Lots of teeth gnashing on Twins' offseason so far - and for good reason. The strong FA pitching class has been whittled down to almost the vanishing point, or so it seems to many of us. After a record-setting 101 win season, followed by the crushing exit at the hands of the Evil Empire, the FO made noises about adding impact pitching. As most of us on TD realize, this team just doesn't stack up well in a playoff environment. The bats go cold, our starters and bullpen fall on their faces, and our defense throws away whatever slim chances we had left.

So what to do to move the needle forward? Well, here's my plan(in order of importance):

1. The Rotation

Unless a miracle occurs and they sign Ryu, the trade route is the way to go. Top priority should be Robbie Ray. Now that MadBum is on board, Ray might be expendable. He has one year left before FA and he was supposedly in play at last trade deadline. They have a need for a starting OF and Rosario might be a good fit. Sweeten the pot a bit with one or two of our top 20 prospects and get the deal done. Ray is not yet the ace we were seeking but he seems to have the upside to slot ahead of Berrios, et. al. At worse he would be a solid addition to the rotation.

And by all means take a flyer on some free agent who could turn things around, fill in for Pineda early, then slide into the #5 slot should our minor leaguers struggle. Julio Teheran would be my first choice, Rich Hill my second. Either one would not break the bank and at least has a high chance to fit into the rotation immediately.

2. The bullpen

Yes, this is still an area that needs improvement. Many on TD believe that with Rogers as closer and Romo, Duffy, May and Littell give us a playoff-ready bulletin. I do not. True, Romo looks solid and May and Duffy made good strides in the second half of 2019 but today's championship teams need a shutdown bullpen and that the Twins do not have. If their closer, Rogers, falters or gets injured or worn out from overuse like multiple innings, this pen is toast. You need at least three proven backenders out of the bullpen. The solution has to start with signing Betances, who is looking for a one year, $10MM contract. The FO should have jumped already. He is a risk, but one well worth taking. I would also try to sign either Will Harris or Daniel Hudson or even our old friend Brandon Kintzler. Two additions and this bullpen suddenly looks fortified for the long haul.

3. The infield

Right now, we have a vacancy at 1B and an admittedly inferior left side infield defense. The solution seems apparent: 1.) move Sano to 1B, 2.) trade Arraez, and either one or two of our top 5 pitching prospects to the Cubs for Kris Bryant; 3.) move Polanco to 2B and insert Adrianza in as starting SS. The Cubs need a leadoff hitter/2B, they need to shed payroll and they need to add to their minor league pitching depth - in a big way. This is a high risk trade, but one that an organization seeking to move deep into the playoffs now should be doing.

Notice the above moves do not require signing a high priced FA, though Bryant will certainly be one by 2022 at the latest, and Ray will not be cheap either. But these moves will show the current roster that managment is going all out to win now. They could put an exclamation point on this by signing at least Berrios, and possibly Odorizzi to long term contracts. The point is that risks must be taken if you are not going all out for the top free agents. The moves outlined above will dispel the doom and gloom surrounding this franchise now and change the whole dialogue of whether this organization is committed to a World Championship.

Is any of this realistic? Most definitely!! All it takes is some cajones and a willingness to spend some $. Pohlad and Falvey - the ball is in your court.