John Bonnes

Aaron and John talk about the Twins signing super-utility man Marwin Gonzalez for $21 million, how to view an offseason that's half full and half empty, what Gonzalez's arrival means for Jake Cave, Willians Astudillo, and Ehire Adrianza, the bullpen breakdown and trusting Matt Magill, Ervin Santana's return to the AL Central, and what options are left for the Twins to actually add some pitching help. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. Click here to view the article

I agree on this. I've seen some folks speculate that this makes it harder for Astudillo to make the roster, and it probably hurts him slightly. I still think Tyler Austin being out of options is the bigger issue there. But Adtrianza is screwed if everyone remains healthy. (That's always a big if.) Gonzalez takes all of his skills and adds a bat. The only way it doesn't affect Adrianza is if the Twins feel like Gonzalez defense at shortstop is not adequate.

FORT MYERS - The Twins reported signing of Marwin Gonzalez is not a traditional free agent signing. But that’s why it works. Gonazalez had a monster year in 2017 when the Astros won the World Series, putting up a .900+ OPS while playing a utility infield. The 29-year-old slid back to his previous form last year, but that was still good for a .733 OPS while playing literally every position but catcher.So he’s a really interesting player - a plus bat with extreme versatility - and going into the offseason, everyone kind of assumed that a team would sign him as a starting player in one of the many positions at which he has played. That’s the traditional way to sign a player. If you think of this signing through that lens, the signing doesn’t make a lot of sense. The Twins already have a lineup full of mid .700 OPS players. Gonzalez bumping one of them is just redundant. And if you take a second look at Gonzalez’ skill set, it doesn’t match any of this team’s perceived needs. The team could use more on-base percentage, and Gonzalez helps with that a little, but he’s not Joe Mauer or even Robbie Grossman. One could argue that he could be penciled in as a leadoff or top-of-the-order hitter, but he doesn’t complement Jorge Polanco’s skills as much as he matches them. And the Twins just signed Polanco to a five-year guaranteed contract last week. Why spend almost as much on a two-year deal with Gonzalez? In short, he doesn’t fill an obvious need. So the traditional reason for signing Gonzalez doesn’t make a lot of sense. But on second thought, it also doesn’t make sense for him to sign as a regular position player. Why would he want to strip away that trait which makes him truly valuable, his versatility? His value is that he can be a competent fill-in at any position. That is unique. Most backups with that versatility can’t really hit. If they can hit, they can only back up one or two positions, which is great up until a different position is the one that gets hurt or struggles. Gonzalez provides an insurance policy for seven of the Twins regulars, including players who are trying to bounce back from tough seasons (Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, Jonathan Schoop), trying to break through (Jorge Polanco, Max Kepler) or repeat career years (Eddie Rosario, CJ Cron). His unique ability is to fill in for whichever spot becomes a problem as the season progresses. The Twins are not going to have seven success stories for those players. We’re Minnesota sports fans - we know there is going to be a problem. Gonzalez is the team’s “Get Out Of Trouble Free” card. So don’t worry where he’s going to play. That problem will solve itself - as soon as there is another problem. He’ll play where he’s needed, when he’s needed, providing passable (or even good) defense and solid (sometimes spectacular) offense. The Gonzalez signing isn’t a good signing just because the Twins spent some leftover money, or because they added some depth, or because it seems like a reasonable contract. It’s a great signing because it leverages what Gonzalez does best, while giving the Twins a head start on reacting to a long baseball season’s challenges. Click here to view the article

FORT MYERS - It’s a weekend, we just had a big signing and baseball returns tonight, but digital ink is still free, so how about a notes column? Get Here Early This is the first time Twins Daily has covered spring training before games begin, and I have to say, we screwed that up. This is a great week to cover the team. Players have more time, more patience, and it’s fun to see what is being emphasized in the training drills.All of those factors work in fans’ favor, too. Plus, the first day of full squad workouts (which was Monday) is an open house at Hammond Stadium. The team opens the stadium, serves half-price concessions, and fans can watch live batting practice (which is where we saw Willians Astudillo go deep on Jose Berrios) and then go play in the