DocBauer

For the 2022 bullpen I am making ONE assumption: the medical experts are correct and the durable Rogers will be healthy. After that, I'm cautiously optimistic to potentially very optimistic. A couple rapid-fire thoughts: Duffey has been great, struggled a bit, adjusted, and was fine again. Lot of tread left. Thielbar has been great, had a problem with inherited runners early, figured it out. Alcala has EVERYTHING you want and endured growing pains to finish STRONG. I like and am OK with this base. I am WAY MORE than OK if the Twins make a decent investment in ONE proven FA arm still available. And there are a number of arms available from solid to very good years to potential bounce back years. Just, please, make one smart choice/addition here. We're going to need 12-15 arms at some point, no matter the rotation. Thorpe may be done as a SP, but could he make it, healthy, as a BP option? Could he force Moran to StPaul to begin the season? If not, he could be AAA depth because I'm not sure anyone claims him. And IMO, Moran is not "if", he's a "when". His FB and slider play, and the change is outstanding. Nice to have Coulombe back on a milb deal. Smeltzer is still around as a depth/bounce back option. There is a real chance the Twins could have 3 good to decent LH available all season. But we need more depth. I may be wrong, but I can't ignore what Stashak did when healthy. He's an easy drop and milb re-sign in a roster crunch, but he flashed when healthy. Garza came from a good system but was made available. Why? He sure looked promising in 18 games. Cotton was a former top SP prospect who ran in to injury problems. But he raked at AAA for Texas, stunk when he came up, but was almost unhittable his last month or so. Is he a sleeper? Cano, Mason, and others could suddenly step up. And we may need them. Jax could be a pen surprise. As could Gore and Vallimont. I think there is depth and options to sort through and rotate and build a good to great pen. But I feel a whole lot better if we bring on at least that ONE quality, experienced arm, whoever that may be.

Absolutely am not going to disagree with your opinion/posts or history that is produced by the link/article at MLBTR. I copied this post to simply make a point of opinion for myself. Not ALL long term signings turn out poorly, as the article points out, within the context of the rewards presented to teams who did reap benefits for 2 or 3 seasons in some cases. In a vacuum, Twins or not, I think there are times to push chips in for that long term deal knowing what you might reap for that 2-3yr window and hope the other years aren't a disaster. Of course, some teams are more willing or able to absorb the poor seasons financially. This would also indicate, IMO, that a smart FO would be more inclined to front load said contracts to mitigate "losses" at the end of the deal, OR, be more open to 2-3yr opt outs for said pitcher still riding a performance high and let the next team take on an extended contract risk. And while slightly off topic, I think a 3yr deal for a FA SP of quality should never be ignored if available. I reflect back to the Twins signing of Santana, which was very good for the first 2yrs, and the Cubs signing of Stroman this off-season. (I think the Twins blew an opportunity there, FWIW). I'd much rather sign homegrown, what you know and developed for a 5yr deal. But this is just me spouting off a few thoughts.

Perhaps I should have been more specific in my opening. Everything you stated I'm pretty much on board with and am agreement, long term thinking and team building. I've been on record as to stating a similar strategy, thus "seeing" the method in their planning. Once again, the plan was for a couple arms to be ready by now, but then covid 2020 and LA k off IP in 2021, etc, etc. Happ and Shoemaker, again, were smart stopgap for 1yr along with Dobnak, and Colome in the pen. Shoemaker was a hopeful flier but Happ just shouldn't have been that bad considering history and his 2020, Dobnak and Maeda weren't "supposed" to get hurt, etc, etc, yet again. What I was referring to was not "the plan" in the long run but the short-term plan for 2022. That's where I think we really don't know or understand what the plan is. I see no way the team can be competitive in 2022, no matter how good the offense or how good the bullpen as the starting staff is currently constructed. And sorry to some, but I just can't wrap my head around multiple rotation turns being a sort of bullpen game. I still believe Pineda is back short term as a logical and inexpensive fit. He at least brings in a solid, experienced arm who gives you a legitimate chance to win. IF Bundy can be some sort of combination of his Baltimore self and his 2020 Angels self, he'd be similar. But with a long season, young arms to audition, and inevitable injuries, that's still not enough. If they really intend to compete/contend this coming season then they simply must add one more quality arm. That leaves Rodon or a trade. But the last thing I want is for them to get crazy and deplete the roster or the young talent they've accumulated for a couple short term SP options that might or might not be re-signed and thus blow up the idea of building a pitching pipeline. How does the saying go: "To find 2 quality SP you need 6 potential arms. And to find 3 or 4 you need 10 or 12. Something to that affect. I see the plan, but right now, I don't think any of us understand the short term 2022 plan.

