Rosterman

Well, there goes the chance for Polanco to move on. Wong, longtime Twins fans will remember, was drafted by the Twins in the 16th-round of the 2008 draft, but didn't sign.

Twins will take the "one-more-year" gamble. But Ryan, if nothing else, could develop into a great shutdown bullpen arm. ALways felt he would be best suited for the role of a closer. But as long as he can put up decent starts, I will run him out every fifth day and, hopefully, get four more years out of the guy in a Twins uniform.

He was still young. Probably should've been sent down to AA for awhile, sooner rather than not at all. And basically has trolled in the Twins system long-enough that he would become a minor league free agent if waived off the roster and someone would openly grab him. For the promise alone. But 2023 is his final year to put something together for the Twins. A fast start with decent numbers could make him part of a trade package. But right now, even as a throw-in, he doesn't have much value.

Gambling is the magic word. The future could be bright...if healthy. Can Royce be the longterm solution at shortstop? How long will we have to wait to see. And, if so, where do we plug in Martin and Lee in the seasons following. The outfield logjam. We know Kepler. But Wallner, Kirilloff and Larnach are unknowns, still. Celestino is also still a prospect. We have half-a-catcher. Arraez is great, but he is far from your typical first baseman. But the Twins still have a designated hitter/bench spot need when all is said and done. Hopefully a right-handed puncher who can also play the field, somewhere. Front office, don't try and sell us on a competitive team. Still doing the tryout thing, and the best we can ask is that the guys get playing time, and do well, and surprise us all before you discover they really aen't that good and have to make some mid-season movements, if the team is still competitive. Otherwise, if not, we look at the next batch scheduled to get playing time come end of '23 or soemtime in '24. Unless you open the wallet and sign two top flight free agents (rotation arm and catcher and/or right-handed bat). Of course, you could also trade for a catcher, depending on who you sign for a pitching ace and a right-handed bat from what would then be rotation arm depth and a surplus of outfield "talent."

I'm hoping he becomes our next Jason Kubel, and not our next Jim Eisenreich. At least in a Twins uniform. Although I would like him to comeback in the same way Eisenreich did...for other teams!

I would do that trade.

Great that he is going to work on defense with Correa this winter. Miranda may not be the long-term third baeman, but should suffice for the short-term. He is why Strand was available for trade to the Rangers. Plus the influx of players from Martin, Lewis, Julien, Lee, Shuffield and others that need to find a home. The Twins have to figure out Arraez longterm and where he can play best, or dangle him s a trade chip. Miranda could move to first and MAY be better there than...Arraez. Kirilloff also is in the mix for first. I would not worry about third base for 2023.

I say give him $35m for season 1 and 2 with $30m for 3 & 4 and a $25option for year five. Give him an opt out after each of years 1 and 2.

Paying a free agent piotcher is a luxury for msot teams. You hope for one or two good seasons. With the opt-outs that are in many contracts, you have the ability to front-load for a stud, hope they give you the quality, and let them walk. Or even if you sign a guy to a longer contract (3-5 years) you hopefully have the ability to trade them if it isnb't working out, but their stats are still good enough for a contending team to grab. Even with home grown talent, it is a hard decision. Which is often why it is GREAT if you can nab one of your own talents and sign them longer term by the time they enter arbitration, going that distance of, say, a five year contract into a free agent year or two with mutual options. Most of us in Twins Daily land were on the bubble if Jose Berrios would've been worth a $120 million contract before he was traded to the Blue Jays. Yet one or two years ago, we would've been more than happy to see the Twins sign him for 5-7 years (at what might've been less than $120m). In the end, though, I have a hard time seing the Twins wasting $15-20 million or more on 2-3 so-so arms, rather than just investing in a probably one good arm, if available. Besides the horror stories of old, I was disappointed with the Twins final payout on Archer this last season, where the guy ended up doubling his salary because of his starts, but not really giving us...a start. Right up there with Odorizzi taking the qualifying offer. Thank goodness the 2020 season was shortened and the Twins didn't have to payout the full amount. Again, it is a fine line. Be interesting to see where the Twins go with, say, Joe Ryan. We all remember basically not seeing any longterm worth in the likes of Kyle Gibson, as an example.

Him and Canterino could be studs. Just gotta get the innings. Sadly, see Enlow, at best, becoming a relief arm in the end. He has to advance to AAA. I wish the Twins had sent Balazovic back to AA to work out his rotation kinks. I'm not sure where to be with his status. Should he also start at AA in 2023? Two prospects, along with Canterino, that I doubt will contribute to the team in 2023. And they really don't have a lot of trade value, unless other teams wish to take a flyer on "what could be....."

I hope one is spending an equal amount to Correa's salary on other players to make a winning team.

Well, that opinion solved. Who should we look at next?

I'm not seeing the immediate future, as well as long-term, being a third base issue for the Twins. Which is why they felt comfortable trading Strand to the Reds, I guess. Even shortstop looks to have longer depth (not to mention second-base). The bigger question is first base if you look beyond Arraez and Kirilloff (or move Miranda there). And catcher. And you can always buy a bat to be a DH, and it is a bonus if they can play a position on the field.

