DocBauer

I think we all love playing amateur GM. I know I do! LOL The whole point of this is not what moves could the Twins make to be a contending team. That would take some serious lightening! And it's not just about working on the rebuild. It's also about this upcoming season, team needs, and what makes the Twins, overall, a better team to be more competitive and win more games. And that's not just about appeasing us fans or putting butts in the seats. It's about a rebuilding team also learning how to win. You don't want to simply sign mediocre veterans for a few games of improvement. And you don't want to just say, "this guy has talent and potential so we'll just promote him and see if he sinks or swims." There has to be a balance. Do the Twins have a legitimate need for a solid, quality 4th OF? Yes. Does signing one block Granite or Palka? No. Granite has no time above AA and Palka less than half a season. What's smarter, let them play every day for now at AAA or throw them to the ML wolves and spend most of their time on the bench? If Dozier is traded, do the Twins have a need for another solid, quality option in the infield? Yes. Is Gordon ready? No. Despite a great glove and a bit of hitting potential and speed, (remembering he did suffer through a few nagging injuries this past season), mean Vielma is ready to jump from AA? I don't see how. Does signing someone to a 1 or 2 year deal really affect Gordon's or Vielma's arrival or block them? No. Do the Twins have a closer option they can count on to deepen the bullpen and actually help close out and win games? No. Is winning games a good thing? Yes. Despite talent and real potential, are Burdi, Hildenberger, Reed and Melotakis really ready to jump from AA to the majors right now? The whole point is, simply, there are real options out there to actually fill holes, improve the team, get more wins, without really blocking anyone or getting hung up on big or long term contracts. And isn't what we all want a better, more competitive team with more wins?

Once again, I am not saying don't trade Dozier. And there is no way you can look at the Twins rotation for 2017 and not say it's got a ton of question marks involved. And in no way am I saying it will be a good rotation. But, assuming Dozier is kept as there just isn't a fair trade on the table, the rotation has one major question mark; Hughes. I'm at a loss that we haven't heard more about his offseason progress. Whether it be to open the season, or a month in, etc, a healthy Hughes shores up the potential of the unit quite a bit. Not saying he's a #1, but he often pitched like it in 2014. He was still pretty solid in 2015, though we seem to know now that some of his dip in ability may have been related to his developing injury. Hughes, Santana, an OK Santiago and a rebound by Gibson is not terrible. You still have the young May and Berrios to work with, and Mejia and Gonsalves at AAA that may be ready at some point. There are some "if's" there, to be sure, with Hughes being the biggest. Keeping or selling Dozier does nothing, unto itself, to address SS. Keeping him, however, does provide the team with a big bat and quality offense. The rotation could be addressed further down the line, mid-season via trades or call ups, etc, and next offseason. Not a perfect formula, but not sure there is such a thing as a perfect formula.

SS: This could still be solid with a healthy Escobar manning the position full time and reverting back to his 2014-15 form. There is no guarantee he will, but no reason to believe he can't or won't either. But you need SOMEONE to compete, at the very least, and fill the need for a backup position, again, at the very least. Did Drew sign with anyone yet? I confess to not paying enough attention to signings lately. He would be a perfect fit to challenge and rotate in at both 2B and SS with Escobar seeing some time at 3B as well. Akbar would also be an excellent choice. Late Inning Set Up: How about potential closer? The Storen deal almost makes me ill that it wasn't us. Feliz has been my first choice, however. And I'd gladly do a couple years for him. Once again, he could be a flip candidate, OR, still only 28 a longerror term option. Building a solid bullpen is a GOOD IDEA and helps the team actually win games and helps mitigate questions in the rotation...at least to some degree. Having someone...and there are indeed other options available still...to close games allows Chargois and Pressly to set up, at least initially. Duffey could fit a number of solid roles here if he doesn't step up as a SP option. And there are others. The entire bullpen gets deeper and stronger by bumping everyone down one notch. Left Handed Reliever: I agree this isn't a NEED spot as Rogers was solid, and should get better. Except for a couple appearances before getting hurt, Boshers was actually very effective and did a great job with SO. (I think some don't like him because of his pedigree from independent ball and the bad games, and not because of his solid results) O'Rourke has a shot if used properly. But I would still absolutely love the FO to find another Akbar, someone coming off injury, or a failed SP prospect to convert. Once again, we could be talking a flip candidate or longer term candidate depending on who and what age. Outfielder: Please! He doesn't even have to be a true CF option with Rosario able to play there. (Though it would be nice) Give me a quality RH bat to give Rosario and/or Kepler a day off against LH pitching and play solid defense. There IS a spot for Grossman here as a 5th OF who can DH PH and occassionally play the OF. Starting Pitching: Other than a move for Ross, or a cheap flyer I can't even think of right now, no more mediocre veteran signings. Assuming a Dozier deal takes place, run with what we have and see what develops. And infielder, potential closer and 4th OF. Get them now! They won't block anyone long term in any way and are a real need to help this team. And there ARE options out there. But please don't ignore the LHRP option.

