Otto von Ballpark

Gotta save some of this posting energy for the season!

One could say there’s a “pitch clock” clock, set to 2023. Of course, there are no penalties or enforcement mechanism, so…

Would he accept Kevin Correia?

Another free agent shortstop, Jonathan Villar, has just signed with the Cubs. So the market is still moving...

Another scoop for Twins Daily! Our video correspondent also captured this footage from the Donaldson / Cole meeting:

Thursday March 17 Twins at Red Sox - Spring Training Opener 12:05 PM CDT It's that time of year again! Well, not quite THAT time of year -- this game won't count in any standings that matter. But it's still a game, featuring real players (albeit ones who may never make a real Twins roster) playing on a real field (even if it is encircled by golf carts and alligators). One benefit of not being a "real" game is that MLB.TV blackouts are not enforced in spring training -- and this one is also labeled a "Free Game of the Day" so no MLB.TV subscription is required to watch. Just log in with a free MLB.com account (or create one, if you haven't already) at the link below. TV: MLB.TV (free! no blackouts!) or MLB Network Radio: Treasure Island Baseball Network or MLB Audio (also free today!) And while watching or listening, be sure to come back to this game thread to share your thoughts about the game -- or, if past game threads are any indication, your lack of thoughts about anything but the game. MIN Lineup 1. Byron Buxton (R) CF 2. Luis Arraez (L) 3B 3. Jorge Polanco (S) 2B 4. Miguel Sano (R) 1B 5. Gary Sanchez (R) DH 6. Max Kepler (L) RF 7. Ryan Jeffers (R) C 8. Trevor Larnach (L) LF 9. Nick Gordon (L) SS SP: Cole Sands (RHP) BOS Lineup 1. Jarren Duran (L) CF 2. Bobby Dalbec (R) DH 3. Roberto Ramos (L) 1B 4. Rob Refsnyder (R) LF 5. Franchy Cordero (L) RF 6. Jeter Downs (R) SS 7. Yolmer Sanchez (S) 2B 8. Ryan Fitzgerald (L) 3B 9. Roldani Baldwin (R) C SP: Michael Feliz (RHP) I'll close with an appropriate spring training anthem -- maybe not the "real" version of the song, but a satisfying version nonetheless:

I wouldn't be so sure yet. It's quite possible they're not "all in" either way (lowest payroll vs maximum contention) -- it's not an uncommon needle to thread. In that case, it could be that adding Gray's salary made them a little more interested in unloading Donaldson's -- and perhaps they viewed Urshela as a safer risk than Donaldson too. Their level of interest in Story might be similar -- not going to pass on him completely, but also perhaps not willing to overpay either? Should be interesting to see how that shakes out.

It's free on MLB.TV -- and judging by last year, I don't think blackouts are enforced for spring training games: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games

I don’t think this means they are both making the roster. The article doesn’t say that. I’d actually be a little surprised if Jax makes it (barring injury or some kind of superlative spring performance). But relief can still be his role at AAA. Thorpe has an easier path to making the roster — being out of options, he is probably penciled in as the last guy in the pen — but given his history, it wouldn’t shock me to see him on the IL or waived either.

Do you mean below average? B-Ref had him worth 0.6 WAR in Cleveland; Fangraphs, 0.3. Atlanta may not get much surplus value from this deal, but I don’t know that it is big enough, or Rosario risky enough, that they will regret it.

MLBTR had predicted 6/160, and the Fangraphs estimates were around that too. So I don’t know if the contract is as wild as the destination. Everyone predicted Bryant would go to some kind of contender - San Fran, Seattle, the Mets. But instead, he is going to the Rockies, who just ate a bunch of salary to ship out Arenado.

Also, his frame of reference is the Rockies organization.

Questionable analogy aside -- You think the Twins should decline a hypothetical 1-year deal for Correa or Story (in the unlikely event that one is available to them) because it is too team-friendly?

