goulik

Lol, Thank You Peanuts!!! Truly humorous and hopefully at least a little bit true!!!

It seems to me through casual observation that a higher percentage of Hispanic MiLB players are testing positive. Is this true league wide, only for the Twins, or a completely false take?

As long as Sano, Buxton, Meyers, Stewart are not in the trade, I would give up 3 Prospects for an MLB ready SS who is still Arb/Pre-Arb. How many would depend on years of control before FA but yeah! Get er done!!

My favorite part of this is that you have come up with some ideas that have not been posted yet. Thinking differently than previously started ideas gets us thinking and I am definitely thinking... I also am not sold on Kyle Gibson. Trading Burton and Plouffe I think needs to happen so go for this trade. Since your giving up 3 MLB players, see if you can get them to throw in a PTBNL prospect at the A+ level to boot. If not, I'd still take that deal but don't tell them that up front. I am BIG on Arcia and I think he's going to blow up next year... I don't want to trade him for a one year rental but if a year of arb can be rolled into a five year contract as a stipulation in this trade, I'm listening. Again, since we're giving up 3 MLB players I would be trying to get a prospect thrown in here also. No problem with Johan or Hughes signings, not sure about Kubel. I think they can go higher than 80m (78.7) so someone better than Kubes please.

Thrylos, Amazingly informative post!! This is the most new info that I have read in the past two weeks on TD and I have read EVERYTHING! Thank You!! This also reinforces my desire to sign Josh Johnson to a creative contract. I keep hearing he wants just a one year contract to build value. Give him that one year with mutual options for two more years in a creative way that he will sign. For example: Year 1-7million;year 2-15 million team option/7.5 million player option;year 3-17 million team option/8 million player option. (Adjust the numbers to make sense and get er done)

I think the main point made here is that the Twins do have the money to make a splash. With all the youth coming up, a front loaded contract could be made (see also Zach Parise) and if the players ability declines it would be less difficult to trade him down the line when abilities are fading and contracts for Sano, Buxton, Rosario, Arcia, Meyers, May, etc... start getting up there.

I agree oldgoat, time to sign some real keepers in free agency especially given the salaries and coming salaries. We could spend 40 million per year on free agency and sign those free agents for 3-5 years and most everyone coming up is going to be real cheap still for that time period keeping the payroll in the 100-110 range long term which is about where it ought to be

Are there Two Aces to sign and a home run hitting big time 1B? If you sign those three and the prospects rise, I think this team transforms next year. Unfortunately I think you need all three for any hope before 2015... I think we will be better next year but nothing exciting without a free agent dive

In my series of posts, I omitted Relief Pitchers intentionally. I think that part of the Inn was not open this year as we actually sent out MLB talent and there were not AAAA placeholders in play in the bullpen

Oops, should edit before posting... I forgot to mention that the Inn has closed for Jeff Clement at Rochester. I think he is elsewhere next season.

As AA Twins become AAA Twins, Room for AAAA players is becoming more scarce. With many 30 plus "prospects" called up this year, and several more failing to get called from Rochester, there will be many players released into oblivion this off season. Before even considering Free Agents (Please Ryan, Sign some Free Agents) If I was General Manager, I would have to make the following decisions: Infielders When I decided to do this series of three posts I was looking at who played for us this year and who we currently have that will play on the MLB side next year. Everyone is excited about Sano and Rosario getting so close but there are several other Infield prospects pushing up as well. (the big exception being at first base.) Lets go position by position Catcher: MLB level: Mauer, Doumit, Chris Hermann, Eric Fryer, and Josmil Pinto. Rochester: Danny Lehman and Jairo Rodriguez are both recent promotions to AAA. this area of strength has already jettisoned Butera and now the only questions are how many to have on the 25 man roster, Mauers health, and when we trade Doumit. My gut says Pinto and Fryer go back down for more seasoning with Pinto coming back up when Doumit is traded in the middle of next season. (I am praying for Mauers health and expect to see him splitting time with 1B especially when considering 1B options) 1B Colabello and Parmelee are with the Twins and Jeff Clement is at Rochester. I expect Colabello and Parmelee to compete at first next spring. One stays, one goes back down until a prospect rises to push them a aside. The Winner in spring training splits time with other players or rises to his last opportunity and wins our love. 3B This position belongs to Plouffe but the heat is on HIGH. Debinson Romero isn't clamouring for a call up but may get a Spring invite along with Miguel Sano. My guess is they both are at AAA to start the season but Plouffe is not long for 3B. This means when Sano does come up, Plouffe either pushes out Escobar as utility man or Parmelee/Colabello at first. Rochester has already jettisoned Mark Sobolewski and Ray Olmedo is next. Who? Exactly! Inn closed!! SS There is no one pushing up (for now) so all we have is Escobar, Florimon, and Beresford to choose from. Florimon has won the job for the foreseeable future as we need the defence too much. Beresford was rewarded for his help in Rochester with a cup of coffee this fall but he will soon be cut. Escobar for now is our Utility guy. He is a defensive replacement, pinch runner guy with a light bat and big glove. Useful but not exciting. Rochester will have Danny Santana as SS coming up from New Britain and the prayer here is that he continues to develop and Florimon becomes the Utility man for the Twins some day. 2B I am excited by Dozier and hope he is at second for us for the next 10 years. Rosario will be the Man at Rochester next year. Down the road how they shake out will be exciting for us to watch but for now all it means is Nate Hanson and Eric Farris will be marginalised in Rochester or New Britain until Rosario is called up.

