OK GM's, your LF addition for 2015 is...

[Linus]

I say, let's get on with the future or at least the near future.  Let Plouffe move out there in spring training so he has time to adjust.  It would be reasonable to expect Sano to be up at some point in the season so why not let Plouffe have a good adjustment period.  He's athletic enough to be an improvement over Willingham in left and he probably will continue to improve, at least a little, with the bat.  You could platoon with Parms against really tough right handers.  3rd base could D. Romero for a few months, or go pirahna with Escobar at 3rd and Santana at short.

[Brandon]

I am still going to go with Cuddyer or Hunter.  I think I prefer Hunter slightly over Cuddyer on a 1 year deal.  Cuddyer would probably get a 2 year deal.  I would be ok with a platoon player like Gomes as we do have in house options that play too Parmelee, Nunez, Escobar, Hicks (if Santana is in CF) and Schaefer.  that can be adequate where Cuddyer and Hunter is a slight upgrade and more entertaining.

[tobi0040]

I like trading Ricky Nolasco for Andre Ethier. The Dodgers are loaded in the outfield but their pitching staff will have holes. Ricky wants to be a Dodger anyway.

 

We would likely have to throw in Pelfrey.

[Winston Smith]

We should actually only look at guys that can play the outfield at a major league level. We've had enough troglodytes playing out there. Actual guys that can field would make the pitching better as well.

 

Nolasco for Ethier isn't a bad deal. Nolasco at best is mediocre and Ethier at his best is very good. Cost us a few more bucks but the possible upside could likely be worth that.

[drjim]

I actually think Nolasco for a Dodgers OF is realistic. Works for both teams, would need to work out money and perhaps a second tier prospect that might need to be included.

[gunnarthor]

I do think the Twins should be on the Cuban defectors more heavily than they are.  Tomas would be a nice start.  

[amjgt]

Miguel Sano

 

I'm not totally sure if you are serious or not, but I'm willing to discuss this for a second. 

 

Why not?

 

If Kennys Vargas has shown us anything, it's that if you are young, even if you have a larger build, you can probably still move pretty well. Sano is smaller than Vargas (not that I would play Vargas in LF). I promise you that if Sano played LF for the next 3 years, he wouldn't be any worse at it than Willingham has for the last 3.

 

After that? Well, that's a while from now and a lot of things could change, but Mauer's contract will be up, so that opens up 1B/DH, and who knows, he might be half way decent at it. 

[howeda7]

The only remotely intriguing FA's are Torii and Ichiro. Neither should play every day anymore, though Hunter probably can. There may be some trade options. They should gladly take a bloated contract if that's what it takes.

[diehardtwinsfan]

I think your LF is Chris Parmelee with Plouffe potentially sliding in there if he continues to improve and Sano is pushing him at 3rd. I suspect the Twins are more likely to sign a 1 year CF than an LF this offseason.

[clutterheart]

 Trade Trevor May, A.B. Walker, and Jason Wheeler to the Padres for RHSP Andrew Cashner.

 

I'd try and make a play for LF 'er Starling Marte of the Pirates......(they have McCuthcen, Polanco, Snider among others)    Maybe somthing like     Brian Duensing, Josmil Pinto and Trevor May or Tyler Duffey could suffice.

 

 

Why would those teams want those guys?  Maybe May is enough but I doubt it.  I think you would have to give up a Buxton, Meyer, Berrios, Sano for those guys.

[RedBull34]

Why would those teams want those guys?  Maybe May is enough but I doubt it.  I think you would have to give up a Buxton, Meyer, Berrios, Sano for those guys.

You might be able to swing it for players with high upside/low floor's like Lewis Thorpe or Eddie Rosario.  Not just one but multiple guys.  Not that I think it would happen.

 

But I agree, low upside/MLB serviceable-but-not-important pieces won't work.

[DJL44]

My guess is Shane Victorino is going to get dumped with the Red Sox picking up salary. I'd take him for a year.

[SwainZag]

I think your LF is Chris Parmelee with Plouffe potentially sliding in there if he continues to improve and Sano is pushing him at 3rd. I suspect the Twins are more likely to sign a 1 year CF than an LF this offseason.

 

Out of the whole thread I think this is the most likely response.  Parm in LF, Santana in CF, Arcia in RF with Schaefer as your 4th and if Hicks continue to play well in AAA as a possible bench bat or starting CF.  If and when Buxton is ready you can slide Hicks to LF and Parm to the bench.

 

There are too many suggestions of just sliding random guys to the OF like there's no learning curve.  IE Mauer, Plouffe, Sano, Pinto, etc.

[DJL44]

 Parm in LF, Santana in CF, Arcia in RF with Schaefer as your 4th and if Hicks continue to play well in AAA as a possible bench bat or starting CF.

 

So the plan is another 90 losses and swelling the Pohlad bank accounts? This team has $40MM in payroll space for 2015. Buy a real LF.

[TheDean]

Out of the whole thread I think this is the most likely response.  Parm in LF, Santana in CF, Arcia in RF with Schaefer as your 4th and if Hicks continue to play well in AAA as a possible bench bat or starting CF.  If and when Buxton is ready you can slide Hicks to LF and Parm to the bench.