Part of the problem is not knowing much less understanding, what plans the FO has in mind for 2022. They may have simply blown opportunity, OR, they may have a plan in mind we can't wrap our heads around at this time. I also have no idea what the 2022 payroll is targeted to he, but for now I'm assuming the making of a public statement that payroll will be in the same range it's been for the past 3-4yrs was accurate and honest and will be around that $130M mark. Again, they may have blown opportunity already and are circling the wagons, OR, they are just getting started. What is my ideal scenario? Rodon checks out to their med staff and gets a 1yr or maybe 1+1 that is something like $18-20M year one and maybe a buyout if they do the 1+1. Next, they make a trade for a quality 2nd SP that's just a smart deal without giving away an arm and leg. Think Odorizzi and Maeda. Pineda is still a fallback option. I think this is practical and realistic. I think 1 trade and 1 FA, likely Pineda, on a 1yr deal is most likely. Even then, the rotation isn't in as sorry a state as it is now and there is ample opportunity to work in the prospects.

OK, I'll bite and play along here. The Twins have stated publicly, with no exact numbers, that they expect to have a 2022 payroll commensurate to their previous 3-4 seasons. Taken to heart, and a general average, that would mean a pretty solid $130M with flexibility implied. At about $90M committed currently, that leaves $40M available unless they are willing to bump to $140M which should be easily affordable. In theory, you then have $50M to spend. With Bryant and Story out of the initial FA flurry/frenzy, my gut says they are NOT in the $25M per category. So yes, you could indeed sign both for around $20M-ish per year. So then what? You have ZERO to MAYBE $10M MAX to add a couple cheap SP options and maybe ONE BP arm with some ability/potential. Really? No matter how good your offense might be, no matter how much you believe in the arms a depth on hand to build a solid BP with arms you can rotate up and down as needed, you're still going to tell me you can win and be competitive with a rotation that is Bundy, Ober, Ryan, Dobnak, and X factor cheap FA or ST lottery winner 5th starter? We have to allow a little reality to set in here! IF the Twins could move Donaldson without eating too much of his contract, and IF they could move Sano and his numbers to a team looking for a powerful DH/backup 1B, THEN, you just MIGHT have enough money for Pineda and another "next best" FA arm to head a proposed mediocre rotation. OR, you sign Pineda and then make a Kepler-Arrzez-prospect arm type of package to Oakland or Miami for a SOLID arm to join Pineda at the front to at least give this lineup and potential BP a SHOT while working with all the young arms. That's a lot of working pieces to put together to make something work and a lot of IF's. All of what I've stated is reflective of the original idea presented, and DO-ABLE! But come on, how realistic is this? There have been obvious exceptions, but through the 90's and even in to the early 2000's, CF/SS and even 2B were often defense first and complimentary positions offensively. That has changed dramatically the past 5-10yrs where TOP athletes and TOP offensive performers began to fill those positions. And a wonderful, thoughtful, and analytical debate just took place here on TD in the last month as to whether winning was tied more to offense vs pitching. The subtle part of that debate, somewhat ignored but which I called out, was variations in defense and speed and how teams were built. Some teams hamered and had good pitching but bad speed and defense. Some had defense, speed, mediocre SP but a great pen. The point is, and always has been, there is no ONE way to win. Look no further than the Braves this year that re-built their OF on the fly, got lucky and hot, and ended up winning the whole damn thing. With a small, ironic twist, they were similar to the '87 Twins. Long story finally getting back on point, this idea of going ALL IN with Bryant and Story and a potentially great offense sounds fun and interesting. But even if the pen turns out great, how many 8-7 games could be won just auditioning prospects? What I find interesting is the belief that Story is THE GUY to help stabilize the infield and the lineup. Why? Considering the fact that baseball has changed so much, and offense now comes from so many positions, why is his signing so great? I get he's quality defensively. But how does his offense play away from Colorado and over the next 4-5yrs? Isn't Bryant maybe a better option? He could be a LF who could play a couple more positions to fill in as well. He could allow for Larnach or Kepler to be moved as part of a deal. Do we care where the offense comes from as long as it comes? If I had to choose Bryant or Story, right now, I'd be happy with either and excited for potential. There are various scenarios where each provides the FO to make moves to add pitching. I just don't see any way adding both does anything, other than initial excitement and then frustration for a lost 2022 season. I WISH they could add both and follow some FA/trade scenario as listed above, but man, dream land is a nice place to visit.

