Nick Nelson

These are not low-upside deals. Each pitcher listed (with the exception of Morales I guess) has shown the ability to pitch like a front-of-rotation guy in recent years. That's why they're different from Pelfrey and Correia. Also, it's easy to say "Let's go get Ervin Santana" but is he really going to want to pitch here? You've got to be realistic about the other side of this thing. Pitchers with depressed value will view Minnesota as a more attractive landing spot because the barrier of entry for the rotation is low.

The Twins announced that they're ditching their classic white pinstripe home uniforms and replacing them with a new look. Their primary home attire will now be a solid white with gold trim around the classic logo. You can take a peek in this introductory video they posted on their website: http://mlb.com/min/fan_forum/uniform_unveiling.jsp?adbid=531838527093235715&adbpl=tw&adbpr=39397148&partnerId=as_min_20141110_35327027 Thoughts?

There are two nice things that can come out of it: 1) Pitcher has a good year and entices needy teams at the trade deadline. The Cubs turned Scott Feldman into Jake Arrieta. 2) Pitcher has a good year, decides he likes it here and re-signs. I actually think it makes perfect sense for where the Twins are as a franchise.

Masterson would require probably a one-year commitment. Lester would require at least five. Pretty much as simple as that. I think they should be focused on flexibility right now, especially with Hughes & Nolasco both under contract for 2016. It's not exactly the same, no. But the idea is buying low on a big talent due to his circumstances. Those are the signings that carry little risk but can make you look very smart. And I think the Twins can appeal to those free agents, because this rotation should be wide open. As for Liriano, they'd have to give up a draft pick to sign him, so he really doesn't fit the parameters. I still wouldn't be opposed to giving him a look, but it ain't gonna happen.

