howeda7

Pollock is attractive because he can play a passable CF and we need that for 60-100 games. And he's RH.

No, but what's the alternative? I'd fire Falvey immediately and let Thad oversee blowing it up as the interim. Sadly there is zero chance they will actually do that. But a season of 10K fans in the seats and awful TV ratings might be enough to spur the Pohlads to actually take action.

Or it means they keep hiring cautious GM's who will value the 5 year plan over today. That doesn't mean they won't listen if the GM tells them it's a time to go for it. The failures at the trade deadlines are 100% on Terry Ryan/Bill Smith/Falvey. I guarantee Jim Pohlad didn't tell them not to make those trades. On something like the Correa contract, sure they have buy in. But if you have a plan for how you will manage the payroll in the back-half of the contract, I'm sure they can be convinced. I seriously doubt it was Joe Pohlad who drew a red line at 10 years. Falvey did. And maybe in this one case, that's the correct decision. But folding and leaving the table isn't ALWAYS the right call. But it's the only one they ever make. I was fine with the Mahle trade, because by that point, it was pretty obvious we weren't WS contenders, we were just trying to win a play-off game and end the 0-18 and I'm OK with that. But all in is Luis Castillo or Frankie Montas.

In general, the people who frequent this site are the hardcore of hardcore baseball fans. They know who the prospects are and value them. They know who wins trades based on trade value calculators and how bad a FA signing might look in 5 years. So I get how some might defend Falvey based on that. To the other 95% of the fan base, you want an organization that tries to win when they have a chance. The Vikings try to win virtually every year. They might not always succeed, but it's not for lack of trying. OK, the NFL is the only league with a truly fair salary structure. But the Wild and the Wolves at least pick their spots. The contracts Parise and Suter signed with the Wild were every bit as insane at the time as Correa's and they signed them both on the same day! Did it work? No. Do I applaud them for going for it? Yes. The Wolves did the same with the Rudy Gobert trade. And so far, it looks like that might not work either. But they saw a window and they went for it. The Twins, post 1991-92 have never gone all in. Not once. In 2001 they were good for the first time in 9 years. They desperately needed another starter. Who did they get? Rick Reed. And they traded their starting RF'er to get him. Can't part with prospects. Think of the future! In 2006 they were the hottest team in baseball. They desperately needed a hitter at the deadline. They could have gotten Soriano for Kevin Slowey. They wouldn't do it. Think of the future! In 2010 they were in first place in a brand new stadium. They no longer had to think small time. They did get Thome and a few others in FA and sign Mauer. Finally things were different! Still, at the trade deadline they could use an ace. They could get Cliff Lee for Aaron Hicks. Can't do it. Think of the future! And then after years in the abyss, in 2019 they had the greatest HR hitting team in MLB history. But the rotation desperately needed another starter? Did they get one? No. Price to steep. Think of the future! Minnesota sports fans are largely tuning out and done with this team. Why? This organization is forever more worried about a tomorrow that will never come than they are with winning today. In a vacuum, I understand why they didn't sign Correa. But they also didn't push their chips all in on 2022 to try and win when they did have him. Trading your closer on Opening Day for a starter with "team control" is not going all in. And neither is trading for Mahle. When Falvey balked at the trade deadline in 2019, he showed he is no different than Terry Ryan or Bill Smith. The Pohlads are hands off owners. They will not push their GM to "go for it". If this team can't have new owners, which would be great, they need a GM who understands that they have to be the ones to push. I don't think the Pohlads say "no" nearly as much as they GM's never ask. Falvey is clearly not the guy that will ever push this thing over the top, even if he stops making idiotic trades for injured pitchers. Nothing will change until he's gone, there are new owners or both. This franchise is in a very precarious place with their fan base and I'm not sure they realize it or maybe they don't care. The average age of baseball fans keeps getting older. And once people tune and (and they are) what will bring them back? The charm of Target Field is largely worn off. It's not easy to find the games on TV. Their attendance this year will be brutal. The TV ratings even worse. And they have to negotiate a new long-term TV contract next off-season?

Lol. The fact that this is even a rumor speaks to the ineptitude of this front office. Sure. Blow it up. Trade Gray, Maeda, Mahle, Lopez, Kepler, Planco and hell even Arreaz. With a $60 million payroll it won't matter that you draw 10,000 fans per game and get the worst TV ratings in your history the year before you try and secure a new TV deal. If it means Falvey is fired at the end of the season, it's worth it.

