NoCryingInBaseball

My blueprint evolution Constructing Twins off-season blueprint has been an interesting exercise the past couple of years. There have been many needs to fill and the team tried to fill those needs with multiple trades and acquisitions. It is my humble opinion that the Twins limit their FA acquisitions & trades to one big transaction for each year for the next three years. The two obvious positions wind up on most everyone’s blueprint this off season would be corner-outfielder (left field) and staring pitching. I would limit the big move for the 2014-2015 offseason to a left fielder. I’m not saying that staring pitching has less of a need, far from it, this team desperately needs good starting pitching to be competitive, it’s just that a quality FA starter would most likely only consider a team with playoff potential and that will not be the Twins in 2015. 2014-15 My 14-15 offseason would focus (big splash) on a FA acquisition for Left-Field. While I am hopeful that Rosario or Hicks become major league contributor, although I have lost faith in Hicks’s potential comes around, Centerfield remains open until Buxton takes ownership of the role. I would limit the off-season acquisition(s) to outfielders (or infielders in need of extending their careers) by waiting for the high price position players get their contracts and then make a deal with who’s still available. I’m not as interested in adding a lot of arms to the rotation because there seems to be a lot of starters that need major league starts. Sure I would like Scherzer, Shields or Lester, but even if management was willing to spend the large salaries they can demand…they probably wouldn’t come to Minnesota because the team won’t be a playoff team come October. It seems that the front office is looking at Justin Masterson and South Korean Hyeon-Jong Yang, but I’m questioning where all the starting arms will find playing time. 2015-16 The big move for this offseason would be a trade for a young pitching prospect. If Sano is major-league ready and is promoted in mid-summer to fall call up, then Plouffe is tradable. If Hicks or Rosario aren’t competing (or controlling) a position and still possess marketable skills then one of them is also tradable. Maybe Rosario is playing better than Dozier (unlikely) and there is enough outfielders…then Dozier is marketable. The organization should start to have a better understanding of how their starters are doing and which of them should be on the staff for the next couple of years. There could be a log-jam with Hughes, Gibson, Nolasco, Mays, Meyers, Berrios and possibly Kohl Stewart being in the Rotation Sweepstakes. And there may be more starters in the mix by the end of 2015 if the team picks up a starter and they haven’t been traded away starters during the season. Hughes’s contract will expire after the 2016 season, so maybe the Twins trade him or resign him to a contract extension. Trade individually or trade as a package, just get top pitching prospects (top five prospect of an organization) in return. Hopefully no lower than Double A. 2016-17 The disinterested Free Agent pitching dilemma the past few years should no longer be an issue this year, if the prospects have begun to show their respective talent and the team will begin to look like a contender team. Trouble is that is still in need of top talent pitching. I would like to go after a true ace after the 2016 season and Stephen Strasburg would be a free agent that off-season….so why not field a team with Strasburg leading the rotation?

Sounds like a terrific event….I’m in!

Not supportive of keeping Burton around. Deduno can return to the bullpen. He seems to do alright for one inning, if there isn't a runner onboard when he comes in.

Love the move, a little disappointed that I didn't have access to a computer yesterday to join in on the fun. Just wonder if there are other moves (beyond simply making roster room) in the works.

I like this pick!

Getting a little less nervous....

1-2-3!

1-2-3!

Come on Ninja guy!

1-2-3!

Dang....that was a nice Tator!

I know this is a bad team, I expect a 70 win team, but I am optimistic. i am hopeful that the pitching on this team will be much better than last year and it will keep this team in closer games. i am hopeful that players like Pinto, Colabello, and Arcia improve their fielding and realize their batting potential, to become fixtures of the future Twins team. i am hopeful that Gibson takes over and anchors this pitching staff, and becomes the opening day starter 2015 by earning it, not by being the free agent acquisition du jor. i am hopeful that the front office makes successful value building trades for the future with the many of the players that are not a part of this future, making room for prospects like Meyer, Rosario, and Buxton to begin their big league careers. I am optimistic that this team becomes younger, and is filled with rookie mistakes, all the while maturing and improving on the big league stage. I don't think optimism and predicting a bad team are oxymoronic. Enjoy your optimism Sconnie; it is a lot more refreshing than how this post began. I am certainly realistic enough to know that this year’s team is not a championship team…it’s all about the development of the prospects. I wouedl add Hicks to your list of hopefuls.

