iTwins

That's good, I thought no re-entry was a bit odd. Sounds like the volunteer we asked had bad information. I really wanted that bobble head set too. Oh well, things to remember for next year I suppose.

Sano at 14 strikes me as peculiar, but I'm just pleased the Twins have 8 guys on the list. There's a lot of talent in this system, and as a fan, I'm eager to see it develop. (Plus we can't complain too much, we do have the #1 overall prospect...)

Well, it's certainly possible - but I don't think it's likely. With the team as it currently stands (which I don't believe is finished yet, perhaps it's wishful thinking, but I still think another FA is coming) I think they'll win close to 75 games. The Mauer OPS drop seems harsh (and a bit unfounded). All the starting staff has to do is be league average and the team should bump into the 73-75 win range. If a few offensive pieces click (Willingham bounce back, a full season of good Plouffe, Arcia getting hot or Hicks having a 2013 Dozier-like resurgence, for example) and this team could battle for .500

This. For some reason, I've never been a fan of his. That being said, at that price, I'd be keen to giving him a chance. The team would have to find a taker for one of their fringe starters, but other than that, I don't see why the Twins would make this move if that's the cost associated with Santana. It makes KC worse and improves the Twins - I'm all for it!

Great review! My wife and I had a very similar experience on Saturday and were overall pleased with the event at Target Field. They posted better versions of the brochures on the TwinsFest page on Thursday (right before the event) and you could print off just the map, schedule, etc. That made things easier, but it was a bit frustrating that it took so long to get that info in an easy to read form. As we came in the gate on Saturday, we were handed a brochure by a friendly volunteer. It seemed like it was hard NOT to get one - so maybe they adjusted that after feedback from the first day? I'd like to know the official re-entry policy for the event. It sounds like your wife was able to leave and come back in with no issues, while I was told at the event that there was "no re-entry". The yard sale had the 1991 World Series bobble head set for $150 and I WOULD have grabbed one, if I didn't have to lug it around all day (this was at 10:30 am, we stayed until 5:45) the boxes were large and awkward - no way I was carrying them all day long. I asked if I could take it to my car after buying it and a volunteer told me that I couldn't come back in after leaving. Sounds like that might not have been true, which is a bummer because I really wanted that set. I hope they tweak the lower level layout a bit. It was too hard to navigate through the vendors on Saturday (crowded) and it was awfully dark in the hallway, which made it tough to see prices. Finally, I'd like to see a better system when it comes to autographs for Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. I got into the Buxton line at 2pm on Saturday (he was scheduled to sign at 3:15 to 4:15) and I was probably #250 in the line. I ended up not getting Buxton at all, which is a bummer since I spent 2 hours in line. (I did get Sano, since they shared the same suite and those that missed Buxton essentially became the front of the Sano line). Maybe wristbands or numbers should be handed out for those two as well. While there were some growing pains with the new venue, I agree with your assessment - the event should stay at Target Field.

With the Brewers getting Garza for a reasonable rate, I wonder if they were one of the few teams that offered a 4th year? There was quite a bit of speculation that many teams (the Twins included) were "in" so long as they didn't have to go too long in years. Perhaps the Brewers offered a 4th year other teams weren't comfortable with and thus got Garza for a good price. It'll be interesting to see how close other teams were as more details come out on his signing.

The good news is the free agent market should come to life again. Garza, Santana and company will finally find homes - and there will be actual baseball news stories to read again!

I'd rather they do something like this than have a manager initiated challenge system. Let's just keep an extra umpire up above and have him "buzz" or signal the home plate ump if something needs a review. He can then communicate the correct call to the umpires on the field if something needs to be changed. I don't like the "you only get 2" rule - why not just get the call right, instead of leaving an incorrect call because a manager has used up all of their challenges? (Granted, this may be a limited occurrence, but why take that chance at all?) It's a step in the right direction, which is nice. The fact that there are no "un-reviewable" plays (looking at you, NFL) is a nice touch.

188 for me. I missed some obvious ones in the 90's (In my defense, I was still pretty young in the early 90's) and totally forgot about Lew Ford (oops). Got everyone from 2007-2013 though, so I was happy with that!

Zero. I ALMOST broke that streak last year. September 10th, versus the A's, Oswaldo Arcia launched a home run in the 6th inning to right center. I was sitting in the first row of the Power Ball Pavilion and the ball was coming right at me. Right. At. Me. Unfortunately(?), Arcia CRUSHED that ball and it simply kept carrying. It landed (fairly high if I remember correctly) in the second deck. If only Arcia had used a little less power...

I was planning on going to the stop in Des Moines tomorrow too, but it's a private event. I wish they would disclose that ahead of time (private) or just don't list a stop that isn't open to the public on your schedule.

Sadly, it looks like they won't ship them. It'll be hard enough to convince my wife that we NEED a metrodome seat (or two). It'll be downright impossible once I add that we'll need to drive four hours to acquire it.

