Nick Nelson

It's not an either/or. Is someone suggesting getting rid of any of those players in order to give Santana a shot on a minor-league deal?

This week was a blast from the past for Minnesota Twins fans, with a few recognizable names popping up in the news. Here's the rundown.* Determined or deluded? Whatever you want to call it, Johan Santana refuses to give up in his mission to pitch in the major leagues once again. The lefty will turn 38 next March, and hasn't thrown an MLB pitch since 2012, but is reportedly heading to Venezuela to showcase himself in winter ball, with hopes of landing a deal for 2017. Santana signed a minor-league deal with Baltimore in 2014 and another one with Toronto in 2015, but stalled out due to continuing setbacks and bad breaks, including a torn Achilles tendon in the summer of '14. He was still trying to make his way back this year but never emerged with any club. Pitchers who suffer multiple shoulder capsule tears, as Santana did with the Mets, have an incredibly poor prognosis as far as returning to the mound. Thus far, the two-time Cy Young winner is just another statistic. Given that he was never terribly dependent on velocity, it's conceivable he could work his way back as a crafty southpaw leaning on his signature changeup. If the Twins take a look at him this winter and see anything they like, there would be little risk in giving him a shot on a minor-league deal. Few teams could offer a more realistic path to a rotation spot, and of course there is the familiarity factor. * Ron Gardenhire is returning to the dugout. The Arizona Diamondbacks announced on Thursday that they were hiring the longtime Twins skipper to serve as bench coach on their reconstructed staff. Interestingly, he will work under new D-backs manager Torey Lovullo, who was runner-up to Paul Molitor as Gardenhire's replacement in Minnesota. A year ago, Gardy was offered the a bench coach position with the San Diego Padres after losing out to Andy Green for the top job. He declined it, and subsequently rejoined the Twins as a special assistant to general manager Terry Ryan. But now, the 59-year-old will lend his experience in assisting Lovullo, who has been around for a while but is taking on his first gig as a full-time big-league manager. I, personally, will be glad to see Gardenhire returning to a more visible role in the game. His quips and quotes are tough to beat. * If the Twins are serious about trying to land free agent catcher Jason Castro, the task might have gotten a little bit easier on Thursday. His former team, the Astros, completed a trade with the Yankees to acquire Brian McCann in exchange for prospects. Houston was among the clubs reported to have interest in signing Castro. That still leaves several others pursuing the veteran backstop. The Twins are believed to be one of them, although according to Darren Wolfson they still had not made a formal contract offer as of Wednesday. Click here to view the article

I think they need to sign someone who can hold their own as a credible starter for a while, so Mathis doesn't work. If they enter next season with JRM or Garver as Option A from the get-go, I'd consider that a significant failure for the new regime,