Was at a bar watching the game so I didn’t have an opportunity to share my comments. This was an amazing game. The twins were ahead by a good margin then lost it when Swarzak tried to give the game away…then a wonderful come-from-behind victory. Everything I enjoy about a good ballgame!

After listening in to last night's game, and following the previous games, I think that the starting pitching discussion should be expanded to relievers. Considering how poorly the relievers have preformed so far, some of the starter prospects on the bubble should have a shot at those positions when going north after spring training.

Pelotero está dañado (Ballplayer is damaged) I was sad last night when I first learned that Sano was probably headed to Tommy John after MRI results this morning, and now it's confirmed that he will be sitting out the 2014 season. I'm glad that they didn't sit on it for months to see if he could play with it and THEN go through surgery later in the spring or summer. Hoping he has a speedy and successful recovery.

Shane Wahl wrote: I would probably go with: vs. RH Dozier 2B Mauer 1B Arcia RF Kubel DH Willingham LF Parmelee RF Hicks CF Herrmann C Florimon SS You might want a 3B rather than two RF...could leave a hole on the left side of the diamond.

I also agree with TwinsTerritory's lineup, and hoping that Sano's elbow is good to go.

Been going back and reading many of this site's comments about Suzuki and I give Ryan "thatta boy" for the acquisition.

The Twins and free agent catcher Kurt Suzuki are in agreement on a one-year deal, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The deal is pending a physical, which is scheduled to take place later today.

It seems to be between Miami and the Twins for Salty.

The Hughes signing, along with the Nolasco, makes Ryan look mighty aggressive. Guess all that needed to happen was for Ryan to win Reusse's Turkey of the Year award.

I would expect to see Sano and Meyer up by about the end of June. I'd expect to see Rosario and Sano up by early August. Couple them with top prospects who surpassed the prospect innings/at bats like Arcia, Hicks and Gibson, and you've got a good start. Theilbar and Pressly came up last year and contributed already. May will be up by July or so as well. Guess I am assuming Buxton coming up in early August, since Sano is listed twice. I like how Seth descibes the "waves" of farm system talent coming up. It's seems like we are in the middle of the first wave (2013-2014) with the second wave (Berrios, Kepler, Walker, Thorpe, Polanco and Stewart) coming up in 2016-2017.

Perhaps the best opportunities for a valuable return in the trade market are Perkins and I think the team still needs starting pitching. Eventually, maybe next year, Mauer, Arcia and Hicks get teamed up with Sano and Rosario and the position player prospects seem to be distributed very well…especially with the catcher Josmil Pinto looking very promising in double-A ball. While a major injury or a Valencia style flameout is always a possibility, the future position spots seem to be coming together very nicely unless there is a short stop on the market available by trade. Pitching will always be a concern. The best prospects are Gibson, Meyers, Mays, Berrios and a high school kid that hasn’t pitched his first pitch in rookie ball. With so many young unproven guys in the system, there is always room for another talented guy on the mound. I was wrong last year when I didn’t want to part ways with Willingham when he was in the middle of a career year, now his value is worth about as much as a bag of baseballs. Perkins is now a highly coveted closer and the Twins simply don’t have enough closing situations this year to use him appropriately, maybe his value is a trade for a single-A starting pitcher prospect with a high ceiling.

Finally! I was confused about the Hernandez call-up, but I am pleased that Gibson will be brought up to the big leagues and I can now watch his development instead of reading the reports the morning after.

Tomorrow is June and I started thinking about the July trade deadline which means what to do with Morneau? His batting average has returned to a respectable .294, but he lost his homerun power swing with only two for the year. It's his contract year and the prevailing sentiment at the beginning of the year was to let him go because Parmelee's natural position was 1st base and he was a power hitter. Then Parmelee went into a funk and has only recently started showing signs that he might be having more respectable plate appearances. Morneau is making $14 million through this contract and may not be willing to accept a significant cut. So what does the Twins organization do, trade him now for a prospect or try to lock him in with a less amount of salary?