sun

Every player has their ups & downs including X, Y & Z. I'm glad that some folks are able to focus on CV's ups for a change, IMO he'll play in the playoffs if the Twins make it this year.

The Twins should dump Margot & admit their mistake. That's the only way to get past it. When a player hits their prime it's time to use them or lose them. Teams don't improve their chances of winning a world series by relying on an outdated process. That's what bureaucrats do. It's time to improve the process & add Keirsey to the 40 man roster & give the man the promotion that he deserves. The Twins need him now, not in a month or in July. Let him work out the jitters sooner rather than later. The Twins won't be any worse off in the end no matter what he does. It's all about the bureaucrats & their red tape. Look at how long they stuck with Sano.

If the Twins wanted a catcher that could hit better then they would have kept Turtle.

I don't believe that trading Polo results in degrading the team or the line up because the Twins could have refused to pick up Polanco's option & not received anything for him at all. I was shccked when the Twins picked up his option because of the high price tag & he missed so many games. IMO the only reason why they resigned him was to put him on the trading block & to get something for him. Because something is better than nothing plus paying the buy out, which shows how everything the Twins received is a positive & not a negative. The Twins are blessed with a glut of infielders, both vets & young talent. It's time to take off the rose colored glasses & admit that Polanco was on his way out. Everyone else is receiving pay raises & there's more extensions to come with less revenue. Polanco was never going to be able to play with the Twins again or hit in their #2 hole. It's a no brainer because it was all over the news that Kepler & Polanco were being put on the trading block. I'm surprised that the Twins received as much as they did. mostly because cash was involved in a Mariner's salary dump. The fact is that the trade made the Twins a better team automatically because getting something is better than nothing & for not spending the money to buy out Polanco's contract. Mission accomplished. Some folks want to complain about the pitchers ages but look at Verlander & his surgery.. Who wouldn't trade Polanco for Verlander? Give me a break about the age of players when one guy is 34 & the other is 32. That excuse is getting old, pun intended! 😁

Topa seems to have been the real target here. I'm confident about him & he comes with control until 2027. The rest is just icing on the cake. Disco may need extra days of rest to remain somewhat healthy & is a gamble. But he's better than nothing considering the payroll issues. I hate to see El Capitan Polanco go, but the handwriting was on the wall. The most important thing is that he's getting his payday, hopefully for 2 years. I'm excited about Topa since it seems that he's as strong as a bull & has a low ERA. It doesn't make sense to pay both Polanco & Farmer. We're in good hands. There's even insurance prospects included to back up this deal.

It's about Bubba's base running talent, not his inability to hit dingers. That means a BB can end up with him on 3rd base. Or he can steal home on a wild pitch. He could even swing at a wild pitch 3rd strike & end up at first base, then 2nd & 3rd. It doesn't take much imagination to see how speed can help manufacture runs. A big complaint was how the Twins are always swinging for the fences. Well maybe he can tag up & advance on more fly balls. Just appreciate the guy's speed. Maybe Rocco can figure out how to use him.

If he can bunt & play small ball then I'll take 3 Bubba's & it will be bases loaded. Guys like him are the future because other players will soon be on their way out. They're too old, too slow, too expensive or injury prone.. I'd rather have Bubba than Joe Gallo. Some returning players could be regressing or become too demanding.. At least the Twins are looking down the road when current contracts expire. Standing pat is like losing ground & going backwards. Taylor never hit as many HR's until he played for the Twins. I like bunters & if he can bunt then I'll like him. Plus he was a #1 draft pick & a right handed hitter, The hand writing is on the wall, within a year other players will be on their way out & guys like Bubba are going to be our future. All he needs to do is to learn how to bunt. I'll take 3 of him instead of Taylor or Gallo. If Buck would have bunted more he could have batted .350. It's not always about what a player did in the past, it's about what a player can do in the future. The FO is planning for the future & I like that. New City Connect uniforms, some new players & a new scheme. I like it.

