Nick Nelson

Option 3: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to trade SS Nick Gordon, SP Devin Smeltzer, and SP Griffin Jax to Tigers for LHP Matthew Boyd, giving up three quality prospects but gaining an established impact starter with team control.

Option 2: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to trade CF Byron Buxton and RF Alex Kirilloff to Mets for RHP Noah Syndergaard, losing our starting center fielder and a top prospect but gaining Thor's hammer.

Option 1: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to trade LF Eddie Rosario and SP Jordan Balazovic to Rays for SP Blake Snell, losing a key hitter and our top pitching prospect but gaining an elite starter with extended team control.

In our interactive simulated 2020 season, the Twins are tied with Cleveland for first place as we reach the end of July. With the trade deadline days away and a critical juncture in the schedule ahead, stakes are high. Accordingly, I've got some blockbuster trade proposals ready to put up for vote. Let's get to it.To get caught up on what we're doing here, you can check out the introductory post in the series for an explanation of the premise and setup. But the quick version is this: We're playing a progressive simulated Twins season on MLB The Show 20 on PS4, and y'all are helping guide the ship. In each installment I'll update you on what's happened since the last, and put at least one key decision up for vote. Date In Game: 7/27 Team Record: 62-46 Leading OPS: Luis Arraez (.918 in 329 AB) Leading ERA (SP): Kenta Maeda (3.36 in 128.2 IP) Leading ERA (RP): Tyler Duffey (1.52 in 47.1 IP) LATEST RESULTS (4-6) Gm 99 @ TEX: L 3-2 (Berrios 7 IP, 2 ER) Gm 100 @ TEX: W 5-0 (Odorizzi 6 IP, 0 R, W) Gm 101 @ TEX: L 7-1 (Maeda 5 IP, 5 ER, L) Gm 102 @ ARI: L 7-2 (Bailey 4.1 IP, 6 ER, L) Gm 103 @ ARI: L 6-0 (Pineda 4 IP, 5 ER, L) Gm 104 @ ARI: W 4-2 (Arraez pinch-hit GW single) Gm 105 vs CWS: W 7-3 (Odorizzi 7 IP, 0 ER, W) Gm 106 vs CWS: L 2-0 (Sano, Kepler, Rosario: 0-13) Gm 107 vs CWS: L 6-4 (Bailey 4.1 IP, 4 ER, L) Gm 108 vs CWS: W 6-3 (Arraez 3-3, 2 RBI) AL CENTRAL STANDINGS Download attachment: alcstandings727.jpeg THE RUNDOWN Our Twins rode a hot streak into the All-Star break but have stumbled a bit on the other side, dropping six of 10 games while Cleveland went 7-3 to pull back into a first-place tie. Naturally, right after I said last time that the offense was fine and we needed to address pitching, the units flip-flopped over these 10 games. The rotation delivered several outstanding performances while the lineup sputtered, scoring two or fewer runs five times including a pair of shutouts – one a complete game by Arizona's Madison Bumgarner, the other a collective effort from Chicago led by Gio Gonzalez. Our team seems to have some issues with lefties? The tough stretch puts us back under the gun as the trade deadline arrives and Cleveland shows no signs of relenting. We are at a pivotal moment in the season. The next three series on the schedule, all at home: Dodgers, Astros, Indians. Titans are about to clash at Target Field, and we need to power up for it. I've been exploring possible deals to add starting pitching, and will run through the possibilities shortly, but first wanted to mention that we were offered a trade by another team. The Angels, running away with the AL West and leading the majors in wins (71), interestingly came calling for Jose Berrios. Their offer was enough of a nonstarter that I went ahead and rejected without even bringing it up here for a vote. Download attachment: joseberriosoffer.jpeg Now, I will say that if the Twins were out of contention, this might be a deal worth considering. Canning is a legitimately good young pitcher with many years of cheap team control. Jones is a solid prospect. Anderson is a reliever with a big arm. And the Twins would benefit financially from this trade. But the idea that our first-place club would trade its best starter to the only AL team with a better record, in exchange for prospects, is laughable. Nice try Billy Eppler, but no dice. WHO'S HOT Berrios, for one. Which makes the above trade offer all the more easily dismissed. Berrios delivered a pair of quality starts and dating back to the beginning of June, he has now delivered eight of them in nine starts while posting a 2.24 ERA over 64 1/3 innings. Berrios has his ERA for the season down to 3.38, trailing rotation leader Kenta Maeda (3.36) by just a hair. Jake Odorizzi has been a bit more up-and-down this summer, but he too came racing out of the gates in the second half, firing 13 scoreless innings against the Rangers and Diamondbacks. His ERA now sits at 3.42, so the top three starters are all right in the same neighborhood. Offensively it's been a bit of a trudge, with the typical exception of Arraez. Among AL players he trails only Mike Trout in average (.334) and on-base percentage (.432), and the second baseman's latest sample included a crucial pinch-hit two-run single in the ninth to help Minnesota avoid a sweep in Arizona. WHO'S NOT Plenty of hitters, but that's not my concern right now. The biggest problem on this team has become Homer Bailey, who's managed to collect 10 wins despite mostly pitching rather terribly. His struggles have gotten out of hand lately; in the most recent stretch, he went 0-2 in his two starts while failing to get through five innings in either. Add in his clunker against Toronto just ahead of the All-Star break, and Bailey has coughed up 16 earned runs on 20 hits in 11 1/3 innings over his past three turns, with as many walks (7) as strikeouts (7). For most of the first half, he was a decent enough stopgap for the back of the rotation. But it's clear that he needs to be replaced. Let's see how we might go about that ... DECISION TIME: PULLING THE