James

Or is this the type of move that the FO has been trying to make for a while and the now they have an owner that is on board?

I'm not surprised it's only 4 years. The Twins are buying his prime athletic years and nothing more. They always have the chance to add another extension if he still is pitching great near the end of that contract. On the Lopez side, he gets good money and becomes a FA with another chance to cash in big if he wants. This is a big win for both sides. Lopez probably get about $8M more than he'd get in arbitration, plus a decent rate for the next 3 years after. They Twins get a controllable pitcher with high upside at a reasonable price. Needless to say that I'm excited about this deal.

Yes.

I also feel personally attacked! I use that excuse for my lousy golf play. ...have I been a grumpy dullard all this time?

I was in the HR Porch for the Dozier one. It was a great comeback for sure. I think Dozier had just been named to the All-Star team that morning, so it was a fun way to clinch that spot. As fun as it was, it might not make the top 6, but it's a great list!

What I watched from the WBC was definitely worth it. It's great to expand the game. There were a bunch of interesting stories, from the Czech team with all but 4 players actually being born in the Czech Republic to the massive ratings of the Japan vs. Korea game (viewership was reportedly 6x any World Series game). It was good baseball, and I think it will lead to growing the game internationally and domestically. I don't really care if it's played in March or July in the future. I do know that the players seemed to love it and it allowed players to show some emotion and personality on the field.

Ok. It's not just me.

True, but we didn't trade our starting SS to get this guy. He's essentially free.

Buehrle pitched quickly. There was no messing around. I went to a game in 2010 that was Carl Pavano (who also worked quickly) vs. Buehrle. The score ended 3-2 Twins and total game time was 1:52. It was a Saturday game too, so I really wasn't ready for the game to be done by 8 o'clock. It probably helped that both pitchers pitched the entire game as well. With the pitch clock, I imagine we're going to see a few more games like that one.

And Mike Piazza was drafter at #1390 in the 62nd round. The draft if always a crapshoot. There are plenty of examples of #1 overall picks that don't work and players from late rounds having great careers. But generally, 27th overall is less likely to be a superstar. I don't think I was upset with the Sabato pick when it happened. He had good college numbers. I was maybe a little concerned that he was a 1B, but I thought the bat and power might work. I'm having a hard time seeing that these day, but sometimes guys take a bit of time to develop. He still might have a decent MLB career, but it may not be with the Twins unless he starts that turnaround this year.

It sounds like the split change is the same pitch that Mahle uses. It works well for him, so hopefully it works for Ryan as well.

This is what I think to be his most realistic path back to the majors. If he can't get all his pitches back, then maybe he's just going to be a minor league guy. I'm hoping he reclaims some of that mojo and ends up a decent bullpen piece.

Most people probably don't want him in the outfield because of the knee, I guess? Or they assume that he's lost a step and probably can't play SS anymore? Assuming that C4 is the SS for a few years and Lee has the instincts and initial quickness to handle 3rd? I mean, a 2B with the range of a SS isn't a bad thing to have. I have a feeling he'll spend some time in CF again as well. I know a lot of fans cringe at that, but he might be more Buxton insurance.

I've said it in other threads as well, but I really believe that Lee and Lewis are really prospects 1A and 1B. I don't care who is A or B. They are both right up there in my mind. But, in lists like these someone has to be #1 and #2. In this case, I don't really see too much separation between the two rankings. I'm excited to see Lewis bringing his "A" games back to the Twins as soon as he's ready. He's going to be a fun player to watch and hopefully be a fixture on the Twins for a long, long time.

It's hard to argue with that list. Especially if we're only talking about the hitters. I'd be hard pressed to put any pitcher over those guys though.