Right now, Diamond is being partially subsidized by Amazon which is a good thing for the 5 teams that Diamond owns the rights to. The Twins aren't locked into anything yet but if they decide to go along then the money they receive can be used this year. Diamond isn't responsible for all of the cord cutting that has reduced the revenues. But it could work out better in the future if Amazon continues to subsidize Diamond. After all Diamond has a lot of experience & there's some safety in the number of teams that sign with Diamond. No one is holding a gun to the Twins FO heads to force them to sign. It's about a new start & how much TV revenue do the Twins really need? According to the article below once the judge approves the deal MLB cannot stop it. Don't worry about the numbers, let the number crunchers worry about it. I don't want to watch all of MLB, I'm only interested in watching the Twins. Once the numbers start emerging then revenue can get better in the future. Bankruptcy is tough for business & Diamond wants to survive just like the Twins do. There's an old saying, "Go with the flow." Don't fight the current. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nhl/a-deal-to-save-diamond-sports-group-could-bring-wolves-wild-and-maybe-twins-to-amazon-prime/ar-AA1n8Ka0

While this development may not produce as much of a windfall as needed this year, I'm optimistic that it can provide the Twins with enough leverage for revenue growth in future years to enable them to begin adding payroll money sooner rather than later. The home market may be more lucrative than anyone realizes at this time due to the high degree of loyalty by Twins fans. I doubt that Amazon would risk making such a large investment if they didn't see the handwriting on the wall. If the Twins perform well they can dig their way out of this mess. Just in time for the introduction of their new City Connect uniforms. There should be some light at the end of the tunnel. The fans & team are counting on Buxton to pull them through this trial & times. Everyone's future is now inter-connected more than ever & dependent on a reasonable amount of success & payout. If it's not Buck then some new stars need to be born quickly to compete with the big market talent..

I doubt that Duran would become an ace but I believe that it's an experiment worth trying. I do like Stewart as a closer & would like to see Varland get his shot at being a starter too. It should be easier to transition back to the bullpen than stretching out to become a starter. Give them the green light & settle both issues once & for all.

The Twins only sold out one regular season game last year which was their home opener. & last year was a winning season.

I don't mean to sound insensitive, but as an east coast fan I don't see what the big deal is to complain about. It only seems to affect 10 days in April for which the tickets are being upgraded. That sounds believable & understandable since the TV contract problem was announced. The fans can look forward to next year when the local TV blackout will be gone forever & the Twins will forfeit revenue to make all games available on TV. Plus next summer in 2024 their new city connect uniforms will make their debut. Before this season starts there still may be some exciting trades or signings to keep up interest among the fans. That's what really matters is how the Twins perform on the field this year. Everything else is secondary. Loyal fans don't want to see the team hurting financially so why complain about small potatoes? Just hope that the TV contract gets ironed out. And that players like Buxton & Correa play up to their potential this season. Their performances are what will make or break the team & not the stadium layout for the tickets. Geez, let's get the team rolling. It could be the best year for the Twins in a long time if Buck can play CF again. Goodness gracious sakes alive! If the April tickets really bother you then don't go & find something else to do for 10 days in April. The Twins didn't invent the weather.in Minnesota & aren't in control of the TV contract either. It seems that some fans just want to nitpick. There's no conspiracy. Fans choose to either root for the Twins or not just like always. Nothing else matters.

There's nothing like giving a player some hope as inspiration to boost his confidence & change his attitude. Give the kid a break & maybe he'll pay you back ten fold. if nothing is ventured then nothing is gained. Good luck to him, I hope he can figure it out.

He would need to prove his worth in a US independent baseball league before being given a AAA deal. I have too many doubts about him being able to do that. His MLB career was average length. Anything beyond that is pushing it.

The only trade I'd be interested in is for Jose Berrios.

The Twins should explore making a reasonable trade for Luzardo.

I don't know why fans expect perfection or a playoff ace when the Twins need to make it to the playoffs first. I like Maeda but if a deal could be worked out for Wacha then I think that he would work out okay. Too bad the Twins didn't sign him last year when they had the chance. The Twins can always try to aquire a playoff pitcher at the trade deadline. But they still need to be in the hunt for the Division title before doing a deadline deal. The Twins should have a 6 starter rotation anyway. I like Wacha, IIRC he won when he started a game against the Twins. But he seems to need time off during the season to allow his arm/shoulder to recover.