That's a good point. Those were Fangraphs projections, and you can check out their current Twins depth chart and WAR projections here: https://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=ALL&teamid=8 Presumably if we signed Story, some of the PAs for Gordon and Lewis dry up, but the largest net effect could be fewer PAs for Urshela. Urshela is projected for 2.0 WAR in 539 PA, and Story at 4.5 in 644 PA, so depending on how they apportion the playing time, it could net us +2 WAR?

I have to agree that this doesn't make any sense at all. Morneau's wRC+ with Colorado was 119. He didn't touch that in his 3 prior seasons, or his 1 season after. I'm not sure that his earlier, pre-concussion peak performance in Minnesota is at all relevant in judging his Colorado numbers. Another guy claimed to decline in Colorado is Giambi. But he had a 111 wRC+ with Colorado -- similar story to Morneau, he had a much greater earlier peak, but he came to Colorado fresh off of a 91 in Oakland, and left Colorado for 81 and 44 marks with Cleveland.

True, a 1 year contract isn't a permanent solution, but it's also dramatically lower risk. Especially if there isn't a "no trade" clause -- use him if you are competing, trade him if you're not, and in either case buy a little more time to evaluate/develop a cheaper long-term replacement.

I think the revenue gap has grown too. In 2000, #5 estimated revenue was $142.9 mil, and the median was $101.8 mil. In 2019, #5 estimated revenue was $445 mil, and the median was $280.5 mil.

I tend to doubt either of them will take a short deal. Correa theoretically could, on account of his age (only 27) -- but he's coming off a 7.2 WAR, 131 OPS+ season. Hard to imagine his bargaining position will improve next offseason. Story is already 29 and coming off a less dominant year -- 4.2 WAR is strong, but 103 OPS+ is not. It would be a big risk for him to turn down ~$120 mil right now. Of course, opt-outs in a longer deal are always an option too!

In the infield, we will have Polanco starting every day somewhere. Likely Urshela too, as the roster currently stands. Then there's Gordon who is out of options, and Miranda ready to debut after 373 PA at AAA last year. (And of course Sano at 1B if we include that spot.) Meanwhile, in the outfield, we have Buxton and Kepler set to start, but Kirilloff coming off surgery and Larnach and Rooker both coming off poor seasons. Looks like there may still be an easier path to playing time, at least in the near future, in LF?

To be fair, at times it looked like the Twins didn't have him prepare to play the OF in 2021 either.

Romo posted the worst K% and ERA+ of his career in 2021 (plus one of his higher BB%). His career may not be quite finished, but those would seem to qualify as "signs of stopping." This seems to be a list of former Twins who haven't yet retired, rather than a list of good relievers to sign. In which case, why didn't Fernando Rodney make the list? He hasn't seen MLB game action since 2019 but he is not officially retired -- in fact, he was a dominant closer for the hitter-friendly Mexican League champ Tijuana in 2021, including saving game 7 of the championship series! Fernando Rodney keeps plugging away

Actually a 1.303 WHIP and 1.9 K/W ratio are not good. Both are worse than league average, and represent the worst marks of Clippard's relief career dating back to 2009. Now, it was a small sample and Clippard might rebound, but those two measures are not evidence of good performance.

FWIW, Thorpe is finally out of options, so he has to remain on the MLB 26-man roster (or IL) or get placed on waivers. Per Fangraphs Roster Resource depth chart, Gordon, Cotton, and technically Urshela are the only other 40-man guys out of options. (There are some non-roster guys who are out of options too, which could impact their ability to make the club if they don't have the ability to ride the AAA shuttle.)

You are correct, but it's just a procedural thing. We just won't put them on the 60-day IL until we need to replace them on a full 40-man roster. That could be today, if we traded for a package of 3 new 40-man players right now. Or it could be just before opening day, if we sign a free agent to get to 40 and then a non-roster player makes the club, etc. Important thing is we have up to 3 spots to play with right now, before we have to cut anyone to free up more.

The Twins now have company in the "traded our 2021 first rounder" club. The Blue Jays just traded their 2021 first rounder (19th overall), college pitcher Gunnar Hoglund, in the package to acquire third baseman Matt Chapman from the A's.