 spots on the field... 9 positions. You need your best 9. If you have a hole in your lineup, you are not likely to make the post season. And when trading for or moving prospects, you can't evaluate the trade right away. It usually takes a couple years at least. Nobody thought Frankie, Joe or Boof etc were all going to pan out but the FO. If one or two worked out it was a fair trade. AJ was established so SF knew what they were getting. In hindsight they would not have made the trade, but it seemed like the thing to do at the time. The Twins are in a "future is now" position. Prospects are not just valuable for what they may contribute in 2 or 3 years, but in what they may bring right now by way of a trade. But that assumes that the Twins would go "all in" to win a Series. Houston decided to do that. We all know how that worked out for Steinbrenner. Like him or hate him, he played to win and win now. The Twins have traditionally valued low salary prospects more highly than a big market team would. We can understand that. But now that they are at the window of opportunity, they should try to capitalize on a solid core and make their move. That line of thinking means moving top prospects for a key difference maker or two.

I would sign him to three years at $48, and make $3 of it a signing bonus, to bring his 2020 numbers up to the QO level. Put in an option for after the three years at $20 for year 4. Locking up a 30 year old proven starter is not a bad idea, especially since we have 4 spots open. I'd offer Big Mike 2 years for $13 each with a third year option at $15 as well. Now we have Jose, Jake and Mike. Not so scary vacancy wise anymore. Then go after Mad Baum, Wheeler or another quality arm. Which leaves the 5th spot open for Dauber or one of the others like Busdar or Smeltzer. Not an exciting set of moves but not horrible. Plus it keeps the band together. Chemistry matters. Sign Romo, just for his energy and know how. But adding someone like Smith is doable.

I'll pass. Garver beat out Castro with his bat. Castro is still welcome back, but in a diminished role and I think he will look for a starting gig elsewhere. That puts Astud as the prime back up. OK, sure. We could live with that and really, do we want to spend $20 million on a part time player? Methinks we can use that to get a starter on the mound. That is our priority. If you think about the games where Garver gets rested, Astud fills in. Beyond that we need maybe 10 additional starts from a catcher, barring injury. We can call up someone for that or give one of our top prospects a call up for a couple games. We could get by with that and/or signing a defense first catcher for the days Garver rests and Astud gets a break too. Butera where are you? But seriously. That is too much for a part time player. Think of it this way, $20 million for a guy that plays maybe 60 games --, graded on a scale -- is like paying $30- 40 million for Cole or Strass. I'd rather have one of them because it means more to the W-L record and playoff chances

"Don't be fooled by home runs and rbis?" Fooled? Are you sh**ing me? That is how we have evaluated contributions by players since 1889. I mean, those are two of the three prongs to winning a triple crown. Poor Eddie. He hits 32 and drives in 100 plus runs and he gets criticized. I don't get it. Did he vote for Trump or something?

In a word, NO. Mitch is a boost to the lineup because he is a hitter n a position where defense often comes first. At 1b he would be league average. At catcher he gives us an edge. Just like Mauer used to. I'd keep Cron one more year. In 2021, if Rooker or Kiri are not ready, may be move Sano over, but not til then.

I'm with you on Rosario. He has thrown out more base runners than Keps or Buck, who are considered superior defenders. I think he gets a bum rap. But to be fair, he does sometimes take a bad route or make a bad read and balls drop that he should perhaps catch. But remember who we have put out in left. Grossman, Arcia, Hammer, and a few infielders subbing in. And although Keps had a breakout year, it was Rosie that carried the team early last year.

I have had a wrist injury. It took a whole year to heal. I have broken my toe. Cost me a full season of track (I was a sprinter) . Thumbs get hurt, you can't grip a bat. These are not minor injuries. Compared to a broken leg, they seem like it, but they are not minor. Its not about pain. These types of injuries take you out. The wrist, thumb, and toe don't function, you can't play.

I have stood up for players being unfairly criticized for years now. I remember standing up for Doze. He carried the team in long stretches and was the only Twin besides Killer to hit 40 HRs. Until this year. But people still criticized him for slow starts. Unfair. I stood up for Joe Mauer when people criticized him unfairly. One poster said he was not "clutch" disregarding the FACT that he had the highest BA in the league with runners in scoring position. One guy said Joe was "not good at baseball." What rubbish. The guy is likely to be a hall of famer. I don't know where all the negativity about Buck comes from. The guy tries his best on every play and he gets criticized for sacrificing his body to help his team. He played hurt and his numbers fell off. He gets no credit for going out there injured and playing anyway, for your entertainment. His critics are largely unfair and he deserves better.