The honeymoon for this front office has been over since the 2019 trade deadline. It's only a question of how many more years we're going to waste on them.

I'm not mad they didn't sign Correa. I never thought there was more than a 2% chance they would. I'm mad that Boy Genius Falvey got played for a fool and sat on his thumbs while realistic pitching options and guys like Abreu went elsewhere. Now we're going to go into 2023 with a $110 million payroll and a last place team. We'll top off the $%% Sunday by trading Arreaz for a pitcher no better than what we already have. All I really want from the 2023 Twins is Falvey and Levine gone at the end of it. Whatever will make that happen, I'm rooting for it.

All the more reason they will trade him. This front office doesn't care about that in the least. I am as down on the franchise as I've been since contraction. Nothing will change until we have a new front office.

Falvey said "his UCL is 60% torn. 50% is my limit!"

If they'll eat some of his salary, I'd take Hicks back for Kepler. We need a CF option when Buxton is hurt/DH'ing. The Yankees probably need to throw in a prospect too.

What are you talking about?

I agree. But if Falvine thinks "we tried and tried!" is going to mean jack squat to the fan base, they're more naive than I thought. The Twins are in serious trouble with the fan base both at the gate and in TV/streaming viewership. I'm not sure they realize it or maybe they don't care.

Pass. Why are we so eager to trade our best young players when we have $60 million to spend on free agents?

Even if he does well, is someone going to really offer him a significantly better deal than 7 years/$210 million at age 32/33/34? As long as there is no opt-out for the first 3 years, I'm not that worried about them. He's not going to opt out once he hits his mid-30's IMO. If putting them in gives him comfort to sign the deal, fine.

It should be $140-150 million. After they swing and miss on Correa and every other significant FA, it will end up around $100-$110. They will top this off by trading Arreaz for an injured pitcher with promising stuff.

Correa is not coming back unless we offer the most $$, which is highly unlikely. This constant waiting with baited breath by Twins Twitter etc. is over the top. There's a 98% chance he's gone and that's been the case for months.

The offense already stinks. Correa is not coming back. You're going to trade Arreaz. So you subtract the two best hitters from a bad offense. What good is an "ace" at that point? If you want another starter take some of the $60 million in payroll room you have and sign the best one you can. Also, generally the front office shouldn't be influenced by the fans/PR. But this franchise is as irrelevant and unpopular as it's been since the late 90's. Trading the most popular player who just won a batting title for some pitcher that 75% of fans won't know anything about is the last thing the ticket sales department or TV folks want to hear.

Can I get a rehabbing pitcher whose UCL is hanging by a thread for 50% off with purchase? Asking for a friend.

If they'd gotten him to take a cheap $1 million deal with a cheap club option for 2024, I could tolerate this. To just tender him and pay him ~$4 million dollars is absurd. Falvey is too proud to admit he made a terrible trade and is doubling down on failure.

We had no issue getting anyone decent playing time. Polanco could play SS. Areaz could DH or play occasional OF etc. Urshela for that price was an asset you keep or trade for far more than a lottery ticket prospect.

If there was any doubt that Falvey is a clown who needs to be fired, keeping Pagan while trading Urshela for that little of a return removes it. Just moronic on both counts.

I think there is little chance they re-up with Sinclair/Bally's. The lack of distribution is killing them with fans and at the gate. And I don't see it changing. It seems the most logical path forward is offering their games via streaming directly or through MLB with a package of games on local TV as well. Are they prepared for this? What will that mean revenue wise? A lot of unknowns.

Kiriloff's injury/recovery is much more serious than Larnach's. I'd say there is a very high chance Larnach is on the opening day roster.

Who were the primary starting SS and 2B the last two years the Twins made the play-offs again?

What happened to Trevor Larnach? He is more of a lock for the OF than Kiriloff or Wallner. I think Wallner starts in AAA. Overall, i wouldn't mind this, but Correa isn't coming back I'm afraid. I'd spend that $$ on Jose Abreu, Taylor Rogers, AJ Pollock and keeping Urshella. Arreaz to 2B and Polanco to SS at least until Royce comes back. DH can rotate between Miranda/Urshella, Abreu and of course Buxton.