I don't think keeping Dozier creates more questions, it just brings about different questions. In the long run, are the Twins probably better off trading Dozier for a nice pitching haul even though young prospects are still just that? Yes. Am i still in favor of trading him? Yes. But I have to confess that while I certainly don't see the Twins challenging for anything in 2017, I also dont believe the overall talent on the club is another 100 loss team. There are issues here, of course, and starting pitching is the biggest. But when I look at this team, and reflect on it WITH Dozier on board, there are thoughts that come to mind: 1} The young nucleus of talent that is Sano, Rosario, Buxton, Kepler and Polanco is intriguing to say the least. There is room for a lot of growth and development there, but also exciting young talent and potential. Dozier and Sano in the heart of a lineup with these guys could be fun. 2} Questions remain about the left side of the infield defense, but I actually feel pretty good about every other spot. I could see a sort of rotation of Polanco, Sano and Escobar on the left side, with time off for Dozier on occassion, with some fingers crossed. But could the left side be any worse than last season? Could it improve even a little bit with time and experience? 3} I hate playing the "what if" game...but...IF Hughes can prove healthy and ready to go at some point, with Santana and Santiago and a healthy and rebounding Gibson with May and Berrios, etc...well...it could be and has been worse yes? There is potential with May and Berrios and potential help on the way at both AAA and AA. 4} Could a smart addition to the back end of the bullpen deepen and improve said pen...again with help on the way...to help offset and bolster the rotation? No rose colored glasses here. I'm just saying, there is young talent to work with here, more on the way, and a couple solid veterans at least. And every time we make an argument for the value of Dozier in all of the trade threads, we have to remember that all the positives we speak of in regard to him would belong to us if he stays.

Still so young, I wonder with his success last season could still bump him to FTM to begin the 2017 season or if they will hold him back to begin the year? It sure seems he proved everything he could at CR. How cool would it be to have Wells and a healthy Thorpe both having quality seasons this upcoming year?

What I had forgotten, or hadn't quite hit home, was the number if SO per IP. There is no question the pen, like far too many seasons of late, was over used due to necessity. But at the same time, using pitchers used to primarily 1 IP (Tonkin) or as a LOOGY (O'Rourke) and then turning them in to a long reliever and someone who primarily faces RH pitching shows a complete lack of grasp on how to handle a pen, IMO. I DO like some pieces here.But how much better do all the listed names look if you had a Storen or Feliz at the end of the pen and everyone on this list sort of "bumps down" a notch, at least initially.

Personally, I think Gibson gets a bad rap because of his down...and injury plagued...2016. For the two seasons before he was solid and showed improvement from '14 to '15. I would fully expect, at this time, to see a different and healthy Gibson in 2017 that looks like the '15 version, perhaps even better. But I sometimes feel like he doesn't trust himself or his stuff. If you remember many years ago, Viola had a problem of nibbling too much. Despite not having tremendous heat or big time SO potential, Viola was suddenly convinced that he was indeed a power pitcher, and not a "crafty" LH and needed to trust his stuff. Now, I'm not saying Gibson is another Viola waiting to happen at all. But whether he doesn't trust the players behind him, or his own stuff, I feel he just doesn't attack the zone and ends up nibbling too much, trying to be perfect.