TRIGGER ON A BLOCKBUSTER In our last edition, voters dictated that starting pitching would be our top priority in terms of deadline upgrades. Following this direction, I've made some inquiries around the league and come up with four proposals that I think we could get through. I've arranged them here into tiers of magnitude, and you can vote for your favorite(s) in the comments section. Tier 1: Trade LF Eddie Rosario and SP Jordan Balazovic to Rays for LHP Blake Snell From my cursory exploration of the market, Snell seems to be the best pitcher that could feasibly be had. I'm not exactly sure why the Rays would be compelled to trade him, but, you know. It is the Rays. And they'd be getting back a nice haul. Download attachment: blakesnelloffer.jpeg The Upside: Snell is an ace. Perhaps the very one we need. His ERA in 122 2/3 innings with the Rays this year is 3.52, which puts him in the same range as our current top three, but Snell's rating in the game (93) is vastly higher than any current Twins starter (Berrios, Odorrizi and Maeda are all 81s). Best of all, Snell is 27 and under reasonable team control for four years. The Downside: Losing Rosario and Balazovic would hurt, a lot, both now and in the future. Rosario is tied with Donaldson, Rogers and Sano as the highest-rated Twin (85). Rosie's been a crucial piece of the lineup with 16 homers and 67 RBIs. Meanwhile, Balazovic is already our organization's fourth-highest rated starting pitcher (75) and he's a 21-year-old rookie. (With 72 strikeouts in his first 68 MLB innings, I might add.) Balazovic is certainly the key to this deal in Tampa's eyes and I'd be wary of moving him. Tier 2: Trade CF Byron Buxton and RF Alex Kirilloff to Mets for RHP Noah Syndergaard Naturally, I went to revisit this fizzled discussion from the 2019 deadline. New York's demands haven't changed much since then: They want a star-caliber center fielder (Buxton) and another top-tier prospect for their flame-throwing righty. In real life, I'd view this Buxton + Kirilloff package as far more indispensable than the Rosario + Balazovic package proposed above, but in our virtual sim world, that's not so clear. Download attachment: noahsyndergaardoffer.jpeg The Upside: Syndergaard's UCL is intact in the game. So that's a plus. Not only is he healthy, Thor has been up to his usual tricks, with a 3.06 ERA and 120-to-37 K/BB ratio in 118 innings for the Mets. And while giving up Buxton and Kirilloff might seem like a hard pill to swallow, both are (IMO) a bit underrated in the game, and both are relatively replaceable, with Max Kepler able to play center and Trevor Larnach alongside Kirilloff at Triple-A. The Downside: Syndergaard's got a lower rating (87) than Snell, though he'd still instantly become our best player. Thor is also due for free agency at year's end, meaning we would be giving up Buxton and Kirilloff for a rental. We can certainly try to re-sign Syndergaard, but budgetary constraints are a thing. Then again, it's a video game so who really cares about the future? Tier 3: Trade SS Nick Gordon, SP Devin Smeltzer, and SP Griffin Jax to Tigers for LHP Matthew Boyd A good ol' quantity-for-quality trade. Since Boyd's name has frequently been the subject of trade rumors, I went and inquired about him, and it seems he could be had for a palatable prospect package. Download attachment: mattboydoffer.jpeg The Upside: We're not really giving up anything that hurts too much, and Boyd's a solid arm, with an 82 overall rating that edges any current Twins starter. He's arbitration eligible for two more years after 2020. The Downside: It's a big step down from the two game-changing options above. And while Boyd is rated well, his performance this year hasn't backed it up: He's 6-12 with a 4.80 ERA in 22 starts. Tier 4: Trade SS Nick Gordon and SP Tyler Wells to Dodgers for LHP Alex Wood Among starting pitchers that are actually on the trading block, Wood is the best available. Since he's being shopped, I figured the lefty might be available for a smallish return and, yep, that is the case. Download attachment: alexwoodoffer.jpeg The Upside: Not giving up much, and Wood's having himself a year, with his 2.53 ERA through 20 starts ranking third-best in the National League. Sorta begs the question of why the first-place Dodgers are trying to trade him, but that's not for me to worry about. The Downside: His overall rating is 81, so while he'd be a clear improvement over Bailey (73), Wood is just another guy at the same tier as Berrios, Odorizzi, and Maeda. He probably helps us win a few more games in the regular season, but does he make a difference in the playoffs? I'll list these four proposals in the comments. Whichever one gets the most support, that's the trade we'll make. And I'm not opposed to swinging multiple deals. COMING UP 7/28 vs LAD 7/29 vs LAD 7/31 vs HOU *TRADE DEADLINE* 8/1 vs HOU 8/2 vs HOU 8/3 vs CLE 8/4 vs CLE 8/5 vs CLE PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS Part 1: We Can Build This Thing Together (0-0) Part 2: 10 Games In, 6 Games Back (4-6) Part 3: Roaring Back (11-9) Part 4: Over the Hill (17-13) Part 5: Checking In at the Quarter Point (23-17) Part 6: Rising Power (30-20) Part 7: First Place! (Barely) (34-26) Part 8: Drafting and Dropping (38-32) Part 9: Cruz Control (45-35) Part 10: Pulling Ahead (52-38) Part 11: Bashing into the All-Star Break (58-40) MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Saying that baseball team owners, who have more wealth than all their players combined and who don't have to make any personal sacrifices (in terms of personal safety, well-being and life disruption) in this scenario, should be willing to accept financial losses if they want to hold a season is not "bias," it is an opinion based on facts and personal conviction.

