John Bonnes

Fixed. Thanks for the catch.

Thanks for letting us know. I'm escalating this again.

I haven't been following this thread real closely, so I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or not. But I'll say this: I think the fans can expect him to use all the resources he has to make as good a team as he can. He didn't do this. He reportedly left $20 million on the table, and while $20 million doesn't go as far as it used to, that's a lot of money to not spend. And yes, part of his job is to find the pitchers that ended up doing well. That doesn't mean he can't have any misses. But the problem is that he only got two guys (Correia, Pelfrey) and only one of them hit. (Or three guys, and only one hit, if you count Worley). That doesn't mean he didn't try for others. We know they thought they had a good chance at Saunders. But it's akin to leaving money on the table at your fantasy draft. It's not the end of the world, but if you do that, you screwed up. And I don't think you fire the guy because he had a really bad offseason. But just because I don't think he shouldn't be fired doesn't mean I shouldn't call it a pretty dismal offseason. It was. Let's hope he learned something from it for this next one, because it looks like he's going to get a "redo."

The primary goals this offseason were 1) to shore up the starting pitching for this year and 2) to shore up the starting pitching in the minors for future years. But I don't think they went in that order, as seen by what Ryan traded for in two pretty big moves. #2 he made progress on (albeit less than we thought with Worley's struggles). #1 he didn't, which I think a lot of impartial observers thought at the time and which looks like is the case, given the ERAs of the starting rotations from the two years. And I think howieramone is right - Ryan will probably agree with that analysis. And I'll happily accept the job of looking at it day-to-day ad nauseum. Finally, yes, I think the Twins are in much the same boat as last year, albeit with more reinforcements for future years in the pipeline. But if Ryan has the same philosophy regarding free agency (or about how close his club is to competing) then it could be a pretty dismal offseason (and 2014). But perhaps he learned something from this past year. Perhaps he got over sticker-shock, or perhaps others in the organization have encouraged him to be more aggressive given the record and the reaction of the fan base. To me (and there are infinite ways to read this evidence and construct a paradigm), that is the hope.

I think the original reason this list was created was to judge whether or not this free agent class of pitching was particularly "thin" - had worse results and wasn't worth signing people. A few high profile folks on the "bad" list sort of drove that perception. It doesn't appear that is a fair assessment, though I think you could deduce that it was fairly mediocre so far - about a 1/3 split between the three areas. It was not as good a class as I thought during the offseason (or has not performed at that level through the first half year of their contracts) but it wasn't a bad class. If that's the reason so little was spent, then it seems to have been a misconception. I'll say this - these guys were a lot more expensive this year than I thought they would be. That might have taken the Twins off guard. They might have just thought the prices were crazy, but I think that's because they failed to recognize the new norm that is going to be free agent prices with the new CBA caps in the drafts.

I'm in the camp that loves him as a change of pace. I'd be all for trying him as a 3rd, though I worry he would get swallowed up in that role. Bit I'd try it. I don't remember that being done for a full game.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2107-Gleeman-and-the-Geek-Ep-103-Trade-Deadline-101

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4885[/ATTACH]Aaron and John talk about what to expect from the trade deadline, Scott Diamond's demise, John reviewing ballparks and beer from his West Coast vacation, criticizing an opposing manager for once, analyzing the Twins' defense, dating by way of pitching matchups, eating money to move Justin Morneau, what to buy from the Metrodome wreckage, golf vs. baseball and the notion of clutch, and time traveling to kill middle infielders.

That is probably what would happen. It could only make sense (and this goes back to Reusse's story) because of the other limits in place. There are very few ways to invest good money into prospects these days. MLB Draft is capped. So is the international draft. The two biggest remaining options to spend money are: 1) players exempt from the drafts for some reason and 2) increasing the level of prospect you get in a trade (or buying prospects) Almost by definition, both of these two are going to be very overpriced, especially compared to the MLB draft and the international draft. I think you're seeing this, along with an increase in spending for free agents, because of the two caps. So yes, that is correct: you will be paying up to $6M for a not very good prospect, because you didn't need to spend $10 million on Kohl Stewart.