Nice write up, and I'm more than willing to be creative and even take back salary. We have the means to do it, and might even end up with a surprise. But I am still perplexed by the random thoughts and reports in any potential deal. Yes, it's fair to quibble and argue over Dozier's ultimate worth. But it's not as though the Dodgers have 3 top 2B with equal ability and trade worth at their trade fingertips. JDL is a fine prosect. So might be Alvarez. But Alvarez us still an A ball prosect despite potential. Would you feel Berries and Romeo would be enough to acquire one if the top 2B in the game if the shoe was on the other foot and it was the Twins needing a player to put them over the top? (Closest approximation I can come up with) I just don't feel the Twins are being unreasonable in asking fir a quality 3rd prospect to make this deal happen.

You can call me crazy, but I'm a little bit excited about the 2017 rotation. And no, not because it couldn't be any worse, (although that is true), or because I think its going to suddenly be good. I'm excited because I truly believe a healthy Gibson will look like his 2015 self. Because Santiago pitched better down the stretch when they quit messing with him. Because now that he got his feet wet, I want to see what Berrios will do. Because I like May in the rotation. Because I'm curious to see if and when Hughes can make it back. Because if Dozier is traded I want to see the SP candidate(s) they bring in. The grades here are sound and fair. But I'm really excited to see what changes for 2017. And the truth is...it really couldn't be any worse.

I think this is an important point. Much like my grading the infield as "incomplete", I feel the same way about the OF. I remain bullish on both Buxton and Kepler. (As someone stated, we all need top stop with Trout comparisons for anyone and everyone) Buxton did show a strong finish to 2016 and has tremendous potential. And we all want to see that potential realized sooner rather than later. But he is quite young, moved rather quickly through the minors despite missing some valuable time due to injury. But he's just so talented and raked so well at his various stops that we just almost expect the same thing at the ML level. Always liked and believed in Kepler and his potential. But again, he's young and we all know he faced a different kind of learning curve than a lot of prospects. After his breakout 2015, really, he should have spent more time in AAA before making his debut. Rosario is a bit of an enigma to be sure. We still don't know what we have in him. But the ability is undeniable. And we've seen glimpses. He may never hit the way we'do like or display great strike zone judgement, though one suspects/expects it will improve somewhat over time. But with defense, speed and power, I'd still be playing him pretty much daily to develop and see what he can be. Remember, he still only has about 770 ML AB. There is room for Grossman on this team as a 5th OF, bench bat, DH. I honestly didn't see him play enough to know how bad his defense may or may not be. But if it can improve even a little, it would be nice to be able to use him in the OF here and there as a RH option to give Rosario and Kepler a day off. I'd still like to see a better 4th OF brought on board. I had high hopes for Santana as a nice and dangerous utility player. He's still pretty young, has a lot of talent, and was brought up pretty quickly. But we just haven't seen any development. He's someone I'd definitely let loose to add to the roster. But he'd also be someone I'd love to sign to a milb contract and keep around if he went unclaimed.

My arguement is the same...doesn't his potential and limited production alone deserve a real shot at regular playing time to see what you might have?!

Thank you for the article and hard work Nick, much appreciated. But with exceptions of Cozier and Mayer, IMO, you could almost give the entire remaining infield a grade of "incomplete." I get that things go wrong sometimes and guys get hurt, but for various reasons, the entire infield was unsettled almost the entire year. At the risk of repetition: Escobar: injured and stuck on the bench behind other guys not bitten by the bug. Sano: the entire RAF fiasco to begin with Park: Korean import and hurt almost all season. Vargas: flashes but still no long term, consistent playing time and a ridiculous roster crunch demotion. Polanco: young and talented but still a rookie and playing mostly SS. ..a spot he hadn't played all season! This is not to bash the players, FO, Monitor or anyone. Rather, to me, it's a glass is half full scenario. Imagine some health, guys actually playing where they should and being used properly,and maybe/probably one more infield option brought in. Even with the trade if Dozier, we could be looking at a much improved infield in 2017.

