jtkoupal

Mauer isn't moving to right field. Get over it

After reviewing the case, I would not. I like Shields, he is a Big Game Pitcher who has pitched in big games before, but giving up prospects for a huge financial commitment and an opt-out clause is a lose-lose for Minnesota. I am all for dumping Nolasco, but not at the expense of other prospects and more money.

Great article, Seth (as always!). I am excited about the offense with or without Plouffe. I am a fan of Trevor, but if Terry Ryan gets an offer for a quality arm or two, he would be foolish not to take it. Worst case scenario, we can have Max Kepler start in right field or look to the FA market for a right fielder. This current rotation likely won't make a deep playoff push, so another starter is important. That and I really don't want Sano in the outfield. I am open to whatever Terry Ryan wants to do with Trevor, but I almost think a trade would be the best option (depending on the return, of course).

I mostly agree. However, I do believe the Twins will pursue a reliever on the Free Agent market this winter. Possibly Antonio Bastardo or Tony Sipp. Also in the bullpen, I have J.R. Graham cracking the OD Roster. That is not to say he will stay, but I like him as the "long man" out there, as the other options are mostly 1-2 inning guys. Graham can pitch 3 innings and 4 if he is working efficiently.

I am not opposed to keeping Mauer at 1B. I still actually believe that he is actually a very key component of the offense. He doesn't deserve to hit 3rd, he should be dropped to 5th or 6th, but his success w/RISP mustn't be overlooked. Furthermore, what better options do the Twins have at First Base? Let's be real. Kennys Vargas?? The jury is still out on what he can do. If we were still rebuilding, I would say that Vargas should be playing everyday. But Mauer/Plouffe/Sano is the best options we have at 1B/3B/DH, respectively. We need to be looking toward the playoffs in 2016, and putting an unproven kid who struggles with plate discipline over a former batting champ that excels with RISP would, in my mind, be foolish. Not to mention, the mere presence of Joe Mauer in the lineup is going to give others better pitches to hit. Mauer does take a lot of pitches, but he is still respected and pitched to carefully. That presence helps others in the lineup get better pitches to hit.

I would at least keep Milone until this winter. If anything, he could be bundled with someone else in a deal to net a better return. Pelfrey won't be back next year, the odds are very slim at least that that happens. Though don't expect Pelfrey to be moved in August either. He has had a pretty nice year and the Twins won't likely let pieces go when they are in the mix for a playoff spot. Tonkin has more upside than Achter. I'm open to giving both a chance in September, if not earlier, but Tonkin has been lights out at AAA. Darnell hasn't proven himself at AAA or the MLB and he isn't going to be in our rotation most likely, so he is very expendable. I don't think the Twins have given up on Fien yet. He is no longer a set up man, at least for now, but I think the Twins still like him and are still using him in close games, so they haven't given up on Casey Fien yet. Jepsen isn't going anywhere either. He is under contract for next year and has a track record of being a decent relief pitcher who has gotten some big outs. Don't judge his future over one bad outing. Is he a formidable 8th inning man? No, he isn't. But he could if anything be a solid 7th inning man. I agree that Plouffe probably stays, but you can't ignore the fact that Sano and others need a spot and Plouffe is arguably our best on-roster trade chip right now. I would rather keep Plouffe than Mauer, but Mauer has an unmovable contract and a no trade clause. Even in Mauer didn't have the clause, he would still be difficult to move. Mauer won't be released either. Torii Hunter probably needs to hang it up. His time may have finally come. We need his energy and mentorship, but I believe he is reaching the point where his on-filed production is waining at the age of 40 and it is time to bring in more youth. The Twins won't give up on Arcia yet, but I really don't think he is the best option. Rosario,Kepler, Buxton and Hicks are far superior options to Arcia. Santana will get more chances, as too Polanco maybe.

Plouffe for Norris???? I would never. Norris's OBP below .300 and OPS+ at 95 (below league-average). Plouffe is above league-average at third base, a position where offense is actually not as good across the board as you might think for a corner position. Plus, he too is a mediocre defensive catcher. The only real upgrade from Suzuki with Norris would be his power, but to give up Trevor Plouffe for him would be silly, Terry Ryan would never do this.

