DocBauer

I really liked the bullpen a lot even before the proposed addition of Graterol. (Not going to discuss my mixed feelings about that here). The pen is a great mix of a couple proven and productive elder statesmen, some experienced arms, and a group of very talented young arms with depth potential. The Twins BP doesn't have the "proven" vets some teams have? Well, those guys had to earn their reputation at some point also, didn't they? Really hard to ignore what Rogers, May and Duffey have done. Really hard to ignore the potential we saw in Littell and Stashak. SSS, but Poppen looked like he could have a future. Alcala? We'll see, but the STUFF is there to be a fast riser now that he's in the pen. I am NOT sold on Wisler. He could be an easy cut, former top prospect or not. But what an interesting flier. Usually your problem with any pitcher is his change or breaking ball. But he has a great slider and someone has to teach him how to throw a good FB? Hello Mr Johnson! And Romero? There is just so much to like here, even without Graterol included.

For the record, I don't believe, and have never believed, that Polanco will morph in to a stud, Gold Glove candidate at SS. And for purposes of my opinion, I don't want to discuss shifts or the change in the game with launch angles and relative lack of necessity for infield defense compared to years past. I want to just talk about Polanco's defense in general. I believe, still believe, and feel history absolutely backs me up on this...with the exception of a small percentage of wonderful, natural fielders...that any infield position, SS in this particular discussion, can be a LEARNED position with repition. In other words, a good athlete, with work and experience, can absolutely improve his skills and defensive acumen. Now, of course, you have to start with an athlete who has ability or any argument just gets tossed out the window. Polanco is a very nice athlete. His range is nothing spectacular. His arm is nothing spectacular. All duly noted. And I fully appreciate various reports here and elsewhere that want to discuss his limitations. I am quite sure there are experts, including some right here on TD who are just more savvy, experienced, who see the Twins even more than I do, who will disagree, but I don't feel range is really his issue. Over the last couple of seasons I have seen him make some truly outstanding plays ranging either direction. But whether it be concentration, or related footwork issues, what has frustrated me is balls he gets to but seem to just miss or pop out of his glove. I love and appreciate the great plays. But what I want to see is just more consistency on the balls he gets to. Between coaching, footwork, and plain old experience and repetition I think he can really improve. I also have to believe the same is true for his throws. Work on the fly or not, and every throw is not the same, a better comfort level with his motion should allow for growth and greater consistency. He will never be a defensive star, but I ABSOLUTELY believe experience will make him a better fielder than he has been before. In regard to playing deeper, or more shallow in regard to his arm strength, I guess the one question I have is what's more important? Getting to more balls overall, or getting the chance for a throw? From what Parker reported, it seems playing "shorter" and having more "throw out" opportunities is what the Twins are stressing.

It's a calculated and smart strategy, for the most part, in the various FA they have signed. (And let's be fair, not everyone signed the past few years has been over 30). Don't have a DH or someone we want to move there at this time? Sign an outstanding bat and team presence for that role. Really like some of the young arms for the pen but want some proven experience without locking up a long term deal considering the volatility of the life of a RP? Add Romo and Clippard with proven results and no long term comitment. We can argue about Donaldson. We can argue about the value of 30yo or over SP available this past offseason. But the plan and results are pretty clear to me; fill in and augment holes, or add to the team in general, without handcuffing $ for extensions, guys next offseason, or block some of the bright kids getting close. It's not like MLB was having an over 30yo blue light special and we backed up the truck to build a team.

Gut feeling, both Ray and Gray are going to be available as I just don't see either of their teams "in it" for 2020. Interested in Alcantara. He is by no means a finished product. But he's on a losing team with youth and velocity on his side. I see him as sort of an "Odorizzi" type of addition, but at a higher cost and more upside.

Keep in mind, I'm a huge fan of Eddie, love to watch him play, and absolutely forgive the occasional misplay in the OF or bad judgment one while running the bases because he makes another 3 or 4 outstanding plays to make up for it. I can even forgive his free swinging ways...to some degree...as long as he is producing overall and preferably slightly lower in the order. BTW...not only do I believe just ankle affected his hitting last season, but I also wonder if he was sort of "green lit" at the cleanup spot? I do think, however, that Eddy's days may be numbered due to simple economics. Even a totally healthy Eddie in 2020 and 2021, we have a couple younger, less expensive, highly regarded prospects who have bright future that could replace him in the next year or two. I love Eddie. I just think he's probably gone in 2yrs...not that I'm asking for that to happen.

