goulik

I wasn't trying to make a serious trade offer, I was sarcastically saying I want a lot more in a trade.

I’m now 50 and have watched many Winter meetings come and go. I believe, from what I’m reading in this post, that for the last 20 years I have reached a permanent level of acceptance. Except every October when I slip into two days of Anger, I HATE the Yankees, and then depression for a week or two.

I see your Jake Cave for Elieser Hernandez and raise you a LaMonte Wade, Eddie Rosario, and Trevor Larnach, and two non top 25 prospects for Alcantara and Hernandez?!? If you still want Cave I’ll sub him for Wade or even heck, throw him in in place of one of those top 25s?!?

In the "how high would you go for Cole" thread we have been giving our max bids for the top 4, now top 3 guys and until someone says they would go higher than what someone gets, I'm not going to be blasting the front office for not closing on the deal. No-one in that thread was willing to offer what Strasburg got and I have doubts that anyone would offer the number that Cole ends up at. It's easy to criticize afterwards when we didn't put our thoughts out there ahead of time. Are they being cheap or smart? The line is a lot more difficult to define under Falvine than under Ryan & Co. so while I am still waiting for that big free agent signing, I am also a lot more trusting with this FO.

I remember having mixed emotions. I was disappointed to not get the big name potential Ace we were looking for but also stunned that we got a potential #2 for only one prospect and that being from an area of wealth within our system. I have always been high on Palacios and he still is SO young that I think he will be a decent MLB shortstop some day but that's it? NICE! Falvine have proven themselves very shrewd with the trades and I worry that other teams are catching on and becoming more wary of getting the short ends of these trades. I predicted last week and I still think a trade will happen this week that will make us say "that's the big trade?!?" and then "in Falvine we trust" or "in Wes Johnson we trust". Yeah, this was a great preview of what we were getting with the new FO.

So your saying he's good right? Wow, that was a LOT of information! Thank you for the very deep probe. Maybe a little deeper than I'm ready for right now today but maybe I will have the mental capacity to reread this later and try to fully grasp all of it. Again, Thank you.

Oh man, I like and dislike parts of each of these 3 plans. I’m playing this your way so in my mind that says I have to pick one of the three without mixing and matching or making plan 4... that’s a hard choice so I gave each move points. Plan 1: this has us getting one of the top 4 remaining pitchers which is my one big off season desire so since you give me a choice I will take Ryu happily at 21 million.+4 pts The negative to this is the Bailey signing. I don’t want another reclamation project unless his name is Tehran. I really think Wes Johnson can make Tehran into what he always had the potential for so Bailey is a -2 on this plan. Shaw I do not have a solid opinion on. +0 Romo seems too obvious a resign that I will be disappointed if we don’t bring him back. +2 Plan 2: I don’t think we need him but Donaldson would be fun. +4 pts. Rich Hill? -1 Drew Smyly? Please no! -2 pts. Brandon Kintzler? No, No, NO!!! -2 pts. This has the most steamer fWar? Ok, fine but really? Plan 3: Keuchel as our headline pitching addition is a real bummer to me. He would get a +2 pts if I wasn’t disappointed on missing on the top 4 remaining so only +1. Tehran? Already expressed my opinion above. I like this +2. I believe our in house guys will have someone emerge and ready out of Spring Training but Thames is solid so I will still give him a +1 as insurance. Rather have Romo than Betances for the veteran leadership and personality but as a decent reliever so +1. At first glance I liked plan 1 best, by steamer fWar I should choose 2 but when counting my points, I guess plan 3 is my pick. That leaves me disappointed though both in what we didn’t get and in myself for choosing plan 3.

2 Roster spots? Did you forget Lew Ford?

I believe most of the angst hanging over our heads remains because of two decades of early playoff exits. So this year in the playoffs we had Odorizzi, Berrios and ............ If Pineda hadn't been suspended for the use of a diaretic, that playoff rotation looks a lot better especially when Pineda's numbers had been the best of the 3 in the months leading up to the suspension. Just having those three in October would be an upgrade. So, yes, I'm glad he's back and just having these 3 for the entire season with the rookies I think is also an upgrade over last years rotation after subtracting Perez (who actually was good the first month plus) and Gibson who's health got in the way all year. Now lets sign one of the top 4 remaining and REALLY improve the rotation over last year.

