sftwinsfan

Wow, I can't believe some people are actually trying to make the argument that Plouffe is too expensive and the Twins will be looking to dump so he doesn't have much value. What do some of you actually think the going rate in free agency is for a 3B that plays solid defense and can hit 20+ HR? A couple years of team control at a reasonable (for MLB purposes) salary is exactly what another team would find value in. If you can package him with some prospects and it helps you get a solid catcher in return then you take that. If you can't get a good return, then you don't. You also can't just assume you can replace Plouffe's bat in the lineup with Vargas or Arcia. Neither showed any ability to even be in a big-league lineup last season let alone be productive.

Will be among the most interesting offseasons in years. I think at least one starter gets moved, not sure if it will be Nolasco, Gibson, or Milone. Gibson would be the surprise move but would obviously get the most in return. I think due to their bullpen issues, his late season injury, and the logjam in the starting rotation Trevor May will be strictly a relief pitcher next year. Also they will use some of the same excuses for Berrios to start in AAA next spring. If healthy I think Santana, Hughes, Gibson, and Duffey are locks for rotation spots with Milone having a sizeable edge for the 5th spot. After the way he pitched the last 2 months of the season I don't see them trying to screw over Duffey and make him start in AAA. I'm beginning to think that Plouffe will not be traded, I think that will be linked to whether Hunter comes back. If Torii retires I just cannot see them wanting to lose both he and Plouffe in the same offseason. The team would view it as losing too much veteran presence and middle of the order production at once. I could see Arcia getting one last chance in the OF next spring (only if Torii retires) as a starter as they send Buxton to AAA to earn his way back up. The 40-man, I don't really see them losing anyone they really don't want to. Possible someone gets claimed, but no top prospects. Some of that could be freed up by packaging some players in a trade for a catcher. I hope the team realized just how much of a black hole Suzuki was this year. It's one thing to have an OPS barely above .600 but teams were running at will on the Twins late in games at the end of the season. It's hard to beat KC in a close game when they get a lead-off single and they have a pinch runner steal bases with ease and only need a sac fly to beat you.

While he was overall better than I was expecting this year and I do value his leadership with the younger guys-I would not bring him back if he demands it to be in a starting role. It would be nice to keep him on the team as an extra OF and to have a bench bat that could yank one once in awhile but I don't want him blocking the younger guys. I wonder if the Twins already approached him about more of a part-time role next season and that's what brought about his comment.

I'm with those people who don't think David Ortiz would have had near the career if the Twins would have kept him as he's had in Boston. He did have power while he was with the Twins but not nearly the power he ended up with in Boston to hit the ball out to any field. A story has always stuck with me that when Doug Mientkiewitcz ended up joining him in Boston he remarked at how Ortiz had gone from being embarrassed to be in the weight room to suddenly being the king of the weight room. That combined with his BFF being Manny Ramirez I think he got himself on some pretty good stuff.

The title of this thread was exactly what I was thinking when I saw Dozier didn't get in the AS game. Especially then to throw him up in a popularity contest against players from New York and Boston. Then throwing yet another Royal up there with their voting scam or whatever it is their fans are doing. He has zero chance. Maybe I'm alone in not liking the every team must be represented rule, but a utility infielder for Boston? That's lame, and I thought the same thing when Ron Coomer represented the Twins as well. If you don't deserve to be there, you shouldn't be there.

The Dave McCarty hype stands out to me. Since then, probably the closest would be Morneau. With the lack of all the resources we have today all people knew was McCarty was the 1991 Baseball America college player of the year, 3rd overall pick in the 1991 draft, and hit .385 in AAA with 8HR in 174 PAs that year. If I remember correctly he also went on a tear in his first several games with a lot of hits as well before crashing to earth. I also remember ESPN being all over it as well with his hot start. Looking back at his stats, I wouldn't exactly call an .818 OPS pedestrian in his first full minor league season the year before between AA and AAA either. Either way, hopefully Buxton turns out a lot better than that went.

Man, Suzuki is just a black hole this year. Pretty much back to his career norms. Seems like a nice guy, but just guessing he's in the bottom 1/3 of starting catchers in the league.

The Twins were, as usual, in kind of a bad spot when their pick came up. There probably weren't a lot of good options here. Unless they took a chance on on injured guy like Allard or Aiken it was probably between Jay and Fullmer. That's also assuming since Cameron has not been drafted yet by pick #28 that his asking price was not reasonable. Plus we all know how the Twins brain trust starts drooling when they get the chance to draft a college relief pitcher. While I think he has the chance to be solid, I don't see a ceiling as an ace or get the comps to Chris Sale other than being left-handed. Sale is about 6'6" vs Jay at about 6'1". Sale was a starter in college, Jay was a reliever. I suppose there's always that outside chance he becomes an ace, because you never really know-but I see him more as a mid-rotation starter if things work out. Floor is obviously not even reaching the majors but realistically would probably be a set-up man in the bullpen. (I think Nick Burdi has proven you can't just write dominant relief pitcher next to a guys name in pen without him having actually pitched in the minor leagues yet). One of the reasons I'll take a wait and see approach before getting too excited is the level of competition Jay faced. I love the Big 10, but for college baseball the conference is an afterthought. So his stats, while awesome, have to be taken with a grain of salt. Also he was a reliever at Illinois and its an unknown how his velocity and command will hold up making multiple starts. Will his fastball play more at 90-93 if he has to make 30 starts rather than 94-97? Can he adjust to being a starter and the workload without his arm blowing up before he gets close to even reaching the MLB level? How does he adjust the 3rd time through a line-up? A lot of questions, I guess we'll see.

I do like Santana, but even I'll admit he's looking a little lost on the field and could probably use some time at AAA. Escobar should probably be getting time right now at SS, but doesn't belong in LF or DH. He's not as bad as he's been hitting lately, nor do I think he's as good as he played last year. Overall he's a solid player at SS.

I'm more open to Allard at this point than Aiken. Especially knowing they haven't gotten Aiken's medicals. If the medicals check out and you get permission to talk to the surgeon and everything seems ok I would be overjoyed to get Aiken, assuming he would sign as well. That's a lot of ifs, so I doubt it will happen.

I'd be ok with him being the pick at #6. All the Twins need to do to get him to fill out is have Sano and Vargas mentor him. He'll be 6'4" 240 lbs by the time he hits AA ball.

I know he'll go high, but I don't want anything to do with Bregman. Picking at #6, even in a weak draft, I'd rather whiff on a guy with a high ceiling than pick a guy that high that could be the next Jed Lowrie if everything works out. Plus with Nick Gordon, Jorge Polanco, possibly Wander Javier-they've invested a lot at the SS position. Would rather go after a possible impact bat or high-ceiling starting pitcher. I've never liked the whole draft a SS argument, seems like a lot of no-hit infielders drafted high because they could play SS.