Count me as those disappointed he won't be starting. I felt if his stuff, secondary stuff especially, looked good out of ST, he could/should be in the mix for an opener/primary role and then transition him the smartest way possible to whatever role and IP made sense. If his stuff didn't look quite right, then let him continue to work on his secondary stuff at Rochester and bring him up when necessary/ready. I applaud the aggressive nature of the FO to use their greatest talents. And I guess, even though Johnson speaks of him coming out of the pen, we don't really know what that will entail. He could easily be used in a "primary" or mid/long relief mode initially This allows him to stretch out and work on/use his secondary offerings without putting too big of an IP demand on him. As someone else said, I just hope they have a real plan for him and not just stick him in the pen for single IP stints.

No to Price for all the obvious reasons. Just forget Clevinger. Not only super expensive, probably worth the price, but no way the Indians trade him to the Twins. Interested in both Freeland and Cueto coming back from injury. Freeland, being younger, would cost more. Cueto would be a shorter term investment and cost less prospect wise. I'm not so sure a couple guys we talk about aren't available now. Does Colorado really think they have a shot? Then why have they been shopping their best player? Arizona wasn't planning on adding anyone until Bumgarner worked his own deal to fit in and fell on their laps. They may have the depth to deal now.

Now hold on for a second, Brock. I never mentioned CF. That is an entirely different topic. How far do you want to go back. Landreaux? Eisenreichm? Puckett? WHOLE different topic, which I would love to get in to. But I was referencing catchers. I have not forgotten AJ or Ramos in any way, but you are also talking about ML career production. Perhaps I should have been more clear, but I was speaking about youth and prospect depth. Where there was AJ, tnere was Mauer. Where there was Mauer there was Ramos. And each of these scenarios was what, 8-12yrs ago or so? I was thinking of depth overall. To have Garver in place, and a couple of such interesting and exciting young prospects so close is tantalizing to me. How about we do a whole different conversation about the history of Twins CF prospects the past 20-30yrs plus?

Great OP and congrats for being "knighted" though tinged with jealousy, lol. Like Brock, I had to laugh about pitching depth pushing May to the pen. Love Gardy. Always will. But pushing May to the pen over Pelfrey, when he was showing real potential, will always be a demerit in regard to Gardy's tenure as manager. But it may have turned out for the best, especially considering results since, and May's acceptance of his role, and the fact it was basically his idea to begin with. Unless I am mistaken, he had a nice FB and great curve but so so change when he came up. His "problem" in early '19...though he didn't exactly stink...was going back and forth with his curve vs a slider. Where he began to really excel was trusting his FB more and settling on a power curve/slider/slurve mix similar to Duffey. Please correct me if I'm wrong here. As long as he can continue to trust his breaking pitch, I have all the confidence in the world in May. No matter how hard you try to balance things, you can't extend everyone. But I would absolutely like to do so with May if possible. We all want to forget the series with N.Y. last year. But one thing I've read over and over again is how good the Twins BP was the second half of 2019 but how the Yankees had the proven "names" in the pen. How do you become a "name" until you gain experience? The Twins had a handful of talented rookies vs veterans in that series. Imagine keeping our current pen together...Rogers, May, Duffey, etc... for another 3yrs and what they might become/accomplish.

Hey! Look at me! I think I finally figured out how to multi-quote! LOL. Going to just be excited for myself for a moment because no matter how smart an individual I am, or pretend to be, or techno savy about certain things, I am just not a natural computer guy. So self kuddos to me. Lol I like both comments equally. I just have a great, but feeling about Rotvedt. I have a soft place for catchers and feel they are vastly underrated. Mostly because they may be the hardest position to quantify. Everyone wants a great offensive catcher...rare as they may be...who also plays great defense. But how do you measure their defense? Is it SB %? Is it framing? Is it any of the current defensive analytics? A long time ago, even with game plannjng and sideline suggestion, an NFL QB used to call plays. Despite analytics and dugout calls, the catcher still has to call a game and have the trust of his pitcher to "work" a game together. How do you measure that sort of thing? Rortvedt, right now, to me, is behind Jeffers due to age and bat, and because everything seems to indicate the Twins really like and believe in Jeffers. But being the current #2 in the system shouldn't diminish the ability and potential of Rortvedt as a viable, quality ML catcher with hit and power potential. Who knows how good he could yet be. But with Garver in the mix as well, I do wonder if there is room for all 3. We talk about OF/1B/DH depth in the system, but I can't recall this much catching depth in the system for some time, if ever. A trade could be involved at some point. But this is another good problem to have.

