John Bonnes

Aaron and John compile clips of their favorite Patreon podcast interviews with Glen Perkins, Parker Hageman, Patrick Reusse, Dan Hayes, and Betsy Helfand. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. For access to the full Patreon podcast archive, subscribe here: patreon.com/gleeman View full article

Aaron and John discuss the pros and (mostly) cons of rebuilding, the Twins current starting rotation, and the Church of Baseball. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

I think Seth is more stoked about this than even Do is. I did not know what a Jeopardy geek he was.

MLB.com’s Minnesota Twins’ beat writer, Do-Hyoung Park, has apparently had enough of this offseason labor stoppage crap and has taken it upon himself to entertain us. Park announced on Friday that he will appear on Monday’s Jeopardy! Show, competing against the show’s latest juggernaut, Amy Schneider, who will enter Monday’s show on a streak of 13 consecutive wins. The show was taped earlier this offseason, but until today Park has been forbidden from admitting he was a contestant, and is still bound to secrecy about how the episode turns out. He prepared throughout spring training and the season for the competition, and even coaxed the producers of the show to delay his appearance until after the Twins’ season ended. Park will compete against “Jeopardamy”, Amy Schneider, who has dominated the competition recently. She has already won $536,400 during her 13-game win streak, moving her into 4th place in Jeopardy! all-time winnings list for regular players. TheJeopardyFan.com predicts a 24-game win streak for her, which would give her a 91.956% chance of continuing her streak through 14 games, which would of course mean a one-and-done for Do. But don’t count our guy Do out. Park graduated in 2017 from Stanford with both a master’s and bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and another master’s in computer science. He also graduated from St. Paul Central early . The kid has some serious game. Can he perform a Twins-vs-the-Yankees level upset? Tune in this Monday (locally) at 4:30 PM on KARE11 to find out. View full article

Aaron and John discuss Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat entering the Hall of Fame, the Minnesota Twins' new coaching hires, and what the team's strategy should be when the offseason restarts. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

Aaron and John discuss the Twins inking Byron Buxton to a 7-year extension, signing starting pitcher Dylan Bundy, and sitting on their hands as the free agent starting pitching market dries up. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

Thank you for the kind and thoughtful post.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me a half dozen teams, shame on me. How many times now since 2019 have we watched premier starting pitcher free agents sign for reasonable contracts like this one? In 2019 the narrative was just that they couldn't convince them to take their money. Are we going to hear that again with Gausman and Ray? They just couldn't stomach the opt-out, like they hesitated on Buxton's no-trade? Perhaps we just need to accept that this front office doesn't believe in paying for pitching, no matter what they might say about pursuing high-end talent.

Two of the top four free agent starting pitchers are now spoken for, but early this morning, the Twins were linked to the biggest remaining prize, AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray. Not surprisingly, they are not alone. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman also listed the Tigers, San Francisco Giants, Rangers and Angels as suitors for Ray’s services, and previously the Red Sox and Blue Jays had been mentioned. However, it’s worth noting that several of these teams have already signed free agent pitchers this offseason, perhaps limiting their interest. For instance, the Blue Jays reportedly now have an agreement with another of the other four premier pitchers on this list, Kevin Gausman. On the other hand, who wouldn’t want to add Ray? Last year he posted a 2.84 ERA over 193.1 innings, striking out 11.5 per nine innings. Most importantly, the 30-year-old’s career struggles with his control completely disappeared: he walked only 2.4 batters per nine innings, after averaging 5.1 per nine from 2018-2020. If the Twins want to play, they’ll need to pay. MLBTradeRumors predicted Ray would receive a $130M contract, 5-year deal on the open market. Given some of the other contracts we’re seeing, that estimate may be a little high, but any deal would certainly exceed $100M. What’s more, they’ll also likely need to move fast. The two premier pitchers who are at least very close to greements - Gausman and Max Scherzer - have done so in in the last 24 hours as teams and players scramble to get something done before MLB's Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on Wednesday. It is widely anticipate that event will lead to a work stoppage, effectively killing the offseason market for both sides. That urgency is further heightened by concerns that normally mundane details, like getting physicals done, will need to be completed by then for contracts to be valid. The Twins entered the offseason with at least three spots in their starting rotation to fill, and as of yet have not signed any free agents. They did, however, reach an agreement yesterday with star center fielder Byron Buxton on a 7-year extension. But starting pitching remains the team’s biggest need, and the available arms are dwindling fast. Even beyond the top four arms, other highly attractive targets like Noah Syndegaard, Justin Verlander, Eduardo Rodriguez, Anthony Desclafini and many others have signed within the last two weeks. View full article

