KirbyDome89

I agree that Plouffe should be bouncing back somewhere else next season. Its likely that Berrios and Sano have better seasons in 2017 so expecting more from them makes sense. Unless Rosario has an epiphany and realizes that strike zone control and going into ABs with a plan are important I can't see him being anything other than the guy he was last year. Its disappointing, if he could find a way to reach base more often and his slugging percentage did creep back up near .460 the Twins would have an incredible outfield moving forward. As it stands now he is a solid 4th outfielder/not bad starting LF for a rebuilding team. I'm not sold on Gibson at all. I think at this point we know what he is; an inconsistent 4-5th starter. 2015 was a good year for him, but it was sandwiched between two uninspiring years. Looking at his 2015 season as the true Gibson and hoping he hits that again is like banking on Hughes repeating his 2014 season. He very well could have runs of success next season but they are almost certain to be followed by equally terrible starts. Seriously, the guy is actually Jekyll and Hyde.

"They could trade Brian Dozier and his $6 million, while getting back at least one young pitcher capable of replacing Hector Santiago, whose $8 million could be dropped." I'm not dying to trade Dozier but this move makes so much sense. If they couple it with the non-tender of Plouffe those two moves should free up enough space to bring in a catcher who is more than just a stop gap for the year. I would be happy with Castro but if mid tier indeed has bled into the the upper tier I would rather see the Twins go after a catcher like Wieters.

Molitor loses his favorite player Dantana?!!? Nooooooo...... On a serious note though, I'm ok with a majority of the plan. The largest disagreement I have is whether the team will be competitive. I think its a pipe dream at best to hope this team is anything close to resembling competitive. I would rather all FA decisions be made with the idea that in 2-3 years they could theoretically challenge for a playoff spot. Soto might be a stopgap, but for what exactly? The Twins don't have any stud prospects coming up at the position. If you sign Soto this year, you're in the same position next year; looking for catching help. If they can get a deal done with Castro or Wieters and lock up an important position for the next 3-4 they should do it. I would rather see Sano get another shot at 3B but if he can't, I've advocated for Polanco to see time at 3B. I like that you had a backup plan early in the season for Hughes and Perkins. Hughes is a massive question mark and Perkins hasn't been able to stay healthy the last few years so theres a good chance the Twins get nothing out of both of them. Mejia as the 5th starter is meh, I would rather see May. They can hopefully do better than putting Boshers back in the bullpen if that scenario plays out. I would much rather seem them sign a low risk high reward reliever and have the chance to flip that person at the deadline when the Twins are out of contention. I'm not a big Santiago fan but I understand why people would want him back. I've said it before, but tendering him a contract makes that Nolasco trade even more confusing. You trade a bad pitcher who is "expensive," and a top prospect you've failed to develop, for a starter who is slightly less awful but just as "expensive." The fact they could non tender Santiago and save money along with moving Nolasco was supposed to be enough to make the deal palatable. Instead, it looks like they'll tender Santiago that contract so they save no money, they have a pitcher who is marginally better and a team that looks like it could lose 100 games again. Oh, and they gave up a player who was once one of their top prospects to do so. That makes zero sense to me.

I'm not shocked that we haven't seen turnover. When you rebuild a vehicle you don't throw out every old part, you find out which are still viable and roll from there. I think that same approach applies here, but I'm hopeful the assessment period doesn't take long. I said it in another thread, but Molitor's comments about fundamentals at the minor league level being a major cause for the struggles this season bothered me. Do they need work? Yes, that is abundantly clear. Would an improvement help this team? No doubt. However, I'll ask the same question I did in the other thread. If the fundamentals of the young players are that bad in the minors, then why is he bringing them up when its obvious they can't succeed? If they aren't as bad in the minors, then why are they suddenly getting worse when players reach the majors? I feel like the stories with Allen fall into the same category. The fact that the Twins failed to heed his warnings about the failings of the pitching philosophy at the minor league level is certainly is an indictment on the organization. However, a vast majority of the pitchers he worked with in the rotation and the bullpen weren't guys who moved up from the minors this season. These were players he was able to work with every day at the big league level, and they were awful. To me it feels like these guys are just passing the buck. It looks like a bunch of finger pointing and nobody wants to take responsibility for the failings of their own department. Was TR an evil dictator who would micromange the team from organizational philosophy all the way down to roster and lineup decisions; or is it more likely that these two played their own important roles in the disaster that was the 2016 season? If the Twins want to give Molitor another year, I disagree, but go for it. If they're encouraged by Neil Allen and want him back I can live with that right now. It just would be nice to see some of the blame for last season be owned by the current group rather than shoveled into the grave of the previous regime.

