GoGonzoJournal

That day I’d been calling for the past three years is finally here, and we can now speculate as to who will fill Ron Gardenhire’s shoes as manager of the Minnesota Twins. I don’t see any problem with the decision, and apparently neither did Gardy. “I agree with this. I think this is right,” he said at today’s press conference, citing many times that he’s “a fan,” and joking with Mike Berardino that he could punch him in the face now. “I want to see this team win.” Gardy was in good spirits all things considered, and has an open job offer to return, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds playoff success in Colorado with all the Twins’ former players. He better not bring Rick Anderson to that ballpark, though. I was surprised by some of the responses to the firing. Will Carroll said “Terry Ryan has no loyalty,” which I thought was a joke because Ryan has been the most loyal GM in the history of the game. And then Keith Olbermann replied by called the firing “cowardly” and Tweeting the ownership and front office were to blame for those losses, which I agree with. If there’s anyone to call out in this situation, it’s Jim Pohlad for not firing Terry Ryan. But come on, Keith. Terry Ryan’s job was on the line, too, and he couldn’t be the only general manager in MLB history to retain a manager with four consecutive 90-loss seasons…twice. http://i1.wp.com/gogonzojournal.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2014-09-29-at-12.52.54-PM.png?zoom=2&fit=300%2C300 Also, there is obviously a disconnect between the staff and players given the quality of play the last four years. The players may be shouldering the blame for their manager today, but at some point the MANAGER has to MANAGE, and get the most of his players. There is talent not reaching potential in Minnesota, especially in the pitching staff, and this firing was a firing of the staff and not just the manager. There are also concerns regarding a lack of Spanish-speaking coaches to relate to the young Latin stars the Twins have coming up. The jobs of the entire staff should be available and Ryan should cast a wide net. According to Jeremy Nygaard, the “Twins want staff in place by October 12,” so this job won’t be vacant for long, as the Twins Wikipedia page beautifully displayed this morning. But according to Berardino, my favorite candidate will be in France until October 18. As you all know, my candidate has been Ozzie Guillen, and there is some support for that idea out there. As of this writing, a Star Tribune poll found that 34% of 5,228 voters believe Terry Ryan should hire someone outside the organization. And Ozzie is, of course, interested. He’s always wanted to be a “piranha,” and it was confirmed today by Mike Berardino. Another ESPN analyst, Manny Acta, could be a calmer, safer way to bridge the Latin gap between the Twins’ roster and staff, but I like Ozzie’s credentials better. I think it’s important to bring someone in that has playoff success, which eliminates Jim Tracy and Bo Porter from the conversation. Other internal options include Doug Mientkiewicz, who I feel is the most accomplished internal option, Paul Molitor, who would serve merely as a figurehead since he has absolutely no experience managing, Terry Steinbach, a reasonable but unexciting coach, and even Jake Mauer, who I find to be a reach, but he certainly has the skill set. So there’s your shortlist, Terry. Seems to me Ozzie’s at the top of it, and I couldn't be happier.

How is nobody discussing Ervin Santana as a possible free agent acquisition? Ryan offered him three years earlier this season, and his changeup is nasty. He could take pressure off Nolasco, so he can get some confidence vs. #3 starters instead of #1s, which Hughes will obviously handle next season. And we have the money. $15 million a year for three years is reasonable. That's a very serviceable top three, and with what looks to be an improving offense (sixth in runs with 4.39 per game), we can afford to be 24th in ERA (that would be an ERA around 4.1) or even 27th (4.29), but not 29th (4.58).

I just like the idea of bringing rookies along as long relievers and transitioning them into starting roles when guys go down. Not so much pressure. Generally pitching in games that are out of hand. Feel Milone is a borderline non-tender candidate, especially if they sign Santana or another starter. He'll have a lot to prove in the last few games pitching in relief.

Nunez and Swarzak, in red, aren't actually on it. Just left them on to indicate they'd been non-tendered.

