Mike Sixel

Benching him seemed a bit overly dramatic to me, and hurt the team's defense.

We'll miss your reports, even if it means I get to have a beer with you sometime....

all fair thoughts, and agreed there are lots of options. But, imo, they need 1 FA SP. I think you pencil in ESan, Berrios, Gibson, Mejia, FA. a nitpick: Jay isn't a starter....

NFL, HS Hockey, everything else on the bandwagon (I endorse the bandwagon, btw, why pay for bad product).

at one point (i think 90s or aughts), MN played more rounds of golf per capita than any other state, which is amazing considering the season length!

d'oh, I forgot that! cross him off! it's not a long list, making everyone cost more....

check out the other thread for the list of FA starting pitchers.....

Here is another breakdown: not going to be a FA: Madison Bumgarner (28) — $12MM club option with a $1.5M buyout (not going to be a FA) Chris Sale (29) — $12.5MM club option with a $1MM buyout (uh, ya, they might exercise that) OLD: Jesse Chavez (34) (no thanks) Bartolo Colon (45) (ha) Jorge De La Rosa (37) (too old) R.A. Dickey (43) — $8MM club option with $500K buyout (haha) Scott Feldman (35) (too old) Doug Fister (34) (no) Jaime Garcia (31) (hahahaha) Matt Garza (34) (haha) Miguel Gonzalez (34) (too old) Yoshihisa Hirano (34) (too old) Ubaldo Jimenez (34) (too old, not good) John Lackey (39) (too old, retired?) Ricky Nolasco (35) — $13MM club option with a $1MM buyout (hahahahahaha) CC Sabathia (37) (no) Anibal Sanchez (34) — $16MM club option with a $5MM buyout (too old) Jason Vargas (35) (too old) Chris Young (39) (should be Chris old) Not good (and not on the old list, I hope): Brett Anderson (30) (why would anyone sign him and expect him to be good?) Clay Buchholz (33) (uh, no) Trevor Cahill (30) (if this is what they sign, good luck) Matt Cain (33) — $21MM club option with a $7.5MM buyout (NL starter with an ERA over 5 three straight years) John Danks (33) (uh, has he ever been good?) Jaime Garcia (31) (hahahaha) Dillon Gee (32) (really?) Derek Holland (31) (not good) Jordan Lyles (27) (never produced) Ricky Nolasco (35) — $13MM club option with a $1MM buyout (hahahahahaha) Tyson Ross (31) (has he been good in 4 years?) Hector Santiago (30) (hahahahaha) Jon Niese (31) (injured) If they don't exercise the option, why would you want him (or why would he take less)? Wei-Yin Chen (32) — Can opt out of the remaining three years, $52MM on his contract (you going to pay him more than that?) Johnny Cueto (32) — Can opt out of the remaining four years, $84MM on his contract (well, he's not opting out after being hurt) Nathan Eovaldi (28) — $2MM club option (if he's worth $2MM, he stays, if not, why do you want him?) Yovani Gallardo (32) — $13MM club option with a $2MM buyout (if he's not worth $13MM, why do you want him?) Ian Kennedy (33) — Can opt out of the remaining three years, $43MM on his contract (you going to pay him more than that?) Wade Miley (31) — $12MM club option with a $500K buyout (if he's not worth $12MM, why do you want him?) Mike Minor (30) — $10MM mutual option with a $1.25MM buyout (if he's not worth $10MM, why do you want him?) Matt Moore (29) — $9MM club option with a $1MM buyout (if he's not worth $9MM, why do you want him?) Martin Perez (27) — $6MM club option with a $2.45MM buyout (if he's not worth $6MM, why do you want him?) Masahiro Tanaka (29) — Can opt out of the remaining three years, $67MM on his contract (you going to pay him more than that?) Josh Tomlin (33) — $3MM club option with a $750K buyout (well, if he's not worth $3MM......) Possible options: Yu Darvish (31) (Twins won't win the bidding war, will they?) Jake Arrieta (32) (too expensive for his production?) Andrew Cashner (31) (no idea, but he wasn't terrible this year) Jhoulys Chacin (30) (first good year in 3 years) Tyler Chatwood (28) (a flyer maybe, but I bet he stays in CO, would you bet on him as your big acquisition?) Alex Cobb (30) (certainly possible, but might be best/safest on the list, that will cost $$) Jeremy Hellickson (31) (has he ever been as good as his hype?) Lance Lynn (31) (good bet, but given the options, more than you think) Michael Pineda (29) (possible number 4/5 type) Chris Tillman (30) (only good in even numbered years, so 1 year deal only)

one short seller.....how much did they make today just by going on tv? Unreal.

got it, I somehow missed that part about not affordable, even after re-reading it! my bad. I'd agree on that, but I don't know what affordable is anymore. Any decent pitcher is going to cost 10-12MM per year, minimum, if he's healthy and not OLD.

well, here is the FA list.......good luck doing better for less money (or at all).... Catchers Alex Avila (31) Welington Castillo (31) — $7MM player option Hank Conger (30) A.J. Ellis (37) Tyler Flowers (32) — $4MM club option with a $300K buyout Nick Hundley (34) Chris Iannetta (35) Jose Lobaton (33) Jonathan Lucroy (32) Miguel Montero (34) Rene Rivera (34) Carlos Ruiz (39) Geovany Soto (35) Chris Stewart (36) — $1.5MM club option with a $250K buyout Josh Thole (31) Matt Wieters (32) — $11MM player option Bobby Wilson (35)

why am I trading a 3, 4 at worst pitcher to find pitching? Help me out here, I really don't get this.

