tarheeltwinsfan

I hope the Buck Truck remains headquartered in Minneapolis until he retires. He is that special as a player, as a leader, as a Minnesota Twin.

I must respectfully disagree that the team should be dismantled and start over, even if the payroll is low. We must ask ourselves: "What is the real goal here?" If it is to lose 100 games each year, for the next 2-3 years while attendance tanks and the fan base dwindles, and apathy reigns, then cancel your season tickets, cancel spring training trip plans, cancel trips to Minneapolis. However, for most of us at Twins Daily, baseball is more than just entertainment. It is Byron Buxton rounding second base and heading to third base for a triple. It is Ryan Jeffers diving to catch a popup. It is the total Joe Ryan experience. It is a Pablo Lopez interview. It will be LaTroy Hawkins in the bullpen, mentoring young pitchers. It is Rod Carew and Tony O and Cuddy and Torii and TK at spring training. It is not life or death. It is not always, "Wait until next year." It is now, this off season, this spring, Spring training, opening day, the smell of freshly cut grass, beating the Yankees, getting to know the players, watching the games with Dick ( retired, what a great guy) and Cory, Justin, Trevor, Denard, LaTroy, Roy (retired),Torii, Tim, Katie, Audra and Perk. Watching the Twins' players hustle, make plays and just play baseball. We fans form bonds with these players, even though we don't really know them...we still feel like they are friends that we enjoy spending some time with. I recognize that I am somewhat biased because I am 80 years old and my time as a Twins' fan will probably be over sooner than your time as a Twins fan. I became a Washington Senators fan over 70 years ago and moved my fanhood to Minneapolis when the Senators moved there. I feel that in many ways I am wiser now that I ever have been and I am happier than ever. "The past is but a memory and the future is only a dream; only the present is real." As Robert Frost wrote: "Be happy, happy, happy/ And seize the day of pleasure." Now I'm going for a solo walk in the beautiful farm country and woods of North Carolina and I will be thanking God for such a wonderful day.

I suggest trading Larnach and E Rod for a left-handed flame thrower, like Jamie Arnold of the A's or Liam Doyle of the Cardinals., promote Jenkins to the majors to begin his adjustment to the big leagues now and sign Kiner-Falefa to a one year deal, sending Fitzgerald to AAA. I also like the idea of Raya, Prielipp, Festa and Able going to the bullpen for this year. I realize this leaves the Twins a little short in AAA starters, but the pen will be a real mess this year if the Twins don't take some action to put some better pitchers in the pen.

Noooooooooooooooo !

Why not Lewis at 3B? I still have high hopes for him.

The blurb cited him as a left-handed hitting first baseman. Maybe it was changed after you saw the omission.

I'd much rather have Vazquez than Jackson. Vazquez has proven he is a major league catcher, Jackson has not. Vazquez knows most of the Twins pitchers, their pluses and minuses...Jackson does not. Vazquez already has the respect of the pitching coach and the pitching staff, Jackson does not. Catching is so much more than being a good hitter, which neither of these catchers is. Would you trade Jackson for Eeles and Vazquez? I would.

In addition to losing Eeles, we may lose Keirsey, who had to be removed from the 40 man roster, by being DFA'ed. For a strikeout prone, back up catcher with a .153 batting average. that seems a poor deal to me.

"It's de je vu all over again" - Yogi Berra.

Minnesota has a chance to strengthen its "future" roster by trading Ryan or Lopez...but just not its "current" roster., I hope the rudderless Twins keep both pitchers, as we sail into the imminent dawn.

However, Gonzales is weak in the defensive aspect of his game. This concerns me.

I am not wanting to trade Ryan for Basallo, who is only 21. I'd rather use Jeffers next year with a FA like Caratini (WAR 2,7, age 32), Jansen (WAR 1.7, age 31) or Vazquez (WAR 1.0, age 35) and hope Tait continues to be wildly successful in his journey to the Twins. After all, the Twins gave up the number 2 reliever in all of baseball for 2025 to get Tait and Able.

Well thought out post. I agree.

Batters fail 7 times out of 10. Pitchers fail just as often. Defenders are never supposed o make an error. It is the nature of the game. It is the nature of the beast. One's definition of "failure" and how one deals with it, are two keys of being a successful baseball player.

World Series 2026...Here come the Twins ! 80 to 1 odds. I'll take that bet. I bet $10 that the Twins will win the World series in 2026. If there are any takers, send an $800 money order, payable to David Benbow, for me to hold and upon receipt of your $800, I'll send a $10 money order payable to you for you to hold, in case you win.

2026 World Series is the destination. Whether this team bus arrives at its destination in October, 2026 will be played out during the season, one game at a time, one inning at a time, one at bat at a time, one pitch at a time. Onward and upward. Now I feel better. I'm going for my daily walk next. The sun is shinning and it will soon be 60 degrees here in North Carolina. As the song says: "Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning."

Ranking the value of the Twins' outfielders, I would have the following: 1, Buck, 2. Jenkins, 3. all the rest. My proposal is to hang on to "all the rest" and see who rise to the top, keeping in mind that Outman can't hit and Larnach can't play defense. . If it is Martin and Wallner and Roden, then so be it.

Where is Albie Pearson when we need him?

I like Martin at #9 , followed by Buck and Keaschall and Wallner, until Jenkins can take over #3 spot by July.

How about trading Pablo Lopez to the Padres for Luis Arraez?

I agree 100%. Thanks for this wonderful article.

Good article. Well thought out arguments for your point.

Alex, Please write more articles for TD TD, please encourage Alex to write more articles. Alex, you really helped me put into proper perspective a manager's possible influence on a baseball team.

Good article Nick. Makes a lot of sense.

Will your players bunt in order to advance runners? What will be your emphasis on bunting in spring training? Will your players frequently be asked to hit behind the runners, in order to advance the runners? What are you looking for in a leadoff batter? Who will call the pitches on your team? Who will be your infield defensive positioning leader...a player or a bench coach? What criteria are you looking for in a hitting coach? In a pitching coach? In a first base coach? In a third base coach? What do you do for exercise during the season? Who have been your mentors ? (This is a tricky question.) What do you see as your role in when to promote and demote players? Who are some examples of leaders whom you admire and why? What qualities does a good leader posses? What do you have to say about UCLA coach, Red Sanders, quote that "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" ( Lombardi was not the originator of that quote.),