diehardtwinsfan

Sounds like Darnell is replacing Deduno. I'm a bit higher on Darnell than most in that I think he can be a pretty solid number 3. His K rate has been climbing as he's reached tougher competition, so I'm not sure that using his minor league numbers are appropriate here. The guy can miss some bats. Looking forward to seeing him pitch in MN.

Morales pretty much ended Vargas chances in the majors (sans a Mauer injury) for the time being. I would expect him to get called up to AAA shortly.

July 2 isn't that far away. Probably worth starting to start talking about the international signings. Last year, the Twins big prize was Lewin Diaz, a 16 year old future power 1B that will hopefully develop into a middle order bat. Not sure who the big names are on the market, but it looks like the Yankees are going to do what the Cubs did last year and significantly outspend their allotment. The Twins certainly won't do that, but they will likely be sitting on a pretty nice pool amount. Start posting names about guys you want. Personally, I want them going after pitchers and middle infielders. EDIT: I'm going to use this track the signings/bonuses. We didn't do that last year and I think it's beneficial. Total Pool: 3.6 million. Huascar Ynoa - P - 800K Jean Carlos Arias - OF - 450K Dalin Cuesto - C - ????

I don't think the Twins were counting on him as a 1/2 as much as it was that he was (on paper at least) their first or second best pitcher going into the 2013 seson. To me at least, that's a pretty big jump. What the Twins recognized they needed in 2012 was pitching, so they went out and got it in the form of Meyer, May, and Worley via trade and guys like Stewart, Berrios, and Gonsalves via draft. Worley's job, in my opinion was to fill a spot in the rotation so as to avoid having to use guys like PJ Walters. It didn't work. That said, in my opinion, it was still the right thing to do. May was considered to be the prize of the deal, and most people at the time didn't think they'd get more than that for a what was a pretty marginal talent in Revere. It was the right thing to do... and it remains the right thing to do even if May fails as well.

Towards the end of the last book, things pick up with her. That said, it will be interesting to see how they go forward with the next season. Season 4 jumped into both books 4 and 5 while they've been saying that this really wraps up with book 3. I'd imagine they have one good season left before they run out of material (as book 6 and 7 aren't out yet). Definitely thought this was one of the better seasons yet. Really enjoyed it.

Well then...

Yes, but then we can never use him as a throw in to get guys like Bogarts.

If Worley was surprised that he was made the opening day starter in 2013, then he clearly wasn't reading about how things were going in 2012 for the Twins. Based on his 2012 numbers, he and Diamond were really the only options there. Diamond was slowed due to injury and the only meaningful free agent was KC, who has been demoted to the pen in Pittsburg in 2012.

It's June 15. The Twins are 4 games out of first in an incredibly tight division. Every team in this division is flawed. I'd expect the winner to get bounced out pretty quick, but sometimes bad teams catch lightening in a bottle and do something. The front office has clearly decided they are going for it, but there's still room for improvement. My roster changes would be as follows: Right now most of the changes need to be made in the pitching department. Move number 1 to be made immediately: Deduno back to the pen where he was having success. Burton traded or DFAd. Call up Kris Johnson, May, or Darnell and let them start. Move number 2 to be made immediately: Put Pelfrey on the 60 day DL and call up Achter or Pino and slot them into the pen. Begin making attempts to trade Guerrier while his stats look good enough to get a team with a weak pen to bite. Move number 3 (near trade deadline): Dependent on how well move 1 worked out. If they are rotating in AAA pitchers on a somewhat frequent basis, then getting rid of KC isn't going to make a lot of sense, but given his performance, they can always put Deduno back in the rotation. If they called up in the first move does well, then removing KC in favor of one of the other two AAA guys on the 40 man makes sense. On the offense side of things, I think for the most part they can stand pat. Hicks would go to Rochester as soon as he comes off the DL. If he has indeed figured it out, then he won't have too much time showing everyone in AAA that he belongs up here. Until then, Fuld is the primary CF with Santana occasionally backing him up (at least until his bat cools off). If they are still in contention at the deadline, a trade for a marginal CF might make sense.

Here's some controversy.

I'd love to believe you here, but the Twins have historically liked to float things like this to the press under the guise of an unnamed source. This does seem to be an MO for them from time to time. Baker and Neshek come to mind as recent examples. I really wish that wasn't the case, but it does seem to be something that this org will do when it feels it suites their purpose.

I have a bit more confidence in Escobar than I do Santana in terms of maintaining some semblance of good offense. Escobar has shown in the past that he can hit well for extended periods of time, whereas Santana was just called up and has somehow managed to exceed what he was doing in the minors prior to the callup. Don't mind riding the wave with both of them, but I suspect Santana is far more likely to cool down.

Thorpe was a bit better today but still did not pitch well. 4 innings, 2 runs, 1K, 4 BB, 3 hits... no sign of the control he had in rookie ball last season.

Hicks should have started the year in AAA. If he's turned the corner, it will show in AAA.

No rules... sign him, put him on the 40 man, and promote him. I'd rather they let put him in AA and see how he does first, but if he succeeds the 40 man and promotion wouldn't be that difficult.

I wouldn't mind seeing the guy in Omaha play against some minor league competition first... but Pino and Achter should be pretty solid upgrades. I think Tonkin would too. This too me seems like a replace from within option. I could see Deduno going back too in favor of an AAA starter.

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still a Twin at heart? I do hope he can retire a Twin.

heck of an at bat by escobar.

I just like it when they lose. Wife is from Michigan, so lots of Tigers fans in her family... and by proxy on my facebook friends list.

It's not the Yankees, so he should be fine.

Nice job Fein

I'd like to see them call up Achter and Tonkin.

Really looking forward to that.

Lohse got better, I won't argue there. You've got some revisionist history going on with the rest. Santana was pretty darn good when he was with the Twins, even won a couple of Cy Youngs. Nathan was as well, and his last year was bad, but that might have had something to do with his TJS. Rogers was good before he came to MN, good the one year he was there, and good when he left. Liriano had good seasons in MN and bad ones. He had one good year in Pittsburg after he left and has turned back into his former self. He's being typical Liriano. You might have something with Dickie, except that he debuted in 2001 and didn't go a season without spending significant time in the minors until 2011. He spent two years with the Mets before he morphed into a really good pitcher. From here it looks like a lot of people couldn't harness his talents. I'm not a fan of Anderson, but I don't see how this is a good example of his failure. Edit: Forgot to add that Lohse, Santana, Liriano, and Dickie also switched to the NL, and Rogers was 38 when he got here.