Shane Wahl

The Twins should be interested in *trading* Plouffe, not signing him to some silly long-term contract! I wouldn't trade until deadline.

Nick is right about all of this. I don't understand why anyone argues for keeping Duensing around. It's 6 times the money for perhaps a worse outcome! Darnell deserves the tryout. Maybe Milone if that starter thing fails. Duensing isn't even a strong LOOGY candidate at this point! Nunez is easily replaced, as he doesn't really belong in the field at all and his bat is very weak. He just runs well.

No Twins OF should ever dive for a ball in the AFL . . . I really like the performances, especially from the 5/6 the 7 who matter: Buxton, Rosario, Kepler, Reed, and Jones (with Rogers already progressing nicely overall . . . should be a 175 innings guy next year anyway).

5 years, 25+ million bucks. Just make it happen. He might want the job, actually.

I have come around to Molitor over Dougie, and I think the Twins are headed that way. Promoting Dougie to AA might be enough for him to accept staying in the org for a couple years as a backup plan if Molitor doesn't work out for 2 years. I really like the idea that Molitor is really an outsider on the inside.

I basically totally agree with this. Meyer to the bullpen initially as Milone gets a shot to start would be my only change.

Fantastic article! Wow. This was a good summary of everything. Steinbach was my guy . . . but now somehow the Twins are super dubious about Pinto catching and super super dubious about Herrmann catching. That is just atrocious. When Suzuki reverts to a .630ish OPS guy and his defense doesn't improve . . . ? Anyway, I would like a major shakeup. Dougie to the Twins (with Molitor, Bruno, Cuellar, X, Y, and Z), Glynn stays, Mauer to AA, someone to Fort Myers (firing Smith, clearly).

Burdi-Z. Jones-Reed equals a dominant back end of the bullpen by 2016. With or without Perk.

Thanks for responding, everyone! Some issues: Yes, I like Chris Herrmann . . . I jumped on that train after 2011, when he was very good for his positional flexibility. And then 2012 was pretty good too, though the Twins didn't push him. 2013 was bad all around. He was great in AAA this year, though. The numbers are there and the defensively ability at catcher is really there too. He is likely just about average defensively there, but that makes his ability to play there and the corner OF positions more valuable. He struggled in the majors, but he is now making more contact, which matters. I like the value of him overall more than Eric Fryer. The potential for a .680+ OPS as a super utility guy is still there. Terry Steinbach is likely a failure . . . Pinto and Herrmann should be adequate catchers. They both were in the minors. Suzuki is going to regress significantly, offensively. It sucks. To counter that Mauer must return to form. It's vitally important that he does so, as I discussed a few months ago in another blog post. I believe in Aaron Hicks. I do think that he was always destined to be a corner OF after the addition of Buxton. He could be an elite corner OF. This would be important for his career. There are viable ways to produce a lineup of: Buxton Santana Mauer Sano Vargas Arcia Dozier Pinto Hicks With Plouffe, Suzuki, Escobar, and X on the bench (Herrmann, Romero, Beresford, etc.). Or you move around things to get Plouffe in and Hicks out.

This is not going to be significantly different than the earlier version mid-season, but here is my hopeful 25-man roster for 2015. This will obviously hint at my offseason blueprint. Position players: Kurt Suzuki, Josmil Pinto, Joe Mauer, Brian Dozier, Danny Santana, Miguel Sano, Eduardo Escobar, Trevor Plouffe, Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Arcia, Kennys Vargas, Chris Herrmann, Jordan Schafer Pitchers: Phil Hughes, Ervin Santana, Kyle Gibson, Ricky Nolasco, Alex Meyer, Trevor May, Deolis Guerra/AJ Achter, Lester Oliveros, Cole Johnson, Caleb Thielbar, Casey Fien, Glen Perkins (probably keeping May as the sixth man, but also using in strikeout-is-needed 6th and 7th inning situations. The Santana signing is wishful, especially at either 2/36 or 3/42. I am clearly already trading Brian Duensing, Michael Tonkin, and Anthony Swarzak for anything I can get. I am cutting ties with Mike Pelfrey because I am not bothering with wasting a roster spot for him anymore. I would then look to trade Suzuki, Escobar, and Fien at some point in 2015. Nothing big, but just adding some talent to the farm system. Replacing them would be Byron Buxton (Pinto/Herrmann duo behind the plate), James Beresford, and Nick Burdi. This is just how I would do things right now. It might change, especially with injuries and other reports from the offseason.

