mikelink45

Because I am older than old school?

I am not sure that filling the #4 position in the roster would create much excitement around the league. It does nothing for me.

Come on Ted - this does not move any needles - are you really excited?

He is 38, the Yankees do not want him, did not trust him at the end of last year and we got him. A real move the needle acquisition. https://www.fangraphs.com/players/ja-happ/7410/stats?position=P

I am available for utility - I cannot hit the ball, I am worse than mediocre at every position, and I am old. What more could they ask for?

This is a snore move, but then again, it is a nice tribute to us old guys. They could sign this 75 year old for a lot less.

I believe this is sarcasm and if it is not, why?

You are bringing back bad memories. I had to go way back to the Jack Kralick for Jim Perry trade to feel better. https://www.letsgotribe.com/2016/11/19/13683110/cleveland-indians-analyzing-the-jim-perry-trade-and-its-impact-on-the

Horse shoes! Close again, another point. So let's go after someone no one wants - and I am talking about us fans. Not Marwin - move on, get better.

At last an article that is not a list of who we might, could, should sign! This was interesting even though I really know nothing about these people other than Dinkleman and Gardenhire. I just want the minors to pump players into the majors.

I have been reading so many lists - the best for the Twins, oh wait, they signed elsewhere. Here are two pitchers who cannot stay healthy, which should we sign? Don't worry they can still get someone. There is still value at the bottom of the list. It is a weekly, if not daily, ritual. But what if they don't sign anyone and look inward? Let me speculate from I love the young guys to a lineup without a trade or a signing: Arraez - 2B Lewis - SS Polanco - U Blankenhorn or Gordon - U Donaldson 3B Sano - 1B Rooker - DH Kiriloff LF Buxton - CF Kepler - RF Cave - 4th OF Larnach - 5th OF/1B/DH Jeffers/Garver - C Berrios Maeda Pineda Duran Dobnak/Balazovic Robles Duffey Rogers Acala Colina Smeltzer Thorpe or a couple of our signings - none of which I know about Overall not bad (I think).

It is an interesting winter ritual - check TD, see which pitchers and players off the best fit for the team have been signed or traded to another team. Adjust the lists and wait for the next move.

Paxton is the list, the others are fillers. Get better or use the rookies.

The pitchers who have a chance to actually make us better is getting slimmer and slimmer. I will hold out until I see the Reds final trades, but is Kuhl actually any better than Duran and Balazovic? If it is not Paxton, Bauer, Castillo, Grey then I want to go young and that does not mean Smeltzer.

I am in need of some action. I do not know how many articles I can read about all the FA that are just right for the Twins. This has been going on for four months. And today Aaron Gleeman has a similar article. I lean towards the young player unless the veteran significantly upgrades the team. I do not want to be as good as last year, I want to be better. Our history of going to the playoffs is more than our losing streak. When we get there we see what is lacking or should and then what? Last year we went to Jeffers, Alcala, Kiriloff, and Rooker. I do not want any of them replaced - I want to see what they can do - they have upside. Blankenhorn might be a utility guy, but I am not sold on him. Dobnak might have had his balloon bust so Balazovic and Duran need to move up and we can take one more pitcher, but is the repeat of Odorizzi a move that upgrades? Maybe Paxton? But it will be interesting to read about the relevant players in two weeks if we do not have a signing to analyze and dream about.

Not excited about this list - it is long, but nobody belongs in your A category. I like your approach, but you convinced me that no one who is left is above a C.

I love developing players from within

Here is the Athletic grading of the Twins off season signings. I do not know enough about them, but this does not give me much encouragement. Minnesota Twins Grade: F Trades: None. Free Agents: Hansel Robles, 1 year/$2 million. Waiver Claims: None. Rule 5: None. The Twins have had an ugly offseason so far, saying goodbye to reliever Trevor May who left for the Mets in free agency, non-tendering outfielder Eddie Rosario and not yet being able to persuade designated hitter Nelson Cruz to return. They did make one move, landing reliever Hansel Robles who’s coming off a 10.26 ERA season in 18 appearances with the Angels. The best part of the offseason for the Twins is opening up a spot for one of the game’s hitting prospects in outfielder Alex Kirilloff.

