Shane Wahl

Plouffe and Parmelee in RF next year after Sano's arrival.

I am on board with ending Mauer's time behind the plate. He can serve as the third (emergency, in game) catcher only.

Haha. Good reference here.

Jimbo, the Hunter quote is from 2007. I think that was about a knee injury. It doesn't make it that much better, just less ridiculous.

Where is there any word that he has at all been considered for any managerial job, much less a major league one. I just don't get the fascination with Molitor-as-manager.

You first say "making this part of your strategy" and then say "if you're truly basing your strategy around the idea." Those two statements do not match. I am advocating for the former, and not the latter. The idea behind signing free agents is first and foremost to get good players who can stay and contribute (which is why I *really* don't like a one-year deal for any of these guys unless there is an option year--and guys signing a one-year deal are less likely to like the option) for 2014, to 2015, and gasp, 2016. But secondarily, if the option arises, trading those assets for young talent (and, at this point, that hopefully means A+ or AA talent) is then *part* of the strategy. Now the point about the outbidding and salary: 1. Teams who the Twins would be trading to are likely looking to win that year. Now maybe in the offseason it wasn't clear how competitive said team was, but by the end of July that picture is more clear. 2. The Twins would have already forked over the majority of 2014's salary to the player (and if the Twins were ballsy, they could offer to pay the rest of 2014's salary . . . but alas . . . that is highly doubtful given this GM). 3. All sorts of things can happen that make your scenario sketchy. Maybe the team simply preferred another player in the offseason and regardless of whether or not they got him, they might be looking now (at deadline) for the Twins player. Also, of course, there is the injury issue or other roster transactions that create a need.

If Terry Ryan is simply "not tipping his hand" or is stating an obvious fact like "you cannot win through free agency alone" then good grief. I do think that those are #2 and #3 of most accurate interpretations of what he has said. I get the impression that he will see free agency as merely a way to FILL the starting rotation with one pitcher this offseason.

By age 20 he could be in A+/AA throwing 140 innings or so.

It's almost like the Twins had another draft pick around the Berrios mark in the 2013 draft with Thorpe. He's 17 and just dominated the GCL. It's one thing to be 19 and do that, it is different thing to be not even out of high school age.

The answer is no, no, and no, it would appear. It's hard to imagine a scenario where 1. is a no and no. 2 is a yes. Maybe if Hughes (or the equivalent) was the one signing and he had had an excellent season.

I believe he is managing the Mets GCL team now. I just pulled his name out of any number of capable guys for a few reasons: he has played all over the world (esp. if the Twins go into that Asian market again . . . . . ), played baseball forever, and is severely disciplined about taking care of his body--I think there is added value in having a coach around like that.

Is that other guy, Jeff Smith (NB), just there . . . I mean he isn't talked about at any level here. Long-term plans for him? I don't think that the Twins are simply going to promote Jake Mauer to anything with the Twins right now. I do wonder if he could skip over to the aforementioned New Britain (with Molitor in Cedar Rapids). It seems as though they would have signed Gardenhire to a new deal by now, doesn't it? I am not sure what to make of Gene Glynn, but if he or Steinbach are managing, yes, I would like the bench coach to be of Latin American descent. Even if it is just to add to that guy's managerial resume for a couple of years right now. How about a guy with over 4,000 professional hits who also played in a Mexican League, a Japanese league, and a South Korean league? Someone who took and takes RIDICULOUSLY good care of his body? don't look it up. Think fast and answer who this person is . . .

HAHA! I just made a comment about Terry Ryan and not understanding inflation. And then you post this! $21 million! HUGE, man.

Imagine the following scenario: Phil Hughes comes to the Twins on a 2 year deal for 18 million bucks. He becomes a good pitcher (maybe not the hype of 6 years ago when I took a chance on him for my fantasy team and it was terrible . . . ) with an ERA under or near 4. The Twins aren't very good, again, and find themselves selling. And Phil Hughes brings back an older Sulbaranesque (really he's a nice reference point) pitcher and another lower prospect. That's called turning assets over, it's called using free agency not merely as a win-now method of competing, but as a means of getting younger players. There is no foreseeable future where the Twins are going to take money "saved" this year and next year and spend it in the future. The prospects are going to be cheap for several years now. Basically the spending starts on them when the Mauer contract ends. So there are two factors in play. Billionaires maximizing profits and Terry Ryan being stuck in an era before inflation. Seriously. It's like he thinks $60 million is what it was 15 years ago or something. And he appears to refuse to go outside of the box. And he got the Correia job done for one year (but one year with him wasn't really the problem . . . ) and so I imagine TR is looking again to strike Correiaesque (another good reference point) gold, er, bronze. I just pray that he doesn't think it is to be found in Pelfrey and the Twins *actually* go about adding no one to the starting rotation. Aren't the Twins potentially looking at a payroll for 2014 at 50% of what it was in 2011? THIS with a new stadium and a Joe Mauer who gets older . . .

