diehardtwinsfan

No reason to sneak back in. Just walk in the front door. It's open.

fun fun. Not much to deal with in FA, which is good. Not many worth signing either. Wonder how quickly they can pull the trigger on a BD trade.

I find statements like this amusing, especially given some of the things I read on Adrian Peterson on Vikings Journal. I don't have too much of an issue if the Twins decided it wise to avoid an accused domestic abuser. Sure, they could have gotten him and flipped him. It definitely would have helped the team. But how is this any different from an AP situation?

I think this is the problem with not trading Dozier. You don't trade out the pitching and instead roll the dice on an unconventional Santiago... I'll admit, I was a bit wrong after looking at his stats, but he's still not the type of guy I put my odds on. They need some higher ceiling talent in the rotation. May certainly could be there, but he's a question mark. Berrios is much the same in that capacity. So right there, you have 2 question marks penciled in. Gibson is another, who has shown he can do it, but still, that's 3. You can augment them with ESan (2 years left) and Santiago (1 year left and a lower ceiling), but I'd guess that at least one of the 3 question marks don't pan out. If you're lucky, the other two show flashes of potential while taking some lumps. I'm not sure that gets us back to 80 wins, and even if it does, I don't see how that helps this team in 2020. There's some nice talent in the pipeline, but I'd much rather trade guys like Santiago, Santana, and Dozier to bring in some higher ceiling guys like Urias or Glasnow, not to mention help at C.

While I think this accurate about Plouffe, given the pitching options, Santiago might get something (won't be much). I'd definitely float him to see interest. He has that durable thing going for him (I think), he's just not that good. I certainly wouldn't want him in the rotation next season.

Boo... we deal Dozier Nice write up.

ok, seriously, drop it. He's using the information he has, and he's not sure how reliable it is. That's hardly an unusual thing. It's a lot like quoting defensive metrics. It's what we have, and lots of people don't trust them.

yeah, I'm not seeing the big deal here. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a ball player to have a position. That gives the manager some flexibility. That and I heard a rumor that Ortiz might qualify for that whole Hall of Fame thing. Not saying that Sano cannot be that type of hitter (though the expectations are certainly unreasonable at this point), but expecting a twenty some year old kid to play defense in his 20s isn't unreasonable.

He may, but you do too much of that and you get other real problems. I think if he wants a couple of his guys, he creates new positions and moves them in. He'll spend a year evaluating what worked and didn't, who is good and who isn't, and then start the firing/non-renewing of contracts.

yep, walking isn't the goal, but if you aren't getting strikes, you walk. If you have a hole in the strike zone, you have other problems, as laying off strikes is a bad thing.

I'm sure they will, but Dozier has shown the ability to do this for 3 seasons now. This was just the one where it was sustained the longest, and given his age, it's not unreasonable to expect some bidding on there. LIke it or not, he's still a clear upgrade over other options, which will attract attention. Someone who wants to compete will likely send a nice package over if they think Dozier will get them over the top.

He has one year left on his contract, and his position will likely still exist in the org. My guess is that he has a job for another year as they transition the new leaders. I don't think you'll see a mass culling of FO types this offseason, though one or two might go... What I do think is that you'll see some additional hires as Falvey/Levine bring in some of their guys. Next year, you'll see a lot of contracts fall under the "not renewed" category and a few firings... that's how this stuff works, and that's how you do it if you want to maintain some continuity in the airport.

If Sano was blocking an equally tantalizing prospect that might be a bit more flexible than 3B/1B/DH as an outcome, then yes, I'd think about shopping him. The problem is that he's not. 3B in this system is barren, and Plouffe is not only going to be overpaid (due to arb), he's also a free agent shortly and there's no one to replace him with if he leaves. I don't trade Sano. Trades like this are from a position of strength to address a position of weakness. 3B is not a position of long-term strength right now in the org. That may change at some point, and if it does, then you can talk about trading Sano... but it's not now. The kid had a difficult Sophomore season and was still decent. Yeah, he needs to work on his defense, and yes, the Twins did him no favors there. But personally, I put his name in ink at 3B for the next season and punt this decision as it really doesn't need to be made. I also make it clear that he needs to spend lots of time working on his defensive mechanics this offseason.

