Rosterman

Dozier is a tough call. He's 29, you have two more years. He might have a breakout season, but you pretty much know what to expect. Double his numbers this year, you have a tad higher average than ever before but consistency in ALL categories including walks, strikeouts, doubles. His fielding has gotten better, it seems, but that depends on who is playing short. Polanco brings youth. He might bring speed, the ability to put a ball in play, draw more walks, strikeout less. You are eliminating the power. Can you have total power weakness up the middle - catcher, second base, shortstop, centerfield? Does the speed you WILL have at second and centerfield offset that loss? Does right and left make up the difference? You can run with a year of Polaco as a reserve, filling in as needed at second/short/third. You also have Santana in the reserve category if Rosario comes back to the outfield. You might also find a reason to keep Nunez. You have Escobar. After a year of Polanco as a reserve, you need to make a longer-term decision on Dozier, or hope that another team also sees him as a long term solution. Which means you trade him in 2018 at the latest, or extend him (shades of thoughts about Plouffe right now) You CAN play Polanco as a reserve for a couple of seasons. You are pretty much guaranteed that his three arbitration years would be lower in salary than if you started him at second out of the chute in 2017. Dozier (and Suzujki) are both making themselves attractive pieces for acquisition. One longer term, the other a short-term fix. If the Twins feel that Polanco can play second base and are willing to take what they get over the next few seasons, then you move Dozier. If not, you have a few middle infield pieces to try and pawn, one being a potential prospect. But right now, I would picture most other teams would grab Polanco and put him in a reserve role, too, in 2017 and see where he goes from there. If Polanco has true worth (assuming you are keeping Dozier for the term and looking at extending him) would be to package with Nolasco or another salary you wish to rid yourself of. A promising prospect and an expensive player for some more minor league depth. Yes, the Twins can start turning things around this season. But as other posters have said, even if they play .500 ball, they end up with 90+ losses. ALL the players are smart if they do start producing. It will mean they have jobs with the Twins or elsewhere come 2017. If they continue to stumble, a few will be unemployable. And the Twins HAVE to make the decision on the direction they are going, not just play for the possibility of winning today. YOU CAN MARKET a losing team, you can market rebuilding. You just have to accept the fact, adjust some ticket prices, make the event of going to a game even more fun (rather than lame), What's sad is the stumbling block we will see the Twins have. Do we change front office, field management, stay as we are with internal options, keep things going the Twins Way, addressing problems us armchair fans don't really see or know exist, Maybe every day they are having meetings discussing direction - on-field and marketing. Maybe there is a plan in place (and they REALLY DON'T HAVE TO SHARE IT with us...because plans can succeed or fail. Okay, let's get back to discussing who the Twins would lose in an expansion draft!

7TH START kYLE GOT HIS FIRST WIN. WALKED ONLY ONE. Still, that ERA is gawful!

