USAFChief

Fair enough...although in my mind the absence of a salary cap in baseball makes it easier, not harder. There are no real consequences, other than financial, to signing a bad free agent in baseball. An owner can chose to write off the money, and go sign another. In sports with salary caps, they can't do that.

Concur!

I agree and in fact was thinking along the same lines this afternoon. I'd stop whining so much about payroll if DSP would come out and tell us, "yeah, we could easily have spent a lot more on payroll since we moved into TF. But we felt like we had too much ground to make up, didnt really like the opportunities that were out there, and decided to bank some money instead. It's all there, sitting in an account, and will eventually go towards payroll when we think it makes sense." Heck, I'd settle for just thinking that, even if he didnt actually say it. But I don't.

you two...get a room.

I often read this theory. As I see it, there are so many problems with it, I'm not sure where to begin: 1. There is no obvious or proven reason this theory is inherently better than just the opposite strategy: "go get as much talent as you can on the big league team and hope the minor leagues can provide one key piece." In actuality, I'd say your odds are much better of being able to identify proven major league talent and hope to add a bit from the minors than the other way around. 2. If we accept your theory as better, how do you propose to know when you only have "one key void" in advance of a season? If you wait until after the season to add that "one key piece," it's too late, no? If you're waiting till you are a .500 team to add FAs, then you should have added them prior to that .500 season, pushing you into contention. After all...that's your theory, right? Simply add the finishing touch(es) to an already good team. 3. If somehow you can know in advance when you have that "one key void," how do you know there will be a FA just sitting there waiting for you to call? Or if there is, he will sign here? I think the theory of "wait till you're good to get good" is something that sounds on the surface like a smart idea, until you actually try to put it into practice. "Continually look to add talent, in every way possible" sounds like a much better idea to me. Including adding high priced talent when possible. I look at the Wild, and I'm glad their ownership went out and got top talent in place, in advance of or in conjunction with the arrival of a bunch of minor league talent, so that they didn't have to depend on the rookies and youngsters to elevate the franchise all by themselves, and they put themselves in a position where they didn't need to be right on all of the FA choices or right on all of the youngsters. All it took was money, and the courage of their convictions. They haven't won anything yet, but they're certainly in a good position. And I can't shake the feeling that, if magic happens, and the Twins clearly are "just one player away," there will be an excuse for why that didn't happen, too. At least if history is any teacher.

At the least, this is another questionable method of keeping and/or attracting season ticket holders.

Not after I "accidentally" stomp on your instep a couple times, m'boy.

Nice to know DSP and the Twins are using analytics after all.

I tend to agree, but I predict they'll take a day or so to mull it over. You know MLB...never quick to make a decision.

I can't recall...were the pitches called strikes? If they were called strikes, that seems to settle the issue...if called balls, that seems to confuse the issue. I guess I should have noticed that at the time.

He could add a bit more chalant to his OF play, too, for my tastes.

I'd like to see Santana at SS, Eddie as the futility infielder, at which point I would hope two spots on the next good Twins team are filled.

Only the all rookie team, not the AS Game? Only the rest of the decade? Too much pessimism, I'd say.

No, he meant "floor you." As in bannination.

I don't mean to sidetrack this thread, but all OBP is not equal, IMO. A single is worth more than a walk, because it can advance base runners more than one base, for one thing. And, of course, not all hits are singles...some are doubles, triples and home runs. As this relates to Hicks, I think it's doubtful he can maintain a .340 OBP unless he can hit for a higher average. Major League pitchers are too good to keep walking guys who can't hit. My personal preference would be to give Hicks one more shot at CF out of spring training, and hopefully settle the issue, with Buxton somewhere on the horizon to either move Hicks to LF or 4th OFer, or out of the organization. He might fail (as might Buxton) but at least you could feel fairly confident at that point about giving up on Hicks.

I disagree that streaming is easier...like I said, I'm a dinosaur. I still have a home phone too. I have (had) a Roku. I have high speed Internet. I tried mlbtv. From my perspective, it sucks. Give me extra innings every day of the week.

I gladly pay for direcTV and can't stand streaming anything. I guess I'm a dinosaur too. But I can watch the playoffs in HD on my big screen TV.

I don't think anyone viewed Meyer's upside as a nr 3 starter at the time of the trade. He was ranked as the #50 prospect by MLB, #3 in the Twins system, and had the kind of stuff to be an ace. That was viewed as his upside.

As I recall it, Reed's control was so shaky the two guys that he hit were both in the on deck circle. Of course, my memory ain't what it used to be, so I can't swear to that.

All true. It does bother me though, that things like "identify and draft power pitching" seems to come late for the Twins. They do appear--from the comfort of my recliner to be fair-- to be a follower of ideas, rather than a developer of them.

A few quick thoughts: Buxton is really fast. He also has a pretty good arm. I haven't been a big fan of Rosario...but based on three games anyway...he can hit. He hit the ball hard in almost every AB we saw.

the ones with the debit cards.

how about Baltimore deciding getting Machado to the big leagues was worth moving him off SS? That might be comparable?

Chiming in...what a delightful night in the desert....absolutely perfect weather, a couple hundredfans in aattendance, seats wherever you want, and Jones hitting 99 on the stadium gun. I also should note Ash's son is a remarkable young man...bright, funny, warm and engaging, and he keeps score! He obviously takes after his mother.

this particular genie isn't too smart if he thinks team 2 gets projected as a .500 team by Vegas.