JD-TWINS

Have seen it a number of times & don't understand the logic of trading Arraez? Has played 4 seasons and has a career .313 BA. Can play 1st - 2nd - 3rd in a pinch. Youth & player control coupled with productivity is what we wish every player was described as - Louis Arraez. If you don’t have a closer you’ll have a losing team.

Look at the Astro’s reliever resigning - this signing of Rogers, and it appears $11 million for a “standard plus” reliever is at that level. Assuming Fulmer would be there as well - two years at a minimum. Inflation - making up ground for Covid years - players cost money!! We need to sign either Hand - Britton - Fulmer. Have the $ and a supposed desire to win. Get it done! Eovaldi for depth for next 3 years at the top of the staff……extend Mahle - Gray with decent results through May. Maeda to pen for even more depth & competency!! Extend him with decent early results! If Eovaldi and 3 years is too much to ask, at least sign Kluber for a year to enable Maeda to work out of pen for at least a couple months. My assumption was Vázquez would talk up Eovaldi with management but doesn’t seem to be the case, at least not out in the open. Maybe Kluber this year and make a trade for pitcher, if needed, in July?

Miranda is our 3B in 2023, period. No trades happening to change that! Nobody trades Urshella with Miranda needing a position to then seek another third baseman. Maybe sign Evan Longoria for $5 million as a depth piece at 3rd and a right handed DH alternative. Good experience and leader by example in clubhouse at 37?

Draft picks in baseball don’t translate like football picks. Can’t understand the inflated view of draft picks in these discussions! We should try to get to the post season. What is the point of a “rebuild” other than listing younger ages on the roster? Seriously, what’s the point. Young guys don’t magically become solid players because they get a year or two under their belt in the Show! We don’t save money one year to spend more the next - no point. We have a decent club now. Not great. Certainly no chance to dominate!! If we get a reliever that will perform (Fulmer - Hand - Britton) & we sign Eovaldi & move Maeda to Pen we have the best staff in our Division top to bottom. Shift removed should disproportionately help left handed hitters & we have a bunch. Kepler - Polanco - Gallo all go away after next year. Let’s strengthen staff and not give away games with our Pen at 2022’s rate. (Smith - Pagán - Duffey - López) …….this bullpen debacle & poor health stopped us last year. We were assuming Correa would opt out in June & Lewis was our future until the knee injury. RIGHT? Correa was hurt & then brutal for 10 weeks last year. Farmer will be sufficient as a bridge to future. We need to stay healthy at some higher level so Celistino never sees a major league uniform. Strengthen pitching and run these guys back - maybe a vet DH guy like Evan Longoria for bench presence and depth? With decent pitching 90 wins & wildcard seems reasonable.

Sounded good until the propeller comment. Moving on, If we trade somebody it should be Keppler - Pitching prospect - Larnach (or similar) so we actually get a good pitcher. Nobody is sending any decent return at any position just for Max. I thought Bassitt was obvious sign for us. No activity that I recall. Sign Eovaldi & do as you suggest, unload starters that are ineffective or we can’t extend next July. Sign a starter & move Maeda to pen - agreed. I think a signing of Fulmer (or like) is needed!!!! Good points. If we add pitching we will be competitive, i.e. Cleveland of 2022.

Escobar at $9 million per year for 2 years - 25 points less batting average & same power, couple years older than what we traded in Urshella. Same salary. Why? Freed salary to sign impact guys & to let Miranda have a place to develop. As much power as Urshella or Escobar. He has a ceiling at 3rd but he’s not a butcher - needs more regular time……2-3 more years at $700K!!! Harmon Killebrew played third base off & on over a number of years……. Sign some pitching help! Trading for guys that are washed makes no sense & Escobar is the only 1 of 5 here that even makes one stop & think.

DO Something!!!! Refreshing thought.? Longoria - 30 games at 3B to spell Miranda & RH hitting DH? Eovaldi!!!! Fulmer!!

Cruz was free agent - Sano imploded - ball got unjuiced - Kepler had no power & Polanco has been hurt along with Buxton. Garver went in tank, got traded, been hurt. Not sure how intentional the changes have been? Stuff just happened. Can’t blow up a team that was in first place in early August within a still fairly weak Division. Fix the pitching!! Add depth!! Quit counting on 3-4 arms at AA & AAA!

What’s the logic here? Curious! We are concerned about losing young talent and QO draft pick but when we have budget to spend, don’t want to spend $$ on available talent, with no strings. ???

How about a Maybe to Eovaldi at 33? Have the budget. If things go south, or, if for some reason we have an abundance of starting pitching come the All-star break, we can make trades then. Want to be in a position of possibilities then & not desperation. Why is the QO draft pick such a sensitive issue? Are we drafting the next Rod Carew with that pick? Wacha is a wildcard. Sorry, Grienke at 39 is Dylan Bundy. Maybe another couple starters worth low balling - doesn’t bode well for any solution though. $$ on relievers is respectable move - Thielbar isn’t a lock & getting no younger. Like Fulmer’s consistency & familiarity! Britton may be a comeback guy that’s worth risk. Matt Moore is 42, I think….doesn’t sound good! Nelson Cruz for $4-5M or as I’ve suggested, Evan Longoria for similar DH money……..Possible 20 games at 3rd base?

With his wonderful walk % last year his OBP was .280……..Batting average matters!!