outfield. Rocco’s Big (Long) Day Usually on the first game of spring training, we see a packed house and something pretty close to the anticipated Twins starting lineup to start the game. It’s an electric atmosphere. But that is complicated a little bit by a planned split squad today for the first day. In the afternoon, the Twins will send a group to Sarasota (about 1.5 hours away) to play the Orioles at 1:05 PM before their home opener tonight versus the Rays. MLB dictates that the visiting team needs to send several regulars to play at away games, so the home starting lineup may not be quite as robust. But a topic of interest is how it also complicates new manager Rocco Baldelli’s day. The Twins have a tradition that on split-squad days, the Twins manager goes with the traveling team in solidarity. Baldelli will be honoring that, but then leaving midgame to race back to Fort Myers to also manage the home game at 6:05. He said he would feel really good at the end of the day when it was all over. I didn’t have the heart to remind him that he has another game Sunday afternoon at 1:05 across town. It’ll be his third game in 24 hours. Vegas Food The winter meetings this offseason were in Las Vegas, and 23-year-old Nick Gordon, who is still the string bean the Twins drafted, attended them. I can relate to his favorite part of Las Vegas. “Buffets,” Gordon exclaimed. “I loved the buffets. I’ve got a lot of room to grow. A lotta room to grow. I crushed them.” (It is not apparent he crushed them. In fact, it’s not apparent he ate anything over the offseason.) Your Daily Moment Of Zen (Adorable Category) The Twins press corps’ collective hearts melted watching Justin Morneau play catch with his daughter Tuesday morning. She can’t be more than five years old, and he was tossing up short fly balls in Hammond Stadium’s foul territory. She would prance towards them in her little sun dress, miss several, catch some, and regardless gleefully throw the ball back back to him. The icing on the cake was about every five minutes she would run up to him with her hand out and he’d pour her a handful of sunflower seeds to chew on while she played. Simple acts of pure joy, both for a father and daughter. Damn, but I love baseball. We’re back at it tonight. I can’t wait. Click here to view the article

New Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has been as vague as he can be about his plans for the bullpen, so we can only make the most general statements about the makeup of the relief corps this year. But one general statement we can make is this: eight is greater than seven. That simple truth suggests that, barring injuries, the Twins are going cut someone we won’t want to see cut.The Twins will almost surely break camp with just seven relievers, or eight if you count Martin Perez, since a fifth pitcher isn’t needed until April 16th. With Perez starting in the bullpen, and with very little buzz around camp regarding “Openers” there is no good reason to carry eight other bullpen arms. Which means someone is going to get stuck because there are eight names that seem like they belong in the bullpen. Here they are, more or less in order of my evaluation of their likelihood to make the team: Addison Reed - Unless he’s hurt, he’s in there. He’s making $8M and the Twins and he are both hoping that a lower workload will rejuvenate his arm.Taylor Rogers - Was the Twins most effective remaining reliever, and left-handed, too. Another lock.Blake Parker - I suppose that whatever the concerns were which held up his official signing could convince the Twins that he’s damaged goods, but it seems unlikely their lone free agent bullpen addition wouldn’t make the team.Next we get to a triumvirate of arms that don’t have options. If the Twins give up on any of these guys, they have to place them on waivers, and if a team claims them, they lose them. As such, that all have the inside track on a roster spot.Trevor May - He should probably be above Parker on this list, but I like lumping the guys with no remaining options together. He was one of the Twins most prominent relievers late last year after returning from Tommy John surgery.Adalberto Mejia - He’s being trained as a starter, but appears to be the de facto #6 guy, on the outside looking in. The Twins will want to keep him in case other starting pitchers are hurt, and that means keeping him on the roster. Plus, he’s left-handed, and there aren’t any other southpaws in the bullpen beyond Rogers.Matt Magill - This is the name a lot of people are overlooking. When we get to the names that might not make the opening roster, I suspect a lot of fans will want to come back to this name. But Magill relieved in 40 games last year, averaged 95 mph with his fastball and good enough command. He also gave up way too many home runs, which is a kiss of death to a reliever, but I still don’t think they Twins will risk exposing him to every other team.The rest of the candidates in the bullpen have options remaining, so none of them will be lost to other teams; they’ll just be sent to Rochester. If you agree to the list above, six of the seven spots are taken, and only one spot is left. But two prominent names are left standing: Trevor Hildenberger and Fernando Romero. Last year Hildenberger was supposed to be one the more promising young arms in the bullpen, but stumbled badly in the second half of last year. This year, Fernando Romero is being prepared as a reliever because Baldelli has already described him as a “weapon.”