Paul Pleiss

I forgot Arcia. What was I thinking. He fits at both corner spots, probably the everyday RF unless he's over in LF spelling Hammer

Guys, Joe Mauer is not going to become the everyday 1B. Moving him to 1B doesn't remove the concussion problem. I'm remembering a guy named Morneau who had concussion problems, where did he play again? Joe Mauer should catch, and catch often, ideally 80-100 games with another 40+ between 1B/DH. The Twins could go out and sign a guy like Mark Reynolds who could give them some options at both 1B and 3B, or someone like Corey Hart who would be a corner OF/1B/DH guy. Joe Mauer is not the answer at 1B, not yet anyways. Maybe Chris Parmelee finally figures it out, but having seen nothing since his miraculous September call up years ago, that seems unlikely. I think 1B is the most likely FA signing for the Twins this season outside of the starting rotation. Mauer is your catcher, spelled by Doumit/Herrmann in the early season and Pinto down the stretch. Dozier seems set at 2B, but it might be interested to see what he could get on the trade market. I'd rather see the Twinks package Rosario and move him for SP instead of Dozier, but whatever it takes to improve the rotation with someone better than a bunch of 4/5 guys. Vote for Pedro to hold down the SS position. The only real play I could see here would be signing a guy like S. Drew to take over, and at 31 (?) he's due for some serious regression defensively in the coming years, but would be an immediate boost to the lineup. I feel safe with Pedro at the 6 spot with hopes that Santana does well at AAA and cleans up his defense. Plouffe is not the long term answer at 3B, but with Sano knocking on the door it doesn't make sense to spend big on the FA market. A platoon split (!!!!) would be a great sign, but we all know how Gardy feels about that. A veteran looking to rebuild value at 3B on a 1-year deal could be a good sign for the Twins here at a moderate price and if the Twins are bad could be a trade chip as the summer wears on and Sano in waiting. Aaron Hicks needs to figure things out. I like Hicks to start the season with the club, but to be prepared to send him down to AAA if needed letting Ryan 'The king' Pressly hold down the CF spot until Hicks can gain some confidence in AAA. Maybe starting Hicks in Rochester is the right move? The Hammer will own LF and some combination of Doumit/Parm/Herrmann in right. Starting pitching: spend all the money. Spend money the Pohlads don't want to spend. Then spend some more. Package some of our top 10 prospects for David Price and ink him to an extension. Pull out the stops. Make it rain dollar bills. The pen seems set, no need to make any upgrades here. Plenty of failed starters to try out in the pen if things go south for the current guys out in the pen, and no need to sign any FA relievers if this team isn't going to be competitive in 2014. Whoa, long comment. Back to your regularly scheduled broadcast.

No one will be the 2014 Brian Dozier, unless you're looking for someone to simply cut their hair. Chris Herrmann cut his hair already, so he's out. Dozier's locks are gone, but it seems there's been some reverse Sampson skill thing going on there. Silky Smooth, how I miss your beautiful locks. Make Kevin Correia will go with a close shaved look in 2014 and beome the hairless wonder. He gets my vote. Also if he grows a mustache I'll purchase a Correia shirsey.

Episode 57 of the Twins baseball podcast, Talk To Contact (@TalkToContact), is now available for download via iTunes or by clicking here. http://puckettspond.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2013/10/hotstove.jpg This week Eric and Paul are joined by Jay Corn (@jay__corn, that's right, two underscores!) to talk Twins baseball. This will be our fist dive into the post-season hot stove, and this week we talked about available starting pitching and which pitchers we thought, if any, made sense in Minnesota. Pedro Hernandez was removed from the 40-man roster and signed a AAA deal, Terry Ryan is putting the band back together, so to speak, and the AFL continues down in the "Valley of the Sun." All that and more on this week's Talk to Contact podcast. Thanks for listening! You can follow Cody on Twitter (@NoDakTwinsFan) or read his writing at NoDakTwinsFan, and you can find Eric on Twitter (@ERolfPleiss) and read his writing at Knuckleballs! If you enjoy our podcast, please take a couple extra minutes and rate and review us on iTunes. Ratings and reviews have magical iTunes powers, which helps Paul Molitor use the infield shift in 2014. __________________ Follow me, @BaseballPirate, on Twitter. Check out the Talk to Contact Podcast (@TalkToContact) or email the show: talktocontact@gmail.com

http://assets.podomatic.net/ts/19/ad/da/paulpleiss/1400x1400-0x0+0+0_8924187.jpg This week Eric and Paul are joined by Jay Corn (@jay__corn, that's right, two underscores!) to talk Twins baseball. This will be our fist dive into the post-season hot stove, and this week we talked about available starting pitching and which pitchers we thought, if any, made sense in Minnesota. Pedro Hernandez was removed from the 40-man roster and signed a AAA deal, Terry Ryan is putting the band back together, so to speak, and the AFL continues down in the "Valley of the Sun." All that and more on this week's Talk to Contact podcast. Thanks for listening folks. Source

I like Gunnarthor's idea of bringing in Hart, he seems like he could be a good fit with this club. He can play a solid first base, provide some pop, and can play a corner outfield spot to keep his bat in the line up when Mauer needs time at 1B. Also a nice DH from time to time if Doumit is still around.

