RealTwinsFan357

Sounds like the Blue Jays are interested in Terry Ryan as they search for a new president/CEO: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/12/blue-jays-eyeing-dan-duquette.html Clearly, Terry Ryan is still respected in the baseball community despite the poor quality that has been found on the field the last new years. If the Jays were actually to hire Ryan from the Twins (and that's a big if) would the Twins promote Antony to GM or would they actually hire someone from outside the organization?

The Twins are in an interesting place. The 40-man roster is, yet again, full. The Twins definitely have a lot of players, but they don't have a lot of great (or arguably even a lot of good) players. It is obvious the Twins won't win a championship with their current team, but that's not to say there aren't bright spots. I'd like to take a quick look at the position players on the Twins' 40-man roster and examine what future, if any, they have with the team. Catchers: Eric Fryer: Although he is a replacement-level player, it seems important that Fryer stay on the 40-man roster. I think Pinto and Suzuki should be co-starters this season with Fryer in AAA in case of injury. A 40-man roster shouldn't operate with only 2 catchers, and I don't think there is a better candidate to be the Twins third catcher than Eric Fryer. It's worth mentioning that Fryer's offensive numbers were slightly higher than Drew Butera's last year. I think the Twins will hold onto Fryer until one of their catching prospects (Stewart Turner or Mitch Garver, for example) reach the high minors and are ready to be added to the 40-man roster. Josmil Pinto: I think Pinto will have some success this year with more frequent repetitions behind the plate and being paired with a pitcher not named Samuel Deduno. Pinto's bat shows a lot of promise and I think he could be a trade candidate down the road if one of our prospects (Turner or Garver) press to become the starting catcher. Kurt Suzuki: I'm still a little uneasy about the decision to extend Suzuki. He's a good ballplayer, but I don't expect him to stand out offensively or defensively this year. $6 million is also a lot to pay for a backup player, so I expect Suzuki to get plenty of playing time the next two years. I don't see him having a long-term place with the team, but I do think he will play out his contract with the Twins because the Twins will want to keep him if he puts up solid numbers and other teams will be reluctant to trade for him if he puts up poor numbers. Infielders: Chris Colabello: I think the Twins should let Colabello try his luck somewhere else. The Twins have plenty of candidates to take at bats at 1B and DH. I don't think Colabello will see much time with the Twins at all, and he could be out-righted if the Twins need roster space. Brian Dozier: Dozier's next season or two will determine if he becomes a franchise player or a tradeable asset. I haven't convinced myself of either one at this point. Dozier clearly has some skill, but he was quite disappointing offensively in the second half last year. It is definitely too premature to consider trading or extending Dozier. His own improvement at the plate, Danny Santana's ability to play shortstop, and Jorge Polanco's progress as a prospect will all be factors in the ultimate decision. Eduardo Escobar: The numbers Escobar put up last year were pleasantly surprising. He demonstrated that he has the talent to be a fringe starter in the major leagues. I approve of using Danny Santana as our primary shortstop this year, but Escobar is a good safety net and should get several at bats. In my opinion, it wouldn't hurt to give Dozier, Santana, and Plouffe a day off every week and allow Escobar to get three starts. This would allow the Twins to see how Escobar's bat holds up and increase his trade value. If Santana is successful, I think Escobar could become a good trade chip for the Twins. Joe Mauer: Mauer will play first base until his contract is over. His offensive numbers should recover a little bit next season. Trevor Plouffe: If Sano has success and demonstrates the ability to stick at third base, Plouffe becomes our most logical trade chip. If not, Plouffe could be an extension candidate. I think Plouffe's future will be determined almost entirely by Sano's return from Tommy John surgery. Jorge Polanco: If he continues hitting, Polanco could take Dozier's spot in the field in the future. If not, Polanco could be a valuable utility player. Miguel Sano: If he sticks at third base, he is the third baseman of the future. If not, he may make Kennys Vargas expendable. Danny Santana: I hope Santana sticks at short. If he does, I think he will hold down that position until Nick Gordon arrives, at which point one of them becomes a trade candidate. Kennys Vargas: Vargas should start the year with the Twins. If he has a sophomore slump, he can be sent down to Rochester. I also think Vargas should get two starts at first per week with Mauer DH-ing those days. That will allow Vargas to work on his defense and allow Joe to stay fresh. I think Vargas is the Twins DH for the foreseeable unless Sano can't play third base or his abilities drop off. Outfielders: Oswaldo Arcia: I think Arcia will be the Twins best hitter this year. It sounds like he is playing left field, which I think will slightly increase his defensive ratings. Arcia is very young and has a lot of potential. Despite his defensive shortcomings, I think the future Twins lineup needs to be built around him. If he has a breakout season this year I could see him as a potential extension candidate. If not after this season, the Twins could buy out his arbitration years after next season. Chris Herrmann: If Herrmann was still listed as a catcher I would see the point in having him on the team. As is, I don't see him playing a major role with this club unless a lot of outfielders get injured. Aaron Hicks: As much as it frustrates me, I am confident Aaron Hicks will be the opening day centerfielder. The Twins expressed their desire to have Torii Hunter help mentor their younger players, and I don't see them stating that then sending Hicks to AAA. I don't have much faith in Hicks anymore. Maybe he can become a 4th outfielder, but I don't see his bat giving him a starting role once Buxton debuts. Torii Hunter: Hunter will play right field, and give the Twins some offense this year. If the Twins resign him next year, they will have made a mistake. I have mixed feelings about signing Hunter, but at least he isn't blocking anybody right now. Next season he would be blocking Buxton and Rosario (and possibly others). Max Kepler: If Kepler has a breakout season he could be a decent trade candidate. I see the Twins long-term outfield as consisting of Rosario-Buxton-Arcia, but Kepler could be part of the equation, too. Eduardo Nunez: I think Nunez offers some value as a super-utility player and pinch runner. He will play for the Twins until a prospect with more promise is ready for promotion. I could potentially see Polanco taking his 25-man roster spot after this season. Chris Parmelee: I liked what Parmelee did against left handed pitching last year, but I think his time with the Twins is almost at an end. It seems Hunter may have taken Parmelee's 25-man roster spot this season. Since Parmelee actually put up decent defensive numbers last year, I wouldn't be surprised to see another team roll the dice with him. Eddie Rosario: Rosario could play center field for the Twins come June or July if Hicks is struggling. If his bat holds up, I think Rosario could be the answer in left field once Buxton arrives. I would start him at AAA to see if he is ready to take on major league pitching. Jordan Schafer: If nothing else, I'm glad we have a better backup plan for Hicks than last year. I think holding on to Schafer is a good idea for now, but I don't see him playing for the Twins in 2016 when Rosario, Buxton, and possibly Kepler are getting closer to the majors. In a couple of days I will go through the pitchers on the Twins 40-man roster and examine what future each of them has with the club. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