I find the inability to move players when they have their most value to be the crutch. And totally understanding the rebuilding process. If he succeeds in any one area, it is waiver claims and maybe, maybe finding a glimmer of gold that can be flipped for a prospect. But at some point, you have a player that excels beyond their norm, you look to see that another is on the horizon, and you start moving players. Not all will succeed (the ash of centerfielders going out for starting pitchers and a catcher in point) But if you do trade from your strengths, or aging vets for multiple possibles, you should succeed in one way or another, especially if you do some savvy free agent signings and such. Ryan also seems to suffer from the old loyalty aspect of baseball, which has diminished the second time around. There are no longer hometown discounts. As I like to tell people, player NOW work for major league baseball once they enter free agency. They are expected to produce and play and shine for the game as a whole, compared to teams in the past. And even if you do sign a guy for a respectible contract (WIllingham), you really don't owe him three years of service with your team if an offer happens, or if you see the possibility of an improvement by moving said player. The Twins lost out bigtime when free agents walked who Ryan and Co. thought might resign with the team (Cuddyer) and my own thought that too often they expect the player to offer a modest discount, or come back with a counter offer when the Twins underbid for their services and another team makes a higher offer. Not necessary anymore. And then, with no sense whatsoever, the Twins are then forced to overpay for new talent because (1) they won't get the golden offer elsewhere (2) they need more money to take a gamble on playing for Minnesota-nice baseball team. And even in the draft, where we often hear taking "best player available" we get...well, what we have gotten. Guys with solid playing skills that need development, no emotional issues. Etc. Etc. Etc. When you now have the ability (and must) pay 18 and 22-year-olds millions of dollars to come and play minor league ball...you do need to go after the best and adapt yourself to the system. Afterall, if someone hands you a couple of million, the biggest issue is hoping THEY WILL make the majors. You want those guys that will makes the majors! I get no sense of the Twins working to be a well-rounded team. They put an emphasis on defense, and then it flounders. They want contact, and then we get no walks and lots of strikeouts. They have Molitor and Carew (and maybe even Gladden) helping players to bunt and run, and we have no running game whatsoever, and out biggest projects -- Gomez and Buxton -- can't get on base for the life of it, and then we poo-poo when we have someone like Revere that does. The system failure is showcased this year in which you have no true line-up. Who hits where, why, and how. What they contribute. How they back-up the guy in front and set-up the guy behind. You have a bullpen in which you ask: who can get a strikoeut, give us a flyball, a grounder. Who can pitch multiple innings. Who can close? You have organization meets. You have 160+ players on a big chart. You move names around. But now, when this year's attendance has finally fallen behind last's year, you have to start to shudder and see a long half-season of lots of no-shows and few walk ups, because you really don't have a plan. You can market youth, the future, continue with the outdoor experience of Target Field. But people will flinch at paying major league prices for minor league ball, except that it is nigh impossible to get a Saints ticket in town. The Twins baseball operations have to move into the future, possibly go outside the organization for a wealth of front office talent who might, just might, be able to work with the promise that the team has from all those high draft picks over the last five years as well as future funds to spend in 2018 and beyond.

Not if the Twins grab them all first...wait, you see free agents...not waiver wire six year minor league free agents. I imagine the Indy leagues would lose all their top players!

Again, you totally look at where you are going. You don't have to protect high salaries. The team has to pay them. Having paid the expansion fee, how many sheckles are there in the money vault, and is it better to wait until free agents come on board. But, they are also building at least two years of a minor league system So you would definitely lose those 25th and 41st guys fer sure, if you aren't position heavy already. Of course, don't have to keep any possible non-tenders or high level arbitration dollars. You do not keep marginal guys like Pressly. Or Duffey. Or Rogers. Or even Gibson. Again, remember, the other team will be drafting for guys to come on board in 2018 and even 2019. So you do have to worry about the Gonsalves, the Stewarts and such. Also, with free agency and non-tenders and waiver wire guys, an expansion team might take a fair share of tradable prospects. So, it is a tough call. Out of the Twins Top 40 (or 50) what 19 do you protect, along with anyone no longer a prospect (Sano, Buxton). If this draft happened today, a team like the Twins might even be looking down at the expansion teams if they would lose 2 or 3 pieces of their future, while keeping the Mauer, Park, Dozier or others. I'm sure stuff would have to be worked out regarding the 10/5, draft bonus dollars, and other things. But I would expect that the Twins would lose three prospects like a Gonsalves/Stewart, Burdi/Reed and even a Polanco out-of-the-chute. Now this is the mindset the current Twins front office should be looking at as they go forwards and evaluate their players. Not only who is valuable to current teams, but who would be valuable if someone could cherry-pick your organization after setting aside 15 guys, then 19 guys.

Allowing a player to move on and watching them succeed elsewhere means something is wrong with your system. You either didn't see it, or didn't work it out. You know what you got and don't think it smells better than everyone else's. If you believe in Plouffe, you sign him longterm NOW! If you expeft Jepsen to be a solid bullpen guy, continue to let him close.

