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Fans can have selective memories. If Cron, Schoop, Marwin Gonzalez & Sergio Romo weren't worth the short contracts, then how did the Twins win 101 games & the Central Division in 2019, with the 3rd best record in the AL. One year contracts helped put the 2019 team together.

C.J. Cron was left off the chart. Both Cron and Schoop were productive journeymen that helped the Twins set the new bomba record. One year contracts are often prove it deals or to be a bridge until a prospect is ready to move up the ladder. The FO tries to build chemistry, sometimes it works and other times it simply serves its purpose to fill a need. Look at SS Simmons, he was very entertaining and served as a bridge player. The MLB is like a traveling circus that provides live & exciting entertainment. Veteran players can all be very talented and should be appreciated for the millions that they're paid. If there were better players/ options that the Twins wanted to sign to a longer commitment then they would have. The front office needs to protect the future of the franchise which is why they dumped Donaldson. The Twins have a mission and having a solid defensive team seems to have been a constant goal. They can't rely on hitting bombas to win enough games every year. There have been injuries and failures over the years, just look at Sano's roller coaster of a career. One year contracts are completely understandable until they can bring up more exciting players from the minors or sign the FA's that they need. And Correa is compensating for some of the savings from the many short 1 year contracts. Any player can get injured at anytime so the Twins did need to trade for 1 year of CF Michael Taylor. It's a necessity from the perspective of upper management. A proven vet is often better than having a rookie or Celestino fill the spot. The short 1 year contracts allow for roster flexibility which is good when there may be more free agents or AAA prospects available/ ready next year. Rome wasn't built in a day. It can take a lifetime and patience is a virtue.

The question of trading Kepler boils down to whether the Twins need him or not. I'm not sure what the answer is but he's a Gold Glove caliber outfielder even though he didn't win the award. You can be sure that he's always working hard to improve which is always possible. Him & Polanco were extended at the same time and Polanco was severely underpaid for his worth. But Jorge's bat compensated for Max's low BA. I imagine that Max is at the crossroads of his career, whether he's going to be bought out or prove his value for another year. I think that he's a favorite with the lady fans, and other players still need to prove themselves. Kepler may be able to increase his value before the trade deadline. He must still be an asset or else the Twins would have dumped him with all of the trade rumors. If no one is willing to pick him up yet then give it some time and maybe things will change. In the meantime I'll be rooting for him to win a Gold Glove so that he can receive a $500K bonus & for Polanco's contract to vest with 550 PA's this year.

Sometimes I'd rather see 2 of our "lower level" starters platooned to pitch one game giving them 3 - 4 innings each then to trade for a questionable ace. If we need to trade 2 of our lower level starters plus prospects for an established starter then that's possible too. Only the front office would know about the player's medicals that are part of the details that make or break a trade deal. At some point the Twins will need to make some choices about who they want to keep and acquire by the trade deadline. That could mean a 6 man rotation with less need for more pitchers in the bullpen. That would help to cover misfires by starting pitchers when they can't even get through 3-4 innings without the game getting out of hand. When a long reliever can prove themselves effective they increase their own value as trade capital to be used at the trade deadline too. Our low level starters don't need to be aces, they just need to be effective for 3-4 innings to take some pressure off the bullpen. Jax does a good job in some respect but can't pitch long enough to be considered a long reliever. The Twins need to invent a new method that works for them and which matches their personnel. That's Rocco's job! He needs to figure out how to best use his players & roster..

I wouldn't mind seeing Gordon as the lead off hitter even if it was from the DH position. He's a fast enough base runner. Buck hitting behind him should protect against double plays.

That's all very true and a lot can depend on Buxton's health. Rocco needs to come up with a winning formula or he'll be put on the hot seat to answer for his decisions if the results don't pan out. I don't blame Rocco for injuries. But absent of injuries, he's the one in charge who will either get the credit or the blame for outcomes.

