Squirrel

Posters and bloggers aren't the Twins org, thankfully. We're all just arm chair GMing here. But yes, I hope that all expectations aren't on Kirilloff's shoulders, it should be on everyone's shoulders.

Yeah, I wish the title of this piece had a question mark in it, because this is all speculation.

Just a note ... you could have made your point without the stereotyping of 'older generations.' I'd say there are plenty older folks on here who perfectly understand the analytics and plenty of younger folks who don't. And plenty of older and younger who may not understand them all, but still give them their due. And then there are plenty of older and younger who complain about them. I don't think this is just an 'older generational thing' at all.

Possibly Lewis, too, depending on where they think he's at

And I would guess the FO thinks so, too, or they wouldn't have traded him. However ... if that doesn't happen, then they projected incorrectly and will have to make more moves during the season. Or, maybe they aren't through, yet, and more is to come. The off-season isn't over yet.

That’s just not true. One could say they valued him more than others because he’s the one who got the return they wanted and cleared space for Kirilloff, Lee, Julien and/or Lewis. This trade was all about value on many levels, not about lack of it. This game is played by human beings, and we all are emotional about our favorites and perceptions of good. FOs have to be more objective than that and view their players not just as human beings but as assets or no one would get traded ever. It’s probably the hard part of the job, especially with one as well liked as Arraez. I hate when players get traded away or non tendered. I still feel pangs for Eduardo and Eddie. But in the end, those were all the right decisions to make, imo, including this trade of Arraez.

Miranda could be a possibility if Farmer starts at 3rd with Kirilloff at 1B

You are also forgetting the potential to trade him sooner. If he continues to be a highly rated prospect that is capital that can be used in a trade.

Not only that, but by adding Salas, it's another piece we can use in a trade. It was a good move. Lopez wasn't the pitcher I'd have gone after, as I've said, but, I think the Twins made a good value trade.

I wouldn’t have made the trade if it was strictly one to one. Miami adding the prospects makes it a better trade for us. As I said in another thread, I think it was a good trade, however, I would have liked the Twins to spend a bit more to get one of the other pitchers

Wow ... you deem me a superfan. Thank you. I don't think I come close to that, but wow, how kind!

That remains to be seen, but for now depends on which source you choose to believe

Joe Mauer begs to differ. Didn’t he win two, even?

I do think the trade was a good trade in terms of players going and coming. However, I still wish the Twins had aimed a little higher than Lopez and paid a little more to get one of the other pitchers from Miami. Maybe those discussions included Lewis or the equivalent, I don't know. But, I'm not disappointed in this. Other than I will miss Luis.

This hardly constitutes 'rebuilding' to trade away a player who doesn't really have a position to get a player of need who will help NOW. This is what teams looking to win do. This is what we should be doing.

We have seen SWR ... he pitched at the end of last season and we will see him this year, too. And he projects to be very good. I was and still am a fan of that trade, but then I wasn't a huge fan of Berrios. He wasn't going to stay with the Twins. Talks to extend him went nowhere and he's not doing that well with the Blue Jays. I get trading away favorite players ... I HATED losing Escobar. But, again, it was the right thing to do and now we are enjoying what Duran brings. If a team is unable to sign pitching, this is how it goes.

We aren't talking about about trading him for prospects. We are talking about trading him for mlb starting pitching. While I'd like a bit better return than Lopez, and I'd hate to lose Luis, it is the way to go about it.

Nice write up! I think he's got a very sharp, baseball mind. He will do something post-career whether managing or general managing ... wouldn't surprise me!

This is the part with all of this that confuses me. Maybe. I mean ... the guaranteed dollar amounts and years are very different than the Twins contract. Could it be that insurance said, 'Okay, this is doable' where the others were not, again because of the guaranteed length and amounts? Front loading it as they did, and basically have 4 years of being opt outs at lower rates ... maybe the insurance said that was workable where the other structures were not? Totally guessing. If, indeed, insurance was part of the problem. If it truly wasn't, then, I'm back to they were trying to put the screws to Correa.

I liked the trade for Paddack and I would do it again. My only problem with it (which has nothing to do with this article) is that they didn't effectively stock the BP. But back to Paddack, I'm excited to see what he brings when he's all recovered.

To truly emulate Wrigley, you need some critters living in the ivy, too ... along with the rats in the other areas.

It was also something they said in the press conference … maybe not those exact words, but there was certainly an ‘Okay, let’s figure this out’ attitude. And you are right, it’s a good way to approach negotiations. It’s why I said the Twins negotiated in good faith. I can’t really speak to the Giants, or really to the Mets, either, but the Mets asking him to ‘pass’ a physical every year to guarantee money is not a good faith negotiation and is basically a yearly opt out clause. And the Twins didn’t give Correa what they initially offered, either, but I think they approached it fairly, which shows the amount of respect they bring to the table (despite my earlier whines that they only offered 10/285). Perhaps a different thread, but I’m not sure it’s a luxury tax issue. I think the later years, low AAV and opt outs was simply an insurance plan to a few things. IF Correa’s speculative ankle arthritis is a problem in those later years, it gives the Twins options to move him to another position, become a lesser role player or to cut him if it’s indeed that bad. And if it’s not that bad, Correa has already made his money up front. The lower salary later also leaves them room to take on another big contract or extend younger players. I mean, I’d guess it is more a payroll issue because I don’t ever see the Twins reaching a luxury tax threshold. They have the payroll room now and can do the higher AAV, but again, maybe an insurance plan … who knows what payroll will be then, but the Twins haven’t hampered themselves.

I think this is the crux of it for all three teams. And I believe that the Twins were the only team that was willing to be creative enough to structure a contract that basically said ‘We’re both covered either way.’ The high AAV early on, the very low AAV with the team opt outs in the latter years beyond 6. The Giants balked and Boras/Correa walked away thinking the Mets were offering guaranteed years and money. But then I think the Mets tried to play a game and leverage information against Correa. And then the Twins came in, with the same information, asking, ‘How can we make this work for both of us?’ The Twins negotiated, imo, in good faith. I’m not sure a deal could have been made with the Giants or not because it seemed the Giants weren’t given opportunity, but I don’t really know. And I believe the Mets tried to put the screws to him. All knowing the exact same thing.

Eh ... maybe as depth as long as he's not taking up a 40-man spot. Seems as if we have enough backups to play 1st, otherwise he has no position. And we have someone else on the roster with no position in Arraez. I just don't see a fit, in the long run. And if we are calling him up, then something is amiss.

Actually, I think it’s when ST starts, unless you were counting that as the beginning of the season