Rosterman

Starter or Releif Ace. Make the choice and keep on it...we don't ant another Fernando Romero situation. The Twins do NEED another to-flight starter. Better than Kyle Gobson 2018, period. They can patchwork a 5th starter, or hopefully Dobnak or Thorpe will step up and grab the spot. I can also live with people getting innings during the beginning of the year, especially when you don't need a fith starter arm...and taking looks at people like Smeltzer, or perhaps Graterol. But using Graterol as a long man means you are basically adding a 3-4 inning bullpen arm being used minimal. Better to have ONE guy share his SPOT WITH ANOTHER, or an arm that could pitch three out of five days if needed. Of course, the need to now face three batters within an inning will change bullpen makeup and management...shaken out during the season, I imagine. Still don't see it being as big of a deal. You can still bring in a guy to close an inning and not use him the next inning. But you will have to carefully judge warmups and batters faced, esecpailly with an extra offense bat on each roster, too.

I hate to think that Kepler, Polanco and Rosario played the best they ever will. Might have a spike up for a season. But consistentcy is the key and can expect it from them at this point. Buxton needs to stay healthy. But he may be bypassed soon by others in the organization. Sano, so to speak, is the elephant in the room. Do you commit? You know he won't play third forever. Is he your best bet for first abse for a season or two? Do you think he can become a David Ortiz designated hitter with same sort of salary demands? At some point the Twins need to make decision on moving forward with these guys or trding them off and letting other teams worry. Berrios is the real deal. BUT he may not be the #1 pitcher we need of think he is longterm. Right now, he would be MY priority to sign for 3-5 seasons. After that, he will be a $200+ million pitcher or not.

I always don't understand that extra year. Would you rather have three years at, say $25 million or 4 years at $20 million each. Okay, extra five million. Have a buyout option, or a performance option. Who says you really want to pitch four more years at age 32?

At this point just pick up a salary dump like David Price and still keep all of the above players.

Bill Evers is still a coach, too?

It is a competition. Every player has a team/s they long to play for. Agents have a pecking order of teams they contact, and they look for the money. We are a cold Kansas City. Right?

Again, there was the Minny issue on the table. Minnesota or Florida. The problem often is that you MUST lay your best offer on the table right away. There is seldom a comeback, unless you are close enough that the agent thinks he can bluff you higher, or the agent thinks he can bluff the other team because of interest (but that doesn't work as the "second" offer is usually revealed). I'm sure that Twins like Berrios, Sano, Buxton and even Rosario, although they "love" Minnesota, are salivating at the prospect of playing elsewhere, in a bigger market (perhaps player revenue for advertising and such) and nickel and diming your "future" can sometimes work against getting a long-term commitment from in-house players, too.

The Twins need to get better than Gibson, circa 2018. Then they need to be better than Perez in anyway possible. And I will feel much better, then, about the Odorizzi and Pineda signings. Don't get me wrong. It is probably WRONG to assume that players will consistently get better from season-to-season. The best you can usually hope for is that player declines will offset those that do excel. And that it the gamble you sometimes (ofttimes) take on someone like Marco, that he can only get better in the next 1-3 years, rather than sink into oblivion. But you don't know that.

Eliser is not someone you go after if you are a competing team. Of course, you are substituing out Cave for him. And is he better than Smeltzer of Dobnak at this point in time, and how does he compare to other arms in the system? The bigger question, the NOT need for Cave,

Good. It gives the Twins a good look at Griffin Jax at AAA. And makes Wander Javier a possible trade piece if he can shine. Youa ctually have to look at a guy and think if he can give you any kind of work in 2020 to keep him on the roster. I think organizations are beyond grabbing someone to keep on the 25-man, then stash back in the minors. There is so much movement in the free agent realm (majors, guys not getting arbitration thus cheaper, minor league free agents, people just getting released because of peckng order). The smart teams figure out a way to pull off minor league trades, especially now going forth.

One bad year in three stops in the system. We got him in a minor trade for Nick Anderson last season. Wish we still had Nick!

The Cubs still want something in return. Question is do they want immediate (et's say Rosario). Or all future, which is a BIG gamble on their part. But they do get money to re-spend.