As AA Twins become AAA Twins, Room for AAAA players is becoming more scarce. With many 30 plus "prospects" called up this year, and several more failing to get called from Rochester, there will be many players released into oblivion this off season. Before even considering Free Agents (Please Ryan, Sign some Free Agents) If I was General Manager, I would have to make the following decisions: Starting Pitching: Andrew Albers, Kevin Correia, Sam Deduno, Scott Diamond, Cole DeVries, Liam Hendricks, Pedro Hernandez, Lester Oliveros, Mike Pelfrey, PJ Walters, Nick Blackburn, Kyle Gibson, Vance Worley See a problem? With Logan Darnell, Trevor May, and Pat Dean already called up to AAA, at least 6 of these need to be cut or moved to the bull pen this off season assuming we do not sign any free agents. (I'm hoping we sign at least two...) So who do we cut? Pelfrey and Blackburn are already gone. PJ Walters and I believe Cole DeVries are going to be following them out the door as soon as the post season is over. The obvious keepers are Gibson and Correia. Now you have to fill in the best of the rest. At this point (based on who is and has been here) the best of the rest... Sam Deduno. This is a less than impressive start thus the cry for free agent signings. Andrew Albers has earned a shot but age is against him. Liam Hendricks has his 30 starts and has not impressed. Worley, Hernandez, Oliveros, Diamond all seem to demand another shot but there is only so much room to go around. If I was a betting man, I would guess that Hernandez, Oliveros, and Hendricks are either gone or pushed into long relief, spot starter jobs in Rochester or gone. That leaves us with Albers, Worley, and Diamond trying to win two spots this spring. If we sign a free agent, Albers age and lack of impressive stuff probably pushes him out of the organization. My point? There just is not room to keep all these AAAA pitchers. We lack a true starting five yet have to start cutting in a big way. Thank you gentleman for giving us your best, good luck and good bye!

Hopefully he can kill it early, get some management love and get moved up to New Britain by mid season but I am betting he spends most if not all of next season in Fort Meyers.

No matter how you look at it, Mastroianni and Ramirez are only short term place holders for next year. Both are AAAA outfielders but Ramirez would make a better pinch hitter, fill in bat. A strong argument can be made for Mastro as a defensive sub and/or pinch runner. I had to choose one to cut, maybe I chose wrong...

As AA Twins become AAA Twins, Room for AAAA players is becoming more scarce. With many 30 plus "prospects" called up this year, and several more failing to get called from Rochester, there will be many players released into oblivion this off season. Before even considering Free Agents (Please Ryan, Sign some Free Agents) If I was General Manager, I would have to make the following decisions: Part One: OUTFIELD Currently the Twins have Clete Thomas, Wilkin Ramirez, Alex Presley, Oswaldo Arcia, Chris Parmelee, Josh Willingham, Chris Colabello, Aaron Hicks and Darin Mastroanni listed as Outfielders on the 40 man roster. Currently Rochester has Antoan Richardson, Dan Rohlfing, Brian Dinkelman, and Jermaine Mitchell. Outside of Evan Bigley, there are no strong arguements demanding someone else moves up to Rochester but even without promotions to Rochester, we're looking at 13 outfielders for two teams. With no-one to replace Morneau, Parmelee and/or Colobello are back to 1B if they are still with the Twins. Neither has shown MLB level need to make room for them in a crowded outfield so I am listing one as MLB 1st baseman and sending the other to Rochester. I am done with the outfield experiment for both of them though. LF- Josh Willingham's value is too low to trade this off season and he will be taking a roster spot next spring. I doubt he is around the whole season. RF- Oswaldo Arcia has shown he belongs as a long time fixture in the Twins Right Field future and he will also have a Roster spot. This Leaves Center Field. The Dream is that Aaron Hicks is next years Brian Dozier. This would be ideal but I am not holding my breath. I predict he will be Rochester bound for at least the start of next season. Alex Presley was just acquired in the Morneau trade and has shown over 700MLB at bats an average BA and can be at a minimum a decent place holder while we await our future. On the other hand Clete Thomas has 700 at bats and is not average. With his age, He is the first off season cut I make with a thank you for helping out in a time of need. I rooted for him but he is gone. Wilkin Ramirez has similar stats to Pressley but with a smaller sample size. I think he should be given a chance to compete with Pressley. My prediction is that he joins Pressley in the OF until Hicks pushes one of the two out. Darin Mastroianni also has a smaller sample size but his stats are more along the lines of Clete Thomas. I do not think there is room for him any more and I think he will be the second off season cut. Why not back to Rochester? Antoan Richardson, Brian Dinkelman, Dan Rohlfing, and Jermaine Mitchell are already there and with Hicks probably also going there and Buxton (or even Bigley) pushing up from below, there is no room left for AAAA players. In fact, Someone else will need to get cut. If Richardson was not called up this year, I don't think he will be back next year. He will be my AAA OF release of the fall with Dinkelman pushed out early next year when Buxton, Bigley or someone else just makes the outfield too crowded. Twins: Arcia, Ramirez, Pressley, Willingham RedWings: Hicks, Mitchell, Rohlfing, Dinkelman

1 Sano (only because he is closer/proven at AA) 2 Buxton 3 Meyer 4 Rosario 5 Stewart 6 Gibson 7 Pinto 8 Tonkin 9 May 10 Gonsalves 11 Lee 12 Sulbaran 13 Santana 14 Berrios 15 Eades 16 Melotkis 17 DJ Hicks 18 Walker 19 Polanco 20 Z Jones 21 Kepler 22 Archter 23 Turner 24 Harrison 25 Goodrum All under belief Colabello, A. Hicks, Arcia, and Herman are no longer prospects but major leaguers