I understand the frustration with signing Torii Hunter right now, but I think it's unfair to be angry at him for leaving the Twins in the first place. The Twins offered him HALF of what he took to play for Los Angeles. I don't know many people who wouldn't go work for a rival company if they were guaranteed double the money they would make at their current job. It is also important to remember that only a small portion of the Twins fan base can be found blogging and posting in forums. It is true that most Twins fans with a grasp of advanced metrics and/or an understanding of how poor Hunter's defense really is (myself included) are a bit disappointed with this singing, but I know plenty of casual Twins fans who are ecstatic that Torii is back with the Twins. Those people aren't idiots, they just don't follow the game as closely, and they will be filling the seats at Target Field to see their hero play this year.

I always throught Arcia's natural position was left and he switched to right because of Willingham. Of course, I could be wrong. I do have a couple thoughts about Arcia: I looked at Steamer projections, and Arcia is projected to be the Twins best hitter this year (by both wRC+ and wOBA). The fact that a 23 year old is our best hitter is a good thing for a rebuilding team, so based on his offense alone, I think trading Arcia would be a huge mistake. I also think Arcia's defensive ratings will go up if he plays in LF. Just looking at data from Fangraphs, it appears two seasons ago (when he played about 2/3 of his innings in left), Arcia was less terrible in left than in right. Last season, he played exclusively in right, and although his defense was still bad, his defensive numbers were better than what he put up in either left or right in 2013. Obviously all of these numbers suffer from small sample size, but if Arcia truly got better as an overall outfielder and he has more ability in left field than in right, it seems reasonable that Arcia won't be as bad defensively next year. I know not as bad is not the same thing as good, but if Arcia is truly our best hitter, I have no problem with building an outfield around him.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, the A's are listening to offers for several of their left-handed hitters, including Reddick http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/11/athletics-fielding-calls-on-left-handed-hitters.html I know right handed outfielders are ideal, but I feel like the Twins should be interested. Reddick would immediately upgrade our outfield defense. He has pretty extreme platoon splits, so in that way I guess he mirrors Schafer a little bit, but I think he would provide better offense and defense. Although he has been playing mainly RF, it appears he has a solid track record at CF if you buy into defense metrics (as I'm sifting through stats on fangraphs). He will be under contract for 2 more years. The article says the Athletics are searching for help at SS, so a deal revolving around Escobar could be possible. I'd say go with it. We'd be obtaining an above average hitter capable of playing in CF or either of the corners who is under contract for two more seasons.

Victorino has one year left on his contract for $13 million. Steamer projects him to be above average both offensively and defensively next year, and the Red Sox have an extremely crowded outfield. I feel like he could slide into a corner outfield spot on the Twins. He would certainly help our defense. The Twins might not be interested unless the Sox are willing to eat some salary, but I feel like this type of move would help fix the outfield in the short-term while we wait for our prospects to break into the bigs.

I agree there is no way to determine how Pelfrey will pitch with shorter rest, but Swarzak was definitely not the type of guy to put out the fire when runners were on base. He inherited 35 runners this year and allowed 16 of them to score (46%). As a percentage I'm not sure how that stacks up, but he was 51st in number of inherited runners and 6th in number of inherited runners scored, so he probably didn't rank very high in the percentage category. (data from sportingcharts.com)

Part of me feels bad for him, but after two or three days of not being able to hit, he should have come clean about the injury. It's hard to say whether allowing this injury to heal would have made his season better-maybe we could have traded him at some point had his numbers stayed strong. As is, I don't think the Twins have room for him, but maybe this information means he'll get a minor league deal with a club looking for help at 1B (like the Brewers, for example).

