diehardtwinsfan

problem with this is that they have young guys that they need to evaluate. I suppose I could live with them burning an option on Mejia and letting him start in AAA, that's depth, but too many of those type moves and all you have is mediocre vets blocking opportunities for younger talent.

I'd love to add Thorpe, but he hasn't pitched above low A and hasn't pitched in 2 years. I doubt he can stick, even with a rebuilding team.

Mauer has been a bounce back candidate for 3 seasons now... I think it's fair to say that what you saw this years is probably what you're going to get. I hope I'm wrong here, but I'm not holding out much hope. He was pretty decent this season, but not worth anything close to the contract, nor an extension 2 years from now if the 1B/DH glut continues.

I know when he came on, there was a shift in emphasis on strike outs... perhaps there other things he wanted but didn't get. I'm fine letting him stick around for another year. It's not like Ryan and company did him any favors either.

Organizationally speaking, that's how it's often done. Not sure how many people have been through acquisitions and mergers, but rarely do heads roll right off the bat. Falvey and Levine will add some positions, and make sure they are filled with qualified people that they trust. Over the next year, some people will quit or be fired. Some contracts will likely not be renewed next year... The good ones will stay.. or at least, that's what I hope.

True to a point, but judging by the returns that teams got for the moves that were made, Plouffe wasn't going to net much of anything.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hunter Smith (former punter for the Colts) wrote an interesting book called the Jersey Effect, and spoke about how we treat athletes in society in general (though in the book's case, it comes back down to many of our own idols so to speak), but one thing that he mentioned is just how much they (and himself for that matter) get coddled. You have talent, you can get away with a lot more. It makes it hard b/c many of these kids have been given far more leeway than they ever should, and not surprisingly, they turn into adults with some pretty serious flaws. For all the talk about how sports teaches character, it seems as though far more of the ones that make the professional stage seem to lack it. This isn't to say that all athletes are bad, but I think there's something to be said to the lack of parenting many of these people have had in their lives.

I'm not sure the problem is with identifying talent nearly as much as it is developing it. Too many guys do well in the minors only to get destroyed in the majors. I expect that to an extent, but the volume makes me wonder what is going on in getting these guys ready.

if you look at the larger sample of playoff teams, you'll see far more large salaried teams that small. That's reality. The same is true with series winners and repeats. Having money matters. It's not an obstacle that cannot be overcome, but it's silly to think that it can be ignored.

hmmm.... making the championship and having two guys in the top 500? Not good

I heard a rumor there was a major front office shakeup I'm guessing that will trickle down to development too.

I think the TD consensus is to trade BD and install Polanco there. That's where I am. That said, Polanco does have value. He's young, has 5 or 6 seasons remaining under control, has had stellar minor league numbers, and pretty decent major league ones. Is there risk there? Sure, but it's low. The question is what the reward would look like. That said, I think it would be downright foolish for the Twins to trade him. I really hope option 5 is not on the table here. I've got to think it's option 2. I'd rather him not be the SS, for no other reason than I think it would be odd to rely on BD knowing he is either gone after 2018 or very expensive during what would be his decline phase (which to be fair could start as soon as this season, asking him to hit another 40 HR is asking a lot). I've got to think the smart move is trading BD. Polanco won't likely upgrade Dozier. He may never upgrade Dozier, but what he can be is above average with the bat and glove at an up the middle position. A high OBP and a low 800s OPS with above average defense is still a fine player, and if trading the 900s OPS guy with sub par defense nets a top shelf pitcher, the team is better off in both the short term and long term.

This. Give him a shot. He's earned it. At this point, we don't know what we have in Vargas until we give him some extended time. Worst case scenario, he's a late inning pinch hit bat that sits on the bench when a team brings in a tough lefty. At the major league minimum, that's not a bad thing. Best case, he shows that he's capable of putting up a line similar to his minor league career, at which point he's an above average contributor at the plate. Only way to find out is to give him a chance. That means Mauer is going to have to play some occasional 3rd or find himself on the bench a bit more.

I'd probably add Santiago and Milone to the second category with the understanding that all 3 get non-tendered if no takers are found.

The reason why you don't see two way players is due to development. They need time in the field, time on the mound, and time in the cage. Kind of hard to do that when plenty of other guys are spending said time focusing on the mound or the field/cage. The other problem is that after a long start, I don't see an option for anything other than pinch hitting for a couple of days. His arm certainly wouldn't be ready for SS action after throwing 100 pitches 2 days prior. That's not how it works. I think with a guy like Greene, they have to go with the skills that are most likely going to make Greene a star.

as a general rule, teams pay a lot more for up the middle talent than they do OF talent. 40 HR hitting second basemen do not grow on trees. They are much more common in the OF, and there's no guarantee that Dozier's defense is going to be any good. He likely won't be Alex Gordon out there... He likely won't even be Max Kepler out there.