Celestino should be a distant (from St. Paul) outfield back-up in CF behind Gordon & Gallo! Walner - Larnach have to deliver some punch & reasonable defense in replacement of Kepler. Gordon should start in LF day one & it’s his spot to lose. Kirilof - Arraez - Longoria - Garlick share the DH Gallo acquisition has to mean a trade of some sort with Kepler & a package of prospects (hopefully Pagan) for a pitcher. With Gallo & Polanco gone after this season it frees up $19M annually to be spread over Gray - Maeda - Mahle going forward. Megill develops a cutter or change-up in the first half and has almost shutdown stuff for 2nd half!!! Lewis comes up in July to replace the weak link to date. Plays some SS - 3B - 2B - LF - CF C: Christian Vazquez ($10.00M) 1B: Luis Arraez ($4.50M) 2B: Jorge Polanco ($7.50M) 3B: Jose Miranda ($0.700M) SS: Kyle Farmer ($5.50M) LF: Alex Kirilof ($0.70M) CF: Byron Buxton ($15.00M) RF: T. Larnach ($.700M) DH: Evan Longoria ($5.00M) 4th OF: Joey Gallo ($11.50M) Utility: Nick Gordon ($0.700M) Utility: Kyle Garlick ($.700M) Backup C: Ryan Jeffers ($0.700M) SP1: Sonny Gray ($12.00M) SP2: Tyler Mahle ($8.00M) SP3: Nathan Eovaldi ($20.00M) SP4: Joe Ryan ($0.70M) SP5: Bailey Ober ($0.70M) RP: Jhoan Duran ($0.70M) RP: Jorge Lopez ($3.00M) RP: Griffin Jax ($0.70M) RP: Jorge Alcala ($1.00M) RP: Caleb Thielbar ($2.00M) RP: M. Fulmer ($7.50M) RP: K. Maeda ($6.00M) RP: Moran ($.700M) Payroll is 9.86% under budget

Not sure how Swanson ($177M SS vs. a $60M pitcher) compare on any level but do think Eovaldi brings value. We could sign 39 year old Greinke or Wacha or another ?? with J. Winder type of upside…….seems we should error on the side of talent. Eovaldi has 221 starts in 11 seasons - including 9 starts in Covid year of 2019. Also includes 6 in his first year. Didn’t pitch at all in 2017.

I get the skepticism on Eovaldi. Among the free agent pitchers he has forth highest WAR @ 6.7. This was in 2022. If he starts only 25 games and gets past the fifth inning in 18 games, we have a really good chance he’ll, we’ll win 14 or 15………I believe this true of Sonny Gray as well. I don’t see Eovaldi any differently than Gray - just at a higher price now as market has shifted up and he’s a FA. He’ll tax the Pen just like Gray. Delay in any signing is teams trying to push down his ask. Not rocket science for any GM here, but how about a $16M base with up to $6-$8 M more based on innings/ERA/starts/etc. Signing him gets us quality innings to get to Maeda or Jax or Megill to work til the 8th. Even going unconventional, with 6 starters every other turn is a possibility. His depth allows us to consider this approach as a reality. Performance risk for the $$ spent is a pro sports risk with everyone on the roster. Not looking to trade Buxton……he’s the poster child for lack of availability. I get it - be risk averse if possible……..Eovaldi may throw 145 innings - maybe 75?? Mahle might throw 10 or 160? Gotta try & adjust. Add talented depth….prefer Eovaldi as a FA than trading young offensive talent, on the cusp of contributing, for pitching. Last, Draft picks in baseball are not that special unless losing a number 1 or some really high significance. Then this pick only gives you the potential for a guy in a few years. Would like to see some success with this roster, as would we all. POTENTIAL STAFF: Eovaldi - Mahle - Gray - Ryan - Ober - Varland - ??? Fulmer - Jax - Duhran - Moran - Megill - Thielbar - Lopez - Alcala - Maeda - ??? I think Fulmer & Eovaldi add stability & we can afford the spend vs. trading Arraez……or hoping someone trades a diamond in rough for Kepler for our pitching answer. If we can trade (prospect - Kepler - Pagan) for some pitching help, great! Shouldn’t be our only path to adding proven arms.

Preaching to the choir!! Sign Eovaldi for 3 yrs. (reality contract length)! Can’t sweat the compensation pick……..Maeda to Pen for added depth. Sign Fulmer for 2 yrs. Addames not needed……need to use Farmer for one to two years as bridge to youth. Already have our “iffy” power addition with Gallo. I realize you/we need to try to be positive about Gallo signing but it’s highly suspect!!! Use $$$ to extend at least 2 of 3 based on early season performance. Mahle - Gray - Maeda. Vazquez - Eovaldi - Fulmer signings make for a good free agency offseason!

He didn’t sign because he & Boras can do math, and it wasn’t near the highest offer….$80 million light. I think it’s great we didn’t sign him! $$ for RP…..$$ to re-sign Gray - Mahle - Maeda after May’s results……SIGN EOVALDI!

Eovaldi was statistically the 4th best free agent pitcher available - now the remaining best. He’s 33 and not terribly durable but he has Gray-like stuff. SIGN HIM. If we do that, with the catcher addition, and the Gallo signing (so we can trade a youth left handed batter - maybe ill advised) would be enough for the off season. A signing of a decent reliever (Fulmer) would make it a special off season. $$$ left to extend the best 2 of 3 Mahle - Maeda - Gray in season …….. Miranda - Gordon - Polanco - Kiriloff gotta hit!!! Assuming Gallo at .200 - Keppler at .250 - Arraez at his career average of .313. Farmer & Urshella will be a wash in the line-up.

Pagan - Walner (or Larnach) - Winder for a starting pitcher with 150 innings/history and anything under 4.00 ERA is acceptable to me. We’ve got 2 veteran LH hitting corner outfielders nobody else will want & we retain Kiriloff & one of the two above for future. With free agents available & $ to spend within budget, trades seem silly for pitching. Sign Eovaldi & extend some of the Vets we have after we see who’s doing what in June. Gray - Mahle - Maeda are all valuable if reasonably healthy. Extend any one or up to all 3!

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!!!!