I can understand the hesitation with Escobar, but he isn't the major problem on this team, and even this year, he was showing flashes of his 2015 self that injury kind of derailed. I would give him another chance as this is the kind of guy who can walk off and suddenly be good for someone else. Keep in mind, he came up to the bigs at a very young age. Chicago gave up on him too quickly, I'd add. Now, you're point is valid, his production this year didn't scream anything special. The flip side is that in his down year, he was not in the category of dead weight. I would give him another year. It cannot hurt. You have Gordon who will be in AA next season. Gordon started out incredibly well in a pitcher's league in A+ and definitely hit a wall as the season progressed. I think that has more to do with getting used to full season ball than anything (same thing happened last year I'd add too)... Give him some time. I think Vielma is pretty much already maxed out at what he can be (good glove, no hit SS) and in that role, I'm fine with him as a defensive sub. I'm not against picking up an ML ready SS if one comes via trade, but I think pitching and catching are bigger needs right now in the org. You may be right on Escobar, but I don't think it would be prudent to dump him... not yet at least. Escobar to be honest kind of reminds me of Dozier in how his major league development worked... Flashes that said "this guy can be special" and then down times that said "why do we still have him." Patience was the right answer with BD. Now if you wanted to argue having a backup plan in Rochester, that I'd be all over... That's another spot where having an AAAA guy on the Redwings makes a ton of sense.

Side note, I didn't put this in my plan, but without question I'd probably add a AAAA arm or two to Rochester. There's one real depth piece in Duffey at the beginning of the season and another possible one in Wheeler. I'd go target some former prospects that never quite got over the hump, letting them know they are one injury away from a 40 man add and a shot.

to answer your comments: 1) Santiago is a known commodity, and I don't think everyone wants to dump him... I do. He's definitely a "this is what he is guy" which is a guy who is going to post an ERA well north of 4 (and possibly north of 5), not get a ton of Ks, and really has no upside. He's filler. The problem (as I see it) is that we need to get guys like Mejia, May, and Berrios time in the majors. You could argue Mejia isn't ready yet, and perhaps that would be why you keep Santiago around, but thy guy did pretty well in AA/AAA and needs to get a shot. Santiago is going to be an expensive pitcher, and as such, he's going to get a long leash if he stays. I don't see us competing next year, so a guy who is going to be here for one or two years and plug a spot at a below average value makes little sense when you have guys with upside knocking on the door (and quite a few more on the way). 2) Jackson was another guy I looked at. I wouldn't cry over the signing, but he was last good in 2012 and average in 2013. After that, pretty bad. He's a CF too, and I wouldn't be against that type of move. While I agree that Rosario is a competent CF, he's not one you want out there every day, and the main reason I'm looking at an OF here is for Buxton insurance. I'm not making the mistake that was made with him this year, or with Hicks on several occasions, and handing Buxton a job with no plan B. I want a plan B that will be on the roster whether Buxton is on it or not. 3) The issue with ESan is contract length (2 more years+ and option), an elbow with a ticking time bomb (partially torn UCL that he has rehabbed), PED ticking time bomb (one previous suspension), age (he's at that age where pitchers can fall off), and a real question whether or not the Twins can compete in the next two years. I'm not against keeping him. You're right. He was a valuable player, and he's the type of player that every team would want. Even teams like the Mets, who have good young pitching, would be quite happy having a guy like Santana in the rotation. There's value there, in spite of the risks, and right now he is about as valuable as he could be. I don't see that value rising six months from now, and I don't see the Twins in their current state taking advantage of it. If they keep him, what is more likely to happen is that he blocks a younger pitcher in 2017. As well, there's a real chance that something happens in 2017/2018 that makes his contract untradeable. I'm not saying trade him for nothing, but I would throw his name out there, as getting a Wilson Ramos type prospect (that's Ramos as a prospect, not as what he is now) and change, solves a major headache for the Twins and gives them more options down the road. This team isn't going to compete next year, and if the Twins don't make it a point to get more pitching, they won't be competing in 2019 either.

they should be in the warning itself. Feel free to PM a mod if you have questions.

