EGFTShaw

I think he has a chance to get into the playoffs every year in MN. SF has to compete with The Evil Empire West Coast Edition, aka LAD, and the Southern CA New Rich Kids On the Block, aka the SDPadres. That is going to be brutal. SD has LOADED up is an understatement. Now is SFG a better organization? ?‍♂️

This is ALWAYS the bottom line. ?

You're talking me into Swanson being OK.✔️ I like Lopez, just not sure he moves the needle enough for me and how many prospects would it cost? I might move prospects for one of the BrewCrew top starters.

Rodon is exactly fading, but I am nervous about signing him. I am 285% with you on the youth. Coaches have to Improve the players, (we didn't with Sano) and Players have to have the desire to Improve. So, Kepler - wrong coaching? One size coaching does not fit all. Or no desire to improve the hitting. I won't buy into the inability to improve. He is never going to Out HR Judge, but dear God of the Northern Winter he can certainly hit better than he has. Give me league average PLUS 5pts and with his defense. Same with others.

>> For Correa and his agent Scott Boras, it was important for Correa to sign the largest contract for a shortstop in baseball history. Even I knew this. I always looked at contract for C4 in this aspect because I know Boras. It had to top Lindor's $341M. I would have known, especially after XB's contract with the Friars, that this would be the case. So, for the Twins it needed to be at LEAST $342M. Maybe you are still outbid by someone who wants the over money, but a good case could be made that the savings in income tax (I think the percentage is in MN favor), AND proper investing of that difference since it would be a sunk cost in CA, would make up for the difference. Also, MN has a far easier road to the playoffs than SF. Good luck C4. Glad we had you for a year. Now lets get on with it.

Can you have this as an offer as after the playing is over? That was my thinking. Apologies for not making that clear.

Lots of comments all over the place here. #eyeRoll But 10 years for what XB got at 11 and under what TT & the Slide Machine got is not going to do it. You can treat the final years as many different things, deferred salary, sunk cost, etc...It's irrelevant what you call it. Club still has to pay it. If what is said about C4 is true with respect to his interest in all things baseball, the working with teammates, etc... then why not tack on the opportunity for partial ownership. Or a way to transition into coaching/managing/GM-ing or whatever it might be that C4 wants to do. I could easily see him moving into these roles after he is done playing. 10 Years and something significant beyond the XB and TT contracts. Heck I would even go towards the Judge number, because the Twins are not and never will be tax offenders and definitely not repeat offenders. So, we move on from C4. Not going to bash anyone including FO or owners or C4. Let's move on, see what we can do next; but logically. I think the pursuit of C4 made a lot of sense, (except if I was FO making decisions, I would be looking at the TV contract and marketing options along with the salary. C4 would have helped both and therefore I would go higher in $$ numbers than years), but now is not the time, nor do I think this FO will do it, to do a knee jerk reaction because we missed out. Rodon would help, but at what cost. Swanson could help, but not as much as the upside of Rodon. I am not spending money just to SPEND money. But then again I am not going bargain basement hunting like we have done so often before. Remove the emotions from the roller coaster and move on.

I don’t make the Arraez for Lopez deal. i like Pablo Lopez but just not for Luis Arraez

At least you admitted it was a bit Click-baity ?? but I’ve seen worse 1) you always listen to trade offers. 2) to think he peaked with his history is FOMO and negative thinking without any indicators 3) Instead the thought process should how many batting titles can he win 4) how do we insure he maximizes his potential at the plate & in the field I understand where you are coming from in your thought process & due diligence, but it to even give this a moment of thought without any indicators is silly. His history has Venn hit, hit, hit through the minors and now at the Show this question would have been more appropriate after Keplers 35HR year as it was an outlier this past year was not an outlier for Luis Arraez - 2022 AL Batting Champion Note: would Judge’s contract gone for more than $360M if he had won the triple crown?

NOTE: expand the quote to see emojis I like most of what @DocBauer says here. not ?% sold on the RH OF or the veteran guy in the pen. we can’t have everything. I think we have quality arms that can be leverage in the BP. get Lopez back on track and see what you can do with Pagan plus our young arms. It would not only get them a taste of the Bigs but not force them to swim away from the sharks right away. outlier. Go after Senga

Do we have a solid core of players coming through our system? Yep. Is that enough? Nope. TV contract is up after 2023 I believe. Now is the time to bring in, AND PAY FOR, the players that will push us forward. C4. I'll settle for Dansby, but he is not going to excite the fanbase in the same manner. C4 brings not only the on-field talent, but the extras for the clubhouse, teammates and coaches, not to mention the fans. Maybe Vasquez comes in as a catcher to work with Jeffers. The pitching staff has good potential. I saw a post about have 5-6 pitchers who are 2 & 3s vs having the traditional 1-5 staff. If we can get the Top of the Staff #1 this isn't the end. It starts with C4. On a gambling side note: Hire Nelson Cruz to train Sano, (Sano signed on a minor league deal maybe) and get his physique under control. Then find the best hitting coach anywhere, (I don't care if it is Majors, Minors, College...etc.) to get his swing back). This would be chump change. Also have Sano's eyesight checked. You do not fall that far without a reason. I think first and foremost it is his conditioning, then perhaps his vision and at this point also his psyche. I'm donning my fireman's suit at the inevitable flames I'll get for this last part.

