mike8791

There are no "underrated" Twins players this year. Underperforming most definitely. Ober is by no means underrated. He is a promising prospect, but came to the Twins with little expecations. Thielbar has turned things around, but so has most of the pen once the Twins fell out of contention. What is his %inherited runs scored? Well below average last time I looked. He is not a core bullpen arm that can be counted on in late inning situations. And lastly, Arraez's defensive liabilities and lack of power seem to limit him to a utility type player, unless Polanco or Donaldson are traded. No, best use of Arraez is as a trade piece in an attempt to acquire an above average starter. If anyone should be added to an underappreciated list, it might be Farrell, who is been pretty consistent, albeit in a SSS. But that's it. The number of disappointments far outweigh the pleasant surprises in this dreary season.

Bean, thanks for the data that supports those of us who feel FA is only a fool's game for teams like the Twins emphasizing bargains rather than quality. The big question is whether this losing operating philosophy stems from Pohlad's tight-fistedness or incompetence of the FO. My guess is this past futility reflects more on ownership. Pohlad's banking background seems to inhibit him from foregoing short term profits instead of investing in long term success. Of course, I cannot possibly know what JP is thinking, but the results speak for themselves. He hires guys like Ryan and Falvey who share his bargain basement outlook on spending. Ryan(at least in his first go-round) proved adept at some shrewd trades and had some drafting success. Likewise, Falvey has acquired some good pitching vis the trade route(drafting success TBD). Basically, the problem is Pohlad's leadership in not enunciating an operating philosophy that would allow for the team to be legitimate contenders for a World Championship. No, Ryan and Falvey don't get free passes here, either. Their unwillingness to make some significant mid-season trades that might have elevated an already competitive club into a legitimate WS contender has been a glaring weakness for 20 years. Me thinks we have a two-headed monster : a passive owner who looks at the P&L statement as the end-all to his stewardship and risk-averse GM's who are selected because of basic agreement with this "don't-rock-the-boat" approach. The results speak for themselves, not just this year, but for the last 18 years of zero playoff success.

Just two thoughts: 1. Maybe a good thing Buxton sluggish in his return. If he returned like he left - firing on all cylinders - he might be much harder for Twins to sign. This way, his expectations might be tempered somewhat. Signing Buxton is still the most important move going forward. 2. Regarding Simmons, wonder if Twins should sign Iglesias who was just released by Angels. Would like to see in last month if he is a possibility for the needed fill-in on 2022 team. Seems like Simmons has expended any goodwill and Iglesias seems to be better offensively, at least, as well as being a better fielder than any one now on the roster.

Like your analyses! Agree with the likely ceiling for top Twin prospects. If Winder can stay healthy, he seems to have best potential among our top 10 prospects. All the rest look like back-end starters or potential relievers(Duran, Canterino). Sure, there could be a big surprise awaiting, but how likely are one of these guys going to add a superior third pitch relatively late in their development career? As bean states, this analysis makes it even more imperative that FO goes after two starters this offseason not currently in the Twin's system. As many of us said that's a high hill to climb, but doable nonetheless.

Matt, afraid I have to strongly disagree here. First, there is plenty of payroll space to spend on one top FA. With about an $80MM starting forecast going into the offseason, there should be enough($20-25MM) for a top FA pitcher in his prime, resign Buxton($10MM in incentives), sign a proven closer, e.g., Kimbrel at $15MM). Plus, resigning Pineda or some comparable #3($10MM), a stop gap SS($5-10MM) and additional proven bullpen piece($5MM). Is a $150MM payroll excessive for a mid market team? Not if you want to return to competitiveness. Secondly, if the FO can think big for once, there is no reason they couldn't pull a Preller and risk giving up some prize prospect(s) plus one or two of our current roster to net an up and coming major league starter to slot in the #2 spot. We have an overload of corner OFs, middle IFs and maybe even catchers. If Falvey can't secure an emerging starter with a package of Arraez, Kepler/Larnach or Jeffers, plus one of our top 10 prospects, then we've got the wrong man in the position. Sure, we'd have to overpay for the right guy, but I'd rather do that than wait for our prospects to contribute enough to make this team a true contender. Relying on prospects alone is likely a sure way to become the Pirates of the AL Central. The other fallacy in your argument is that if we took the more moderate path, wouldn't our window on offense be closing by 2024? Donaldson is gone, so is Sano and Garver in all likelihood. Can these guys be adequately replaced by Kirillof, Larnach, Martin, Miranda by 2024? And can the pitching prospects you mentioned be likely to form the core of a contender's staff by then? How has dumpster diving/waiting for pitching prospects to develop worked for this organization in the last 10 years? Let's dream big for a change!