. They both were seen as potential setup men for high leverage innings. Even with math against them, it is still a good chance that both make the roster. After all, injuries happen in spring training. It wouldn’t even have to be an injury to a reliever to open a spot: an injury to a starting pitcher would likely mean Mejia moves to the rotation and then another spot is open in the bullpen. But it looks like the two young homegrown relievers about whom the fan base was most excited about the last two years will be battling it out for the last spot, Click here to view the article

New Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has been as vague as he can be about his plans for the bullpen, so we can only make the most general statements about the makeup of the relief corps this year. But one general statement we can make is this: eight is greater than seven. That simple truth suggests that, barring injuries, the Twins are going cut someone we won’t want to see cut.The Twins will almost surely break camp with just seven relievers, or eight if you count Martin Perez, since a fifth pitcher isn’t needed until April 16th. With Perez starting in the bullpen, and with very little buzz around camp regarding “Openers” there is no good reason to carry eight other bullpen arms. Which means someone is going to get stuck because there are eight names that seem like they belong in the bullpen. Here they are, more or less in order of my evaluation of their likelihood to make the team: Addison Reed - Unless he’s hurt, he’s in there. He’s making $8M and the Twins and he are both hoping that a lower workload will rejuvenate his arm.Taylor Rogers - Was the Twins most effective remaining reliever, and left-handed, too. Another lock.Blake Parker - I suppose that whatever the concerns were which held up his official signing could convince the Twins that he’s damaged goods, but it seems unlikely their lone free agent bullpen addition wouldn’t make the team.Next we get to a triumvirate of arms that don’t have options. If the Twins give up on any of these guys, they have to place them on waivers, and if a team claims them, they lose them. As such, that all have the inside track on a roster spot.Trevor May - He should probably be above Parker on this list, but I like lumping the guys with no remaining options together. He was one of the Twins most prominent relievers late last year after returning from Tommy John surgery.Adalberto Mejia - He’s being trained as a starter, but appears to be the de facto #6 guy, on the outside looking in. The Twins will want to keep him in case other starting pitchers are hurt, and that means keeping him on the roster. Plus, he’s left-handed, and there aren’t any other southpaws in the bullpen beyond Rogers.Matt Magill - This is the name a lot of people are overlooking. When we get to the names that might not make the opening roster, I suspect a lot of fans will want to come back to this name. But Magill relieved in 40 games last year, averaged 95 mph with his fastball and good enough command. He also gave up way too many home runs, which is a kiss of death to a reliever, but I still don’t think they Twins will risk exposing him to every other team.The rest of the candidates in the bullpen have options remaining, so none of them will be lost to other teams; they’ll just be sent to Rochester. If you agree to the list above, six of the seven spots are taken, and only one spot is left. But two prominent names are left standing: Trevor Hildenberger and Fernando Romero. Last year Hildenberger was supposed to be one the more promising young arms in the bullpen, but stumbled badly in the second half of last year. This year, Fernando Romero is being prepared as a reliever because Baldelli has already described him as a “weapon.”. They both were seen as potential setup men for high leverage innings. Even with math against them, it is still a good chance that both make the roster. After all, injuries happen in spring training. It wouldn’t even have to be an injury to a reliever to open a spot: an injury to a starting pitcher would likely mean Mejia moves to the rotation and then another spot is open in the bullpen. But it looks like the two young homegrown relievers about whom the fan base was most excited about the last two years will be battling it out for the last spot, Click here to view the article