Not suffer at all?? Do you understand these are people, with families, being sent into a hazardous, awkward and confining situation for months? No matter the precautions or systems MLB implements, players and personnel will be putting themselves at risk, while owners watch from their comfy mansions. There is more to the world than money, and people in all walks of life are coming to terms with that right now. I'm perfectly fine with an opt-in season. I'll watch. I just don't think any players should feel obligated to participate and I don't think it should count as an official MLB season of record. I have been clear & consistent with this view for over a month.

Would they be happy to go back for 1% of what they earn? Even if their very comfortable bosses/ownership could easily afford to pay their full salaries and be just fine? Because that's the more pertinent hypothetical here. MLB owners would (maybe) be taking a loss in the short-term but they're still boosting the value of the team and league in which they have equity. Players don't share in that benefit. Again, I have serious gripes with the idea that cash influxes (like the huge media deals of the past decade) go basically straight to owners, yet players have to share the burden of an unexpected lull.

From their perspective, the deal they agreed to has been changed. Why is this on them and not the owners? These players are human beings. They have no obligation to put their health and safety at risk for you, me, or anyone else if they don't deem the financial benefits worthwhile.

Option 3: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to go all out and focus on upgrading BOTH the rotation and bullpen at the trade deadline.

Option 2: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to focus our efforts at the trade deadline on upgrading the bullpen.

Oops forgot the voting options! Option 1: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to focus our efforts at the trade deadline on upgrading the rotation.

