mikelink45

These are fun, but of course they mean nothing. I look forward to seeing what really happens

The big questions are SS and CF. No matter the metrics or the shifts, these remain the most important positions on the field.

Romero is someone I really believed in a few years ago, but I felt that the coaching he got at that time actually set him back. I don't necessarily believe in him now, but I would love to see him get it together.

Those of us in Minnesota don't get what the FO is doing either, until something happens. TD is the most valuable source for the nuances of the off season.

Until the Sano to 1B move becomes real and we see how he handles Polanco's erratic throws we cannot truly judge this. Since the infield is where the gain is made that is an important aspect. At this point we also have to look at Pineda and Hill's absence for a large segment of time so their WAR figures have to adjust to how much time they will really be with the team. It will be a good year, but I cannot accept this as a measurement.

Both teams did well, but neither achieved the big step of a quality SP. I like Kuechel better than our injured for at least the first half Hill and Bailey.

I am sorry Graterol is going to be BP and I hope he will be given a few spot starts, but otherwise you are right - the starting three until Pineda comes back is not comforting. On the other hand if you had Thorpe, Dobnak, and Smeltzer on this list where would they rank? I hope at the top, but I do not know and that is the frightening aspect. And finally this makes me ask you or Seth - is there any chance that Balazovic is given a chance this year?

I have enjoyed Eddie and figure that if there was trade demand he would go, like any player, if the offer is good enough. But if the theories about Eddie being gone in a year or two are correct than I say replace Cave with the player we think will take that spot. Put Larnach or Kiriloff in the 4th OF spot. Season them in MLB, let them step in for rest or injury. Having Cave play when we do not see him as the final solution makes no sense to me.

Nice article and a perplexing problem. I do not see an adequate SS solution and I find it fascinating that Gordon's name has stopped appearing in articles and comments. I think Arraez is more likely to be a better 2B than Polanco is a better SS. At this point as we look at Donaldson to help solve the range problem how do you feel about Sano catching those erratic throws at 1B?

Interesting article and the comp of Johann Santana starting in the pen is a good one. I would still like to see him get a few starts or be a Hader BP pitcher - throwing more than one inning and gaining some of that important development towards being a starter.

Not interested in these. Price has been a disappointment in Boston and I think he would be here too. I do not have a target pitcher. I do not see Cleveland trading in the Central division. Cueto is too injury prone. Freeland? Does he improve us over what we have?

I was curious about great 3B players so I went to check on a few to see how they aged and whether the four year contract for Josh Donaldson was really a good deal for both team and player. What are the potentials for regret? I cannot predict injuries or aging, but this list makes me feel better and optimistic. Mike Schmidt ages 34 - 37 hit HRs to almost match his age 36,33,37,35 and then he was really done dropping off to 12 and 6. His WAR was 7,.5, 6.2, 6.1,and then 1.8, -0.4 Another great 3B and my favorite was Eddie Mathews. A wonderful HOF player. He hit 32 at age 33 and then dropped to 16, 32, 3. His career was over by age 38. Ken Boyer, a near HOF peaked at age 32 and never had another power year. Scott Rolen, being debated for HOF and getting lots of credit as a 3B candidate hit 22, 20, 5 and 8 and then was done at 38 George Brett was not a HR hitter, but in his age 34 - 37 seasons his WAR was 2.7, 4.1 and then he finished out his last three years with WARS of less that 0,5. Baseball Reference in it list of comparable players at age 33 listed only one 3B - Dave Hollins who dropped out at age 33 with BA, HR and all other stats. Not a good one there, although he had been good. Those are my best comparable players. The biggest thing I saw in this exercise really demonstrated that the Twins might have grabbed the best four years and would be wise not to extend it further.

Nice job. No need to apologize or blush with this assignment. It is good to look at the two sides of a player and his contract. This is a good exercise.

I have written about this in many posts, OF seems to be the key defensive place right now, although I do not want four left handed infielders even if they can hit.

I do not know if it is just a factor of not enough knowledge on my part, but after the first list of 4 I am not really concerned about any of the others. Maybe it is the set feeling that the roster has. I would love to have some pitcher really shine, but I need this years performances before any of them seem important to me.

I am always curious where the national rankings put the Twins Prospects. It helps give me perspective as I look at the rankings from TD. Today Jim Bowden had his top fifty prospects in the Athletic https://theathletic.com/1523975/2020/01/17/jim-bowdens-top-50-prospects-for-2020/?source=dailyemail and our top three were all there. Kiriloff has now passed Royce Lewis and is ranked number 12 over all which is great. This is a quote from the article describing Alex "Kirilloff has one of the best swings in baseball, one that reminds me of former MVP Christian Yelich at around the same stage." We would take a Yelich performance. It is also why Kiriloff should not be traded no matter what is dangled in front of us. Lewis is now 18. I remember when he was consistently in the top five. He is sighted for his versatility but the key sentence in his write up is "How quickly he adjusts as a hitter will determine when he’s ready for the majors, but he does have some work to do at the plate if he’s going to reach his high ceiling." Finally Graterol comes in at #48 and I love this sentence in the scouting report, "When Graterol pitches, you better make sure your radar gun does well with the triple digits because he’ll be there often." Nice to have them in the top fifty, now let's get Kiriloff and Graterol to the big show. It will probably take a trade of Rosario or another injury to Buxton, but when we need someone I would prefer the rookie over Cave. Time to unlock the potential. Graterol should be designated to take the rotation spot of Pineda until he comes off the suspension and maybe he will be so good that he forces one of the others off the rotation and that would be great.

Baseball in this era needs great fielding in the OF more than the infield. We have reversed the trends with launch angles and shifts. The DP is disappearing and with the shifts Donaldson is as much SS as Polanco. Arraez is too young to judge and Sano at least provides a big target at 1B. Nelson Fox and Aparicio, Trammel and Whitaker - great fielding combos and light hitters no longer fit in this eras keystone evaluation. That is why Buxton made such a difference when he was in.

I am for letting this mix play out and seeing what Graterol and the other rookie arms can bring to the table. During the Yankee runs in the sixties they always had good players blocking good prospects. When a good player went down a good prospect took their place. Then they could choose and trade. I expect at least one of Lewis, Larnach, Kiriloff to be traded, but not sure which should go and if it is now, mid season or next off season.