That's my concern. I would love to have Matt Wieters on our team. Him not at his best is still an upgrade from Suzuki. But he still may demand a large salary based on what his career numbers are and his value behind the plate. Him at his best is one of the best catchers in baseball. That kind of player is going to get paid even though he has missed a lot of time due to injury.

I know we have a playoff spot to chase and we should worry about what is happening on the field right now, but I think that it's never a bad idea to look ahead a little bit, especially since the Twins are fading fast and the teams competing with us are probably a little bit better, Toronto for example. With that being said, here is a look at some ideas I have for this offseason. Likely to leave via Free Agency: SP Mike Pelfrey: Pelfrey has been a pleasant surprise in the Twins starting rotation this season, posting a 3.65 ERA in 118.1 innings, but that spot in the rotation should belong to Trevor May now, and most certainly should in the future. I have nothing against Palfrey, but Trevor May is a piece of the future that can't keep rotting away in the bullpen. LHP Brian Duensing: Brian Duensing has had his ups and downs this season, but as a whole he has complied a 5.88 ERA in just 26.0 innings. He had some injuries earlier in the season and has been better lately, but I would be surprised if he stays in Minnesota after putting up lackluster numbers in an already abysmal bullpen. Might be gone: RF Torii Hunter: Torii Hunter has most certainly been a positive energy for this team. His presence I do believe has helped Aaron Hicks blossom and I'm sure has been an influence on Byron Buxton while he has been up. However, Torii is finally showing signs of slowing down, as evidenced by his .188/.231/.329 slash in the month of July, equaling a lackluster .560 OPS. The Twins should look to keep Torii in an instructor's role or a coaching role, but I think right field should go to someone like an Aaron Hicks or a Max Kepler. Top On-Roster Trade Chips: OF Aaron Hicks: Aaron Hicks has finally blossomed, at least it seems, into the player we all thought he was going to be. He managed a 1.001 OPS in July and had looked good in center field as well. With Byron Buxton right on Hicks's heals, this winter may be a good time to shop Hicks. If not, moving him to right field is a good option as well. SP Tommy Milone: Milone has been another pleasant surprise for the Twins this year, pitching to a 3.76 ERA in 81.1 Innings this year. He has looked especially good since being recalled from Rochester in early June. Tommy might not net a large prospect return, but if the Twins could get a nice relief pitcher in return, the trade might be worth it, as the Twins have a log jam of starters right now and not enough quality relievers. 3B Trevor Plouffe: While Plouffe has developed into an above-average third baseman, it may be worthwhile to look into moving him. An OPS+ of 107 puts him at 7% above league average. Trading Plouffe could net a decent return while opening up third base for Miguel Sano. Terry Ryan will be reluctant to do this, but it makes sense if the price is right. DFA Candidates: A.J. Achter Logan Darnell Aaron Thompson Chris Herrmann Eric Fryer Eduardo Nunez Shane Robinson Potential Free Agent Targets: C Alex Avila: We all know this guy. Alex Avila has offensive potential, but has not lived up to the hope he showed in 2011. He has missed a lot of time due to injury this year, but he has a carer OPS+ of 102, though that was largely helped by his 142 OPS+ in 2011. Defensively, he is a solid backstop. His dWar the last several years have been higher than Kurt Suzuki's, so he would be a cheap upgrade from Suzuki, but not a significant one. C Matt Wieters: Matt Wieters playing like Matt Wieters would be a significant upgrade both at the plate and behind it. The biggest concerns with Wieters is whether or not his arm can withstand being the everyday catcher and also what kind of contract he might demand. It is not everyday that an All-Star catcher hits the open market, so it is kind of a long shot that the Twins will have a shot at him, but it absolutely must be considered. He would provide a force in the middle of the lineup and be a rock behind the plate. That could make Kurt Suzuki into a solid backup catcher. SS Ian Desmond: Ian Desmond is in the midst of his worst season ever, with a slash of .217/.263/.358 with 11 home runs. Sadly, those numbers would still be an upgrade from the Twins shortstops this season, but a veteran shortstop like Ian Desmond could very easily be a low risk/ high reward project for the Twins and provide them with some stability up the middle which has been needed for so many years. RHP Tyler Clippard: Tyler Clippard has always been a reliable relief pitcher, posing a career 2.85 ERA in 9 MLB seasons. The Twins are in need of quality relief pitching. RHP Darren O'Day: Same story as above, a quality reliever who has a good track record, a career 2.35 ERA in 8 seasons. The Twins really should consider adding two quality set up men in front of Glen Perkins. We see what Kansas City is able to do with Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis, and Greg Holland. Ned Yost only has to manage a 6 inning game. It takes a ton of pressure off the starting pitchers if you have a shutdown 7th-8th-9th inning bullpen that can be relied on every day. Terry Ryan certainly has some decisions to make this coming offseason. The Twins are entering a phase where they are about to have more talent than places to put it, leading for some interesting decisions for Terry Ryan. Thank You to all who read.

