Jham

Morin and Magill were a big part of the early success for this team. They're better than what we're staffing now. The problem isn't the front of the pen. it's the lack of depth at the back.

As long as we can agree to use k rate and not k/9! I hate k/9. It rewards pitchers for facing more batters. K% also transfers to hitters. I don't understand why this stat isn't universally adopted.

Ok... I think I may have figured or why we're disagreeing. The final $22 million of that contract isn't guaranteed. Almost half of it. Year 6 is a vesting option that almost certainly benefits the team. Year 7 is a team option, which again, is only picked up if it benefits the team. His AAV the team is on the hook for is just over $5mil/yr for 5 years. And it's back loaded sho he doesn't even get the benefit of present value (imagine the Twins investing his remaining contract vs Polanco investing from day 1). For the record, I wasn't saying it wasn't a fair deal at the time. I'm questioning whether we'll still consider it a fair deal going forward and for how long.

The type of secondary lead you're talking about leads to pick offs. happened to Garve sauce, what, 2 3 weeks ago? The play is to freeze and return. You anticipate the ball in the dirt, you don't presume it.

If he's cool making a fourth of what he's worth because the Twins took advantage of their leverage (rookie deals Polanco didn't get to negotiate), them good for him. Pro athletes are competitive by nature. History indicates few players are able to ignore being underpaid in relation to performance. Other players watch how our management treats players and negotiations. Polanco is one of our best players. Maybe he'll be happy with the deal going forward, maybe not. But the situation should be on the radar, imo.

Gloating over a lopsided deal makes zero sense either. The terms you described are exactly the terms that could leave Polanco very very frustrated. Think Berrios and Buxton, for instance, notice? My only point is that taking your best players isn't likely to help you much. What do you do if you're Polanco or his agent?

I'm only disagreeing on the "great job" part. They inherited much of flexibility. Some of the other flexibility is their own inability to negotiate other extensions. Moreover, valuing flexibility over stability has it's own costs. Like stock piling prospects and shedding payroll, flexibility is only good if you use it. Historically this ownership group...

I actually somewhat disagree here. Mauer, Santana, and Hughes came off. That has nothing to do with the FO. Instead of extending Escobar, they traded him for 2 semi-prospects and signed a more expensive worse replacement in Marwin. (slight hindsight). Traded Presley who was also extended cheaply by his new team. Arguably, they cost the team money. JoPo and Kep are great contracts. But perhaps almost too good. If I'm Polanco I'm looking for the next contact already or asking for a trade to a team that will re-extend. This year we have flexibility to add and somewhat squandered it. I suspect extensions and raises will eat up much of the money coming off the books. It is extremely doubtful in my opinion that we can field as strong a team next year as this year without overhauling the budget. The model of aiming for windows has proven itself to be very risky and volatile. We have everyone reaching their prime production at the same time (great!) but also set to get expensive at the same time (not great). Replace 2 of Gibby, Pineda, and Odo with Smeltzer, Stewart, Thorpe, Gonsalves, or Romero and I do not think we're leading the division, and certainly not a threat in the playoffs. If they can make the right extensions and still add to this team, I'll change my mind, but they failed on extending Berrios, Rosario, and Buxton already at least once. They never offered Gibby, Pineda, or Odo, and they seem to be sticking to the old regime's antiquated policy of no negotiations in season. IMO, a Rosie, Gibby, or Odo extension would be an uplifting wind in the sails for this team and for their fans right now.

Am I the only one who liked Magill? He didn't seem to get steady work, but was one of the few guys in our own with real upside, imo. He demonstrated heart and grit. Threw hard and missed bats. His pe stood is better than May's, imo. Harnessing consistency was an issue hits whole career I guess. But the talent is there.

oops, there goes gravity...

Eddie!!!

What a joy to watch Arraez hit. I think he'll hit for power eventually. He squares it up so well, he just needs to learn to let fly.

T minus how many days till all the "don't panic" know it alls tell everyone "the Indians were supposed to win the division, the Twins were really only supposed to be a mid 80 wins type team anyway. So you can't really be mad that the Twins are going to miss three playoffs." I give it 1 month.

The league will adjust to Arraez and Astudillo was already showing signs of adjusting back. He just needs to stay healthy. Talent is talent. Both have elite contact skills. Astudillo will need to show some discipline or get nothing but junk. Arraez will have to show some pull power or get pinched defenses. I think both will adjust because of the elite bat to ball skillset makes it easier to adjust.

Tonight was a super fun game at the end. Arraez is an absolute catalist. Pineda is throwing hard and turning into a horse. Littell and Magill are rounding into form. We win tonight 8 ot off 10 times. This happened to be one of the other 2.

You really think no other team will beat that offer?

I dunno. I'm not talking about the Wander Javiers and guys that are for sure additions. But how valuable is someone like Luke Raley? He appears to be MLB ready, but there's almost no chance that he'll be added over Rooker or even Kiriloff at this point of the season, let alone jump Wade, Cave and Astudillo for playing time. Does he have any chance of being added after the season? Let's say we like him. What value does Wade or Cave or Astudillo have? Whether we trade for guys and need spots, or don't trade for guys and the season ends, we have guys that need to be moved or lost.

Funny, I was literally just thinking about whether I would offer Kepler for DeGrom...

No one wants to trade for guys they might have to immediately expose because a) they might lose what they just traded for, they may lose someone else they value to rule 5, and c) they may be able to claim them in a few months anyway. The Twins have been guilty of hoarding middling prospects. Some guys need to be traded just top free up space. Don't see the Yankees fretting about the Tyler Austins and Jake Caves they're forced to move on from.

If we haven't used Jake Reed, we'll never use him. Free Duran.

I'd further suggest that all teams should constantly be looking to add talent and improve the roster. Even rebuilding teams occasionally jump up. And to sell, you have to acquire players other teams want to buy. The interesting thing is that the Twins no doubt have a list in their head. Some guys might be available now, some might not be available ever. Do you wait to see what else might be out there and risk being left without a chair when the music stops? Some even suggested buying last year. We've seen more recently where stockpiling prospects lowers our leverage because we have sho many gus who will be rule 5 eligible that they might be available in a few months for a claim, and restrict roster flexibility. No one wants to trade something for nothing (Tyler Austin for example). Now we need to trade some guys simply to free up space regardless of return.

To be clear... we are adjourned though, right? It's a work day.

So moved. Actually under Robert's rules, the president adjourns the meeting no motion necessary I believe...

Ask the Pohlads for a refund?

I arrived at the 18 inning debacle in the 3rd inning. Today was my first game back at the park. I've seen the Bomba squad score 1 run in 26 full baseball innings...