With free agency now officially underway, there will be considerable interest in Terry Ryan's approach to addressing his team's starting pitching woes. If you're hoping see him aggressively pursue one of the top names on the market, you're likely to be disappointed. But there's a good chance the Twins will add at least one free agent arm, and as the Phil Hughes signing demonstrated last year, landing a pitcher with a mid-level contract can pay major dividends if done smartly. Image courtesy of Tommy Gilligan, USA Today Sports With free agency now officially underway, there will be considerable interest in Terry Ryan's approach to addressing his team's starting pitching woes. If you're hoping see him aggressively pursue one of the top names on the market, you're likely to be disappointed. But there's a good chance the Twins will add at least one free agent arm, and as the Phil Hughes signing demonstrated last year, landing a pitcher with a mid-level contract can pay major dividends if done smartly. Some might be frustrated by the idea that ace types like Max Scherzer, Jon Lester and James Shields will probably not be on Ryan's radar. But this is understandable for a couple reasons. For one thing, there's already some congestion in the rotation with seven starters currently in line to vie for five spots. Secondly, there's the whole rebuilding thing. Does it make sense to commit $100-plus million over five-plus years when the roster is in such a state of flux? Given their present circumstances, it makes more sense for the Twins to seek a pitcher who carries less risk and commitment. That doesn't mean they can't bring in some considerable upside. When the Twins signed Hughes about a year ago, I liked the move quite a bit for three principal reasons: 1) He was young, with success in his past. 2) He had good peripherals. 3) He had been pitching under unfavorable circumstances. Hughes was coming off a season in which he'd gone 4-14 with a 5.19 ERA for the Yankees, enabling the Twins to get him at a bargain price of $8 million per year, but those three factors made him a good bet to rebound and improve with a change of scenery. I don't think anyone could have anticipated his turnaround to be quite so drastic, but the success of this signing was hardly random. With that in mind, I thought it would be interesting to gauge this year's free agent pitching market and identify some guys in similar situations, with depressed value but deeper potential. The Twins have no need for another back-end starter -- they have plenty of those already -- so the focus should be on finding a pitcher who offers at least a realistic chance of being more than that, without paying a premium or forfeiting a draft pick. Here are a few names worth keeping an eye on: Justin Masterson - RHP, 29 years old Masterson is the starter we suggested signing in our blueprint for the Offseason Handbook. In 2013, he was an All-Star, posting a 3.45 ERA over 193 innings for the Indians; in 2014, he was a mess, registering a 5.88 mark in 128 frames between Cleveland and St. Louis. The Cardinals demoted him to the bullpen in September and left him off their playoff roster. Despite the brutal results this year, Masterson did two important things quite well: missing bats (19.6 K%) and getting grounders (58.2 GB%). His .339 BABIP is bound to come back to Earth and if the Twins could bring his walks under control after he posted a career-high 4.8 BB/9 rate, there's a good shot he could return to his previous form. He may be seeking a one-year make-good deal, which would be ideal for the Twins since they still have multi-year commitments to Hughes and Ricky Nolasco, and want to maintain flexibility for incoming prospects. Brett Anderson - LHP, 26 years old He's consistently been very good when healthy, but he has also been consistently unhealthy. The Rockies took a gamble on his talent last offseason by trading with Oakland to bring him in, and the southpaw was great when on the mound, posting a sterling 2.91 ERA in eight starts... but, he only made eight starts. This time it was a bulging disc in his back that derailed Anderson, but he's expected to be ready for spring training and he's still extremely young by free agent standards. He seems like a good fit for the Twins, who could afford to be patient and endure setbacks because of their depth and relatively low expectations. Chad Billingsley - RHP, 30 years old Billingsley is coming off back-to-back lost seasons -- he threw a total of 12 innings in 2013 and never made it to a big-league mound in 2014. His right arm has gone through some major turmoil; first Tommy John, then surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in the same elbow. He's probably the toughest guy to trust on this list, but he might come on a non-guaranteed minor-league deal and the upside is there. Prior to 2013, he had a 3.66 career ERA, and had made 25 or more starts in five straight seasons. Josh Johnson - RHP, 30 years old Like Billingsley, Johnson has had a really rough go of it the last two years. In 2013, he made only 16 starts (with a 6.20 ERA) while battling elbow soreness. He underwent offseason surgery to remove bone spurs from the elbow, but that did little good as he ended up needing Tommy John surgery early in the 2014 campaign. When healthy, he's got plenty of juice in his arm, with the ability to dial it up into the mid-90s and blow away opposing hitters. Franklin Morales - LHP, 28 years old Morales has long been reputed for his electric stuff, but the numbers have rarely lined up. The Venezuelan has gone from Colorado to Boston and back to Colorado, frustrating coaches with his inconsistency and shaky command. But the ability is there. He's still only 28 and was at one point viewed as one of the best prospects in the game (Baseball America ranked him No. 8 overall in 2008). Carlos Villanueva - RHP, 30 years old The right-hander is an enigma. During stints with the Brewers, Blue Jays and Cubs, he has constantly bounced back and forth between the rotation and bullpen, failing to establish himself despite solid secondary numbers buoyed by good control and a quality K-rate. It'd be hard to rely on Villanueva as a full-time starter at this point, but he's definitely worth a look; his 175-to-59 K/BB ratio in Chicago over the past two seasons is impressive and helps explain the disparity between a 4.27 ERA and 3.59 FIP. Brandon Morrow - RHP, 30 years old Things were looking bright for Morrow back in 2011. As a 26-year-old, he made a career-high 30 starts for the Blue Jays and led the league with a 10.2 K/9 rate. Since then, durability has unfortunately been a huge issue for him, as his games-started totals have dropped from 30 to 21 to 10 to six. In 2014 he was limited to 33 innings by a finger injury. Some believe his future may be as a reliever, where he could stay healthier and maximize his arsenal, but I think he's worth a gamble and he might like another opportunity to start. View full article

