FlyingFinn

True, but that evaluation could have been done in August or September. From now until March, Enlow and Balazovic will do nothing to change their rating.

I disagree somewhat. I believe the Twins could win the World Series in 2023 and many on TD who have posted in this thread would still want to get rid of Baldelli, saying the players won it and not the manager. The Twins being 28th in starting pitching innings isn't totally Baldelli's fault. They had an agreement with Archer to limit his pitches/innings per start to keep him healthy. The intent with Bundy from the day he was signed was never to go past 2 times through the order in a close game. My problem with Baldelli is where he can control things - fundamentals. If Watkins keeps making mistakes as a 3B coach, put someone else there. Players have to know how to bunt, move the runner over, and run the bases.

Miranda is in a slump and even if he gets hits, with him batting leadoff, our bottom of the order isn't on base very often. So, no, nobody gets 70.

Yes. Enlow and Balazovic have some similarities. Both were on the 40 man all year without playing for the Twins. I think they were the only 2 to do this. Enlow seems to have done what the Twins expected this year coming off of surgery. Balazovic was supposed to be with the Twins by year-end. DFA either one and someone scoops them up. Since the Twins went to the trouble of keeping these two on the 40 man all year, I don't see us giving up on them over the winter. Canterino will do the same next year so Enlow and Balazovic have to make progress next spring.

Wouldn't be Rule 5. Would be a DFA and available to anyone to put on their 40 man and keep in the minors.

Caleb Hamilton and Stashak can be DFA'd. No need to add Urbina. Keep Megill. I'm thinking maybe we should add Camargo. If he's good defensively, I might do that. You have to put Paddock on the 40 man but exactly when can you move him back to the 60 day IL?

It's possible Twins may try to try win the Central next year but that it turns into a rebuild. They lower payroll by not signing any significant players. You end up with Jeffers, Miranda, Lewis, Arraez, Kirilloff, Larnach, Buxton, Kepler, Gordon and Urshela as your starting lineup plus main utility guy. You roll with Gray, Mahle, Ryan, Ober, Winder and Maeda as your starting rotation and Duran, Lopez, Thielbar, Jax, Alcala, Fulmer, Moran, and Sands or one free agent reliever in the pen (maybe one too many pitchers but someone will be on the IL for a short stay). If everyone stays healthy, this group is good enough to be leading the Central by the end of July. Then, you go for it and make better trades than this year. Don't trade away top minor league players until we get to that point though because.......... If injuries occur, which odds are they will with this group, you move into a rebuild and evaluate if it is to compete in 2024 or 2025. Trade expiring contracts and get guys who can help in 2024 or 2025.

1. Correa is gone. Twins will sign a low cost SS who can play well defensively until Lewis gets back. I have changed my mind on Palacios unless the medical staff (oh boy, can we trust those guys with predictions) thinks Lewis is back earlier than expected. 2. No, we will not start with Lee with the Twins. Be ready for him in 2024. 3. No dumpster diving this off-season. Projected rotation - Gray, Ryan, Mahle, Ober, Winder and Maeda (6 man rotation with only Maeda starting with a 4 inning plan, but ramping up from there). 4. Mahle and Maeda come back healthy. Paddock projected for August and shouldn't be counted on. 5. Ober, Winder, Varland, SWR in that order to start with. 6. Balazovic is not a top prospect. I say he will only squeak by even staying on the 40 man roster. 7. We will keep Pagan and Lopez. I expect Lopez to bounce back and be good. Pagan should be gone but Twins like his potential (Note - mlbtraderumors incredibly said Pagan was due for a raise next year!) 8. Bullpen - have two relievers who can play the long relief role - Sands will be one of them. 9. No, both Kirilloff and Larnach will not make it through the entire season. An hbp can put a guy on the IL. OF - Larnach, Buxton, Kepler will start in the OF (though I would like the Twins to move on from Kepler). Sign a rh hitting outfielder. Celestino needs a long stretch in the minors to change his attitude and realize being a MLB OF is guaranteed no matter how you run the bases, miss the cutoff man, etc. Wallner needs some more time in St. Paul, especially to work on his defense. 10. Leon - no. Take a chance on someone else being better than Leon. 11. Yes, shop Polanco. We need a better defensive SS than Palacios with Miranda at 3B. 12. Teams hire coaches for everything now. Hire a base running coach who can also take over as 3B coach. 13. I love Miranda but he played longer than Wallner so he gets the Iron Glove award. 14. Name a pitching coach - no clue really so I will just say Pete Maki. 15. Bench coach changed nothing this year. Making sure we don't make a 2nd mound visit with nobody warming in the pen would be on my job description for him. 16. Trade - not of any of our top minor league prospects as getting Mahle and Lopez was supposed to solve our 2023 pitching issues for the most part. Polanco, Kepler and Urshela are all possibilities to get traded. No Correa, - we should use that money for a top starting pitcher in free agency. We just won't do that as our pitching luck/poor evaluation is that we sign the guy and he gets injured and his career is over, leaving us with a $150 contract to pay. 17. Central division will continue to be mediocre. Guardians injury luck will not continue. White Sox will be better and win the division. Tigers and Royals will be better but not pass the Twins. 18. 81-81 Let us know what you agree/disagree with.