I agree with this 100%. My thought process was that if Plouffe and/or Dozier have great seasons and Sano/Polanco/Rosario demonstrate they will be capable major league players going forward, we may be able to trade at least one of Dozier/Plouffe next off-season. Thanks for the feedback!

It may mean a bunch of losses in 2015, but the Twins need to use their next season to evaluate what they have. Next off-season, they can look at the trade and free agent market and search for a way to supplement their 25-man roster, but for now, they need to commit to the youth movement. I'll take a look at the players who deserve an extended look in each area of the Twins roster. Image courtesy of Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports It may mean a bunch of losses in 2015, but the Twins need to use their next season to evaluate what they have. Next off-season, they can look at the trade and free agent market and search for a way to supplement their 25-man roster, but for now, they need to commit to the youth movement. I'll take a look at the players who deserve an extended look in each area of the Twins roster. Starting Rotation: Obviously, Phil Hughes and Ricky Nolasco are not going anywhere. I think Kyle Gibson is a breakout candidate and could prove to be something special. On top of those three, I would choose Trevor May and Alex Meyer to fill out my rotation. If the Twins are ever going to compete, they need to know if either of those pitchers will ever become a front-of-the-rotation arm. This doesn't leave room for a free-agent acquisition. I agree the Twins would probably win an additional handful of games if they signed Justin Masterson to a 1-year deal, but then either May or Meyer ends up in AAA. That's not how a youth movement is supposed to go. The Twins will still have Tommy Milone and Logan Darnell who could fill in if injury arises. If Meyer doesn't have what it takes to succeed, I'd rather know that after a poor 2015 than part way into 2016. Bullpen: The bullpen needs to have some turn-over this year. I would have no problem with the Twins trading/non-tendering Anthony Swarzak and Brian Duensing and I believe Jared Burton will be gone once the Twins buy out his contract. I would formulate a bullpen with Glen Perkins, Casey Fien, Logan Darnell, Ryan Pressly, Stephen Pryor, Mike Pelfrey, Michael Tonkin and Casey Theilbar. I would also make sure A.J. Achter and Lester Oliveros get an extended look at some point. This will not be the best bullpen in baseball, but Jake Reed, Nick Burdi, and Zack Jones will be here by season's end. Even if they don't all pan out, I expect at least two of them to show immediate success. The Twins would then need to know who stays and who goes amongst the others. 2015 is the year to figure that out. Infield: Danny Santana needs to be the shortstop. If that's actually going to be his position, the Twins need to see how he handles it full time. Brian Dozier and Trevor Plouffe could end up becoming two of Minnesota's best trade candidates, especially if MIguel Sano and Jorge Polanco both show major league success toward the end of 2015. Of course, Joe Mauer isn't going anywhere and Kennys Vargas will get the majority of DH at bats. This year is also Josmil Pinto's change to show whether he can be the catcher of the future; I think we'll know by season's end. There are not as many questions about the infield as other aspects of the team. Outfield: I don't understand the idea that the Twins should trade Oswaldo Arcia. I agree he isn't the best outfielder in the world, but I would argue he's the only outfielder that isn't a total question mark going into 2015. Center field and left field are sort of a mess, so why trade Arcia and make right field a mess, too? For center and left, I think the Twins can patch together enough success to survive 2015. Jordan Schafer should be retained for another season, as he plays pretty good defense and runs well. Other than that, I would give Aaron Hicks, Eddie Rosario, Danny Ortiz, and eventually Byron Buxton opportunities this year. I could even see Rosario being the Twins opening day center fielder this season. If Hicks, Rosario, and Ortiz fail and Buxton isn't ready, the Twins can ride with Chris Parmelee in left field until someone hits the waver wire without it being the end of the world. Overall, 2015 might be a struggle, like Terry Ryan suggested, but it could help the team in the long run to just play the group they already have. Once the Twins know what they have in their top prospects, they will be in a better position to pursue talent on the free agent and trade markets to supplement what they already have. View full article

I'm not sold on Darnell yet, but I still think it's worth looking at him to see if he can be a lefty specialist or long man out of the bullpen. His AAA ERA this year was well above his FIP, so it is very possible he doesn't have what it takes to succeed at the MLB level, but I would rather know one way or the other at the end of 2015.

I agree having Masterson on the Twins would mean a few more wins in 2015, but then what happens to Meyer? A rotation of Hughes, Masterson, Gibson, Nolasco, and May would have some great potential, but if those five pitch all of 2015, we would reach 2016 with no idea how Meyer will fare as an MLB starter.