I'm a little late to the post but really like the arms here. (Also like some of the arms in the previous list, but again, a little busy and late here). I am crossing my fingers on Gore not being snagged and kept by someone. I'm thinking AA ball and newly transitioned and not a "kid" any linger age wise he will be left alone. Boy I sure hope so. I think he makes an appearance the second half of 2022. Cano is also not young, but he is in regard to being stateside. Obviously he's not a polished product, but I don't think age really hurts him when we're talking a pen arm vs a SP. A little more experience and a little more refinement, and he also is a 2nd half contributor, IMO. The basic stuff is there. Full confession, I had forgotten about Mooney and his path thus far. I could easily see him, Laweryson, Gipson-Long and Gross following the same path that Winder and Varland blazed in 2021 and that Enlow appeared to be following. That is, an introduction, and then refinement and development that leads to a semblance of "breakout" potential. I think a pipeline of solid/quality arms is being firmly established. I ignore the ACE/#1 conversation because those kind of arms develop at the ML level and aren't just developed. Having a pipeline of intriguing arms is the key. Some won't make it. Some will go to the pen. Some will be quality SP. And a couple will be true front of the rotation SP. Having a depth of options is key.

I just love this site and our community that we all share in.! Many and Great Blessings to each and everyone! May God and light of goodness and warmth fill your holiday and every day!

None of us have an real idea what the "plan" the FO has in store for 2022. I mean, just in theory, the Twins could come out of the lockup with a plan to sign Rodon for 1yr, or a 1+1 with a buyout. It could be $18-20M with a 2nd yr bump and a $4-5M buyout. I'm just talking logical theory here for a potential arm that COULD make a difference but was left out of the FA frenzy that the Twins sat out of. THEN, you could just grab Pineda to flesh out your rotation, OR, make ONE nice trade for someone even better to help lead your rotation. And you STILL have so many IP and GS to work in all the young pitchers to build for 2023 and beyond. With the lineup in place and a quality pen, you might even compete for a playoff spot. It's not that far fetched of an idea. And you still haven't committed any long term financial obligations or blocked the future. Again, this is just a theoretical idea that leads to competence and a competitive team for 2022. But unless the FO can pull a PAIR of rabbit out of the hat trade options for 2022 that doesn't raid the ML roster or the milb prospect pipeline, they have already missed opportunity in the FA market that would have cost $ without disrupting the organization as a whole. It makes ZERO sense for building a sustainable organization to pass on FA possibilities and then turn around and trade multiple players in an effort to re-tool for 2022. Either circle the wagons and make a couple aggressive moves left available to you to compete that might pay off and keep most of what you have on hand...OR... just admit you blew it or explain your plan for the future and grab a couple mediocre SP options and be aggressive with your prospects and tell us that was your plan all along to build for the future and your being "competitive" for 2022 was hopes and prayers for surprises and developmental promotions with a good lineup and strong pen. But for goodness sake, don't blow FA and then trade away depth and assets for a couple 1 and 2yr assets in the rotation and deplete what you have for the future.

And he might be. There's nothing to say he isn't the best, or can't be the best. As I stated, and have before, ACES develop over time, you very, very seldom just draft one. Heck, this time next year SWR or Sands could looke better than everyone. No way to know. You've actually watched Winder, so I defer to your opinion and assessment. I guess I lump Balazovic, Winder and Duran together, IMO, as equals. I'm really excited for all 3 to be healthy and get a full season in. Unfortunately, I think Duran is now a little further behind at the moment.

