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About this blog

Catch up on all things Minnesota Twins from an insider's perspective without the added slant.

Entries in this blog

Fleeting Second: Brian Dozier’s Awesome Flash

I found myself thinking through recent Twins history today and considered how much volatility there has been in terms of consistency. The Twins have been mostly bad, but when good, the performances have came and went rather quickly. 2020 truly looks like an open window, but it is Brian Dozier that I latched onto as the pinnacle of the roller coaster.   After debuting in 2012 as a shortstop, Dozier quickly flamed out at the position after just 84 games there in his opening salvo. He would relocat
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Fixing The Mound For Minnesota

We're well past the halfway point in the 2017 Major League Baseball season. With the Minnesota Twins now looking at both the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians above them in the AL Central, growth is more the focus than the playoffs the rest of the way. Once again this season, pitching has been a problem for the Twins, and 2018 can be a tide turning moment.   For the past handful of years, the Twins have found themselves in a circular state of rebuild. There's been bumps in the road howeve
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Fixing Pitching With Catching

The hot stove season is just around the corner, and the GM Meetings have kicked off down in Arizona. As the offseason rolls on, we'll quickly get closer and closer to free agent signings taking place at a rapid pace. I don't believe there's too many names the Twins should be in on (see here), but Jason Castro is one I really like.   Now I can understand why a catcher with a less than exciting hit tool might have Minnesota Twins fans down, but there's plenty more to the puzzle here. It's true tha
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Fixing Free Agency, MLB’s Dark Cloud

We are now halfway through January and are in the middle of a free agency cycle that is highlighted by two premiere talents. In a sport that suppresses player earnings for nearly a decade, opportunities to sign youthful megastars at the height of their potential is largely uncharted territory. Even with that reality currently sitting before us, players are watching as organizations hand out moderate deals and scrutinize anything that truly would move the needle.   At the current juncture, there’
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

11

Five Pieces To Change Minnesota Fortunes

With the dust still settling on the Wild Card loss to the New York Yankees, it's probably early for some to be thinking about the offseason for the Twins. That being said, we've officially entered that portion of the program, and this will be the first true offseason for Derek Falvey and Thad Levine to tip their hand.   A year ago, Falvey and Levine were new to the organization, and looking to evaluate more than they sought out making waves. Additions came in the form of low risk, low reward typ
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

9

First Round Fall on Minnesota 40 Man

With the regular season and Postseason now in the books, the Minnesota Twins are joined by every other major league team in the offseason. Joe Mauer is a free agent for the first time in his career, and the front office has plenty of 40 man roster decisions to make. Prior to bringing in new talent the organization must decide who will be kept from within. At this juncture, there's a very real possibility a first round pick could see his time come to an end.   Recently on Twins Daily, Seth Stohs
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Findings from the Fort

I landed in sunny Fort Myers on Tuesday morning, and have now got in three full days of Twins action. I’ll be here for a couple more days, but rather than pile everything into one offering, I figured I’d break up the notes a bit. With minor league action having kicked off this week, there’ literally something going on from 9am until about 3:45 each day. I need to do a better job of sunscreen application, but here’s what I’ve gathered while taking it all in.   Most of the tech is now in applicati
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Finding the Twins Next Utility Man

Going into this offseason the Minnesota Twins are going to need a replacement for a couple of backup infielders. Both Marwin Gonzalez and Ehire Adrianza are free agents, and I’d expect the Twins to move on from both. They served key roles on the active roster however, so seeking out a replacement will be necessary.   Marwin was signed under the premise that his 2017 was repeatable, and had they know it was a trash idea, Minnesota likely would’ve looked elsewhere. Adrianza was a glove first guy t
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Feeling Out The Twins Tradeable Assets

As the Winter Meetings are underway, tons of scenario begin to be tossed around. Both free agents and trade candidates have names floated all over the place, and big league clubs are trying to best position themselves for the upcoming season. With the Minnesota Twins, exploring the trade route is an intriguing option, and one that Darren Wolfson has continued to suggest as likely for the hometown team. If that's the plan of action, what assets are worth keying in on?   Recently, a Pittsburgh Pir
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Feeling Out the Front Office

Over the course of the past two seasons I have seen plenty of comments directed towards the Minnesota Twins front office. With Derek Falvey and Thad Levine replacing the Terry Ryan regime, much has been made of their age and new-fangled way of doing things. When looking at it objectively however, are there really any egregious missteps, and isn't this the way baseball is run around the league?   From many around the media landscape, nicknames have been given to the duo sitting at the top of 1 Tw
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

10

Falvey Has To Fix A Massive Minnesota Flaw

Maybe it's because here in the upper Midwest, we operate from the standpoint of Minnesota nice. It could be that wherever Terry Ryan and his colleagues come from, they believe in operating for the benefit of their competitor. Heck, maybe the definition of a trade is a really large gray area for the Twins front office. As Derek Falvey steps in though, fixing a broken avenue for player acquisition is a must.   As the Cubs reached the World Series this season, I've thought back to this piece I wrot
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Falvey Gives Twins A Leap In Year One

In looking back to some of the things I wrote about Derek Falvey and Thad Levine upon being hired last fall, I stumbled upon a piece that focused on Twins acquisitions. Namely, how well does Minnesota utilize the trade market, and does it work in their favor. You can read that piece here, but the conclusion was that Terry Ryan left plenty to be desired on that front. A year in, Falvey is providing reason for excitement.   Over the course of 2017, the Twins found themselves in a unique position a
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Fall Sets Up Big Future For Twins Prospects