Interesting take! Thanks! Noticed Iglesias DFA'd by Angels. While his defensive stats are down this year, seems he'd make a better stopgap than Simmons now and next year. Should Twins bite?

Nick N: I'm amazed by how many people can already say with assurance how all these pitchers will perform next year. I bet you wouldn't have viewed Rodon as a 2021 impact guy one year ago. Or Gausman two years ago. Things change. People get healthy and turn corners. I'm not recommending anyone specifically, I'm just saying that quality arms are sourced from that middle tier of starters every year. Can the Twins make the right pick and take the right steps to get them there? That's the question. Are you saying we should ignore current success of these pitchers? Granted, there are no guarantees, but FO should be looking at probabilities here - who gives them the best chance to rebound into contention next year? Is it Cobb/Heaney or Rodon/Thor/Gausman? As many respondents on this post have already mentioned, there is no way a cautious approach to the offseason will get the Twins back to respectability - not with all the holes in the pitching staff alone. The real questions are: will ownership open up their wallet to allow for out-of-the-box thinking and is Falvey the guy to succeed at this process? Nibbling at the edges in FA/trading is one of the reasons this franchise has set the all-time record streak of playoff losses. Many of us are fed up with this embarrassment and want more!

Nick, if Falvey's and Pohlad's pronouncements on rebounding to "contention" next year are to be believed, then your recommendations to rebuild the rotation for next year would fall far short, I'm afraid. Just going for FAs like Kluber, Heaney, Cobb, Morton is a drop in the bucket.. This team needs two top starters: Rodon, Thor, Gausman, or Stroman in FA and a rising star like Alcantara or Lopez from Miami in trade. Anything less and you're looking at mediocrity. It's possible that one of Ryan or Ober can succeed over a full season next year, but unlikely both do. Dobnak's weaknesses have been well exposed. He cannot be considered as a positive on a contending staff, nor can guys like Balozavic, Winder, Duran, Strotman, be counted on for much at the major league level, at least next year. We just can't afford to rely on hope in prospects for a solid rebound in 2022. Pohlad's actions must backup his pronouncements - expand the budget to at least $150-160MM and tell Falvey he expects them to be agressive in FA, as well as give up some talent to get more pitching - or else! This team's mediocrity has always stemmed from lack of resolve and leadership at the top, as reflected in their choices for FO help. This don't- rock- the- boat attitude has resulted in the longest losing streak in playoff history. If Pohlad is satisfied with that record, he should do right by the Twins fan base and sell to an owner who truly wants a winner.

Lots of great responses! Thank you all!!. Let me add a few more comments: 1. One of the major points here is to show (if ownership is really committed to contending in 2022) that a minimum payroll of $150MM is needed. As Lonestar noted, even that figure would be a tight fit if a return to relevancy next year was realistic. Loss of Maeda is huge! We need to find a #1, #2, and #3. No one on the roster now looks close to filling those spots in the rotation. 2. As others have noted, it takes value to get value. Good pitching is at a premium, as always. We would have to overpay to get a guy like Alcantara or Lopez. Makes sense to trade from surplus - catching, 2B/3B, corner OF. Jeffers and Kepler or Larnach would be a nice haul for any rebuilding club who needs help at those positions. FO shouldn't hesitate to use a seeming surplus of good minor league pitching prospects to complete a deal, if necessary. Sure, it's a risk, but where have past GMs' passsive trade policies gotten us? 3. In terms of a top FA starter, this will be most difficult. Those of you who say $20MM/year is light are probably right. Not sure if the Sox will pony up for Rodon but they probably will to please the fan base(and keep owner happy). This is why I think they might pass on Kimbrel next year. Ray will cost a small fortune(Toronto has money to top other offers), Ditto Gausman with Giants. Thor is high risk, high reward. Possibility if Mets provide him a QO, Stroman might be another option here. No doubt finding an ace thru FA will be toughest task, especially for a tight-fisted owner and risk-averse FO. 4. SS is biggest position hole. Just not realistic, budget-wise, to expect Twins to be a player for top tier, but perhaps Baez's value has dropped with his troubles in NY, so he might be available for a short-term deal. Otherwise, I'd either try resigning Simmons or go with a slick-fielding/ mediocre offensive SS like Galvis or Iglesias. Compared to our pitching holes, this SS issue ranks well below. 5. As for the pen, little doubt that season-long struggles there sealed this team's fate early on, so solid additions must be made. I still think Kimbrel is best fit for a stopper but again, his signing greatly dependent on budget constraints. As for another late-inning reliever, your guess is as good as mine. I threw out some old names, but am sure there are some I haven't thought of. Just have lost faith in guys like Rogers, Duffey, Alcala - all of whom were thought to form the core of a solid pen. I want to see a closer who is primarily a K stud. Perhaps Duran Canterino will emerge but not next year. Bottom line - given past history of this ownership and FO, I don't think it realistic to expect the 2022 team to be a contender. Their is no will at the top(unlike Reinsdorf in Chicago) to win. Until that changes, I'm afraid we will have a long wait before becoming a threat to advance beyond first playoff round. Hope I'm dead wrong !!