I completely agree with the half measure sentiment, but I don't think the catching situation falls into that category. I have zero confidence that Murphy will be anything other than a fringe backup at this point, and Garver hasn't seen any time with the Twins. If he can force his way into a platoon in the lineup then great, but signing an everyday FA catcher would be huge for this team. Filling the need at catcher doesn't preclude the Twins from finding help for the pitching staff.

I can't say I'm even the least bit excited at the prospect of signing Alex Avila. If the Twins can snag an elite defensive catcher like Castro I'm all for it. The fact that he can occasionally hit is an added bonus. Obviously, I would like to see them go after Wieters. I was hoping they would last offseason before he accepted Baltimore's QO. For the Twins, he would be a big contract, but he certainly would be an upgrade over anybody they have coming up through the minors, and it would plug a massive hole for the foreseeable future.

This all day. Also, I'm not going to lie, I was slightly irked that Molitor came off as teflon in that article. Any flaws as a manager or responsibility for that disaster of a season just seemed to slide right off. I get it that he isn't supposed to be teaching basic fundamentals but are we supposed to believe the baserunning, pitching, and defense are that bad in the minors? If they are that bad, then why is he bringing players up and putting them into positions where they have no chance to succeed.

So, did the rebuild end when they drafted Buxton midway through the 2012 season? The pitching staff finished dead last in the AL and the gap between the Twins and the next team was larger than that between #14 and #1, and this followed 5 years of being one of the worst staffs in baseball. The rebuild is alive and well....

I'll take that bet. You have Venmo right?

Yeah...suuuuuuure....

More important than whether the Twins go with a full time DH or a platoon are the results at the position. I would prefer a platoon because it gives the team flexibility defensively, but I definitely wouldn't complain about having a full time DH like Nelson Cruz or Edwin Encarnacion. The number of games started by individual players at the position is irrelevant but the statistical numbers put up at DH definitely are not. As a side note; Joe Mauer is to some posters on the site as the patriarchy is to feminists. Instead of honestly looking into situations to see where a perceived issue is rooted, one would rather glance at Mauer's contract and proclaim it the reason for every fault this team has.

Good Call. I'm sticking with my stance though; lots of young talent acquired via drafting/trades and affordable FA contracts. The real question is whether or not the players the Twins acquire/already have are lovable....

Using baseball reference, following your 1 or greater WAR criteria, I'm seeing about 12 WAR from FA signings and about 22 WAR from draft/trade players. Fangraphs is basically the same at 13 vs. 23. Fowler and Zobrist, the two highest contributors each have contracts the Twins absolutely can afford and they account for 8 of the 12 FA WAR. The Cubs don't have a bunch of FAs contributing heavily to the WAR total, its 2 guys. I'm not pushing for the Twins to focus most of their attention towards the FA market to acquire talent, I realize the importance of drafting, development, and trades. My point is that when you break down who is contributing to the Cubs run of success, how each was acquired, and how much they're being paid, apart from one contract it is definitely repeatable for the Twins.