I know it's really easy to get carried away with prospect rankings and optimism of the players listed there. Look no further than the recent OP about the top 2018 list which contains a few who didn't make it, some with questions, at least one traded, etc. But each "list" should be addressed of its own accord. And I'm really excited about this list, despite some usual caveats. Because this is fun, and because I'm optimistic, and because we don't have anything ML related to talk about, we'll, here I go. SANDS is sort of a "poster child" for how this FO sees a path to pitching development. Right or wrong only time will tell, but they believe that unless a pitcher lands in your lap right off the top, there are a lot of guys with real potential to be developed past the first couple of picks. Sands seems to make their ideas valid, as have a couple lower selections thus far. I think he's close and is forgotten about by some. I might have ranked him higher. WALLNER is a better version of Rooker, IMO. Reportedly, he's already a better OF defensively. That's not a knock on Rooker who still has a chance, I just think he's a better, more well rounded version. I don't expect a big BA, but time will tell. I liked what he did in his limited AFL. MILLER, fair or not, reminds me of JJ Hardy. A guy who may not have any single skill that is outstanding, but the ability to do everything well. He's a LONG WAY away, but can't wait to see what he does. Draft status and potential, I'm OK with him here. ENLOW shouldn't be penalized for his surgery. The ceiling remains high and he's still young. Hopefully he gets a few IP at the end of 2022 to get ready. WINDER should be a couple spots higher, IMO, but it's a testament to current depth that he's here. Decades of watching the draft, prospect lists, and MLB in general has taught me that unless you have the #1 pick in a year where a Clemmons or a Strasburg falls in your lucky lap, you NEVER draft an ACE. You draft and develop arms and their potential. And despite all the coaching you can give, an ACE is someone who also learns and develops on their own. Winder has front of the rotation potential. It may take a couple of years to reach his potential, but I think he pitches for the Twins in 2022. I think he has a good ceiling. CAVACO wasn't a mistake pick, but I wouldn't rank him this high. He is young, a late bloomer with trajectory when drafted, and has all the tools in the world. And like everyone else, he missed a full season. But I still need to see a little more from him to rank him this high. BUT, I would remind readers that he got off to a solid start in 2021 and was amongst the best bats/producers for a poor offensive Ft Myers team before an injury slowed him down. It's all up to him. The talent is there. I would be surprised if he doesn't start 2022 in low A despite some young options behind him. But would be pleased and not surprised if his talent took over and he hit A+ quickly. PETTY, to me, was an absolute gift. I know HS arms are the biggest guess/risk/reward possibilities for a 1st round selection. But I don't recall many times when I've seen a HS pitcher with an arm who throws high 90's consistently and touches 100 with a quality slider and a change that needs work but was still ranked a 50 on the scout scale. Hey, he's young and has a lot to show and work on and improve. He's a long way away. But to slide to the 20's confuses me unless it's because he's not 6' 2"+ and already over 200lbs and played in a northern climate for the most part. LMAO when I read a comment elsewhere that he projects as a BP arm when he's only 18yo and has so much ahead of him. CANTERINO just needs the baseball gods to give him health for 2022. So much for the Twins not drafting a pitcher high. They babied him his 1st season because of his IP in college. Makes sense. He was as advertised in his brief 2019. And he was again in his short 2021 after missing 2020. I believe his plan was to jump to AA quickly before injury happened. A curse for many arms, not just the Twins. His stuff is electric,though needing refinement. Some say his delivery screams BP. He says he's had the same delivery for years and feels comfortable with it. IDK! But if he's healthy and ready to go, he needs to be at Wichita from day one. He could be anywhere from a #1-2 SP to the next Nathan if starting just doesn't work out. SWR has been regarded as a top 100 prospect for a couple of years now. He was not only young for AA but had his whole season disrupted by the Olympic experience. Just give the kid a chance to settle in. The stuff plays. I wouldn't be surprised if he appears in 2022 at some point. DURAN.......just be healthy. STOP the "let's just put him in the pen" conversation. I don't care if he sits in ST Paul for the whole year! Just let him stretch out, build innings, work on his stuff, and let him develop. Don't waste an opportunity to develop a potentially great arm. RYAN...just keep doing what you're doing kid. Keep the bulldog in you but don't be stubborn. Keep listening and learning. MIRANDA just needs opportunity. He is not a flash. He is a high draft choice who everyone has just been waiting to put it together. He has now. He was a high pick with potential, not some flier. Either make room for him or make him the 1st guy up when there is an opening. And depending on trades or injury, he could make the opening day roster. Like I said in another OP, he COULD see time at LF or 1B depending on final roster construction. BALAZOVIC is everything I said about Winder. The stuff and the build and everything you want. But what you want is just a little more time to put it together. MARTIN is PROBABLY a stud LF/CF who can also play in the infield to follow the example the versatility of the Dogers that I feel the FO is looking at. But I'd keep playing him at SS for as long as I can. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? He suddenly turns out to be an optio there or he can at least cover that spot in addition to maye 2B/3B. LEWIS IS a lightening rod of sorts. He has EERYTHING athletically to be a decent to good SS. When you watch him, you see great plays that few can make and you see smoothness, and his potential. We just need to see it daily. But it takes time. He's lost a lot of time, unfortunately. And he's NOT going to jump to the ML level without a little time to get his legs underneath him, literally, for defense AND offense, despite his AFL MVP and reports about his 2020 play at the alternative site. This kid just might have the IT factor. Let's allow a tiny bit of time, OK? Pissed about the FO and things we don't have a clue about for2022 yet, just look at this list and get excited.