That's what I remember too. The Marlins essentially paid the fee for Santana for the Twins as a result of the swap.

So it sounds like you are making two points as to why the Twins should not have spent more money this offseason: 1) There wasn't much for free agent pitching to spend money on. 2) Even if the Twins had attained pitching, their position players weren't going to be good enough to content. Is that correct? If so, I'll start with #2: The Twins rank 10th in runs scored per game in the AL right now at 4.10. The only team that is below them but still in the race right now is the Yankees, or maybe the Royals. The Rangers are 9th, and of course are very much in the race. Oakland is 8th. So, had the Twins known what they know now about the hitting, it would have been tough for a pitching staff to compensate. (FWIW, I don't think they did know that. I think they, like most of us, thought the offense would be a little better than average. I can't think of them giving any indication that they thought their offense would be below average.) A for #1...Ryan often said he thought the pitching market thin. I disagreed with him, saying more money would be spent on more pitchers, because there was more quality out there than at any point in the last five years. (So if it was "thin" it was always thin.) But I don't know if that was true. At this point, I think it's fair to take a look at how all the FA pitchers are doing and see if they have underperformed as a group. That would make a great blog. Or, if someone wants to go through the list below and add ERA and notes, add an intro and conclusion. Lots of people read these threads, and we can promote something from the thread too. It might make a good story for someone wanting to try their hand at this stuff. Here was the list of guys we tabbed as free agents for the Offseason Handbook. They are roughly in the order of how we would have ranked them, so the guys at the bottom of the lists we weren't sure if they would even sign: Zack Greinke Jake Peavy Anibal Sanchez Edwin Jackson Hiroki Kuroda Ryan Dempster Kyle Lohse Brandon McCarthy Ervin Santana Dan Haren Shaun Marcum Joe Blanton Jeremy Guthrie Joe Saunders* Colby Lewis Carl Pavano Francisco Liriano* Scott Feldman Carlos Villanueva Chris Young Roy Oswalt Scott Baker Kevin Millwood Erik Bedard* Bartolo Colon Kevin Correia Derek Lowe Jason Marquis Daisuke Matsuzaka Carlos Zambrano Freddy Garcia Jeff Francis* Roberto Hernandez Chien-Ming Wang Randy Wolf* Aaron Cook Jamie Moyer* Jonathan Sanchez* Kip Wells

I hope the same thing. I'm fine with posturing, but I'll be a little dubious if the Twins trade him but don't pick up some of that money. the last thing this team should be doing is trying to save another $5M.

This is true. Of course Ryan gets credit for Deduno. We can debate if that's particularly impressive - IMHO it isn't, it's what GMs of bad teams should be able to do - but Ryan got him AND didn't use up a 40 man spot to do so.

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You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2050-Trade-Talk-The-St-Louis-Cardinals