Everyone wants to criticize the Twins for the way they handle injuries. On the one side, there are those who claim that the club has created a culture where players don't communicate injuries to coaches and too frequently play hurt. NBC Sports blogger Craig Calcaterra recently suggested this in a post about Chris Colabello playing (and struggling) through a serious thumb injury. Then, on the opposite end of the spectrum, there are those like Jim Souhan who argue that the Twins too often let players sit with minor ailments. In a rather brutal column for the Star Tribune this week, Souhan urged new manager Paul Molitor to "end [the] coddling of Twins players," declaring that the team's deferential treatment of Joe Mauer sets a bad example. Which one is it? Or could it be that both these viewpoints are being taken to absurd extremes, and that the Twins are not really all that different from the majority of teams around the league when it comes to their management of injuries? Yeah, I'm gonna go with that. Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson, USA Today Sports Everyone wants to criticize the Twins for the way they handle injuries. On the one side, there are those who claim that the club has created a culture where players don't communicate injuries to coaches and too frequently play hurt. NBC Sports blogger Craig Calcaterra recently suggested this in a post about Chris Colabello playing (and struggling) through a serious thumb injury. Then, on the opposite end of the spectrum, there are those like Jim Souhan who argue that the Twins too often let players sit with minor ailments. In a rather brutal column for the Star Tribune this week, Souhan urged new manager Paul Molitor to "end [the] coddling of Twins players," declaring that the team's deferential treatment of Joe Mauer sets a bad example. Which one is it? Or could it be that both these viewpoints are being taken to absurd extremes, and that the Twins are not really all that different from the majority of teams around the league when it comes to their management of injuries? Yeah, I'm gonna go with that. Injuries suck. They are frustrating. They often keep good players out of action, or severely inhibit their performance on the field. And the worst part is that they're almost totally uncontrollable. Baseball is a dangerous game. People get hurt. Just ask Byron Buxton. Maybe it is the randomness and, oftentimes, vagueness of injuries that cause so many otherwise intelligent individuals to view the subject with so little rationality. Souhan's incendiary article this week was tough to stomach, in part because it showed little regard for the well-being of actual people, and in part because it took a harsh stance on a touchy subject without providing much of anything resembling evidence or support. Here's an actual line from the piece: "When the guy making $23 million a year begs out of the lineup because of a bruise, it’s difficult for the manager to push others to play through pain." I mean, come on. A bruise? Why fall back on such a ridiculous exaggeration? Fellow Star Trib columnist Patrick Reusse was spouting the same brand of nonsense late last season, and it's a pervasive talking point in some circles. For the record, here's how Mauer's career has played out since that disastrous 2011 season that apparently earned him an unshakable reputation as a wussy: 2012: 147 games played, 641 plate appearances. Both career highs. 2013: Was on pace for 149 games and 669 plate appearances before suffering a season-ending concussion in mid-August. A severe, season-ending brain injury. 2014: 120 games played, 518 plate appearances. Missed six weeks in July/August due to a strained oblique. This is about the standard recovery period for any player anywhere with an oblique strain. Making an argument that Mauer "begs out of the lineup" due to minor aches and pains is pretty much impossible if you're being the least bit intellectually honest, particularly when you consider that he's spent much of his career playing the most punishing position in the game. It is more likely that Mauer, like many other players, has too frequently tried to play through pain. I have a hard time believing that he was completely healthy in the first half of 2014, when he put up an uncharacteristic .342 on-base percentage and sub-700 OPS. After returning in August from his long layoff, Mauer looked much more like himself, posting a .397 OBP and .802 OPS the rest of the way. It's strange that some people seem to think he should have just toughed out the bilateral leg weakness situation in 2011. He tried, for the first couple weeks. He looked completely terrible, putting up a .550 OPS while hitting everything into the ground. Most often, "playing through pain" -- in a more extreme sense, because the vast majority of major leaguers are doing it to some extent on a regular basis -- does your team no favors. This brings us to the idea posed by Calcaterra and others -- that the Twins have created a culture in which players dangerously try to battle through injuries, ultimately resulting in a negative impact. This is a bit more plausible as a theory. There have been plenty of examples of Twins who have gone through bad slumps, only to later reveal that they were playing hurt. Just this season, you could point to Colabello, Mike Pelfrey, Ricky Nolasco and others. I think it's undeniable that the Twins have had too many players problematically attempt to play while injured. I only question whether that is remotely unique to them. It happens everywhere. Pro athletes play through pain because they are by nature extremely competitive and prone to overestimating the capabilities of their own bodies. In many cases, like Colabello's, it's about maintaining your livelihood. Does it happen more here than other places? How could that be true when everyone's being coddled? Maybe we should try to step back and look at this topic with a little more clarity and compassion. I promise it won't hurt. View full article

The Twins have named the first member of Paul Molitor's coaching staff. It's an incumbent and an easy choice: http://www.startribune.com/blogs/78693392.html Not much to quibble with here. Offense was the team's biggest strength this year, with several young hitters succeeding under Bruno's tutelage. There's a good chance that he'll be the only member of the 2014 coaching staff brought back in the same position. Thoughts?

