DocBauer

Once again I tell you that this series has been outstanding! (Even though I spent more time enjoying the read, memories, and names I remembered, forgot, or didn't know vs actually commenting). I think my biggest surprise, in retrospect, was how many guys, really good guys, filled the OF spots. For example, Allison was before my time, but I'm familiar with him. But I didn't realize how much he moved around. I always thought he was the RF before Oliva. I forgot how much Brunansky moved around, having remem9him only as a RF. Other examples, of course, but attempting to be brief. One position that really struck me was 3B when comparing Gaetti and Koskie. I loved both players and remember them well. Yet, if I recall your WAR rankings correctly, (And I'm not a big WAR person), Koskie was higher than Gaetti there. For fun, since I held back so much until the end of your posts, I'd like to offer up my humble opinions. 1B] Hrbek...(LOVE Morneau, but injuries are a reality that suck) 2B] Carew SS] Smalley (Gagne a STRONG 2nd place!) 3B] Gaetti or Koskie, sue me for not being able to choose. LF] Mack...(actually forgot how good he was) CF] Puckett...duh! RF] Oliva C ] Mauer DH] Killibrew...HOF at 3 spots. Just put him at DH and play wherever! Utility] Knoblauch and Allison. Want to debate these two? Dare anyone!

Agreed! Three options: 1] It's still very early and they are looking at a lot of guys right now. 2] They are being short-sighted, which seems strange for this FO and Rocco's approach coming over from a forward thinking organization. 3] They have drilled Austin in the OF and don't like what they see, which sounds a bit strange considering he was originally an OF in the minors, and have already made a conclusion. Sure hope it's #1.

Completely respect your opinion while also hoping as well that you are, indeed, proved wrong, lol. I think one thing we all have to do is just forget about Morrisson. They may both be power 1B who each played for the Rays, but comparisons should stop there. They are different players, at different points in their careers. Cron has been solid, but bounced in and out of lineups behind other guys, putting up decent but spectacular numbers, never having more than 400 AB until his breakout in 2018. He finally played daily and got 500AB. He reportedly made some adjustments to his approach. You would think Rocco is at least familiar with him also coming over from TB and having some input on his signing. He could, more or less, duplicate his 2018 season. He could regress some and still be a decent hitter with 20+HR power and still be an asset. I doubt he's any sort of long term solution, but he could prove to be a solid short term option until Rooker, Kirilloff, etc, is ready.

Well thought out, well written. In brief, I am going to disagree with your grade. I am calling it a solid B to B+ grade. Selfishly, I won't go in to specifics as I have a long explanation why that I any be doing as a post so I can get a lot of people to disagree with me. Lol

"A person close to the situation said this has the potential to be Your Dad’s greatest Twins-related befuddlement since the Mike Pagliarulo Incident of 1991." Lest we forget the horrifying "Doug Mintcabbage" incident that began in 1998!

Fun discussion with a potential empty premise. But I can't argue with your choices, Tom. Duda seems to be a perfect candidate to show everyone there is gas in the tank still. But I'm split on Collins and Morin. Both could bounce back, and I'm not so sure the Twins won't go north with a trio of LH in the pen. But could Collins rebound enough to pass Moya and Vasquez? I am really hoping for Wade, to show he will be ready at some point, and either Reed or Eades. Reed should have received a shot last year. I had written off Eades until he adapted so well to the pen last season and his various roles. I like Magill's FB and slider if he could just find some damned consistency. I'm not one who believes he's secure at all.

I think John's headline pretty much says it all. You simply don't know who, when, if someone gets hurt or just has a poor season or stretch. Gonzalez is a great answer for that, as well as being a great fill-in all over the place if and when the roster is healthy. It's also possible we are already seeing an example of this. I don't have any new information, but it was reported/conjectured elsewhere that Adrianza could be an early season DL candidate due to still recovering from the injury to his left shoulder and being limited to swinging from only one side.

I liked this post and pretty much agree 100%. But I do have a bit of an objection in regard to Astudillo. And yes, I am absolutely a fan, but I'm also a believer. I think the bat is for real, though not to the degree we saw last season. It also seems to me the budding power he showed last season may be for real. While C and 3B may be his best spots, he could be a very valuable bat to have around. I think the biggest question is how well or adequately he plays another position or two or three. ST, for him, may be more of an audition defensively than offensively. FWIW, with options remaining, I think he begins the season at Rochester. But injuries happen, and opportunity arises. Someone like Austin or Duda could force the Twins to take them north, at least initially, to see how things play out. Having too many guys you want to keep is a good problem to have. I feel pretty good about our position player depth at this point.