Earlier this week, we analyzed the payroll implications of signing one of the top free agent catchers available. But if the Twins miss out on the most prized names and have to set their sights a bit lower, what kind of values might they find? Which names in the lower tier make the most sense?It sounds as though the Twins are legitimately interested in acquiring an impact starter at the position. They are known to have interest in Jason Castro, and it would be no surprise if they at least reached out to the reps of Wilson Ramos and Matt Wieters. However, even if they're very serious about going after these players, it may be a trivial pursuit. If the trio of Ramos, Wieters and Castro are all steadfastly interested in playing for contending teams, they'll probably have that opportunity. Plenty of quality teams have needs at catcher, and will be ready to pony up the required dollars to place a winning bid. This would leave the Twins – who undoubtedly need to at least add SOMEONE at catcher – in a position to peruse the remaining ranks. With this segment, Minnesota might actually be at a relative advantage. Established contenders wouldn't look at the majority of these players as candidates for regular playing time, but the Twins can afford to feed reps to a marginal talent while they try to turn around John Ryan Murphy and develop Mitch Garver. In our Offseason Handbook free agency rankings, the next name we have listed after the aforementioned top three is Kurt Suzuki. Of course, it is pretty well established at this point that both sides are ready to move on. Suzuki is also the only other player in the group who seems likely to receive a multi-year deal, so going with a lesser option would mean less risk and more future flexibility. If they're not going to be able to land a true difference-maker, then the Twins should focus on targets with upside who fit for particular reasons. With this in mind, here's a look at three names I would consider pursuing: Alex Avila Former Team: White Sox Age: 30 | B/T: L/R 2016 Stats: 57 G, .213/.359/.373, 7 HR, 11 RBI, 19 R Why He Makes Sense Avila batted only .213 this year but still got on base at an above-average clip. In 2015 his ugly .191 average came along with a respectable .339 OBP. This has been a consistent trend for the lefty-swinging backstop because he draws enough walks to keep getting on base even when his bat sags. His platoon splits make him a very logical complement to Murphy or Garver, who both swing from the right side. Why He Doesn't He has played only 124 games combined over the past two years due to injuries and uninspiring play. Opponents ran all over him this season, stealing 25 bases on 32 attempts in just 52 starts behind the plate. StatCorner ranked him as the 10th-worst pitch framer in baseball. And as arguably the best free agent catcher beyond Ramos, Wieters, Castro and Suzuki, he might be in for an overpay. Chris Iannetta Former Team: Mariners Age: 33 | B/T: R/R 2016 Stats: 94 G, .210/.303/.329, 7 HR, 24 RBI Why He Makes Sense If experience is a primary concern for the Twins – and it may be given the shortcomings of Murphy and Garver in that area – Iannetta looks like a logical and inexpensive plug. He has accrued more than 7,500 career innings behind the plate and is reputed to be a solid defender. He owns a .743 career OPS, which is 60 points higher than the average AL backstop posted this season. Why He Doesn't While his career numbers are fairly impressive, Iannetta hasn't hit much over the past two years, accumulating a .198/.298/.332 slash line with the Angels and Mariners. He might not have much left in the tank offensively and he is particularly rough against right-handed pitching. Geovany Soto Former Team: Angels Age: 34 | B/T: R/R 2016 Stats: 26 G, .269/.321/.487, 4 HR, 9 RBI Why He Makes Sense He's coming off another injury-riddled campaign, which has sadly become par for the course, but when Soto is on the field he hits. The former Rookie of the Year owns a .767 career OPS and has put up a .240/.313/.431 line over the past four years despite being limited to 567 total plate appearances. He's not a bad gamble on a low-money guarantee or minor-league deal, and may be enticed by the opportunity to take over Minnesota's starting gig if he can get healthy. Why He Doesn't The Twins are seeking some level of assurance behind the plate, and Soto hardly provides it. He was limited to 26 games this year by ailments affecting his thumb and both knees. Hardly ideal for a catcher in his mid-30s. The aging veteran hasn't played 100 games in a season since 2011. Do any of these names catch your eye? How about the rest of the crop, which includes such names as Drew Butera, Jeff Mathis, A.J. Ellis, Ryan Hanigan, Dioner Navarro, Nick Hundley and Jarrod Saltalamacchia? Share your thoughts in the comments section! Remember, you can download the 2017 Offseason Handbook for free (or donation) and get a full in-depth breakdown of all the free agents at this position, and others! Click here to view the article

Ha, on the bright side, those two combined are only owed about $16 million in 2019 (~2/3 of Mauer's salary). And I don't think we should give up on either quite yet.