My top concern as a Twins fan is winning baseball games, and I know I'm not alone in that sentiment. But I'm also a sucker for a compelling storyline, and the hiring of Paul Molitor as the club's new manager has the makings of a pretty great one. Image courtesy of Brace Hemmelgarn My top concern as a Twins fan is winning baseball games, and I know I'm not alone in that sentiment. But I'm also a sucker for a compelling storyline, and the hiring of Paul Molitor as the club's new manager has the makings of a pretty great one. In an excellent column for the Star Tribune this past weekend laying out Molitor's many managerial merits, Jim Souhan included this tidbit, which I rather enjoyed: "The Twins’ only concern about Molitor throughout their relationship with him has been his occasional reticence to choose a defined career path. That is no longer a concern. Two people who know Molitor well said this week that he is driven to become a great manager, and to resurrect a franchise he loves." I've been a Twins fan and a Twin Cities resident for most my life, so I can't help but get a little revved up by that dynamic. Molitor was born here. He grew up as a fan. He picked up his 3,000th hit in a Twins uniform and retired here. And he's spent nearly his entire post-playing career serving this organization in some capacity. His ties to the franchise and the area are strong and deep. Molitor was born in St. Paul, and coincidentally, that might become his nickname locally if he can succeed in turning around this historically bad losing spell and shaping the Twins back into contenders. Fortunately, things are set up very favorably for the new skipper. Regardless of who was going to be in charge, the Twins are positioned to make significant strides in the coming years, with their vaunted prospect core reaching or rapidly approaching the majors. Helping those young players develop and realize their potential is the primary task in front of the new regime, and Molitor is as well equipped as anyone for that responsibility. He has familiarity with all the upcoming prospects, not to mention those who've already arrived, through his years as a roving minor-league instructor. By now you've probably heard Molitor referred to as a baseball "genius" or "savant," with various individuals remarking on his unique and useful insights into the game. He has also been lauded by many players for his teaching skills, and for his ability to connect with Spanish-speaking kids in the minors. These are critical strengths considering the nature of the job he's taking on. There are plenty of things for fans to like about Molitor. But a part of me does wonder if the new manager might prove to be a little too vanilla for the tastes of some. We all know about the rancor that has surrounded Joe Mauer during the team's recent lean years. Some complain that the highly compensated star doesn't assume enough of a vocal leadership role. His calm demeanor can be viewed as overly passive, riling up invested onlookers. The parallels between Minnesota's new manager and its longest-tenured player are numerous. They were born in the same town and went to the same high school. They fit the same playing mold -- disciplined hitters with picturesque swings and moderate power, delivering value largely through batting average and on-base percentage. (Both also were forced to switch to less demanding positions in their 30s due to injuries.) And, from a personality standpoint, although Molitor hasn't had a major public presence in many years, he does seem to offer traits similar to Mauer. Both are studious and cerebral in their approaches to the game. Both are fairly soft-spoken. The cynic could see this as a problem. Ammunition for frustrated fans to unleash on the newly appointed manager if things don't take an rapid turn for the better. It's a sad thought, but we've seen it before. Then again, one might also suggest that this pairing opens the door for a legendary tale of hometown redemption. If the Twins are to turn things around in short order, a resurgence from Mauer could be equally important to the impacts made by prospects entering the fold. And Molitor will be at the head of it all, imparting wisdom and rejuvenating a franchise to which he has dedicated a third of his life. Two generational baseball talents from Minnesota's capitol city. One, a 58-year-old Hall of Famer managing for the first time; the other, a 31-year-old former MVP (and perhaps future Hall of Famer) looking to prove that he can still be the centerpiece of a contending team. One must lead on the field -- through his performance if not his comportment -- and the other must learn to lead from the dugout. It'd be a hell of a story. View full article