In my head, and my personal rankings, I am excluding Harmon for one of the reasons he was so great: he could literally be named the best at 3 different spots. In my head, the HOFer almost needs to be removed from the conversation. Hence, my choice for Mack as best LF.

Sorry, I haven't clicked the Magill link as of yet. But from my eye, just way too inconsistent and way too many HR balls. That being said, there were a lot of times I watched him and his mid 90's heat and slider were good to nasty. Can he be taught more consistency at this point? I'm not convinced, even with a 7 man pen, that. 3rd LH won't be kept instead of someone like Magill or Hildenberger.

Yes, I absolutely hope we have another pen addition before much longer. But this is smart! I've been strongly advocating a move like this for weeks, just never thought it would be Marwin. I would much rather have a FO, manager and coaching staff trying to figure out how to keep 16 position players they like and want when there is only room for 13, rather than trying to find 13 and praying nobody gets hurt or performs poorly. This same time last year nobody could know or predict the seasons/injuries/suspensions of Sano, Buxton, Polanco and Castro.[not to mention Dozier finally admitting to playing hurt all season]. I feel so much better about roster depth and flexibility now.

Schoop had an amazing 2017. Everyone wants to talk about that vs his "collapse" in 2018 due to all the things mentioned above. But his 2 previous seasons to 2017 were really good. I expect a big bounce back season. My only problem is, do we find a way to keep him beyond this season. Gordon has real talent and potential. He's just not fast tracking the way we all hoped. If he needs a full season of AAA, or close to it, should we just dismiss him because he isn't the stud we hoped a 1st round pick should be? Isnt the payoff more important than the original investment?

Liking this post or not...and I do/did...i have NEVER liked the "insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results" comment. That is NOT the definition of insanity, though poignant. Is that comment truly from Einstein? I consider myself to be a pretty smart and intelligent individual, but always wondered where that comment came from. NOT absolving Molitor for limited arms on hand, nor blaming him or injuries, but there were times when you just had to let a game go, or toss someone to the mound and hope for the best, instead of abusing and over using the trusted arms you had. I agree with the recent article by Tom, the bullpen has a low floor but a pretty high ceiling. I still would rather have Romero and Mejia starting, maybe even piggybacking one another, even alternating for the 5th rotation spot. But what do I know? Maybe Romero is destined to be the next great Twins closer. Is that a bad thing? I keep hearing Odorizzi had his worst year. But I also read he was among the top X SP in many categories. Pineda, healthy, could be very good. I hate that there are so many questions. But I'm also excited about so much potential.

NOT a fan or apologist of Molitor as a manager. Simply stating that there were games when the Twins seemed to be obviously on the short end of things and he would put out his most trusted RP in hope of a surprising comeback instead of letting a game maybe go by. To his defense, the pen may not have always been as deep as needed. But again, don't you just toss a "someone" out there at times and hope vs riding your best relievers in a possible no win situation? I don't like Romero and Mejia in the pen. Mostly because I think both have real starter potential. But if the FO and Rocco see this as best arms on hand, and not limiting their potential to such, and being fluid in their usage and future roles, then I'm on board with starting 2019 in the pen.

23yo now and a successful AAA debut, even in SSS. A history of winning and great numbers posted in his milb career and missing 2 whole seasons. Personally, I'd put him #4 on the prospect list. He doesn't need to be rushed! There is no reason for him not to begin 2019 at Rochester. And there is no reason for him not to be ready by mid season. It's all up to him. As stated, he's not just a soft tossing lefty who tricks batters. Pre and post injury and illness he has shown real ability and real stuff. Just give him a little more time to develop and work on his stuff. You mentioned all of Romero, Mejia and Gonsalves. Romero and Mejia will be in the pen initially as Rocco and his staff prepare for 2019. If they follow development the way the Rays have, and the Cardinals have, and the way the Twins did with Santana and Liriano, both of these guys could figure in the 2019 rotation and beyond. Gonsalves is a classic SP who just needs time to learn and adapt. And when called upon at some point in 2019 we will see a different pitcher than we saw initially in 2018, as a rookie. Thorpe has even better stuff than Gonsalves. Let him blow away AAA and bring him up when needed. Nurture Romero and Gonsalves and Mejia as needed, plug them in where they best fit, but never lose sight of the 2nd half of 2019 and beyond.