Absolutely agree 100%. Turner was no slouch as a prospect. And the previous FO decided to, mostly, stagger he and Garver rather than have them on the same roster. Turner was accepted as the better defensive option, and the higher selection, FWTW, even though he was less of a polished hitter. Were Turner and Garver under the control of the current administration, even accepting their same draft selection status, which I have doubts about, I have to wonder if they wouldn't have pushed Garver faster and be would have possibly gained his MLB "sea legs" a year earlier and been more prepared in 2018 to take over for the injured Castro. Personally, I always felt he was held back somewhat.

Repeating myself I know, but the FO is smart and not blind. They know perfectly well the rotation is not set up ideally for the first month and a half. Again, we don't know how much they, and the staff, really like and believe in the kids we are looking at for that time frame. They may be sky high, or guarded optimistic what these guys can do for the start of the season, and their potential going forward. But don't think for a second they aren't making calls and receiving calls. Colorado has been actively shopping their very best player! They are doing that because they think they are going to contend? Arizona, unless they really believe they are ready for a push, was not planning on signing anyone until Bumgarner fell in to their laps on an almost self written deal. Do they have room now to move someone? How crazy and desperate is Boston? Is Miami really going to do anything in 2020? Point is, there is the POTENTIAL for a deal yet to be made. Nobody has turned off the phones. NO, we don't HAVE to make a deal right now. But I think we are open to one if it makes sense. If one of these teams has someone available that the FO feels is a legitimate #2-3 option...#1 options are seldom available, just being honest...without overpaying, we are going to listen. Whether they make the move depends on prospect cost and what they truly feel about what is on hand. Other than another flier, I think we are done for now. Larnach and Gordon, just an example, for Gray or Ray? I think the FO probably pulls the trigger.

Great point. Couple of those guys are decent candidates to be back though.

Lest we forget, despite selecting lower than we have in some time, and missing our 3rd selection with the Donaldson signing, there is another draft in June to continue to add depth. Oh, and international signings as well. A few quality players dealt will not shatter the system or negatively affect it in a gross way by any stretch of the imagination.

Fully appreciate your disciple...err...assignment to write this devil's advocate piece. There is a risk involved, we all know that. But power and late discipline age slowly or elite bats. He can side to 1B or DH after a couple of years. All he really needs to do is work out and stay healthy, IMO, which you would tend to expect of a professional athlete. His signing also changes the perception of the Twins to their current players, and future FA possibilities. Considering the immediate, and future payroll considerations, and those of players who have yet to arrive, his contract should not handcuff the Twins. Any risk is worth noting. But barring an absolute collapse of some sort, the good far outweighs most any potential risk.

Wow. A very convincing arguement. Other than trade, the only guys I would consider were Wood and Walker. We lost out on Wood, a mistake IMO, but could still have a very interesting flier in Walker. I have never really considered McHugh. Probably was dismissive of being 32yo, so-so stat line from 2019, and not considered a true SO. But you've made me look closer to not only 2019, but to his career, and now I'm thinking he would be a cheap, 1yr late January addition that could make an awful lot of sense. While every addition has certainly not worked out, the FO has made it a habit the past couple of years of brining guys in late on value contracts. Could this be another one?

Walker, to me, is one of those low risk high reward fliers that smart teams sign at the end of January.

Love the post. Really, really wish we could re-wind time to late last season and pitch some of these kids more in place of Perez and Gibson. I GET why they didn't, they were trusting more experienced guys and really hoping at least one if them would right himself in time for the post season. Obviously, it didn't work that way. I don't doubt for a moment that Falvey and Levine will continue to work the phones. They are fully aware the first month or so looks a little weak. What we don't know is just how much the FO likes and believes in these youngsters. I doubt they are going to tell us. But if we don't see a trade before the season starts that tells us 1 of 2 things, or both. 1] The cost to add now is exorbitant 2] They really like the potential of these kids, especially considering the cost asked for.

I also love the idea of at least 1 open slot in the rotation for the prospects to audition and gain experience. If they don't receive opportunity, how will they ever develop and how will ever know to trust them? The problem with this process is we are looking at 2 such scenarios, at least to open the year. The best time to do all this would have been last year, when the Twins were coming off a disappointing season, rather than coming off a 101 win year. But the kids weren't ready at the beginning of 2019. And late in the year, for whatever reason, Perez and Gibson were still getting opportunities. I guess I don't know that I have the right answer at the moment. Wait until mid season and then see what happens and trust/audition the kids initially? Makes sense to me. But I also find it a scary proposition for the first month plus.