I too was disappointed by the move made at the deadline. I was not disappointed in acquiring Kevin Jepsen, I was disappointed that we didn't acquire anyone better in addition. I have no problems with Jepsen is the 7th inning guy, but I don't want him in the 8th. Is he an upgrade over Casey Fien and Blaine Boyer? Most Likely, but someone like Joaquin Benoit or LaTroy Hawkins would have been far preferable for me. I applaud TR for not going after Tulowitzki, however. I was never interested in giving up top prospects. Colorado would have demanded either Gibson or Berrios in addition to probably Max Kepler and perhaps more. That is mortgaging the future, you don't want to do that. I truly believe that the Twins will fade, in fact they already are, but if they somehow stay relevant in the next few weeks, I most definitely would expect TR to be active in the waiver deals.

I love the idea of going after Tulo. A healthy Tulo is probably the best shortstop in baseball, and perhaps one of the top 3 or 4 players in all of baseball. However, I am not interested at all in parting with Gibson and/or Sano. Gibson is far too important to part with right now and Sano is too great a part of the future to get rid of. It should be worth noting that third base is currently occupied in Colorado, as Nolan Arenado has that spot locked down for years to come, and Colorado has no DH, as they are an NL team. They have a number of first base prospects and I guarantee you they don't put Sano in that cavernous outfield they have at Coors Field. Sano isn't a fit in Colorado. If Gibson is mentioned in the offseason, that may be a different story. But you can't deal away your ace in a playoff race.

I really don't know if this team has enough magic left to appear in October. I would love if it would, but the reality is that the Twins really aren't good at anything. The pitching has been much better, but there still isn't a true ace. We don't have a workhorse like many contenders have, and we have a terrible bullpen. As for trade deadline options, I like Will Smith, I like Tyler Clippard, and to a certain extent, I like Joaquin Benoit. I would be willing to part with someone like a Jorge Polanco or an Adam Brett Walker type. We must part with some talent to get talent. I'm not interested in an outfield bat, though if they want to upgrade at shortstop or catcher, I am interested. What we have to avoid is bolstering our team to play 9 extra innings. We aren't going to catch the Royals. If we get in, it's a Wild Card.

I think Thielbar deserves a spot in the Twins bullpen with Thompson getting optioned back. Meyer will be a nice addition to the pen but the hope is probably for him to develop back into a starter. I like Perkins, Fien, Boyer, and Pressly in their current roles. Graham is a rule-5 guy so unless he sucks that bad he has to stay for the rest of the year. He has done a pretty nice job, though. Duensing is a DFA candidate if he can't figure it out. Eventually, the Twins should go back to 12 pitchers, especially with the team getting longer starts and possibly Graham being worthy of an expanded role, so the bullpen could look as follows: CL: Perkins SU: Fien/Boyer MR: Thielbar/Pressly LR: Meyer/Graham

I bet the Twins would rather see this kid become a starter again in the future. Sometimes kids have to get sent to the bullpen to work out their kinks, for example Fransisco Liriano. Also consider that players such as Johan Santana and Chris Sale broke into the Major Leagues out of the bullpen and eventually got worked into the rotation. It's hard to imagine that Meyer won't get a chance to start eventually, but that's up to Molitor and Ryan, not me.