Buyers or Sellers They’re buyers. The Cardinals are one of three teams in the NL Central, along with the Pirates and Reds, who have the three best records in the National League. Each seems assured of a playoff spot. However, only one of them is assured of a playoff series, and that’s the division winner. The other two will be subjected to the wild card playoff game, which could result in a quick ending to a promising season. So the Cardinals have plenty of incentive to figure out a way to separate themselves from that pack. What They Need Almost all of the Cardinals rumors indicate they're looking for starting pitching or bullpen help. It’s not totally clear why – their team ERA is 3.33, which is good for 3rd overall in MLB. And starting pitcher (and former Cy Young award winner) Chris Carpenter is supposed to be back at the end of the month. That might be the starting pitching they need to acquire. They could be interested in a left-handed reliever. They have 37-year-old Randy Choate, but he’s almost the penultimate LOOGY (Lefty One Out Guy). In fact, he just set a record for the most consecutive appearances without pitching a full inning. It’s conceivable the Cardinals might want someone with a little more flexibility. They seem set at closer with Edward Mujica doing the job now and Trevor Rosenthal waiting in the wings if Mujica leaves as a free agent this offseason. Finally, the Cardinals have had some problems at third base, but 30-year-old David Freese seems to have recovered from a sore thumb and is back to hitting. He’s still only at a .273 BA and a 736 OPS, but he’s trending in the right direction. Jon Jay in center field has cooled quite a bit, but the Twins don’t have a right-handed center fielder to offer in a platoon, other than Hicks. What Might Work General Manager John Mozeliak says he’s not going to trade away any top prospects like outfielder Oscar Taveras or pitcher Michael Wacha and really, why would he? His team doesn’t have a glaring weakness. The best bet is something strategic, like Brian Duensing for a lower level prospect. Sleeper Targets The good news is that in Keith Law’s most recent farm system rankings, the Cardinals were #1 overall – the only organization above the Twins. But there are also some non-prospects that are interesting. Seth Maness –RHP – MLB – 24 years old Maness wasn’t a top 10 prospect, but was always recognized for his impeccable control; he walked 9 and struck out 83 last year in AA over 123.2 innings. He started this year in their AAA rotation but has been working out of their bullpen since. He won’t blow anyone away – 13K and 4BB in 27.7 IP, but his a career ERA in the minors of 2.80. He could be a solid back of the rotation innings eater. Tyrell Jenkins – RHP – High A – 20 years old If you’re more a fan of future potential and willing to accept some risk, Jenkins might be more your speed. The former football player has a 93-96 mph fastball but hasn’t shown he knows how to control it or how to develop an offspeed pitch. He’s a project, but a project with upside. Pete Kozma/Daniel Descalso – SS – MLB – 25/26 years old I’ll take whichever one they’re tired of. Kozman surprised late last year, but is hitting just .236 this year. Descalso may be stealing his job, but he’s just a year removed from hitting .227. Kozma will be a great defender, Descalso a great utility player. Neither will hit much, but I’ll take a flyer on either. Dream Target Matt Adams – 1B – MLB –24 years old If the Cardinals can’t find room for him at first base, the Twins sure can. Adams is blocked by Allen Craig, who is having a heck of a year - .324/.370/.491. But Adams has put up a 30+ home run year just two years ago in the minors, blistered AAA last year and is hitting .319 with a 953 OPS this year. I don’t know just what the Twins would need to do to pry him away, but he’s be a great addition, even if he does bat left-handed.