I think everyone on TD should answer a list of questions like this and we can see who can actually say they should be the next GM (most were right about the Paddack trade but 95% agreed with the Mahle trade, but suddenly 50% say they "knew" this was a bad trade).

For now, I see Sands and Pagan on the 40 man (I don't want Pagan but just think the Twins will keep him). Palacios may stay on there for awhile but be cut when a 1 year FA shortstop is signed. I had him on the 40 man to stay until his performance with the Twins in September. Fulmer won't be on the 40 man as he is a free agent but the Twins could resign him at some point. Gary Sanchez and Urshela are two that also could be coming off our 40 man.

SWR, Julien, Canterino, and Headrick (just because he is our top LH starting pitcher in the minors and we traded the other two away). No but maybe - Severino and Sisk (again, just because he's a LH, but the Twins didn't bring him up in September) No - Isola (doesn't catch enough), Mooney, Urbina and Helman (I think the only reason the Twins didn't bring him up is to try to keep him without putting him on the 40 man). Two other players to think about - Jair Camargo (he actually catches more than playing other positions) and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (easier to stash on a MLB roster because he can provide great OF defense and is a great base stealer, with over 40 stolen bases this year).

Wallner and Palacios are double digit base stealers in the minors this year. And we added Billy Hamilton. Our main players during the year are either not base stealers or injuries didn't let them steal (Buxton and Polanco). You would think Gordon would steal bases but he seems be a split second too slow and gets caught stealing as much as he makes it. I think the 4.5" shorter difference next year should especially help him.

It's worse than that. He's on the 40 man and would have to be DFA'd. Therefore, another team can nab him for free. No requirement to keep him on the MLB roster like there is with the Rule 5 draftees.

Miranda will be the Twins starting third baseman in 2023. He is one of our most durable players, hardly ever getting a day off. His bat has to be in the lineup. He has to improve a lot at 3B but he won't do that by taking another year off and playing 1B and DH, which we don't really have room for if Buxton needs to be there often. Hopefully, Kirilloff is at first base. If not, Arraez will be there. The Twins play Gordan at SS in emergencies this year so I don't think that is an option for Urshela. I see a sign and trade happening for Urshela.

Will the Twins really carry Balazovic on the 40 man roster all winter? My guess is yes, just because the plan requires a few minor league pitchers to graduate to the Twins each year. It's a gamble that now seems more likely to fail in Balazovic's case.

I'm not sure what you are talking about. Correa can opt to become a free agent or choose to take $35 million from the Twins next year. The Twins will pay $0 for him to play for another team.

Did he make a mistake out there today? I didn't listen to the game.

Many people on TD want all Twins hitters to never strike out, never hit into double plays, hit home runs, hit for a high average, and always do it consistently, never having a mediocre stretch. Amazingly, Arraez may win the batting title and several people have posted that he's injury prone, pitchers have figured him out, doesn't play good defense, etc. and the Twins should get rid of him.

Headrick was dominant last night against some of the Rangers top rated minor league hitters (the Wind Surge bullpen....not so much). Martin and Julien were on base a lot but nobody could knock them in. Keirsey with a bunt single which led to an error and what appeared to be the winning run scoring. He then hit a 426 foot bomb in the 9th. Overall, the Wind Surge play much more like most TD fans want the Twins to play (skip the blown saves part).

Yes. SWR has looked great this year other than some starts around the time of his injury or covid, whatever it was. Martin has really played a lot better after the IL stint, including tonight in the playoffs.

Seems like a lot less errors since coming back from injury. Maybe someone else knows more detail.

"Arraez has three years of arbitration ahead, while Polanco is owed $7.5 million next year followed by two team options. But to me, the backup options behind both of them are less compelling, and their impact is less replaceable than Kepler's. I don't find my faith in either shaken to the same degree." I know most disagree, but the Twins should have traded Polanco earlier this year. They should trade him this off-season before his value declines farther. Moving him to 2B kept him healthier and on the field for a while. I just think his injuries will continue to increase as he ages. I disagree that we don't have anyone to replace people at 2B. I love Arraez and would put him there if Polanco is traded. We have Julien and Martin on the way. They will increase the team speed of this sedentary group. Also, we have many SS's in the system now and not all of them will stay at SS. One of the reasons we traded Steer is because we have so many infielders in our system. Great article.

Buxton is so valuable when healthy which is why he got the contract he did. He has to play CF. He covers so much ground, making our pitchers look so much better than with any other CF out there. Some people complain that he batted like Sano this year but he was playing hurt. If the Twins ever get a season where Buxton plays 120 games fairly healthy (a stretch, I know), they will be World Series contenders. And he will be in the MVP running if that happens.

Helman - 14 homers, 30 SB's, plays most any position defensively. With Gordon playing well, I still don't see him making it on the 40 man roster. Will someone take him in the Rule 5 draft.....

We must remove Tommy Watkins as the 3rd base coach.