I do not remember any time in our history where I would call us a pitching factory. Our pitching success has been pretty hit and miss (mostly miss) as far back as I remember. If we became a pitching factory... Wow, that would be a complete overhaul of our club!!

Lol, your timing on this one was one day late especially with the news that the Pohlads threw 5 bucks at Avila as well. I appreciate these reads and almost wish the signings hadn't happened just as you sent it out, but only almost.

So you’re saying they extended the nets because of you...

Yeah, He's starting the conversation with 6 years and closer to 35 mil a year and then the Team that lands him may be fortunate to get him down all the way to 6/180

This link has an article that includes pictures in uniform along with the new mascot https://www.nbc-2.com/story/41401352/fort-myers-miracle-changes-name-to-mighty-mussels

Still hoping for a blockbuster trade out of left field that is better than any of our dreams. I still believe It’s the best route for several years of sustainable success.

That may have made 1987 a little awkward but I cannot argue with St Louis... I lived there for a little while and enjoyed many a game at Busch Stadium watching Ozzie Smith. They are my NL team.

Again, need to bring back the “buy that man a steak” button Once again, I say we need to bring back the “Wants to buy you a steak” button! Liking this post does NOT do justice to my love for this post! Thank you for sharing your story!Do your kids and grandkids also follow the Twins or have they adopted their own teams?

I personally believe a big part of rating a prospect should be likelihood of making it as a Major Leaguer. Someone with a 75% chance of having a major league career and 5% chance of being a star is better than a player that has a 15% chance of being a star and 75% chance of never making it past AAA. Based solely on Seth’s comments above and having nothing to do with the random %s I just used, I would rank these 3: 1) Larnach 2) Raley 3) Rooker In the same vein I rated Wade and Arraez higher than many in the past. Seth, When do you think Rortvedt will appear in the majors for the first time and how big a difference do you see between him and Jeffers?

The one I have the biggest problem with is #1. While you can predict regression to the mean for the typical individual player, to expect all 4 to regress to below that number and no one else to emerge above it? Odds are someone won’t regress that much.

I feel sorry for you youngsters that didn’t know the 87 Twins (as Im sure my elders feel sorry for me missing out on the 65 team). I was hooked by Kirby Puckett in 1986. It was a good time to get hooked because I caught every game of 87 on the radio, tv, and my first live game in May of 87. I was in college and had evening classes so the most I missed of any games were games 3,4, and 5 of the World Series. It was killing me to be in class but attendance was mandatory. I can still name the 25 man roster from memory. (At least a version of it as rosters Change throughout a season) What a dream ride those playoffs were because the regular season wasn’t as impressive as one would think. We only won 85 games. Chip chair and a chance they say. I say, Kirby Puckett and Sweet Music Franky Viola. An ace and a once in a lifetime player. Puckett swung at and hit EVERYTHING for high average. Guess that’s why I like Astudillo. Reminds me of the free swinging Puckett even though the results are nowhere close to the same.

Raley, Rooker, Larnach... can you rate these three in comparison to each other offensively, defensively, greatest potential, and highest floor?

So you’re saying this year won’t be Kyle Gibson’s breakout year?

Lewis will replace Polanco at SS soon enough and Polanco will make a really good 2B. Arraez? we will keep him in the line up as a super utility replacing Gonzalez or Adrianza. This will all work itself out so I am not concerned. As for the OP on power, there are going to be a lot of power drops around the majors but Polanco's power will be enough for an up the middle defender on a team that will still have other power bats. The Manager will just have to be more strategic in how he sets up the lineup to produce runs.

I’m afraid the Castro train has left the station and it ain’t coming back.

All of this. Exactly my take on each and every one of them