Reider

If Polanco can hit at the MLB level then I am open to bringing him up. My one concern with building a team is that you develop players, then when they become all-stars you trade them away to fill other holes that you are unable or unwilling to fill through alternative means. The result is the organization is not unlike a dog chasing it's own tail around and is in a constant rebuilding phase. Dozier was a huge part of the Twins nearly making the playoffs this year. In my opinion, he has been a part of the solution over the last few years. I wouldn't want to trade him away when the team is so close to a playoff run unless the return is well worth it and it makes sense moving forward both in the short term and in the long term. If the return makes sense for the rebuild then, no problem, pull the trigger. Otherwise, lets look at other options.

True Sorry, I don't understand what you are trying to say, but I agree that it's easier to find a good 2nd baseman than a good SS. SS is an extremely tough position to play at a high level. It takes a special person to play the position. You are right here, there's a reason why Dozier was moved to 2nd base and it turned out to be a great move for both the player and the team. Dozier's skill set was meant for 2nd base, not SS. I understand why others are less hesitant than me to want to trade Dozier away. I just think he adds so much value to the team. He's outstanding on defence and just imagine if he could hit behind a proper leadoff hitter? The Twins would have to get a substantial return in order for me to feel good about trading him away.

The Twins should be looking at and carefully considerng all of their options moving forward. I'd rather keep Dozier than trade him away, but if the Twins can get the right player(s) in return for him and have a quality replacement for him at second base, I'd consider that. I'm just not convinced that this is the case, so I can't see the Twins trading him away at this point in time. Given the Twins' current situation, it may make more sense to trade Plouffe (plus someone else?) away instead of Dozier, but then again, that might not be giving away enough to get what we need. I just don't get the point of opening one hole to fill another. What makes sense to me is making moves that result in filling all positions adequately (at minimum). For instance, I would rather see Sano play 3rd base (he's already proven to be a good hitter and has a strong arm defensively) than go out on a hope and prayer that Polanco is magically ready to be a legitimate MLB 2nd baseman / hitter.

Which is what I have said all along. He's good enough, but his defensive tool set is not elite, which is fine by me since he's such a well rounded player.

I'l give you an example. There are a few pitchers in the league who have 100mph fastballs. Some people enjoy watching the heat. There's also a lot of pitchers who throw in the low to mid 90's that have good control and / or have other good pitches than the fast ball. These pitchers are fun to watch in their own way as well. Then there's the guys that throw high 80's (e.g. Andrew Albers) who may pitch in the majors for a year or two, but just aren't good enough elsewhere to compensate for their weaker fast ball. I'm not saying that Escobar's arm is too weak for SS. He has a strong enough arm and decent enough range to go along with his work ethic and reliability to play SS at the MLB level, which makes him a solid choice moving forward. However, no, his arm is not in the upper eschelon of the league. And as I said already, he doesn't even have the best arm or range in the Twins' organization. But that's okay, he's a very well rounded player and gets the job done. What I"m trying to say is that he hasn't really had the same flashy wow factor for me like a Florimon, Santana, or the Dozier of late. However, the one thing Escobar appears to have over the first two mentioned is a good mental game. He works hard, seems to have his head in the right spot and it's paying off for him, similarly to the way Doziers work ethic and mental toughness has done wonders for him. It's possible that we may continue seeing Escobar improve if he is the starting SS moving forward. He plays with confidence, which is why I have confidence in him, even though he doesn't have the best defensive tool set.

I think you may have misread or misunderstood my wording. I'm not trying to perpetuate any myth. I am merely calling it how I see it. What I said was "He doesn't have the best range or the strongest arm." He does have decent range and a fairly strong arm, but he does not have the strongest arm in the MLB nor does he have the best range. Not even close. This does not mean that he has the worst arm and the worst range in the MLB either! That's not what I nor anyone else is claiming. I'm not trying to paint him as a player with inadequate skills, who just so happens to have a good work ethic and focus. He has a respectable defensive skillset. He also has a respectable offensive skillset. His determination to be succesful is admirable. And this is why I would be in favor of him being the starting SS in 2016. However, it is a fact that he does not have the strongest arm or best range in the league. In fact he doesn't even have the strongest arm or best range in the Twins organization. Florimon had him beat at both, Danny Santana has him beat at both (if only Danny could get his mind straight). Have you seen Sano throw a ball to first base? He throws a rocket. Dozier's range is impressive. And then there's players in the minor league system who I haven't even seen play yet. Escobars defensive skill set is very respectable, just not as impressive as other players I've seen on the team or around the league. I"m not trying to say that he has a noodle arm. If I didn't respect his arm I wouldn't be in favor of him being our starting SS in 2016.

Great question. As someone who's been talking up Pedro Florimon and Danny Santana's defensive skill sets over the last couple of years, it's only fair that I give credit where it is due. Escobar goes out there and gets the job done. He doesn't have the best range or the strongest arm, but he is a good hitter and has been reliable on defense. I wouldn't have any problem with Escobar being the starting SS in 2016. On the other hand, I wouldn't have any problem with the Twins upgrading the SS position either. However, it is a lower priority than upgrading our bullpen, starting rotation, and catcher positions. Also, with Torii Hunter retiring, it might also be lower than finding a starting outfielder. Offensively, the Twins need to think about finding a better lead off hitter.