There is no reason the 2015 Minnesota Twins can’t be competitive. They have money to spend, prospects to watch, and changes to be made to the coaching staff that will reap rewards. Terry Ryan should be making drastic moves just to keep his job. Anywhere else and he would have been canned by now, but I believe in Terry Ryan’s ability to do the job. He can prove it by canning Ron Gardenhire and Rick Anderson. Gardy’s gotta go. He’s not the type of manager that can lead these young, mostly Spanish-speaking men to the promised land. He’s only been to the promised land once in his career, and that was his first year managing a team built by Tom Kelly. He’s got one playoff win in 11 years, two in 12 years, and a whole six in 13 years. If I were Terry Ryan, I’d take a chance on Ozzie Guillen – a man who can at the very least give us entertaining post game interviews. He’s also known to defend his players and light fires under asses. Oh, and he’s got a World Series ring – during Gardy’s tenure! Then there’s Rick Anderson, who somehow couldn’t make Francisco Liriano and Vance Worley work. They certainly aren’t having any trouble in Pittsburgh with Ray Searage. Maybe Terry Ryan should offer him the job. Frankly, I don’t care who he hires as long as it’s not Anderson. Sure, he can say he turned Phil Hughes around, and Hughes even credits him, but one guy in 10 years? It’s not like Johan Santana needed a lot of coaching, and it’s not like the young Twins’ starters have been breaking through in the majors. Trevor May has struggled mightily, and very few of the young bullpen arms have impressed. Terry Ryan can’t fix the problems with the Twins by hiring a new manager and pitching coach, though. It starts and ends with the product on the field, which is horrendous. He can start fixing things by spending as much money on starting pitching as he does on his nine starters. Ervin Santana should be a nice fit. Ryan offered him a three-year deal worth roughly $30-33 million before this season, but Santana elected to set himself up for a better payday, taking a one-year deal with the Braves. It worked, and now he can expect a three-year deal worth $45 million or more. http://i2.wp.com/gogonzojournal.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2014-09-26-at-2.02.05-AM.png?zoom=2&w=900 I think he’s a good fit between Hughes and Nolasco, and so does Carl Buscheck of Bleacher Report. It should take some pressure off Nolasco to be the man and just allow him to pitch. He’s also another “veteran” presence at the top of the rotation, although Hughes (28), Nolasco (31), and Santana (31) may be the youngest group of veteran pitchers in the league. Good thing Mike Pelfrey will be around in the bullpen. Pelfrey’s 2015 contract could end up OK, as Nick Nelson smartly writes here. Even if we can get 80 innings out of him, something’s better than nothing, and Pelfrey will be a leader in the clubhouse. I guess that’s why they keep paying him because he’s certainly not leading by example. Besides non-tendering Anthony Swarzak and Eduardo Nunez, there aren’t too many surprises. Miguel Sano better be in the mix. If he’s not, I’d suspect an early call-up in July. Millone could replace Swarzak in the bullpen, but frankly, I think they’re both non-tender candidates. Millone was a gift, but seems to be damaged goods. Billy Beane knew something Terry Ryan didn’t. It’s not as though Millone has been dominant or anything, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is down a full point from last year. Hicks and Schafer both make the roster because who knows if Hicks will stick. Santana may move to short, or he may not, but it'll all shake out in Spring Training. This is not a lineup for next season – just a 25-man roster. Anyway, that’s a grand total of around $92-93 million, barring any extensions, and I think Terry Ryan and the Twins are backing off a potential extension for Brian Dozier after signing Kurt Suzuki for two years. Barring any injuries, the team above will be better than the 2014 Minnesota Twins. Santana is a massive upgrade to Kevin Correia, Pelfrey could be serviceable from the pen, which now has plenty of long relief to accommodate the inconsistent youngsters. Eventually, we’d like to see Alex Meyer in a starting role, but his day will come soon enough. Something is bound to happen to Nolasco or Hughes given the Twins’ luck the past few years. If Miguel Sano recovers, Kennys Vargas keeps smashing, Oswaldo Arcia keeps improving, Hughes repeats his 2014 performance, Nolasco figures himself out, Mauer stays healthy, Santana sticks at short and Hicks hits enough to stick anywhere in the outfield, Gibson improves his consistency, Suzuki stays fresh, Pinto gets reps at catcher, Plouffe returns healthy, Dozier keeps doing his thing, and Meyer and May reach their potential, 2015 could be a much better year for a much better ballclub. ---- Anthony Varriano, @GoGonzoJournal, is editor of GoGonzoJournal.com/sports, a sports blog featuring the rants of fans and Gonzo journalists.

Bats like Sano and Vargas don't come around very often, and there is some versatility in the roster to keep both. Mauer can play third or OF, Sano first, Vargas DH. If I were going to deal a bat, it would be Pinto, since there's a two-year logjam at catcher and an even bigger one at DH. Might have to throw in another prospect, though.

