nicksaviking

Yeah national guys are going to always think of the Twins front office and Terry Ryan as the guys who overachieved last decade. They aren't as likely to hear about Ryan's strange aversion to platoons or his idea that a team on the sharing end of the revenue sharing stream thinks $7 million per year deals are huge. To be fair and honest, sometimes local writers (and fans) are too deep into the forest to see the trees. However, for the most part they have a better feel for the situation because they analyze the many factors that make up the results. Contrast that with the national guys who generally just analyze the results, as the minutea is too burdensome considering they cover 29 other teams as well.

Don't forget your cap. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LN9zmHnAq6c/TkIjmqPm_MI/AAAAAAAAAi0/ZjDNO-oz1po/s320/dunce_cap.jpg

I wonder if his small stature will make some clubs think he has to be a reliever? That could lower his asking price and shrink the pool of suitors. Of course it's very likely the Twins would be one of those clubs who don't like his height.

What is the proper amount of months after which to panic? This group did rebuild the Twins once. They also failed to rebuild the Twins once. If all you are basing this off of is past performances, a 50/50 chance at a successful rebuild after what, 36 months, doesn't sound very appealing to me.

I've said before that I didn't actually like the Swisher and Bourn signings as I thought the players were overrated but I liked that Cleveland's management made an effort. I think that effort has made a difference, it demonstrated to the fans, and more importantly the players, that they were making a commitment to turning things around. I think signing a big time manager showed the same commitment. I'm a science and stats guy but I totally think attitude and atmosphere help dictate results even if they cannot be measured.

Well I know most people want to see Gardy gone, me included, but he's been a good soldier for this club and fired or not, Twins fans really have no reason to actually dislike the man. I'd like to see him get his 1,000 win. Just not sure I'd prefer that over the #4 pick. Missing out on both marks would probably be a disappointing scenario but disappointment abounds at Target Field lately so that's exactly what I expect to happen.

Right, only those trying to defend the lack of spending see Willingham as a $21 million player. He is in fact a $7 million player. If the Twins refuse to roll over excess savings into the following year's budget, they really should only be looking at the yearly cost. Same with any potential international free agent. Abreu or Tanaka may get $60 million, but at $10 million per year, that's not stretching anyone's budget too far. 103 players had a $10 million salary or higher last year.

I was always of the mind that Mauer moving to 1B would hurt the team offensively but this is a true point. Mauer moving to 1B means more AB for Pinto and less for Parmelee or Colabello. Hard to argue that that is going to hurt the team at this point.

I'm not sure. I don't think I could stomach 4 catchers.

How much of a baseball person is Dave St. Peter? Does he really understand the game, or is he basically just a business stratagy guy? Because if he has the level of understanding that the average poster on this site has, he cannot seriously be happy to hear his GM and manager spew this nonsense.

Might as well re-convert Perkins. Fien and Burton would surely make fine starters too. This plan is the aces.

I hope the reasons are at least known to Ryan. You kind of need to know why if you want to remedy the problem.

Are we sure the "concussion" wasn't just an excuse to get out of playing on a terrible team and instead play video games with his best bud? I took liberties with the Patriot Act and recently recorded a telephone conversation between Mauer and Morneau soon after the Canadian was traded to Pittsburgh. It went like this: Canuck: I got traded to them Pittsburgh Pirates. Mauer: Say what?! I thought I had it written into my contract that we get to play together until we retire or die from drinking a combination of cola and pop rocks. Canuck: Bill Smith pulled the old razzle dazzle and put some of that fine print on your contract, it didn't count I guess. You also gotta clean the Target Field bathrooms if your OBP dropps below .360. Mauer: Well that's it, I'm going to Pittsburgh to play with you. Canuck: You can't play there, don't ya know Minnesotan's can only play for the Twins? Mauer: Well then I'll quit. I'm moving with you, I'll start looking for a two-bedroom for us. Canuck: Make it three, we can turn the extra room into planetarium like at our old place. I still have some of those glow in the dark stars to stick on the ceiling. But don't quit, just tell Gardy you been getting headaches. We might be able to make this work if we try the old "Canadian Brain Freeze" trick. Mauer: Isn't that when you Canadians ride a Moose naked through town with an ice bucket on your head? Canuck: No, that's the "Frozen Furry Wedgie" and it's a bucket of maple syrup. Remember that time I was into those Saskatoon mobsters big time in 2010 and ended up missing the rest of the season? I think the concussion thing can still work.

