John Bonnes

Aaron and John discuss the Twins' new shortstop Andrelton Simmons, new contract talks with Nelson Cruz, losing Eddie Rosario to Cleveland and why they miss the Winter Meltdown. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. Listen To Episode 511 Here Now Click here to view the article

This would’ve been Winter Meltdown week. We’re bummed we can’t all gather in one room, but we wanted to keep the tradition alive and do some good, too. So we're offering our 2021 Winter Meltdown Pint Glasses for sale for $20, and every penny we get will be going to a non-profit for local hospitality industry workers impacted by the pandemic.This would’ve been our 8th Winter Meltdown, which has included guests from Scott Erickson in 2014 through Kent Hrbek and Trevor Plouffe last year. The pint glasses have been a tradition, and you can see Brock Beauchamp’s design nails the reality of the situation: we’ve all been impacted. But certainly hospitality industry workers f received more than their fair share of the economic impact. They’ve certainly treated us well for the previous seven Meltdowns, so this one will be for them. You can order this year’s pint glass here. We hope you enjoy its use as much as you’ve enjoyed the previous seven, and we further hope we can reconnect in person at some Twins games this summer. In the meantime, be safe and Win Twins. Buy your 2021 Winter Meltdown Pint Glass Here! Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins signing veteran left-hander J.A. Happ for $8 million, re-set the free agent market for pitchers, big bats, and infielders, react to several potential Twins targets signing elsewhere, and freak out about how soon spring training starts. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Listen Here Now Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about why Twins fans shouldn't be freaking out over the team's lack of moves, what's left of the free agent market once they do start spending, two new international prospects worth keeping tabs on, reactions to Corey Kluber and Liam Hendriks signing elsewhere, and getting unblocked on Twitter. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. Listen Here Now Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about Cleveland trading Francisco Lindor and what it means for the Twins, the latest on Nelson Cruz, the pros and cons of long-term contracts, another good reliever off the board, why the offseason is still dragging on so slowly, and why they can't remember your name. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. LISTEN HERE NOW Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins signing Hansel Robles, the remaining free agent reliever market and how high they should be shooting, Luis Arraez trade speculation, Terry Ryan's promotion in Philadelphia, and the wisdom of long-term deals. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. To Listen, Click Here Click here to view the article

This is cool. Is there a link to the Sparkman projection system, or to the work that Connor did?

Aaron and John talk about Fernando Romero going to Japan, Thad Levine not going to Philadelphia, Rocco Baldelli's new plan for Taylor Rogers and the Twins' bullpen, and the odds of a minor-league signing making an impact. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. Listen Here Now Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' affiliation with the St. Paul Saints finally becoming official, the other restructuring of the minor leagues, losing two players in the Rule 5 draft, trying to make sense of the Matt Wisler departure, and the latest on Nelson Cruz's contract talks. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. Listen Here Now Click here to view the article

Wednesday night (12/9, 7PM) are the Diamond Awards, a virtual event that awards hardware to Twins' players and raised a ton of money to combat some very crummy neurological disease by the U of M Foundation. Because it's virtual this year, not only can you attend for free, but you can participate in the silent auction, a rare opportunity. So let's count down the best of the items up for bid.5. Byron Buxton Signed Jersey There are a lot of signed Twins memorabilia on the auction, including some fan favorites like Nelson Cruz, Kenta Maeda and even a jersey signed by the entire 2020 Twins’ team. But seeing as readers of Twins Daily have been following Buxton obsessively since he was drafted, his signed jersey stands out, especially as it is still waiting for a first $100 bid. 4. Baseball Camp for kids (6-14) The link above is to one package, but there are a couple of them, so make sure to look over the whole auction. This has everything a Twins’ crazy kid would want, including 30 hours(!) of instruction, a VIP day at the ballpark, a chance to meet a current Twins player and a full Twins uniform. 10-year-old John would’ve spontaneously combusted. A blue flash, a whiff of smoke. That would’ve been it. I’d have died happy. 3. Ron Yary Autographed Vikings Jersey Having trouble finding a Christmas gift for your dad? How about an autographed jersey of Hall of Fame Vikings offensive lineman Ron Yary? The kicker is that was donated by Dick Bremer? It's your dad's best Christmas morning ever. 2. Golf w La Velle E Neal, III at White Bear Yacht Club Like to golf? Like to talk Twins? Like to gossip? Or have a couple of clients that like any of these things? Bidding is already robust around this, but you’re going to find a way to write it off, and it all goes to charity, so go for it. 1. Booze. All The Booze There are multiple boozy gift baskets available. It’s the perfect 2020 gift. If you want to see (or buy) all the gifts, you can check out the auction here. Or to learn more about the Diamond Awards click here. Great time, great cause, great stuff. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John discuss the departure of Eddie Rosario, Trevor May, and Matt Wisler, the retention of Twins' General Manager Thad Levine, and how the Twins might fit into a flush free agent shortstop market. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. Click Here Now Click here to view the article