At the GM Meetings last week, Twins officials wasted no time expressing their interest in free agent catcher Jason Castro. It's not clear how much he might command in salary, but the amount may be higher than expected, due to a sparse market and widespread need. How much can Minnesota afford to spend?It's not an easy question to tackle because we don't really know what sort of restraints Derek Falvey and the new front office are looking at. The Twins opened this year with a $105 million payroll, which is roughly the same as 2015. It's tough to gauge whether the figure might rise or fall next year, but the best guess is that they'll stay in that general vicinity. The Pohlad ownership group has always maintained that spending is fluid, and they vigorously denied giving Terry Ryan hard caps during his tenure as general manager. Still, Ryan's payrolls typically fell in the lower half of the league, and he was never one to make major waves in free agency. Falvey comes from an organization that operated with the same mid-market mindset. Cleveland's payrolls have ranked in the bottom third of the league every year since 2009. When asked about the subject last week, the new Chief Baseball Officer struck a familiar tone: It wouldn't be characteristic for Falvey to come in and immediately request funding for a splashy high-profile signing, nor would it be characteristic for Twins ownership to approve it. The biggest names on the market are nothing but pipe dreams. Given the club's current standing, they probably should be. Castro always seemed like a more plausible target, and the Twins have moved on him quickly. Unfortunately, so too have other teams. With free agency less than a week old, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports that the 29-year-old already has offers from at least three American League teams. In the Twins Daily 2017 Offseason Handbook, we estimated that Castro would end up receiving a contract in the area of three years and $21 million. The low-end projection seemed warranted. After all, we are talking about a guy who has never played more than 126 games in a season, and has a .660 OPS over the past three years. However, as things evolve that number is looking low. With top free agent catchers Wilson Ramos and Matt Weiters carrying major question marks, the highest tier didn't separate itself. Castro also gets a boost from his favorable ratings in terms of advanced defensive analytics like pitch-framing. In courting the former first-round draft pick, the Twins have some disadvantages – most notably the fact that they were baseball's worst team this year. But money talks. How loudly will it speak in this case? Pulled from our extensive payroll analysis in the Offseason Handbook, here's a look at the team's present payroll commitments for 2017: Download attachment: payroll1.png As you can see, even if they keep all of their arbitration eligible players, the Twins are about $7 million short of where they started this year. And there are many ways that $98.5 million figure can drop pretty quickly. For instance, the Twins could non-tender Trevor Plouffe ($9M) and put their faith in Miguel Sano at third base. They could trade Brian Dozier and his $6 million, while getting back at least one young pitcher capable of replacing Hector Santiago, whose $8 million could be dropped. If the front office makes it a priority to add a difference-maker, then finding money for Castro – even at something like $10 million per year – shouldn't be difficult. In fact, depending on what they do at a few other positions, the Twins could create enough flexibility to outbid the competition for a Ramos or Wieters and still come up short of their 2016 payroll mark. Keep in mind that nearly all of Minnesota's long-term commitments are soon to expire. The only current players whose contracts run beyond 2018 are Phil Hughes and Byung Ho Park. As Phil Miller notes, this allows the new regime to choose whom it wants to build around with little restriction. In that context, their decision at the catcher position should prove telling, from a variety of perspectives. This much is clear: if Falvey and Levine want to aim high, there isn't a lot standing in their way. Click here to view the article

Derek Falvey and Thad Levine are in their first week on the job heading up the Minnesota Twins baseball department, but already they have made a few waves. In particular, I'm talking about the coaching staff shakeup that took place earlier this week.On Tuesday night, amidst the chaotic election frenzy, the Twins announced that they would be parting with hitting coach Tom Brunansky and first base coach Butch Davis, while the rest of Paul Molitor's instructive unit would remain intact. That means that Neil Allen will return as pitching coach. This is rather surprising for a couple of different reasons. Firstly, because Allen oversaw a staff this year that ranked as the worst in baseball and one of the worst in franchise history. Almost without exception every Twins pitcher underperformed. And secondly, because Falvey carries a reputation as a pitching guru with his own distinct philosophies on teaching and development. If he was going to come aboard with any particular directive in mind as far as the coaching group is concerned, one would think it would be a change at this position. However, the new Chief Baseball Officer is evidently impressed enough with Allen. And although the results from Twins pitchers hardly could have been worse this year, there is some evidence that Allen may have been handcuffed to some degree in implementing his ideologies. Last month, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press wrote an article on the team's widespread issues with fastball command. Within the piece, Allen had a rather interesting quote. Speaking about the way the sinking two-seam fastball, specifically, is handled with pitching prospects, the pitching coach said, "That's something that throughout the whole system needs to be addressed ... Big time." Berardino adds: So it sounds like, even with his job in limbo, Allen was still proactively working to address the organization's deep-running issues with pitcher development. And Falvey is on board. In a Q&A piece from David Laurilia published on FanGraphs this week, Allen goes into great depth regarding several elements of pitching instruction. In his answers, the former Rays minor-league coach speaks almost nostalgically about his time in the Tampa system. But, as he points out, the core directives "come from the higher-ups. The general manager, the manager, and the pitching coordinator would get together and start the program." Now, with new higher-ups in place, perhaps Allen can better recreate the outstanding results that the Rays were able to produce with young arms during his time there. Click here to view the article