It may mean a bunch of losses in 2015, but the Twins need to use their next season to evaluate what they have. Next off-season, they can look at the trade and free agent market and search for a way to supplement their 25-man roster, but for now, they need to commit to the youth movement. I'll take a look at the players who deserve an extended look in each area of the Twins roster. Starting Rotation: Obviously, Hughes and Nolasco are not going anywhere. I think Gibson is a breakout candidate and could prove to be something special. On top of those three, I would choose May and Meyer to fill out my rotation. If the Twins are ever going to compete, they need to know if either of those pitchers will ever become a front-of-the-rotation arm. This doesn't leave room for a free-agent acquisition. I agree the Twins would probably win an additional handful of games if they signed Justin Masterson to a 1-year deal, but then either May or Meyer ends up in AAA. That's not how a youth movement is supposed to go. The Twins will still have Milone and Darnell who could fill in if injury arises. If Meyer doesn't have what it takes to succeed, I'd rather know that after a poor 2015 then part way into 2016. Bullpen: The bullpen needs to have some turn-over this year. I would have no problem with the Twins trading/non-tendering Swarzak and Duensing and I believe Burton will be gone once the Twins buy out his contract. I would formulate a bullpen with Perkins, Fien, Darnell, Pressly, Pryor, Pelfrey, Tonkin and Theilbar. I would also make sure Achter and Oliveros get an extended look at some point. This will not be the best bullpen in baseball, but Jake Reed, Nick Burdi, and Zack Jones will be here by season's end. Even if they don't all pan out, I expect at least two of them to show immediate success. The Twins would then need to know who stays and who goes amongst the others. 2015 is the year to figure that out. Infield: Santana needs to be the shortstop. If that's actually going to be his position, the Twins need to see how he handles it full time. Dozier and Plouffe could end up becoming two of Minnesota's best trade candidates, especially if Sano and Polanco both show major league success toward the end of 2015. Of course, Mauer isn't going anywhere and Vargas will get the majority of DH at bats. This year is also Pinto's change to show whether he can be the catcher of the future; I think we'll know by season's end. There are not as many questions about the infield as other aspects of the team. Outfield: I don't understand the idea that the Twins should trade Arcia. I agree he isn't the best outfielder in the world, but I would argue he's the only outfielder that isn't a total question mark going into 2015. CF and LF are sort of a mess, so why trade Arcia and make RF a mess, too? For CF and LF, I think the Twins can patch together enough success to survive 2015. Schafer should be retained for another season, as he plays pretty good defense and runs well. Other than that, I would give Hicks, Rosario, Danny Ortiz, and eventually Buxton opportunities this year. I could even see Rosario being the Twins opening day CF this season. If Hicks, Rosario, and Ortiz fail and Buxton isn't ready, the Twins can ride with Parmelee in LF until someone hits the waver wire without it being the end of the world. Overall, 2015 might be a struggle, like Terry Ryan suggested, but it could help the team in the long run to just play the group they already have. Once the Twins know what they have in their top prospects, they will be in a better position to pursue talent on the free agent and trade markets to supplement what they already have.

