John Bonnes

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

FWIW, in the story, I don't mention FanGraphs calculation. I haven't really studied it. IMHO, A decent, but not stellar right fielder whose defense (and positional flexibility) also helps, is probably worth $6-7M in the open market. Even if he's nothing more than a guy who mashes the strong side of the platoon, he's worth about that. And if he's not, he's not worth too much less - $4-5M would be the lower end, so at most they're burning a year or two. The non-monetary risk is that he never really develops enough to help a contending team. But if that happens, I still think its a tradeable contract to a team that is looking to fill a spot. Would he have gotten that contract from any other team if he was on the free agent market? Undoubtedly. Would he have agreed to it? I bet not.

The Twins announced long-term deals with Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco yesterday. Both are somewhat unusual players with whom to sign to a long-term deal, and thus required an unusual deal, which is fantastic, because truth is often found at the edges. Let’s look at how these contracts usually are structured, how Kepler’s is different, and what it says about the Twins and Kepler.MLB Salaries 101 Long-term contracts usually follow the same structure as a player’s natural earning power. For the first three years of a players service time, a player makes whatever the team wants, so long as it’s above the major league minumum. In years four through six, the player gets substantial raises, provided the club opts to retain him. The purpose of these raises is to get him close to what he would expect to make in free agency, which happens when he has six full years of service. An established young player could expect salaries that look something like this: Download attachment: Screenshot 2019-02-15 at 10.36.01 PM.png The long-term contract for an established young player usually mimics this, taking a little less in each year along with an option year on free agency. He does this because the money is guaranteed. Otherwise, if the player is hurt or never develops, the team can decide not to retain the player in those lucrative arbitration years. The team might also give a small signing bonus up front. So it might look like this: Download attachment: Screenshot 2019-02-15 at 10.36.01 PM (1).png An Unusual Challenge Kepler provides some unusual challenges to this structure. The first is procedural: Kepler is a Super-2 player, which means he got arbitration to start a year early. So even though he’s only in his third year, he was going to make $3.125M this year. The bigger issue is that Kepler is not an established young player. He’s made peripheral improvements in his nearly three years in MLB, but his numbers have essentially stayed steady and underwhelming. There’s a lot to like in his profile, and he just turned 26 years old this week, plus he’s relatively new to this baseball thing being from Germany. But the later years of a typical contract provide a significant challenge to the Twins. This year and next year were easy to work out. Even if Kepler doesn’t develop further this year, the Twins would almost surely offer him arbitration for next year, meaning he would get about $6M. His numbers are worth that, and he would be entering his 27-year-old season, which is still on the upswing of a baseball player’s career. But if he didn’t break through, there is a decent chance the Twins would not offer arbitration for the 2021 season. If they did, Kepler’s salary would be raised to $8-9M, he would be turning 28, and he would be a middling hitting corner outfielder, albeit with good defense. He might improve and be worth that money, but maybe not. And if he stays the course again, there is no way they offer him arbitration in his sixth year. That pessimistic career arc shows the challenge the Twins faced in working out a long-term deal. If Kepler doesn't develop, a typical long-term deal would really hurt them in the later years. A fiscally conservative (or if you prefer, “cheap”) team can’t guarantee $10M and $12M paydays to someone who might be a below average outfielder. The available spend every offseason is usually $20M - $60M for a team. Losing $10-12M of that hurts. On the other hand, losing $6M is probably acceptable, especially for a guy who at worst is a solid strong-side-of-the-platoon hitter with good defense. Which is why it’s now time add Kepler’s contract to the chart: Download attachment: Screenshot 2019-02-15 at 10.36.01 PM (2).png A Balanced Deal The Twins lock in a player that is arguably already worth $6-7M to a slew of $6-7M/year contracts. To do so, they pay him an extra $3M this year (remember, he was already going to make $3.25M), guarantee next year (which they almost surely would have done anyway), and then get two years of similar pay without having to worry if he takes a big leap forward. The only really risky year is Kepler’s 7th year, when they pay him $8.5M, so they’re betting on minor breakthrough sometime before he turns 30 years old. The Twins reward? If Kepler does take that giant leap, he’s a bargain, not just for this year and next (which he already was) but for FOUR more years. I’m a Max fan, admittedly, but even objectively that’s a good risk on a 26-year-old with really good plate discipline and power who has a career .730 OPS, even if he’s a career .233 hitter. And for Kepler? He’s guaranteed $35M, even if he never takes the next big step. That's nice. Plus, there’s some upside for him too, if he can look out that far ahead. He’ll be able to hit free agency as a 31-year-old, which is a plenty marketable age. If he’s hitting and if salaries bump up a bit, he could be in line for a deal worth twice as much. The Twins and Kepler have found a middle ground that balances the risk and reward each needed, despite Kepler not being the prototypical extension candidate. What’s more, it appears the Twins were able to do the same with Jorge Polanco, and tomorrow we’ll examine his contract a little more closely, to see what it tells us about the Twins tendencies. Click here to view the article

I always wondered what happened to Clete. He had that short run that showed so much promise.

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' PECOTA projections, expectations on Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton, signing Lucas Duda, payroll theories, buying into Willians Astudillo, and the intrigue of minor-league deals. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link.Sponsored by Barrel Theory, Native, and Pick and Shovel. Click here to view the article

I always suspected that Falvey was an expert on his 80s era Marvel comic writers. If he has copies of Wolverine 1-4 stashed away somewhere, we may need to get an apartment together.

Aaron and John are at TwinsDaily's Winter Meltdown, interviewing Michael Cuddyer and Twins beat writers Dan Hayes, Betsy Helfand and Do-Hyoung Park. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. 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

It was an incredible event at Brothers Bar & Grill on Saturday night as Twins Daily readers were joined by Michael Cuddyer to talk Hot Stove and start gearing up for the 2019 season. Thank you so much to everyone who attended and to all our sponsors for making it happen.This year’s Winter Meltdown included two free 612 Brew craft beers, a free Winter Meltdown pint glass, drink specials, a Pick & Shovel prize pack, autographed prizes and swag from Pizza Luce. We also had a panel discussion with our new Twins beat writers - Betsy Helfand of The Pioneer Press, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com and Dan Hayes of The Athletic. But Michael Cuddyer was the headliner and lived up to every kind word that was written about him over his 15-year major league career. He entertained on stage, wandered through the crowd, had endless pictures taken with fans and even performed a magic trick for some of Twins Daily's forum moderators. If you want to be part of the fun, you can download the Gleeman and the Geek podcast of the event and start looking forward to next year. You can also participate in Fan Duel's Winter Meltdown Contest and win an autographed picture of Justin Morneau. Thank you to all those who came and all those who continue to support Twins Daily with their work and attention. We could not do any of this without you. Click here to view the article