Buyers or Sellers They’re buyers. The Cardinals are one of three teams in the NL Central, along with the Pirates and Reds, who have the three best records in the National League. Each seems assured of a playoff spot. However, only one of them is assured of a playoff series, and that’s the division winner. The other two will be subjected to the wild card playoff game, which could result in a quick ending to a promising season. So the Cardinals have plenty of incentive to figure out a way to separate themselves from that pack. What They Need Almost all of the Cardinals rumors indicate they're looking for starting pitching or bullpen help. It’s not totally clear why – their team ERA is 3.33, which is good for 3rd overall in MLB. And starting pitcher (and former Cy Young award winner) Chris Carpenter is supposed to be back at the end of the month. That might be the starting pitching they need to acquire. They could be interested in a left-handed reliever. They have 37-year-old Randy Choate, but he’s almost the penultimate LOOGY (Lefty One Out Guy). In fact, he just set a record for the most consecutive appearances without pitching a full inning. It’s conceivable the Cardinals might want someone with a little more flexibility. They seem set at closer with Edward Mujica doing the job now and Trevor Rosenthal waiting in the wings if Mujica leaves as a free agent this offseason. Finally, the Cardinals have had some problems at third base, but 30-year-old David Freese seems to have recovered from a sore thumb and is back to hitting. He’s still only at a .273 BA and a 736 OPS, but he’s trending in the right direction. Jon Jay in center field has cooled quite a bit, but the Twins don’t have a right-handed center fielder to offer in a platoon, other than Hicks. What Might Work General Manager John Mozeliak says he’s not going to trade away any top prospects like outfielder Oscar Taveras or pitcher Michael Wacha and really, why would he? His team doesn’t have a glaring weakness. The best bet is something strategic, like Brian Duensing for a lower level prospect. Sleeper Targets The good news is that in Keith Law’s most recent farm system rankings, the Cardinals were #1 overall – the only organization above the Twins. But there are also some non-prospects that are interesting. Seth Maness –RHP – MLB – 24 years old Maness wasn’t a top 10 prospect, but was always recognized for his impeccable control; he walked 9 and struck out 83 last year in AA over 123.2 innings. He started this year in their AAA rotation but has been working out of their bullpen since. He won’t blow anyone away – 13K and 4BB in 27.7 IP, but his a career ERA in the minors of 2.80. He could be a solid back of the rotation innings eater. Tyrell Jenkins – RHP – High A – 20 years old If you’re more a fan of future potential and willing to accept some risk, Jenkins might be more your speed. The former football player has a 93-96 mph fastball but hasn’t shown he knows how to control it or how to develop an offspeed pitch. He’s a project, but a project with upside. Pete Kozma/Daniel Descalso – SS – MLB – 25/26 years old I’ll take whichever one they’re tired of. Kozman surprised late last year, but is hitting just .236 this year. Descalso may be stealing his job, but he’s just a year removed from hitting .227. Kozma will be a great defender, Descalso a great utility player. Neither will hit much, but I’ll take a flyer on either. Dream Target Matt Adams – 1B – MLB –24 years old If the Cardinals can’t find room for him at first base, the Twins sure can. Adams is blocked by Allen Craig, who is having a heck of a year - .324/.370/.491. But Adams has put up a 30+ home run year just two years ago in the minors, blistered AAA last year and is hitting .319 with a 953 OPS this year. I don’t know just what the Twins would need to do to pry him away, but he’s be a great addition, even if he does bat left-handed.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2040-Gleeman-and-the-Geek-Ep-101-Fools-For-Love

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4733[/ATTACH]Aaron and John talk about falling out of love with this year's Twins team, Josh Willingham's frustrating injury situation, Aaron Hicks' return, cutting bait on P.J. Walters, Jared Burton and the bullpen imploding, Brian Dozier showing signs of life, John's motorcycle-related idiocy, million-dollar teenagers, and which of the seven former Twins who made the All-Star team were mistakes. You can listen by clicking below, download us from iTunes or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com.

Looks like we could use a 3rd opinion on some of these comparisons, as well an attempt at peacemaker. I always appreciate peacemakers. Here are some outside 3rd opinions: 1. Feldman was an awfully shrewd pickup by the Cubs. For $6M, he gave them a 3.5ish ERA over 100 innings. Even before the trade, that's better than anything the Twins front office did. 2. I don't know that Walters is a great comparison to Arrieta, except maybe in recent ERA. To be fair, there isn't a great comparison in the Twins system. It sounds like Levi feels like he has a future. It sounds like Old Nurse does not. He is 27 years old, so he is running out of time. 3. Strop is similar - overall he's been about as ineffective as Gray, but he has the sexy K rate and throws a lot harder. It would seem like there is more upside to him, but he certainly hasn't harnessed it, and he's not young. (28 years old) 4. I should also mention - the Orioles got back their own "buy-low" candidate in Clevenger, too. He could offset one of those pickups. I think you both have come to agree on most of this, though there might be some semantics you would debate. Now, how you interpret it is up to you. Should the Twins front office be blamed because they didn't make a move like this? Or can we just chalk this up to the Cubs being very good or very lucky?