FORT MYERS - Crummy years can lead to new opportunities. For two of the Twins middle infielders, that has been the case. One would’ve never ended up with the Twins had he not had a horrendous year. Another is taking it as an opportunity to grow and mature. Jonathan Schoop This time last year, Jonathan Schoop was on a path towards being a superstar. He had swatted 72 home runs over the previous three years, averaged a .280 batting average, a .795 OPS, all while playing a strong second base and was just 26-years-old. But on April 13 he suffered an oblique injury. It healed over the next month and he returned to the field, but not to form. But not because is still hurt. This is the third part of a three-part series of interviews with Twins bounceback candidates. Part 1 | Part 2 “After I came back from the injury, I was good,” claims Schoop. “I’ve got no excuses. I was good.” But there were after effects unrelated to the pain. “Everybody told me that my swing changed a little bit because of the injury,” says Schoop. “But I didn’t feel it. If I’m honest with you, I didn’t feel nothing. So I feel strong, but they say I switched something because my body made me switch.” He never did get back on track. Whatever the issue, it robbed the right-handed batting Schoop of batting average, power and the ability to hit southpaws. The problem got even worse after a trade deadline move to the Brewers, which meant leaving the Orioles, the only organization he had ever known. “It was tough,” Schoop revealed. “I’ve been with the Orioles since I was 16. Like eight, 10 years, so it was tough to be traded. I got better. I’m a better player because of that. I’m a better man because of that tough time that I’ve been through, after being traded and everything. So the offseason was spent working, including a lot of core work, which obviously makes sense when trying to get past the aftereffects of an oblique injury. He thinks his swing is fine now. But his focus for spring training is on building relationships with his new teammates. “Baseball is a good sport,” Schoop says. “You get to know people. You get to be friends. Sometimes you get to be brothers with them." The hope is that better health, a tinkered with swing, and a strong team will help Schoop return to the player who was headed for stardom this time last year. Nick Gordon Nick Gordon had something to prove last year, and for a while, he did. After limping to the end of the 2017 season in Double-A Chattanooga, Gordon returned and conquered, hitting .333 with a .906 OPS over the first two months. The 23-year-old was rewarded with a promotion to Triple-A Rochester, where everything fell apart. “It’s about more than just your talent,” reflected Gordon, when I asked him about the experience. Gordon hit just .212 over 99 games in Rochester, with just a .524 OPS. “I can definitely say, I feel like I have some stuff to prove.” Gordon’s prospect status suffered as a result of his extended slump. He doesn’t let that affect his view of his future. “I definitely know I can play the game. I don’t think that is something that is questionable,” he says. He is rededicating himself to better prepare for the higher level of baseball he experienced. “That’s something I’m definitely more excited about: keeping my routine going better, and preparing myself as a professional,” Gordon says. Gordon speaks like a person who knows he got knocked around a little bit by the advancement in levels. But he also sees that as part of the process of getting to the big leagues. “Guys go through things,” he admits. “Great players go through things like that. It definitely humbles you.” Perhaps Gordon’s struggles last year, and his resulting attitude, are all part of a ballplayer's maturity process. Click here to view the article

FORT MYERS - Somehow a season that starts well and devolves is a more damning narrative than a season which never gets on track. If a player’s season just stinks from start to finish, the reaction is “how can he get back on track” or “he’s a good buy-low candidate, because that had to be an aberration.” But a season that goes downhill has less hope attached to it. We conclude he’s just not healthy, or the tank is empty, or he can’t make “the adjustment” or he just isn’t that good. This is the second part of a three-part series of interviews with Twins bounceback candidates. Part 1. Maybe that’s because we saw it happen, or maybe we already invested our emotions in the turnaround last year, so there’s nothing left. Whatever the reason, I don’t think it’s because the player is less likely to come back. Certainly, the two Twins players who fit that description seem hopeful, even anxious, for the season to begin. Their success could make a world of difference to the Twins bullpen. Addison Reed The plan for last year was for Addison Reed, who had been signed for a two-year, $17 million contract, to be the Twins bullpen’s cornerstone. He was