Rosterman

I the new TV money (half of $25 million) plus any savings from expenditures this year. Man, if Willingham departs, Mauer is traded.....what!!!!!! Just realized Burton will be paid more than Perkins!

Has he resigned with someone. Thought Clete was still just a free agent looking for a job.

I don't know if we could steal them. Maybe include Gordon or Punto in the deal? Naw, I would just as soon sign a couple of non-yendered or, let's go after Marcum.

I'm sorry. Worthington. Then Shane Mack. Dave Goltz is deserving, too. Cesar Tovar is the forgotten gem. I would reward Knoblauch, but he won't come. If it would truly get him out of his funk, I would say "Yes." AL WORTHINGTON was a gem!

Here's my question. At what level do you pay different position players. What is a catcher worth that catches 120+ games compared to one that catches 80 games. What is a power hitter (slugging %) worth compared to an average hitter (OBP). What is the going price for relief help. Do you add a million for games/innings pitched/WHIP and subtract a million if strong middle relief. What is a closer really worth? Aren't they basically replaceable? You have gems, diamonds and such...but they only need to really close if you are ahead in the game. Is a veteran free-agent starter worth basically $1 million a win, or eventually $1 million per game started with a chance of winning only half those games (maybe the team wins another 20% of the starts). In someways, I would rather pay a guy $15-20 million if he is playing everyday and producing, that just 33 times a year. Of millions to the guy who pitches 50 games and 60 innings. At what point is a starting pitcher waaaaay overpaid? Do you just try and stay in the $4-8 million range and hope they win 8-12-14 games for you? Then rotate in another guy? What makes a starting pitcher worth $1 million a victory?

Willingham is an attractive chip/ If he can come out of the gate pulling his average stats, he'll be a wonderful trading chip because of the 2014 contract remains. You have to ask these questions on Morneau: Can Parmelee play first as well and put up respectble numbers. If Parmlee moves to first, who plays in right. If you do trade Willingham, you are stacking the outfield with three prospects now who will learn on the job. Good or bad. Morneau being traded this winter does free up salary. What do you do with this salary. Trading Morneau (and possibly Willingham later) screws up he line-up. Would Mauer be the first guy to walk 500 times in a season. Does he become the first to swing at an intentional walk pitch and homer? Morneau is more valuable to a team now, because if he has a halfway decent season (not a super season) they can offer him a contract and keep him or get a prospect in return. That could be a possibility. If they trade for him mid-season, the lost that control. Is there anyway the Twin front office would consider signing Morneau for a 2-3 extension and at what price, right now, today. $7 million a year? $10 million a year. A 2-year plus a third option? Again, would that money be better spent elsewhere and we forget about Parmelee in the longterm and leave him to smoulder-out in right. Would that money be spent elsewhere on something more rewarding to the team. The Twins are in a mess. They can throw money at players and still come in last place in the division. Maybe not lose 90 games, but still look up from the downside. As fans, we look at three things: Prospects can be fun and exciting to watch play, but they can flame out or shine. You don't know until you see them play. Do you bring guys up "before they might be ready" or let them get extensive seasoning. If you have $100 million, are you expected to spend it. Because sure don't see it being held over and overspent in a future season. And what is it spent on...more prospects, aging veterans, overpaying nothingness. Man, let's make the Twins open a savings account...at some bank other than Marquette. At some point, no one is untouchable. Mauer is the hometown kid, but he IS a liability. He's a light slugging/high average catcher who may not be catching half the games as his time wears on. As a catcher, he is extremely valuable. As a 1B he is Doug Mientkiewicz. As a third baseman he is...no one knows. As a DH he is Paul Molitor light. Morneau COULD have health issues, or he just becomes another team favorite going elsewhere. We cried about no Cuddyer and Nathan last year. Hell, we keep Morneau and then he declares free agency and signs for someone at a bargain rate in 2014 and we cry foul. A new favorite will come along. If you lose with the oldtimers, you'll lose with the new kids. If the Twins go into rebuilding mode, is it still to late to deep-six Gardy and Anderson and just start over?

Oh, the question: what Punto bring to the Twins? That row of fans that paint his name on their bare chests and yell "Punto" when he comes to bat!

If they can kick tires a tad high on someone like Corriea, why not Saunders and Marcum...of even the other non-tenders: Lannan, JJ et al. Sadly, when you make an offer, you are stuck making the offer if someone immediately accepts.