With Paul Molitor set to be announced as the new Twins manager on Tuesday morning, focus now shifts to the makeup of his coaching staff. Molitor and Ryan will likely work together to assemble this group, so it stands to reason that several members will be internal (and even incumbent) selections. Molitor worked alongside hitting coach Tom Brunansky in a 2014 season that saw several young hitters succeed. Bruno seems like a lock to return. Terry Steinbach, Gene Glynn and Doug Mientkiewicz are all names within the organization who could land on Molitor's staff. However, the Twins may look outside for help at the one spot that figures to draw more attention than any other: pitching coach. With Paul Molitor set to be announced as the new Twins manager on Tuesday morning, focus now shifts to the makeup of his coaching staff. Molitor and Ryan will likely work together to assemble this group, so it stands to reason that several members will be internal (and even incumbent) selections. Molitor worked alongside hitting coach Tom Brunansky in a 2014 season that saw several young hitters succeed. Bruno seems like a lock to return. Terry Steinbach, Gene Glynn and Doug Mientkiewicz are all names within the organization who could land on Molitor's staff. However, the Twins may look outside for help at the one spot that figures to draw more attention than any other: pitching coach. Rick Anderson held that role through Ron Gardenhire's tenure, and he oversaw some very effective staffs during that time. In recent years, however, pitching has been a constant problem for the club. Anderson's "pitch to contact" mantra, though often misinterpreted and overblown, did manifest in several areas -- most notably the stat sheet. Minnesota has ranked last in the American League in strikeouts every year since 2011, with 500 fewer whiffs than the next-lowest MLB team during that span. The pitching staff needs to reinvent its identity, so there will be great interest in the Twins pick to run this unit. It is possible that they will look inward once again. Here are a few names worth watching on that front: Stu Cliburn: He has spent the last five years working as a pitching coach between Triple-A Rochester and Double-A New Britain. He has familiarity with many of the young arms that will comprise Twins staffs in the next couple years. Marty Mason: Replaced Cliburn as Red Wings pitching coach in 2012 after spending a couple of years in the Cubs organization. He helped Trevor May make massive improvements this year and also worked extensively with Alex Meyer, who might be the most important piece in the Twins' short-term pitching plans. Eric Rasmussen: If you're looking for someone with wide-reaching knowledge of the upcoming pitchers you could hardly do better than Rasmussen, who has been the organization's minor-league pitching coordinator since 2008. Before that, he was a pitching coach for various Twins affiliates for 17 years. While these could all be fine choices, the Twins may be more inclined look outside for a candidate at this spot given the depths of their struggles with developing pitchers recently. If so, one intriguing name is Frank Viola. He came up with the Twins back in the 1980s, won a Cy Young here in 1988, and is a member of the team's Hall of Fame. He was mentioned in a recent Sid Hartman column as a possible candidate and he would make some sense. Viola has been working as a pitching coach in the Mets system for the past four seasons. He underwent open heart surgery in April this year after an issue was discovered during his preseason physical, but recovered fully and joined Triple-A Las Vegas two months later. His name is very much on the rise. Molitor and Viola never played on the same team (they just missed each other in Toronto) but their careers spanned the same era so they likely have familiarity with each other. Both bring a marketable recognition factor while also the promise of fresh perspective. It would be an interesting direction for the Twins' new regime. View full article