He deserves to make the club right out of the gate unless he just struggles. He's a dynamite prospect! But the problem is he doesn't pitch and the roster is solid and complete as is. He makes the club opening day if there is a trade or injury, and both are possible. His best chance to make the club otherwise is AK in LF instead of Larnach initially, (again, without trades), then he may open as the primary 1B and still move around. Of course, he could also play LF initially himself. Otherwise, he begins at St Paul to be be able to play and hit daily and be the first guy brought up when there is an opening. It's just math and numbers.

One of my all time favorite Twins. Fantastic glove man. Despite being one of the most popular Twins of his generation and probably all time, I STILL feel like he's underrated because he was so consistent.

Frankie Eufemia, as a recall, was a sidearmer in 1985. Not even sure how I remember him, lol.

Jim Eisenreich, 48 games played with a career de-railed by a medical conditions and then a pretty decent and long career after 2yrs virtually out of the game.

I agree we could debate about a few guys on the list and where to rank them, etc, but I think it's a good list. And I will be watching all 10 of these young guys, along with everyone else in the system, lol. But a couple quick thoughts: 1] Raya grabbed my interest the moment he was selected. No definitive reason why, but I was hugely disappointed he was out this past year. He's a long ways away and hasn't pitched in a while competitively, but I'm really excited to see him in 2022. 2] I think Big 10 baseball is vastly underrated and I'm thinking Hajjar might surprise and fly through the system. 3] Young, but super talented and with something approaching a full season under his belt, despite the interruption of is year with the Olympics, does SWR make a huge move in 2022? 4] A little surprised Cavaco wasn't on this list. He's young and athletic and was actually Ft Myers best hitter the first half of 2021 before an injury. Does he jump up in 2022? 5] I recognize there is a chance Duran might move to the pen at some point. But that's also kinda true for every brilliant, hard throwing arm that runs in to any sort of difficulty. ANY kind of decent, solid 3rd pitch and he has the ability to be a ML SP, and maybe a very good one. I am very anxious to see him up with the Twins. But he has an electric arm and exciting stuff. And I would do everything I could to keep him in the rotation for as long as possible. While I HATE being patient, when you have an arm like his, and that much potential, I'd keep him in AAA as long as necessary because the final payoff could be HUGE.

Could Julian have any better first season in pro ball? OK, the BA could be a little better I guess, but when you have that incredible OB ability, it tells me the BA will rise. He was outstanding and I don't feel we've talked enough about him. I do wonder if there's any chance he can/could play even a "decent" SS for added versatility value? I'm also big on Steer.

I'm still holding out some hope for Cavaco and him turning a corner in 2022. For the first half of 2021, he was Ft Myers best hitter. And while he has a long way to go, and will have basically not pitched competitively for almost 2yrs, I'm really excited to see what Marco Raya does this next year.

I was really disappointed in Rooker last year. Previously, he's always shown the ability to adapt to each level successfully. After a tease in 2020, I thought he had a chance to make some kind of mark in 2021. I fully appreciate there is a big step from AAA to MLB, but again, Rocker has always settled in and "figured it out" before. If Larnach needs a little more time, which is very possible, I would not be shocked to see Rooker and a healthy Cave...if he finds the 2018-19 version of himself...suddenly sharing LF in 2022, at least initially. And that wouldn't be a bad thing, although a small reach, as it would mean even more depth and even more trade possibilities. I think Wallner can hit. The power is real. He's got a good arm. From everything I've read/heard, he's at least average defensively. I fully expect him to begin 2022 in Wichita at this point. They key for him, like Rooker, like Sano, and others, is to be able to control his hitting zone and not be a flailing, almost automatic out/consistent K victim. We've had fun in Forum and Main Page speculation about a future Twins lineup in a couple of years and Sabato has often been brought up as a DH and 1B option. And that may be. And I mean no disrespect to Sabato who be an absolute masher with quality OB skills, but Wallner, able to be a legitimate corner OF, would probably be more valuable if his bat plays.