Brandon, glad you brought up this relatively unnoticed positive trend. Twins bullpen has definitely improved in August, and is probably the number one reason Twins finally had a month over .500. Looks like Thielbar, Coulombe and maybe Gant and Minaya have a good chance of making next year's bullpen. I suppose Rogers, Duffey and Alcala are locks although the latter two have to show some solid improvement over this year's performance. The bottom line is that this club has to add a genuine closer and if affordable one other late inning arm. No one in the rest of this list looks like likely candidates for clutch situations on a contending club. One more thing. My personal favorite metric for analyzing relievers is the % of inherited runners scored. That stat is a true measure of a reliever's effectiveness. I believe the Twins' 2021 pen ranked dead last in this category. Guys like Rogers and Duffey were particularly poor in this stat, which is why the need for two additional back-end studs.

Top Gun: Can't quibble with your changes - we're both on same wavelength here. It really all boils down to Pohlad. Not only does he have to open the wallet a bit more, but he has to exert leadership in making it clear to the Wonder Boys that 2021 was completely unacceptable and a quick return to contention is a criteria for their job security past 2022. And while he's at it,, an announcement to Twins ticket holders and the entire fan base that he is embarrassed about 2021, he is committed to another championship and will do whatever it takes to get there. Or, better yet, he could sell the team to an owner who will get this done. Without JP cracking the whip, I have little faith in Falvey turning things around.

The only reason Falvine should be given one more chance is because last year was a lost development year due to covid. Give them this offseason to retool and see how things work out in 2022. They have a huge hill to climb, but got off to a good start at the trade deadline by bringing in 4 top prospects. However, they seem to be more comfortable in dumping starters for prospects. While their pickups like Odorrizi and Maeda had positive results, in 5 years they have not shown any propensity for bringing in any real difference makers. If this timidity continues and budget constraints remain tight, chances of a significant rebound next year are slim. If so, their employment should be terminated. Rocco on the other hand has run out of rope now. As Viola points out, the lack of good fundamentals this year has been noticeable. Rocco should be directly blamed for this lack. Shortening the return to contention must involve insertion of a manager(and coaching staff) schooled in the importance of discipline and fundamentals. Throw in his poor lineup/bullpen management and there is no reason to extend his tenure here.

Nice writeup Nash, but I am glad he is not the only top rated pitching prospect we have now. As you've demonstrated, his erratic performance this year raises more questions than answers, leaving one to wonder whether he fits more into the Romero/Gonzales category or a top 3 rotation guy. Too soon to guess, but I think guys like Ryan, Strotman and Woods-Richardson should be called up in September. Let Balazovic try gaining consistency at St. Paul this year. Longer term I think Winder and Canterino offer more promise as major league starters. There's a reason Balazovic dropped to #88 on MLB's midseason top 100 prospect list..

Wow! Highly unusual, yet very refreshing, to see this critique from a well-respected ex-Twin. Wish that more ex - Twin icons would do the same. Someone has to light a fire under Pohlad to move him off first base. Why can't season ticket holders unite and apply some pressure where it would really hurt - in Jim's pocketbook? I have never seen such a smug, arrogant group as Falvey/Levine since I started rooting for the Senator/Twins in the early 50's. Pseudo know-it-alls who know nothing about the game. At least Ryan had excellent scouting abilities. These guys have spreadsheets!