What do you think of Ozzie Guillen? He's been my choice for two years.

Agreed. I think our current situation is evident of our need to get out of that comfortable "promote from within" mentality. The Twins organization doesn't always have the best people for the job. They seldom do in fact.

I could live with the choice even if it happened this year. Fans like Molitor because he's another local hero from UM that gives the team that approachable and Minnesota-nice feeling. Not that Mientkiewicz doesn't, but who knows if Molitor even wants the job or if he'd be any good at it. We know Doug is good at it and familiar with the weapons at his disposal. I wouldn't mind a tag team of Dougie and Paulie, but I've been calling for Ozzie Guillen the past three years. Now's not the time to give in. I guess Terry Ryan should interview anyone interested and see who he's comfortable working with. Ozzie's probably not high on his list.

I wouldn't have a huge problem with Gardy staying one more year, but totally agree with Nick that Anderson should be gone. Wouldn't mind Gardy being gone for the right manager. Paul Molitor is a reasonable in-house solution. I wouldn't mind Ozzie Guillen. He is, at the very least, entertaining. And you know he's always wanted to manage the Piranhas.

I'd like to see Plouffe stick around until the Twins get anything out of Sano. I agree that he has increased his trade value as a third baseman, and there will be takers. But frankly, I wouldn't put Sano at third either. I'd move Mauer to third and have Sano play first with Pinto in left field. Parmelee or Schafer would serve as fourth outfielder behind Arcia, Hicks, and Pinto. Escobar would be utility man.

I like the idea of Pinto playing a corner outfield position. Parmelee won't stick and Buxton is probably a year away now, so it's either Jordan Schafer or Aaron Hicks, because Santana's going to get a lot of starts at short.

No. They have not at this point.

They all have value if compared to available replacements. Sure there are plenty of relievers available, but the asking price for others may be too high. If Terry Ryan is willing to sell low, which he should be, then these deals can work for both teams. Maybe less so for the Twins, but two of the three are really just roster moves resulting in salary dumps. The idea is to get youngsters in those roles in a lost season to prepare for next year.

Bullpens should consist of young, cheap, high-powered arms, and that's it. Even a veteran closer is a waste of money unless you're Glen Perkins making $5.5 million, which is a steal. Nathan's getting $10 million to be less than mediocre in Detroit. Mind-blowing contract for a man his age.

With the waiver trade deadline just two weeks away, Terry Ryan and the Minnesota Twins' front office still have some work to do despite unloading Josh Willingham and Kevin Correia for marginal returns and a few dollars they won't use. However, the veteran jettison has created roster spots for Trevor May and Tommy Milone, but the big problem in Minnesota now is a throng of young, capable bullpen arms that don't have roster spots because of veterans like Brian Duensing, Jared Burton, and Anthony Swarzak. Guys like Michael Tonkin, Ryan Pressly, and, perhaps, Alex Meyer or even Trevor May, should be pitching those innings. Duensing has the most value given his 2.28 ERA and 173 ERA+, and although he's striking out two fewer batters per nine innings compared to last year, he's also giving up two fewer hits per nine innings, lowering his WHIP to 1.246 from 1.475 last season. Duensing can't fill the role of a setup man, but should be pretty effective in the seventh inning, and the Yankees sure could use some help in the seventh inning if they're going to climb the AL Wild Card standings. I propose Terry Ryan and the Twins look further into the future, past the mid-level prospects, and pitch Duensing for 19-year-old Austin DeCarr. DeCarr has two plus pitches – a fastball that reaches 96 mph and a hard curveball – and although his changeup needs a lot of work, he could end up a No. 3 starter around 2018. I would have traded Anthony Swarzak last season when he tossed 96 innings at a 2.91 ERA and 139 ERA+, but apparently there wasn't much need for long relievers in last year's playoff race. Swarzak's value is in his ability to eat innings and spot start, and despite an ERA above four this season, his ERA+ (96) indicates he's close to an average replacement pitcher. In fact, he's on par with JA Happ and has pitched better than Drew Hutchison of the Blue Jays, whose starters and relievers have been equally underwhelming. If they want to stay in the AL Wild Card race, a guy like Swarzak could help get them there. Swarzak doesn't warrant much more than a player to be named later, and that player will depend on how many innings or starts he makes, like the Correia deal with the Dodgers. Burton will be the most difficult and most Gonzo trade to pull off because he's old and awful. He's got a team option for next year, so he'll be a free agent at the end of the year anyway. It would have been nice to move him when he was a serviceable setup man back in 2012, his first year away from the Cincinnati Reds, but Ryan and the Twins thought it would be best to give a two-year deal to a 30-year-old reliever with a long and documented injury history. Now Burton is hardly a serviceable middle reliever, but lucky for us, the Reds' bullpen is pretty atrocious, yet they're just three games back in the NL Wild Card race. Burton's ERA+ of 90 is nearly 20 points higher than JJ Hoover's, who has still managed to somehow pitch 52.2 innings, five more than Burton. I'd trade Burton for a bucket of balls at this point. Dumping the rest of his contract and allowing Tonkin, Pressly, Meyer, or May to pitch those innings is enough of a return for me to be satisfied with the trade, and I think many Twins fans would agree. --- Find more Gonzo sports stories at GoGonzoJournal.com/sports, including a wild trip to the 2014 MLB All-Star Game.