September 30, 2016: What a year it has been for the Minnesota Twins! The Twins recently won their 93rd game of the season and have at last unseated the Detroit Tigers from their five year perch atop the AL central. It's hard to believe the Twins made it this far despite losing 90 games every year from 2011-2014. We'll take a look at each player that was on the Twins at the end of 2014, what happened to them, and which new players were brought in to change the outlook of this team. Infielders: Joe Mauer: Mauer has remained the starting first baseman, and saw his number bounce back after a poor showing in 2014. His batting average has been comfortably around .300 and he has hit 13 homers each of the last two years. He won a gold glove award in 2015. Brian Dozier: Dozier solidified himself as one of the Twins top positions players. He has now had three consecutive 20-20 seasons, and saw his batting average climb to the .260 range. Danny Santana: Santana regressed some after an incredible 2014, but he still hits around .280 and has had some decent pop. His defense has improved drastically since being moved to shortstop permanently at the start of 2015. Eduardo Escobar: Escobar was the Twins starting third baseman for the first half of 2015. He showed some talent, but ultimately failed to reproduce the type of offensive numbers he put up in 2014. Since Miguel Sano's callup, Escobar has filled a super-utility role. He's worked hard on his outfield defense and is now a plus defender at second, short, third, left, and center. Trevor Plouffe: Following the 2014 season, Plouffe, Pinto, and Eddie Rosario were part of a three-team trade that brought Gio Gonzalez to Minnesota. Eduardo Nunez: Nunez was claimed off wavers shortly after the July 31 trade deadline in 2015. Once it was apparent Sano would stick at third base he was deemed expendable. Kennys Vargas: Vargas has been the Twins primary DH and has worked hard on his plate discipline. He still strikes out a ton, but he walks more now. 2016 was his first career 30HR season. Miguel Sano: After being called up in July 2015, Sano managed to hit 18HR during the second half. This year, he finished the year with 43HR, most in the American League. Jorge Polanco: Polanco was called up by the Twins in September, 2015 and has been a part of the team ever since. It is clear he has the tools to be an everyday player, so it is unclear what the Twins will do with him and their other infielders this offseason. Chris Colabello: The Twins non-tendered Colabello after 2014. He signed a minor league deal with Oakland, made the team, and was their primary DH the whole year. The Athletics went on to win the 2015 World Series. Outfielders: Oswaldo Arcia: After switching back to left field in 2015, Arcia became an average defender. He still has trouble making consistent contact at the plate, but has hit 30HR each of the past two seasons. Aaron Hicks: Hicks has been the Twins 4th outfielder for the past two years and has acted as a late-inning defensive replacement for Arcia. Jordan Schafer: Schafer began 2015 with the Minnesota Twins, but was released in June of that year. Torii Hunter: Hunter was signed to a one-year deal to play right field in 2015. Following the season, he retired, although some sources claim he is considering coming back for the 2017 season. Colby Rasmus: The Twins signed Rasmus to a one-year deal as a stop-gap CF for 2015. He performed very well and earned a three-year extension to be the Twins right fielder. Byron Buxton: Despite pressure from fans, Buxton was not called up until September 2015. He was then the opening day centerfielder in 2016. He is considered a lock to win AL rookie of the year and is expected to keep getting better. Chris Parmelee: Parmelee was non-tendered following the 2014 season. Catchers: Kurt Suzuki: Suzuki was adequate in 2015, but saw his offensive numbers take a toll this season. He has since moved to a bench role. With prospect Mitch Garver ready to debut next year, it is likely his time with the Twins has come to a close. Chris Herrmann: Herrmann acted as Suzuki's backup in 2015. He played AAA ball for the Twins in 2016 and will likely be back on a minor league contract next year. Eric Fryer: Fryer was non-tendered following the 2014 season. Josmil Pinto: Pinto was traded along with Plouffe and Rosario in the deal that brought Gonzalez to the Twins. Steward Turner: Turner started 2016 as Suzuki's backup, but has since taken over as the starting catcher. His defense is amazing but his bat leaves more to be desired. Starting Pitchers: Phil Hughes: Hughes signed a four-year extension with the Minnesota Twins after putting up a 3.15 ERA in 2015. He is expected to be the anchor of the team for several more years. Ricky Nolasco: After the 2015 season, Nolasco was moved to the bullpen. Although he hasn't been as bad as in 2014, his ERA has been around 4.75 each of the last two years. Tommy Milone: Milone pitched to a 3.50 ERA during the first half of 2015. He was then traded back to Oakland, who won the 2015 World Series. Trevor May: May worked on his control and has become a quality starting pitcher. He still walks about 3.5 batters per 9 innings, but his K/9 rate has been above 10 in each of the last two seasons. Alex Meyer: Called up mid-season in 2015, Meyer is the reason Nolasco spent 2016 in the bullpen. He hasn't been dominant, but did post an ERA of 3.95 this year. He also missed about a month with a shoulder injury. Logan Darnell: Darnell has been a member of the Twins bullpen since the start of 2015, effectively taking over Brian Duensing's role and producing similar results. Gio Gonzalez: Gonzalez has been the Twins #2 starter since being acquired from the Nationals. He made a seamless transition to the American League and it is expected the Twins will pick up at least the first of his option years. Kyle Gibson: Gibson has made some great strides since 2014, and now looks like a top of the rotation arm. Yohan Pino: Pino retired from baseball after complications returning from injury in 2015. Kris Johnson: Johnson still plays Minor League ball for the Twins. Relief Pitchers: Anthony Swarzak: Swarzak was non-tendered following the 2014 season. He signed a minor league deal with the Pirates, who converted him back to a starter. After spending all of 2015 in AAA, he won 17 games this year. Aaron Thompson: Thompson was non-tendered following the 2014 season. Mike Pelfrey: Pelfrey took over Swarzak's role in 2015, he had some success and was traded at the August 31 deadline. Caleb Theilbar: Theilbar was non-tendered following the 2015 season. AJ Achter: Achter has remained with the Twins, occasionally filling in when someone gets injured. He has spent most of the last two seasons at AAA. Glen Perkins: Perkins came back from his injury pitching like one of the best closers in baseball. He was an all-star in 2015 and 2016. Casey Fien: Fien was the Twins setup man in 2015, but was non-tendered after again falling apart during August and September. Jared Burton: The Twins bought out Burton's contract after 2014. Ryan Pressly: Pressly spent 2015 in the bullpen, but was non-tendered after posting an ERA north of 5. Michael Tonkin: Tonkin pitched very well during the 2015 and 2016 seasons and was traded in July to make room for Chargois. Lester Oliveros: Oliveros pitched for the Twins in 2015, but struggled mightily. He was signed to a minor league contract last offseason. Nick Burdi: Nick Burdi became the Twins primary setup man when Fien fell apart towards the end of 2015. He thrived in that role in 2016. JT Chargois: Chargois has handled the 7th inning for the Twins since July, giving the Twins a late inning trio that rivals that of the 2014 Kansas City Royals. Mason Melotakis: In his rookie season, Melotakis has been a dominant lefty specialist for the Twins all year. Jose Berrios: Taking a page from the Cardinals book, the Twins used Berrios out of the bullpen this year. He filled in during Meyer's shoulder injury and is expected to compete for a rotation spot next year. Clearly, it has been a busy few years for the Minnesota Twins, but I am excited to see how they perform in the playoffs this year. The Yankees lost 85 games this year, so that should definitely help.

My top two trade candidates are Plouffe and Pinto. If it's to improve the outfield and rotation rather than to get more prospects, this could help our team now. Escobar can definitely fill in as a stop-gap third baseman until that position solidifies, and if Sano can't stick there I would be OK with trying Dozier or Santana at third, especially if Polanco sticks at short.

I love rooting for small market teams, but ever since the A's traded Cespedes for Lester I've been rooting against them. It seemed wrong to trade their best hitter when they were already the best team in baseball. Team chemistry aside, it's unfair to Cespedes. He was one of the main reasons the team had been successful and traded just like that. I'm not saying teams should never trade, but this type of trade seemed to go against the tradition of baseball. I'm normally not one for tradition, but you don't just send your hero to another team because you think you can marginally increase your playoff odds. Cespedes deserved to play for Oakland. I feel like if Oakland had had success with this move, other teams would try similar things. What if the Twins had traded Mauer or Morneau during one of their playoff runs? Am I overreacting or do others agree that Oakland losing is good for baseball?

