BigTrane

Yep, 3 million stings, but sometimes ya gotta cut bait. With Suzuki, we'd get younger than Doumit and have a solid C with plenty of MLB experience to mentor Pinto. A trustworthy/dependable guy like that has to appeal to the Twins, and without the, uh, "intangibles" of an AJ or the payday of a Salty. If that confidence is there, then absolutely- you go Suzuki/Pinto/Hermann and clear out Doumit and Freyer, opening up 2 spots for all the arms we have now. Win-win-win. Suzuki is a vet, wouldn't cost that much, and puts the catcher question to rest. Next season has to be focused on sorting out the pitching #1, and distractions behind the plate would just complicate that whole process. No thanks. Let's have a smooth transition, so we can turn our attention to other areas we need to focus on. No-brainer to me.

I'd been looking into him and mentioned him yesterday on the 'Who gets DFA'd' thread as my solution to the whole Freyer/Donut issue. He's got a good rep for D (Johnny Bench award winner in '04) and showed a pretty decent bat in his 1st year with the A's (led the team in RBIs, I believe). CS% in the low 30s. Don't know about his injury history, but he's only 30, so that's a plus. My sense is he'd be willing to platoon with Pinto (much more than an AJ or Salty, anyway) and if he's good with a pitching staff, so much the better. If we were offering 2 years to AJ, then (in this market) what are we waiting for? Offer him 2 and get him now before other teams catch the scent. This is a tight market.

The latest (7:48 AM GMT +8). The juicy bits: The new system limits the amount Japanese teams can reap from relinquishing the rights to their players to $20 million, a component the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles are unwilling to concede. Eagles ace Masahiro Tanaka may be the first player affected by the new rules. “We did not agree to everything in it,” said Jun Yamada, the club’s official representative to NPB. “We cannot possibly consent to such terms. It demands continuing talks.” Regardless of the team’s efforts to thwart the deal, NPB pushed ahead. The Japan Series champion Eagles, who had been amenable to posting Tanaka in expectation of a huge windfall, have now said that retaining him for next season is a “high priority.” http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/12/16/baseball/npb-formally-approves-new-posting-system/#.Uq-QtY1hOL0 Adjectives like "thwart" don't exactly bode well...

Little confusing. Welcome to Asia! From the sounds of the Mainichi article (thanks, JB_Iowa) 20m is not a floor but a cap. Ok, but every club's going to shoot the moon, right? A cap for all intents and purposes. This is where the resistance is setting in: while $20m is a nice windfall for an NPB club, it's not a game-changer, and to let a guy like Tanaka basically walk for a song is hard to imagine. Put it this way: Japan is a Confucian culture, based on revering ancestors. Or precedents, if you want to put it that way. From their perspective, this is a slippery slope. Btw, there is a good article here on Rakuten's digging-their-heels-in attitude: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/12/14/baseball/eagles-put-in-tough-spot/#.Uq8Tlo1hO8U New posting system is up for ratification by NPB clubs today- we'll find out soon enough!

Seems like a fair consensus is developing around Colabello. Count me in. Albers has the makings to become a Jamie Moyer Jr., I'm telling ya. If not that- and if Rick Anderson still has Jesse Orosco's number- he could be a great LOOGY. Btw, if we wind up with Suzuki, then the whole Doumit/Freyer silliness is moot. Plus, if we sign him, then having a native Hawaiian on the team puts the Twins into a whole new realm of trivia. Bonus!

Agree with the '02 Opening Day HR, Garcia blown no-no, the Moose, and the ovation. What I loved about him has his Eddie-Murphy-doing-Stevie-Wonder smile and the sense of fun he brought to the team, and to the game. Seeing him out there with Hunter, and later Stewart, you could feel how much they fed off each other, made each other better, and made the whole team better. JJ has no shot for HOF, but hey- he got on the ballot. I'm happy for him and would love to see him coaching 'round these parts some day.

