Rhino and Compass

I am a Purdue basketball and Twins baseball fan, and no longer have the capacity for optimism, and will consider this season a good one if it is not raining at most of the games I try to go to.

Hey, maybe he took a calculated risk to just take it in the chin, rather than throw hands and break a finger or something.

A couple of general thoughts. Baseball free agency is basically a bunch of guys looking for jobs, and a bunch of employers looking for employees. It's not an auction, and while salary is important, just like for us, it's not the only thing. Many players do have family considerations, and most players are from one of the coasts, or from the south. The player population from the upper Midwest is lower, and in that basic regard, I don't believe Minnesota has the same appeal to a lot of players who would want to be closer to home. Second, it is easier to attract players as a contender. Sure, the Twins keep making the playoffs, but their postseason track record has to be taking a toll on their reputation. Posters have been laughing off the climate factor, but it illustrates another point. People don't know as much about Minnesota as we think. Many of us have been to Florida or Texas or California or New York, but there aren't many reasons for someone to come to Minnesota. I've met people in California who wondered if we got around in snowmobiles all the time, or what we do for fun in the Midwest. I suspect someone who comes here for 3 nights a year in August doesn't really get many of those questions answered, Also, don't forget that we are all acclimated to Minnesota. Look at Byron Buxton or Eddie Rosario from Georgia and Puerto Rico, bundled up on a 50 degree night in May. That's 2 months into the season, and that IS cold for 80% of players. There is a money factor, but I also believe that for many people that don't have a concept of Minnesota or the Twins would want more money to come here than with other options, and I think the Twins resist handing out big contracts to free agents because they are worried about having to pay a "Minnesota" premium to get them to come. Paired with their traditional frugality, I think the organization is always gun-shy about giving out contracts. Still, it's probably a two way street, the Twins want to pay too little, and some FA's want too much to come here. We are stuck with the FO, and the FA's are then gone, so we only have the FO as a punching bag.

Not only will I keep an eye on their baseball development, but I will also make sure to get a hold of Ryan Mason when I get my Allman Brothers Tribute Band off the ground.

A lot of people had Arraez pegged for a contender for the batting title, so his sub .300 average, to me, counts as off. He's making hard contact at a better rate than ever before, so when he adapts to the defensive adjustments in place against him, I think his avg. will bounce back in a big way.

In an active pursuit for pitching, Garver and Kepler are traded to teams looking for a solid MLB catcher and one that thinks Kepler can play center, and probably has a short porch in right. This happens only after the Twins relent and pay Byron Buxton. C Jeffers 1b Sano 2b Refsnyder SS Polanco 3b Arraez LF Rooker CF Buxton RF Kirilloff DH Donaldson This suggests that I think the Twins are not optimistic about the overall health of Josh Donaldson, in opting to have him at DH over Rooker or Kirilloff. Also, and this is a really hot take, but Jake Cave will be back next year, mostly to spell the corner outfielders. His numbers will be significantly better, but will be roundly reviled by fans.

The risk to the players is not the concern in many of these discussions. Other personnel are not as young and spry as the players, and those people wouldn't necessarily be kept in the same bubble as the players. As to the other point, I can assure you that the chance of any of these players being struck by lightening is absolutely 0

I think the answer, with regards to Astudillo is right there in your description of Barnes as a pitcher. Astudillo doesn't strike out, so if the imperative is to make contact, it's hard to go wrong with Willians. A high k pitcher is a perfect opportunity to use him if the goal is simply to put a ball in play, given his unique approach

I was saying at the game yesterday that Sano just looks petulant at the plate. I wonder how much the cold gets to him, but also, I wonder if he is the type of guy that gets so in his own head that it's deleterious to the rest of his game. There are a few guys that just seem to shut down in cold weather. Sano, Eddie Rosario especially, but Rosario seems like he has the capacity to self correct. and didn't have the offseason Sano did. don't worry, June's coming in a couple months, and we'll probably even be in the 60s by then

I think in general I'm going to worry about a pitcher in his mid 30s, and moreso if they have a recent injury

I, for one, don't believe Jose Altuve has any choice but to hit the bottom of the ball. He would have to jump to get on top of one to hit it on the ground anywhere.

I suspect that unless the Twins get a rock bottom price, they are loathe to give up a pick for a year or two of a pitcher that was going to be their 2nd or 3rd choice, at the very best. I'm just assuming they intend to be done (but you never know, injuries, etc.)

The biggest revelation is that the Twins had a prospect named Mat Batts, and I had no idea

I've never been anywhere near optimistic about the Twins signing Darvish, so with that in mind, I'm quite pleased that the Twins aren't just sitting on their hands, while they wait for him to decide. Every pitcher helps

As a broad, general statement, I think it's folly to invest heavily in free agents, but more palatable to acquire young players, but in this specific instance, there has been so much smoke, so many signals even from the front office, it's almost a self respect thing at this point that I want the Twins to get Darvish. I want to know that Minnesota is a desirable location for a top free agent for my own satisfaction as much as anything