The Twins essentially cut ties last night with left fielder Eddie Rosario, perhaps the most polarizing Twins’ player since he joined the team six years ago. Here are three reasons it was a good move.Eddie Is Who He Is Which is a solid contributor who is as likely to decline as he is improve. He’s never really learned any but the most bare bones strike zone discipline, limiting him to a career on-base percentage of just .310. He’s been effective because of his power, but power isn’t something the Twins have lacked in this lineup. His speed in the outfield has slowed so his defense is declining, and likely to decline further. He’s an above average regular, but he’s never been an All-Star level outfielder and he isn’t especially likely to be. The Twins may be getting rid of him a year too early. But as the saying goes, that’s better than a year too late. He Drives Us Crazy Having a free-swinger in the middle of the Twins order often proved counter-productive. A young pitcher would grind against disciplined hitters like Max Kepler, Josh Donaldson and Nelson Cruz – and up would walk Eddie Rosario like a blast of fresh air. Rosario could make them pay on occasion – his RBI totals demonstrate that – but that .310 OBP would often provide them the lifeline they needed. Plus, of course, his bizarre choices on the bases and in the field could be maddening. Like running through an . Or because he thought it was out of play. (Yes, those links are to the same video from the same game. It also includes some good plays. Such is the Eddie Rosario Experience.) He’s Too Expensive In this pandemicized MLB market, it looks like free agents – and especially hitters – are going to be available at bargain prices. And while the Twins are well-situated with a low committed payroll, they’ll obviously have financial limitation since we still don’t know if fans will be allowed in Target Field. The Twins put Rosario on waivers last night, even though the non-tender deadline was today, to give him a chance to latch on with another team that would voluntarily offer him arbitration, and thus commit to paying him around $10M. If no team claims him – and I suspect none will, since the Twins clearly tried to trade him before this deadline – it confirms that Rosario’s built-in arbitration raise just made him too expensive to keep. Plus, the Twins have a number of replacements that could replace his production. Their top prospect, Alex Kirilloff, is a left-handed hitting corner outfielder and was called up for the playoffs last year. His ceiling looks potentially higher than Eddie’s, and he’s just 23 years old. Their third best prospect, Trevor Larnach, is also a left-handed hitting corner outfielder who looks like he’s close to the majors. They also have other options who could fill a portion of the role like Jake Cave, Lamonte Wade Jr. and Brent Rooker. Bottom Line Rosario is the kind of player a competitive team makes a tough decision on and lets go. He’s good, but he’s not great, and he’s not likely to get better. He’s right at the point where he’s getting expensive, there are better opportunities on the market, and he’s the organization had worked hard to develop internal replacements who deserve their shot. Eddie will likely go on to have a successful career with another team. But that team doesn’t need to be the Twins. Now read Three Strikes: Why Eddie Rosario Should Stay Click here to view the article

The Twins essentially cut ties last night with left fielder Eddie Rosario, perhaps the most polarizing Twins’ player since he joined the team six years ago. Here are three reasons it was a bad move.Eddie Is Who He Is Eddie is a solid hitter and left fielder. Sure, his RBI stats are inflated a bit by batting in the middle of the order, but his last three full seasons he’s averaged 27 home runs. His career OPS is 788. He’s consistently played in 135+ games. And his defense in left field – outside of 2019 when he clearly played hurt – has been above average per Ultimate Zone Rating every year. Is he a middle-of-the-order bat? He’s probably stretched in that role. But a player doesn’t need to bat fourth to be worth $10M. In fact, being pried into that role, while helping his RBI totals, may have hurt his reputation with fans, who were frustrated that he wasn’t the cleanup hitter they wanted. But it’s not Rosario’s fault he wasn’t in a more suitable spot in the batting order. He Drives Opponents Crazy He’s maddening, but he’s been effective. He led the team in RBI the last three years. Granted, he had a lot of opportunities, but someone still needs to cash those chips. Eddie did. He also had a nose for the huge play. Sometimes it was a baserunning play that made no sense but somehow worked. Sometimes it was a . Or (swoon) . He has deserved his reputaion as a fan-favorite. (By the way, those links are worth clicking on. They are the best of the Eddie Rosario Experience.) He’s Not That Expensive Arbitration aamounts after this shortened season are less clear than previous years, but Rosario would likely make around $10M if the Twins offered arbitration. First, that’s not a lot of money for a starting corner outfielder. In this pandemicized MLB market, it might be a little more than he’s worth, but the Twins are in a competitive window where they should pony up for quality regulars. Finally, it’s only effective to cut salary if the team spends it on an upgrade. This year, with $40M or so to spend on free agents, that likely means chasing some high-profile free agents. The Twins haven’t been linked to many outside of trying to re-sign Nelson Cruz. Bottom Line Rosario is the kind of player a competitive team holds onto. He’s good at his job, he has a nose for the big play, he’s expensive but not crazy expensive, and he deserves a chance to see the rebuild (that he was a part of) pay off. Rosario may not be the difference between the Twins winning a championship or not in the upcoming few years. But he also might be. That should've be reason enough to hold onto Eddie. Now read Three Strikes: Why Eddie Rosario Should Leave Click here to view the article