early, posting a 2.83 ERA and 9.3 K/9 through the end of May. But his effectiveness and strikeout rate plummeted in June. Then in July he was on the disabled list for three weeks with an elbow inpingement. He never really got back on track. The numbers tell the story. Reed threw 28.2 innings in the first two months of the season, striking out 29 batters. He threw almost the same number of innings in the last four months of the season - 27.1, and struck out just 15. All his pitching stats - ERA, WHIP, hits - fell apart over those last four months, as did the Twins reliance on him. So what happened? “I ran into some arm troubles midseason. It’s one of those things that just caught up to me,” says Reed. He adds, “My workload in 2016 and 2017 was pretty heavy.” Yes, yes it was. Reed pitched in 157 games over those two years, throwing 143.2 innings. But that’s not all. “This is the first offseason in four years where I didn’t have to play extra baseball in the playoffs,” adds Reed. The postseason adds four games and 3.1 innings to that total, along with a shorter offseason for recovery. That kind of workload is one of the reasons the Twins signed Reed. So the injuries and ineffectiveness came as a surprise, especially after his strong start. “I felt fine, everything felt fine, but something can still pop up out of nowhere,” laments Reed. “I think that’s what happend. I felt fine. I didn’t change anything. I was doing everything the same.” So the plan this year is rely on last year’s relatively easy workload to give his arm the rest he needed to recover. “With the limited workload last year, I think things are going to be good this year,” Reed says. With only 56 innings last year and no postseason, his arm certainly got some extra rest. It’s also worth noting (although it was unsaid by Reed), that Reed was on pace for a career high mark in games and innings through April and May last year. That last week of May, he was used five times in seven days, including four days in a row. Changes to the coaching staff, along with a more measured approach might also help with a return to form. Trevor Hildenberger Despite being a rookie, Trevor Hildenberger was also supposed to be one of the pillars of the Twins 2018 bullpen. His impact late in the 2017 was as explosive as his side-arm delivery, racking up 44 strikeouts in 42 innings. The only concern was that he had faded in September; his ERA climbed from 2.29 to 3.21 over his last eight games. His 2018 started out well enough. Even after a below average April, he rebounded to a 3.33 ERA and an even better 1.13 WHIP through the All-Star break. Opponents had just a .689 OPS against him. But the second half was a disaster. His ERA was 9.00 over that half with opponents knocking a .974 OPS against him. Was he, like Reed, battling injuries? “I felt good. I felt healthy. My body felt fine. My arm felt fine,” says Hildenberger. Instead, he thinks the problem was with his command. “Inconsistencies led to that,” Hildenberger says. “My fastball command got away from me a little bit. So I worked on that this offseason, and in spring training I’m working on that, and hopefully get back to where I was at the end of 2017.” What kind of training does one do to fix command? “It’s mechanics for me, so i worked on keeping my front shoulder closed before my foot landed, and separating my hips and my shoulders in my delivery,” reveals Hildenberger. “if they’re firing together that’s when the ball starts to spray a lot more.” Hildenberger’s sidearm delivery means that when he misses his spot, the ball tends to miss side to side, rather than up and down. Since he’s throwing to the outside or inside edge of the strike zone, that presents a problem. “You’re missing either by a long ways, so it’s an easy take. Or you leave it over the middle,” Hildenberger explains. Again it’s worth noting that Hildenberger was called into action 43 times before the All-Star break, due to being so effective. That’s again pretty heavy usage for a reliever. It’s conceivable that more conservative usage by a new coaching staff could pay off in more success over the course of a long season. The Twins had two key components of their bullpen last year succeed early and fall apart midseason. The two showed different symptoms, and have addressed their struggles differently this offseason. But both also had extremely high usage for relievers early in the year. Perhaps the struggles we saw over the second half of the season can be remedied by individual offseason efforts, combined with a team approach to usage. Click here to view the article