I wouldn't have minded if the Twins went with a six-man rotation the whole season. Maybe the extra day off between starts would have kept Pelfrey or Nolasco off the DL, and Deduno could keep making starts instead of throwing wild pitches with runners on in a relief role.

In a wild MLB Trade Deadline Day that saw David Price to Detroit, Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes to Oakland for Yoenis Cespedes, John Lackey to St. Louis for Joe Kelly, and even Stephen Drew from Boston to the Yankees, Terry Ryan and the Minnesota Twins' front office can hold their heads relatively high. They locked up All-Star catcher Kurt Suzuki for two more years at $12 million with a slick vesting option for a third year based on plate appearances, as Mike Berardino tweets. The Twins played it smart and basically have full control of that vesting year. However, with Kennys Vargas being called up to fill the designated hitter spot in light of Kendrys Morales being traded back to Seattle and the "triumphant" return of Joe Mauer to first base and not catcher, it doesn't look good for Josmil Pinto, who now has plenty of time to progress defensively in Rochester. It certainly wouldn't be a surprise if Suzuki gets 485 plate appearances in 2016, but it would mean Pinto still can't catch and Mauer still won't catch. With his improved approach at the plate that Parker Hageman recognized in video reconnaissance, maybe three years of Kurt Suzuki won't be so bad. Let's just hope Pinto learns to frame pitches at least as well as Suzuki in a hurry so Ryan can move Suzuki sooner rather than later. He did make another slick move in giving waiver claim Sam Fuld back to Oakland for starting pitcher Tommy Milone. I like Milone, whose given name is Tomaso Anthony Milone. Milone has put up impressive numbers in nearly 500 MLB innings pitched, but his strikeout numbers have steadily fallen. If he gives up even fewer homers and walks, which would be expected given Target Field and Rick Anderson, Milone will be an effective starter until 2018 when he becomes a free agent. And he will be better and cheaper in the role Kevin Correia has been failing to fill. Correia will be waived, and I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up the fifth starter or long reliever of a National League Wild Card contender...say, the Pirates. Any return on Correia is good return. Hell, maybe if we throw in a reliever they'll give Vance Worley back. Of course, we must also consider Ryan's move to send Morales back to Seattle, which brought relief pitcher Stephen Pryor in what looks to me like a salary dump of sorts. Pryor's only 22, but I don't see Ryan's interest except that Pryor's biggest problem is walks, and if there's anything the Twins organization preaches it's, "Don't give free passes." I didn't understand the move with so many young pitchers to throw out there as relievers: Thielbar, Fien, Pressly, Tonkin, even AJ Achter; and I still don't understand it after none of our relievers were traded: Burton, Duensing, Deduno, or even Perkins (although that would have been heartbreaking). So the Sam Fuld trade was outstanding, the Kenndrys Morales trade was pretty terrible, and perhaps the best move Terry Ryan made was to extend Kurt Suzuki at reasonable dollars and years. The Twins will most certainly be active at the waiver deadline, with Correia, Willingham, Burton, and maybe even Deduno to be considered. It's the most wonderful time of the year. For original story visit http://gogonzojournal.com/sports

If Ozzie Guillen were captain on this sinking ship, I assure you Nolasco would have been threatened with bullpen duty months ago. Totally agree it's time to change the culture of the Twins.