So Celestino WILL BE a top 4th OF with a nice combination of offensive skills to prove to be valuable, at least until he hits FA down the road or the Twins trade him. My opinion. But I'm not going to push him again, unnecessarily at this point. I'm going to bring in someone like Pillar for 1yr if I'm trying to have a good 2022 team. He fits, won't cost much, and is easy to walk away from if necessary. But Kepler and Gordon can also fill in, assuming Kepler is still around. I am not crazy about Gordon in CF, but I was very surprised at how well he adapted so quickly on the fly. I wouldn't have protected Cave. But I kinda understood why they did. Glad he's off the 40 man, because he should be at this point. But I wouldn't sleep on him. Despite his offense disappearing, I think his defense actually improved. If healthy, I could see him forcing his way back to the 40 man if his bat returns to his 2018-19 version of his past self. It won't be an easy road, but I could see it happening.

I'm sure Seth or someone else could correct me on this, but in regard to Lewis in the AFL, I think teams can designate a position preference for a couple of their players assigned. I may be remembering incorrectly, but am thinking that is the case. Regardless, Lewis struggled with some nagging injuries during 2019 but was still promoted about mid season before his trip to the AFL where his bat came alive and he earned MVP. I don't pretend to know Lewis's future at SS defensively. I know he has the arm strength and athleticism to play the position. I have seen a few ST games where he looked fine. And I've seen some hilight plays that looked outstanding. And if you can make those plays, then you should have the ability to make the routine plays as well, even if you are a little rough around the edges. And after positive "reports" of Lewis out of the secondary site in 2020, I'm still on his bandwagon. I think the Twins are as well. But I dismiss any notion he's ready for some early audition for 2022. Martin is a different story. He's a great athlete with a bat and decent speed and power potential who has been given a shot at SS because of his athleticism. I say "go for it" and give him a shot! He may surprise! At worst, he may be a fill-in. I do think it's a mistake to leave Palacios out of the conversation. He re-discovered the ability to hit and added some extra pop on his return to the Twins system. Other than that, this is the weakest position in the system to be sure. The "good news" is that there are some still very young options in low A that have a chance to take a step forward in 2022. Looking at you Cavaco and Javier in particular. I'm willing to Howard a pass for now as 2021 was his first year of pro ball. The one guy I'm really interested in is Steer. I'm not expecting him to suddenly morph in to a legitimate daily SS, but he's been playing the position. Could he handle it on an occasional basis as a utility player? If so, it adds even more to his future value.