FORT MYERS - SanoBuxton. BuxtonSano. To hear the coverage of the 2018 Twins season, one might think they were the only Twins that struggled, and they’re the only bounceback seasons that matter. That is far from the truth. Over the next two couple days, we’ll examine a few other Twins that faced unexpected challenges, and we’ll hear from them about how they plan to turn their struggles around.Jake Odorizzi Almost exactly a year ago, the Minnesota Twins traded for Jake Odorizzi, coming off (for him) a substandard year for the Tampa Bay Rays. Mind you, that meant a 4.14 ERA, which looked pretty good for a pitching-starved Twins franchise. I was especially optimistic about him given that his struggles appeared to be injury-related. That optimism faded fairly fast. Odorizzi had an even worse year, posting a 4.49 ERA, though he did stay healthy and eat up 164.1 innings. So if the problem in 2017 was injuries, what was the issue in 2018? “I was just fighting mechanics and stuff all of last year,” Odorizzi says matter-of-factly. Getting that corrected was the focus of the offseason. “Just tried to smooth, do more range of motion. I started doing some more mobility stuff this offseason.” The struggles that he experience became a motivating factor, a recurring theme in the players I talked to. “I want to do well for the Twins because I didn’t do well for them last year.” A look at his numbers as he faced batters repeatedly were especially jarring. The first two times through an order, opponents posted only a .627 and .659 OPS against him. But the third time they saw him that OPS exploded to 1.159. He had similar struggles in 2017, though not nearly as pronounced. However, he didn’t have that problem in his first three years in the majors. He says that kind of struggle is the case for all pitchers, and it is, though not usually as pronounced. It remains to be seen if he’ll run into a similar issue this year, and what the team will do about it. As of the time we talked, he had not heard any talk about the Twins using an “Opener” role and thinks with the veteran starters the Twins have, he thinks they might not need one. It is a key year for him, not just because he wants to redeem himself. The 29-year-old also needs to show the market that he’s the same guys who posted a 3.72 ERA and average 175 inning between 2014 and 2016. He’s a free agent at the end of this year. But to him, that’s not a distraction. “You have to focus on now,” he says. “Take care of a season right now and let everything fall into place after that.” Michael Pineda Unlike Odorizzi, Pineda wasn’t expected to contribute much last year. He had Tommy John surgery in July of 2017, so the Twins signed him to a 2-year deal for $10 million. He got $2 million while he rehabbed from surgery and will make $8 million this year. Pineda has always been perceived as a high upside pitcher who struggles with injuries. He strikes out more than a batter per inning, and his walk rate is low. But he’s struggled with home run (which is not unusual in Yankee Stadium) which has led to a career 4.05 ERA, which seems high for his pedigree. But the big know against him has been his durability; the 6’ 7” 30-year-old has never pitched more than 175.2 innings in a season. So it was seen as a good sign last year the he recovered quickly enough that the organization considered bringing him up to the majors in a bullpen role late in the season. Cue injury. He tore the meniscus in his knee and had to undergo surgery. Should that be a concern? It’s not to Pineda. In fact, he is quick to point out that not only does he feel fine, but that the late season surgery didn’t impact his preparation at all. “It’s like a normal offseason,” he says. “I had six weeks for my [meniscus tear] recovery and then started working out.” So two members of the Twins rotation are hoping to regain the form they showed back in 2016. Odorizzi hopes his range-of-motion training helps him be more consistent with his mechanics, while Pineda hopes that 20 months of recovery and a full offseason will bring back his effectiveness. Tomorrow we’ll talk to two other bounceback candidates, both of whom started the year strong but were ambushed by … well, you’ll see. Click here to view the article

BASEBALL IS BACK. On the first day of full squad workouts this year, the Twins open up Hammond Stadium for an open house. Fans can walk all around eat half-price concessions and watch Twins pitchers face Twins hitters. The first matchup of the day was Jose Berrios versus Willians Astudillo. The second time they faced each other, this happened: Astudillo wasn't done, by the way. A bit later he faced Trevor May and did the same, pulling the ball into the right field berm. Click here to view the article