Is profit the objective? Is money being raised to pay for the website? Or is money being raised for a good cause? What am I missing here? I have seen Terry Ryan interviews being sold in the past, but I really couldn't figure out what the objective was.

I'm not sure that Alex Anthopoulos would be a good fit here. I'm not sure that he wouldn't be either. I wasn't overly impressed with his work until this year. I thought he did a great job this year and he seems like a good person. Criticize all you want, but it was by far the Blue Jays' most exciting season since 1993 and I haven't heard a single fan up here in Canada complain about the job AA did this year. People were coming out of every crevice of this country to watch the Blue Jays. However, it's difficult to truly know how good AA really is in the GM role until he is able to string multiple good years in a row together. While I believe that luck is definitely plays a role to a certain degree, I do think AA has learned from his past mistakes and because of that, was able to make smarter decisions in 2015. Regardless of who the GM of the Twins is moving forward, I want to see the GM's ability to identify and address the teams' needs in a cerebral way. Furthermore, with the way the young players played in 2015, I strongly believe that the Twins can make the playoffs in 2016 if they play their cards right, moving forward.

There is a reason why people say that playing professional sports is 90% mental. Florimon and Santana both have excellent tools to play SS, but both have had mental meltdowns. Plouffe and Dozier were both failures at SS. However, with hard work and working things out mentally, look where they are now. Dozier is an all-star 2nd baseman and Plouffe is a solid 3rd baseman. I really like Santana's skill set. Defensively, he has the tools to be a very solid SS. He just needs to keep working hard and figure things out mentally. If he doesn't get his mind straightened out, he's not going to succeed at the MLB level, even though his skill set is arguably "above average."

As much as I would love to watch Chris Davis crush bombs for the Twins all year long, I don't like him at those prices mentioned in this thread. The Twins already have a decent offense, thanks in part to their younger players who stepped up this year. I would much rather the Twins make smarter choices and go after players that make more sense fundamentally e.g. pitching, a catcher, and perhaps a lead off hitter named Span. Also, I'm not against trading Plouffe away. That could work out good for the Twins if they could get the right player(s) in return.

The funny part about this is that the Twins have already traded Span away. If he's willing to come back after already being traded away, then he already knows the risk he is taking (which would be the same with any team, the risk is always there) and obviously wouldn't have any hard feelings towards the Twins about being traded the first time. Also, there's nothing saying that the Twins would have to trade Span away. They could trade another outfielder instead. Or depending on how long the contract is and how long it takes the young guys to develop (remember, the Twins only have 2 of 4 outfield spots filled for 2016), the Twins may not have to even consider trading an outfielder. Reality is the Twins do in fact have a lead off hitter issue, which has existed ever since they traded Span away. They also just lost Torii Hunter to retirement, and they were also very close to making the playoffs. Denard Span could pretty much solve all of those problems (solid outfielder, solid lead off hitter, could be a good role model and mentor to the young guys, and could also help the Twins make a push for a playoff spot). Of course things all lead back to what your goals are. If the Twins don't care about those things mentioned above, then they don't have to sign anyone. They can just go with the youth movement. However, if they want to take another step forward next year and make the playoffs, they are going to have to go out and get a few players in the off season.

Rosario has earned a corner outfield spot. Hicks will also likely make the team out of spring training. Cuddyer is a good option, but I was thinking Denard Span as he would solve the lead off hitter problem the Twins have had since he was traded away. If/when Buxton/Kepler/Arcia are ready to take over those other 2 outfield spots, Span could always be traded again for another pitcher.

What are the odds of Denard Span signing with the Twins in the off season and would you like to see him come back? After reading Span's message to Torii Hunter on twitter ("Go home and enjoy your fam, I got it from here ;)"), it got me thinking. With Hunter retiring, Buxton likely starting the season in AAA, the Twins needing a bona fide lead off hitter and outfielder, and Denard Span becoming a free agent in the off season, it seems like he would be a good fit, even if it's only for the short term. If the Twins are serious about making a playoff push in 2016, I think they would be wise to at least consider this option.

Clutch, consistent, and classy. It would have been great if Torii Hunter played his entire career in a Twins uniform, but at least he came back to the Twins for his last year.

I'm happy for Chris Colabello and all of the other former Twins that are on the Blue Jays this year (including Danny Valencia who was having a career year when Toronto dumped him). I hope the Blue Jays win the World Series. If not them, then the Royals or Cubs. I also agree with the sentiment that Colabello deserves (has earned) a raise and a multi-year deal.