I don't agree that Buxton will be the DH quite as much as some think. He did not injure his knee playing CF last year, but was injured while sliding. And in the offseason he had surgery to clean up the tendonitis issue. There weren't any tears or other damage according to the FO. Sure he'll DH sometimes but IMO not all that much unless injury prevents him from playing CF.. Every game that he doesn't play the OF for purely preventative reasons could end up costing the Twins the Division. We know that they'll want to keep him healthy but there's a fine line between winning & losing. It may depend on how good that Taylor can hit. If Taylor doesn't hit due to not enough AB's then he could be as much of a liability as Kepler. Maybe Taylor will become more of a utility OF'er, a late inning defensive replacement and for days off. Surgery report: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/twins-star-byron-buxton-set-to-have-knee-surgery-done-for-the-season/

I can see why the Twins went with this trade. It's the result of a failed experiment with CF Keon Broxton who was signed to a minor league contract in 2021. He was a ++++ OF'er who could only manage to hit .173 with 9 HR's in AAA. He was a twin of Taylor in every other respect at 6' 3", 200 ibs. and also from Florida. He was exciting in spring training and I had hopes that he would be brought up but he wasn't. And then in 2022 he was gone and Celestino was brought up instead. I think that the Twins saw how electric that a ++++ outfielder can be to watch, especially if Buck is injured, The fans still want to see an exciting glove. And now the Twins have found one worth trading for in Michael Taylor who basically has the same voltage as Keon Broxton would have provided in 2021 had he been able to hit the ball like he did in spring training. Their profiles are too similar to ignore. A right handed ++++ OF'er is what the Twins need to help win some games & fill the seats when Buck isn't on the field. Unless they want to use Gordon's left hand bat at times. But Gordon can also DH and play other positions. Broxton stats: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/broxtke01.shtml

If he can keep up his .254 BA by hitting mostly singles then he's not a bad hitting OF. And at 6' 4" tall he should be able to defend a wall and save a few HR's from going over.

The average MLB career lasts 5.6 years and Sano played for 7 not including last year. He probably lasted that long due to his surgeries. Cruz is considered to be a superhero compared to the length of most MLB careers. The odds are very low that Sano will ever be a MLB player ever again The average retirement age is about 29.5 years which means that Sano's retirement is right on schedule because he's almost 30. https://www.listfoundation.org/the-short-length-of-the-average-mlb-career

It's no wonder Arraez was traded. A Star tribune article in MSN News states that. Luis was said to have turned down a contract offer from the Twins before last season. And he wound up as their only player among eight eligible for arbitration this go-round to file for a hearing. Bottom line: Arraez felt he was more valuable to the Twins than they did for at least the past two seasons. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/reusse-trade-of-batting-craftsman-arraez-doesn-t-set-well/ar-AA16A8Im?fbclid=IwAR1JOjXOFjQZ3vY2oOVaNxCr_vxaD9OCRfMIMKlURkwRXV_Df-7cIH7pCU0 View full rumor

Jo Adell doesn't appeal to me. It's not like he's a Delmon Young or a Marty Cordova. I would expect that if the Twins have a need then they would acquire more of a proven talent. Either the Twins need a proven player or they don't. I don't agree with expending pitching talent like Sands for a player that's not going to be a keeper. That's what my gut tells me anyway. We still have Celestino who hasn't been dealt yet, and we don't need to risk getting a mediocre outfielder.

George Springer grew up playing Little League in my hometown. A lot of us parents watching him had a feeling that he would make the pros someday. It was around then when he played catch with Tori Hunter at a local Twins AA game and that's how Springer decided that he wanted to be a pro. A lot of it is about dedication. As long as a kid has enough talent and the right development which Springer had in abundance, then the sky is the limit. Plus Springer's dad's nickname was Champ when he was a little kid! And Springer did become a champ too! If one of these kids can work out then it will have been worth it for the Twins. New stars are born every day!

I hope that he can get back his velocity. It seemed to take Syndergaard a long time to recover from TJ surgery and he's still not really a starter. Between Maeda & Paddack, one of them should work out, or maybe a new star in the pipeline will compensate. Twins fans know how to root for underdogs better than the rest.