Who's on first? I picture Garver only catching half-the-games at best. So we'd like to keep him in the line up - at first base. Gonzales is also a man without a position. He could rotate at first with Garver, or pull a rotation with Sano at third. I could live with this, if we feel not having a permanent scoop at first will work. Willians Astudillo is also in the mix and with the 26th man spot, a perfect addition for carrying a third catcher who can also play multiple positions and come off the bench. The Twins need one starter, who is better than Pineda or Odorizzi. Period. Then it would be nice to have a second body that, fer sure, is better than Gibson. They will be able to rotate bodies from the 40-man in the early days of the season (Thorpe, Smeltzer, Drobnak) until Pineda comes back. They can decide if Graterol is a starter, too. Hopefully these names will hold fort during the year and into 2021 and not go the way of Gonsalves, Stewart, DeJong, Mejia and Slegers. I would love to see the Twins have a real closer...unless they truly feel May can hold down the job. I would ratehr see Rogers as the lefty setup guy, occasional closer, at best. There is no real need for a Rule 5. The Twins have adequate infield backup on the 40-man (Gordon) or in the wings (Raley/Rooker/Wiel). They have an abundance of outfielders and could even afford to part with Rosario if they can use him to get a rotation arm or surefire closer candidate. If a Rosario position opens, I would like to see Krilloff or Larnach go on fast trak! The team will get better if they sign or trade the best rotation arm available that is better than anyone they currently have behind Berrios. And use some of those prospects for trade bait if you must. Anyone else think it is pretty amazing that the team still has three open spots on the 40-man, and possibly four other spots that could easily be swapped out for...better players?

He's a worthy replacement for Castro. Signed only for a year at a decent salary. He can catch, offer some production. The question is figuring out if certain catchers will catch certain pitchers no matter what. And if you will actually work Garver into the lineup at first base (and occasionally as a DH).

The thing is someone will pay for Bumgarner. Do you think he has enough upside to go multiple years (like 4 or 5). It's all a gamble. But if you don't grab him,does someone in your division or league grab him and have the upside. The downside is that he bombs. Hopefully he doesn't in year one or two, which means he is still tradable and that "second place bidder" could still be someone to take his conract off your hands, plus give you something for the future. Yes, you are out a prospect and also money. Right now the Twins are banking on Odorizzi and Pineda being better than they were in 2019, or at least the same (we lose Pineda on the front end rather than the back end this year). Berrios should be better, and the Twins need to sign him up longer term. SO, how can you prove on Gibson and Perez? Getting two experienced arms can go a long way in this scenario,as youcan use the "Pineda-time" to look at Dobnak, Smeltzer, Thorpe and, perhaps, Graterol, as starters for the future, someoneto replace Odorizzi in 2020. None of thise names NEEDS to pitch fulltime in the majors in 2020, but will have opportunities, hopefully, to face major league batters at some point and still work on their stuff to dominate at AAA.

We were excited after 2017. And don't forget that also added Lance Lynn in 2018. The free agents helped. But the Twins, because then didn't compete, did manage to move some for some talent (as well as prospective free agents). Hey, if 2019 didn't happen as it did, the Twins would've been flipping Odorizzi, Pineda, Schoop, Cron and Castro, too for more and mroe prospects, rather than losing them to free agency. Always remember, everyone wants the BEST of the free agents. But everyone does have payroll restrictions, or roster space availability. (Remember now, Pineda needs to hold a 40-man spot thru spring training. He then can go on the suspended list opening the season. The Twins could add someone from the minorleague side. But also remember that when Pineda comes back, unless they are disabled and go to the 60-man, the Twins will have to lose a player, perhaps from the organization as well as as the 40-man. And one more comment on payroll. Some teams (i.e. Yankees) have the ability to release/not play $30-40 million of payroll and not have it hurt them on the field. The majority of teams cannot afford to have that talent collecting paychecks and not producing, let alone outright releasing a body and eating their payroll cost (i.e. the Twins eating Addison Reed's salary, paying for Mike Lamb to play ball for anotehr couple of seasons........).