The Minnesota Twins have certainly been a pleasant surprise to their fans thus far, but it seems as though the season is catching up to them. A team that was hotter than a firecracker during the month of May is now seeing a sink back down to earth. While it would be exciting to see this team break out of their funk and stay in the race for the pennant down the stretch, I have difficulties in foreseeing it happening, and for several reasons. Furthermore, I have a few concerns for the organization for the foreseeable future after this season, of which I will share with you. The first legitimate concern I have is the lack of top-tier starting pitching. Entering the year, Phil Hughes was supposed to be the ace. That has not been the case. He has struggled, in particular with the long ball, and even if he was putting up numbers that resembled last year, the reality is that he is not a front-end starter, like a David Price or a Felix Hernandez. Kyle Gibson has been effective and much more consistent than last season, Trevor May has been pitching much better as of late, he looks as though he could stick around, and Mike Pelfrey has been a very pleasant surprise. Pelfrey has probably emerged as the best pitcher on the staff right now. On a bright note, we will be seeing Ervin Santana very soon. He will certainly be able to give the rotation a boost if all goes well, but he too is not a front-end starting pitcher. If the Twins are actually serious about contending this year and for years to come, they need an ace, a legitimate ace. Another area of concern I have is catcher. Kurt Suzuki has regressed considerably and the backup options are not comforting. Chris Herrmann and Eric Fryer are not guys you want in your big-league lineup. Obviously, the Twins would like Josmil Pinto on the roster, but the defensive concerns and injuries have kept him rotting in AAA. The Twins do not really have any options for a catcher of the future close to the big leagues right now. So if they want a legitimate everyday catcher, they will need to look outside the organization for him. Joe Mauer has been awful. There is no way to sugar coat that. There is no place for a first baseman with 2 home runs and hitting in the .250s. Right now, we could put Vargas or Sano at first base and the production would likely be higher. Mauer is still a respected hitter who might break out of the funk he's been in, but he needs to start producing more in the extra-base hits department. The only saving grace for Joe's season right now is that he has excelled with runners in scoring position. Other than that, his performance is subpar and should not be tolerated any longer. Second Base can be left alone. Brian Dozier has emerged as one of the best second baseman in the league. He will probably be snubbed of an All-Star appearance by bigger names such as Cano and Pedroia as well as Royals fans voting in one of the worst second baseman in the game, one Omar Infante, but as far as I am concerned, Dozier is an All-Star and he can hold down second base for years to come. Shortstop is a concern for right now, as Santana has struggled and our current options are light-hitting Escobar and Nunez, but the future looks bright at that position with Jorge Polanco almost ready and Nick Gordon a few years away. I would not be opposed to calling up Polanco right now and giving him a chance to handle shortstop. Third base is not a concern. Trevor Plouffe, though scuffling now, has been very solid over there and the best option might be to extend him in a couple of years and keep him over there. Sano may not be a viable option at third base, so he may need to move anyway, as his minor league numbers at the position are astoundingly bad. The outfield will be fine. Rosario, Buxton, and any combination of Hunter, Hicks, maybe even Arcia will fortify a solid outfield. The bullpen however is a huge concern. They have been shaky at times. Perkins is one of the best closers in the game and Boyer and Fien are good set-up men, but guys like Duensing, Thompson, and Tonkin are questionable and if the Twins are serious about this season they should probably look for an upgrade or two here. I don't think the Twins will make the postseason. Chances are they will play mediocre baseball the rest of the way and maybe end up with about 75-80 wins before it's all said and done. With that, I am excited to see guys like Sano, Buxton, Polanco, and Berrios all up in the majors contributing in the near future. Guys, the losing is going to end soon. Go Twins!