While not happy with this off-season at the moment in almost every way, Buxton being the obvious good news, I have resolved myself to not only attempt some patience and ignore recency bias, but to take a step back and look at their entire tenure. Sorry if I repeat points already stated. 1] I think they had a very large task to re-make the franchise from the top down. This includes the analytics department, coaching staffs, instructors, approach changes from said coaches and instructors, and just about anything else you can name. I think they've done a great job across the board there. Look no further than other teams pilfering our off the field talent and some beginning to copy changes in hiring practices by looking at college coaches and younger coaching options vs the standard old boys network and the such. 2] While I haven't liked or agreed with every trade made, or every draft selection, I feel the talent acquisition has been quality. The Odorizzi and Maeda moves were borderline outstanding. And they brought in additional arms in 2021. 3] Like it or not...and I don't care about any other team...the lost 2020 season tossed a serious monkey wrench in the development of the next wave of pitching prospects in the system. YES, they need to overcome and adapt. The Maeda move gave this team a top of the rotation arm to join Berrios in 2020. So I object they haven't made a serious move after being told a hard NO from Wheeler. Hill also helped out. The ST version of Maeda in 2021 was everything we could hoped for. But then everything went wrong once the season began. Impossible to predict. It's easy to look back and chastise the Happ and Soemaker moves NOW. Shoemaker was a smart move based on his career and his 2020. He was to be a solid, veteran, mid rotation bridge. In fact, he looked decent early. Shoemaker was a cheap depth piece flier with some optimism. On paper, the rotation was set up to be quite good. Because everything that could go wrong did is the fault of Falvey and Levine? So when I step back and look at the big picture, all the changes, improvements, moves made, wins, etc, I am happy and supportive even with the allowance of a mistake or two. I think they have been good to excellent in what they have built and I recognize the overall plan they have in their construction, even if things have been knocked off the rails a bit recently. ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, I have SEROUS ISSUES with how this off-season has been handled thus far beyond the Buxton extension. (And I'm not going invest in the Berrios debate because it's almost it's own topic and I feel there are points, counter-points and probably missing information we will never be privy to). Forget MY blueprint plan or anyone else's. They're just a fun exercise after all. The fact is the Twins had some serious money to spend to re-tool for 2022 with a solid lineup in place, the potential for a quality bullpen, but real needs in the rotation. And the Buxton extension does nothing to blow up payroll and address additional opportunities. This FA class offered up MULTIPLE options to re-tool without blowing up payroll or adversely affecting the future. Stroman, and his contract were a perfect match/opportunity. And he signed with the Cubs? Pick your FA SP? They virtually all signed for chalk, 3 or 4yrs at almost exact predictions. Even if we didn't sign Stoman to lead the staff, we couldn't absorb a pair of $14M deals to front the rotation for 3 to 4yrs? Even if/when the current pipeline starts producing....as it started to with Ober and Ryan last year...the payroll would fine with those minimum additions, plus Donaldson comes off the books in 2yrs if kept, plus Maeda and his easily navigable salary is only 1 more year, (maybe a fairly inexpensive re-sign?), plus the 2 arms signed this off-season might hold quality trade value in a year or two. Win-win! You spend $ to front your rotation and keep your team competitive. You put butts in the seats for ownership. You give your team a legitimate shot to, well, take a shot. You work in your young talent over the next season or two, and you might have trade assets. Instead, you have Bundy. Now, I'm not upset about Bundy. Some combination of his 2 best seasons in Baltimore and his 2020 with the Angels is enticing. But IMO, they have WASTED opportunity gift wrapped to them. Unless they are going to just waste the opportunity to compete in 2022, they have few avenues now to correct the current direction. And sorry, signing the good but questionable Story for $20M+ and 5yrs isn't the answer. 1] Rodon was the one very obvious omission FA SP to not be gobbled up thus far. We all know why. He wasn't quite the same after his IL stint, but he wasn't bad. Unless there is something serious lingering, he should be ready to go in 2022. If the Twins want to compete, then take a damn risk for once on a 1yr or 1+1 that could pay a huge dividend! They HAVE the payroll flexibility to do so. Then sign the next best FA you believe in or pull off another smart trade like Odorizzi or Maeda and give your team a workable rotation and promote and plug-in the prospects throughout the season. Add someone competent at SS, add one solid BP arm, add a flier, maybe add a cheap 4th OF option, and you have a shot. All very do-able. 2] Make a trade for ONE quality SP, then sign the best FA option left you like and follow the rest of the plan laid out in the previous point. The results COULD turn out as well, BUT, you already traded for a SP. Could you possibly be smart and savy enough to trade for two? 3] You trade ML roster players and/or milb prospects for TWO SP. Maybe you hit a couple HR's here. But how much have you given up? What about building depth and sustainability? What have you given up for a couple 1 or 2yr contracts, potentially? And if you trade someone from the ML roster, who then replacez them? My FO grade is probably a B+, maybe an A for everything they've done thus far for the ENTIRETY of what they've done thus far. And I DO NOT want my opinion of them to nosedive from a single off-season. But unless they find a way to correct what I see as a huge error of missed opportunity, they are currently crashing to an overall C grade at best. A few big mistakes can undo a lot of good things very quickly. Going to be really interesting to see what happens after the lockout ends.

Nick, a well thought arguement and one I've shared for a while without stating such. LF is a question mark for 2022 and the 4th OF is open and debatable. But it's not to say there aren't options. Larnach is the #1 guy so AK can concentrate more on 1B. I think Arraez can and will still play a little LF if his knees are sound. (Why he played so little there in 2021). Miranda may get some time there just to get his bat in the lineup. Yes, Rooker and Cave are still around. They could be anywhere from awful to excellent platoon based on history. And, you even have Gordon for a speedy fill-in. I don't want to rush Celestino again, or Martin, so I'm trying to think of each as mid season options other than "break glass in case emergency" scenarios. So IMO, unless Kepler is moved as part of a deal, I only see a quality 4th OF being added or needed. Pillar and Herrera probably make the most sense. Again, things change if they move Kepler NOW.