Could be, although I don't know that there's any consensus on what "we expect." In the Handbook we estimated 3 years and $21 million but many seem to think that's on the high side. It's important to note that he hasn't really been a full-time player in either of the past two years, getting only ~375 PA in each.

d'Arnaud was one of the Mets targets listed in my "Dealing Dozier" section of the Offseason Handbook. The idea of acquiring him along with a quality arm or two is highly appealing. Unfortunately, with the Mets extending a QO to Neil Walker (which he'll almost certainly accept) I don't know that they're going to be a potential partner. At least not for BD...

It's not a rule as much as a courtesy. You can link to MLB Trade Rumors as a source. I just took issue with the phrase "MLB Trade Rumors reports", and I know dang well Mr. Berardino would too.

Sarcasm? If so it seems unwarranted. I don't mean to scold but I certainly think we should give due credit to the guys who are out there grinding to get the info that feeds this and all other fan sites.

I have to call this out because it irks me when I see it. MLB Trade Rumors didn't report anything, they are an aggregator. Let's give credit to the guy who actually did the reporting work, Mike Berardino.

Free agency officially kicked off on Tuesday morning. The Twins are very much in the market for a catcher, so today I thought we'd take a closer look at what is available.Yesterday, Parker unveiled our new Free Agent Tracker feature. This interactive database gives you a dynamic real-time look at players that are out there. By drilling the list down to catchers, we can get a specific view of the market for backstops. Each of these player is covered in the Offseason Handbook – which you've got grab if you haven't. (Donation-based download, free if you like!) Let's take a deeper look at the pages concerning this position: Download attachment: gmhbfac1.png Just a terrible break for Wilson Ramos. A qualifying offer would have been a no-brainer prior to his devastating September knee injury, but now the Nationals had no choice but pass. His recovery will stretch well into next season, and his long-term future behind the plate is somewhat in doubt. His agent has suggested Ramos will seek a four to five year deal. Will that offer come? Probably not from the Twins. Matt Wieters is more plausible. The Orioles declined to extend a QO so he hits the open market unencumbered. The switch-hitter had one of the worst seasons of his career, with terrible timing, but was still a very solid player who's not that old. Download attachment: gmhbfac2.png Jason Castro is my personal favorite among the free agent catchers. He was our choice in in the Twins Daily offseason blueprint. He ranks as one of the game's very elite pitch-framing specialists, and he's a capable hitter who can put the ball over the fence. Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press tweeted on Tuesday night that the Twins have expressed preliminary interest in Castro and plan to meet with his agent on Wednesday. But if the Twins want to take a less emphatic dive into the market, and aren't ready to give up on John Ryan Murphy quite yet, Alex Avila makes sense. As a lefty swinger he complements Murphy well and as a guy who's been around for eight years – many of them spent with dominant Tigers clubs – he might bring some of the veteran leadership that the Twins seem to be pursuing. Download attachment: gmhbfac3.png The remainder of this free agent class doesn't really possess anyone who could be viewed as a starter or even a primary timeshare partner. The Twins need to be aiming higher than a backup. That's just the reality. What are your thoughts? Who would you target among this crop? Or would you shift your focus to another acquisition avenue in addressing this critical spot? Click here to view the article

None of the arbitration eligible players were listed in the org depth charts since they are not technically under contract for next year... but most can be safely penciled in. I suspect he'll be back even though we didn't keep him in our blueprint.