He should not.be protected. He's not ready yet for another team to put on their 26 man roster. Close but no cigar.

I have the utmost confidence in Castro's glove & arm in any position that he plays. His base running makes up for Buxton's injuries. Imagine if both of them can play. And best of all Castro stayed healthy only missing a little over 2 weeks in August with an oblique strain, He's a solid player that the Twins need. He even showed great range playing SS ..

I'm not as concerned about playoff performance but rather regular season performance to make it to the payoffs. Gray didn't do too well in the playoffs either but the Twins should still make the QO to him. The money is only for one year There still needs to be depth & the team will still need 6 or 7 starters to get through the season. Don't worry about playoff performance until after they win the Central. Bats can win the playoffs as well as pitching & the team will need both. The costs are always going to escalate but so does TV & merchandise money. The Twins are making money on their new uniforms. Don't sweat over the details. Remeber that there's always the possibility of a trade at the trade deadline.from a team that's selling. That makes keeping the ptichers that that we have worth it.

Maeda set the Twins club record by recording 8 K's in a row against the Brewers when he took a no hitter into the 9th. I also remember a game when Maeda was a pinch hitter & successfully made a sacrifice bunt.

The Twins have Paddack They need to keep (& QO) Maeda in case Gray doesn't return. Maeda could be what's needed to win the AL Central again. It's better to have one in the hand than 2 in the bush. Signing someone better could be a pipe dream. The Twins will also have other cheaper options & the bottom line wil always be an obstacle to the Twins signing big contracts. And the Twins have also had such bad luck with new pitchers with the most recent being Mahle. The Twins will be okay if Buxton & Correa can start being hitters again. The Twins need more than pitching.

There's a public relations angle to insuring that Maeda stays in Minny & that's his loyal following in Japan. Not only does he sell Twins merchandise in Japan, but he's promoting the Twins in a country that exports ball players. It helps to send a good signal to other Japanese players that theTwins reward its Japanese players. To be honorable is important to them & Maeda did have a great year in the past. I remember when Nishioka played for the Twins & after he broke his leg the Twins let him rot in AAA. He ended up terminating his own contract a year early even though the Twins still owed him a lot of money on it. He didn't want to stay where he wasn't appreciated. In Maeda's case, I would like to see the reverse happen & the Twins make an extra effort to keep Maeda. I know it's only Karma but still these things tend to equalize themselves out.

I think it's a brilliant idea for several reasons. 1. All Maeda ever wanted when he came to the Twins was his big payday. And he proved himself by having a great season before his surgery. 2. I watched him deliver 105 pitches in a game at the end of the season & he made it through his last inning. He's willing to pitch his arm off for the Twins & for his reputation.. 3. If he accepts a QO, then the Twins can offer him a 2nd year at a discount that will average out if he accepts. I tend to think that he'll be negotiable & that it would work out whether he accepts the 2nd year or not. The Twins FO knows how to get it done. The QO is only the vehicle that the Twins need to use to get it done without as much risk of him bolting to another team. The QO can only be used once on a player & I think that Maeda can win a lot of regular season games if he's getting veterans pay. 4. The fans love Maeda & I hope that the Twins FO will have enough courage to make the QO. I don't want all of the drama of the Correa signing again because without a QO the Twins can get outbid. The important thing is to repeat winning the Central Division. The Twins can save money elsewhere if they really need to. Just pay the man.

I really appreciate that Falvay is willing to stay. I wonder if that means that Levine is the one more responsible for any of the bad moves that have been made on behalf of the Twins. There's been some boondoggles. I think that working for the Red Sox is only a once in a lifetime opportunity because it's mostly about the money, how to make more money & how to spend more money on behalf of the team that you're only going to work for once. I guess Levine is a sharp guy when it comes to analytics. But if he goes to work for the Red Sox I'm not going to feel sorry for him when he gets fired. I hope that he doesn't come back crying to the Twins about it. Good luck & don't let the door hit your backside on the way out Thad.