Well it's like playing the stock market. You need to speculate a few buy low guys who have clear upside thus an ability to sell higher than when you bought them. Correia, Pelfrey, Carroll and Doumit are not the kind of players who can accomplish this. You need to go after low floor/high ceiling guys. Ryan seems to try to avoid the boom or bust scenario by going after high floor/low ceiling guys. However, as it keeps turning out, these seemingly safer free agents actually have a pretty low floor themselves. As to the last sentence, the Twins refusal to eat salary has been talked about a ton. I guess if they are unwilling to do so, this kind of free agent flipping is probably always going to be a problem for them.

Wolfson also says he thinks the Twins are unlikely to sign him as the money (he suggested $55 million) was too much. This attitude has to change. $10 million per year is not too much for the second highest paid player on a MLB team. Ryan and everybody supporting the concept that the Twins are in the finacial class of Pittsburgh, Tampa and Oakland have to stop looking at the total contract and start looking at the money per year. Each year is budgeted independently; after all, the Twins won't carry over any money they DIDN'T use the previous year and add it to the next.

Once a week the front office orders lunch from Chipotle instead of their usual safe choice of Applebees.

Sir, I think you are mistaken that I am mistaken. Clearly it's a lot of money, but not in the context of a MLB operation. I'd like to see the players union responds to that remark. With that quote in mind, I doubt Ryan would have signed Joe Mauer to his large extension and I think this attitude is evidence (not proof) that he left his post so as not to have to worry about such deals as his, Morneau's, Hunter's or Santana's.

Good stuff. I wonder if Felix Jorge or any Appy League guys will make it. The innings/appearances criteria rule out Stewart and Gonsalves from any league consideration.

That's a very vague gameplan. I think you are missing the point. As Ox said, the Astros and Marlins went scorched earth on their roster and clensed it of nearly all vetran filler that was taking up roster spots and taking away playing time from young players. From this point forward it's go young or go home for them. The Cubs spent big on international free agents and signed a bunch of pitchers on short term deals in the hope of flipping them for more prospects. The Twins don't seem to be following a plan. Sitting on your hands does not cut it. The Twins have a handful young players up playing meaningful ball but they mostly have a bunch of veterans and older journeymen minor-leaguers. Ryan Doumit is still starting most days, a rebuilding team doesn't do that. Many of these vets/filler look to be competing for roster spots next year despite the fact they do not look to be a possible solution for the long term. A rebuilding team should not have this many players ages 27 or older on the roster. No the Twins do not seem to have a clear game plan other than blind faith in the prospects.

Agreed. Ryan himself says he doesn't feel free agents can help the Twins rebuild and he wants to do it with prospects. Well how do you get prospects? The draft and through trade. The Twins have next to nothing to trade right now, so use free agency to sign guys who have a possible profile of a tradable asset. Noodle armed swing men like Kevin Correia never had a chance of bringing back a return. The Yankees couldn't get anything for Hughes this season but he does have the pedigree and name where a turnaround season would give him considerable trade value. There are plenty of players on the market who may not be able to singlehandedly turn the club around in 2014 but will be valuable to competitive teams come next July. Of course the Twins still may have to be willing to eat some salary.

For a lot of Twins fans, getting rid of Anderson as opposed to Liriano was the preferred option. I would like to point out that if we are basing the argument on WAR, Baker would have been a better signing than Pelfrey.

Let's go outside the organization with a former hispanic catcher. Sandy Alomar Jr. or Pudge Rodriguez. Let's get some Latin leaders with the current group of young international players coming up.

Young nurse agrees with him.

We shouldn't, but we then also shouldn't ignore the Pohlads' vocal affirmation that the Twins do not have any financial limitations. In that scenario, the only limitations are the GM's ability or willingness to use those resources.

The fans will always come back and the Pohlads know it. The end years at the Metrodome were packed despite the emptiness which allowed my unimpeded ability to snag seven batting practice balls one game I went to in the late 1990's. I went to a game once where the promotion was to give away unused tickets to Eric Milton's no-hitter because they actually had tens of thousands left that they did not issue.