A managerial search that stretched on for more than a month appears to be reaching its conclusion, with Patrick Reusse reporting that the Minnesota Twins have decided on Paul Molitor as their new manager and will announce the hiring early next week. The 58-year-old Hall of Famer will become the franchise's 13th different manager since arriving in Minnesota. Image courtesy of Bryce Kluckhohn, USA Today Sports A managerial search that stretched on for more than a month appears to be reaching its conclusion, with Patrick Reusse reporting that the Minnesota Twins have decided on Paul Molitor as their new manager and will announce the hiring early next week. The 58-year-old Hall of Famer will become the franchise's 13th different manager since arriving in Minnesota. Molitor has been widely viewed as Ron Gardenhire's likely successor ever since he was added to the Twins' coaching staff in October of 2013. He has worked with players and personnel throughout the system over the years as a roving instructor, and he spent the 2014 season working from the Twins dugout and assisting Gardenhire in various ways. In that sense, his transition to the head honcho role should be fairly smooth. His entrenchment within the organization does raise some concerns over whether he will be provide a real change in direction, but there are plenty of signals that Molitor is a unique baseball mind capable of bringing fresh perspectives and ideas to the table. The greater concern might relate to Molitor's managerial experience, or lack thereof. While he's been extensively involved in baseball as a coach and instructor since retiring as a player, he has never managed at any level. This was not the case for any of the other known candidates for the position. How big of a deal is it? Perhaps not very. Molitor has certainly been around the game enough to know what goes into managing a team, and purportedly has all the interpersonal and tactical skills necessary to handle the gig, but you really never know until someone actually steps in and does it. At the end of the day, we've got to show some faith in the Twins' judgment on this matter. They've done pretty well with their last two managerial hires; Tom Kelly guided his teams to two World Series championships and Gardenhire won six division titles in his first nine years. The good news for Molitor is that, much like Gardy before him, he should be positioned to make himself look good because the Twins' roster figures to rapidly improve over the next few years as young stars enter the fray and establish themselves. It might not be the most creative or unconventional choice, but Molitor has plenty of pedigree and if you're under the impression that he falls into that more-of-the-same mold, you may end up being surprised. Stay tuned to Twins Daily for plenty more coverage of the new hire. View full article

It's a fair point, and I too have been disappointed by their general lack of aggressiveness in pursuing upgrades, but in hindsight all that was going to do was secure a few extra wins, pushing their draft slots back at the expense of millions of dollars. No amount of offseason maneuvering was going to push them from 65 wins to 90 wins. I still think they should continue to seek quality players to supplement their emerging core, but until that core begins to establish itself and produce, nothing else matters all that much. And while it's true that prospects are hard to trust (as we've been seeing) the Twins have an elite group and that's a far better formula for returning to contention than simply throwing money at the problem.

Yeah, I remember that. I just linked to Walters because it was the latest mention. I'd love to see Mientkiewicz in charge of getting those guys going again at Double-A. He knows them.

Byron Buxton goes by the nickname "Buck." I'm told it's a shortening of his last name, but at this point I'm wondering if it isn't more appropriately a shortening of the words "bad luck." The tweet from William Boor, a reporter on scene at the Arizona Fall League on Monday, felt like some sort of cruel cosmic joke: #Twins prospect Byron Buxton, MLB.coms top prospect, just left today's #AFL14 game with an injury. Looked like he hurt wrist diving for ball It evoked a nauseating feeling that was all too familiar. Image courtesy of Mark Rebilas, USA Today Byron Buxton goes by the nickname "Buck." I'm told it's a shortening of his last name, but at this point I'm wondering if it isn't more appropriately a shortening of the words "bad luck." The tweet from William Boor, a reporter on scene at the Arizona Fall League on Monday, felt like some sort of cruel cosmic joke: #Twins prospect Byron Buxton, MLB.coms top prospect, just left today's #AFL14 game with an injury. Looked like he hurt wrist diving for ball It evoked a nauseating feeling that was all too familiar. Buxton's season in the minors was obliterated by injuries, each one somewhat freakish in nature. He sprained a wrist in spring training, then reinjured the same wrist, then took a painful fastball to the other wrist, and ended his campaign with a knockout concussion in the outfield. When I pondered this summer whether the Twins are the unluckiest team in baseball, that sentiment stemmed largely from the plight of their star prospect. Buxton is the top asset in the organization, and the centerpiece of their rebuilding effort. This time Buxton has a fractured finger, which is at least preferable to a wrist aggravation, but his AFL season is done. He'll once again be shut down before he really gets a chance to get going. It has truly been a lost season for the premier young talent in the game. So if Terry Ryan seems cautious about raising expectations for next year's team, I guess it's not hard to see why. Much speculation is surrounding the manager search right now, and that will soon give way to hot stove buzz as free agency heats up, but neither a new skipper nor an expensive veteran addition is going to fuel a turnaround for this club. That responsibility rests upon the young internally developed core led by Buxton. And he's not the only one who's been struck by setbacks. Miguel Sano lost his whole season to Tommy John surgery, and is sitting out winter ball. Eddie Rosario, who ranked as the organization's third-best positional prospect, lost nearly half his season to a drug suspension and scuffled after returning, though he's currently raking in the AFL. Had things gone to plan, all three would have started the 2014 season in Double-A and would likely be angling for big-league jobs next spring. Instead, all three will likely start at Double-A next year, with much to prove. That's why I cut Ryan quite a bit of slack for the franchise's stalling rebuild. While bad decisions have been made, these prospect developments have been far more impactful and have been entirely out of his control. But here's some food for thought: If you believe in Doug Mientkiewicz's managerial muster, you might actually be pleased by the rumblings that he could end up managing at Chattanooga next season. Overseeing and assisting the returns of Buxton, Sano and Rosario -- not to mention the rise of top pitching prospect J.O. Berrios, who is likely to start there -- could be the most important job in the organization in 2015. View full article

