Otto von Ballpark

Good point on the Fox Sports North Plus channel! Best as I can tell, Sling, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, and fuboTV all carry Plus. The holdouts seem to be Vue and DirecTV NOW, although there are reports that the DirecTV NOW login works to get Plus events through Fox Sports Go, so perhaps Vue is unusual in that regard. I can test DirecTV NOW and report back.

Glad you brought up quality. MLB.TV is the gold standard. But most of the streaming services seem to offer Fox Sports at 60 frames per second now, which is probably the most important thing for sports. (If you've ever had to watch the scrolling scores ticker at the bottom of the screen running at only 30 frames per second, you'll know what I mean!) And with Fox Sports Go support, you can always use that to watch instead of, say, the Vue app or the Sling app. And you will get the same consistent Twins watching experience, no matter what service you subscribe to. Depending on your internet bandwidth fluctuations, or how often you skip ahead between pitches or during commercial breaks, that can temporarily bump you down to lower quality too. Again, worth comparing Fox Sports Go performance in this regard vs the service's app during a free trial too. If you watch other channels, I have read that Sling seems to be 30 frames per second for some of those, although it's not so noticeable for non-sports or channels without the scrolling ticker at the bottom. Sling does have the fewest other channels -- notably ESPN is absent from Sling Blue, unless you combine it with their other package at $40 per month.

How to watch the Twins in 2018 (Sorry, this post isn't about food- or beverage-pairing suggestions for ballgames. I'll leave that to other community members. ) This post is about streaming video. There are a lot of options now for cord-cutters (those without cable/satellite TV service). I will limit this post and its discussion to legal methods, though -- feel free to private message me if you have questions about any others. First and foremost, you should know if you are in the Twins TV market or not. This will determine MLB.TV blackout policy and the likely availability of Fox Sports North if you watch through a streaming service. You can use this link to check -- just change the five digits at the end of the URL to your own zip code: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/subscriptions/blackout.jsp?postalCode=55455 Outside the Twins TV market: If you're outside the Twins TV market, you should definitely look into MLB.TV. You'll still get blacked out if the Twins play a team from your market (like if you live in KC but the Royals are playing the Twins, even if the game is in Minneapolis), and there are blackouts of national TV games (ESPN/Fox), but you'll get the vast majority of Twins games, plus a ton of other games, plus some cool features depending on your device -- my favorites are: DVR-like timeshifting (start watching a 7 PM game at 8 PM and just skip the commercials to catch up by the end)audio overlay (listen to the radio announcers synced to the TV broadcast, or just the crowd noise at the park)all live radio broadcasts from around the league, with no blackouts (put yourself to sleep every night with some West Coast play-by-play)split screen / quad screen, for watching multiple games at onceand a "Pitchcast" overlay (haven't tried that one yet, but it sounds cool, if you're into that sort of thing)MLB.TV is $115.99 for a yearly subscription right now, or about $75 after a 35% student or military discount, or free if you are a T-Mobile subscriber and you take advantage of this promotion through April 2: https://www.t-mobile.com/mlb If you can afford to wait, there are usually 50% off deals for MLB.TV by early May. I try to post those deals here at Twins Daily when I notice them too. Inside the Twins TV market: If you're in the Twins TV market, it's a bit more complicated. Okay, a lot more complicated. But entirely possible to stream without a cable/satellite contract, unlike a few years ago. MLB.TV can still be fun in-market for following the rest of the league, but you will have to deal with live Twins blackouts. Fortunately, all of the major TV streaming services can now offer Fox Sports North to viewers in the Twins TV market, and for a reasonable, monthly, no-contract price. Here's a run-down of them: Hopefully the chart is pretty self-explanatory. Some things to note: Check with each service about the availability of FSN at your exact location / zip code (the free trials come in handy for that too). I'm not sure how they all handle edge/overlap cases. Sling: http://help.sling.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/How-do-local-channels-work-on-Sling-TV YouTube TV: no search available, use free trial Hulu with Live TV: https://www.hulu.com/live-tv#allchannels Playstation Vue: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/channels/ FuboTV: https://www.fubo.tv/welcome/channels DirecTV NOW: http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/attLocalChannels.jsp?assetId=att_cms_local_channelsDVR might be useful for watching games -- for example, you could start watching a 7 PM game at 8 PM, skip the commercials, and probably end around 10 PM just like if you were watching live.The services that offer FSN while traveling outside your home market might be helpful for viewers who travel frequently and don't have a MLB.TV subscription. The other services are strictly location-based only, meaning if you sign in from Texas, you will see Texas channels and not your Minnesota ones.Finally, I thought I'd include the availability of MLB Network on these services, because that channel picks up a lot of games throughout the season and might be the best way to follow the sport nationally (outside of MLB.TV).Also, it appears that all of these services now support authenticating through Fox Sports Go. So if your only interest is the Twins (and you don't need DVR), you don't even have to bother with apps for the different services -- just launch the Fox Sports Go site or app on your preferred device, and sign in with the login for your particular service. Summary: Without considering promos, Sling is the cheapest way to legally stream the Twins in their TV market, at $25 per month, effectively $150 for the 6-month regular season -- comparable to the full retail cost of MLB.TV. (And with a promo, you can also get a free Roku media streamer device for signing up with Sling and pre-paying for your first 2-3 months.) DirecTV Now is another compelling option with promos, particularly if you need a device. The 32 GB Apple TV 4K device ($180 retail) is widely considered a top-of-the-line media streamer, and comes free with 3 months prepaid of DirecTV Now ($150 for the FSN plan level). I'll let other users chime in with their experiences about interfaces and advanced features, but I thought I'd share what I know as a streaming video nerd and get the discussion going. (edited to improve the chart display)