I'm more excited about a Dodgers former top RHP prospect named Jose De Leon that was signed by the Twins to a minor league contract in mid-December. He's been pitching in the Puerto Rican Winter League. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/dodgers-former-top-pitching-prospect-signs-with-al-central-team/ar-AA15hU8D?fbclid=IwAR1FJx9b2yF-OcUehjFhIxgwfnIiyOtpUPlKaDxWmXsvk24VFSzkvZMLa-8 Stats: https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=deleon008jos&fbclid=IwAR3spmr8f_EUKJ-t8bJ99gh3bJBxZTI2TIKTpMO4i1vc6I9EUHQq0G-fyvw Youtube video - length 47 seconds:

Trading Arraez is not the cost of doing business to buy lottery ticket pitchers. He's the top hitter in the AL & maybe in all of MLB. If Arraez is wiling to sacrifice his knees to win a world series for the Twins then I want to keep him here. At least see if he is willing to be extended so that we can keep him as a pure DH. He's worth 2 stud pitchers alone. My reasoning is that a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush. I don't really like the Twins being dictated to by the Marlins. I would consider trading 2 or 3 players for a pitcher like Luzardo, but Arraez should be off the table unless he's not willing to negotiate a reasonable extension. I realize that the Marlins want players with control. Young pitchers receiving shoestring pay may be able to win some games, but doubtful that each can beat the big market teams. We already have some of those types of pitchers. I'd rather see us keep Arraez, get Luzardo and pay for a free agent like Wacha. Arraez can always be traded later but the Twins only get to keep him once. When we need a proven ace then Arraez can be our real ace in the hole.

I wouldn't want to see Arraez traded for a pitcher with only 2 years of control when the Twins haven't even tried to extend Arraez yet. His trade value would rise if they could extend him and then get 1 or 2 pitchers with more control or more upside. If the Twins can't extend him because he's too steadfast like Rosario was then trade him away. But the Twins need to protect themselves by negotiating with him first. I would prefer to see one or two of the outfielders go like Celestino and Kepler. The Twins should simply purchase a FA pitcher before spring training begins. Since Toronto recently signed Chris Bassit for $21 mil per year, the Twins should at least be able to afford Wacha. We have plenty of young pitchers to fill in for him if he goes on the IL. A small difference in ERA is not that big of a deal if you have disciplined hitters on the team who don't chase at the plate.

IMO there's no doubt that Farmer will be more important than Urshela. Not only did Farmer have more RBI's than Gio (78 Vs. 64 RBI's), but Farmer has played tons of SS with 98 games last year & 121 in 2021. Plus he can play OF which means he's a lot more versatile. Farmer won't replace Gordon, but he may start at 3B while Arraez plays DH which could be often. With all of the complaints about Arraez's weak knees, he doesn't need to play the field very much, just be the best DH and platoon at 1B & 2B. And don't think that Miranda isn't capable of regressing at the plate. Miranda may actually be better suited for 1B so that Lewis can take over 3B after surgery. In this respect, Farmer is much more important this season than Urshela would have been. Plus Farmer has trade value due to having an additional year of control. Urshela was not a very fast runner either. Farmer seems to be an undervalued player which is why I'm bringing attention to him. Forget the WAR, look at his function which I think is to play 3B & SS and to produce RBI's. He'll be a better replacement at SS then Palacios was. Why didn't the Twins play Gio at SS and let Miranda play 3B when CC was out? Miranda is an option at 3B, but not a lock IMO.

Folks are vastly under-estimating the value of Kyle Farmer. His role will be much more important than Urshela's was. He also saves payroll and has 2 years of control which is critical given that Lewis and the prospects need more time. Meanwhile Correa's window is open and the Twins absolutely need Farmer's talent on the field & as a right hand bat. He can play any position & he'll be an important option for Rocco. Sure the Twins need pitching which is next, but we also need Lewis and Kirilloff to succeed and they're still unproven, whereas Farmer is an anchor, Every player is only one play away from injury. And that's not even mentioning the importance of signing Vasquez, another right hand bat.