I don’t remember which year I first attended spring training, but I remember the exact date when I decided I would never miss it again: February 28th, 2014. I remember that date because we all remember the winter of 2013-14, or as Minnesotan’s refer to it: “that really awful winter a few years back.” That doesn’t sound especially harsh, but when Minnesotans single out one winter as really awful, that’s high praise. They’re all really awful. But 2013-14 had the coldest average temperature of any winter since 1978, plus a ton of snow. And it saved the worst for last. February, which is when you’re just looking for a little hope, was an all-time crummy month.When I boarded the plane at MSP that day, I looked at my phone and it was -10 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 42 degrees below the average high for that day. And when I landed in Fort Myers it was 80 and sunny and I was thunderstruck by just how dumb I had been for the previous 47 years of my life. I’ve come to feel strongly that we’re all doing it wrong. We should all - everyone who visits this site and lives in Minnesota - escape for at least a long weekend to Fort Myers. And since I also get dozens of people asking me for advice for spring training, I hope this story serves as both a guide and inspiration to plan your own escape. I’ve already covered the weather, but it’s worth pointing out that even if there wasn’t baseball, escaping to 80 and sunny isn’t just nice for the time you’re there, it also lessens the rage with which you shovel out the driveway after that DAMN SNOWPLOW guys comes by AGAIN. It’s the length of the Minnesota winter that is the real killer. Knowing your winter has a definitive end, even temporarily, is incredibly therapeutic. That is all true if there wasn’t baseball. But here’s the thing - there IS baseball. It is probably the most concentrated and accessible baseball you’ll ever experience. The only bummer is that for the most part, you’re going to need to wake before the crack of noon. The accessibility is highest in the morning when players walk to and from their practice fields. You can see the route below, but the best place to stake out is over in the concrete area by those columns on the right. That’s where you’ll see a lot of people hanging around by 10 AM or so. Download attachment: Spring_training_path_JB_Orig.JPG The players go out and come back in shifts, usually starting 9:15 or so though sometimes later. They come back in around 11 or noon, and that’s the best time to shake their hands or get an autograph or picture. You have to be patient and you get what you get - the times vary, the players vary, it’s loosely organized. And sometimes they can’t or won’t stop, but often they do. Here are Stephen Gonsalves, Kyle Gibson and Jose Berrios all giving autographs as they came back from their morning workouts Saturday morning. Download attachment: Spring_training_autographpitchers_JB_Orig.JPG Scrumming up with other fans and rubbing elbows with the players is certainly a draw, but it’s also fun to watch the players practice their craft. Want to watch a practice session, including someone like Tom Kelly or Torii Hunter help instruct minor leaguers? You can do that. They even built stands: Download attachment: Spring_training_practicefield_JB_Orig.JPG Or want to watch Byron Buxton get some time in with hitting coach James Rowson? The batting cages are right here, and you can watch up close thought that chain link fence upon which these banners hang: Download attachment: Spring_training_battingcage_JB_Orig.JPG Of course once the minor league camp starts up in mid-March, all of the fields are filled with top prospects and hopeful suspects doing drills and playing games. You don’t have to worry about parking on days where there aren’t games. The stadium don’t have any concessions, but most of the action is over by lunchtime, so you have your afternoons free to bake on a beach, if you like. And then the games start. Starting this Saturday, you will have real live baseball most days from 1:00 to 4:00. There are games most every day, in more intimate minor league stadiums, with prices that are closer to the minors than the majors. Download attachment: Spring_training_insidehammond_JB_Orig.JPG Plus, if the Twins aren’t home, Fort Myers is one of the few cities that hosts two minor league teams: the Red Sox park is just a handful of miles away. Or take a one to three hour road trip to follow the Twins. All the road games are no further than that. We like to mock the number of players that get into a spring training again and are never heard from again. But if you only want to watch the regulars, visit at the end of March when most of the roster cuts have happened. Or if you want to see some top prospects, come early in the schedule, when Twins coaches will go out of their way to make sure Royce Lewis or Alex Kirilloff get a live-action look for their benefit. In 2019 for a baseball fan, it’s almost hard to believe a place like this exists. The bad news is that it probably won’t, not in exactly the same manner, even next year. The consensus opinion is that every year, all the amenities get a little nicer, but the access gets a little tighter. If that idea bothers you, I promise you - you won’t care. Find a way to get here. You’ll hear the pop of a mitt and feel the sun on your shoulders and you’ll wonder, like I did, why it took you so long. Download attachment: Spring_training_Gibson_JB_Orig.JPG Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about one of them being in Fort Myers for Twins spring training, contract extensions for Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler, the odds of Jose Berrios soon joining the extension club, news that Fernando Romero is headed to the bullpen, Miguel Sano showing up in better shape, and Rocco Baldelli's timeline for turning this thing around. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link.http://traffic.libsy...3?dest-id=74590 Click here to view the article