Please correct me if I'm wrong here, but wasn't he supposed to be selected earlier than he was based on pee-draft rankings? I would assume he'd begin next season at CR before a possible promotion to Ft Myers. But after college and his strong start last season, I wonder what the chances are he might skip straight to FTM to begin 2017.

IMO, May will turn out solid at worst in the rotation given a real chance. This is based on stuff, milb history, and what he started to show in 2015. But his IP over the past 1 1/2 seasons probably marks him as the 5th SP for 2017. Also still a big believer in Berrios. Being a quality ML SP is HARD. There is almost always a learning curve. Part of his problem, IMO, is maybe trying too hard and not relaxing. You just have to believe and hope a Dozier trade happens and we get another quality young arm to plug in. Haley? Don't know enough about him to really say much. But Gibson, Santiago and maybe Hughes all help finish out the rotation for now. (Does Wheeler ever get or deserve a shot if he pitches again as well as he did last year?) And Mejia and Gonsalves develop at Rochester while 4 other young arms begin 2017 and AA with some nice upside. Nothing is proven or guaranteed! But I don't feel things are all doom and gloom either. I'm actually kind of excited over the rotation options the next year or two.

Terry Felton

I admit I sort of forgot that list from 2005. At the risk if dating myself, I was honestly thinking all the way back to around 1983-85 or so with Banks, Sontag, Pittman, Newman, Gasser, Nivens and Bumgarner.

I am much higher on May than you are, considering he seemed to show better and better consistency in 2014 and flashed potential before being placed in the pen. The problem isn't even that that took place, it's that the Twins virtually lost a full season of potential and development from him in 2016. I believe we also still have Wheeler, do we not?

Nailed it!! Absolutely no reason financially, and nobody being blocked, for this team to add an infielder, a quality 4th OF, and a bounce back (possibly flip-able) closer option to help secure what games we have a chance to win while auditioning various young RP like Chargois. Even then, I could still see a bench spot for Grossman as a 5th OF, solid PH/DH bat unless we keep 3 1B/DH options, which is possible.

Yes, as of right now, this is pretty much the roster as I'd see it now. Of course, it's almost 100% sure to change with another FA or two and a probable trade or two forthcoming. I'd say DanSan has the weakest hold on a roster spot despite his athleticism. I so badly want him to develop in to a solid, useful and even exciting and sometimes dangerous role player. I just don't think it's going to happen any longer. Not sure Hughes will be ready to open the season. I'd really have a hard time holding Berrios out of the rotation, even with some ups and downs, just because of talent, potential, and the need to pitch.

Seth, I'm curious as to his solid college season and his size...not to mention his performance at Elizabethtown...and wonder why he lasted until the 15th round? He would seem to be "projectable". Despite his size, is he just not a very hard thrower?

De Leon and Alvarez, one more solid arm with potential, with a reported throw in, would get it done for me.

A really interesting read. Thanks Seth. But despite being over a 10 year span, I would have to argue the list is incomplete since, as pointed out, some really good young players from the more recent drafts have just arrived or are about to. Of course, this goes for all other teams as well. Could the argument be made that this upcoming draft is one of the most important in team history? Top pick, a supplemental pick, and I'm not certain about our 2nd rounder. Did we lose that with the Castro signing or is it protected? Regardless, 5 90+ loss seasons in 6, young talent available and arriving, a completely new OF, shuffling and additions to departments, I think this draft is huge.

Agreed that experience vs talent determines how truly effective this lineup will be. But...and I hate to say this but it's mostly true...with the exception of Mauer the pieces are there and in the mostly right places. Mauer dies provide some value if used properly, though I think we're all crossing our fingers and hoping for more and more Park and Vargas. I really like the potential of this lineup overall. I just hope potential reaches production levels sooner rather than later.

PS...the phone I am currently using has the absolute WORST auto correct EVER

With any kind of rebound and playing to his potential, I'd have Risario in the 7 spot and Castro plus his platoon mate at 8. Otherwise, we are in agreement. I do sometimes wonder though about Polanci leading off and Buxton hitting second. Winder what the lineup would be like if Mayer suffers another injury and Park and Vargas were both in the lineup?