Mike Sixel

Given that Buxton was the number 1 prospect in baseball, and Sano cracked teh top 10, I'm not sure where this "fans were overvaluing them" thing is coming from....

100x this. somehow they went from "see, they are playing in the deep end" to "see, they were smart not to sign Darvish". It can't be both.....they wanted Darvish, they were no smarter than the rest of us on that front.

What are they doing the rest of this year, if not rebuilding and seeing what they have? We are talking about this move, this year.......This move, this year.

Drake is 31? Ugh, not interested. Is this a rebuilding year, or not? cripes. Indifferent on Field.

Well, the discussion is the relative value of the position, and nothing more...... NO PLACE did I say that is the only way to make a decision on anyone, I was merely trying to say that Kiriloff can play the OF, and probably 1B, and that his defense gives him an advantage in rankings. Clearly if you think someone will hit A LOT better than him, that matters, but that literally is not the discussion I was having. I don't know how to make that more clear......I was literally discussing the relative value of defensive positions, nothing more, nothing less.

Twins were 2nd in the bidding for Yu....they clearly wanted him.

Heh, that one is going to be harder to write, imo. There are a lot more options! and thanks.

the opinion is reflected in FA deals and trades also...... Your other argument, about Hrbek vs Bruno has nothing to do with the relative value of their positions, but their ability to hit, which is a completely different discussion. And, it isn't actually "subjective", you can measure the relative value of the delta between good and bad players at positions, and across positions pretty easily, with numbers, just like you posted.

Ya, I probably would only do that in some alternative world.....but I threw it out as a thought experiment.

Sigh....I made a typo on Austin, and somehow got Riley in there. And now it is too late to edit.....if that somehow ruins my "cred", oh well.....hopefully it is clear who I MEANT to type...

I was conflicted on the Wilson/Astudillo question, and would be ok with doing that instead of what I said. And, I think you are right on the 1B thing.....but I was trying to be somewhat realistic about how often mauer will be benched. I just am not there on Gordon yet, though. Weil? No idea. It wouldn't kill me either way.....it's not like he's young.....so it doesn't kill them keeping him around through his best years. I started looking at leaderboards and FA lists....and SS/2B is going to be tough to fix, if they don't bring back Escobar for 2B.

No, that's not the same.....at all. The value of an OF > 1B....in a vacuum. That's a well accepted fact across all of the internet (and I assume baseball, given how FA and trades work out). I didn't have any idea this would be controversial. The delta between good and bad 1B is pretty tiny, when you look at DRS and FG's defensive stats, while the delta between good and bad OF is much, much, much, larger.

I think I have the edit correct this time.....

the complaining is going to look like soccer everytime someone falls down....

I considered the Buxton thing.....it's one reason I want to see Cave/Wade the rest of the year. Do they need to go find a CF type, just in case Buxton is bad Byron next year? I'm not sure I wouldn't hand him the spot, but I'm also not sure I would.......but I think I would. But I want a good backup plan. IF I could ID a legit OF upgrade to Kepler, I'd find one, even though I think Max has a ton more inside him.

How the hell do you tackle a strong QB under this rule? This is stupid, and I'm all for more safety in the game.....

That was my point....an OF > 1B.....that's one reason Kiriloff is higher rated...