That video was AWESOME! What is Domingo Ayala doing these days? Could he be brought in as another assistant for morale and comedy relief? Assistant catching and morale coach? I felt like I was watching a new age Python sketch, LOL. On a serious note, one of the best things I think the FO has done has been hiring good coaches throughout the system, though we have, unfortunately also lost some of them. But I've also applauded them in recent years as to making their staffs more culturally varied. I think they've done a great job focusing on Latin coaches from the ML on down. That is so important in regard to not only development, but from a simple communication standpoint.

While I expect nobody to man 2B other than Polanco for the next 3-5yrs or so, I really like the depth at 2B over and above Arraez and Gordon. While the jury is still out on any prospect, Steer, Julian and Severino, there is some exciting potential there. At this point, I view Soularie as an "athlete" looking for a position. Steer and Julian have moved around the diamond and field and could offer some great super utility options with potential offense, including pop/power and even some speed in different combinations. Thus far, Steer has seen some time at SS at each of his stops. I don't know how good his glove is overall, much less how well he plays SS, but I'm really hoping he can be serviceable there to increase his overall value. I think Steer's ETA is 2023 but wouldn't be shocked if he made a ML appearance late in 2022.

PLEASE, this is NOT supposed to be more angst about what WASN'T done or how PO'd and disappointed we all are...me included...before the lockout, in regard to to opportunities that passed by because the FO either was caught off guard by rapid signings, or just decided they were taking a different course that we can only guess at, speculate at, etc. This post is about WHAT DO THEY DO NOW? To be any sort of competitive team in 2022 vs a re-build...which we are told is not coming...and there IS still a nucleus on hand...there are 4 primary areas to address for 2022: 1] SP 2] SP 3] SS 4] At least one solid BP option to augment what is on hand vs just depth and flier possibilities. I will begin. I have always felt the Twins would make at least ONE trade for a SP for 2022. The names, the organizations, are out there. I still believe a trade will be made. Oakland and Cincinnati may be the best opportunities for such. Each team has tantalizing options, some with SP options with varying amounts of control. I am not going to name a single player or trade proposal because I'm leaving the forum up to you all. So who do you feel makes the most sense to trade for? Do we look at Castillo and pay a ransom? Or do we look at Oakland for one of 3 arms with different control options? We need at least one more SP option. It makes ZERO sense for the Twins to accumulate milb position depth position and pitching wise and then just churn them over when they speak about sustainability. So unless they find a steal somewhere, they are going to need to spend some $ on another FA. Kershaw and Greinke are out of the equation for various reasons, IMO. Kikuchi is still out there, unless I've missed his returning to Japan. Pineda is still a smart re-sign, who I liked much better than Bundy, even though Bundy might have a higher ceiling. I DON'T like a trade for a quality arm and Pineda and Bundy but it may be a reality with some hope. And that hope may be disastrous, but I'm not sold. The ONE remaining arm that COULD make a difference is Rodon. Thus far, everyone has passed, including the Dirty Sox. Some rumors have Chicago passing due to payroll and young pitching they want to work in. He was OUTSTANDING before missing time due to injury, yet again, but seemed sound at the end of the season. If the medicals seem OK, do the Twins take a shot on a 1yr deal for a potential difference maker who could make anywhere from 20-25 GS? Could he and Pineda and Bundy be a sort of bridge of production while Ober and Ryan and our top prospects work their way in? I have to say I don't think Story fits in the Twins plans at SS, IMO. The years, the numbers, questions about offensive sustainability, I don't think he fits. They need a SS. It's going to be a short signing for someone, and I'm OK with that if they really have faith in Lewis. Despite the urgency that other organizations felt to sign SP, the RP market is pretty much open still. There are some interesting arms still out there to add at least ONE quality arm for the pen to POTENTIALLY have a quality pen. And they need to make sure the BP is deep and ready to go, with depth, hopefully with a guy or two has options to shuttle. Just my thoughts. But this OP is about what the Twins need to do after the lockout and the CBA is settled. What would YOU DO?