Big bat and offensive potential with power and what appears to be decent contact and a decent approach and good eye. All great! But what else could he offer? I mean, a college bat with power and hitting and power potential is NOT some outlier ML teams are oblivious to. Right? But then you mix in high intelligence and genuine WANT to be a catcher and control the game and I think the FO may have quickly gone from a "huh" to very smart selection.

Hey Mike, just really wanted to thank you for all these greatest/retrospect posts. I have really enjoyed them! I feel a tad guilty as I haven't posted, until now, despite my enjoyment. Been a little more quiet as of late, gearing up for ST I think! LOL But these have been wonderful and very well thought out! For context purposes, I'm 53 and been a Twins fan since my father introduced me them ata be 5. You wouldn't guess my age to look at me, nobody does, and I certainly don't act my age a lot of days, lol. But I've been an avid fan for 48yrs. Wow, how time flies! What I really enjoy is reading about guys that were before my time, and their place in Twins history, as well as reading about some guys I had forgotten about. I find it fun and interesting when I remember someone that you don't. Just brings back a lot of memories scrounging through limited paper information before the internet, and so many years listening to AM radio, sometimes filled with static. I wish I had had the time to comment on each of these posts, but alas, I haven't had the opportunity to do so. And at this point, going back would probably fall on deaf ears. All of this being said I wanted to jump on this positional post. I'm not a big WAR guy for various reasons that are unimportant here. Due to context, I am leaving Cardenas out of the equation. From the history of the Twins, I'd have to place Versalles as the best overall SS. My memories of Smalley are two-fold. His initial time with the Twins and his homecoming. Wondering...in case I missed it somehow...is your WAR ranking skewed because his second time around was more of a DH/utility role? Offense and defense, production and memory, I would make a shorter list of the following: 1] Versalles 2A] Gagne 2B] Smalley 3] Guzman Rea)y torn between Bartlett and Mears limited time.

Fresh off winter ball, and in a comfort zone the pitchers certainly aren't the first day, his HRs are fun, but meaningless. What is NOT meaningless is his incredible milb career hitting results carrying over to Rochester and Minnesota in 2018, along with increased power, and continuing this trend through the just completed winter season. Just how good he can be is debatable, but there is nothing to indicate he is just a fun story as opposed to a real ballplayer and real find. Early season breaks, I believe the Twins will open with a 12 man staff. Hopefully it will stay that way. The FO has made comments about where they will NOT play him vs all the spots they WILL. That's pretty high praise and a rather telling arguement as to their opinion of him. Other than injury, the only way he doesn't make the opening roster is the fact he has an option. The Twins may simply want more time with Austin or even a resurgent Duda. That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Having too many guys you like, who can help the club, is a good thing. Over/under on Astudillo getting 300 ML/AB? I'm betting the over!

I think it's easy to quibble about the order of the rankings, but that has already been expressed previously. Based on early results, potential, and the thoughts of others not involved with TD, I do wonder a bit about Balazovic not appearing in the top 20. I have a feeling that will change come this time next year, if not a mid-season re-shuffle. It may sound strange to say, but one of the things that intrigues me is the listing of prospects that were honorable mention outside the top 20. There are a lot of guys there that have real ML potential in the next couple of years. My greatest "concern" is also the thing that excites me most. There is just so much talent and potential on this top 20 list, despite some question marks. There are a couple guys here rough around the edges with, maybe, lower floors, but with very high ceilings. Alcala and Duran are prime examples. Both have big arms and each could be part of the rotation in the next couple of years, but each has enough to work on to project as quality relievers instead, or wash out as just tantalizing hard throwers. But that's where the new FO, new coaches, and a new way of doing things comes in to play.

Absolutely! Why I still preach patience at times. I believe in promotions for top talent. And I think thjs FO has been, and will be aggressive. But you also have to knkw when jts prudent to pull the reigns back a bit. For example, they were aggressive with Romero. But he's still a work in progress, especially for his 3rd pitch. But he's also one of the best arms we have. Can we be smart enough to utilize him properly in 2019 and still develop him? Khirilloff is a NATURAL. That doesn't mean he doesn't have things to learn and adjustments to be made. But I think he's ready right now for AA. To rake like he did in a pitcher friendly league tells me he is ready for the next level. Personally, despite his talent and potential, I wouldn't care if he didn't debut until 2020 for various reasons. But I wouldn't be surprised if he forces the issue this year. What a wonderful conundrum it would be to place Khirilloff, Rosario, Buxton, Kepler, Cron, Cruz all in the same lineup with Cave saying....wait a minute, what about me? But I'm OK with stacking talent, end of 2019 and beyond.