Buxton to AAA with Santana and Rosario and Grossman showing us who goes and who stays in 2017. Switching out Vargas for Park, just to see if there is some juice in Vargas being a bench player, if nothing more. See if he can produce anything at the major league level. It would increase his value. And, in the meantime, rotate Plouffe, Mauer and Sano between DH, 1B and 3B...thru the All-Star break at least. Figure out if you are going to let guys like, say, Wimmers play in the majors of not. If you don't give them a chance, you will never know. He's deserving because he was a high draft pick. If he can't adapt and cut-it, then quit rostering him. Praise to Suzuki for increasing his value 100%. But he is, at most, a rental. The Twins need to go with Murphy and anyone else they can find on the scrapheap that MIGHT contribute cheaply in 2017...unless they want to make a play for Lucroy or Ramos.

Wow! Some old guys at the GCL. Then, again, they can switch over to the High A+ team if need be. Imagine the joy of playing ball all day, living in a dorm not far from the field. You may not get paid a lot, yet. But you can play catch and hit balls 24/7!

The elephant in the infield is still Joe Mauer. What do you do with him?

C'mon people, get over it! It is a choice that has to be made. You pay your dues. Actually, you work a normal workday, but your shift is all over the place (sadly) and you go on the road - so you can't have a second job if you want. You can have roommates or live in people's home. You get to go to the ballpark pretty much whenever to workout, play, rest, just hang out instead of at home. If you do good, you get paid more, period. You have one to two years to see if you can hack it or not. No different than starting on the lower rungs at a company, being an intern (really paying your way), working as an apprentice, whatever. Yes, you may have to find a winter job. (Remember the days when many a major league baseball player actually had to work during the offseason, and many had to have a job after they retired). Pump money into food, or housing (similar to the dorm the Twins have at Ft. Myers) if you must. But you are there to play ball 24/7 as you strive towards a dream. If you get a bonus, make it last, make it work. I would've killed for any small amount of thousands when I graduated from high school or college to hold me over to reporting day for a new job in something I like!

When a team chases pitches, there is no reason to challenge the hitter, through consistent heat where it can be hit, etc. etc. And if the team isn't operating on working the count, getting men on base, moving runners around, a pitcher can afford to make a mistake when you have one or two outs and no one on base (how many solo homers have the Twins hit in 2016?). We know Park and Sano can do the job. But they need people to egt on base and pressure a pitcher to throw the ball over-the-plate. Both are capable of hitting 30+ You'd like to put Plouffe and Dozier in the 20+ range. Both of those guys, gone, means you have Polanco and Escobar struggling to hit 20 between themselves, and with the current outfield of Kepler, Grossman and Buxton, you might get another 20. That is where it is ncie to have an Arcia out there, or possibly someday a Walker. And if you don't want multiple centerfielders...you trade out Grossman for Rosario, who might give you a bit more punch, but not much else. Add in a weak catching situation now, and who knows what Mauer hits these days...the reduction of Plouffe and Dozier from the lineup CAN hurt if you are homer happy. But if the speedsters get on base, maybe the 30+ guys can hit 40+ and compensate, you can add a better bench bat, and still think Kepler might produce an all-around solid player in rightfield, or moved to first where he will surpass Mauer's current production in the future. But this was the home run year for Target Field...if people would hit, as a whole, better than .240.