Yesterday, we discussed how the Twins’ and Max Kepler’s unusual long-term contract was a result of him being a somewhat unusual candidate to receive a long-term deal. The Twins also announced a long-term deal with Jorge Polanco. The deals' similarities and differences reflect a few truths about the Twins plans and tendencies.The Twins Indeed Still Have Some Money To Spend This Offsesason Kepler’s deal varied from most typical long-term deals in that he got paid quite a bit more than he would make in year three. So does Polanco’s. This makes sense, given that we’ve estimated that the Twins entered the week $25-$30M below last year’s payroll level and should have some money that they can still spend. It’s good to see that is the case, and that the Twins recognized that greasing the wheels with $6M of that makes a lot of sense. The Twins Will Commit To Competency (At The Right Price) Usually long-term deals target budding superstars. But while both Kepler and Polanco could be described as “good”, Kepler’s batting average has stalled out and Polanco has questions about his defense, his steroid suspension and his power potential. That didn’t stop the Twins, who instead structured contracts whose core included four guaranteed years at a salary already consistent with their value, but didn’t increase much. In both cases that meant paying them more than they were worth this year, paying them about what they would have made next year, and locking them into their present value in 2021 and 2022. The Twins Expect At Least A Little Improvement The fifth year in both contracts gives a raise to both players, but would still represent a major bargain if both players really establish themselves. The real payoff appears if the players take a big step forward. If they do, the Twins will have two of Kepler’s free agent years under their control (one guaranteed) and three of Polanco’s (one guaranteed). And if they don’t, that fifth year will sting a little. Not much, but a little. The Twins are betting each will take at least a step forward to justify that, and giving them four years to figure it out. The Twins Are Still Cognizant Of Spending, But Also Understand Their Margin Of Error If either deal goes south, the Twins are able to spread the impact to a limited amount per year. The only year where they could really hurt the team is 2023, which should also be when both players are in the prime of their careers. Otherwise, the money at risk is really just $4-5M for Polanco and $6-7M for Kepler, neither of which is likely to significantly impact the ability to improve the team over a given offseason. While being mindful of payroll, they understand they can make a $4M to $6M mistake without crippling an offseason. They just don’t want to make a mistake bigger than that. Minor League Depth May Pay Some Unanticipated Dividends I don’t want to overstate the impact of this, but it’s awfully interesting that the Twins top two prospects (and two of the best in the minors) happen to be a left-handed hitting outfielder and a shortstop. And that both are probably going to spending at least part of this year in AA, just a step or two from the majors. I’m not saying that Kepler and Polanco were hearing footsteps, but their agents might have been. I firmly believe both were safe for 2019 and 2020, but if we’re not talking about OF Alex Kirilloff and SS Royce Lewis stepping into major league roles in 2021, something has gone seriously wrong. With these deals done, how they all fit into the picture is the Twins problem. For the record, it’s a nice problem to have, and I have no concerns about anyone blocking anyone. These contracts look very trade-friendly, or perhaps one of their young studs bring back a key superstar for a playoff run. But whatever the solution, Kepler and Polanco now know that someone will be handing them checks from 2021-2023. There is a balance in these deals that has a certain elegance. In general, teams have been less eager to sign players who they don’t anticipate to be superstars. The Polanco and Kepler deals represent a more nuanced approach: lock up steady players who are young and have upside, without committing so much in any given year that future improvement is at risk. It’s a balanced strategy reflecting a balanced philosophy that we’ve seen repeatedly in the Falvey-Levine era. We’ll see if it’s a successful one. Click here to view the article