Around lunchtime on Monday, the Minnesota Twins will hold a press conference formally announcing the two new head executives in their reconfigured baseball operations department. Then, it's on.Among the 28 teams who fell short of the World Series, most are deep into their offseason planning. Important deadlines come fast and furious after the conclusion of the playoffs, and that's why many front offices spend weeks laying the groundwork and playing through scenarios. The Twins have had no such luxuries. Derek Falvey's tenure with the Indians lasted as long as it possibly could have, placing him in catch-up mode as he takes over in the Minnesota front office. While he has undoubtedly been in communication with his new organization, up until last Wednesday Falvey remained an employee of the Cleveland Indians, and a very occupied one at that. Meanwhile, Rob Antony has been running the show. Moving forward he will presumably be third in line behind Falvey and new general manager Thad Levine. The trio will need to come together and make some quick decisions. The annual GM Meetings get underway on Monday and run through Thursday so Falvey and Levine are reportedly set to head straight to Scottsdale, AZ following the conclusion of their introductory press conference. This will be their first opportunity to rub shoulders with other execs as official representatives of the Minnesota Twins, so it should be an interesting week. So, how will their agenda shape up as the new leadership team acclimates? The free agency process has already been set into motion, as we're currently amidst a five-day exclusive negotiating window for impending free agents. The most prominent name in that mix for Minnesota is Kurt Suzuki, who won't be back, so the Twins aren't hindered much by being late to the game. But after the clock strikes midnight and Monday turns to Tuesday, free agency will officially be open for business. Names can start coming off the market quickly so the Twins need to rapidly identify targets and begin making contacts. The team's needs heading into the winter are fairly well defined. Of course, you can find an in-depth listing of free agents at positions of need in the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook, which is available for immediate download on a name-your-price basis. Here's a quick look at some other important upcoming dates as the new regime tackles its first Hot Stove season: November 18: Deadline to add prospects to the 40-man roster and protect them from Rule 5 draft eligibility. The Twins have some critical determinations to make before this point. A few weeks ago, Seth wrote about some pitchers and hitters who are on the bubble. December 1: On this date, Major League Baseball's current collective bargaining agreement expires. In order to avoid a work stoppage, the league and players association must reach agreement on a new deal before the end of this month. There is little reason to think they won't, given everything at stake, but the new CBA could include some significant changes. The draft bonus pool system, in particular, is expected to undergo some tweaking. This could have a distinct impact on the Twins, who of course will carry the No. 1 pick in each round next June. December 2: Non-tender deadline. By this date, the Twins must decide whether to extend offers to their six arbitration eligible players: Trevor Plouffe, Hector Santiago, Brandon Kintzler, Eduardo Escobar, Kyle Gibson and Ryan Pressly. We extensively analyze the cases for each player in the Handbook. December 5-8: Winter Meetings in Washington DC. This is the heart of Hot Stove season and the most gripping period of the offseason schedule, with non-stop frenetic rumors and breaking blockbusters. The Rule 5 draft takes place on the morning of the final day. After the Winter Meetings, things quiet down for the most part over the holidays, then kick back into gear in mid-January with arbitration agreement deadline. If you've been in a slumber waiting for the postseason to play out, the time has arrived. Things are about to get going in a hurry. Make sure you snag your Offseason Handbook, for as much or as little as you want, so you'll be ready for all the action. Click here to view the article