You don't trade for aging relief pitchers period. Or guys that have run out of options. And be very careful about those 41st players that a team has that YOU have to add to your roster. Chances are, they can be claimed on the waiver wire, if you really really wait. Hardy was a combination of "how much would he cost" as the Twins didn't seem ready to offer him a multi-year contract and they lived in fear of paying a high arbitration salary (shades of what will happen with Plouffe, you'd think?). There is a system failure when a team is too cautious with bringing players up, or really have no idea how they wish to construct their playing field and/or lineup in the coming season/seasons. Which is where we stand with Dozier. Is he still a bargain? Can he be a longterm answer at second, giving us more power than Polanco, for example? Who will be the second baseman of the future if Dozier stays here another 3-4 years? Is Polanco then exposed? Or do we go with someone who might bunt, hit-run, show speed and plate discipline, and play a better second than short? But who do we put at short...the nimble Nunez or the powerhouse Escobar? How long do we wait for Gordon? Are there other bodies between today and Gordon and what do they bring to the plate? Would our middle infield (and centerfield) be fast but power light? Is that reason enough to keep Dozier? Is that reason enough to retain Plouffe (although he will have a say in it come 2018)? A major league club is a big puzzle. You have coaching staff evaluating players, management evaluating players, lots of guys working with players. You push and develop them in certain ways (Gomez didn't want to be a speedy bunter, for example). Cost is always the factor. Players eat up their costs. Aaron Hicks...you get something for him today, or you pay a salary arbitration penalty to keep trying to improve him next season and thereafter and see his value go down...or up. It's sad that you have to start putting so much emphasis on new talent. You have no idea how most old talent will work, and it can be an expense you can't control and have no control over once you sign a player to a lucrative contract. At that point, a player becomes a product of major league abseball and not a particular team.

It is a struggle as a prospect. It is wonderful if you can have some of that back-and-forth between the majors and minors, especially during the first couple of years that a player is on the 40-man roster. But in developing that player, if you do it too soon, you will be faced with the issues the Twins had with Arcia, and will soon have with Polanco and Kepler. Have you givvn them enough of an opportunity to learn at the major league level before their options expire, and/or are you willing to carry them on the 25-man roster for 1-2 years fulltime as a back-up player on a learning curve as they slowly trend towards arbitration. But if you wait too long, you have have missed a glimmer of early glory, or you see the player pushed out of the organization by an upcoming talent that is showing greater strides at a younger age. When you draft a player, you hope you can have a good idea of the direction they are going in their first 3-4 years, if they last that long in the system. But you are dealing with high school signees, and signees with 3+ years of higher education, often starting at the same level for a moment. Mix in the fading veterans still looking for a comebacker, all over the place at AAA and many still at AA, and it can be a problem. No matter how bad Arcia failed at AAA last season, the Twins still needed to see more of him at the major league level, or make the commitment to find and keep a solid bench spot for him at the major league level this year. But that changed with the signing of Park, the emergence of the younger Sano last season, other roster possibilities. So the Twins will move on from Arcia. But, in the topic of this discussion, that needed more thought last summer to see if he could become a viable tradechip, or a hard-lined decision in the offseason to cut him loose if you really had no room in the inn for his bat. In truth, there was no reason to bring up Berrios already this season. But good for him that he got a taste of major league life. If he struggles at AAA, maybe it IS because he is working on things to make himself a better major league pitcher down-the-road, in a league where you SHOULD be able to work on pitching placement (thus walking more batters who are in the minors being told to be more patient). Somehow, Buxton needs another trip down to continue to adapt to whatever he is missing in major league ball. And then you get people like Milone who totally dominate AAA...and hopefully keeps his act together, for a few starts at least. I'm not sure how many charts and film and other things players worry about daily in the minors, compared to the majors where everything is analyzed, because you pay the people to do it and expect the players to sit and listen, work hard on it, and become better against people getting better each and every game themselves. And some of it is just maturing. Remember what you were like at 18, at age 21. How you viewed life at 23 or even 25. When did you start worrying about career. When did you feel comfortable in maintaining your state of mind and body. At what point does play become work, and you do the work each and every day as demanded and strive to become the best you can with what you have. There's 150 prospects in every team's system. As many drop out each year as are drafted, all at different levels. Names change from organization to organization...you can only have so many guys who play shortstop, or so many lefthanders, or so many starting pitchings, or so many outfielders. And few are superstars, celebrities, that will have long-lasting careers, television commercials, instant name recognition not only in the hometown but also across the country.