Just an update: We wrapped up the Handbook a little ahead of schedule, so we've moved up the release date to noon on Thursday, October 30th. Wednesday will be your last chance to preorder at the special discounted price of $3.99. And you'll be able to grab it the very next day! Do it up!

Via Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press: Full article: http://blogs.twincities.com/twins/2014/10/28/twinsights-contact-twins-joe-maddon-source-says/ I certainly never expected the Twins to land Maddon, but if this report is true... man is it disappointing. Minnesota's the only team with a managerial opening, (arguably) the best manager in the game suddenly becomes available, and not even an exploratory phone call? If the reason postulated by Berardino's source is accurate, that's especially dispiriting: I know the Twins are already paying Gardenhire for next year. I know it's probably kind of tough to justify anything in the neighborhood of $5 million annually for someone who affects W/L record as little as a manager. But the Twins are one of the lowest-spending teams in the majors, and if they won't even entertain the idea of bringing in a high-end manager like Maddon when the opportunity jumps out, it sure seems like they're operating as a small-market team, which is irksome. What do you think? Since it was so unlikely to happen, does it even matter?

Via @MikeBerardino of the Pioneer Press: Person with direct knowledge confirms #RedSox bench coach Torey Lovullo is being interviewed for 2nd time for #MNTwins mgr job. Earlier in the day, Charley Walters of the PP had tweeted that Doug Mientkiewicz may end up managing the organization's Double-A affiliate at its new home in Chattanooga next year, something we've heard rumblings about before. At this point it's really looking like the Twins' manager search has been narrowed down to Molitor and Lovullo, though the team's level of interest in newly available Joe Maddon remains unclear.

A compelling new twist was added to the Twins' managerial search on Friday, when it was announced that Rays skipper Joe Maddon has opted out of his contract in Tampa Bay, becoming a free agent. Minnesota is the only club with a current opening. Will they take advantage of this unexpected opportunity and aggressively pursue the heralded longtime manager? Image courtesy of Kim Klement, USA Today Sports A compelling new twist was added to the Twins' managerial search on Friday, when it was announced that Rays skipper Joe Maddon has opted out of his contract in Tampa Bay, becoming a free agent. Minnesota is the only club with a current opening. Will they take advantage of this unexpected opportunity and aggressively pursue the heralded longtime manager? Let's be clear from the get-go: a match in this case is unlikely. For one thing, Maddon would be exorbitantly expensive; Mike Scioscia and Joe Girardi are the highest-paid managers in the game presently, earning $5 million and $4 million in 2014 respectively, and Maddon -- being viewed by many (including myself) as the best in the biz -- could command a higher salary than either. There's also the matter of Maddon's preference. Even if the Twins are willing to pony up, will the 60-year-old want to join a club that is amidst such a brutal drought? There was some initial speculation that Maddon could follow former Rays GM Andrew Friedman to the Los Angeles Dodgers, although Ken Rosenthal tweeted definitively that this will not be happening. And really, firing Don Mattingly -- who's under contract -- after a 94-win season would be pretty ludicrous. Still, there are more likely destinations than Minnesota, even though this is the only present vacancy. Plenty of teams would undoubtedly be willing to set aside their current skipper to make room for Maddon. The Cubs, coming off an 89-loss campaign under Rick Renteria, seem like an early favorite. All that being said, even though they're in deep with their present group of candidates, the Twins would be foolish not to at least reach out to Maddon and explore a potential match. He has a reputation as being forward-thinking, analytical, and beloved by players and coaches alike. He has experienced immense success with a small-market franchise in Tampa that the Twins should be modeling themselves after. And he really knows how to run a pitching staff. What do you think? Is there any chance Maddon ends up in Minnesota? View full article