Earlier, Ken Rosenthal reported that the Minnesota Twins were "closing in on" agreement on a contract extension with Byron Buxton. Now, Jeff Passan is reporting that an agreement is in place for over $100M and will keep Buxton under team control through the 2028 season. Buxton represents one of the biggest pivot points of the Twins’ offseason and perhaps several seasons into the future. When healthy, he’s performed at an MVP level, most recently posting a 1005 OPS in 235 AB in 2021. However, his career with the Twins has been uneven, and not just because of the usual hype around a #1 overall prospect. Since Buxton first joined the team in 2015, he’s only had one year with 500 plate appearances, and indeed only one with over 331. His injuries have ranged from seemingly self-inflicted problems due to his aggressive defense in center field, to worrisome nagging injuries like hip strains and foot injuries, to flukey injuries like a broken finger from being hit by a pitch. On the other hand, he’s been absolutely elite defensively throughout his time with the Twins, and recently his offense has reached a similar level. This year he hit .306 with 19 home runs in just 61 games, a pace that makes him a 50-home run threat over a full season. He’s also only 27 years old, entering the peak period of many players' careers. He is due to be a free agent next offseason, compelling the Twins to either sign him to an extension or trade him this offseason, lest they risk having him leave next year for nothing more than a compensatory draft pick. That urgency is further heightened by the threat of an impending work stoppage starting as soon as Wednesday night. If an extension or trade iss not made by then, there is a chance any such move would be delayed until some unknown point in a potentially compressed offseason, or thwarted altogether. A deal would likely represent the biggest deal the Twins have made since they signed Joe Mauer to a contract extension in 2010 for $184 million dollars. That deal was also for a rare talent who contributed defensively, was at the peak of his ability, and on the verge of free agency. The deal with Mauer aged poorly, as leg problems and concussions limited his ability to stay at catcher and stay in the lineup. With Buxton having more health questions, the reality is it makes him more affordable; it’s unlikely the Twins could complete a deal without the built-in discount his health history affords them. The Mauer deal also took place as the Twins were completing a run of division-winning seasons and trying to lengthen their competitive window. Twins’ management’s next to-do for this offseason is to find some starting pitchers whom Buxton’s Gold Glove can assist with his range in center field. While the size of Buxton’s deal is likely significant, the Twins entered the offseason with as much as $50M or so to spend on free agents. A deal with Buxton is likely to maintain that capability. Indeed, Ken Rosenthal has just published contract details: The extension guarantees $15M per year (except this year, when he still would've been under arbitration) plus very large bonuses for MVP bonuses and a series of $500K bonuses if he stays healthy for over 500 plate appearances. It is a very creative contract. I can't think of any that has had a bonus structure remotely similar to it. The deal essentially rewards Buxton extra money for staying healthy for a full season, handsomely for MVP-caliber production, but still guarantees him base salary commensurate to a top center fielder. If the Twins had traded Buxton instead, it would be hard for them to pretend that they could expect to be competitive in 2022. They would have lost their best offensive and defensive player, while also trying to replace 60% of their starting rotation. Retaining Buxton keeps the option of competing in 2022 alive. It should also make him one of the core pieces of the next competitive Twins team. Further pieces will still need to be assembled, but the deal represents a serious effort by the Twins to compete by locking up high-end home-grown talent for a long time. We'll add details as they emerge. In the meantime, give us your initial thoughts below. View full article

Aaron and John discuss the growing urgency of Byron Buxton's situation, the dwindling free agent starting pitching market, the likelihood of the Twins signing a top shortstop, and pending arbitration decisions. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