Agreed. In a pure "either / or" situation, I'll take Garza 10 times out of 10. That'd being said, if Garza is adamant for a 5th year, I might pause and consider other options. 4 years seems like the sweet spot for Garza, any longer and I'm not as comfortable. I don't like the second year for Pelfrey, no matter the price - he's fine as a back end arm, but let's get it done on a one year deal.

I'm not in complete agreement with the list, but in an odd way, I think it's a good thing that there's so much room for debate about the order. It really speaks to the depth of the Twins' system that there are a handful of guys that you could arguably put in the top 10-15 that weren't even mentioned. Too much talent is always a good thing.

I didn't think Kubel had a shot of coming back to Minnesota, mainly because I thought he'd get something more than a minor league deal. I was wrong on both counts! I like this move for the Twins. Low risk, potentially high reward without using up a 40 man spot.

This. Think of the defense! Alas, I don't think the Twins have the pieces to get Gardner...

I think the Twins have one signing up their sleeve and maybe a trade as well. I'll stay optimistic and say they sign Arroyo and make a trade for Brett Anderson. (Although signing Pelfrey and trading for Burch Smith would be a good "consolation") A 2014 rotation of: 1. Nolasco 2. Arroyo 3. Anderson 4. Hughes 5. Deduno Looks mighty fine to me. I'd also like to see them pick up a veteran catcher (via trade - I'm not enamored with Buck). Otherwise I think the Twins are in decent shape heading into 2014. Will they contend? Who knows, but they'll certainly be more watchable - and that's all I'm asking for from this offseason.

I voted Hicks, mainly for a complete lack of other options. I think Hicks starts 2014 in AAA, but is back around June and starting everyday after that. I see Willingham and Arcia splitting time in LF and at DH, Parmelee may not even be on the team... That just leaves Presley, but voting Presley as the guy with the most starts made me ill, so I picked Hicks.

I was always a big Hendriks fan, so I'm bummed to see him go, but I can understand why the Twins made the move. The roster is changing and the Twins can't afford to give a spot to a guy who is still trying to work out how to pitch in the big leagues. I hope he clears waivers and stays in Rochester. I think he has the talent to be a good long reliever / bullpen arm, he just needs to develop the confidence to pitch to major league hitters (having a better out pitch wouldn't hurt either...) Best of luck wherever you land, Liam.

Aoki seems like a nice addition if you're trying to win right now (which the Royals seem to think they can do - I'm not so sure). Aoki would have been nice, but he's not what the Twins NEED right now. I'm content to watch Presley, Hicks, Arcia and company sort things out while Buxton and Rosario get closer to the show.

It all depends on what the A's really want. If names like Rosario, Arcia, Gibson, May (top 20 guys) are being thrown around - no thanks. IF (big if) the Twins were to move those types of prospects, I'd like to see a little more sure-bet return than Anderson. However, if it's true the A's want middle relievers - I'd entertain just about anyone on the roster that fits - Duensing, Swarzak, Worley, Pressly etc.

I'm surprised he signed for such a reasonable amount - since reports seemed to indicate that the bidding had "gotten out of control". $7M / year is a good price for Salty, IMO. I hope the Twins take a look at Suzuki, I think he'd be a great backup to Pinto. He plays decent defense and is a better hitter than most of the catchers still on the market.

I'm with the majority on here that believe Plouffe won't have a starting job in 2015. However, that doesn't mean he won't have value for the Twins. I think Plouffe's future with the team will be as a super utility player. He can fill in at the corner outfield positions, give Mauer a day off at 1B, DH if needed and, yes, even cover 3B for a day or two if Sano needs some rest. Contending teams always need versatile players on the bench, and I think Plouffe can be one of those players in the coming years.

From my experience: 1. Tickets haven't been hard to get, although the team has made comments about the tickets being limited in number this year since Target Field will offer them less space than the dome had. (I believe the alluded to this in their TwinsFest post online last month). 2. Tickets are for one day at a time. I'm not sure if they offer 3 day packs, I don't believe that they do. 3. The experience is usually great. Meeting the players is a lot of fun, and some guys (like Plouffe, Dozier) are super friendly and will chat with you for a while. I randomly ran into Perkins walking around the dome last year, and he talked with me for a couple of minutes (really cool!) It's not a cheap venture, since autograph sessions cost extra on top of the admission, but the money goes towards the Twins Community Fund, so it's for a good cause.

I'd want to know Bailey is keen to signing an extension before making any deal. If he's willing to avoid free agency, then yes - I'm all in. I'd try to center a package around Perkins / Dozier / Plouffe - with some mid-level prospects (Harrison for example) tossed in to sweeten the pot. I'm a big Berrios fan and am not big on trading Rosario. I know it's hard to acquire a pitcher like Bailey without giving SOMETHING up, but I'd fight like heck to keep our top 10 prospects out of this deal.