I don't understand how anyone can agree with Terry Ryan about free agents??? Unless he is just being vague and saying something obviously along the lines of "free agent signings won't get us a World Series" or "you can't plug every hole with a free agent" then ok. Thanks for the obvious. But if he is purposefully shying away from the market because of some idea that free agents aren't what the Twins need, then he is woefully mistaken. Without two free agent pitchers to add, that rotation is going to be a ****ing disaster. Correia and Deduno are not going to repeat 2013 performances next year. And the rotation isn't going to be good until Gibson settles in and Meyer and May are up. It still isn't going to be complete and secure until Berrios, Sulbaran, and Stewart are in the mix.

I thought I posted this already. I think the list starts and stops: 1. Terry Steinbach. 2. Gene Glynn One of those two will be the next manager.

I have to think it is 1. Steinbach, 2. Glynn. And the list stops there (they will not go with Dougie or Jake Mauer yet . . . those guys will get promoted up over the next few years to be in consideration down the road).

Why is Molitor still in consideration? He is a roving instructional coach right now. How is Terry Steinbach not the front-runner? I don't get this. He's the damn bench coach, privy to all the current discussions with the current manager.

This thread is going to go from bad to way worse in a hurry . . .

Fantastic article. Thanks a lot. There is some interesting insight and some hope in a dark Twins time at the moment.

How is no one mentioning the fact that sometimes playing through injuries (and playing at 80%) is sometimes DETRIMENTAL to the team?

There are only eight players born in 1991 who make my top 80 list, but the range is from a player in AA who could be a Twin at some point in 2014 and two guys who could return to rookie ball at the beginning of the season. 4. Eddie Rosario, 2B, RH, DOB: 9/28/91 2013 A+/AA (combined stats): 544 plate appearances, .302/.350/.460 (.810) (.867 career), 32 doubles, 8 triples, 10 homers, 38 walks, 96 strikeouts, 10 stolen bases, 10 times caught stealing. Rosario dominated the FSL and earned the promotion to New Britain. He held his own for the most part, but there was a significant drop in production for the converted second baseman. This is mostly due to a decrease in power numbers and a big uptick in his strikeout rate, so this is a fairly normal bout of growing pains. Defensively, Rosario is now comfortable and may even excel as a defensive second baseman. Of course this comes at a time when the Twins are actually currently short on outfielders and not on second baseman at the top of the system. Rosario should be headed back to start the year at New Britain before a mid-season promotion to Rochester. A September call-up is almost certainly bound to happen if he doesn't force the issue earlier. 39. Levi Michael, SS/2B, SH, DOB: 2/9/91 2013 A+: 375, .229/.331/.340 (.670) (.659), 15-4-4, 49-67, 21-2 Michael has now fallen from around the 20-25 range on my list to 39, and much of his continued presence in the top half of this list has to do with the hope that, when fully healthy, Michael can build upon minute improvements made so far and emerge as a legitimate prospect. His stolen base numbers were impressive this year, but not much else is, including his defense. Even though he hasn't really earned the promotion, the time has likely come to push Michael to New Britain to see if he can get on track. 35. Adrian Salcedo, RHP, DOB: 2/5/91 2013 A+: 58.1 innings, 3.70 ERA, 54 strikeouts, 15 walks (7.2/1.8 career) Salcedo will be 23 on opening day 2014 and he will likely be in New Britain. That isn't far off from the projection in 2009 and 2010 when Salcedo showed great promise. 2011 was a down year for the most part, and 2012 was a disaster with an injury. Salcedo was very effective in the bullpen in Fort Myers this year. The key question is whether or not the Twins view him as a starter or not. I honestly do not think so, and I believe he should be at the back end of the New Britain bullpen for 2014. Salcedo has appeared to right himself and this year is going to be huge for him. 13. Adam Walker, RF, RH, DOB: 10/18/91 2013 A-: 29. Mason Melotakis 66. Josh Burris 42. Ryan Eades 62. Stuart Turner

The last remaining defenders of Terry Ryan should come and try to defend this. If the Twins truly wait on 5 pitching prospects to arrive and be successful, then the wait could be over no sooner than 2016 (Berrios and Stewart--the latter MAYBE). Maybe TR means that they just aren't going to become a contender solely through FA. Even that is a fairly dubious claim. I don't see how this rules out one FA SP signing that could make an impact, but this is fairly damning. Again, signing FA doesn't mean that the rebuild has to BE WITH THEM. Free agents are assets to use at one's disposal. What it comes down to is money from ownership and/or a strange Ryan philosophy of stubbornness about growing from within and nothing more. Both of these possibilities are unacceptable.

Hicks was "dismal" at AAA while he was hurt. He got better at the very end. I am not worried in the slightest about either one of these two.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2353-End-of-Year-Prospect-List-(YOB-1990)