Ted, I also love and believe it makes a difference. And I absolutely believe the Twins could take a step forward with a better defense. However, I will state that I think catcher and OF are pretty damn good. The infield, however, needs to improve. Donaldson improves 3B, of course. And as I stated in the Donaldson signing thread, Sano will not suddenly be some outstanding 1B. But he has all the experience and ability to develop there anywhere from solid to good. The crux is the middle of the diamond. I do not expect Polanco to be the next Ozzie, Vizquel or even the next Gagne. But he is a fine athlete and only 26yo. Forgetting the greats, I could list pkayer after player who had high error totals in milb and their first few ML season's who turned out to be solid ML players defensively. Polanco is a fine athlete who is still learning and who just found a new throwing angle that seemed to work. Repeating myself from previous comments in different threads, his biggest issue is those plays where he is "right there" but the ball isn't in the glove. A little more consistency due to experience, and his overall defensive performance rises greatly. I have no illusions that Arraez will be a great defensive 2B. But he was a 23yo rookie playing various positions. How much better can he be settling at one spot daily? And let's not kid ourselves, the kid has shown natural instincts in everything he has done. Hyperbole or not, sometimes the comment that someone is a "ballplayer" actually means something. I get the trepidation and angst. Polanco and Arraez will never be outstanding. But there is easily room for improvement and growth as early as this season to be at least solid.

Maybe it's simply hyperbole in the moment, but I'm intrigued by his comment about wanting to stay with the Twins. Dismiss it if you will but the Twins signed him, developed him, and have stuck by him. He, and the team, seem to have a bright future ahead of them. Bear with me for a moment. I am a Midwestern boy, born and raised. Living in Omaha, Nebraska most of my life, SD in my youth, this is HOME. I am a HUGE Husker fan. Over decades as such, you hear the same old rhetoric from teenage recruits, and their families, that they had no idea what Nebraska, and the University, the campus, the people, etc, were like until they came here. Honest to God, they expected some tiny town and wilderness and cornfields. OK, there are cornfields, lol. The biggest obstacle to recruiting is just getting kids here to visit. And then everything changes. How many MLB players come from the Midwest vs west coast and southern states? How many future Twins, even if they left later in their careers, still identify themselves as Twins for life? How many have come back for special occasions, or to work for the club or broadcasts to varying degrees? There have been debates and arguments about FA not wanting to play here. But when is the last time you heard anyone who played for the Twins say something like, "given a choice, I'd never play there or go there again"? Odorizzi has stated he'd like an extension to stay here. Why wouldn't he? I laugh when his QO pays him almost $18M and only Ryu and 3 others signed to play for more in 2020. And come on, Cole and Strasburg are in a different stratosphere. But some state his agent must be lousy. Come on! The Twins are investing in Sano and their other talent. Sure, Sano and others could bank on themselves and future paydays that exceed their Twins contract extensions. But if you like where you are...and there is that understanding and accepting of something you didn't know before you were there...and you can secure your financial future, it is a win win for both parties. Berrios and Buxton are next. Beyond that, and the Donaldson deal could change a lot of future opinions, the one thing the FO should concentrate on is becoming "recruiters" and not just businessmen.

Absolutely and completely understand the sentiment. Young, LH, controllable and SO ability. Honestly have to question why Detroit, devoid and desperate for talent, would give up on him. He would be behind Smeltzer and Thorpe, SP who could also find a role in the pen if the rotation doesn't work out. Or, as temporary moves. They have also signed a couple of so so fliers who could, maybe, surprise and help. And, as mentioned, Clippard is practically a LH RP himself. Milb contract and an invite.

This may or not be the time and place to bring this up...probably will end up being a OP brought up...but does the Donaldson change opinions on a SP move? I mean, for the most part, this team is BUILT! Bailey helps. Hill is a bit of a flier, but a potential 2nd half acquisition ahead of time who could pay big dividends. And there are some njce young arms to audition early, who could also pay dividends this year and going forward. But for the first month or so, there remains a potential hole in the rotation. Are you now more in on a move for someone like Price with $ exchanged and a couple lower prosoects? More inclined for additional prospect capital for Ray, Gray or maybe a youngster with promise like Alcantara? Or what about the rumored smaller deal of Cave for Hernandez from Miami? Does this change your opinion on what we need and what the FO seems to be doing and building?

Always thought the $80-85M was low. Figured and stated, I felt it was closer to $88-92 to fit in the parameters of what he had been making. Unless, of course, they did as I suggested the other day and up their offer some and tell Donaldson that was it. If they did do that, then I want some sort of consultant fee. Lol

Soon as my son gets home from the gym, I think I'm giving him my debit card to go buy a 6 pack. That way I can finish cooking supper, dance and celebrate, read, post and fantasize the rest of the night.