JD-TWINS

Agreed! ……I’d say all 3 have injury concerns with Gray being on IL twice last season & a history of annual issues. Can’t trade any until we see how things go through May & into June. If there’s some hope we should try to extend all 3 of them…….Paddack & Winder are wild cards & one might pay-off by July? This gives us some flexibility at the deadline. For my probable 10th time posted in past month ……..…..Sign EOVALDI & move Maeda to Pen to add strength there & ease him back. Sign FULMER & have Megill or Alcala battle for a spot from St Paul. If we’re winning we have some potential chips in July for trade market!

WE WANT PITCHING! Sign Eovaldi - sign Fulmer. Going 40 - 45 at the All-Star break so we can make some trades because we have flexibility to take on salary that we should have been spending all along from the jump doesn’t make sense. Let’s sign a pitcher now - keep our in-house talent and try to be 47-38 at the break!!!

Pretty sure pairing Turner at 3rd with Miranda being a RH hitter doesn’t make much sense. He’s. it coming from L.A. to MN. I suggested something similar with Evan Longoria, to spell Miranda at 3rd occasionally - DH as RH hitter - bring a positive attitude. This response is delayed enough so that I already know the sickening sign of the worst of all, Mr. .160BA for 2022 - Joey Gallo. Gotta keep spending and sign Eovaldi & a reliever to salvage the off season.

Had opportunity for Boxberger in our Pen coming off 30 holds in ‘22……but nooo……..signed Joey Gallo. Hard to believe!! Gotta sign Eovaldi & a RP like Fulmer. Eovaldi bumps Maeda to the Pen and with an acquisition, we’re solid even with the Gallo debacle. They gotta be getting decent offers for Walner or Larnach, maybe Kepler because somebody has to go!!!!

Leave infield alone. Sign Eovaldi. Move Maeda to pen. Either Alcala or Megill to St. paul. …….Megill needs a 3rd pitch for show about 15% of pitches - his plus curve & plus fastball could be devastating. Now guys sit on one or the other. Sign Fulmer & drop Pagan! Simple. Celestino was about our organization’s 8th outfielder last year. He can’t be on 26 man roster. Average CF - mediocre hitter at best - can’t run bases. Gordon played back-up to Buxton before all the young corner outfielders got hurt - then had to fill in for Polanco. This forced us into using Celestino. Sign J.D. Martinez (maybe more $ than worthwhile production) or Evan Longoria….he’s 37……little back-up at 3rd & DH role. David Duvall as corner OF & occasional DH? One of these types to displace Celistino on roster. Can’t carry 6 outfielders unless drawing the DH from this group regularly. Eovaldi strengthens & adds depth to Starters & Maeda/Fulmer in the Pen makes it formidable with Lopez our weakest link. Have we signed a new pitching coach?? Have money left to extend pitchers during the ‘23 season. This is key with Maeda - Gray - Mahle all free to move on. Pick the strong performers into June.

My assumption is that Twins vs. Wolves annual salary spend is more like $40-$50 million less as of today not $100 million less but Twins have twice as many games and ability to put 2.5 times as many people in the seats for any one game. Even with tickets being more affordable in MLB, your point on $ availability for Twins makes sense. TWINS, after Vázquez signing, should have $40 million left to spend and meet budget. Eovaldi for $22 million - Fulmer for $8 million & $ left over to extend, Gray - Maeda - Mahle going forward based on ‘23 performance through May/June. IF this was the plan, it would be a great offseason with reason to be excited about our ‘23 season. Maybe a DH - spot defender like Evan Longoria for a year at $8 million? Maybe an incentive deal with a $4 million base for Nelson Cruz - just off corrective eye surgery……..maybe worth rolling the dice for an older guy that has some potential pop……low $ risk??