Naw, better production from Plouffe, equal range and better average from Carroll, and the upside of everyone else is equal to Little Nickie. His time has come and gone.

Ask yourself "Why Not?" Wouldn't a Mauer contract pay for 3-4-5 other players easily for the remainder of his contract. How hard would it be to replace him with a competent catcher..... Do we actually need superstars if we are treading water, hoping to compete, or rebuilding?

$4.5 and $5.5. Let's get another guy + one of the non-tenders just to be safe! And Stephen Drew!

Tovar is the forgotten gem. He played where he was needed. Wish he had stayed with the organization in some capacity. Passed on way too young. People would argue about how great a catcher Brian Harper was (shades of A.J.), but he was dependable, put the ball in play, would work a pitcher, and was a solid block behind the plate. Tom Prince, for any of his aging shortcomings, could still lay down a sacrifice bunt when necessary, an art in itself. Eric Soderholm was abandoned by the Twins waaaay too young. I always liked Jason Tyner, but he became too expensive and was easily replaceable. Right now, wish he was the centerfield plan circa his 30th year of age. Maybe Mastro will be his reincarnation.

The Twins also signed Michael O'Connor, late of the Nationals and Mets, who is a 32-year-old lefty with modest minor league success but not all that much shine at the major league level.

It might just be the best that the Twins will be able to attract this season. We have to wait and see how the non-tenders pan out (hell, Humber signed for less than a million, you could have had Francis and Marquis for $3 million each, Pavano is shaking the trees for $3 million). At this rate, though, I would have made a much better offer to Baker or even reupped him for $9+ million. Are the Twins basically the last resort some players are looking at, along with Houston and Miami? We should still be on par or above THE ROYALS. The money is there. There is enough to get two starters and a bonafide infielder. And we managed to trade for a few studs (not all ready yet). I think our biggest gripe is that not only will we eat Blackburns $5.5 million this year as wasted money, but do the same in 2014 with Correia, who will just be a place filler. Is he a bad pitcher? Our offense and defense will make that decision. But if we are going to WASTE -- and that's the magic word "WASTE" -- money signing some free agents, would we, as fans, rather see the Twins spend nothing at all.

Not worth a 40-man spot. Blackburn throws ground balls, too. A waste of $10 million. Should've just waited him out and signed as an invitee to camp with a modest minor league contract. Only way to redeem himself is if Ryan still signs two more pitchers (Saunders and Myers) and we remove Drew Butera. Then can live with this..but barely. Ask yourself, when you sign a guy...would someone, anyone give you something of value for this player in the future and, what is out there that can comparably replace him...and we already have that in Blackburn and probably could've signed in Pavano for less. Bad signing, Terry.

The Twins are petty set, still, at Elizabethton...just need a new pitching coach, but some folks are still wandering between jobs. Do wish the Twins had added Redmond. The Jake Mauer thing is interesting, since he was residing in the Mauer homes in Ft. Myers, but coming north puts him closer to the Twin Cities, if that means anything. Also, you get to deal with a different aspect of player development, where they reside in a small town atmosphere and prety much have nothing to do but work and go on road trips.

The Twins will not carryover profit. They are still paying off their portion of the stadium, I believe. 50% of $150 million and then 50% of $200+ million.....hummmmmm did they give everyone in the front office, scouting staff and such a raise? I think not. Because they are :losers" they egt higher draft picks and have to pay more. But if you win, you all sell more tickets, concessions et al. More people watch television and such. They can spend. Not just on a pitcher but now an outfielder or a shortstop or someone. They have another $25+ million off the payroll next year, + $25 million more in TV revenue. 22,000 season ticket holders. Another 5,000 game sales. Okay, 10,000 empty seats in 2013. Might as well trade Mauer, too. Be the team with the fastest decrease in attendance with a new stadium ever. You don't always win by spending carelessly, but the Twins supposedly have some money to spend and can spend it and not effect their bottom line, so why not do it. Get someone, something. Even futrue trade chips. Hell, if they are doing nothing more, then they could've spent $24 million on Grienke for six years and let him led the staff when they really become competitive in 2015-2018.