Back in October, I wrote about the Twins and their seven players headed to the Arizona Fall League. The focus was on what each of them needed to improve or work on over the next two months, and how they could end 2015 on a high note. Over the weekend, each of them became Arizona Fall League champs, and it was because of their success that the title was claimed.   As I tweeted out over the weekend, baseball is no doubt a team sport, however it was the Twins group that carried this team during the
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Everything Breaking Right For Twins

Coming off a 103 loss campaign a season ago, there was plenty of room for tempered expectations in 2017. While many feared another lackluster season, the expectation always should have been a generous step forward. Given the uncertainty of youth, a three year span with a boom, buster, and normalization felt appropriate to surmise. As we go down the stretch in 2017 however, the Twins have become much more.   Going into 2017, I felt pretty confident that something in the upper 70's seemed like a r
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Everyone Wins on Odorizzi’s Payday

Prior to the 4pm deadline to decide on the qualifying offer presented to Jake Odorizzi by the Minnesota Twins, a decision was made. The 2019 All Star made the choice to return to Wes Johnson and Rocco Badelli’s staff on a one-year pact. This one will be lucrative at $17.8 million, but in the end all sides win.   In 2020 Odorizzi will be just 30 years old and is coming off a career year. He had a mechanics breakdown and blister issue mid-season for the Twins but bookended that performance with ex
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Everyday Joe Hurts Mauer Most

When you look back at a team that has started the Major League Baseball season 10-29 through their first 39 games, there's going to be very few positives. Through the first month for the Twins, one of the brightest spots was the resurgence of Joe Mauer. What is becoming a bit more clear to me though is that it wasn't a resurgence at all, but rather a player being allowed to thrive.   Stick with me here, and let's take a look back at Joe Mauer over the past two seasons.   To start the 2016 campai
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Escobar Has Become The Future

As the 2016 Major League Baseball season kicked off, there were plenty of different narratives for this version of the Minnesota Twins. Questions about the bullpen and youth were present, but there was one position that was absolutely cemented in. Paul Molitor had no doubts about who his shortstop was going to be this season, Eduardo Escobar had taken care of those questions.     Prior to the 2015 season, Escobar was locked into a competition with Danny Santana as to who would take over as the T
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Ervin Servin Up An Uncatchable Problem

Way back in 2015, I wrote about Ervin Santana and what he was bringing to the Twins after signing as a free agent. The crux of the piece was that he needed to show an ability to be more than his surrounding parts. He's been a great pitcher when paired with great defenses. That has been the case in 2017 for the Twins, but in June, his defense hasn't been able to be a factor.   As doom and gloom sets in of late, it's first worthwhile to offer some perspective. Santana has made 15 starts for the Tw
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Ervin Santana Giving Twins A Good Problem

The Minnesota Twins have seen a nice turnaround to start the 2017 Major League Baseball season. Hovering around the .500 mark, Paul Molitor's squad looks much more reflective of their true talent level than the team did just a season ago. You could argue that the club's main attraction thus far has been their ace Ervin Santana. This go round though, he's not just the Twins ace, but is currently pitching better than anyone in baseball.   A couple of years ago, I wrote a piece on Ervin Santana and
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Ervin Santana And His Wrench

Friday afternoon, just days away from the Twins heading to Detroit to take on the Tigers and open the 2015 Major League Baseball season, free agent pitcher Ervin Santana was popped with an 80 game suspension. He was caught for using an oral steroid, Stanozolol. With the news, the Twins immediately have a different outlook for not only their rotation, but the upcoming season as a whole.   A situation such as the one that the Twins have been put in due to the poor decision making of Santana has so
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Equality, the Minors, and a Trailblazer

Today is a day like many other days during the Major League Baseball season. There’s both day and night games, and teams across the nation have scheduled contests. Unlike other days, today is a day in which every major leaguer will wear number 42. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, and his digits forever remain retired paying homage to his efforts. More than just a color barrier though, this is a story of equality. Although baseball has come a long ways in that vein, there’s still one larg
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Emptying Out The Twins Mailbag

It's been a while since I've done a Twins mailbag here at Off The Baggy, and with the Twins playing some really fun and exciting baseball, it seemed like a good time. Soliciting questions from readers on Twitter, there was a handful of solid submissions. As the summer draws to a close, we'll get more concrete answers to some of these.   Before letting the Twins play out the rest of their 2017 season, it seemed like a good time to take a look at some lingering questions about the year that has be
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Emergence of Arms

The Minnesota Twins went the route of signing multiple veterans on one year deals to supplement their relief corps for 2018. Now that the season has taken a different turn, all of those players have been shipped out to greener pastures. For 2019 and beyond, a goal of the organization has to be finding the next Trevor Hildenberger or Ryan Pressly. As things stand currently, there's a duo of dandies that have begun to stand above the rest.   Whether or not the Twins have a proven closer going into
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Embracing New Ideas Highlights World Series Storylines

There is no more frustrating word to me in modern baseball than analytics. I love and fully embrace the new avenues in which we are able to evaluate and prepare in regards to the game of baseball. Unfortunately, boiling it down to a buzzword as “analytics” has become, leads to little more than a quick note suggestive of being well versed in actual understanding. This World Series is about two organizations that are fully capable of turning up their nose at those instances.   Let’s not be naïve,
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Elite Is Something Buxton Has Covered

For a couple of seasons, Byron Buxton was the top prospect in all of Major League Baseball. The Twins second overall pick in the 2012 draft was making scouts drool with a shed full of tools just begging to be put on display at the big league level. Fast forward to 2017, and we haven't seen it all come together yet, but the Minnesota centerfielder is an eyelash away from already becoming elite.   Offensively, Buxton has excelled at every stop he's made on his way to the big leagues. Batting avera
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

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