Brock, can understand your comments on "holy overpay" to Miami but as Ashbury said, you are going to have to overpay for a "top" ML pitcher. Lacking in offense, but loaded with pitching, Miami is an obvious partner. Reportedly, their biggest need is catching, followed closely by offense. I listed Arraez because his offense is apparent, yet on Twins he really has no obvious position. Next, I think Miami would prefer a young catcher like Jeffers and that's fine with me if Twins can accept Garver's defense and think Rortvedt is a decent backup. In any case, I'm trying to trade from Twins "strength", i.e., corner OF/2B/C . Getting Alcantara might be a pipe dream but he's the type of young, cost-controlled pitcher this team should be looking at.. The only chance to land him, IMO, is to give up a couple of major leaguers. Throw in one of our top prospects and perhaps we could add another Miami pitcher like Edward Cabrera, Sixto Sanchez or Max Meyer - all of whom are currently rated in the top 50 MLB prospect list. I view SS as primarily a defense-first position, which is why Simmons would be a decent, albeit less than ideal, solution for the 2022 position. I do not want Polanco as our full-time SS. He fits much better at 2B. My hope is that out of the multiple prospects( Lewis, Miranda, Palacios, or Martin) , Twins can find a starting SS in 2023. Sure I'd like to see one of the FAs on board, but even with a stretched $150MM budget, with all our pitching needs, there is no money left for a premium SS. This "plan" could only happen if the Twins really intended to at least attempt to contend in 2022. Pohlad needs to open up the checkbook and Falvine would have to shed their severe risk-aversion and swing for the fences. It's unlikely, I know, but not impossible.

Good point!! Forgot to add that I was offered joint titles?! It was a truly wonderful dream!

Woke up in a sweat last nite. Dreamt that Jim Pohlad called and offered me the Twins GM job the day after the 2021 season ended. While I was overcome with excitement, before accepting the position, I had 3 demands: 1. I would be able to fire Rocco and his staff. Would look for a veteran, old school manager like Buck Showalter or Bruce Boche. Maybe even James Rowson or (gasp!!) Ozzie Guillen?? 2. JP had to agree to resign BB to the 7 year/$80MM contract agreed on plus whatever game-played incentives Bux's agent wanted(within reason of course) 3. JP reiterated to return team to relevancy in 2022 and thus, would expand next year's payroll budget to $150MM. We agreed on all of the above with one caveat : I had to provide him with a specific action plan for the offseason. Here's my outline: 1. Sign a potential #1 starter. First choice - Noah Syndergaard. Backup : Carlos Rodon(this add would not only likely fill our #1 spot, but also weaken our chief competitor) 2. Trade with Miami for a potential #2 starter, e.g., Sandy Alcantara or Pablo Lopez. The Marlins in desperate need for offensive help could pick 2 out of Arraez, Jeffers/Garver, Kepler, Larnach. 3. If Maeda was healthy, he would slot in as #3. If not, resign Pineda or a comparable veteran pitcher with a successful track record. 4. The #4/5 spots in the rotation would be open competition among Ober/Ryan/ Strotman/ Balozavic/ Winder/Dobnak . Two of these should be no worse than Happ/Shoe with the likelihood that one or two would at least be league average. 5. I would sign a real closer. First choice - Craig Kimbrel. He has arguably been one of the three best relievers this year with a nice bonus that his absence would weaken the Sox. 6. A second proven late-inning pen arm would be signed, mainly one of the following: Rosenthal/Hand/ Yates, If not feasible then Taylor Rogers, followed by one of Duffy/Thielbar/ Alcala, would round out the top 3. I think guys like Gant, Albers, Minaya, and Garza might do well in lower pressure situations. 7. Recognizing we have a big hole at SS, I would try to resign Simmons for less money. If he signs elsewhere, then Polanco would be shifted, with one of Arraez/Miranda/ Martin taking his place at 2B. Sorry, no money for one of the top FA SSs. Let's cross our fingers Lewis is ready in 2023. 8. Not sure yet of all my deletions from the 40 man, but I would begin with Rooker, Thorpe, Smeltzer, Cave, Colome, Gordon. My bench would include Turtle(assuming Garver or Jeffers moved) Rorvedt,, Refsnyder, Celestino and Miranda. Assuming we've started with an $85-90MM payroll, we have added #20MM for Thor or Rodon, $10MM for Pineda of #3 veteran, approx. $10MM in extra incentives for Buxton, $15MM for Kimbrel, and $10MM for a second bullpen arm, Tight but doable thanks to the open wallet of Mr. P. So is this plan realistic? Would this revised team be expected to compete as soon as next year? Help me out here, guys!! I'm new to all this.