First of all, lets give the Twins credit for taking a step forward as an organization. In the off season they made some big changes as they made Paul Molitor the new manager, brought in some new coaches, and signed a few players in the off season. The Twins won more games than many of us thought they would win and were in playoff contention until the last couple / few games of the season. It's easy to sit back at the end of the season and point fingers and say the Twins did this or that wrong. There's always things that people and teams can work on. I thought there were a lot of positives. For example, a lot of the younger players stepped up in a big way this year. Terry Ryan bringing in Cotts and Jepsen mid year turned out to be good decisions even though the Twins couldn't quite make the playoffs. Also, I think the new coaches have done a good job with our pitchers and hitters. I thought Dozier and Perkins were outstanding the first half of the season. I'm not sure what happened after the all-star break. Sometimes players go through injuries or other things that fans really don't understand or know about. Torii Hunter had a solid season for his age and I have no doubt that his precense in the locker room was a huge positive. As a fan it was a very exciting year. I believed in the team right to the very end. I know they were playing their hardest to get a playoff spot even though it didn't work out for them. Hopefully Terry Ryan can bring in a few more pieces to the puzzle this off season and the Twins can take another step forward next year (e.g. making the playoffs). In the forseeable future, I can only see things getting better for this organization. It's going to be a lot of fun.

Jack Morris Shannon Stewart Carlos Gomez JJ Hardy Ben Revere Chris Colabello Danny Valencia Jesse Crain Okay, maybe not so much the last four or five as they were all with the Twins over the last few years, but they all went on to have success elsewhere in the league. 3 of which are or were on the Blue Jays this year. One of which had an outstanding 2013 season with the White Sox (0.74 ERA), but as far as I know has been sidelined with injuries ever since. It's really just amazing looking at all of the talent that has come and gone through the Twins' organization over the years. Guys like David Ortiz, R.A.Dickie etc.. definitely have to be at the top of the list.

For me it comes down to whether or not Buxton is ready to take that center field position. If he is, then it's him in center field, Rosario in left and Hicks in right. Hunter could then be the 4th OF/DH/mentor, but if he doesn't want that role, then you can't force him to take it, right? If Buxton isn't ready to be a starting MLB center fielder, then there is a case for possibly bringing Hunter back for one more year, at least to spring training. He would have to earn a spot just like everyone else. It's easy to say no and just go with the young guys, but Hunter did have a decent 40 year old season, so I"m not going to just close the door completely. I think the Twins should keep their options open and see how the off season plays out. If Hunter ends up retiring, I wouldn't be against him being a coach or working in the front office.

I have no issue with D. Santana pinch hitting for Buxton. Sometimes managerial moves are no brainers, sometimes they are obviously bad decisions, and sometimes there is no right answer and you just go with your gut feeling, which this situation appeared to be. You can't fault Molitor for chosing the option, which he thought gave the Twins the best chance to win. Sometimes managers are too slow to pull pitchers, sometimes they can over-manage or over-think things. Sometimes managers just need to go with the horse that got them there! It's easy to look back after a tough loss and criticise. This was a tough loss as the Twins could have used this win badly. They came back from behind, but Jepson, who is normaly lights out, had a tough outing. The team contined to battle in extra innings, Molitor made the best decisions that he could at the time and the team just didn't end up with the win. It's not the end of the world. The season is not over. They just need to go back out there tomorrow and keep doing the best they can and hopefully their best is to win enough games to earn a Wild Card spot!

In Dozier's case, I don't think the issue is a lack of physical conditioning; my guess is that it's more along the lines of mental exhaustion and he could probably use a few days off. It's a long season and they shouldn't be so afraid to give players a day off every now and then. Players can always pinch hit late in the game if they have to.

I haven't been this impressed in an outfielders arm since I watched Jason Repko gun out guys at 3rd base from right field. Rosario has gunned out multiple base runners at multiple bases from multiple outfield positions. The guy may not be able to throw 100mph, but he sure seems to have pin point accuracy. He's gunned so many players out this year, you could probably make a nice highlight reel of his throws alone. He's definitely one of the better outfielders in the league and in terms of throwing people out from the outfield, he is one of the best, if not the best. It takes a lot to impress me and his highlight reel is mindblowing. I'm very impressed with his throwing accuracy.

I supported the Twins for giving both Florimon and Santana opportunities @ SS because of their skill sets. Unfortunately, it's one thing to have a great skill set, it's another thing to play consistently at the MLB level. Now I support the Twins in giving Escobar more time @ SS. He's been playing hard, making plays, and crushing the ball. Hopefully he can keep it up and help this team make the playoffs!

I don't understand the "it's too late" crowd. The Twins are 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot with 40 games to go. It's not "too late" to make the playoffs! Of course, the move could have happened sooner, but it was still a good move!

Not a chance! It drives me up the wall when people suggest that we trade our best player or our best prospect for no good reason. Buxton is potentially a franchise player. I wish Torii Hunter would have played his entire career in Minnesota. Johan Santana too (although injuries ended up getting the better of him). We need more of these types of players, not less! I've said it all along and I'll probably always feel this way. When we draft or acquire franchise players, lets keep them. Money is no longer an excuse for the Minnestoa Twins to not sign elite players long-term.