I realize ALL winning teams do those things well, that was my point, they aren't unique to Chicago and therefore the Twins can follow that path. Significant FA signings the past few years: John Lackey - 2 years $32 million Ben Zobrist - 4 years $54 million, Dexter Fowler - 2 years $17 million Chris Coghlan - 1 year $5 million Jason Hammel - 2 years $20 million Jon Lester - 6 years $155 million Miguel Montero - 6 years $66 million David Ross - 1 year $2 million Jason Heyward - 8 years $184 million Significant players drafted or acquired via trades: Jake Arrieta - $11 million this year, arb eligible next year Kris Bryant - arb eligible 2019 Javier Baez - arb eligible 2019 Willson Contreras - arb eligible 2019 Kyle Hendricks - arb eligible 2018 Anthony Rizzo - 7 years $41 million....seriously that is his actual contract Addison Russell - arb eligible 2019 Kyle Schwarber - arb eligible 2019 Jorge Soler - 4 years $15 million left Aroldis Chapman - 1 year $11 million If you look at those two lists with even a small amount of objectivity I don't understand how you can think they purchased their ticket to the WS or they would only be there because their payroll is so deep. Seriously, the draft/trade list is almost their entire lineup. Zobrist, Ross, and Fowler are the only FA position players seeing regular action this postseason, and Fowler hasn't exactly been lighting it up. Heyward has been awful and is now on the bench! Coghlan and Montero have played sparingly. Hammel isn't even on the postseason roster. Lester and Lackey have been solid no doubt. Honestly though, the idea that this team is in the position they are because of their payroll just isn't true. There are 3 contracts on that team that exceed all contracts currently on the Twins books (not counting Mauer here, didn't think that was really fair) and of those three, two of them; Heyward and Montero, have done nothing in the postseason and really haven't been good all year. If the Twins can drop $50 and $55 million on Ervin and Ricky I see no reason the Lacky, Hammel, and Zobrist types are off limits. So when you boil it down, the Cubs have been so successful this season because of a young core of studs on rookie contracts, mid level FA signings that have been solid, trades that have worked out well, and one big FA acquisition. I'm not buying the idea that because the Cubs signed Lester, their philosophy of constructing a winning team is somehow beyond the Twins. My hope is that when Mauer's contract comes off the books that money is allocated towards upper tier pitching, because this team DESPERATELY needs it. Even if that isn't the case, looking at the breakdown of who is contributing and what they're making I see no reason the Twins can't do the same.

Nobody is advocating the Twins payroll reach 200+ million. Likewise nobody is stating that the Cubs don't have a monetary advantage. However, that club didn't just shop for FAs for a few years and buy their way into the WS. They made good trades, drafted well, developed young talent, found the right manager, ect...Those are all things that the Twins are absolutely capable of doing, so yes it makes perfect sense to compare the two clubs in that regard.

You might have me on the big FA signing. Maybe its wishful thinking on my part (definitely is), but I'm not ready to let that go until we have a better idea of what Falvey is working with. I agree, identifying and trading for pitchers like Arrieta and Hendricks isn't easy and it won't always work out but its within the means of a competent FO to make deals like that happen. You won't always get a Cy Young pitcher in return, but you can certainly upgrade your pitching in this way, and the Twins absolutely are capable of doing it. Lackey was a solid but unspectacular signing. I don't see the Twins having that much trouble signing a player of that caliber. You're right the Indians are a closer match. I was just pointing out that basic principals the Cubs followed (save maybe signing a big FA) are definitely repeatable by the Twins. I think people have this idea that because the Cubs payroll is higher the Twins can never emulate anything that they do. Obviously their money helps in signing FAs, covering up bad signings (Heyward!?), moving on from bad trades, ect... Such is life in a sport with no cap. The Twins have to be more careful about where they allocate their money, but following the Cubs blueprint isn't as improbable as some believe. It would be great if the Twins could develop all their pitching in house, but I just see no way that happens. The closest thing they have to a front line pitcher at this point is Gonsalves? I haven't given up on Berrios but he's looking more like a mid rotation guy right now. The Twins would need to hit on pitchers in the next couple drafts, as well as have pitchers like Gonsalves, Jay, Berrios, and Stewart all reach their ceiling just as an attempt to put together a competitive staff by the time the young core is moving into their prime years. I don't like those odds. The Twins are going to have to be involved in the FA market or make significant trades to bring back top tier pitching. I don't see how the rotation can improve to playoff quality without doing one or both.

