3rd Inning Stretch

Too soon?

I will bite…still not sure I say yes.

The World Series has just concluded and Carlos Correa is finally a free agent! What are your other predictions as to what has happened by Oct 2036…besides my current 7 year olds being of legal drinking age a month earlier. And Seth Stohs still being the most optimistic Twins fan ever.

Front load that baby and may not be as bad at the end. Or try what the twins did with shorter term, but they needed much more per year than 28.5 at the shorter term.

Can’t see how you can trade Arraez for pitching now. Last years lineup was painful enough at times, remove Correa and Arraez? Yuck.

My 7 year olds will be able to. It’s nuts.

While I certainly chat with the white whales this offseason (Cole, Strasburg, Rendon), ultimately none land in Minnesota. That doesn't mean the offseason cannot be a success. I move forward with the following: Zach Wheeler - 4 years/76 million Mike Moustakas - 3 years/42 million Jake Odorizzi - 3 years/39 million Will Smith - 3 years/35 million Jason Castro - 1 year/6 million Trade AWAY Eddie Rosario for prospects Trade FOR David Peralta for prospects (Net +1.3 million for trades) Non-Tender - Cron Pass on Martin Perez (+.5 million) I'd also bring back Gibson on a minor league deal if he'd accept and see how he performs in the spring...if okay, perhaps break camp with him instead of Graterol to begin year. This means: C - Garver 1B - Sano 2B - Arraez SS - Polanco 3B - Moustakas LF - Peralta CF - Buxton RF - Kepler DH - Cruz Bench - Castro, Gonzalez, Adrianza, Cave, Wade SP - Wheeler, Berrios, Odorizzi, Dobnak, Graterol (Gibson?) RP - Rogers, Smith, Duffey, May, Littel, Stashak, Smeltzer/Thorpe Total Payroll: 137 million I really wanted to bring back Pineda, however salary was not going to work while missing a portion of the year. The addition of Smith could shorten games for the inevitable shuffle at the back end of the rotation, however would rather spend on a guy like Smith then take a chance on the starters that could come for similar money. I think Wheeler is the home run get for the Twins...hampered a bit by the Mets dysfunction, but electric stuff that wont cost what the two top guys will. I try to extend Buxton/Berrios, just not sure that's gonna get done. So didn't even try and go there here. I prefer Peralta over Rosario despite the age difference as I only am planning on Peralta for one year. And he won a gold glove this past season (for what that is worth), but really wanted him for the quality at-bats he will provide versus Rosario. Believe the hitters provide good flexibility position-wise and the team has okay depth when the inevitable injury hits. No monster prospect trades allow for in-season deals to again be considered, also allows the team to see Larnach for a second year, see if Lewis continues AFL success, see if Kirilloff continues to make strides hopefully without injury. The concentration of LH hitters is a potential concern, especially if Sano/Cruz either don't remain healthy or don't produce. However, I could see the lineup being just as potent as this year (assuming MLB doesn't mess with the ball) and believe the rotation should be better overall 1-5 and bullpen should at least be on par with what we saw the last two months in 2019.

Rangers are not making a mockery of the system, they traded for intl cap space from Florida, which is allowed.

Hmmm mine are: Buxton Sano Arcia Rosario Meyer Berrios Stewart Gibson Pinto Kepler Ceiling alone, I'd but Stewart 3, but is dropped with the certainty factor and how far from majors in my rankings.

Id prefer Frazier, but its gonna be Stewart

Law says Appel to Astros

Kinda like how we got Sano from Pitt...they were front runners on him and we got him...similar to how we were in first on Cabrera, but Fla got him.

Errr Strasburg is a college guy, so are Price, Verlander, etc. Good HS ones as well (Kershaw, Hamels, Wainwright, Cain) but many college guys have become aces.

Surprised Puig and Springer did not make the top 25, and Springer not even the honorable mention.

Sure...perhaps I'm mistaken, but he was a low 90's pitcher until Cape Cod last summer. Then spiked up to 95, then was back down this year. People were wondering about his "decrease" in velocity, but I think the bigger question is about the "increase" last summer that is the bigger concern. Picking 4th overall, I dont think you go for a small school guy expected to be a low 90's fastball that cannot go and dominate hitters and may be a #3 guy at best (my opinion...). Maybe later in the first round or later rounds, but not 4th overall. Appel and Gray can be those dominating guys, Stewart could be as well (with signability concerns there), I just dont see Manaea as one of those guys. He's not the classic pitch to contact guy, but not more on that end if the velocity is not there, which is where I was going with when I compared him to guys we have drafted prior, and not like the guys we have looked to pick up one way or another recently in May, Meyer, and Berrios.

Kohl Stewart today said he is going to A&M and playing both football and baseball, went on to say "Doesn't even feel like this is real life #dreams" Frazier or bust at #4 if first three go as expected..

Anyone but Appel, Gray, Bryant, Frazier, Stewart. Manaea is exactly the guy they would have picked in the past, we've all seen how that's worked out. He may fall out of the first if there is any substantial injury after today.

If you were holding onto that thought, I thought there was no chance even before today, but he was removed from today's game before it even started due to injury...even if it's minor and unrelated to his arm, there is no way he is taken at #4...he needed a big start today and any other starts he got to try and move back up. I think he slides big time...

Was removed before the game today due to injury. You can now surely drop him from any consideration for #4.

Sorry, meant first round picks. I think the thinking behind the comment was they have drafted well in the first round with position players sans Michael in the last 10 years since Plouffe. If he was going anywhere else with it, it doesnt make sense.

He was only naming guys who had been drafted, hence the others are not named. Silly to not do that, but I believe that is why. And nowhere does it say Parmelee and Plouffe are building blocks, just part of their younger core already in the majors, which is true. I guess I dont take core to mean they are surefire guys that will be here forever.

When all is said and done, betting Frazier goes before Meadows.

Due to the strong draft crop next year, the Boras affect is less relevant this year at the top of the draft. For guys like Appel, they are not gonna sit out another year without college to go back to. For a guy like Bryant, what else can he do next year that will raise his stock? Not much...and the draft class is much stronger next year, so even with another amazing season by him, he probably goes worse than 4 next year (if he's sitting at #4 this year and taken by the Twins). So even if he asks for over slot next year, he probably gets less than what slot would be this year if taken by the Twins. The HS OF are not advised by him...not sure who Stewart has, but the HS will always have the leverage of college and dont have to worry about the draft class next season as they wouldnt be eligible anyways. Manaea is dropping, not worried about him at #4. So if Appel was somehow around at #4, or more realistically Bryant, I wouldnt worry about negotiation with Boras one bit this year.

Simply put, we obtain one of Gray, Appel, Bryant, or Frazier...in that order of preference. Just say no to Manaea.

Interested on people's thoughts on the following: Assume Buxton was in the draft this year, and nothing of what he's done since he was drafted is taken into consideration (forget everything!), where is he taken? Where would he rank of the three Georgia HS OF that would then be in this draft (Buxton, Frazier, Meadows)