The Twins are closer than they seem. Santana, Vargas, Arcia, Sano and Buxton are going to lead this team somewhere. I see no reason why the Twins can't be aggressive this off-season and make it happen. If the Twins trade for an outfielder and a starting pitcher, the boost we would receive mid-summer with the arrival of Buxton and Sano could give them what they need to be a legitimate playoff contender. I have selected my top five trade candidates for both pitcher and outfielder. Obviously, some are more realistic than others. The Twins are closer than they seem. Santana, Vargas, Arcia, Sano and Buxton are going to lead this team somewhere. I see no reason why the Twins can't be aggressive this off-season and make it happen. If the Twins trade for an outfielder and a starting pitcher, the boost we would receive mid-summer with the arrival of Buxton and Sano could give them what they need to be a legitimate playoff contender. I have selected my top five trade candidates for both pitcher and outfielder. Obviously, some are more realistic than others. Pitchers: 1. Cole Hamels Hamels has four years plus an option year left at $22.5 million each. He would be tough to get, but the Phillies are going to need a youth movement soon, so he may be obtainable. 2. Andrew Cashner Cashner will be a free agent in 2017, but could potentially be extended. This year, he made $2.4 million. He is a solid pitcher and wouldn't increase the payroll quite as much as Hamels. He could also be harder to obtain, however. 3. Gio Gonzalez Gonzalez is a great pitcher, but the Nationals have so many great pitchers that they could afford to deal from strength. This trade would probably cause the Twins to give up more than they want to. His contract is quite nice, with two more guaranteed years (at $11 and $12 million), followed by two options. 4. Jon Niese I've heard some talk that the Mets could deal Niese this off-season. He would pair nicely at the front of our rotation with Hughes. He has a similar contract structure to Gonzalez for a couple million less per year. 5. Ian Kennedy Kennedy will be a free agents after one more season, so the Twins would only want him with the idea of extending him, but I think he is good enough to be an effective pitcher. He also wouldn't be as hard as the others to pry from his current team. Outfielders: 1. Mookie Betts Man would I love to have this guy. The Red Sox don't need him due to their abundance of prospects, but it would take a haul to bring him to Minnesota. Once Buxton gets here, the Twins would need to decide which center fielder to play in left--not necessarily a bad choice to have to make. 2. Sterling Marte This is probably the most unrealistic trade I've proposed, but it's OK to dream, right? He's under control for five more years plus two option years. 3. Carl Crawford The Dodgers have too many outfielders. I actually think this trade might be quite possible. His contract has three more years at just over $20 million per year. 4. Scott Van Slyke Like Crawford, only younger and cheaper, Van Slyke won't be a free agent until 2020 and it is seems very redundant for the Dodgers to hold on to him. 5. Ryan Zimmerman Like the Dodgers, the Nationals have plenty of outfielders. This is probably another unrealistic trade, but Zimmerman is under contract until 2019 and the Nationals may not want him to be one of their full-time outfielders. He currently makes $14 million per year. Now, the obvious question is how I would acquire these players. I would be with being aggressive if I'm the GM of the Twins. I would be willing to consider trading Pinto, Escobar, Plouffe, Dozier, May, and any bullpen arm from the major league squad. As far as prospects, I would love to see us trade Eddie Rosario, and would be willing to trade a lower-level high upside arm as part of the right deal--perhaps Felix Jorge or Fernando Romero. For pitchers, I would love to see the Twins acquire Hamels. It would be fair to give up some pretty good prospects to make this to happen. In the outfield, as much as I would love Mookie Betts in a Twins uniform, I think trading for Carl Crawford or Scott Van Slyke would not be too difficult and would put the Twins in a great position offensively. The Dodgers should have interest in Pinto based on the quality of offense their catchers have put out this year. Maybe they would even take Nolasco's contract as part of the deal to help balance Crawford's contract. View full article

Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing Herrmann be our backup catcher. He has a better bat than Fryer and I think the Twins should try to trade Pinto this offseason-we could get a decent return and I doubt the Twins will ever use him as a starter.