Aaron and John discuss Jose Berrios' new contract, Byron Buxton's contract negotiations, the Twins' 40-man roster moves, and share audio of their discussion with Patrick Reusse about Billy Martin's most notorious dust-ups. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' shortstop options, including a star-studded free agent class and possible trade targets, plus the first front-line free agent pitcher goes off the board to a division rival. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

Tickets for Twins Daily’s Diamond Awards Watch Party Fundraiser go on sale at 8:00 AM and can be bought HERE or by visiting TwinsDailyEvents.com. Don’t wait! There are only 60 tickets available! At $24.99, they’ll go fast. The ticket includes: Vikings tight end Tyler Conklin will be signing autographs from 5-5:30. Conklin has had a breakthrough season for the Vikes in almost every category, and you can meet him and get your favorite Vikings gear signed. From 6-7 PM, we’ll all watch the Diamond Awards on Bally Sports North. Nobody can attend the actual event this year because it is video-only, but you’ll get to watch it with fellow Twins fans the way you should experience it. Plus, if you also register here, you’ll get all the information about the festivities, including the vast array of silent auction items they’ll have available. But of course, you’ll be with us, so you’ll have even more opportunities to pick up some great stuff because Elite Ink will be there with exclusive silent auction items ONLY available to those in attendance. Then, from 7-8 PM, we’ll have Twins’ beat writers Phil Miller (Star-Tribune), Betsy Helfand (Pioneer Press) & Do-Hyoung Park (MLB.com) participate in a Q&A panel with ticketholders. Nick Nelson, editor-in-chief of Twins Daily’s Offseason Handbook will also join the Q&A panel, which John Bonnes will host. Plus, you’ll snack on light apps and have a chance to purchase Gray Duck’s Bomba Juice cocktails, just like at Target Field. Best of all, the full price of the tickets will go to the U of M to fight neurological and muscular disorder diseases like ataxia, MS, and ALS. The event we’ve talked about all week long will take place on Friday 11/19 from 5-8 PM at Lord Fletchers on Lake Minnetonka. We’ll see you there! View full article

Our Diamond Awards Watch Party Fundraiser is doubling as a Hot Stove Season Kickoff Party, and we’re bringing in the heavy hitters. After watching the Diamond Awards, we’ll have Twins’ beat writers Phil Miller (Star-Tribune), Betsy Helfand (Pioneer Press) & Do-Hyoung Park (MLB.com) participate in a Q&A panel with ticketholders. Nick Nelson, editor-in-chief of Twins Daily’s Offseason Handbook, will join the Q&A panel, which John Bonnes will host. The event we’ve talked about all week will take place on Friday 11/19 from 5-8 PM at Lord Fletchers on Lake Minnetonka. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Friday, 11/12) at 8:00 AM at TwinsDailyEvents.com, and we only have room for 60 people. They’ll sell for just $24.99 apiece, and all of it will go to the U of M to fight neurological and muscular disorder diseases like ataxia, MS, and ALS. The ticket includes WAY too much for one night: · Vikings tight end Tyler Conklin will be signing autographs from 5-5:30. Conklin has had a breakthrough season for the Vikes in almost every category, and you can meet him and get your favorite Vikings gear signed. · From 6-7 PM, we’ll all watch the Diamond Awards on Bally Sports North. Nobody can attend the actual event this year because it is video-only, but you’ll get to watch it with fellow Twins fans the way you should experience it. Plus, if you also register here, you’ll get all the information about the festivities, including the vast array of silent auction items they’ll have available. · But of course, you’ll be with us, so you’ll have even more opportunities to pick up some great stuff because Elite Ink will be there with exclusive silent auction items ONLY available to those in attendance. · Then, from 7-8 PM, we’ll be joined by Phil, Betsy, and Do as they break down what went wrong and what to expect from the Twins this offseason. · Plus, you’ll snack on light apps and have a chance to purchase Gray Duck’s Bomba Juice cocktails, just like at Target Field. That’s a pretty packed night, so you’ll want to be there at 5, you’ll likely want to think about getting a ride home after 8, and you definitely want to get here early tomorrow (Friday) for tickets. We’ll see you back here at 8 AM. View full article