TWINS fan since ‘68……live in Cinti past 30 plus years and see Farmer play all the time. Solid - not flashy. I suggested in one of these forums 90 days ago that we should see what we could get for Urshella & get Farmer to fill void at SS due to Correa leaving inevitably. We saved about $3million in salary for similar offense & opened a spot for Miranda with Urshella trade/Farmer acquisition. He’s a great bridge to 1 of the 3 SS prospects we have in system. Last June Lewis was going to be the heir apparent for ‘23 “….when Correa opted out….” after about 8 games. Now we seem to think we need to spend a 1/4 of a billion for a shortstop or we’ll be terrible. Makes no sense. Please spend on pitching!!!!

Swanson - why? Don’t understand why last June when Correa was on IL and Lewis played well for 10 days……people were stating we should look at Correa’s trade value prior to deadline since he was opting out anyway……we had found our SS. Now we can’t exist without a high $ free agent SS???? I get Lewis is risky going forward but we have 2 other guys on farm system that are highly touted. We just need Farmer to do what he does for big chunks of ‘23, maybe ‘24 and we should have an internal answer at SS. Astros offered Correa a reality contract last year - he left - they won the Series with a rookie SS & solid pitching.

Right - good luck to Carlos but good for us!! $$ to spend on arms. Correa played for us last season and we were .500 or so………day to day player health wasn’t great but Correa sucked for 10 weeks in the middle of the season. His former team won the World Series with a solid rookie at short and with SUPERIOR PITCHING! Spend on Eovaldi & maybe Fulmer (or like RP) - get Maeda into the Pen for depth!! Save $ going forward to extend Gray or Maeda or Mahle or all 3!! Keeping one or two of these guys would be beneficial. Rodon would be nice but if other vets leave after year 1 or 2 of his contract due to lack of liquidity we are still weak. Spend on an affordable Eovaldi and maybe make a trade for more pitching if we’re in the mix at deadline.

Should be able to do BOTH……I assume Gray & Mahle both need $5-$7 million/year more to extend. I think Maeda, if effective after May/June should get an offer as well. Still room for Eovaldi for 3 years & this pushes Maeda to pen for depth (easing him back as well) for a good chunk of this year.

With Bassitt gone & Syndergaard with significantly less consistency than Eovaldi, Eovaldi seems to be an obvious sign! At least someone we should pursue. Eovaldi at $22-$24 million for 3 yrs. …….go after M. Fulmer for $15 million over 2 yrs……..That’s $31 million we have available after Correa departure & it leaves us liquid to EXTEND Gray - Maeda - Mahle in season if they are performing. Depth toward the front end of the rotation allows Maeda to pitch from Bullpen for 2-6 months - big addition to BP depth!! Eovaldi - Gray - Mahle - Ryan - Ober/Varland Maeda - Jax - Moran - Durhan - Thielbar - Lopez - Megill/Alcala - Fulmer (sign him)……..the only wince in this group of 13 is Lopez but his stuff needs to be coached up to get back to at least a middle inning guy. Not sure he has mental make-up to close games routinely. No particular #1 in the rotation but much more formidable in a Series with Eovaldi’s experience & ability.

Correa isn’t the thing that takes the TWINS over the top! He played for US in 2022…….how’d that work? Lewis played 10 days when Correa got nicked up/(Covid?) & everyone thought Lewis was the answer & Correa should get traded at the deadline because he’d never stay with us anyway. The Astro’s WON the Series the year after he left with a rookie SS and a STRONG STAFF!!! Spend the money on free agent pitching…….forget about trading the batting champion for Lopez…….sign Eovaldi - sign Kluber - sign Fulmer……..they add up to less than Correa’s $40 million. Farmer is bridge to our youth SS. Forget about Correa & strengthen the team with available talent. Keep $ going forward to extend Gray or Maeda or Mahle if successful early in 2023.