The Twins are closer than they seem. Santana, Vargas, Arcia, Sano and Buxton are going to lead this team somewhere. I see no reason why the Twins can't be aggressive this off-season and make it happen. I think if the Twins trade for an outfielder and a starting pitcher, the boost we would receive mid-summer with the arrival of Buxton and Sano could give the them what they need to be a legitimate playoff contender. I have selected my top five trade candidates for both pitcher and outfielders. Obviously, some are more realistic than others. Pitchers: 1. Cole Hamels. Hamels 4 years plus an option left at $22.5 million apiece. He would be tough to get, but the Phillies are going to need a youth movement soon, so he may be obtainable. 2. Andrew Cashner. Cashner will be a free agent in 2017, but could potentially be extended. This year, he made $2.4 million. He'd be a solid pitcher and wouldn't increase the payroll quite as much as Hamels. He could also be harder to obtain, however. 3. Gio Gonzalez. Gonzalez is a great pitcher, but the Nationals have so many great pitchers that they could afford to deal from strength. This trade would probably cause the Twins to give up more than they want to. His contract is quite nice, with two more guaranteed years (at $11 and $12 million) followed by two options. 4. Jon Niese. I've heard some talk that the Mets could deal Niese this offseason. He would pair nicely at the front of our rotation. He has a similar contract structure to Gonzalez for a couple million less per year. 5. Ian Kennedy. Kennedy will be a free agents after one more season, so I would only want him with the idea of extending him, but I think he is good enough to be an effective pitcher. He also wouldn't be as hard as the others to pry from his current team. Outfielders: 1. Mookie Betts. Man would I love to have this guy. The Red Sox don't need him due to their abundance of prospects, but it would take a haul to bring him to Minnesota. Once Buxton gets here, the Twins would have to decide which center fielder to play in left-not necessarily a bad choice to make. 2. Sterling Marte. This is probably the most unrealistic trade I've proposed, but it's OK to dream, right? He's under control for five more years plus two option years. 3. Carl Crawford. The Dodgers have too many outfielders. I actually think this trade would be quite possible. His contract has three more years at just over $20 million per year. 4. Scott Van Slyke. Like Carl Crawford only younger and cheaper. Van Slyke won't be a free agent until 2020 and it is very redundant for the Dodgers to hold on to him. 5. Ryan Zimmerman. Like the Dodgers, the Nationals have plenty of outfielders. This is probably another unrealistic trade, but Zimmerman is under contract until 2019 and the Nationals may not want him to be one of their full time outfielders. He currently makes $14 million per year. Now, the obvious question is how I would acquire these players. I'm OK with being aggressive if I'm the GM of the Twins. I would be willing to at least consider trading Pinto, Escobar, Plouffe, Dozier, May, or any bullpen arm from the major league squad. As far as prospects, I would love to see us trade Eddie Rosario, and would be willing to trade a lower-level high upside arm as part of the right deal (for example, Felix Jorge or Fernando Romero). For pitchers, I would love to see the Twins acquire Hamels. It would be OK to give up some pretty good prospects for this to happen. In the outfield, as much as I would love Mookie Betts to be a Twin, I think trading for Carl Crawford or Scott Van Slyke would not be too difficult and would put the Twins in a great position offensively. The Dodgers should have interest in Pinto based on the quality of offense their catchers have put out this year, and maybe they would even take Nolasco's contract as part of the deal (to balance Crawford's contract for example).

My concern is not with home runs, my concern is that his BA is still so low despite the increase in his BABIP during the second half. He's still getting on base, but hits are still important. His OBP is impressive, but I feel like he's been hitting like a number 8 hitter since August.

I think the bullpen has talent, but not enough talent. After the last few seasons, many have pointed to the bullpen as a bright point, but even then our bullpen was average, not great. It just looked great because of how below-average our team was. Perkins will be fine. He should stay, and he should be the closer. Fien is worth keeping around, he may be better as a 7th inning guy, but he should stay. Swarzak, Burton, and Duensing shouldn't be back next year IMO. I think our starter-backlog will add some additional arms to the bullpen (like Pelfrey, for example), so it probably won't be necessary to sign a FA reliever. We can instead use prospects/failed starters and try to piece something together.

I don't really have interest in Shields, I feel like by the end of the contract he won't be as effective as he is now (I could be wrong, but that's just my gut reaction). Lester would be my first choice (and he's the only one guaranteed not to receive a qualifying offer). For me, it comes down to what we do with the slew of ineffective pitchers we have (Nolasco, Pelfrey, possible Milone). Alex Meyer is the only major league-ready pitcher that has the chance to be a front-end starter. I think the Twins absolutely need to see what he has next year. If signing any of these guys prevents that, then we shouldn't sign more pitchers. If we get rid of Nolasco, Pelfrey, and Milone, then I would love to see a rotation of Lester, Hughes, Gibson, Meyer, May. This gives May some time to prove he can be a major league starter and gives Meyer a chance to develop into something special. We would still have players like Pino, Johnson, Darnell, and Gilmartin available for callups if somebody gets injured.