The Front Office is still remaking the Twins in their own desired image. Last year they finally got to put their own field staff on the diamond. The management of the minor leagues has been shuffled and should be fully revised this coming season. There is still a shakeout on what to do with the star prospects of the old regime (Berrios, Rosario, Sano, Buxton) for how long and how much. I'm seeing that a bigger emphasis is being placed on grooming players for future roles, and I don't doubt that something big might happen. But the timetable I saw for the Twins FLavine regime was 2021. The made some good moves last season. They will do the same this season. Again, the big decision is Sano longterm, at third or first of just as a Twin. How much is Berrios worth...is he a $100 million pitcher. Will Buxton be a Twin forever or pushed by Larnach to anotehr team. I think what they do with Rosario between now and spring training will also speak...take the chance and move him when he MIGHT be worth his most...and for what? They still are getting a feel for the farm system. But I can see them following the Astros format and grabbing a big-money name like Grienke for some prospects rather than signing a guy for 5-7 years and $200 million. They will always be out there at trade deadline, but you carefully think about what they bring now and in the future at what cost. It ain't easy being a general maager. There's three or four stellar free agents. The chances of them coming to Minnesota is nill, unless you have been placing yourself in the World Series year-after-year. And then, like starting pitchers, there ae a dozen teams looking at guys like Odorizzi, Gibson, Pineda who would happily pay less than what they guys got this year. The competition comes in paying more than what the guys got. A player wants money. They want a contract of length. The want to play for a competitive team. They look at location and what other possible revenue opportunities exist for them (ads, spokesperson). They have agents pushing for them to take the biggest contract today.

So do the Twins own the complez and ownership the team?

I would think the Twins could easily match this, and probably given the Orioles someone even closer to pitching in the majors. Lots of uncertainity in all those young arms.

People say two years and $15. So why didn't the A's sign him. Use him as a flippable themselves. The other interesting fact: the A's were offering him to any team willing to take the aribtration salary, and also give the A's something in return. That, in itself, is a warning sign.

The only drawback, I seem to remember, is that Mauer was out for most of the 2004 season and we were stuck with Henry Blanco (who played the best he has ever played) plus Pat Borders and Rib Bowen. Nathan was lights out. Boof and Francisco didn't show up until 2005.

There seemed to be a lot more marketing of players and their teams, as well as players in the major league baseball orbit. That ash changed with litle or no loyalty on both ends, sadly. But back to records. Have changed with the times, numebrs of games, way the game is played. Especially team records. But soemthin to alk about who bring recognition to a certain stat. My gripe is talking about being "such and such" against the Tigers last year, or the record of the Twins against the Yankees. The teams change so much, even in a year now, that you can't judge how that guy pitched or played against last year's version of any team, so why do it?

I am surprised that there isn't "radio" between the dugout and catcher/pitcher. Instead of the catcher looking to the dugout sometimes for a pitch call. Errors. Happens if a bad throw from the catcher to a base which allows for an advancement of the runner. The passed ball is essentially an error, but still not an error unless a runner scores. It's when the catcher looks to have control but misses the ball. Yes, don't understand why NOT just call it for what it is. Boy, not only does a catcher have to know all about a batter (as should the pitcher), but ahs to work in conjunction with the pitcher for a throwing plan. And what happens when a new pitcher comes in? Which is why you see more and more catchers lined-up with specific rotation arms. Imagine doing the squats of a catcher, having to watch the game thru a mask, keeping the arm in shape to throw back 140 times to the mound. The catcher throws more pitches, per say, than the pitcher in a game. Just doesn't need the speed or pinpoint control. I can live with the electronic umpire. So the catcher doesn't have to play the games with their glove so much. Maybe eliminate some wild pitches and passed balls, too.

There is little reason the Twins shouldn't be the same or better overall (current player-wise) in 2020. Everyone is still is sorta prime playing years. The ball may not bomb as far, so the Twins need to work on advancing that extra base. The bullpen looks pretty strong. Hopefully money spent will replicate the rotation which started the majority of the season games with just five arms in 2019. Arraz will have a bit less pop than Schoop, but a full season from any numebr of players or positions might help offset that. Do the Twins need speed on the bases? Is fielding still an issue? Can they WIN in Target Field? Those are the questions I see in 2020.

People don't get excited about the signing of minor league free agents, and in the past it was reported as Big News, but now seems to gets hedlines at MLBtraderumors. You would think that with around 150 players in your organization, one wouldn't need to sign players to mostly play at AAA ball (with a few starting their next turn at AA ball). Can you explain to all of us the reasoning behind minor league free agents, the reason an organization will spend extra money to bring in players looking for a comeback or stalled then jettisoned by a team, or reflect on some gem moments you might remember of such signings in, prhaps, the past decade?