Quoted this even though I also wanted to quote ashburyjohn and nicksaviking. Just easier this WAY. All of you are correct. I mean, if you want to be abstract, a slider is a "change" from a FB, etc. But that is obviously not what we are talking about here. But there are different variations of a "changeup". There is the straight change, the circle change, the palm ball, and some would tell you the splitter was a form of change for a power pitcher. Just...SOMEBODY...grab this kid and teach him SOMETHING in regard to a repeatable 3rd pitch that has speed variation and at least decent control, because his other stuff is outstanding. No rush. Work on the third pitch. Not "babying" him, just working on the 3rd pitch and building up endurance of IP for a full season.

Sorry Seth, my copy of the Handbook says 6' 1" 247lbs. Did I get a mis-print? Refund! Lol But seriously, I have to wonder how much height really matters. I understand the downward plane concept of course. But not every successful power pitcher has had had a towering frame. I have often mentioned Pedro Martinez when discussing Berrios in the past. I have done so knowing Pedro was more of a slider pitcher while Jose is more of a curveball thrower. And I have little doubt Berrios is larger,overall, than Perez. But live FB, Bulldog mentality and lack of height is why I always grouped them together. HUGE fan and believer in Berrios, and believe we have yet to see the best of him. Graterol seems to have the same "attitude" and work ethic as Berrios...and Perez. The fact that he throws a slider rather than a curve may make him an even better comp to Perez than Berrios. The whole point is, height and length is not always in play. Hard stuff is hard stuff. Big breaking stuff that missing bats is still big breakjng stuff. It still comes down to control and consistency, doesnt it? Yes, to be an effective SP you need at least 1 more pitch. But in today's game, with high K totals, swinging for the fences batters, and the high K looking better and better for smart pitchers who can hit spots, does height and plane even matter as much any longer?

I understand and appreciate your consternation. But we DO have those types of prospects. Their names are Lewis and Khirilloff and even Graterol. Before that was Sano and Buxton. And we can all lament the status of those two. I know I do! Only time will tell about Sano and Buck. But consider Sano was an All Star in 2017 before a very significant injury which required surgery. Buxton had a completely messed up 2018. There are HUGE questions surrounding both of these young men. Early reports are good health, both working hard and being fit and ready for 2019. We will see. But we shouldn't be down on Javier at this point. He has shown outstanding ability when healthy. His first injury was a hamstring issue. Just one if those things? Possibly due to still growing in to his body? Who knows? The second was a torn labrum on his left, non-throwing arm. As has been stated, young Khirilloff had an injury just as severe, if not more so, and came back with a vengeance in 2018. If he is fully healthy in 2019, Javier could be following a similar path that Khirilloff and Lewis followed last year.

This! Absolutely! I hope to eat crow about Perez, but I thought his signing was head scratching at best. Now, I think there is a good chance Pineda dies well. But Perez? The final spot shku,d be an audition for anyone and everyone, including Mejia and Romero specifically. I even envisioned a scenario where they could see innings out of the pen...on a regulated basis...and piggyback one another in the rotation. I can read the numbers that are not so great in Romero's resume. But I can also read scouting reports and watch him on the mound and see what he is capable of. He missed a great deal of time and was still performing well and promoted quickly. He is a young man with tons of potential still harnessing his stuff. I get his long term role could be as an outstanding RP. And that is still a good thing! But no way do you convert a young arm with his potential to the bullpen at this time. However...he is one of the Twins best 12-13 arms for sure. And if your plan is to not use him in an old school, regimented fashion, then he can still pitch a lot of ML innings and continue to hone his stuff for a move back to the rotation. It's been done before with great success. And the Cardinals are somewhat known for doing this. But as has been mentioned, the Twins also did this with Santana and Liriano. I am fine with him, and Mejia, in the pen to begin 2019. But it would be a HUGE mistake to slot them in as situational or 1 IP guys.

Just a quick note. Got the most recent issue of Baseball America today and they had Javier listed among a top 10 list of prospects they hoped had a healthy year. They didn't get in to specifics but mentioned he was one of the top international FA in 2015 along with Vlad Jr, Tatis Jr and Juan Soto. That's some pretty heady company!