1. Paul Molitor Will Be the Next Twins Manager OK, maybe this is not that bold, but it is most likely going to happen. He has received nothing but compliments from Gardy and some players, so let's hope he is the guy. 2. The Twins Will Sign Either Justin Masterson or Brandon McCarthy Pitching, pitching, pitching.... That has been problem number 1 the last 4 years. Either of these are good options that will help turn the Twins rotation around. They are not Scherzer, Lester, or Sheilds, but they will perform well. 3. Josmil Pinto Will be Traded Terry Ryan and the Twins are dead-set on Kurt Suzuki behind the plate, so that leaves Josmil Pinto in a situation where he must either rot on the bench or rot in AAA if he stays with us. Otherwise, we could trade him for a more valuable asset to us, otherwise he will rot either on the bench or in AAA. 4. The Twins Will Not Lose 90 Games This year will finally be the year where the Twins approach .500. I'm not going to say that they will eclipse .500, but come year's end, they will approach it. They will not lose 90 game in 2015. There are young players developing, new management, new coaching, and the pitching will improve. The turnaround will take its next step in 2015. 5. Joe Mauer's Decline Will Continue Joe Mauer had a bad year by Joe Mauer standards. If his name was not Joe Mauer, he'd be considered "average". However, the large contract is really killing the organization right now. Think what $23MM could get in Free Agency. 2 solid pitchers maybe. 1 superstar pitcher, and then a little extra. His season was not good, and I wouldn't hold your breath on it getting any better from here. 6. Kyle Gibson Will Emerge as the Twins' Ace Gibby showed flashes of what he can do in 2014, but the year of experience and familiarity with different hitters and situations will improve his game plan. He will execute his pitches more effectively and we will see the strikeout number climb a little. I don't expect Phil Hughes to have a year like he had this year. I expect Big Phil to sink to the mean a little bit. He will be solid, but I believe Gibson will overtake him as the Ace. 7. Oswaldo Arcia and Kennys Vargas Will Combine for 55 HR Given that they healthy, Ozzy and Kennys will be forces in the middle of the lineup for the Twins in 2015 and beyond. Both showed what they are capable of doing last year. Expect Vargas to get pitches to hit, as he is hitting behind Mauer, and expect Arcia to swing at enough pitches (balls, strikes, it doesn't matter) to hit his share of bombs. 8. Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton Will Debut It's almost inevitable that these two prospects will get their feet wet in 2015. Especially if Hicks and whoever plays left field are not performing. Miguel Sano will displace Plouffe, which could lead to a move to the outfield or a move to a different city.

I really hope the Twins lower the price of tickets. They almost have to in order to get fans in the game. I went to a game in Kansas City this year and they charge about $40 bucks for a seat behind home plate, a ticket that would cost the better part of $100 at Target Field. Next year, I will be in college, and there is a good shot I'll be at Minnesota State. If the Twins don't lower the prices by about 20%, at least, I won't be able to afford them, and many others wouldn't be willing to pay that. The decline will steepen until they 1. Lower the price of tickets. 2. Have better promotions. 3. include more ticket deals, such as more "Steal of the Week"s or maybe a small price break for purchasing multiple tickets together. I will likely go to about 4-6 Twins games next year, but 2 of them will be in Pittsburgh. If they lower the price, I will certainly go to more.

Here we are, at the tail end of another lost season. This season, in the beginning, was a different season. The team fought, there was some urgency, and the team was able to keep its head above water for the first two months. After Kyle Gibson pitched a gem in Detroit in early June, I, along with many others in Twins Territory, were starting to become optimistic that something decent may become of this season. That lasted all of half of a week, as the team fell into disarray immediately and have never looked back. With this season almost definitely going toward 90+ losses, as they would need to finish at least 11-5 to avoid it, questions pop up. Will Gardy be back? Will Andy be back with the poor starting rotation we have seen the last 4 years? Will Terry Ryan be back? You can make your argument on the quality of a manager that Gardy is. I don't doubt that he is a decent manager. However, you can't argue that the roster management has been questionable and that Gardy has made some other in-game decisions that simply leave you thinking, "why, Gardy?" Of course not everything falls on Gardy, but in business, any business, the manager is often the one who can produce the most change. Gardy was once a very successful manager, but the game has changed. He is now dealing with a team of young players, something that doesn't really seem to be his strength. The talent has been there, but not superstar level. But when you lose 90 games 4 years in a row, something must change. Rick Anderson is also a decent pitching coach, but he also isn't getting through to some of these kids. When good pitchers put a Twins cap on and suck on a consistent basis, it raises some eyebrows. Terry Ryan would be someone that I would be OK keeping as long as his relationship with Gardenhire doesn't get in the way of what is best for the team. On most teams, Gardy would have probably been gone 2 years ago, I have trouble believing that there is a strong relationship tethering the Front Office to Gardy. The relationship became even more evident when they decided to give him a new contract after 3 poor seasons. Most organizations in any sport would never have done that, but this one did, which tells me something. Will they be back? My personal opinion is that Terry should be back but not Gardy and the coaching staff. I have a feeling that they all will, even if they really shouldn't. This feeling does not have anything to do with Terry's comments earlier this summer about him and Gardy probably being back. You wouldn't go out and announce that during the season.

