David HK

Welp, 'spose I'll just wait then. There's just something so, so familiar about this Twins off-season, let's see, what is it? The fact that we didn't address problem #1- a quality stater, and problem #1A- another quality starter? Patched that over with a couple of the usual bargain-bin creaky reclamation projects, and called it a day? Where have we seen that before? The utter embarrassment of whom we sent to the mound in the playoff didn't make an impact on the FO? 101 wins, a murderous offense that may even be better next year, a fairly weak division, why weren't at least a couple of quality SPs clamoring to come here? (And no, we were never getting Cole or Steven, but there were others). OK, I'll wait. 3... 2... 1...

Well, why would he sign here? The FO has already signaled it's not serious about competing by not grabbing an impact starter.

Jeepers, the ghost of Clarence Darrow nearly talked me into it... Nearly.

Gee, what a surprise. Diddle around, miss out on the top free agents to address our #1 need, scrape the bottom of the burned-out dumpster for shot-in-the-dark vets, and call it a day. Well, maybe they're making an actual run at Donaldson, but last I heard, he's not a starting pitcher, so... We bludgeoned teams with the long ball last year. That may not be the case with next year's baseball. And I don't know if anyone informed the FO, but it's pitching that wins in the playoffs. If we get there again.

Not long. Never as long as you think, especially with less $ than the yanks or dodgers. It's open now, but we've already p*ssed away the chance to fill our #1 need. Watch out for those white Sox, and I mean already this year, not the next ones to come.

Good place for him. He'll get lots of work, and maybe he can figure it out. I wish him lots of luck, he's a good kid, and has been dutifully toiling in the vineyards doing everything asked of him. Good luck, Kohl! (Just don't come back to haunt us, OK?)

Good thing buzz words will ignite this front office. Obviously, obtaining quality starting pitching doesn't.

Hm. Young nucleus of offensive production, major rotation needs in order to compete. Sounds like another team I know. Except one team takes the risk and rolls the dice to improve, and the other doesn't.

Welp, nothing like consistency. This sucks. Ryu was the guy I really wanted, and was in our means without breaking the whole bank. What happened in those playoffs last year was an embarrassment, with the guys we threw out there on the mound, and eveyone knows what our- and many other teams''- #1 priority has to be. But hey, at least we kept to the script. The Minny Way- the same script we always follow- build a competitive team over time,1st round playoff greasing, (nearly always to the Yanks), keeping with the script. An opportunity to follow up on a good season and pick up some help, but when when it's time to bite the bullet, we don't, keeping with the script. Dragging our feet, hanging on for dear life to an abundance of prospects that may or may not pan out, while even the 2nd tier guys get locked away, keeping with the script. Then, most likely, scraping the bottom of the barrel for yet another reclamation project, keeping with the script. Heh... even the Vikings kept with the script today- a totally uninspiring, embarrassing performance when it's all on the line. The O doesn't capitalize on what the D hands them, time and again, and get spanked in a big game by the Pack, right in front of the home fans. Now, we may be on our way to another meeting with them, in their park on a wintry day, and yet another Minny One-and-Done. Again, keeping with the script Ain't it time to get a new damn writer?

Tommy Milone's still out there. Just sayin'.

You know, this is the typical story. Yes, you're overpaying. Yes, you may not even get a year 4 out of the guy, maybe not even a year 3. But, you're not overpaying a guy like Ryu because you need him 4 years down the line. You're doing that overpaying because you need him NOW. THIS year. When does this team ever just bite the effing bullet? You know, the way a real contender does.

Well, there are in-house options, but still years away. The point is, the window is here right now, and no guarantee that it will be open at any point in the future- WSox, Cleve, all getting set and reloading, too. You gotta throw those dice now. Get the 'aciest' guy you can, bite the bullet, and get rolling.

Dammit. I need to adjust my tinfoil. Somebody is peering into my mind.

I don't mind it. I've always hated team names that are uncountable nouns. "Wild," you're next.

I'm fine as long as we don't sign the guy with the Satanic ERA....

Yes, most definitely. That thumb injury really did his season in. He soldiered on, but was not the same player for sure. His D was a welcome surprise, and those lazers that he hit in the 1st half of the season, wow. He's under team control next year anyway, and I'd love to see Sano get worked into 1B slowly, while Cron mans it on a regular basis. Then, the following year, (or next yr. 2nd half if it happens), when one or another of those young sluggers forces his way onto the roster, there'll be Cron's spot to be taken.

I would agree with your premise, that you can't paint a whole organization with the brush of one idiot, if not for the Astros coming out with that lame, lying, non-apology covering for that amped-up person, which was easily debunked by those who were there, and then the perp's own non-apology after that. (The same old, lame old, "sorry if I was misinterpreted, blah blah blah...) How could an organization who walks what they talk do something like that in the first place? That guy's actions, according to those who were there, went way beyond 'exuberance;' it was intentional, targeted bullying of a group of reporters who happened to be standing together, who also happened to be women. Most if not all of us have been in places where our exuberance at some victory leads us to carry it over the line at times. But there's a difference between shouting and acting the fool, and targeting people with taunts about violent behavior. The fact that he did so not once, but repeated his taunts a half-dozen times is beyond 'exuberance.' Then, for him and his team to come out with such despicable statements in the aftermath- well, it's like Watergate; the cover-up becomes worse than the crime. The Astros rolled the dice, and got damaged goods (albeit a lights-out talented player) at a bargain price, thinking they could manage the backlash if or when it came. There probably would have been mention of it during the broadcasts, but thanks to Brandon Taubman, Osuna himself is now under a big spotlight, and so is his team. Thanks a lot, Brandon. Sidebar- if ever there was a guy who needed a knuckle sandwich, right there on the spot, it's this guy, in spades.

Royce has been spending some time at 3B in the AFL... I'm good with Sano (and his bat) at that corner. I grew up watching Harmon go back and forth between 3rd and 1st. He gets more experienced over there all the time, and as mentioned above, his positioning and his weight are issues that can be worked on. I'm also fine keeping Cron over there- and next year... move Sano over, and let Royce take the hot corner. But......... I'm NOT fine not holding on to Jake, and perhaps Mike, and getting at least 2 quality starters to add to the mix!!

Gray is the only intriguing one on this list for me. Maybe Ray, too, and we have some history of dealing with AZ. I still want them to keep Jake and Mike, and make a run at MadBum, Ryu or Wheeler tho. I think Cole is out of our reasonable range.

Just tuned in to the Nats-Cards game 1. Wow, some guy named Anibal Sanchez is baffling the Cardinals, barely reaching 90 on the radar gun. No hits through 7 efficient innings- less than 90 pitches. Jeepers, that's about 4 innings worth of Berrios and Odorizzi. And, he's doing it with a different catcher than Kurt Suzuki behind the dish. Why can't we get a guy like that? Oh, wait....

I'm not opposed to keeping Cron around, either. He did OK, and hit some clutch dingers when healthy, but he really dragged in the 2nd half with that injury. I kind of see him as a Schoop-style stopgap, until one of those young sluggers (can Kiriloff-Larnach-Rooker play 1B?) forces his way onto the squad.

Well, I kind of have to like Gibson's section beginning with the words, "Moving on..."

Heh... FTFY.