This is the better option. But I am leery of trading for RPers...they are just so iffy. Although LiamH has proven himself the past few years. I am not giving up Kepler without a quality MLB player in return. I think LiamH qualifies. ?

Absolutely, MLB ready talent. Stat-o-Metrics have Kepler rated the #1 RF. I know his hitting is MONSTEROUSLY frustrating, but they Glove is worth more than 1 WAR I would suspect. Again, I don't set the number, but 1 WAR is often quoted as being worth $8M.

Assumption: what should it be is vague. As FDG said it’s not how much, but who. I’ll take 3 years of Verlander over 5 and an option for DeGrom. I like DeGrom, but not at 5 years. so $45m for Verlander I like better than $37M for DeGrom. $8M generally is regarded as 1 WAR This is for illustrative purposes so let’s not get lost on DeGrom/Verlander debates. I can see going as high as $160 to $170M. product gets better & attend available will go up new TV contact in 2 years get a marketing director with an international focus (steal a guy from Barcelona FC, Man U, Real Madrid, etc…) we should be marketing the hell out of Kepler in Germany. marketing in Japan, Korea, Australia. All across Latin America merchandise & TV revenue are excellent revenue streams how the heck do you think these premier football clubs in Europe can afford €20-200M transfer fees. Yes Real Madrid offer the higher in to PSG for MBappe so sign C4. Even it is at $40M that brings us to the $120-130M and if we are willing another $30-40M on others

They have $133M committed to 5 players but I like the concept ??

This not back in the days for me, (hello TonyO, Killer and Rod) but it is 20+ years ago. do you think the marlins regret swapping??? Sorry about the Font size, on my phone from Wikipedia: ”After the 1999 major league season, Santana was left unprotected by the Houston Astros and eligible in the Rule 5 draft. The Minnesota Twins had the first pick that year, the Florida Marlins had the second. The Twins made a deal with the Marlins: the Twins would draft Jared Camp with their first pick and the Marlins would draft Santana. The teams would exchange the two players with the Twins receiving $50,000 to cover their pick”

Well he was a rookie who put up a 3.55ERA I think he has the mindset to get better and will get better. #1? Way way to much expectation for a guy going into his 2nd year. But I’ll go in record barring injury he will be our #2 guy regardless of who we sign in the offseason great pickup for 2 months of Nelson Cruz

Herein lies a crucial item for Joe to look into. TV revenue. The Twins TV contract is pathetic.

Good point. I forgot that tidbit about MLB.

I'd argue 2 other premier SS available at a lessor cost. TT and the Slide Machine have been quoted at anywhere from $260M to $320M for 8 to 10 years. XB and DS are the two that could come at a definitive lower cost.

In my opinion it should not. I am a fan of C4 AND this proposal, but he is getting the $$s. No to a NT clause And I still would like to see a Mutual Option put in there.

Nothing gets the comments going like spending $$$s.... LOL I like it. May tweak it in a couple of ways. The 2nd opt out make it mutual, I think this is after 7 years. Increase the Front Loading by $1M than Mad Max and overall contract to be $1M more than the Corey "Night Moves" Seager's contract. Boras would love this. Remember, he could always be traded if the Twins eat a bit of the contract. I'm still on board with C4 aging along Cal Ripken Jr, so this contract would be good. A bit of an overpay perhaps at the beginning, but as non-traditional player in the FA market, it is what the Twins may have to do. Regardless of the rest of MLB, this would new and very creative for the Twins. On the note of year-to-year spending budget, $170M is going to be the new $140M in a year or three.

Also, after the Murphy trade, a Toronto trade may need to happen before the movement begins.

Gauntlet has been thrown!!! ??? ???

Nice assessment, but I disagree with your overall conclusion. health is paramount. Some injuries are not knowable in advance. but you have to trust there is growth. The gamble last year on the pitching was in Bundy, Paddock and Archer and not the young pitchers. it is refreshing to have a solid core of in-house pitching. I still want a Top Dog on our staff. the lineup I am mostly happy with except SS. Let’s go around the horn 1B: Arraez (hitting machine) & at minimum avg to plus fielder 2B:Polanco seriously seems to oscillate Almost great years with down years. 2022 was a down year. SS: C4, C5 whatever it takes (Mr Mom) I want C4. After that I am open a bit. 3B: Jose “Read Me My Rights” Miranda. He can hit. I remember Gary Gaetti struggling his first year at 3rd and became a good hot corner fielder LF: AK,or Larnarch (health concerns at the moment on both. I hope AK fully recovers. Beautiful swing CF: BB, but we need a good backup. If nothing changes on the roster then Kepler with Wallner filling in at RF RF: Kepler/Wallner c: Jeffers AND ?? DH: AK, Larnrach, Wallner, Arraez, SUte: Farmer could we use a RH bat. Definitely could we use a platoon at C to spell Jeffers if he doesn’t improve his splits. Also definitely but I am not down on young guys a LOT hinges on C4. He brings the intangibles along with his skill & production. We can fill in the field aspects but the leadership is another story MY WISH LIST: C4, one of DeGrom/Verlander/Rodon,solid RH Bat if Royce is unable to join us and a better catching duo it could put us in the $170M for payroll but it would be offset sone by ticket & merch sales Non player addition, the #2 marketing guy at Barcelona or Man Utd, to start marketing us beyond the middle of the country in a 2020 report, Barcelona topped €800M in marketing no way the Twins do that but an increase of $40M covers the difference between our normal salary and this once in a lifetime chance The Kids Are Alright