I hope we don't lose Severino. Sisk should be picked. We need CATCHERS!

I would go in on Arbeu first (and soon). Otehrwise, might be a reasonable gamble since he can play 1st and the outfield and cycle thru in DH duties. Plus could be a decent bench bat. His strikeout ratio scares me a bit and lessens the desire to have him come off the bench. I'm totally at a loss as to what it would take to sign him. Is he beyond a one-year comeback contract? Does he offer enough for 2-3 years?

If his speed remains and his defense improves, he could push Buxton to right or left field, which would be good! He has power and speed. If he can stop chasing certain pitches, he will be a "force."

Part of it is saving some face from the Padres deal although all the players the Padres got have moved on. Plus, it won't be a huge contract for a certain skill set. Plus, if he shines in spring training, he could be tradable. The mindset is that he still has closer possibilities. But my concern is how he fits into the bullpen as a whole. Is he a one inning guy. Do you bring him in for the strikeout, albeit with the chance that he will also allow a runner to score. Can he only start an inning, not finish an inning with the Twins in trouble. In the 40-man roster pecking order, who is he in front of, and who is he behind. Is Megill the guy to get designated if the Twins need a roster spot for a free agent relief arm? Would the Twins have been better served cutting him loose and then resigning him after he tested the market? If the Twins do cut him, I don't see anyone really grabbing him, instead allowing him to become a free agent so any team that does sign him only has to pay the major league minimum of his new salary. So that is a gamble of $3 million the Twins are taking. And that is what is frustrating about Minnesota. They invest in a player and will try and get back a return as long as they can before eating a contract. Overall, an interesting analysis. Remembering that both Smith and Duffey had good runs during the season, that were far outshadowed by the bad times. Yes, a relief pitcher can have one bad appearance that totally wrecks their stats. And great jobs in bad games don't necessarily get you a star on the board, either.

Would love to see him as a coach. Hey, is Miranda still working out with Correa at his home!?

Lots of tems should've outbid the Twins on Correa. But they didn't. Yes, I would go for Bogaerts. So we can all mangle the name when typing. I would do a contract that has an opt out after Year Two and/or Three.

It's like the Twins traded Garver, Rrrtvedt and Donaldson for millins in dollar savings (which resulted in the one year of Correa), plus one year of Sanchez and Urshela, plus Ronny Henrique, and now Alejandro Hidalgo.

Almost any team should take a flyer on him. But his health is still in question. H kmjight do better abroad, depending on how badly he would like to visit...Asia. I'm picturing he might end up starting the year in the Mexican Leagues, unless he gets some Winter Ball play to show he is up to be being back on a major league field.

The Twins now, during this and last off-season, added a shortstop who can also be a catcher. Seeiing a trend here!

If you have money to spare and kinda in the middle ground with playoff aspirations, might be a good gamble as players that could improve and be flipped for prospects (at the expense of some monies). The Twins Big Decision how to handle the glut of potential players like Larnach, Kirilloff, Wallner, Celestino with Martin, Lewis, Lee and a few others in the wings.

If we an't get Correa, I would offer a slightly lower deal for Bogarts. It would free-up names of shortstop prospects (yes, Lewis, Martin, Lee, Miller) as well as outfielders (Kepler, Winder, Larnach, Celestino, Kiriilloff) for going after someone. By not tendering Pagan and Urshela, you have mroe money to spend. Yes, I would get Arbeu. Not sure where we end up playing Arraez (who is actually at his top price as tradebait, possibly). I would go all-in on Rodon rather than the trade with Milwaukee. I would figure out a trade of outfielders and a pitcher to Toronto for one of their catchers, perhaps. Or really blowup a Big Package and get Murray from Oakland. If you sign a major rotation arm, you suddenly have tradables in Winder, Sands, Varland, Enlow, Balazovic, even Headrick, Ober. You don't trade them all, but could lose two or three easily. The Twins need a catcher. It would nice to have a real ace. They need a big bat who can DH and play somewhere in the field. A good bullpen veteran, the magic word GOOD, would be a wonderful addition. The pain is that there are too many unpredictables amongst the Twins keepers that would determine how competitive they might be in 2023. Madea, Ryan, Ober, Mahle. Polanco, Miranda, Larnach, Kirilooff, Buxton (even), Larnach. Duran, Moran, Alcala, Thielber, Lopez. I can't write down on paper what to expect from any opf them. Better or worse than 2022, or 2021, numbers!?!

No one is going to trade for Paddack and pay him to sit out a season. They will wait to see if the Twins release him, and then go from there. Same with tendering Pagan and Urshela. If you are mainly doing it as possible movable pieces, you don't think other teams will see that and offer trade pieces accordingly. Unless someone desperately needs a quality third baseman because of injury, and the team is in a competitive state. The decisions on Pagan and Urshela is IF the money spent could be better spent elsewhere. On a better bat, bullpen arm, or a need like catcher and top rotation arm. That's $13 mil you could possibly use as an upgrade. But, the team did sign Garlick to be the 7th or 8th man in the outfield.