Right now, you can argue about the need of Kepler to go back to Rochester. If Sano returns to the outfield, then Kepler goes down. But first, the Twins need to send Sano on rehab to Rochester and have him play 7-10 games IN THE LEAST at third base. Is Kepler the real deal this year, before celebrating a sophomore slump in 2017? But that is alright. Have him work and fail this year. Isn't he out of options next year? Grossman has come back down to earth. Will be interesting to see what the season brings. Buxton DOES need to go back down. We have Santana in centerfield, and possibly a resurgence of Rosario. Park is an interesting case. Send him to Rochester, and see if there is anything left to consider in Vargas? If we don't move Plouffe, put him at first abse and Mauer at DH? Polanco is also needed to be up here and rotating thru positions at some point, perhaps replacing a traded Nunez. And no matter how dazzling Dozier becomes, if an offer is made in your direction for him, give it strong consideration. I don't know what to say about the rotation or relief corps, except fast track any of those AA arms and get them some facetime in the majors THIS SEASON so they can see if they can handle it, or go back and work constructively on their stuff to make it happen. But wait, two in a row with our waiver wire greatness and a refurbished Suzuki (will anyone call for him?). We won with a 14 run game. Too bad it was 11-10 at one point and we could've lost if Jepsen had come in to save the game!

It is such the Twins Way of doing things. Of course, we react differently in the blogosphere than most people do who come to Twins games and see the Twins spending money on free agent pitchers, playing the international market, making choices in trades for pitching at the expense of a luxury of outfielders, working to put a competitive team on the field that will stay in the game and all. Plus, Target Field is a great game day experience, we have new bars, different foods and, did I say, a great place to watch a ballgame. Yes, the put in bids to be a part of the action, so to speak. They make a trade addressing weaknesses, but what do we really know about the whys and true needs of the team. They spend money on guys that look halfway decent, but only if you are a halfway decent team. But dollar dogs are great, we have all these scoreboard games, kids sing he national anthem, the flag is raised with fireworks, and we have a radio station that shuts down soon after the game and the airwaves, as a while, are void o discussion of the Twins above and beyond their marketing strategy which is to run THEIR OWN AADS during games?!? They may look like a major league team, smell like a major league team, but are they truly a major league team? Let's try a year of Mike Veeck at the helm which an indy league general manager wannabe given the golden opportunity. AT least it would be fun! And cheap!

Arcia, in this sense, fell into the same category as Ortiz. Except Ortiz was also about money. The Twins somehow saw the same production for the DH spot happening with LeCroy, who could also catch. They saw Mientkiewicz as being the guy at first. They didn't see a lot of at bats happening for Ortiz, or just sticking him on the bench, and paying him a million bucks or so. Little did we know. But we are questioning if the Twins do have a plan, a long-range roster construction. And, yes, it is amazing that next season Kepler will be out of options and has to stick (because the Twins added him too soon thinking someone would claim our bonus baby). It is a strange game baseball plays. Glad Kepler is getting a chance to work thru things and he does look like a keeper and the more at bats he gets this year, the better he will be next year (one hopes) or at least he looks like he will listen and learn. Of course, NO ONE may claim Arcia, which means we get to kep him and make another decision on him next year, which would be a ncie luxury. Or he tears up AAA ball and is a positive trading chip as an add-on to rid of us, say, a large pitching contract/

Well, in defense of Arcia, he and Vargas should've been the DH candidates this year (and maybe a tad of Sano). But, nooooooo. The Twins, actually, seemed to be surprised that they won the bidding for Park, coming in at the minimum and everyone else passed, so they were stuck, especially when Park did sign a favorable contract to play major league ball. not that this is bad, but WHAT WAS THE PLAN. And so looking forward to the next guys coming of the DL. Soon to be, an outfield of Grossman, Santana and Sano with Mastro as the backup and BOTH Kepler and Buxton down at AAA. Maybe the time spent there will make them even better. And admidst all this, we do lose Arcia. We will lose Vargas. We get nothing back in exchange? Okay, maybe a waiver wire claim wash, eh?

And the call went to Rochester and looks like Milone is on his way back with Pat Dean moving somewhere (is he being waived off the 40-man?).

