twinsin17

When its all said and done it is likely he will get more than $13 mil/season. I don't understand why Twins fans care what he gets? We need SP help and Nolasco would profile as our #1. Signing Nolasco helps this team improve, that is the bottom line. When comparing any potential signing it is much more relevant to compare with the player the FA replaces on the team than it is to league average at the position. I imagine if the Twins had a staff full of league average starters and not the worst SP rotation in baseball we would be a much better team and may not be in the market for a slight upgrade like Nolasco is over league average. But we dont have a league avg rotation, we have the worst rotation, and Nolasco represents a HUGE improvement over the player he will replace. So spend whatever it takes to get him and any other pitchers that can help this team win games and become competitive again!

I agree with this thinking and this offseason the Twins have a shot at proving they feel the same way. We have such small future salary obligations that we could adopt a slightly above market value offer approach to free agents. At the end of the day none of us should really care what they pay someone as long as we bring in better players than we currently have and don't mess up our ability to sign homegrown prospects longterm if they prove worthy down the road.

I would hate to deal Stewart, for all we know he could be a top 3 pitcher in the minors at this point next year. I am excited for his first full year of ball in 2014! Is he even trade eligible at this point? If we can trade for Miller without giving up a top 4 prospect by all means do it. After watching the WS, though, it is apparent St. Louis is ready to win now and wants an upgrade at SS.

If the Cubbies trade Samardzija it would surely require top end pitching prospects in return, effectively ruling the Twins out of the mix. Their issues are similar to our own. I do like the idea of TR doing some wheeling and dealing this winter, though. Personally I feel our best bet to add pitching is signing unremarkable veteran free agent inning eaters to hold us over while drafting high end pitching prospects and developing our solid core of pitchers currently in rookie/low A ball. When TR said "there are no shortcuts" I think this is what he meant.

Good to see the organization make a decisive move and put the issue to rest. Hopefully the move to first keeps Mauer on the field and off the DL.

It is probably more likely the Twins pitchers' "off-speed" pitches lack movement.

I would like to see Buxton, Sano and Rosario all start at AA for a few reasons. Outside of the obvious convenience factor of checking box scores and reading game recaps I'd like to think getting these guys some time to gel in the locker room in the minors would help when they move up to the majors. Buxton has nothing else to prove in A+ while both Sano and Rosario would be well served with more AA experience to help adjust to higher level pitching. We saw both contact rates and plate discipline deteriorate after their promos last year. As for Meyer if he has a good spring I agree he should have a shot a breaking camp in the bigs. A Stewart/Thorpe/Gonsalves rotation in Cedar Rapids would make for a killer three game road trip and is one thing I really hope happens. I am interested to see where the Twins assign their 1B prospects in Kepler, Hicks and Vargas next spring. Kepler has held his own in the AFL against some of the best prospects in the minors and it is doubtful going back to A- would benefit him. Hicks hit very well in A ball but his power regressed some after moving up, although he did increase his on base percentage. Vargas seems certain for a promo to AA. Does this mean Kepler splits 1B/DH with Hicks at Ft Myers while picking up spot starts in the OF? Maybe I am wrong but I think there is value in a player knowing day in and day out what his position is. Here's hoping if he does turn in to a split position player he has a better future at it than Parmelee and Colabello. On a side note, VERY disappointing first couple innings for the Cardinals tonight...let's hope they can turn this thing around! Scary stat: 9 out of the 10 last game 1 winners won the series. With all the bragging sox fans do they can wait another 83 years for a title for all I care!

Tyler Beede, Sean Newcomb and Luke Weaver are college arms I'll be paying attention to next spring. Maybe it's the result of 3 straight abysmal seasons but the idea of getting a pitcher who can help our Twinkies win games in 1-2 years appeals more to me than hoping a HS pitcher (Kolek) learns to throw strikes in the Gulf Coast League next summer.

Rosario should start next season in AA. Unless he kills AFL pitching and has a stellar spring I don't see a move to AAA until he improves his performance against AA pitching. Double A pitching has proven much more challenging than what he has seen in the past. After moving from A+ to AA this year his K% increased from 12.6% to 21.4% and ISO decreased from .198 to .128. We have no reason to rush him to AAA then to the Majors with Dozier looking good for now. Best case scenario is he rakes AA to start the year, earns a promotion to AAA, continues to hit and gets a late season September call up. Worst case? We rush him to the bigs, he whiffs 30% of the time, shows no power and less than stellar D at 2nd.