Great article, and this Hotstove certainly feels 'through the looking glass' time. Want speculation? How 'bout this: 1) The recent feeding frenzy has everything to do with the free TV money coming, but I wonder if Uncle Bud sent a message that that extra loot had to show up on the field. Burnishing legacy? Would make a nice final chapter in his memoirs... sorry, kinda crypto-conspiracy there, but hey- you wanted speculation! 2) In a pre-hotstove post, I hoped that the prospect of the MLB/media spotlight during the All-Star game would motivate the ownership to, just maybe, try to avoid star turn in the spotlight wind up with the Twins as national laughingstock. If Pohlad likes to see himself as a successful businessman, then how can he square the idea of a losing team becoming a winning brand? Just toss this out since Mr. 'FA is not the way' TR has done a complete 180. Or, his Evil Twin (read: good) has taken his place. Again: 'Suzy Creamcheese, what's got into you'? Inquiring minds want to know... 3) What I'm reading form Japan indicates that Tanaka has been called to a meeting with Rakuten's Club Pres. next week. Certainly just a friendly chat, right? Fishing, how's the Missus... I strongly feel that he will not be posted, and if that's the case (and if the Twins has the same take) then making moves for more realistic SPs now makes a ton of sense. If Tanaka is not posted, then the sky's the limit for all remaining FA Sps. Kiss our hopes goodbye. 4) If we can get a couple of deals done in the next 1-2 days, then we're dealing from strength. Plenty of guys can be packaged in trades (Hendriks, for example) along with all those newly-2nd-rate arms. 5) The overall level of activity this offseason is unusual, if not unprecedented, especially for what was a basically thin market. With FAs being locked up for often too-long deals, upcoming FA markets won't be much better. Twins may be wise to put the money down now (which we actually have, for once) and repackage FA signings before they lapse with up-and-comers from the farm. Just because we sign a Hughes for 3 doesn't mean we have to keep him for 3, but it sure seems like have to be in the game now to get deals done in the future. We'll see what pans out; the next week will be key. We've all felt let down before, but this (moment?) is very exciting.

IMO, the Ms are a mess from top to bottom at this point, and analyzing their organization and/or presuming that they have any kind of coherent strategy is generous, at best. JB_Iowa pointed this out on another thread, I read this last night and was floored. A must read. http://seattletimes.com/html/mariners/2022420240_mariners08xml.html#.UqP2PBEV2Rx.twitter Could a deal be done with Seattle? Perhaps, if Correia qualifes as a 'quality veteran'. We have a hole @ SS, but what do we have that's attractive to them post-Cano? Agreed: they need bats. We need arms. After reading that story, I'd say, throw anything against the wall and see what sticks. Those guys are bonkers. Clear up the 40-man? Why not? Do they know what they want though? Hard to say. Weird club.

Yeah, read this yesterday, GREAT story. For people who like watching car crashes, this is a must-read. (Personally, guilty!) Anyway, Sea Hags are on a one-way-trip to Davy Jones' Locker. The Cano deal might just make that permanent. I dunno, pitch around him...? Enjoy the sea air. But I digress. Best line in the story: "No, we *really* need to win." Give the writer a Pulitzer. Or a Nobel. Awesome stuff.

If the Ellsbury deal is genius, then what do you call the Beltran deal? Don't let me down... bring it!

Searched MPR.org, but couldn't find the Sinker interview, so I'm reading tea leaves now. Sorry if I'm a bit out of the loop but, hell, I'm in China. Bernardino's Dec 4 story quotes Ryan: "There is "some" chance the Twins will still sign a free agent catcher, Ryan said, but he made it clear the best options appear to be in-house at this point. "Who's out there?" he said. "There are some catchers out there with some interest (to the Twins). I'll just leave it at that." At the end of the piece, there's a mention of Doumit: "Doumit didn't catch over the final five weeks in 2013 because of a concussion suffered in early August, but Ryan said that shouldn't be an issue." Earlier, he said that they have "limited" interest in Buck. http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_24648096/minnesota-twins-it-stands-pinto-is-2014-starting 1) I like the confidence in Pinto, I feel that investing (in that sense) in a young guy can pay the biggest dividends. Could be wrong of course, but I see big upside if he gets things together behind the plate. Of course Mauer is now the mentor figure- he'll step up and do it. 2) If Doumit really is out (we'll see) then we're looking a bit thin behind the dish. I was AJ all the way, but we can't offer him the chance for a second ring. If TR is basically done with C, then it's Pinto's to take it and make it into something. Happy for Pinto, hope he comes through- now let's look at offense & more pitching!

DuluthFan and JB-Iowa make some great points. Most posts- understandably- focus on how the mechanics of this deal will work from an MLB, and specifically Twins perspective. However, it's important to stress Pro ball in Japan is BIG money, and clubs there do not want to see themselves become a farm system for MLB and have their best players poached each offseason. That's why there was such foot-dragging from NPB, and why MLB had to force them back to the table. From the NPB clubs' perspective, they gave up a lot on this one- and frankly, I'm kinda shocked. MLB made out like bandits. $20m gets clubs like us in the running, but from an NPB club perspective, it's cold comfort compared to what they had been getting. The prior deal was unsustainable from an MLB view, but don't be surprised if NBP clubs resist and refuse to post in the future. Even now, Rakuten, Tanaka's club is feeling wary: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/12/05/baseball/mlb-npb-reach-basic-agreement-on-posting-system/#.UqHkjY1hOL0 As to JB_Iowa's point, I agree and feel that if you don't look, you don't find, and don't sign. Aside: in '03, I made pals with the Chinese Olympic squad, and wound up at a CBL game (Shanghai @ Beijing). Surprise: a Twins scout was the host, and even bought lunch (KFC). I was happily surprised to see him in Mainland China (not Taiwan- which was also his turf) beating the bushes. That was 10 years ago, but boy was I proud to personally witness MY CLUB to be making the effort. On that note, I was glad to hear that Twins were up to speed in Korea, and seems we have the 'in' in Australia as well. Gotta do what it takes to win, and find the talent where it is.