As the rebuild progresses and our prospects approach readiness, there are a few moves that must be made throughout the organization. Front Office: FIRE GM Terry Ryan: Terry Ryan is an intelligent GM, but a change at the position is needed for a couple of reasons. We need someone who can better recognize talent and we need someone who doesn't have a friendship with Manager Ron Gardenhire. Perhaps others need to be shown the door as well. Coaching Staff: FIRE Tom Brunansky, Rick Anderson, and Scott Ullger. Manager: FIRE Ron Gardenhire. PROMOTE Paul Molitor to Manager. Even if Gardy isn't the problem, I can tell you right now that he isn't part of the solution. We need a guy who can motivate his players to keep their heads in the game and show effort, something that lacks at times for us. Free Agency: DO NOTHING! Just bring the kids up to play. We aren't going to win next year anyway, no need to bring in a crusty veteran to suck away plate appearances and/or innings from the kids who need them. Look to Deal: SP Phil Hughes (sell high. His track record is good year-bad year-good-bad. Could make sense to avoid a disaster) SU Jared Burton SU Casey Fien LHP Brian Duensing DFA: SP Mike Pelfrey RHP Samuel Deduno OR SP Yohan Pino SP Kris Johnson UTIL Eduardo Nuñez (sorry, no more helmet fly-offs!) SS Pedro Florimon Call Up From Minors: SP Alex Meyer RHP Michael Tonkin 3B Miguel Sano OF Aaron Hicks C Josmil Pinto P A.J. Atcher So, basically, a roster like: Rotation: Gibson Nolasco (not going anywhere. Too much $. Plus I believe he won't be this bad forever, just needs less pressure) Milone May Meyer Bullpen: Perkins (CL) Tonkin Thielbar Atcher Pressley Swarzak Deduno/Pino Catchers: Kurt Suzuki- Starter Josmil Pinto-backup Infielders: Joe Mauer-1B Brian Dozier-2B Danny Santana-SS Miguel Sano-3B Eduardo Escobar- Bench Trevor Plouffe- Utility Outfielders: Aaron Hicks Jordan Schafer Oswaldo Arcia Chris Parmelee Designated Hitter: Kennys Vargas Thoughts?

Don't forget about Justin Morneau and Duke Welker!

He doesn't need to swing for the fences. He's strong enough where he can hit it out with a much easier swing. He MUST cut down the K's. Strikeouts are uncompetitive. If he makes contact with the ball he at least has a chance of getting on base. Strikeouts guarantee a 0% chance of getting on base. If he continues his pull-happy ways, he is unlikely to ever be more than a journeyman at best. At this point, his work is cut out for him to adjust to the high fastball and the off-speed pitches, because that's going to be 90%, if not more, of what he's going to get from now on, the percentage will only increase if adjustments aren't made.

Thank you, authors.

It doesn't excite me much either. IMO, the Twins MUST find an OF bat somehow. FA class in OF is mediocre, so it may come via trade if they peruse a bat, which is desperately needed, as our minor league talent in AAA is minimal unless Hicks magically turns it around.

Parmelee has a .421 BIBIP and a .361 OBP against lefties. Not so good against righties, though. His 99 OPS+ is basically league average. His K rate was 24.3% last year and is down to 21.2% this year. He has much improved from last year.

I don't have a problem with the coaches trying to figure out the problem, I have a problem with the fact that our coaching staff can't seem to get anything out of some of these young players. In my opinion, the culture in the dugout needs to change. I think Gardy and crew has a problem with motivating some of these young players, which tells me that a culture change is needed.