You could've overpayed with the hopes of flipping a guy during the season. Two year contracts are not absurd. I would go 3 years on anyone under 30, for sure, or at least a nice option year with an agreed upon buyout. Don't see the Twins getting Sanchez, Dempster, Jackson or especially Lohse. Marcum and Saunders are still in play, I hope. Myers, too. Then you got the old guys like Pavano, Villanueva, Chris Young, Oswalt, Bedard, Millwood and Lowe. Liriano needs to pitch somewhere, what he gets paid will be...interesting. Do you really want Correia, Matsuzaka, Garcia, Hernandez, Wang, Cook, Jonathan Sanchez, Kip Wells, Wolf or...Jamie Moyer? Then there is the very interesting guys: Pelfrey, Lannan, Jurrijens, Gorezany, Karstens and...Slowey. 32 pitchers for 32 teams.

New way to figure out a starting pitcher's free agent salary. At least $1 million per victory in heir win column. Does that seem logical. Will it soon be $1 million for every game that they start on the mound? Somehow, that doesn't compute. Next we will have $40 million dollar closers!

He signed a couple of weeks ago, actually. Don't you follow Seth at Twins Daily?

Marcum is still out there. Maybe not as high as $10 million. The Twins could sweep in and offer Dempster 3 years. But otherwise, look at Myers or Saunders for one. And any of the non-tenders or maybe two of them. Remember, at this point many of the teams no longer have 49-man roster space, so some guys are going to be minor league invite to spring training contracts. The Twins are lucky...they are sitting at two open roster spots, still...and can sill deep-six Butera if need be ad probably keep him in he organization.

On players like Figgins et al, are they worth a 40-man spot if push comes to shove. If hey sign a tryout minor league deal, why not.

If you are going to watch someone swing and miss, let it be Benson. The Twins will continue to play the arbitration clock with Arcia and Hicks, unless they blow the opposition away in spring training. I could see them up here periodically during the season, not at all though if the Twins are slow out of the gate. Benson, who Ryan calls the "best all-around athlete" in the system, will get his chance to shine and take lumps. And he will. I hate the thought of a newbee leading off. Carroll can bat second. None of the other light-hitters -- Florimon, Escobar, Dozier -- would be better at the top of the order than the bottom. I'm just worried about who watches the msot pitches, who can get on base, and the effect it may have on Mauer's bat.

You need to get a catcher back? If the trading team has a decent catcher now or in the wings, why add Mauer (you'd be in the same baot as the Twins). Yes, Mauer is a catcher, but what maks him suddenly more appealing as tradebait is that his potential s NOT to catch as his contract wears on and as a 1B/DH whatever, he is not as valuable a a hitter behind the plate. You'd want to get a pitcher. Like Lester or someone...who you have the potential to extend at a rate significantly lower than you are paying Mauer or anyone else on the team. You'd want a high end prospect that may still not pan out. You'd like another bat from the next couple of prospects or would be back-of-the-order rotation fodder or a replacement quality infielder/outfielder. If you'd look at what was bandied about for Johann abck when: Yaknees - Hughes, Caberra, Kennedy, two prospects or Rd Sox - Lester, Crisp, Lowie, Masterson, Bowden. I would go for that type of quality. You'd free up money for the future. You still have to pay the present. You still need a catcher (bring back A.J. for $7 million a year for a couple of years...he catches 120 games at least -- wouldn't that be s-t-r-a-n-g-e. Mauer did sign with the Twins long-term because he was the hometown boy and he wanted to win with the team. Dos he still see that happening in the lifetime of his contract? Does he want to be the Mattingly of Minnesota. Or does he want to go somewhere where winning is the usual name of the game -- Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Texas, Los Angeles. Yes, there is no guarantee (see Red Sox). But if push came to shove, I'm sure Mauer would move on if he was given more of a choice. He already has the money, so it isn't like a team ahs to make im happy $$$-wise, just prepared to cover the bill as Mauer ages. Again, I like Joe. But I don't think us fans or management expected him to be a guy who only catches 81 games a year like he is doing now. $23 million is a lot to spend for that. And, ultimately, he will thrive best when he is surrounded by players who give him pitches to hit. What happens next year if Benson and Carroll are 1-2. What if Willingham or Morneau are gone and you have Parmelee and Plouffe or Doumit behind you. Great OBP with walks. More pitches where the pitcher will force you swing at bad ones. Trade him!

The Twins need to show some semblance of competitiveness, really, in 2013 and 2014, otherwise, they won't attract free agents. Until the young turks are EASED into the system, free agents will give second thoughts to the team, unless they are overpayed or as a last resort. Does Arizona look better than Minnesota? Is he a NL or AL pitcher. Was it a difference of half-a-million or considerably more? We will never know.