Heartily agree with Seth. My Birdos buddy consistently made the point (that's the polite way to say it) this season that their success depended in large part upon rookie pitching. So true. Wacha alone is enough to make me drool. Callup to WS win? Ridonkulous. Chagrin aside, I have to give El Birdos props- they invented the farm system, and still do it best. While I'm proud of the Twins farm system and always relish reading top ratings, when I look to the Cards, I see a much more complete system in terms of player development. In recent years, we've done well with developing OFs and SPs- but not getting those arms quite polished enough for the Big Show. I would not be surprised to see a changing of the guard when Gardy finishes up. The extent of Rick Anderson's influence through the system is unknown to me, but I'd love to learn about that. We're at the point where we need to rethink- through the system- how SPs are coached and developed. Just the whole philosophy. It hasn't produced the results we want, and Cards prove that a mid-market team can do it. Why not us?

No Nibblin' Nolasco? I like this guy already. Bert will love him.

@ jay & chance- points taken. For the record, I'm high on Albers- total out-of-the-blue, Indy-type guy. Love to see him scrum for #5 spot & become a successful Moyers-type Baffler. As for why the negativity I'd venture that w/Nolasco & Hughes, we shored things up considerably. Still, there's a large contingent that would love to see a true #1. Depth moves need to be made- no question- but given TR's past record of pawning off AAAA guys as true starters, I think it's reasonable to be skeptical, and at the very least be questioning about such moves.

You rock my world!

Why not? Er, he has no bat? The JAYS kicked him to the curb, covered in poutine? Where's the upside?

Puzzlin'- no other word for it. Sure, you want to keep the system stocked, but- this way? With this? Little guy, 28, hasn't gone beyond A-ball- is that right? I don't even see how he's a chip in the grand scheme of trades. Unless, it's all MiL trades. Huh? Yes, it's true- you can never have enough pitching. Depth there is a luxury. Why does this feel like Aqua City Motel-style luxury? We're deep with guys like Velasquez, Kris Johnson, etc. How many old, career minor league 'depth guys' do we have right now? How many do we want/need? Where's the value? Why are we doing this? Here's looking at you, TR...

I would agree with the basic premise that '14 is make or break for Plouffe. He's had time, shown improvement, and will get a shot in ST. Fair's fair. This guy has serious holes in his game, and his potential for turning it around ASAP is questionable. Maybe Sano on his heels will serve as an inspiration. I don't think there's a Twins fan that isn't looking to him as the future, right? So, think of it this way: unless Plouffe has a knockdown-dragout, breakout year in '14, it's cuttin' time. Arbitration eligible after '14... Obviously, we have to see Sano at the Bigs to have a chance to compare and decide- and I'm sure that's the situation the club wants. Good. Hit it or quit it. I am certain we'll get a preview (or two) of Sano in '14, and generally like the idea of competing for spots. (5-spot in the rotation, same thing.) This one could break either way, but I say, decide it on the field. I'm no fan of Plouffe, personally, but if Sano does good (though need time to transition) hanging on to Plouffe for depth for a season makes sense. We'll see though. Hopefully, we're raving about Sano this time next year. Anyway, TP should have the motivation now, but the real decision gets made after the '14 season.

Good for Justin- he has to be happy with this deal! My guess is the Rox logic is similar to Twins/Hughes: change of scenery is everything. His bat stands to benefit in Denver- is there a better fit for him? As for the Rox "plan", that's anybody's guess- but not our problem. Good luck to him, sure it will be good times with Cuddy, and I WILL be watching that series!

Yep, and the AJ/BoSox deal was for 1 year, not 2. Oh, well. Where's that list, Seth? Who should we be going for now?

Ok, thanks for the info! If you suspect he's OK at the plate and no disadvantage behind it- and cheap to boot- then he's worth a look. Not like there's a lot of options now. AJ signed with Boston. Salty was offered 2 years, but turned it down (what I gather)- he wants 3 or 4. So for me, short term + a guy willing to platoon some is a big plus. That ain't Salty. What about the "intangibles" like working with pitchers, framing pitches, etc?

PLEASE- no Tanaka! The posting system (still in limbo) gives me the willies. Don't think anybody will touch him with a 10-foot pole until it's sorted out, and even then, expect overpay. A 2-shoulder-capsules-later Santana? Nah. Garza.

Well, AJ just signed with Boston, so thread: dead.

What's his throwout %, exactly? Fast moving story- was just looking at his offensive numbers compared with AJ and didn't see the upside- except being cheap and young. He brings nothing to the plate.