Brandon, hate to say it, but yes, title of article is quite misleading. I'm fairly confident you are not saying that if we mainly relied on current roster plus some top prospects that this team could be anywhere near competitive next year. Management has indicated they do not intend to rebuild, but instead, retool so that next year we can at least pretend to contend. No way in hell is this happening unless major additions are made this offseason. Otherwise, expect a 100 loss season in 2022 and a long wait for real contention in the ensuing years. You can drive a few 24 wheelers thru all the holes in this current roster. That's just reality!

Agree with you Nick. Kepler can no longer be viewed as a key piece on a rebuilding team. We've seen enough. If the FO had any vision(a big if!), he would be packaged in a trade for a young starter on a rebuilding team. Miami is an obvious choice - deep in pitching, woeful in offense. Kepler, maybe Arraez, and top 20 minor league prospect for one of their starters. Nice thing about such a trade is that it would open up an OF or 2B position for Martin and Miranda next year. Let's face facts. Twins are not going to contend next year(unless ownership opens up the checkbook). Time to give our best prospects time to be contributors in 2023.

Nice summary, Matt!! Here's my 2 cents: 1. Simmons will not be resigned. There are too many top MI prospects who need ABs next year. 2. If Gordon wasn't a #1 draft pick, he'd be long gone. Can't field well enough at SS and cam't hit well enough at any position. My bet is he'll be DFAed or part of a trade. 3. As you said, neither Miranda or Martin seem to be viewed as SSs going forward. 4. With massive pitching needs, Twins can't afford to spend precious FA dollars on a top SS. This assumes we can take Falvey at his word when he says his goal for 2022 is to return to contention in 2022. This means spending big on FAs, both in the rotation and bullpen. No way we can compete by tring to fill 3-4 rotation spots with prospects. None!! 5. Polanco is best choice for 2022. Yes, our defense will suffer, but we need both his and Arraez's bats in the lineup, at least until Lewis is ready. At that point one of these two should be traded(or, if Lewis can fetch a starter, trade him). I'm afraid we are 3-4 years away from finding a real SS from the minors' lower levels. Name of that individual remains a big question mark.

Nick, appreciate your addressing this FO issue head-on! In this trash heap of a season, the only thing we can really look forward to is next year so the abilities of these two guys should be scrutinized. After all, we have almost 5 full seasons at the helm to analyze their performance. While their missteps have been magnified this season, any realistic observer has to acknowledge the lost 2020 season, along with the late minor league start this season, has hampered their development system. So put me in the group acknowledging they should be given one more year to prove their plan is viable. But they must be put on a very short lease. If this team continues their sub .500 play by the All Star break next year, they must be dismissed. We must see some signs that at least some of their draft picks and trade pickups start producing at the big league level. As Gleeman noted in The Athletic, other than Cruz, their FA signings have been failures. Their midseason trades have failed(does anyone still think the Pressley trade was wise?). Their top draft choices have been injury-prone or have fallen short of expectations. With lack of pitching plaguing the Ryan-era teams, why did the Wonder Boys eschew pitchers for position players? They had the #1 choice in 2017 and went for Lewis, who now is not even expected to qualify as a big league SS. I have to question some of their personnel decisions as well. Their first pitching coach, Alston, flamed out. Wes Johnson was a gutsy move, but what pitchers have actually improved since he's been hired? They seem to have struck gold in hiring Rowson, but failed to retain him, then promoted from within two assistants with unproven talent. And the hiring of Rocco was also a head scratcher. No, I'm not ignoring his first 2 season successes, but not only are his in-game decisions head-scratching, but more importantly, his laid back manner, particularly a failure to stress fundamentals, has shown up all too often on the field this season. While he cannot be blamed for the FO's player acquisition failures, does anyone think he has the chops for ending our playoff futility? And finally, let's not overlook ownership's role in this team's failures. Has Pohlad ever stated his only goal is to bring a world championship to the TC? He hires conservative, risk-averting GMs like Ryan and Falvey, both of whom either seem to have the same banker's mentality as Pohlad or just lack the ability found elsewhere on low to mid market clubs that are consistently successful. Sure, let Falvey have another chance here, but give him payroll room to go after some top FAs this offseason and see what he can accomplish. There can be no more excuses for another year of failure. We Twin fans deserve better!