FWIW, LaMarre had decent spring training numbers in 2016 and 2017 too (.829 and .873 OPS, respectively). Actually similar/better ISO, BB%, and K% to his 2018 spring training performance -- the big difference statistically seems to be BABIP.

In fairness, though, LaMarre was dreadful at the plate in 2017, to the tune of a 68 wRC+, .057 ISO, and 0 HR in 194 PA at AAA (in the hitter-friendly PCL, no less). He could improve on that and still not be worthy of a MLB roster spot. Although as a 4th outfielder on this squad, it shouldn't much matter.

I also just recently noticed that Colon is only 1 day older than former Twin Todd Walker, who last played in 2007.

Sounds like some kind of bird.

Bump! The 2018 promo starts today, and runs until April 2. Tap "Redeem" via the T-Mobile Tuesdays App on the "Free Season of MLB.TV" offer.

Unfortunately, he can't go to Japan on his own yet (at least not to play baseball ). He'd have to hope that whatever team ends up with him is willing to sell his rights over there (although I wonder if it's getting too late to do that for 2018 anyway? Japanese rosters and budgets must be set by now too?). If Vargas isn't added back to a 40-man roster by October, he can become a free agent next winter.

How about "Commander of Hammond (Stadium)"?

LaMarre has a .630 BABIP in 43 PA this spring.

Just as an example of how I said the MLB.com transactions glossary is clearly not intended to be a detailed rulebook, take this passage from the Options entry: "If a player misses an entire option year due to injury or expends his third option year before he has completed five professional seasons (Major Leagues and Minor Leagues included), he can receive a fourth option year." By that definition, Kennys Vargas should not have been eligible for a 4th option year last year, as he had not missed any seasons to injury and already had at least 7 professional seasons (2010-2016). But we know that he was eligible for the 4th option. And if you read the details in the actual rule book as linked by ashburyjohn, or at the Cub Reporter site I linked, you will see that the actual definition of "complete" or "full" professional season means at least 90 days active (with some qualifiers about which disabled list stints count, and which do not) -- thus most rookie league seasons don't count toward that number. So Vargas WAS eligible. The MLB transactions glossary wasn't wrong, it was just a general overview without the details. Similarly, the Rule 5 entry you quoted is basically true -- you can trade for a Rule 5 player and assign him to the minor leagues -- but it omits a few details for the sake of brevity, like the fact that he has to clear waivers first. Broadcasters and reporters often omit these details too, about complex but relatively minor transactions. (And Rule 5 might be one of the most complex, yet most minor, rules in MLB ) Sorry to seem like a stickler! I respect any and all opinions on this board, but I try to provide the most accurate transaction rules where I can.