What kind of expectations does everyone have for Alex Wimmers in 2014? I keep holding onto hope. After a lost season due to Tommy John recovery in 2013, what can we expect in 2014; should we just be happy if he makes it through the season healthy? Going into his age 25 season he will have only thrown 4.1 innings at AA.

Seth, what was he dea with Buxton sitting out all the games down in AFL? minor injury? Didn't see any press about it.

When can we expect to see the 2014 handbook?

Meyer seems to be doing well down in the AFL, May, not so much. With the small sample size of the AFL, even after a full season, what are you most looking for in the stat lines? For me, it's what the youngsters are doing. Guys like Buxton and Kepler, they're clearly in advanced territory here, so to see them do well is exciting for me. What about you gus?

Mostly I want Ubaldo on the Twins so I can get a shirt that says "U-ballin w/ Ubaldo" or something to that extent, as long as it has "U-ballin" somewhere. I'd be quite pleased if the Twins signed Ubaldo. 4/64 seems solid, obviously I'd prefer to see a 2/3 year deal, even a 2/35 like Timmy. The Twins May have some pitching coming up through their system, and inking questionable "stars" to long term deals is something I'd avoid, however, the lack of high-minors pitching talent puts me squarely in the Ubaldo territory. Sign him. Give up the 2nd round draft pick.

Cub foods podcast, yes please.

I would have pushed Baxendale into the teens, but with such a deep system it'd be a hard sell. Also, arguing against Seth seems to be the wrong idea as far as Twins prospects are concerned.

What leads you to believe Buxton is a piranha? He's a budding superstar not a weak hitting middle infield type. Really? Buxton, a piranha? I cannot get past this.

Episode 56 of the Twins baseball podcast, Talk To Contact (@TalkToContact), is now available for download via iTunes or by clicking here. http://puckettspond.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2013/10/IMG_2457-300x225.jpg This week we are joined by a couple of special guests including our new producter/media relations guro, Jay Corn (@Jay__Corn) to talk about the pros and cons of being a season ticket holder for 2014. We are also joined by the famous/infamous Andrew Bryz-Gornia of Twinkie Town (@BryzTwinkieTown) to talk all sorts of things Twins (Platoon splits, off-season acquisitions, Ushering). Paul, Eric, Cody, Jay, and Bryz are essentially porno for your ears, but for baseball. We discuss Paul Molitor's new job with the Twins, minor league acquisitions and the Diamond award winners, among other things (namely Beer, pie and WS predictions). It's 103 minutes of pure ear awesome. The off-season is fun, you guys. Thanks for listening! You can follow Cody on Twitter (@NoDakTwinsFan) or read his writing at NoDakTwinsFan, and you can find Eric on Twitter (@ERolfPleiss) and read his writing at Knuckleballs! If you enjoy our podcast, please take a couple extra minutes and rate and review us on iTunes. Ratings and reviews have magical iTunes powers, which helps Paul Molitor use the infield shift in 2014. __________________ Follow me, @BaseballPirate, on Twitter. Check out the Talk to Contact Podcast (@TalkToContact) or email the show: talktocontact@gmail.com

http://assets.podomatic.net/ts/19/ad/da/paulpleiss/1400x1400-2236x2236+171+212_8901008.jpg This week we are joined by a couple of special guests including our new producter/media relations guro, Jay Corn (@Jay__Corn) to talk about the pros and cons of being a season ticket holder for 2014. We are also joined by the famous/infamous Andrew Bryz-Gornia of Twinkie Town (@BryzTwinkieTown) to talk all sorts of things Twins (Platoon splits, off-season acquisitions, Ushering). Paul, Eric, Cody, Jay, and Bryz are essentially porno for your ears, but for baseball. We discuss Paul Molitor's new job with the Twins, minor league acquisitions and the Diamond award winners, among other things (namely Beer, pie and WS predictions). It's 103 minutes of pure ear awesome. The off-season is fun, you guys. Source

Mostly just wishful thinking. Not sure how I put that all together.

Timmy signed with the Mariners, not the Giants. He's from Everette (40 minutes north of downtown Seattle) and has a condo in Seattle where he lives in the Off-season. Good move for both parties.