It's pretty obvious the FO has moved on from Gordon. If he were a legit major league SS, he'd be starting. He's not and his offense is not good enough to keep him up here. As a Chicagoan, have to agree with Bean that Baez has regressed offensively. He's become an all or nothing player. We don't need another one of those! Correa, Seager, or Semien would be a big upgrade in FA. The problem is, if the Twins are really in a retooling rather than rebuilding mode, their need for top of the rotation and a closer preclude signing a top FA SS, unless Pohlad wanted to go all in. By now, we all realize that ain't happening!

Thanks Lucas! Always look forward to your analyses! As you finish your top 30 list, I have one request: can you ID any SSs now in the Twins system who have the defensive skills to fill that all-important position at the big league level? All the reports I've read, including your #20-30 rankings do not seem to reveal a Grade A SS prospect. We have a surplus of 2B/OF at both the major and minor league levels but so far, no one who seems to be our future SS. I realize it is too soon to predict if any of our younger top prospects will hit at the major league level, but surely we should have some idea whether they have the abilities to be an above average fielder. If the cupboard is bare, then it would seem the FO has to prioritize signing a FA SS this offseason. With all our pitching needs, I hope this is not the case, but if team defense is a priority then what othger choice do we have. Just wondering!! Thanks.

With Simmons very disappointing offense, looks like we still have a big hole at SS next year. We have a bunch of middle IFs - Polanco, Arraez, Martin, and maybe in a year, Lewis - but none seem to fit the need for an above average fielder at the most critical position. Polanco makes sense for remainder of this year, but they signed Simmons because Polanco was not good enough at SS. Arraez is certainly not the man and from scattered reports so far, neither Martin or Lewis seems to fit the bill. Both have been mentioned several times as more suited for OF. Kneejerk rx may be to just sign one of the stellar FA SSs coming on the market, but that just seems like a waste of payroll with the need for pitching far more important than SS. Isn't it folly to think that any one of our prospects can slot into any of the top 3 spots in the rotation in 2022? Not to even mention bullpen needs. If Twins really want to return to relevancy in 2022, they must spend some big bucks on pitching - and more importantly, resign Buxton. Those should be top priorities. One way to start sorting out the different pieces might be to bring up Martin to play 3B and move Donaldson to DH. I know that's a real push for Martin but what else does he have to prove at SP? Arraez should stay at 2B and Polanco at SS. One advantage I see is that this move can free up some trade pieces for a solid rotation piece. Arraez, Sano and even Lewis might bring in some real pitching talent. Just speculating, of course, but these next two months must be used to get better clarification on next year, not to recycle players who will not be part on 2022 roster. And that includes pushing Ryan into the rotation and one or two minor league relievers up now, rather than wait for September.

http://So how do we turn all of this and other available talent and potential free agent signings into a great rotation that can compete in 2022? This club has too many holes to "compete" in 2022, even if Pohlad opened up his wallet. Realistically, best outcome would be around .500 with an outside chance of competing for a WC. So getting a short term expensive FA like Cueto makes little sense. What makes more sense for a potential contender in 2023 and beyond is to acquire a FA who has shown potential at the big league level to be an ace. Thor stands out here. Acquiring a Stroman or Gausman would be ok, I suppose. It is unlikely any Twin's prospect will jump into a #2 or 3 slot in next 2-3 years, so assuming Maeda takes one of these slots, the FO must decide whether Pineda fits the bill for the other. If not(and that would be my guess) than a trade for an established mid-rotation guy makes added sense. We actually have a surplus of IFs/DH candidates and even at C position with Garver or Jeffers providing catcher-hungry teams with an enticing trade candidate. Such a trade might help alleviate a logjam of Polanco, Arraez, Martin, Lewis and Miranda that seems likely over the next 2-3 years. As for the 4,5 spots in the rotation, these should be left open for two of Jax, Ober, Balozavic, Duffy, SWR, Winder and/or Strotman. If none of these prospects can make the jump, than Falvine should be relegated to the dustbin of history, certainly no later than the end of 2022. Can't even begin to tackle the bullpen woes yet. That's an issue for another column.