If Vargas clears waivers, he is still controlled by the team that waived him. He can't yet opt for free agency to sign with anyone else. So if the Twins want him in AAA, they have to claim him and try to waive him again.

I was going to say, Chargois has an option remaining so he is unlikely to go on waivers again so soon. But in fact, he is also making the Dodgers opening day roster: https://www.ocregister.com/2018/03/23/dodgers-season-opening-roster-starting-to-come-into-focus/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wxyN3z9PL4

Apparently a local boy -- born in Minneapolis, college in South Dakota. But just a minor league depth piece right now.

What is interesting from this process is that now the Twins know no one but the Reds likely claimed Vargas ahead of them in the waiver list.

That seems like a high price to pay just to get another reliever at AAA, especially at Kinley's age. I think the threshold for Kinley has to be a bit higher -- he needs to establish himself as a MLB bullpen asset pretty soon.

Again, the MLB site transactions glossary is really just a summary / overview. Think of it like Wikipedia. Nothing wrong with it, but it omits a lot of the technical nitty gritty. The Cub Reporter site I linked is an incredible resource in that regard.

It's a little tricky, because note that the union is the MLBPA -- that is, the Major League Baseball Player's Association. Should they be representing minor league players too? Perhaps, but I'm not sure it's necessarily "morally repugnant" that they didn't -- they are a pretty modern union, compared to say the Screen Actor's Guild, and minor league concerns weren't really related to the issues around their original formation. Have they bargained away rights of minor leaguers or amateurs? Yes, to a degree, but keep in mind the biggest restriction on U.S. amateurs is the existence of the amateur draft, which predates the MLBPA. They didn't make the draft, although they have agreed to caps on draft bonuses and international amateurs in collective bargaining. Of course, that's only subject to collective bargaining because of the antitrust exemption, which was another legal status sought and maintained by ownership. As to where it stands now, I don't know if it's reasonable to expect the MLBPA to say "we'll take less money so you can give it to the minor leaguers." I think it's far more reasonable to say the owners should be compelled to pay the minor leaguers a minimum wage, and if that means less money for the MLBPA, so be it. If the MLBPA were to complain about that result, I'd have more criticism for them, but at this point it seems ownership should bear the brunt of it.

That's an incomplete summary, unfortunately. Here's a more thorough presentation of the actual rules: https://www.thecubreporter.com/book/export/html/3517 The relevant sections:

How long do you think the Twins should have exclusive control over Vargas, without being willing to put him on their 25 man MLB roster? 9 and a half years? Teams that originally sign/draft amateur ballplayers already have tremendous power and control over their professional careers. You want to give them more? Keep in mind, the Reds won't get to send Vargas to AAA unless the other 29 teams pass on him in waivers too (including the Twins again). At that point, I don't think there's much of a fair/unfair distinction to be made among teams who are all equally unwilling to keep him on their 25-man MLB rosters. The last team willing to keep him on their 25-man or 40-man roster seems like as good of choice as any. It certainly wouldn't seem fair to Vargas to ship him back to the organization that controlled him for 8.5 years and failed to set him up for a 25-man roster spot anywhere. If anything, perhaps Vargas should get to opt for free agency.

The former. Basically, he's got Rule 5 restrictions attached. And we can't send him to the minor leagues until those are gone. And the only way to remove them is clearing waivers (with Rule 5 restrictions attached), at which point we could either return him to Miami or work out a deal with Miami to acquire him just like any other non-Rule 5 minor league player. So if Miami would be expected to give him up cheaply, some other club could claim him on waivers and later try to make a deal with Miami themselves. (Or just keep him a Rule 5 guy, of course.) Such deals are pretty rare with Rule 5 picks -- I don't think one has been dealt in this fashion in 5-6 years. Generally, if the guy isn't good enough to stick, he's not good enough to deal for either.

I thought it was more 2 for everybody. But I could be mistaken. Looks the 2015 Twins did 3 (although the middle one was on a Friday and didn't have an off day following).

Sure. Why not? The Twins have had ample chances with Vargas. If it's unfair to anyone, it's not the Twins -- it's Vargas. And that unfairness predates the waiver claim.