We have arrived at the All-Star break in our interactive simulated 2020 season on MLB The Show. I am pleased to report that, thanks to your help, our Minnesota Twins are in first place with the third-best record in baseball. We sent five players to the All-Star Game, and one prospect to the Futures Game. Read all about it below.To get caught up on what we're doing here, you can check out the introductory post in the series for an explanation of the premise and setup. But the quick version is this: We're playing a progressive simulated Twins season on MLB The Show 20 on PS4, and y'all are helping guide the ship. In each installment I'll update you on what's happened since the last, and put at least one key decision up for vote. Date In Game: 7/17 Team Record: 58-40 Leading OPS: Luis Arraez (.926 in 293 AB) Leading ERA (SP): Kenta Maeda (3.23 in 117 IP) Leading ERA (RP): Tyler Duffey (1.43 in 44 IP) LATEST RESULTS (6-2) Gm 91 @ CLE: W 8-5 (Sano 4-5, 3 HR, 5 RBI) Gm 92 vs KC: W 3-1 (Bailey 7 IP, 1 ER, W) Gm 93 vs KC: W 5-2 (Pineda 6 IP, 0 R, W) Gm 94 vs KC: W 2-0 (Berrios 8 IP, 0 R, W) Gm 95 vs TOR: L 10-9 (Sano 2-2, HR, 3 BB, 2 RBI) Gm 96 vs TOR: W 6-2 (Donaldson HR, 2 RBI) Gm 97 vs TOR: L 6-2 (Bailey 2.2 IP, 6 ER, L) Gm 98 vs TOR: W 12-4 (Donaldson 3-5, HR, 4 RBI) AL CENTRAL STANDINGS Download attachment: alcstandings727.jpeg THE RUNDOWN In our last edition, commenters voted unanimously in favor of moving Luis Arraez to the leadoff spot. So I did just that, and in eight games since, the Twins have gone 6-2 while averaging nearly six runs per game. Arraez certainly did his part at the top, going 8-for-27 (.296) with six walks and eight runs scored. Here at the break, Arraez is tied with Mike Trout for the AL lead in batting average at .334. But his tremendous first half wasn't enough to earn Arraez a trip to Los Angeles for the All-Star Game at second base, where Gleyber Torres and Jose Altuve got the nods. Our Twins did, however, send five players to the Midsummer Classic at Dodger Stadium: Mitch Garver (.300/.392/.517 with 15 home runs through 71 games) was the AL's starting catcher.Max Kepler (.289/.373/.462 with 13 homers through 87 games) was the AL's starting right fielder.Eddie Rosario (.284/.324/.494 with 15 homers through 83 games) got in as a backup outfielder.Kenta Maeda (12-4 with a 3.23 ERA and 9.8 K/9 rate through 117 innings) made the team as a starting pitcher.Taylor Rogers (26 saves, 2.58 ERA, 1.19 WHIP as Twins closer) made the team as a reliever.Here was the American League's starting lineup, with Houston ace and reigning Cy Young winner Justin Verlander getting the starting nod: Jose Ramirez (CLE), SSTommy La Stella (LAA), 3BMike Trout (LAA), CFJ.D. Martinez (BOS), DHGleyber Torres (NYY), 2BMatt Olson (OAK), 3BEloy Jimenez (CWS), LFMitch Garver (MIN), CMax Kepler (MIN), RFNo, I am not sure why Cleveland's third baseman Ramirez was able to start at shortstop, nor what's gotten into the All-Star team's actual third baseman La Stella, who already has career highs in almost every offensive category at the break. But for the most part, this All-Star lineup felt reasonable. It was a fairly eventful night for our hometown Twins in a 6-3 loss for the American League. Garver grounded into a double-play in his first at-bat, then delivered a two-run homer against Stephen Strasburg in his second, putting the AL on top 3-2 at the time. Download attachment: garverASGhomer.jpeg Kepler went 1-for-2 with a single. Maeda threw a perfect fourth inning, and Rogers allowed one run on one hit in his single inning of work, with two strikeouts. Rosario didn't make it into the game, due to a bench deep on outfielders. Meanwhile, Alex Kirilloff represented Minnesota in the Futures Game, though he was sadly our lone rep. He started in right field and batted cleanup for the AL team. Kirilloff delivered an RBI single in his first at-bat of the game and finished 1-for-3. Download attachment: kirilloff_futuresgame.jpeg Getting back to the bigger picture, as our Twins now put the first half behind them and gear up for a contested stretch run, here's a quick overview of where things stand at the break. Anchored by All-Stars Maeda and Rogers, along with several others who could've been in the conversation (Berrios, Odorizzi, Duffey), Minnesota's pitching has been very good. But the lineup was this team's calling card in the first half, as the Twins are leading MLB in runs scored with 512. Repeating 2019's recipe, they've been productive up and down the lineup, with no MVP-caliber standout. Seven regulars are sporting an OPS above .800 (through none higher than Arraez's .926). That doesn't include Jorge Polanco, whose .796 mark is four points short, but he's slashing .282/.369/.427 and that qualifies as plenty good. The only hitter who's struggled is Byron Buxton, sitting at .231/.309/.331 through 79 games, but even he's been coming on a bit lately, and he's got 23 steals. A well-rounded effort places the Twins in the driver's seat, with their 58-40 record ranking as the third-best in the majors, behind both Los Angeles teams. Yes, while the Dodgers are predictably leading baseball in wins, the Angels have been 2020's big surprise, jumping to a 62-34 start in the AL West despite Shohei Ohtani tearing his labrum in his first start. The Halos have gotten it done behind an offense powered by Trout (1.108 OPS), Andrelton Simmons (20 HR), and Justin Upton (.326 AVG). Our Twins still have plenty to worry about as we turn our attention to trade deadline season. Cleveland lurks only 2 1/2 games out of first. We'll have Berrios (11-5, 3.45 ERA) lined up to open the second half in Texas against Jordan Lyles and the Rangers. WHO'S HOT After a bit of a contagious dry spell, our power bats are getting their juice back. Sano homered three times with five RBIs in the series-clinching win at Cleveland. Later on, the final game fo the first half saw Sano, Donaldson and Cruz all go deep in a 12-4 win against Toronto. Those three reach at the break on pace to finish with 40, 38, and 31 home runs, respectively. Michael Pineda is settling nicely into his rotation spot. He went 2-0 in his two starts over the past eight games, allowing four runs in 12 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. And while he didn't make the All-Star Game alongside the closer Rogers, Duffey continues to shine. He made three more scoreless appearances during the latest stretch, lowering his ERA to 1.43. WHO'S NOT Homer Bailey ended his first half on a sour note, allowing six earned runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings against Toronto to push his ERA up to 5.01. But in his prior start against Kansas City he threw seven innings of one-run ball, and he's 10-4 on the season. For the most part, this entire team is clicking right now. That doesn't mean we don't have clear areas for improvement as we turn our attention to the upcoming trade deadline, which brings us to... DECISION TIME: WHERE TO FOCUS AT THE DEADLINE? I'm confident in saying we don't need to further supplement the offense, unless a big injury pops up over the next two weeks. There isn't a single spot in the starting lineup that sticks out as a weakness (accounting for Buxton's defense and speed), and even our bench guys have been productive. Much like at 2019's deadline, pitching appears to be the make-or-break factor in a potential championship run. As we start sizing up opportunities, I'll follow the crowd's guidance. Three options, as I see them: Upgrade the rotation. I'm feeling good about our top three (Berrios, Maeda, Odorizzi) but Bailey is no more than a placeholder, and while Pineda's pitched well in three starts since joining the team, he's hardly locked in. Not that we're limited to these options, but here are some SP names listed on the trading block: Jameson Taillon (PIT), Alex Wood (LAD), Steven Matz (NYM). I'd probably lean toward aiming higherUpgrade the bullpen. Here too we are strong at the top (Rogers, Duffey, May, Clippard) but there are some soft spots below in the form of Zack Littell (4.03 ERA, 1.63 WHIP) and Fernando Romero (5.06 ERA, 1.58 WHIP). Among RP names listed on the trading block: Oliver Drake (TB), Jake Diekman (OAK), Craig Stammen (SD), Adam Ottavino (NYY).Upgrade both.I won't make any big moves without the blessing of our collective braintrust, but the direction you all provide will shape my exploratory inquiries ahead of the next edition, at which point we will dictate our deadline splash(es). Vote your preference by sounding off in the comments. COMING UP 7/17: @ TEX 7/18: @ TEX 7/19: @ TEX 7/20: @ ARI 7/21: @ ARI 7/22: @ ARI 7/23: @ CWS 7/24: @ CWS 7/25: @ CWS 7/26: @ CWS PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS Part 1: We Can Build This Thing Together (0-0) Part 2: 10 Games In, 6 Games Back (4-6) Part 3: Roaring Back (11-9) Part 4: Over the Hill (17-13) Part 5: Checking In at the Quarter Point (23-17) Part 6: Rising Power (30-20) Part 7: First Place! (Barely) (34-26) Part 8: Drafting and Dropping (38-32) Part 9: Cruz Control (45-35) Part 10: Pulling Ahead (52-38) MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Via Rosenthal: "MLB revenue-sharing plan is a non-starter for the Players Association" https://theathletic.com/1806964/2020/05/11/mlb-revenue-sharing-plan-is-a-nonstarter-for-the-players-association/