Or basically switch Dozier and Sano, whatever. Add Escobar, Suzuki, Herrmann, and Schafer/Parmelee/Nunez (while noting that Plouffe is also, in this situation a clear backup 3B as well).

I think the decision should be made regardless of how they actually do in the fall/winter leagues. That they play substantially is what matters there. As such I would start Sano with the Twins in 2015, absolutely. I would then wait on Buxton for a couple months of AA-ball, just to get him going. And he would have to be terrible there for me to hold him back. So, I generally agree with Jim here. The Twins now need, absolutely, to let it ride. For those raising Hicks-kind of concerns . . . these two are way, way better than Aaron Hicks. And I would submit Danny Santana as being absolutely similar to Hicks in terms of non-domination of the minors, and yet . . . that has gone very differently! I would say that by mid-June the Twins should be rolling out a lineup of: Buxton, CF Mauer, 1B Dozier, 2B Vargas, DH Sano, 3B Arcia, RF Pinto, C (Suzuki isn't going to perform offensively, I guarantee you) Plouffe, LF (potentially) Santana, SS That's absurdly good, if given some time to develop.

One has to also be aware of the fact that if the Twins pick Molitor, he will likely get the job for two years, even if 2015 is bad again. By then, Dougie could very well be managing another big league club.

I will probably be hated for this, but I do think that the Twins should consider shopping: Kurt Suzuki, Trevor Plouffe OR Eduardo Escobar (not both), Casey Fien, Oswaldo Arcia (I think so, maybe), Eddie Rosario, Travis Harrison (he has no place 2-4 years from now anyway), and Tyler Duffey. I don't want to trade Arcia and Rosario, but something's got to give. I see minimal value in other guys on the roster for trades, and I do not think that the Twins should, in general, be moving prospects.

I have to wonder how the dynamic plays out in general . . . like what influence does a pitching coach have on the decisions made by a GM? Worley should never have been allowed to go and the Liriano situation is totally disgusting. If I were the owner, I probably would have totally cleaned house last year. As in totally, save for some promises to Molitor, Brunansky, Glynn, Cuellar, and Johnson.

By the way, this was also very entertaining to read!

It is really hard for me to come to a clear justified belief on Terry Ryan. I agree with the main direction of this article, but then there is the youth movement and the development there coupled with some very solid moves by Ryan. It's like there needs to be a co-GM or something. A guy like Ryan and then a guy who never lets useless (prospect and talent-wise) pitchers take up so many innings.

Interesting list! Things are shaping up a bit uniquely here.

This is a good thing.

With Hughes, Santana, Gibson, Nolasco, May/Meyer/Milone, the Twins would be properly set at the SP position for the first time since Johan was leading the staff with Radke. This potentially would guarantee two sub 3.80 ERA guys at the top, a wild card for that mark in Gibson, and even a return to "pre 2014 Nolasco" would be quite solid, with the Milone or the prospects doing something.

It is really hard to like anything about this. I have been adamant for two years about this. At this point, giving him a relief role is fine since the Twins are paying him anyway. Ideally, the Twins could trade him while paying 80-90% of that salary in exchange for some player of C-level caliber right now (but hopefully under 22).

Thank you! This was fantastic and really informative.

Totally spot on, Seth. And this certainly is a difficult task. Some of these guys are just putting up ridiculous numbers. Oliveros' situation scares me given this SSS in the majors again.

Yep, to me a no-brainer. I don't understand the Molitor thing at all. He didn't do the requisite things to deserve it. He can be a damn good coach, though. I had thought that Steinbach was the clear front-runner, given the bench coach thing. Dougie is the best choice though. Jake Mauer, Molitor, Bruno, and X pitching coach would fill out an excellence coaching group.

No love?