Part 1, the offense/defense. Well, I guess I’m going to post what I’d do the rest of this year, if I were the Twins. First, I’m going to lay out my thought process, then the moves I’d make right now. I don’t think this team makes the playoffs this year, so the emphasis is on preparing the team for next year. This preparation goes all the way to the minors. (later post) I believe we don’t always know how a player will react to the majors, and that scouting is not a perfect art. Therefore, I believe that you can gather data at the major league level about ability, and that players need time to adapt. I want both to happen this year. I am not a believer in Morrison or Forsythe. I may include some thoughts on possible free agents to fill holes, but that’s probably a different post, we’ll see. (edit: mostly a later post) I want more positional flexibility than the team currently has, especially at DH. Things I think about next year, that influence what moves I’d make: I am going to assume the budget is a bit lower next year, which impacts a decision or two on what needs to be done this year, as they can’t fill all the holes from the outside. Castro will be back. The team only has a near term future of success if Sano and Buxton are good, so I’ll build assuming those two are here and starting next year. As much as I like Nick Gordon, he’s not ready for next year, and is not in my plans to start the year at all.Ok, so, what would I do the rest of the year? First, I don’t think there is an OF they can (or will) sign that is better than what Rosario/Buxton/Kepler will provide (and they need to see what Buxton can do). The one I’d consider is McCutchen, but in the meantime, they can gather data on Wade and Cave (and Kepler). Second, I don’t think there are many FAs in general (on offense) that are better than what they have, and I have not looked at trade candidates yet, so this plan is mostly about FAs vs internal candidates. Catcher: I don’t get to watch the games much, so I can’t see Garver drop balls, or whatever else his issues are. But, if he’s going to get better, then he needs to catch 60-70% of the games the rest of the year. We do know (I think) that he can hit, based on this year and his minor league track record. I would also call up Astudillo and have him catch some. Not much, but some. Let’s have everyone see if he can be an option at catcher or not. Wilson gets the other starts. Since Garver can play 1B and maybe RF, I’d consider signing a FA in this area. FAs that I like are Yasmani Grandal and Wilson Ramos. But, Ramos is hurt a lot, and Grandal will be expensive (I think the Dodgers bring him back). So, the options there aren’t great. Let’s see if Garver and Astudillo can help there or not next year. Third Base: This is an easy one, Sano starts every game there the rest of the year (well, unless he needs a day off, which he might). The near term future of this team largely rests in his improvement, imo. I think he’ll be one of the ten best 3B the rest of the year, and then top 5-10 next year. Just a hunch. Edit: Thinking about it more, Astudillo gets 5 or so starts here this year. Need to see if he’s a viable utility guy. Shortstop: Another easy one. Polanco starts here. He’s either your SS or 2B next year, and I would think it will be easier to find a 2B in FA or trade than a SS (no, they are not signing Machado, alas). Even if it isn’t, it is easier to move him to 2B in the off season than right now. Second Base: Yuck. I’m not sure what to do here, as I type this up. I’ll have to come back to this after I do the rest. Edit: came back….um, Forsythe? Adrianza? I’m not sure I care between those two. Not Astudillo, he never played there once in the minors. An OFF THE WALL idea is to move Rosario back there, but I think that is a mistake. He’s producing, let’s not mess with that. But, if they did, I’d not be upset. I hope they bring back Escobar for this spot, or trade for a second baseman with control (edit: I’ll look at trade candidates later, this might not be viable). First Base: Mauer gets half the starts. Morrison is cut. Astudillo gets a few starts here. But, (edit) Tyler Austin (not Riley) gets most of them here or DH. This is a chance to see what Riley has, or does not have, in terms of offense and defense. Kind of need more data to know if the team needs to find another 1B/DH type or not….unless they KNOW Mauer is coming back. Even then, they have Riley, they should figure out what they have. In a possible surprise move, I try Kepler here also. Adding Wade means they have enough OF to cover the spots, and this might give them roster flexibility for next year. Kepler and Mauer are hitting about the same, and between Rosario/Cave/Buxton/Wade/FA, they can more easily replace an OF than a first baseman. The more I think about this, the more I like Kepler at first and RF and occasional DH next year, and the less I want Mauer back. Mauer is a HOF player, but his best days are behind him, and moving on from him means a ton of position flexibility for this roster next year. I think Rooker could play here in 2019 also. If anything, packaging Kepler with a few minor league players might be an option to upgrade the roster. But, I’m not trading him for any player that they don’t think puts up at least 3 WAR doing forward. Not because I think Kepler will, but because I don’t think the delta/risk is worth doing so. I’d want a catcher or second baseman in this upgrade, maybe a starting pitcher (but only an elite one). Left Field: Easy one, Rosario gets nearly all the starts, with Wade or Cave getting some. It is time to see if Wade is an option for backup OF and DH next year or not. Center Field: Keep Buxton on the DL for as long as possible. Get him healthy. Then send him to FTM or Rochester for the rest of their seasons. Then, maybe, maybe, call him up. In the meantime, Wade/Cave/Kepler play CF in some mix. Mostly Cave and Wade, I’d guess. Right Field: Kepler, Wade and maybe Riley get time out here? I don’t think Riley does in my plan, frankly. Actually, see first base above for why Kepler doesn’t play here all the time….. DH: Riley, Astudillo, Wade, Sano get time at DH, and maybe Garver depending on how much rest a catcher starting that much needs. But my main goal is to get Riley ABs at DH or 1B to see what he has. So, what moves need to be made? Cut Grossman, replace him with Wade Grossman provides little value, if any, even when he is getting on base. He can’t field, and he isn’t much of a runner. Just not enough offense to make up for the lack of defense. Wade might be as good on offense, and can at least play defense some.Cut Morrison, replace him with Riley. Morrison is not a long term asset, and I’m not sure he’s all that good next year. Let’s see what Riley and others can do.Hmmmm…..cut Belisle, replace him with Astudillo (this has a trickle down effect on the RPs…..).My goal is to get Riley and Wade at bats to see if they are viable candidates for next year. My secondary goal is to get Astudillo time at catcher and 3B, to see if he is a viable flexibility option or not. I also really want to see what Kepler can do on defense at first base.

Rooker can't field a position, can he? That's one reason he's not higher ranked. At best he's a 1B/DH.

It is certainly possibly not true. We don't really know. My hunch, even before the report, was that they had talks, so I'm inclined to believe it (to your first sentence), but we don't know. Either way, he's gone. Now they should re-sign him in the off season to back up the entire infield.

poop. I was really hoping he was being promoted.

Well, he can't play both positions! And Sano is your 3B to start next year, unless he moves to 1B full time...., The team is missing a MIF, a 1B, a DH. It really needs a backup 3B/1B/DH. If Castro is healthy, they won't bring in a C.

Grossman is not part of a WS contending team, imo. Wade might be a backup OF on such a team. And, who the heck knows what Buxton will be next year. This team needs Wade in MN, to gather data, and to let him adjust to the majors, in case they need someone in the field next year with Rosario, Buxton, Kepler, Cave.

No one locks down a pitcher this far from free agency, so Berrios is off the list. Stars are also avoiding extensions if they have been paid in the past. I could maybe see Rosario getting an extension, but I'm not sure who else the team should have already extended. Mauer? Kind of have to see how healthy he is, and if he wants to play, and if you have a younger alternative. Dozier wanted to be a free agent. They signed Pineda to a two year deal, have already indicated they are interested in keeping Rodney, and Odorizzi has an option. There may be a lot of guys on one year deal, but of those, who would have been signed to an extension before the year started?

Every single ranking site has Gordon from 50-75th best prospect overall.....even after updating their ranks in early July. He's certainly not hitting at all right now, but that does not change his tools, or approach, or whatever else.......