In many ways, Paul Molitor is an easy sell as the next manager of the Minnesota Twins. He is a Hall of Famer who has been involved in pro baseball for nearly four decades. His knowledge of the game is lauded by individuals around the league. He is a St. Paul native with plenty of local ties. That last part might actually be the team's biggest hurdle in trying to generate excitement around Molitor, if he is the ultimate choice. But it seems like the Twins are already trying to get out in front of that potentially negative reaction. Image courtesy of David Richard, USA Today Sports In many ways, Paul Molitor is an easy sell as the next manager of the Minnesota Twins. He is a Hall of Famer who has been involved in pro baseball for nearly four decades. His knowledge of the game is lauded by individuals around the league. He is a St. Paul native with plenty of local ties. That last part might actually be the team's biggest hurdle in trying to generate excitement around Molitor, if he is the ultimate choice. But it seems like the Twins are already trying to get out in front of that potentially negative reaction. Whether you're reading the tea leaves or lending credence to a report from KFAN's Paul Lambert (aka Meatsauce), who has been conspicuously accurate with his breaking news tidbits pertaining to the Twins, Molitor's chances of landing the job are looking good. And while his résumé is exemplary, many fans who have grown tired of the insularity and continuity that permeate the Twins organization may have a hard time seeing his hiring as a real changing of the guard. After all, Molitor has been an instructor and coach in this system for the past nine years, and in 2014 he was a member of Gardenhire's staff, working closely with the regime that is now being cleared out. But for what it's worth, Twins officials have always been noticeably up-front about characterizing Molitor as a very different type of of baseball mind. When he chatted with us a year ago for the previous Offseason Handbook (which you can now download for free here, if you're interested), Terry Ryan spoke about the recent decision to add Molitor as a seventh coach on the staff: "He's a very smart guy. He looks at the game different than a lot of people. He and Tom Kelly watch games different than I do. I've always respected that." This is a viewpoint that the general manager has expressed frequently regarding Molitor, and it's a sentiment that doesn't stop with Ryan. During an appearance on SiriusXM radio on Thursday, Ron Gardenhire shared similar thoughts: “If Paulie ends up getting this manager’s job, he’s not going to be your traditional manager,” Gardenhire said. “He can go out there and he’ll try things, which is really entertaining because we talked about it all the time. He’s into a lot of different things on finding different ways to beat you, just like he did as a player. “It’s not going to be straight-up baseball. He’ll work in a lot of things up there as far as baserunning and all those things. I don’t think there’s anybody better in that as far as figuring things out, watching pitchers and so forth. He brings a lot to the table. I do know that about Paulie.” In the same article where he relayed these quotes from the radio interview, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press also dropped this nugget: "Molitor’s addition to the staff caused Gardenhire to chafe at times behind the scenes, especially early on, considering their shared expertise when it comes to infield play." Sure, this friction may have been partially attributable to the belief that Molitor was brought onto the staff to audition as Gardy's successor. But when you put it all together, it also seems fair to surmise that the two have some fundamental differences of opinion on certain aspects of strategy and running a team. Since the idea in parting with Gardenhire is to bring in a fresh perspective and some different managerial philosophies, isn't that exactly what you're looking for? View full article