from mbltraderumors: Brett Anderson (30) (why would anyone sign him and expect him to be good?) Jake Arrieta (32) (too expensive for his production?) Clay Buchholz (33) (uh, no) Madison Bumgarner (28) — $12MM club option with a $1.5M buyout (not going to be a FA) Trevor Cahill (30) (if this is what they sign, good luck) Matt Cain (33) — $21MM club option with a $7.5MM buyout (NL starter with an ERA over 5 three straight years) Andrew Cashner (31) (no idea, but he wasn't terrible this year) Jhoulys Chacin (30) (first good year in 3 years) Tyler Chatwood (28) (a flyer maybe, but I bet he stays in CO, would you bet on him as your big acquisition?) Jesse Chavez (34) (no thanks) Wei-Yin Chen (32) — Can opt out of the remaining three years, $52MM on his contract (you going to pay him more than that?) Alex Cobb (30) (certainly possible, but might be best/safest on the list, that will cost $$) Bartolo Colon (45) (ha) Johnny Cueto (32) — Can opt out of the remaining four years, $84MM on his contract (well, he's not opting out after being hurt) Yu Darvish (31) (Twins won't win the bidding war, will they?) John Danks (33) (uh, has he ever been good?) Jorge De La Rosa (37) (too old) R.A. Dickey (43) — $8MM club option with $500K buyout (haha) Nathan Eovaldi (28) — $2MM club option (if he's worth $2MM, he stays, if not, why do you want him?) Scott Feldman (35) (too old) Doug Fister (34) (no) Yovani Gallardo (32) — $13MM club option with a $2MM buyout (if he's not worth $13MM, why do you want him?) Jaime Garcia (31) (hahahaha) Matt Garza (34) (haha) Dillon Gee (32) (really?) Miguel Gonzalez (34) (too old) Jeremy Hellickson (31) (has he ever been as good as his hype?) Yoshihisa Hirano (34) (too old) Derek Holland (31) (not good) Ubaldo Jimenez (34) (too old, not good) Ian Kennedy (33) — Can opt out of the remaining three years, $43MM on his contract (you going to pay him more than that?) John Lackey (39) (too old, retired?) Francisco Liriano (34) (not a good SP) Jordan Lyles (27) (never produced) Lance Lynn (31) (good bet, but given the options, more than you think) Wade Miley (31) — $12MM club option with a $500K buyout (if he's not worth $12MM, why do you want him?) Mike Minor (30) — $10MM mutual option with a $1.25MM buyout (if he's not worth $10MM, why do you want him?) Matt Moore (29) — $9MM club option with a $1MM buyout (if he's not worth $9MM, why do you want him?) Jon Niese (31) (injured) Ricky Nolasco (35) — $13MM club option with a $1MM buyout (hahahahahaha) Martin Perez (27) — $6MM club option with a $2.45MM buyout (if he's not worth $6MM, why do you want him?) Michael Pineda (29) (possible number 4/5 type) Tyson Ross (31) (has he been good in 4 years?) CC Sabathia (37) (no) Anibal Sanchez (34) — $16MM club option with a $5MM buyout (too old) Hector Santiago (30) (hahahahaha) Chris Sale (29) — $12.5MM club option with a $1MM buyout (uh, ya, they might exercise that) Masahiro Tanaka (29) — Can opt out of the remaining three years, $67MM on his contract (you going to pay him more than that?) Chris Tillman (30) (only good in even numbered years, so 1 year deal only) Josh Tomlin (33) — $3MM club option with a $750K buyout (well, if he's not worth $3MM......) Jason Vargas (35) (too old) Chris Young (39) (should be Chris old) So, who do you like in that list?

so, everything is going to go right on the pitching front? That seems pretty unlikely. Who is that #3 FA pitcher for whom they will outbid all the other teams that are looking for SP ?

that's correct, but before the season you don't know which those will be.....other than maybe the Cubs, Dodgers, and Houston predictions.... and you really think the Twins will go from one of the worst SP staffs and bullpens to a "likely" to win 90+ game team?

Uh, there is an ad for art.com with nude women on TD right now.....Now, I don't care about that, but I bet some of your "viewers" do.

Almost no team has a realistic shot at 90+ wins.

SHOP being destroyed today. Once that stops, I'd buy more if I was all y'all....

At some point, you need pitching. How do you propose getting it if you won't trade for it? How are all those draft picks across MLB working out? Over, what, 100 are picked every year? 200? How do those odds work out?

so, there are maybe 3-4 good SPs, and you think demand will be so low that they are affordable?

there are no good FA pitchers, and if you squint and decide there are, you think the Twins will outbid the other teams for one of them?

fair....I don't mind he's on the roster. I might not like watching him.....

good thing we can't say anything with certainty after 200 ABs or less.....and look around the league, and ask if 120 OFers are better at the running and D parts also.....

Why is Philly trading a 25 year old under control for 4 years? Why are the A's trading a guy with 5 years control? Neither of those make any sense for a rebuilding team to trade. Bumgarner isn't being traded. I doubt Archer is traded, but I'd consider that one. Stroman? Again, I don't see the Jays punting. If they do, you'd have to do that one.

You realize "average" includes players that are playing in year 1, and make 1/10 that, right? Again, what better alternative was there than Castro? Eating that contract opens a roster space, you can fill for 400K. That's the point, not that the money is freed up. I literally have no idea what that paragraph means.