I hope Flavey and the new GM are more aggressive than Ryan, but let's also hope they are smart when it comes to being aggressive. Aggressive for the sake of aggressive is bad... that was Bill Smith. Heck, Ryan was more aggressive these last few years than his past... that turned out pretty bad too. If he wants to be aggressive, use a guy like Dozier to get a guy like Glasnow... that's aggressive. If he wants to be aggressive, break the bank for Otani (assuming he's posted). This FA pitching class is BAD... on huge levels of bad. You may not be sold on Gibson, Mejia, May, Duffey, and Berrios... I understand that, but at the same time, we need to figure out which of these guys will be decent and which are better off in the pen or non-tendered. You won't get that signing the Brett Anderson's of the world and guaranteeing them a contract.

I've seen this posted a couple of times and need to point out that this HAS NOT been true the last few seasons. Both this year and last, Ryan got out and did what he needed to do right away. This was true back in the Dome days, but not so much recently. Last season, the entire offseason was finished a week or two after the WS. That said, Levi is right about free agents... We've done a ton, and while none have been the ace we had hoped for, Ryan went out and got decent ones. People weren't complaining about Nolasco and Hughes when they happened, and for good reason, they were the top of the second tier that wouldn't break the bank and had reasonable upside. We just gave up prospect to get rid of Nolasco, and Hughes is still around (for different reasons)... We started this season with a rotation of Nolasco, Hughes, and Santana... all of which were FA acquisitions. We actually have some upside in the form of young talent right now... I think you have to play it, especially in an offseason where looking at the available FA makes you think that an extended bout with the stomach flu is more palatable.