Spend for a starter - need depth with Gray, Mahle, Ober, & Maeda all coming off physical issues! If we get Eovaldi, we can move Maeda to Pen for at least 2-3 months and maybe it’s a formula that could stick! Add a reliever as well. Fulmer would be solid. Any guy that has a track record of being effective through last season. Brewers may have a couple free agents that fit? Could get a guy like Kluber or Cueto on 1 yr. deal if absolutely the only alternative. Need depth!! Could use these 2023 pitching $ spent & use in 2024 & beyond to extend Gray & or Mahle or Maeda if they shine in 1st half of 2023. Extend them early!!

Need to ACT In free agency now! Moves, come quickly, please!!! Bassitt is gone - PAY Eovaldi for 3 years at $23 million/yr. Maybe Corey Kluber as a last resort for $12.5 million for a year. Michael Fulmer for Pen……………all set if we could get 2 of these 3 done.

When you have fragile pitchers, you need to protect them for a 6 month season & not concern yourself with today’s box score!! Archer, Gray, Ober, Winder, Mahle, & Bundy were ALL either off recent serious injury or were injured during the year in ‘22. Ryan was a ROOKIE!!! What is the constant whine about Rocco & limited innings when one applies logic?? Sick of it…..the only guy that complained was Gray & he’s hyper competitive but oft injured going back to Cinti., N.Y., & Oakland. On the IL at least twice in ‘22. Bull pen was underperforming from mid-June through rest of season. If Joe Smith - Duffey - Pagán were just “average” we would have been in the hunt through September. No effect on who might sign with TWINS as a free agent starter! All about “$” & “can we compete”, in that order.

Don’t understand the logic with Correa? If we didn’t draw last year with him, that can’t be good reasoning going forward. If team isn’t extremely successful, Correa will be the “hated, greedy SOB” that sunk our payroll & FO will be run out of town! We want to develop players internally and we have 3 solid SS prospects in farm system. If Farmer plays well, Lewis is an option as back-up in CF & starter in LF. Spend the $ on a Catcher, a Starter, & decent reliever, if available. With a solid starter we can drop Maeda into pen for experienced, quality depth!!

If Correa was/is the hopeful answer at SS, & Farmer’s defense is in the same range, why trade for better defense? We have 3 options at SS in the farm system - one will be ready by sometime in 2024 worst case. Spend $ on SP - Bassitt! Catcher! Relief pitcher!! Keep $ to extend Maeda, Gray, &/or Mahle based on performance during the year…..extend during the year as possible.

Rosenthal &/or some other professional pundit stated they thought it would take $67M total for 3 years……….went a tick higher to make it happen. If we could trade the draft pick & had to pay what some other team signed him for, we would/should do it in a heartbeat.

Sign one of them!!! ………can’t imagine either would cost more than $8-$9M/yr for 3 years. Mets have signed their 5th starter - makes a qualifying offer for Bassitt pretty low priority for them. He was the most consistent starter on a team that win 101 games - he’s aging but don’t understand the Met’s approach with staff? TWINS should offer Bassitt $23/yr. for 3yrs. I read N. Cruz had an eye problem for over a year……relatively recent surgery to correct. MAYBE worth a $3 million (plus $3-$4 million in incentives) contract for a year? Big upside potential for a RH DH & pinch hitter. Him or Garlick, what sounds better? Great glue guy in clubhouse. Sign M. Fulmer for 2 yrs. at $8M/yr. Farmer is an adequate bridge to our youth SS possibilities! We can afford this path - get it done!! Bassitt allows Maeda to start the year and possibly remains in the bullpen……..extend him & Gray if they are pitching well in June!

Louis doesn’t struggle with the shift - he is the epitome of a professional hitter. Since they didn’t shift against him in the past, the Ban will have essentially no effect on Arraez stats.