Let's face it, there isn't much left to talk about in terms of the Twins and their 2014 season. We know the story all too well at this point. Worst starting pitcher ERA in all of baseball, last place in the AL Central, can never seem to get a hit with runners on base, etc. This tired story has caused me, like many of you, to care way more about the future than the present. In this post, I am attempting to answer a simple question: Which players look OK to stick with in 2015 and which players could use a replacement, or at least some competition? Let's face it, there isn't much left to talk about in terms of the Twins and their 2014 season. We know the story all too well at this point. Worst starting pitcher ERA in all of baseball, last place in the AL Central, can never seem to get a hit with runners on base, etc. This tired story has caused me, like many of you, to care way more about the future than the present. In this post, I am attempting to answer a simple question: Which players look OK to stick with in 2015 and which players could use a replacement, or at least some competition? I went on Fangraphs and looked at all the Twins hitters who have compiled 100 or more PA this year. This amounts to 18 players, four of whom are not with the Twins in any capacity and one of whom is currently in the minor leagues. I looked at wOBA, wRC+, and WAR, since I think those three stats do the best job of describing a player's total value. Since WAR is not a rate stat, I calculated what each player's WAR would be in 500 plate appearances. This probably isn't the best measurement, but it will serve my purpose. I have ranked the players based on wOBA, since I feel this statistic is the best description of a player's value. I have included each player's wOBA, wRC+, and WAR/500PA in parentheses. I've also supplied their ages, when they are eligible for arbitration, if applicable, and when they are eligible for free agency, per Baseball-Reference. Danny Santana (.364/134/3.1) Age: 23 (2017/2020) Kennys Vargas (.356/128/2.0) Age: 24 (2017/2020) Jordan Schafer (.354/127/6.2) Age: 28 (Current/2017) Brian Dozier (.342/119/3.5) Age: 27 (2016/2019) Josmil Pinto (.341/118/1.2) Age: 25 (2017/2020) Josh Willingham (.328/109/1.4) Age: 35( FA 2015) Trevor Plouffe (.328/108/3.0) Age: 28 (Current/2018) Sam Fuld (.327/108/3.9) Age: 32 (Current/2017) Kurt Suzuki (.327/108/2.0) Age: 30 (FA 2017) Joe Mauer (.321/104/1.6) Age: 31 (FA 2019) Oswaldo Arcia (.317/101/1.0) Age: 23 (2017/2020) Eduardo Escobar (.315/100/2.4) Age: 25 (2015/2019) Chris Parmelee (.304/92/-0.2) Age: 26 (2016/2019) Eduardo Nunez (.304/92/1.6) Age: 27 (2015/2018) Chris Colabello (.293/84/-2.3) Age: 30 (2017/2020) Aaron Hicks (.288/81/-0.6) Age: 24 (2017/2020) Jason Kubel (.278/-1.1/-3.1) Age: 33 (No Contract) Kendrys Morales (.255/58/-0.8) Age: 31 (FA 2015) Well, I can say I'm happy we got rid of Kubel and Morales. Also I think Colabello may not be seen in a Twins uniform again. I feel sorry for him because I wanted him to become an incredible player, but baseball is a business. I'm going to break down,by position, the players still on the Twins roster to make for easy analysis. Outfielders: Is Schafer going to be a 6 WAR player? I seriously doubt it. But at 28, he isn't really that old and I think he has shown that he can be better than he was in Atlanta. I respect anybody who says that Schafer should be nothing more than a 4th OF, but by the numbers, he's been our best outfielder this year. So even if there is regression, he has to be legitimately discussed as a starting option. I hope Arcia figures it out, but it's been frustrating to watch him this year. Every time he seems to figure something out I feel like he regresses right away. I think if Arcia can't figure out how to hit more consistently he's going to be in major trouble. It is excusable to play a poor defender in right field, but only if they can out-hit their defensive woes, and I just haven't seen enough of that from Arcia. I think Hicks deserves another chance, but I think he's on thin ice. I'm actually much more sold on Schafer than Hicks right now, and Schafer is only 4 years older. Especially with Buxton in the minors, I think Hicks needs to perform very well next year if he ever wants to make an impact for the Twins. I think it's time to give up on Parmelee. I always wanted him to succeed, but I just don't see anything to indicate he will outplay his current numbers. Infielders: A note for Twins management: I'm considering Santana and Nunez as infielders regardless of what your lineups and rosters say. Until somebody invents a stat for expected regression rate, Danny Santana is the man. He is exactly the type of player who should hit on top of the Twins lineup (or any lineup for that matter). Put him at short, where his defensive rating will increase even if they are still slightly below average, and we could be looking at a darn good player here. Of course, if Danny Santana is our shortstop, what does that mean for Escobar? I have been a huge Escobar fan all year and think he has done nothing to justify the loss of his job, but as the title indicates, I'm going by the numbers. Offensively, Escobar has been average. Now, for a shortstop, average is good, especially when 2.4 WAR would be generated in 500 PA, but Santana is simply better. Unfortunately, so is Plouffe and so is Dozier. I think Escobar is too good to be a bench player, but the Twins infield, weirdly enough, is actually very solid right now. Maybe this means he's trade bait. I can definitely see why Gardy plays Santana in the outfield, whether I agree or not. In terms of WAR/500 PA, there are three infielders better than Santana and only one outfielder. Nunez has actually turned out to be a pretty good bench player. C/1B/DH: Like Danny Santana, many people don't trust Vargas so sustain his numbers, but a .356 wOBA would look pretty dang good at the middle of any lineup. As we all would have thought, Pinto is a much better choice in terms of offense than Suzuki, but because of his defensive problems, he still rates lower in terms of WAR. He also doesn't have the bat to boot Vargas out of his spot. I like Pinto as a backup catcher, and he can DH on days Mauer has off, so I do think he can contribute to next year's Twins. He's been our 6th best hitter this year; he needs to be in the lineup. Mauer, I hope, can only get better. I have no problem with giving Arcia another shot, and I think Schafer has earned some playing time as well. Hicks should be in the mix, but it depends on how September goes. With Schafer and Hicks able to play center, it is not necessary that a FA signing be a center fielder, but I think that FA would need to be capable of solid defense at the corner spots. Other than that there really isn't much need for offense. I would be content if the Twins broke camp with these 13. Outfield: Schafer, Hicks, Arcia, Free Agent Signing Infield: Santana, Dozier, Plouffe, Escobar, Nunez C/1B/DH: Suzuki, Pinto, Mauer, Vargas Let me know your thoughts and thanks for reading! View full article