The Twins have claimed to operate on a model that calls for investing 51% of revenue into payroll. We all know that wasn't happening from 2012 through 2016 or so (at the very least). You tell me where that money is going. I dunno. I would assume back into the Pohalds' pockets. To my knowledge it didn't go to employees or charity. And no, I would not say it is the same thing as what you laid out, since MLB owners are billionaires by rule (restaurant and small business owners not so much) and baseball teams by nature have extremely variable spending patterns. The Twins for example were slated to spend about $60M (70%) more on payroll in 2020 than they did in 2014. Do you think they were planning on 70% more revenue? In any case, I don't think it's appropriate to treat this situation like business as usual. To be frank, I believe that ultra-rich people and billionaires should be making sacrifices in all phases of society right now. I understand that baseball players are also generally quite rich, but much less so, and they are assuming ALL OF THE RISK in this scenario. If you disagree with my basic philosophy here that's fine, but it's how I feel.

How many times in the past did the Twins (along with basically every other team) pocket extra revenue amidst a "rebuilding" year, without ever reinvesting that money into future teams? Why can't it swing the other way for a change? I'm dubious of whether teams are actually going to lose money by paying full salaries (there's a lot of distributed national media money you're not accounting for) but even if they do I'm not all that sympathetic.

It's now been about one month since I wrote here that I was giving up on the viability of a 2020 MLB season of record (and John disagreed.) Since then, some things have changed, and others have not. Given the flurry of recent developments and revelations, this feels like a good time to reassess the situation.Last week, former Twin (and 2020 Winter Meltdown guest) Trevor Plouffe tweeted that baseball was working toward a spring training reboot on June 10th, with a target of July 1st for Opening Day. Surprisingly, he indicated games would be played at teams' home parks. Plouffe later added that players in six different organizations had relayed this information to him. Then, over the past weekend, Ken Rosenthal filed a story for The Athletic detailing MLB's plan to return. Here's the framework he shared: An ~80 game season beginning in early July.Regionalized schedule, with games being played only against teams from the same division (or same interleague division).Expanded playoffs, with seven instead of five entrants from each league.Teams opening in "as many home parks as possible," with those that are unable relocating to spring training parks or other MLB stadiums.In other words, Plouffe's scoop has been more or less verified by the top baseball reporter in the country. Good on ya, Trevor. But Rosenthal was careful to caution that these plans are far from solidified. He opened his article by stating "Nothing is official," and ended it by calling this arrangement "a preferred blueprint." Significant hurdles remain, including testing capacity, full endorsement from medical communities, relaxing of regional restrictions, and creation of a feasible protocol in response to a positive test. Still, the gears now in motion support John's counterpoint stance from last month: a 2020 baseball season is going to happen, because there's too much money at stake for it not to happen. In a twist of irony, however, it turns out one of John's core premises in the article – "This is not a negotiation between the MLB and MLBPA" – may have been a bit overly optimistic. And therein lies a new and problematic sticking point. One of the provisions cited by Rosenthal was that, given a lack of ticket revenue, "the players would be asked to accept a further reduction in pay." Subsequent reports (along with common sense) suggest this request will not be met warmly. NBC Sports indicated the proposed stipulation is "sitting terribly with players," who felt they already had a good-faith agreement in place. One source opined that there is "going to be a war" if MLB demands further pay cuts. I can see both sides of this, but lean far more toward the players' grievance: they're going above and beyond to do their jobs, while assuming all the risk, and would hardly be sucking dry the coffers of billionaire owners receiving huge TV revenues. Why should they have to make this concession? But it doesn't matter what I think, or anyone else on the outside for that matter. If owners don't see a clearly beneficial bottom-line calculation, they aren't going to keep pushing. And the same goes for players, who conversely have many other implications to factor in beyond finances. Whereas money was supposed to be the mighty uniter and motivator in this scenario, it may be driving an immovable wedge at a crucial moment, preventing the league from even being able to even seriously explore the extreme logistical barriers that would be confronted following an agreement. My position has never been that baseball will not be played in 2020, but rather that it doesn't make sense to push for a season of record. My reasoning has been based on two fundamental issues (beyond all the practical pitfalls in simply making it happen): If we're playing a shortened schedule in eerily quiet spring training stadiums, with reconfigured divisions, is it even worth trying to compete toward an official result in MLB's annals?If a considerable portion of players are opting out of this arrangement, is it even fair to try and hold a season as normal, with rosters unevenly affected and huge stars potentially absent?The new proposal hinted by Plouffe and elaborated upon by Rosenthal does serve to alleviate my first concern; I could get down with an 80-game season, with an altered schedule that still remains generally true to the existing divisional structures. But rising tensions around pay cuts only further accentuate the second concern; if MLB owners remain deadset on this demand, I have to assume that – at best – they'll get partial participation. In that scenario, baseball can still happen. And I'd be giddy to see it, provided they find a way that's safe and responsible. But should an official MLB season be played, in the guise of naming a 2020 champion and staying true to the game's historical legacy? I still say no. Regardless, it's definitely encouraging to see orchestrated efforts underway and formal plans taking shape. We should have a clearer picture of the path ahead by midweek, as Rosenthal's timeline called for a formal proposal being presented to players on Tuesday. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Option 2: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to stick with what's working and leave Arraez near the bottom of the lineup while the heavy hitters stay stacked at the top.

Option 1: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to move Luis Arraez, who leads the league in AVG and ranks third in OBP, into the leadoff spot.