Farmer at SS is essentially a wash with Urshella offensively. Miranda @ 3rd. Gordon in LF for every right handed starter & spelling Buxton as needed for 40-50 starts in CF. Arraez at 1st until Kirilof is ready to play regularly……..after that, he plays 2B for 30 games - 3B for 15 games - 1B for 60 games - DH for 40 games. That amount of time at DH & 1B should help his knees. In parts of only 2 other MLB seasons Luis Arraez hit .311 & .313…….. .316 this year. Don’t see any reasonable expectation of him “dropping off” at the entry to the prime of his career!!! Polanco & Kepler have one more year with an opportunity as TWINS. I agree with you on Louis: Opening more opportunity for Buxton to DH @ .228 average by moving Arraez to another club with a .316 average isn’t real smart in my opinion. Kepler makes too much money and has performed too poorly for 3 years to get any positive value in trade. Learn to love his defensive add, reduce expectations for power, and hope the shift elimination gets him an extra 4 hits/month and helps raise his confidence to drive the ball. Polanco may be a deadline trade piece with his ability to hit with pop and being a reasonable defender that’s a switch hitter. Sounds like a guy we would want if he was healthy!! If he gets back to career averages he’s a real plus. Trade deadline opportunity to move Polanco for a right handed hitting outfielder OR pitching, comes with Lewis being healthy enough to play there regularly or some other farm system kid earning an opportunity. Doubt we move him in the middle of a successful TEAM season if he’s anywhere near his average performance level.

2019, the year of the juiced ball. Max’s big power year and nothing sense. A guy that hits the ball as hard as he does with his speed , he should hit 32-40 doubles per year, with a normal ball. His approach is mediocre at the plate. Also, Kepler’s NEED in center is non-existent as you point out! Gordon can back-up Buxton. He’s our starting RF in ‘23 unless FO is dumping salary & I don’t think that’s needed. Elimination of shift coupled with his defense in right & the oft injured potential replacements, we need to keep him another season. Would you trade Kepler & expect Sonny Gray level arm with more team control in return? That’s what is being suggested in some of the other comments above - just not realistic!

I like the catcher acquisition move - almost a necessity. I agree on the no Correa signing strategy & use Farmer as long as it takes to get him me if our farm guys ready to play - we have 3 prospects. I like Lewis as well but not sold on his ability to cover ground as a shortstop, everyday, after 2nd knee surgery. Lewis or somebody will be ready by sometime in ‘24, hopefully sooner. I live in Cincinnati - Farmer is fine! Completely agree on the back end need in bullpen!! They need to sign Bassitt for 3 yrs. @ $23 million/yr…….don’t love Maeda as a starter when we have plenty of money to sign an additional #2-#3 guy in Bassitt.? Maeda really puts a shine on our bullpen as well!! $23 on SP - $8 on RP - $6 or so on catcher…….extend Gray & give him 2 more years at an additional $5 million/yr……..extend Maeda as soon as possible (June) if he’s back to near normal & pay him well w/o all the incentives. W/o Correa’s contract we could pay Mahle going forward if he performs as well.

FO PLEASE ACT: Catcher: O. Narváez is the LH platoon option with Jeffers……..3 yrs. at @ $7 million/yr……if he’s not available, Vasquez for $4 million/yr. Starter: Chris Bassitt is the innings eater, front end starter, 3 yrs. @ $22 million/yr…….even if we make a run & Mets meet the Qualifying Offer, we’re trying! Relief: M. Fulmer 2 yrs. @ $8 million/yr. as good as there is left & known quantity SS: J. Iglecias 2 yrs. @ $8 million as a placeholder for 1 of our 3 prospects in farm system. $45 million total and we’re offering $35 million to Correa with what we know will be a wasted last 3-4 years. These 4 guys strengthen us all over the diamond & allows for prospects to help in ‘24 & beyond. These signings show a PLAN & would generate Anticipation, Excitement, Wins, & Attendance!! $ back to Team to pay for investment.

Pretty sure, as hard as this is to say, Kepler is a better value. Kepler at $9 million with some potential power upside as well as 25-30 point uptick in BA without shift. Bellinger is making $17.5 million I believe, and has been down for 3 years with only “potential” for that $ number.