In recent years, the conclusion of the World Series has turned into an annual holiday for Minnesota Twins fans. It marks the official start of the offseason, as well as the yearly release of Twins Daily's Offseason Handbook. Our latest edition is now available here, and because we want to make sure everyone can get this awesome product, we're implementing a new approach this year.By following this link, you can grab your copy of this ebook as an instantly downloadable PDF. However, unlike in the past, the 2017 Offseason Handbook does not have a set cost. You can enter your own price when checking out. The recommended amount is five dollars, but you can set the number anywhere you please, including zero. We work hard year-round at Twins Daily to keep the quality content pumping on a daily basis. We put a great deal of additional effort into planning, writing and designing this full-color, comprehensive Hot Stove preview. If you want to contribute any amount -- be it $1, $5, $10 or more -- as a token of thanks for the coverage and for the product you're receiving, we greatly appreciate it. But we wanted it to be optional. If you can't or don't wish to pay, we won't be offended. We don't want any barriers standing in the way of anyone's ability to access this premium content. Just please make sure you grab a copy! ** ORDER THE 2017 OFFSEASON HANDBOOK HERE ** So, what can you expect from the 2017 Offseason Handbook? After helping build a championship-caliber team in Cleveland, Derek Falvey will now arrive in Minnesota, tasked with doing the same thing here. This handbook puts you in his shoes, serving as a guide to the current makeup of the organization while offering in-depth breakdowns of upgrade options available through various acquisition channels. Within this digital offseason guide, you will find organizational depth charts for each position, payroll analysis, arbitration cases, trade scenarios and dozens of free agent profiles. The Handbook also includes lengthy feature articles from Seth, John, Parker and myself, covering different unique topics. As always, you'll find our Twins Daily blueprint for building a better team in 2017, and you'll have all the tools necessary to form your own plan. Regardless of if – or how much – you choose to pay, please make sure you download a copy of the Twins Daily 2017 Offseason Handbook. We're very confident that everyone is going to love it, and its content will tie heavily into our coverage of the coming offseason. Free agency kicks off in five days and the Winter Meetings are barely a month away, so don't delay. Get your copy now and prepare yourself for what promises to be the most intriguing and compelling winter for the Twins in a very long time. Click here to view the article

In 1991, the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves battled to the bitter end in a World Series for the ages. Now, 25 years later, the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs are on their way to another epic Fall Classic, with Tuesday's Cubs victory sending this thrilling series to a decisive Game 7. While we wait for the offseason to officially get underway, here's a smattering of Twins notes.* In his Q&A column at Baseball America on Tuesday, JJ Cooper was asked about mino leaguers capable of hitting triple digits on the radar gun. His lengthy list includes two Twins. The first is Pat Light, whose powerful yet erratic fastball was on display in Minnesota this year after he was acquired from the Red Sox in the Fernando Abad deadline deal. The second is Fernando Romero. That name might not be too familiar to casual fans, but it will be soon. When Seth released his season-ending Top 50 Twins prospects list a month ago, Romero ranked second, ahead of such vaunted talents as Alex Kirilloff, Nick Gordon and Tyler Jay. This may seem stunning given that Romero was nowhere to be found on our preseason Top 20 list. But the hard-throwing righty has quickly placed himself squarely back on the radar after being AWOL for a lengthy stretch. Signed out of the Dominican Republic as a teenager back in 2011, he opened some eyes with his rookie ball performances before missing most of 2014 and all of 2015 due to elbow and knee surgeries. This year he returned with a sparkling 1.89 ERA and 90-to-15 K/BB ratio in 16 starts between Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers. While he has touched 100 MPH, Romero typically works in the mid-90s as a starter, with quality secondary offerings to boot. He might be the only pitcher in the system right now boasting true "ace" potential. * When I wrote a few weeks ago that the Twins need to get creative in their pursuit of pitching help this offseason, one of my suggestions was to target a buy-low free agent starter like Derek Holland. I figured there was a good chance that the veteran lefty, who has made only 35 starts for Texas over the past three years due to injuries, would have his $11 million team option for 2017 bought out. The Rangers may still do that, but it looks like they'll see if they can find a trade partner first. This is noteworthy of course because the club's assistant GM, Thad Levine, is reportedly heading to Minnesota to assume general manager duties. Holland lacks enough upside to generate much excitement, but he was a solid young pitcher for the Rangers before running into his extended injury woes. Texas wouldn't be able to command much of anything in exchange for him, but therein lies the appeal. This will be a situation worth keeping an eye on. * Late last week we teased our newest Offseason Handbook, noting that it will be officially released at the conclusion of the World Series, per usual. The fact that this series has been pushed to seven games means that the Handbook's release has been delayed, but with things ready to wrap up in Cleveland, the Handbook will definitely be out by night's end. As we explained in our teaser post, this year's version will feature a dynamic pricing structure, enabling you to get it for free if you so please. Make sure to check in tonight after the game or first thing tomorrow morning to grab your copy! Click here to view the article