OK, another mod note. This thread is about Falvey/Levine fixing roster holes, not about rehashing Sano to the OF and every mistake that the Ryan administration made. That time is now officially over, so I think it's fair to stop bringing it up in every other thread and let the work that Falvey/Levine do speak for itself. Feel free to criticize there when they do something you don't like, but let's give them a pass for Ryan's mistakes. Thanks. And yes, respond to someone's comments instead of just dismissing them. That really is disrespectful and doesn't accomplish anything other than to slight someone else. If you don't have anything worth responding to, then ignore it.

You may be right about Mauer, though I would argue pretty heavily that the only major difference between 1st and 3rd is the need for arm strength (which Mauer has). 1B is a hot corner with a lefty at the plate. Sure, there may be more RH hitters out there, but it's not like LHers don't hit scorchers down the line. There should be a lower chance for collisions at 3B too since you aren't jumping to catch high throws and potentially landing on an advancing runner. Yes, OF is a different animal, though I'm quite convinced Mauer can be average defensively out there, and that's all I'd really ask if he's getting the occasional start. But, if Mauer only wants to do 1B/DH, then Mauer is going to find himself on the bench a lot more. He's going to get plenty of PT due to injuries and what not, but the Twins need to figure out what they have in Park and Vargas, and the only way to do that is play them... Now if they stink, then Mauer will be playing every day... if not, he'd better get used to playing other positions if he wants to be more than a 23M late inning bench bat.

I think it's rebuilding, but at this point, they need to be targeting more ML ready pitching. The core is here. Defensively, I think long term that outlook is good too. Yeah, Sano will be below average, and that may take a few years, but position by position they look average to better for the most part. Buxton/Rosario/Kepler should all be above average sooner than later (assuming Buxton figures out the bat), and I'm not worried about Mauer/Polanco/Escobar either. Catching needs fixing and pitching needs fixing. Pitching needs it far worse. If we wait around for guys like Gonsalves, Stewart, Jorge, Romero, and Jay, you won't have pitching ready until 2019/20 at the earliest. That's too long as now much of the core is hitting FA/getting expensive. I think the prudent rebuild move is to add some upside to the rotation now. They have that in Berrios, May, and Mejia (though the exact amount of upside is certainly up for debate)... heck, even Gibson is still in that range where he could suddenly put it together and be that pitcher we all hoped for. Problem is that some of those guys will likely fail, and the best way to mitigate against that is to have more arms with upside. 2018 may provide a way to get that in FA, but I wouldn't expect more than one big signing (and that assumes Jim P will open up the check book). Worst case, you're still waiting till 2019/20. Problem is that if they don't make some prudent moves on the pitching front, it will be a long wait.

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of offseason trades like BD get held up over the CBA. That's my 2 cents, but the QO thing will need to be answered as it affects value for BD. My guess is that the pick becomes a compensation pick and not a surrender of a pick... my 2 cents at least... or potentially you start surrendering the pick when you have other criteria in play, but I cannot imagine it being good for baseball when a guy like Ervin Santana is unemployed going into the season because no one wanted to surrender the pick. That's just bad for baseball all around, and it's happened not only to Santana, but a few others over the years as well.

I'm trying to conjure up the spirit of Jose Mesa on the tribe... that city doesn't deserve a baseball team... I should know; I grew up there.

I believe the new throw in of choice is Adam Brett Walker.

In my man crush for Glasnow, I completely forgot about Taillon (thou to be fair I'd probably still prefer Glasnow over Taillon). Agreed that a deal with Pittsburg would have to headline at least one of them. Problem is that I'm greedy and want more... though I do agree that I'd have no problems tossing in people from our system to even it out so to speak. Not sure about Cole. I wouldn't have a problem adding him in, but he's a couple years away from FA. I want arms controllable for longer term, and I don't think the Pirates would give up Glasnow and Cole.

well, I'll stand behind a non-tender/trade to Santiago. You know what he is... not really that much. You give the young guys a shot and there's still one starter in Duffey either in AAA or in long relief, and with Gonsalves likely starting in AAA and another option in Wheeler, I'm quite fine with it. I'm not a Dean fan, but I'd rather go with a guy like Wheeler (likely another Dean) than letting Santiago trot out there and put up a 5 ERA and cost 8M. Not worth it.