As the All-Star break approaches, our Minnesota Twins have pulled into first place with another strong run of results. Catch up on the latest in our simulated 2020 season, and weigh in on the next audience-guided key decision.To get caught up on what we're doing here, you can check out the introductory post in the series for an explanation of the premise and setup. But the quick version is this: We're playing a progressive simulated Twins season on MLB The Show 20 on PS4, and y'all are helping guide the ship. In each installment I'll update you on what's happened since the last, and put at least one key decision up for vote. Date In Game: 7/5 Team Record: 52-38 Leading OPS: Luis Arraez (.935 in 266 AB) Leading ERA (SP): Kenta Maeda (3.33 in 105.1 IP) Leading ERA (RP): Tyler Duffey (1.54 in 41 IP) LATEST RESULTS (7-3) Gm 81 @ HOU: L 7-3 (Odorizzi 4 IP, 5 ER, L) Gm 82 @ HOU: W 5-0 (Maeda 6 IP, 0 ER, 8 K, W) Gm 83 vs COL: W 9-5 (Donaldson 2-5, HR, 4 RBI) Gm 84 vs COL: L 8-6 (Rogers 1 IP, 4 ER, L) Gm 85 vs COL: W (Berrios 8 IP, 1 ER, 8 K, W) Gm 86 @ DET: W 15-11 (Kepler 4-5, 3 runs) Gm 87 @ DET: W 11-0 (Maeda CG SO) Gm 88 @ DET: W 4-1 (Bailey 6 IP, 1 ER) Gm 89 @ CLE: W 7-5 (Gonzalez grand slam) Gm 90 @ CLE: L 5-4 (Arraez 3-5) AL CENTRAL STANDINGS Download attachment: alcstandings75.jpeg THE RUNDOWN Before we dive into the team's recent positive developments, here's an update on roster moves that commenters helped guide last time around. The decision up for vote was whether we should: A) Send struggling rookie Brent Rooker down to the minors and recall a different outfielder for the bench, or B ) Send struggling rookie Jordan Balazovic down to the minors and recall a different fifth starter. Although the rotation change won out, there were quite a few votes for each, and multiple commenters basically said, "Well why can't we just do both?" Which, yeah, good point! Both moves made sense, so I went ahead and pulled the trigger on both. Except... We can't send Balazovic down. I guess I kinda knew this before, but had forgotten. Since he was (for some reason) available as a free agent before we added him on an MLB deal at the start of the season, he has no options. I figured y'all wouldn't be cool with exposing our best pitching prospect to waivers, so I moved him to the bullpen, optioned Randy Dobnak, and called up Michael Pineda. In adding Pineda to the 40-man roster, we waived our lowest-rated player, Sean Poppen, who was claimed by Baltimore. Pineda was solid in his first MLB start of the season, allowing four runs in six innings against Colorado. I skipped his second start, because we had an off day ahead of a crucial series in Cleveland and I had a chance to bring our top three starters at them. Cave, meanwhile, is off to a great start. He went 3-for-4 with a homer in his season debut against Houston and is slashing .381/.519/.524 through 27 plate appearances. Cave is contributing to an offense that has taken off. Disappointing efforts were routine in recent updates, but here as the calendar flips to July, the bats are heating up. In the past 10 games we scored 67 runs. The highlight (for the hitters anyway) was a 15-11 victory in the series opener at Detroit, in which the Twins collected 21 hits and four homers. They opened the game by jumping all over some bum starting pitcher for seven runs on eight hits in 1 1/3 innings. Going by his name, I assumed the guy was a joke and his performance followed suit. Download attachment: odorizzivsnelson.jpeg Fueled by this strong offensive output, our Twins went 7-3 for a second consecutive session, moving past the Indians (who went 4-6) for sole possession of first place. At this moment in the sim, we're through 90 games, and we have split the first two games of a series in Cleveland, with Marwin Gonzalez's eighth-inning grand slam turning the tides in a 7-5 Game 1 victory. We'll send 10-4 Kenta Maeda to the hill against 10-5 Shane Bieber for the rubber match, with a chance to go ahead by three games in the Central. Our season is now eight games away from the All-Star break. I'll update next after those eight, rather than the usual 10, so we can have a nice clean ASG checkpoint. Let's hit the season's unofficial halfway mark on a high note. I'll be calling on your help for a lineup decision that could tilt the odds in our favor in this final pre-break sample. First, here's a look at some trending players. WHO'S HOT Luis Arraez isn't rated all that highly in MLB The Show 20 – his 79 overall rating ranks 14th on our roster – but the game seems to recognize his scrappy overachieving nature. This past 10-game stretch was probably his best of the season, as he delivered two three-hit games and two four-hit games on the way to going 17-for-34 (.500) overall. He now finds himself leading the AL in batting average at .338. Marcell Ozuna is