Here is the grade that the Athletic gives the Twins for the off-season so far: Minnesota Twins Grade: F Trades: None. Free Agents: Hansel Robles, 1 year/$2 million. Waiver Claims: None. Rule 5: None. The Twins have had an ugly offseason so far, saying goodbye to reliever Trevor May who left for the Mets in free agency, non-tendering outfielder Eddie Rosario and not yet being able to persuade designated hitter Nelson Cruz to return. They did make one move, landing reliever Hansel Robles who’s coming off a 10.26 ERA season in 18 appearances with the Angels. The best part of the offseason for the Twins is opening up a spot for one of the game’s hitting prospects in outfielder Alex Kirilloff.

I loved the movie, but it cannot replace Bull Durham or Field of Dreams for me. I do wish they would do a movie based on the women who played in the negro leagues - https://tht.fangraphs.com/tht-annual-2018/the-negro-leagues-last-hope-three-brave-women/ They were on equal footing with the men in the league. Anyway, you bring up a great subject. I still love the Lou Gehrig movie with Gary Cooper - Pride of the Yankees and being a sucker for tear jerkers I loved the Stratton Story with Jimmie Stewart. I also loved 42! Thanks for a great review.

I am not impressed with the remaining starters - maybe the FO can arrange another trade.

I thought this was an excellent article, but then I wondered - what would you have written if in fact the Twins had signed Hendriks and Hand? The slant and take might have been quite different, like the way we justify over paying for Donaldson who we expected would not be worth his final year salary. Baseball has a very strange system for signing veterans who might be sliding down from their peak - like Kimbrel?

The Twins have Jorge Polanco at SS. In 2019 he was an all star. Now all of Twins fandom wants him at utility and hope for the team to sign another SS. I am not sure why. Our number one prospect remains Royce Lewis who is still listed as a SS who should be ready by the end of the year at least. So why do we want to demote Polanco and block Lewis? This is reasoning that does not work for me. Then we have Wander Javier who came to us in the same international draft that produced Vladimir Guerrero, jr. and Yordan Alvarez. To say that he is behind them on the development level is an understatement. I am still not sure why he is rated so high as a prospect. He has had a hamstring injury during his 2016 debut, a torn labrum costing him all of 2018 and a strained quad keeping him from making his full-season debut in 2019. Then he came in and looked lost for 300 at bats. And MLB.com still has him listed at number nine. Above him on the mlb.com site is Keoni Cavaco who is given great grades for athleticism, which is fine in the Olympics, but batting and fielding count in baseball. I am not sold on him. He was a fast riser in HS according to his notes. Another prospect who does not make my list. At 17 is Nick Gordon. He seems to be on a slippery slope to a forgotten prospect, but I hope he will find a way to get to the majors someday. He just isn’t going to make the team as a starter. Will Holland is next on the prospect list at 19. Notes about him say that he was doing great at Auburn until his Junior year where he bombed and slipped to fifth round. Then he came to rookie ball and still bombed. Not looking good. Today the Twins made an big international signing – Danny De Andrade who is 16. He could be projected to arrive when Lewis runs out of arbitration and signs elsewhere. He is big, potential middle of the order project (typically that means not staying at SS). At 16 he is a project. I know what my grandsons are like at that age – I would not sign them for $2.2 million and I love them. If he makes it he will probably replace Donaldson and not Lewis. Finally the second signing is Fredy LaFlor who is already projected in the mlb.com writeup to shift to second or CF. He said to be a high energy top of the lineup prospect. So there is the Twins SS list. I would like to see us develop one of them into the next great SS rather than sign one who is already down the road of his career and will be overpaid. How do you see these names playing out? The Athletic summary of international signings did not include the Twins - disappointing. https://theathletic.com/2326602/2021/01/16/mlb-international-signing-period-day-1/?source=weeklyemail For those of us who do not know who they are it is important to have outside opinions.

Who needs stars or Star Wars when we can pick up players you have never heard of and put them in a trance under Obi Wes Johnson?

16 year olds are low on my list even though I do not know him. Wander Javier and Cavaco are consistently on the prospect list, but I would like to see some production first. The CF is the one I like in this age of flyballs and strikeouts the great OF is replacing the infielder as a need.