Much to his credit CC chose the Twins instead of the Astros last year. I don't think that he ever looked back as much as he just did by returning to the Twins. He's connected to the team and it shows when he agreed to keep the lines of communication open. He didn't burn any bridges with the Twins like he did with the Astros. He's a class act. His teammates show real affection for him unlike some of the Astros like Alex Bregman. CC clearly wanted to distance himself from the Astros organization. IMO for CC it's not only about the money. He could have held out longer and negotiated with more teams. But he's happy with his $33.33 mil and doesn't blame the Twins for the deals gone bad, so we shouldn't blame him for testing the waters, it was the natural thing to do.

1. Buxton most recently injured himself by sliding into 2B feet first. If Correa wants to slide in head first then that's what he should do. 2. Upper management has enough faith to know how the chemistry of Karma works. Money spent on an injured player is never truly lost. It will always come back to the team in some way, shape or form. The money could come back as an over-performing prospect who plays at a value worth millions more than he's being paid. Or it can come back in other ways through a combination of insurance policy money & other good trade deals. 3. No team wants to throw money away, but they don't want talent to get away that can save their franchise from becoming irrelevant either. Perhaps Correa can help pave the way to a world series. 4. Correa can always take some drugs to manage his "future" arthritis. He just needs to hang in there to collect his checks for as long as he can manage to perform.. 5. Baseball injured him so the MLB can pay him. He deserves a portion of the profits that he has helped to build for the game & owners so far during his fairly young & exciting career without all of the red tape caused by doctors prognosticating his future ailments. 6. His salary comes from revenue sharing & TV money in part, which teams inherit from other teams & the league to help grow the sport and keep it alive. Carlos is alive and helping to grow the game just fine for the foreseeable future. It's a business decision and a lot of jobs depend on having talented players on the team like Carlos. Either go with the flow of available talent or the FO can spend its money elsewhere. But fans want to see talent on the field for their money and since Correa is willing to sign then he's like Neo from the Matrix, he's the one. Don't let the machines get him! 7. He's a good role model and he can sell stuff. Lot's of stuff! Is there something wrong with his ankle?

Correa has shown all of the qualities of being a great pro player and teammate. He's able to make the most difficult plays. I don't expect him to be the best hitter, but he'll be a team leader and an important part of the team chemistry. I doubt that he will get booed too much as he travels around & plays against every MLB team this year. But it is a new era for the Twins & the fans. I expect that some yahoo pitchers will try to hit him in the hands. For that it's important to remember that he'll try to be a warrior and will be taking the road that the Twins have now begun to pave right to the Hall of Fame. He's not just a ball player receiving a huge amount of money. He's willing to settle down, raise his family and become a permanent part of the community. The Twins FO have learned a lesson from the past by deciding to treat Correa fairly and not let players like Rod Carew get away due to being mistreated. I'm proud of the Twins owner, FO and to be a Twins fan. They and Correa have earned all my respect. Rome wasn't built in a day. I don't want to see the Twins give away the farm. Correa & the Twins need a team in order to be successful. This should give all of our players and all pros some proof that the Twins will treat them fairly. It's a new era, new uniforms and let's go Twins! Always be optimistic! A smile is always better than a frown! Thank you Carlos & the Twins for making the team relevant & giving us fans some hope & some of the best baseball talent to watch.

Yahoo! Both Correa & the Twins are betting on themselves! It must be the new uniforms.

"Alas, that means they’re only doing half the job that a great front office must do in free agency, and it’s the less vital half." I agree that more needs to be done. However the coaching staff can also be as important as free agents. Their decisions can win or lose close games. The managers and coaches send runners around the bases, choose the pitchers, when to bunt & play small ball, where to shift the fielders, when to give players days off. which positions players play. We'd all like to think that Rocco and the other coaches have improved over the years, but the play on the field and the results don't always show it. A team is only going to be as good as the weakest links which includes the decisions of all of the coaches & manager.. And also neither the front office or the coaching staff can control injuries & illness of which the Twins have had way too many. including to both its top performers and young prospects alike.