You don't know that any of that would have happened. And I don't get what you mean about losing a month on the DL and then a full season. We lost the month when they refused to call him up. As for losing a full season... I don't get that either. You are assuming he would get hurt so badly in the September call up he would lose all of 2019? Really? Nice fiction piece. But its not what happened and you don't know that it would have. What you said is like your boss saying he needs to lay you off because you might have a heart attack at work.

This post is unfair as well. You call his crashing into walls to catch a ball to help his team selfish? Man, I don't know how that is fair. And he did NOT almost cost the team the division this year. There are 25 players on a roster. Several of them missed extensive time with injuries. But you blame Buck. Only Buck. That is unfair, completely unfair. And your saying that Buck intentionally damaged himself is not only unfair, it is a complete fabrication. You are just making stuff up. Then you say the team asked him to play deeper to avoid injury. There is absolutely no evidence of this. None. You don't know what the coaches said to Buck.

I think you are being unfair. Buck injured his foot and tried to play through the injury. You criticize his low batting average, but you blow through his playing hurt. That is unfair. Completely unfair. When he finally healed up he was hitting again. You mention that like it was nothing. Again, unfair. In 2019 he showed up stronger and had put on 20 pounds of muscle. That shows off season dedication. You give him no credit for that. Buck started off the season hitting like an All Star. You simply refuse to give the guy credit. And that is unfair.

jut win baby

Im tired of the catty comments that Buxton didn't deserve a call up, like he was some AAA player trying to break through. He was all world defensive center fielder. The Ozzie Smith of outfielders. He makes miraculous catches often. To say he isn't our starting CF whenever he is healthy is absolute bull. He was voted the best defensive player in all of baseball, at any position. His defense alone justified the call up. And his hitting had improved post wrist injury .365, even in AAA and even in a small sample size is not nothing.We had guys on the roster hitting way lower than that. My suggestion was to tell him what we lose by calling him up, and saying we're gonna do it anyway. Because you are family. And we want to extend you 5 years. Whaddaya say Buck? Even in today's me first climate, players want to be respected and appreciated. I think he'd have signed an extension if handled right.

and yet they won 101 games

Naw, they have Ehire for that. I think he gets moved this off season with a couple of other prospects for pitching

1. Polanco is an All Star at SS this year. Its going to take something special to push him out 2. Jorge was extended and for good reason. 3. Lewis was drafted as a SS. He has skills and lots of potential. But so did Ripkin and he was moved over. Except Miggie mans 3B and he had a breakout year. 4. Kiriloff is closer to the show than Lewis, which is why Miggie is not just being moved to 1b. My guess is that, barring injury, Lewis gets traded for pitching in a win win deal.

Eddie is not going anywhere.

Luis is the prototypical #2 hitter. Carew like. Puts the ball in play, moves the runner over. 2b is his spot to lose.

Unless Castro really wants to be the man somewhere, I'd sign him. He's been here, is a good player and we need him.

Really? You wouldnt call 32 HRs and 109 RBIs good? I realize you didn't mention THOSE stats

I've been an Eddie fan since his first major league at bat when he homered on the first pitch. It was a defining moment, saying "Im here to play, throw that ball where I can reach it." 32 HRs and 109 RBIs don't get replaced with a rookie we are trying on for size. I'd extend Eddie.

Nobody drafted Lewis to play 3b

There is a lot more traffic at 1b than 3b.

I'm with Doc on this. Sano is young still and improved a lot this year. His defense should improve with greater mobility. But for me its a case of who replaces Cron in the batting order. Both Donaldson and Moose would upgrade the order, but at what cost? And really, if that cuts into the dough available to sign a stud starter, i'm against it. Plus it is my guess that the defense you gain in putting Moose or Donaldson at 3b you lose in replacing Cron with Sano at 1b where Sano would be learning a new position. But if we are going to talk about switching positions, we might consider resigning Schoop and putting him at 3rd. So that requires a comparison about who would be the more valuable hitter, Schoop or Cron. Schoop has the arm for 3b, and his defense would likely be better than Sano. The questions is , once again, what do you gain at 3b versus a loss overall at 1b. But everyone says let Schoop go. I'd not so sure. He is well liked in the clubhouse, still has game and its not like guys at his ability lever grow on trees. Just a thought. But my vote would be: Use the money on stud pitchers please.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. The Astros aren't afraid to go all in and a World Series appearance means you have to give up a lot to get a Verlander or Cole. The Twins aren't wrong to want a sustaining minor league system, but at some point you gotta make your move. Ask the prettiest girl at the party to dance. If you don't, she is going to end up being someone else's main squeeze and not yours.