I totally agree, kids often fixate on athletes at a young age, and as they grow older they hopefully are able to form more meaningful relationships with individuals in their lives who can be considered role models. I was speaking more about the adults who never moved on from the hero worship of their childhood. I think a lot of the extreme reaction in either direction has everything to do with that. I think the role model card is often played as a way to justify calls for extreme punishment or put social pressure on organizations. Personally I can't stand that. I don't believe athletes need to act in accordance with what society or social media would deem acceptable role model behavior. As long as an individual is available to the team a fan really can ask no more. If players fail to do so then criticism is fair. However, I think the critiques should be directed at the individuals actions and the detriment caused to the team rather than his/her inability to live up to standards that are forced upon him/her outside of the work place. You're right, athletes are going to continue to be looked at as role models. I agree that its a good thing most of them seem to be decent people.

"hero-worship among athletes, putting them on a pedestal." I think this has everything to do with it. Like you stated, domestic abuse is an unfortunate part of all walks of life, it isn't unique to athletes or one sex. I've never been comfortable with the hero label regarding athletes. Everybody is entitled to choose their own role model but personally I need mine to be a person I know beyond what I see on a field or a television screen. The pedestal is the reason for a lot of the extreme reaction after an abuse story comes out. Fans either don't want to believe their hero could do such a thing and therefore defend or deny the actions, or they're so hurt by the actions that they demand instant justice, often in the form of lifetime banishment.

I disagree. The Twins certainly can develop young talent, make good trades, find a manager who is can be patient with the young players, and make good mid level FA pitching signings. I wouldn't even rule out the possibility of an "ace," pitcher acquisition until Falvey takes over and we have a better idea of what the plan is for this team.

KC acquired both to bolster the starting staff. Davis didn't move to the bullpen until the end of that 2013 season and it was because he was tanking as a starter. KC got lucky, I doubt they knew they were getting an elite reliever when they traded for Davis so I wouldn't exactly call this a fair example of a top relief acquisition. It sounds like both of you (and almost everybody else) are advocating for the same thing: buy low, sell high candidates on short term contracts. Its a solid plan. Mike said it best, spending money isn't an issue, this team has to in order to improve. However, committing long term to a position as volatile as relief pitching should be avoided, at least at this stage in the rebuild.

Polanco as SS could be dicey if Sano is playing 3B. I think some of the offensive that Polanco may lack at 3B can be found at 2B by Dozier, 1B if Vargas platoons, and an improving OF of Rosario, Buxton, and Kepler. It isn't an ideal fit but giving up a little offense at 3B won't devastate this team. I agree, a utility role isn't appealing, but if Molitor uses Polanco like Dantana (i.e. playing him nearly every day) then I can stomach the utility role. Obviously 2B is the preferred spot for Polanco. I can see scenarios where options 1-4 work out. If somebody is traded, I hope its Dozier. He'll absolutely return more than Polanco, and he has only 2 years left on a good contract before free agency. Given the outlook for 2017 I think it makes much more sense to trade Dozier.

I think "We burned option years and consequently have little idea of what type of MLB player they will be.....so we must put him on the team," is a little more accurate. Hopefully the new regime places more value in options and consistent playing time.

I've defended the Park signing since it occurred, and I still think he can mash MLB pitching, but at this point he is still almost a complete unknown. A platoon of Vargas and Mauer at 1B is a good option to start the season. If Park destroys AAA then this rotation needs to be reexamined.

I agree, using it as a stand alone argument doesn't work well which is why I said it does't hold much weight. I was just pointing out that because there is risk involved both ways, choosing one side over another isn't necessarily a bogus position.

I wouldn't say its a bogus argument because there is risk involved in both dealing and keeping players. However, because the team doesn't look to be competitive next year and they enter 2018 with a 35 yo Santana who others are banking on repeating this year I would say the argument holds little weight.