Episode 55 of the Twins baseball podcast, Talk To Contact (@TalkToContact), is now available for download via iTunes or by clicking here. http://puckettspond.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2013/10/7632268-300x450.jpg We're essentially geniuses, that's the only conclusion I could come to after recording and listening to this week's episode. Pure baseball genius. We talk about some issues surrounding the infield this off-season (The return of Justin Morneau? What Miguel Sano means to Trevor Plouffe and if anyone can or should challenge Pedro Florimon at SS), talk a little bit about the farm system and some possible trades that might develop. We also talk about beer. Eric was fired for drinking water, then immediately hired back, because he's my brother. We also made a wager of 100 beers while debating if Doug Bernier will ever post an OBP over .330 again in his career. Thanks for listening! You can follow Cody on Twitter (@NoDakTwinsFan) or read his writing at NoDakTwinsFan, and you can find Eric on Twitter (@ERolfPleiss) and read his writing at Knuckleballs! If you enjoy our podcast, please take a couple extra minutes and rate and review us on iTunes. Ratings and reviews have magical iTunes powers, which helps congress pass a budget and end the government shutdown. __________________ Follow me, @BaseballPirate, on Twitter. Check out the Talk to Contact Podcast (@TalkToContact) or email the show: talktocontact@gmail.com

http://assets.podomatic.net/ts/19/ad/da/paulpleiss/1400x1400-0x0+0+0_8870420.jpg We're essentially geniuses, that's the only conclusion I could come to after recording and listening to this week's episode. Pure baseball genius. We talk about some issues surrounding the infield this off-season (The return of Justin Morneau? What Miguel Sano means to Trevor Plouffe and if anyone can or should challenge Pedro Florimon at SS), talk a little bit about the farm system and some possible trades that might develop. We also talk about beer. Eric was fired for drinking water, then immediately hired back, because he's my brother. We also made a wager of 100 beers while debating if Doug Bernier will ever post an OBP over .330 again in his career. Source

http://assets.podomatic.net/ts/19/ad/da/paulpleiss/1400x1400-270x270+94+0_8848404.jpg This week we keep things relatively brief (only 50 minutes of audio gold) and check in on Ron Gardenhire, the 40-man roster, and the Arizona Fall League. We talk a little bit about May and Meyer pitching FAST, and Buxton, Rosario and Kepler making their AFL debuts. We spend some time discussing Wisconsin beer and Ginger Whiskey before we do a quick dive through the MLB postseason. Thanks for listening! Source

Episode 53 of the Twins baseball podcast, Talk To Contact (@TalkToContact), is now available for download via iTunes or by clicking here. http://puckettspond.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2013/09/1996-91-590x400.jpg This week the boys discuss Ron Gardenhire's tenure in Minnesota and talk about what his new contact means. Everyone will hear plenty of talk about the regular season awards, ROY, MVP, Cy Young etc, but the Talk to Contact crew has invented a whole slew of awards you'll hear no where else, including: Best season by a former Twin, Most entertaining, Best Broadcast moment and much much more. You can follow Cody on Twitter (@NoDakTwinsFan) or read his writing at NoDakTwinsFan, and you can find Eric on Twitter (@ERolfPleiss) and read his writing at Knuckleballs! If you enjoy our podcast, please take a couple extra minutes and rate and review us on iTunes(ratings and reviews have magical iTunes powers, which helps Ron Gardenhire manage the team to more than 66 wins. __________________ Follow me, @BaseballPirate, on Twitter. Check out the Talk to Contact Podcast (@TalkToContact) or email the show: talktocontact@gmail.com

http://assets.podomatic.net/ts/19/ad/da/paulpleiss/1400x1400-270x270+94+0_8808473.jpg This week the boys discuss Ron Gardenhire's tenure in Minnesota and talk about what his new contact means. Everyone will hear plenty of talk about the regular season awards, ROY, MVP, Cy Young etc, but the Talk to Contact crew has invented a whole slew of awards you'll hear no where else, including: Best season by a former Twin, Most entertaining, Best Broadcast moment and much much more. Source

Episode 52 of the Twins baseball podcast, Talk To Contact (@TalkToContact), is now available for download via iTunes or by clicking here. Eric spends most of this episode belittling Ryan Doumit and then trying to convince me that Doumit should play more often than I think is reasonable. We talk about Twins prospect Tyler Jones and wonder aloud what the roles will be for players like Doumit, Josh Willingham, Trevor Plouffe and Chris Parmelee. Summer is officially over and pumpkin beers have arrived across America. Tune in to find out about Paul's favorite pumpkin beer and a bunch of Twins talk. http://puckettspond.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2013/09/images.jpegRyan Doumit is a pumpkin You can follow Cody on Twitter (@NoDakTwinsFan) or read his writing at NoDakTwinsFan, and you can find Eric on Twitter (@ERolfPleiss) and read his writing at Knuckleballs! If you enjoy our podcast, please take a couple extra minutes and rate and review us on iTunes(ratings and reviews have magical iTunes powers, which help us become warlocks and spread the word about our podcast. __________________ Follow me, @BaseballPirate, on Twitter. Check out the Talk to Contact Podcast (@TalkToContact) or email the show: talktocontact@gmail.com

http://assets.podomatic.net/ts/19/ad/da/paulpleiss/1400x1400-181x181+0+76_8781331.jpeg Eric spends most of this episode belittling Ryan Doumit and then trying to convince me that Doumit should play more often than I think is reasonable. We talk about Twins prospect Tyler Jones and wonder aloud what the roles will be for players like Doumit, Josh Willingham, Trevor Plouffe and Chris Parmelee. Summer is officially over and pumpkin beers have arrived across America. Tune in to find out about Paul's favorite pumpkin beer and a bunch of Twins talk. Source