According to his Twitter account he is done for the year. Let's hope he works hard this winter and adds a few notches to his FB by next season.

Did Kohl Stewart miss a start this week for some reason? Or are the Twins trying to limit his innings?

I am all for Kingham as well. Can't have enough big, young power pitchers given all the arm injuries and flop rate for pitching prospects who fair well in the minors but their stuff doesn't translate to success in the majors. Best case scenario? Trade for Kingham then sign Morneau for 2/$15m in the offseason. Trading him should help us lose more games to get a better pick next year.

We're not asking to have him learn to throw left handed here. We just want him to do what he has proven to do more successfully (bat RH vs LH) more often. I don't think that idea is too far fetched.

Hicks should definitely drop LH hitting. Improving from a .447 OPS vs. righties is almost a given. Or maybe they should platoon him - RP when we face a righty and in the lineup vs. lefties. The chance of watching a position player pitch would put fans in the seats!

Good article. Dozier's D at 2nd (ex: his diving catch in short right tonight) and improved bat with surprise pop has been one of a few bright spots on the team this year. If his recent hitting translates long term I have no issue with Dozier as our future 2nd baseman given the gold glove caliber D he has shown. At any rate his performance creates a good problem for the Twins considering our uncertainty at other positions. Dare we say gone are the days of a psuedo prospect (Rivas, Tolbert, Hughes, Nishi, Casilla) or veteran fill in (Boone, Castillo, Hudson)?

There has been a lot of talk about Twins targeting Kohl Stewart. By all accounts his "stuff" seems highly regarded in the scouting community. As a potential #4 pick shouldn't his stats show he has been dominating inferior HS competition? According to MaxPreps (Kohl Stewart (St. Pius X High School) Baseball Stats - MaxPreps) his numbers appear marginal at best. In 47.2 innings he has allowed 38 hits and walked 31 batters for a pedestrian 1.45 WHIP. He has struck out 42 batters (8.81 K/9) and has a 2.50 ERA. Not exactly an exciting stat line to say the least. Where is the line between projecting a prospect's future success and seeing in-game results? Is too much weight given to potential based on what a radar gun says? I would feel a lot better picking him if his results were more in line with the outstanding "stuff" you hear scouts raving about.

It's fun to watch someone with such an aggressive approach at the plate. Can't help but be excited for the Twins future with Arcia, Sano, Buxton and Rosario all coming up in the next couple years. Add Kris Bryant to that mix? Watch out, that's a lot of potential runs to be scored. That could make up for some mediocre pitching until our guys in the minors are finally starting to shine in the big show.

I remember reading a much more pro-Plouffe thread a little less than a year ago. http://twinsdaily.com/minnesota-twins-talk/1591-trevor-plouffe-comparable-3.html It is funny how opinions change so quickly. Personally, I'm in the sign him cheap now camp. Best case? He continues to improve defensively and develops a more consistent bat. We already know the power is there. If this happens we have an above average third basemen at a bargain rate - also a valuable trading chip. Worst case? Sano and Rosario come up sooner than originally expected and take over 3rd (Sano is a defensive down grade from Plouffe) and 2nd (end of Dozier era). If this happens Plouffehe could become a power hitting utility infielder/pinch hitter/DH once Carroll, Dozier and Doumit are gone.

After today's game 25/48 outs he has made have come on the ground. 19 Ks, 2 DPs and 2 fly outs. No HRs and just 3 doubles against. Hitters can't figure out how to make contact with a ball on that steep of a plane. I project future dominance. Could he be on a similar development path as Roy Halladay? I see some resemblance.

If the Twins have one of the GA outfielders ranked highest when they pick at 4 then by all means take another HS OF. As it looks right now Appel and Gray are 1-2 in either order and Kris Bryant has done nothing but hit his way in to the #3 slot. If any of these guys are available at 4 (does Houston pull another head scratcher?) take them and don't think twice. So far there isn't another P available in the college ranks that I am dead set on taking in front of either GA outfielder.

I think the only way Arcia is called up is if a full time position opens i.e. Morneau/Willinghammer is traded or injured. It doesn't help him or the Twins any to have him riding pine.