mikelink45

Like the Twins - the Orioles swept up inexpensive and surprising free agents to fill out their rotation and they have the master manager - the best in the majors from my perspective and thus they will continue to challenge the odds.

No Dozier should not accept anything. That is not my point, my issue is that there has been no offer of any kind from the FO for the last year or more.

Dozier has been our most dependable vet, but the FO seems to be willing to let him move on without taking a chance with a short extension. The middle of the diamond will eventually have Javier and Lewis - I hope, but in the short term I am not seeing Gordon/Polanco with the same contribution that Dozier makes. Should Sano have health or other issues and Escobar takes the FA route we really do not have a good 3B option either. As solid as the OF seems (I am not a Grossman/LaMarre fan), the infield looks like a real Achilles heel for us. One more infield injury and we are really stretched. I certainly hope we bring up Gordon then, but on a win now team this is a crucial issue.

I have had a feeling that Falvey wants his fingerprints on the entire roster and is quick to release the players of the old regime if he can find someone new that he can plug in. So Kinley in and three relievers we have been waiting for, for years, move on to new MLB teams. I think we even see that with Dozier who deserved at least an attempt at an extension.

The extra roster spot if it really exists is flexibility to call anyone up from the minors that they want. We have no really need to go outside the organization again at this point.

Tiant was one of the most entertaining of all the Twins pitchers. He had that great windup that put his back to the hitter before he unwound and tossed the pitch.

Does he make us better? If not forget the nice story. I would like to be rooting for the underdog, but this is when the Twins build towards a WS. I would rather have Lamonte Wade if we are going to have an extra outfielder. But Vargas makes more sense.

MLB has now given us all the right to move on. I have no judgment about this. If it repeats I will have no respect for Sano. If he becomes a productive member of the team for the season I will be pleased. Thanks to MLB for conducting what I can only assume was a thorough examination.

The really interesting aspect is to see how Molitor manages this combination. I think we see Granite as the 4th outfielder and Grossman as Pinch hitter, DH alternative and emergency OF. The infield started so settled, but Polanco set that world spinning and now I think we might see one of our minor leaguers given a chance if we see Sano taking a forced vacation along with Polanco.

The last man on the roster, the last man on the staff present interesting speculation. Has anyone done a study to see how much player 24/25 means to a team and a season?

Romero has to be the ace - take him out of relief. I would say the same for Graterol. Those two are the potential MLB aces of the future.

Keep the young players coming. Keep giving youth a chance - we brag about our prospects - start turning them in to players. Small chances are big growing experiences and very important in the long term.

Duffey and Busenitz did not grab the opportunity. Duffey had such a great start and then the league really figured him out. That is disappointing. Busenitz will be back up. Kinley and Hughes are disappointments and Hughes certainly did not perform great this spring, but that contract guarantees him more opportunities than most and Kinley represents the FO - if they choose someone they are going to make sure that person gets a good long look. Just so they do not look too long, we have a pennant to pursue and that means the best players on the roster, not fringed obligations.

More lawyers! This will really challenge team strategies.

And there will be no more contract dumps here or in the NBA until something changes

What does he look like this spring? Are we seeing him make strides with the new coaching?

The pathway for young hitters is really difficult. I hope he can have a quick rise through the minors. There will be a lot of sorting out of prospects and current starters in 2 years.

I remember Johnny Sain who always seemed to do magic with the pitchers and piss off management. A good coach makes a difference for players and sometimes that is really significant.

Decades ago I worked as a tax accountant for Honeywell and National Car Rental Corporation. Taxes are complicated and state and federal laws impacted the businesses and decisions. Baseball is an interstate commerce and has had many laws passed to protect the teams. Now the new tax law creates another obstacle with unexpected consequences that could play into the teams ability to trade and move players. As we look at the Twins and their prospects we often think of assets that can be acquired. Read the following quote from the New York Times and you will see that things have gotten more complicated for everyone. "WASHINGTON — As President Trump congratulated the World Series champion Houston Astros at a White House ceremony last week, he also heaped praise on himself and congressional Republicans for passing a sweeping tax cut last year. He hailed Representative Kevin Brady of Texas, the House’s chief tax writer and an Astros superfan, as “the king of those tax cuts.” What he did not mention is that the new tax law Mr. Brady helped draft, and which Mr. Trump signed, levies a large new tax on the Astros, and similar franchises across professional sports. The law changed a corner of the tax code that mostly applies to farmers, manufacturers and other businesses that until recently could swap certain assets like trucks and machinery tax-free. But by adding a single word to the newly written tax code — “real” — the law now allows only real estate swaps to qualify for that special treatment. That change is meant to capture more federal revenue, in order to partly offset reductions in business and personal income tax rates. It forces manufacturers, farmers and others to pay more in capital gains taxes, if they trade an asset for something more valuable. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates the change will raise $31 billion over the next decade. It also means that the Astros and other sports franchises could now face capital gains taxes every time they exchange or trade their highly paid players." There is more to this, but this gives you an idea of what could happen and how confused GMS must be at this time. http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2018/03/19/new-tax-law-could-affect-mlb-trades/ http://www.businessinsider.com/gop-tax-law-make-mlb-nba-trades-harder-2018-3

I do not disagree with what you right, but since I am an advocate of advancing the youth quickly Gordon is close enough for me to move him up.

I began to get excited about Rooker last year and I love it when the good ones blaze through the minors in 2+ years or less. Those that do are special - Griffey, Trout...and I hope Rooker joins the list. Many of you know from my posts that I am always ready to move young players in rather than filling in with average vets. I hope that Lewis gets a good spring look too.

My only prediction is that this will be a really enjoyable season for fans.

What he did is not as important as when this happened. Yes he will miss half a season, but in reality it will be a full season. Will he be in baseball condition when he comes back? Will someone else step up and fill his role? For a young player who has had 1/2 good season this is really a bad situation. And in a competitive sport it is not about forgiveness or team support - it is about getting an opportunity and holding on to it. On a team with Gordon, Javier, and Lewis, wasting a chance is stupid.

The Twins greatest strength is its defense in the Outfield. Buxton is the reason and we need to keep building on that - ultimately defense makes a better pitching staff. We just need to tighten up the left side of the infield and hope that Rosario can keep his talent under control in LF.

Is there any chance that his second half surge had some chemical enhancement? I am fine with Ehire to start, but if Gordon gets off to a good start - bring him up, actually if Lewis gets off to a really good start - bring him up!