the MLB leader at .360. It's a good thing we've got Maeda taking the hill for our critical next game against Cleveland, because the man is HOT. His first start of the last batch saw him hold Houston scoreless over six innings of one-hit ball, striking out eight with one walk. In his second he coasted to a complete-game shutout against Detroit, allowing five hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks while the offense scored 11 runs. That's 15 innings with zero runs and an 18-to-4 K/BB ratio, bringing his ERA down to 3.33. With the All-Star Game nine days away, Maeda has an outside shot at getting in, although Verlander, Kluber, Sale, and Ryu are among the starters with clearly superior cases. The Twins do have a few guys in line to be selected: Mitch Garver is leading all catchers in votes, with his .906 OPS and 14 homers putting him ahead of Salvador Perez and Gary Sanchez.Max Kepler (.841 OPS, 12 HR, 50 RBI) is holding down the lead in right field as his performance plateaus, although Jorge Soler and Aaron Judge are closing in.Eddie Rosario, third among left fielders, is the only other position player with a real shot to get in.Taylor Rogers and Tyler Duffey could be in the All-Star bullpen mix. WHO'S NOT Rogers has been mostly fantastic in the closer role, but he hurt his All-Star case a bit with an uncharacteristic disaster outing in the second game of the Colorado series. The Twins had rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 6-4 lead, and so we turned to our usually reliable closer. But the Rockies jumped on Rogers for four runs on six hits in one inning, winning 8-6. To his credit, the resilient lefty bounced back with a scoreless ninth and save the following day, and he added two more saves with clean frames against Detroit and Houston. Meanwhile, Odorizzi is riding the rotation seesaw. While Maeda has quickly switched gears from ice-cold to red-hot (he was in this section last time), Odo did the opposite. He entered the latest 10-game stretch with a team-leading 2.86 ERA, and made three starts, on account of the decision to skip Pineda's second turn. Here are the numbers in those three starts for Odorizzi: 9 IP, 13 ER. Covered up by Minnesota's explosive offense in a 15-11 win over Detroit was Odorizzi's hideous start (1 IP, 6 ER), and he lasted only four innings apiece in his other two. Odorizzi's ERA has jumped to 3.62, which – in fairness – was probably a fair expectation for him coming in. His pattern in the game of going on a crazy run and then offsetting it with a few normalizing clunkers seems true enough to real life. Hopefully he can get into another groove for the second half. DECISION TIME: MOVE ARRAEZ TO LEADOFF? My attitude with the lineup has generally been hands-off up to this point. But Arraez's continuing success is causing me to question his spot near the bottom of the order, I've been pretty steadfast in running out this 1-through-5 order regularly: Versus RHP: Kepler, Donaldson, Sano, Rosario, Cruz Versus LHP: Garver, Donaldson, Sano, Kepler, Cruz And these guys have all been quite good. None are necessarily deserving of a demotion, but at the same time, Arraez is sorta forcing the issue. Not only does he lead the American League in batting average, but he's third in OBP at .431, trailing only Trout (.442) and Xander Bogaerts (.433). Download attachment: obpleaders.jpeg So my question for today, as we march toward the All-Star break: Should we make Arraez our full-time leadoff hitter? Or should we stick with the lineup philosophies that have gotten us to this point? You can voice your opinion in the comments section. COMING UP 7/5: @ CLE 7/6: vs KC 7/7: vs KC 7/8: vs KC 7/9: vs TOR 7/10: vs TOR 7/11: vs TOR 7/12: vs TOR 7/12: Home Run Derby 7/13: MLB All-Star Game PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS Part 1: We Can Build This Thing Together (0-0) Part 2: 10 Games In, 6 Games Back (4-6) Part 3: Roaring Back (11-9) Part 4: Over the Hill (17-13) Part 5: Checking In at the Quarter Point (23-17) Part 6: Rising Power (30-20) Part 7: First Place! (Barely) (34-26) Part 8: Drafting and Dropping (38-32) Part 9: Cruz Control (45-35) MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Hill got removed because we DFA'ed him when we removed him from the rotation earlier this season. Pineda was not on the 40-man in the game (presumably as a way to reflect him being suspended?) and is also direly underrated in it.

Option 2: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to send down Jordan Balazovic to find his groove in Triple-A, while promoting one of the several worthy performers in Triple-A – Rich Hill, Devin Smeltzer, Michael Pineda or Reid McMahon – to take over the fifth spot in the rotation. (Feel free to specify your preference, otherwise I'll likely to go with Smeltzer since he's on the 40-man.)