Next up...watch the Twins put Pat Dean on waivers and add Tommy Milone....because Arcia's spot isn't up yet. We will see if the demand for Pat Dean is also high...high enough that he needed to be protected this past fall (who did we lose to the Rule 5 again?).

Well, this only works if you commit to play Kepler and Buxton every single day, which means Santana is the fourth outfielder and bench fodder with Centeno and Escobar (what a bench, eh). They should've sent down a pitcher with options (lots to choose from who are proving themselves marginal). Maybe they are hoping to get a trade bite. But if you intend to play Santana, then Kepler or Buxton should be down at AAA playing everyday, and it would probably be Kepler, who seems to make the most of his work, although if you put Santana in center, then Buxton. The Twins lose another player (probably) and not get anything in return. One that is young and still has some potential, not like 4-5 members of the pitching staff (not counting starters) plus a couple of promising outfielders who need to play and if they don't play up here, then you really lost someone. Better to have Santana playing at Rochester and re-developing his shortstop skills on a regular basis (in case you do part ways with Nunez).

Okay.....Twins have Park and possibly Kepler in the long-run at first. Or maybe it will be the future home of Sano in 3-4 years. Polanco is more of a second baseman. Decision time on Dozier is soon. The Twins have half-a-dozen guys for shortstop, but none will start in 2017. 2018 MIGHT see Vielma, or maybe Regilatto or Walker, with Gordon in 2018. 3B future could be Cabbage or Blankenhorn, but both are 3+ years away. Right now, an outfield of Grossman, Santana and Rosario with Arcia as the fourth. That is assuming that Sano can play somewhere other than the outfield when he returns. Build up the value of Rosario and Santana and maybe Arcia. Kepler and Buxton are the future and should be there fulltime by August end. Walker in the wings, as well as Palka at this point. Santana can always nudge out as a ultility guy. It is such a tough call with the team. Do you play guys NOT in plans to get their worth a tad higher, or just write them off. Like, flip Park to the minors for a month and give Vargas some at bat? Bring back Milone and let Dean start at AAA. How much do you invest in chips that you really aren't investing in except to spend for something, which may be less than...nothing.

Sadly, all of the above are tradable, but you won't be seeing much of a return except for ono-protective Class A rookies, or possibly someone another team has some depth. The Twins don't need anyone that will demand a 40-man spot, or someone verging on out-of-options. In order to move Santana (and Nolasco), not to mention Dozier and Plouffe, the Twins may have to sweeten the pot with one of their higher level prospects (High A or Double-A) who demands 40-man roster protection this fall, but there won't be room in the inn for them at the moment, That is not something beyond the norm. Make it the other teams need to 40-man the guy. If they don't, you can always do a claim...or not. Santana might be the msot valuable as he is a proven starter and has two solid years at decent money, if he can produce and you don't expect more than what his true stats will show you. Dozier and Plouffe are too overpriced at the moment (and in the near future) but if a team is heading into August and suddenly loses a key player at either position, they might be grabbed. At this point, a team would be focused on saving money and getting an equally productive guy like, say, Nunez for a fraction of the current worth to be paid out, as well as another year to make a decision on keeping them beyond -- at a decent price. The question is WHAT DO THE TWINS NEED. They don't need anyone that doesn't fit into plans for 2018 and beyond. They don't need cast-offs. You can get those on the waiver wires. They don't need to absorb a bad salary from another team. They don't need anyone out-of-options. They really don't need anyone ready for a spot on a 40-man unless they are truly major league ready, and at this point, unless the guy IS a hard 26th player or 41st player, there is nothing the Twins have to trade for such a guy.