103. That's truly a terrible number, and it's been some time since the Twins have been able to earn the top pick overall. This season was an abomination, especially given the high hopes that Twins fans had coming in. There's no need to really go over what went wrong.There's a number of things, but pitching most definitely tops the list. It finished second and third as well. Falvey and the new GM (presumably Levine at this point) will likely have their hands full as they tackle what will be an interesting offseason. The offensive core of the team is largely there, and if they don't move quickly, they will be looking at decent pitching by the time the offense leaves I'm going to assume we won't be a playoff team in 2017. We might repeat 2015 if things fall right. I do think the team as a whole underperformed, but not to the tune of a 30 game swing that they would need to make in order to be competitive. I'm not going to punt on 2017, but I am going to commit to getting some young pitching and see what we have with the guys who are ready. Tender/nontender: I'm going to tender Gibson, Escobar, Kintzler, and Pressley. They are all relatively cheap, and while none were really great, they've shown promise to varying degrees. The pen wasn't very good, but with plenty of help on the way, I think you have to hold out hope for some of them. On the nontender side, I'd attempt to trade Plouffe, Santiago, and Milone. I suspect that all will be non-tendered, but this definitely qualifies for the take what you can get... and I'm not expecting much. Mauer/Perkins/Hughes: I start dialing Mauer's role back a bit. I'd want him playing against RHers as often as possible, but I'm telling him to plan on playing some 3rd and occasional OF. Vargas earned a shot to start and I want to see what we have in Park. He was impressive in April, got hurt and tried playing through it. He was pretty good when demoted to Rochester and re-injured the same wrist injury leading to surgery and shut down. He's going to get a shot. If either Vargas or Park fails, that puts Mauer back at 1B/DH. Bottom line is that I don't want the 2 years remaining on Mauer's contract to prevent the Twins from seeing what they have in Vargas and Park. The same goes true for Palka and Walker in the minors, as I fully expect to see one of them in the majors at some point. Hughes will be slated for the pen, with a chance to earn a starting role. His injury is a difficult one to return from, and as such he's not in my plans. Perkins is not in my plans either. He will certainly get a shot to regain his old role should he be healthy this spring, but both of these guys have huge question marks. Perkins is only signed through 2017, so he's an easy one going forward as he's likely going to spend some or all of it on the 60 day DL. Trades: On the trade side, I'm firmly shopping Dozier. He will get value, the question is what. The Yankees might be a good fit, but I doubt Sanchez in on the table and most of their good pitching prospects will be starting in AA, where most of our good ones will start. For now, I'm going to pretend that the Pirates will trade Glasnow and prospects for him. I don't know if they would do that, but that is the type of trade I'd want to target, namely high upside pitching that is major league ready or close to it. I wouldn't be against a Yankees trade that netted some guys like Justus Sheffield, but that wouldn't be my first plan (unless the Yankees were to offer Gary Sanchez). Santana would be shopped as well. I'd seek more catching help here than pitching, as no team with MLB ready high upside pitching is going to trade to trade it to acquire a MLB pitcher. They would certainly trade guys in the lower minors, which I'd be fine with, but I'd hope Santana could add some competition in at the C spot. If not, I'd take a nice package of prospects if one was offered. I would be just as willing to keep Santana around too, but I do not think his value will be any higher this July, and there's plenty of risk should the team not move him. Coaching changes: While I suspect Falvey and the new GM will stick with Molitor for 2017, I'd probably make new on field management a priority. After watching this team, I'm convinced that Molitor is not the guy you want at the helm for managing young help. His treatment of guys like Berrios, Polanco, and Chargois this season was head scratching at best. While I recognize that a manager doesn't have a whole lot of options to work with when it comes to getting performance out of young major league players, I don't think Molitor showed that he was suited for that task. My preference is to find a manager who specializes in developing young talent, as transitioning and development are probably the biggest needs this organization faces. I would likely look closely at some of Joe Maddon's lieutenants in Chicago, and I would give one of them the top spot. International: If Shohei Otani is posted, I would bid heavily on him. Any potential Cuban posting would be of interest too. Those could potentially change the landscape of the final roster, but I'm not going to assume any are on the roster come opening day. Free Agency: I like what Buxton did in September, but one month isn't going to change my opinion on him that much. I'm getting a potential 1 year filler that can serve as a starter or capable 4th OF, and I will not be handing Buxton the job. He will be the starter if he earns it or in Rochester if he does not. I would target a guy like Austin Jackson or Carlos Gomez. Players like that are likely going to get a 1 year contract to rebuild value, and should be able to be shipped away relatively easily should Buxton finally earn the job. I would sign one of Gregg Holland, Drew Storen, or some other buy low RP candidate to bolster the pen. 40 man additions/removal: As of this writing, 38 names are on the 40 man. Dozier is traded. I'm assuming that Santana ends up being traded as well, though I'm not certain he will get that catcher that they need. That takes us to 36. Non tendering or trading Plouffe and Santiago (Milone is already gone) takes us to 34. I suspect one of Hughes/Perkins returns and gets off the 60 day, but I think the odds clearly say at least one is likely to be gone for 2017 as well. Likewise, a free agent CF on a one year deal takes up a spot, as does a reliever like Holland/Storen. Regardless, you cannot count on that, so you have to keep their spots for now. Other DFA guys: Centeno, Grossman, DSan, Boshers, Landa. This takes us from 34 down to 29. Players to add: Garver, Granite, Palka, Romero, Jorge, Zach Jones, Vielma or Goodrum (as I need a MI backup). I leave Thrope off b/c I doubt anyone takes him, but if I'm unsure, he's a must add. That brings us back to 35. I'm assuming that we get 1 major league pitcher for Dozier and for fun, let's just assume a catcher is picked up too. F Finally, since I used FA to pick up a 1 year option for CF as well as an RP, I'm up to 40. I've also got some flexibility in guys like Murphy/Wimmers/Tonkin who I'd be quick to drop if needed, but would be willing to give a chance as long as there isn't a huge roster crunch. I'm fully expecting Hughes and/or Perkins to make their way back to the 60 day DL this spring, but you cannot really do anything about that until it happens. Final Roster: C - Murphy/acquisition/Garver 1B - Park/Mauer DH - Vargas/Mauer 2B - Polanco SS - Escobar 3B - Sano/Mauer LF - Rosario/Mauer CF - Acquisition/Buxton RF - Kepler/Mauer Bench: Mauer, Vielma, Garver or Murphy, CF acquisition (note that if Buxton starts in the minors, I'd likely consider bringing Palka up and letting Rosario be the backup CF) SP - Gibson, May, potential Dozier acquisition piece, Berrios, and Mejia. RB - Kintzler, Chargois, Pressley, FA acquisition, Hughes, Tonkin, rotating spot between minor league options (Melotakis, Duffey, Hildenberger, Burdi, Reed).

Well, it's pitching pitching and pitching (though I'm 100% on board with the strength training comment and any kind of thing like that which may alter things if needed)... That said, I think you have to trade Dozier. I'd like to get something like Glasnow in a headline, though I don't know if the Pirates need help at 2B that bad so as to trade Glasnow as a piece, but those are the types of trades I'd be looking for. None of the FA SPs scream worth it. I'd rather roll with Esan (if not traded), Gibson, May, Mejia, Berrios, trade acquisition... especially given that one of Gonsalves, Stewart, Jay, Romero, or Jorge could be forcing their way up as soon as mid-season. I do think guys like Holland/Storen make a ton of sense. Castro doesn't excite me too much. It's not a bad acquisition given the defensive upgrade, but I think I'd roll with Murphy/Garver at C unless we acquired a starting catcher by trading Ervin. I'd keep most of the offense in tact (minus Plouffe) and tell Mauer that he needs to work on fly balls as well as some occasional 3B. You aren't getting rid of him, so he needs to start being flexible if he wants to play more. He should be fine defensively at 3rd as the skills (other than the arm) are pretty much the same as at first. I like the idea of keeping him around against righties, but I definitely want to see more of Park/Vargas at 1st/DH, which means that Mauer is going to move around a bit. I'm all for international, but I doubt any of those guys could help now. Otani has to actually be posted (no guarantee there), and he's probably the closest to an option that could help.