Considering the number of pitchers the Twins have drafted in the past 4 or so years, maybe the well will have lots of gold coins laying at the bottom. Of course, some of those were relief pitchers. And when you draft pitchers, it is because they have a couple of good pitches and maybe, maybe you see a third in development and with the right coaching, get a fourth, while maintaining their poise and velocity. I also see a lot of position changing and not just sticking with it from the Twins. Rosario was a second baseman but became an outfielder. Danny Santana was groomed as an infielder and thrown into the outfield. Sano was a third baseman and told to change positions. You want guys to be more versatile? Goes waaaaay back when they couldn't make a decision on where to play Cuddyer...second, third? Yes, make guys play a multiple of positions. Groom Plouffe to be your shortstop of the future and then suddenly discover he can't play shortstop? Go figure. Isn't that what the minors are for...to develop and reinforce playing ways and needs? If guys are striking out too much, then it is a system problem. You work with hitters from their first day to recognize the strike zone, learn to take pitches. You also work with guys like Buxton early on to develop those skills necessary for his other skills (bunting for speed, for example). You don't allow players to fallback on old ways, i.e. Dozier. That is the job of coaches, and you have more coaches than ever starting in the minors. Roving instructors give guidance. You have people sit your program. You have multiple coaches now in the majors. Looking at the Twins Report Card, you have to figure out their grades in a multitude of areas. I'll let you make up your minds what the grade is. Drafting: Player Development: Pitching Development: Free Agency (Keeping Your Own Intact): Free Agency (Playing the Marketplace): Recognizing ALL needs and finding Adequate Players: Establishing a Comptitive Skill Set: Front Office Management: On-Field Management: Organization Management: When you fill in the Grades, and think backwards, not much improvement. Oh, wait, they do get an "A" in Selling of Target Field, as well as Taking Minnesota For A Ride!

He can still be that inexpensive veteran presence for another season, if you desire. But what is he actually worth? What the Twins don't need are players that need to be added to a 40-man option, or players that are out-of-options, or players that are on the cusp of being a minor league free agent. They can still find some quality people because every team has that 3rd or 4th prospect at every position that more than likely will not make the big leagues and will probably be advanced over by some new draftee. Or you go after solid mid-level guys a team drafted a year or two before. When evaluating EACH AND EVERY player on the Twins roster, you have to ask what they will contribute (or block) in 2017. Where do they fit into the team in 2018. Are they worth keeping into 2019. How would that player's value change between now and then. Is Nunez a placeholder? Will he continue to be a bench bat in 2018 or 2019...if so, tie him up with a contract now. But is he worth it in that long haul. Come 2018, 0r 2019, and even beyond...the Twins will be arbitration heavy, but still have massive amounts of money to spend on free agents (hopefully a top flight one) or even similar players like Nunez...same age as Nunez is now, blocked at the major league level or didn't quite make-the-grade a team hoped would happen. The Twins will also have a system full of unusable prospects, since you can only field 25 and protect 40 guys...if you draft correctly, then your numbers start backing up and YOU have to make hard decisions about how badly you want to keep Vielma, Walekr, Gordon, Javier and whomever else you have that can be a shortstop. And it is that fine line. Move for the sake of moving...not just holding out for something better. Sadly, the Twins aren't exactly in a prime seat to demand the best return...because even the best the Twins have to offer can be found once, twice, maybe three times around the leagues = look at the Mets and their picks for first base and third base. It is all an elaborate game with people pieces. You paid x-amount for a draft pick. How long is the leash? You trade a quality centerfield guy for a pitching prospect...how long is the leash. You overpay for a mid-level free agent. Can you write-it off and move on. You have a first baseman or catcher being pushed by a prospect that is unproven, when do you make the change. At some point, a player usually declines after a great moment. Or they walk, Or they truly become more expensive and you receive nothing in exchange (Nathan, Cuddyer, Kubel). Too often the Twins have made mistakes (WIllingham, Young recent examples) or holding onto what they considered a bargain a bit too long and received...nothing of value (always felt Oliveros would be a hard-throwing setup guy, but....) Right now, it would be tragic to trade away your gems (Abad, Grossman, Nunez). But the reality is, how much worse can the team be than they are right now. And if you give the youth the opportunity to play (and still fail), would it be much worse than filling the field with names that will never amount to much in Twins history?

Greenwood moved up to Rochester for some reason, considering someone may be coming down from the Twins.