 

There are too many suggestions of just sliding random guys to the OF like there's no learning curve.  IE Mauer, Plouffe, Sano, Pinto, etc.

 

I don't think it's ideal to slide guys out there, but there's a long history of it in the organization, for better or worse.  I don't think Plouffe is totally random because he's been there before and will basically be Cuddyer 2.0 in some respects (RH power bat prospect struggling early in career, moved around infield as terrible defender, starts to learn defense later).  Mauer is definitely more random, but it's sure tempting to make room in the lineup for him, Vargas, Pinto, and Suzuki all at the same time (OF, 1B, DH, and C, respectively), though I'll admit it's probably like a 1% chance of happening.

I agree that Pinto and Sano are at 0% chance.  Pinto in LF would be worse than Bartlett in LF or Parms in CF.  That's saying something.

 

The darkhorse that I had been pulling for was Vargas's countryman, Ortiz, but it seems that his contact problems are haunting him pretty badly in AAA.  His line seems to be Walker-esque right now, so he's gotta be a super long shot now, even with improvement in spring.

 

I bet it's Hicks/Santana for CF/LF, at least to start.

[SwainZag]

So the plan is another 90 losses and swelling the Pohlad bank accounts? This team has $40MM in payroll space for 2015. Buy a real LF.

Who are you buying?  What realistic 1-2 year LF are you going to buy that's going to put up much better numbers than Parmalee/Hicks in LF?  There will be no long term game changers in free agency this year, and after the outside chance of taking a shot at Tomas, who are they going to bring in?  With Buxton, Arcia, Rosario and Hicks all in the minors right now it's not reasonable to overpay an OF like Melky on a 4-5 year deal.

[Mike Sixel]

What would it hurt to sign a guy that will actually play in the majors next year, and be good at it? I fail to see how that is an issue for this collection of talent.

[SwainZag]

What would it hurt to sign a guy that will actually play in the majors next year, and be good at it? I fail to see how that is an issue for this collection of talent.

I'll ask again, who are you buying? Who are you bringing in?  Realistic players who they could bring in.  We have seen the list that should be available after the season.

[Mike Sixel]

Melky Cabrera is realistic for this budget. Tomas is realistic for this budget.

 

Nothing is unrealistic about either, unless you accept that the Twins should continue to pocket money, and not improve the team.

 

Or, how about trading the future that might not ever come (remember when people didn't want to deal Hicks for Cliff Lee?), and trade for guys? If you have the deepest system EVAR, you can actually trade some guys to get better.

[RedBull34]

Would it kill to put Mauer in LF, I really think he could handle it, and it would solve a lot of issues with the Twins roster.  I give him a decent shot of being pretty good at it too.  Obviously only if he could actually do it well.

[Mike Sixel]

Well, they would have to nicely ask Joe first.....

[RedBull34]

Well, they would have to nicely ask Joe first.....

Of course.  It's an idea and probably a bad one, but it's a talking point.

[RedBull34]

Basically it would put the roster at:

 

C: Suzuki

1B:Vargas? Plouffe? Sano?  Options here anyways.

2B: Dozier

SS: Escobar

3B: Plouffe or Sano

LF: Mauer

CF: Santana

RF: Arcia

 

Then again I really want Santana at short...

[SwainZag]

Melky Cabrera is realistic for this budget. Tomas is realistic for this budget.

 

Nothing is unrealistic about either, unless you accept that the Twins should continue to pocket money, and not improve the team.

 

Or, how about trading the future that might not ever come (remember when people didn't want to deal Hicks for Cliff Lee?), and trade for guys? If you have the deepest system EVAR, you can actually trade some guys to get better.

 

Melky coming off successful season, in which he made $8M btw, will be the cream of the crop for your corner OF being FA's next season.  He turned 30 earlier this month.  Are the Twins going to offer him a 4-5 year contract worth upwards of $10M a season to bring him in?  

 

I would be all for taking a seriously look at Tomas, but he is a guy with no ML experience and after what we saw the Sox dish out for a Cuban OF today, what's his price tag going to be? 

 

Who do you want to trade? Buxton? Sano?   I understand that people want to win, but the lack of patience and the "what have you done for me lately" attitude is just mind boggling to me.

 

BTW, you do know what Cliff Lee's contract has been over the last 4 years or so right?  While his career could be over very soon, Hick's place as a starter might not even be here yet.  Going forward who do you want, 36 year old Cliff Lee or 25 year old Aaron Hicks?

[RedBull34]

I would be all for taking a seriously look at Tomas, but he is a guy with no ML experience and after what we saw the Sox dish out for a Cuban OF today, what's his price tag going to be?

I really think that's going to bite the Sox in the kiester.  I keep seeing these Cuban players sign for big money, one of them has to fail pretty soon.  There can't really be a market inefficiency there for much longer...

[SwainZag]

I really think that's going to bite the Sox in the kiester.  I keep seeing these Cuban players sign for big money, one of them has to fail pretty soon.  There can't really be a market inefficiency there for much longer...

 

Rumors on the contract will pay him a pro-rated salary this year, 500K or so, and is heavily back loaded ending in 2020 the year he will turn 33.  So basically a 6-year deal worth $72M.  With it being heavily loaded, you could assume that as much as $35M would be coming in the last 2 seasons.  Imagine trying to move that contract if he flops or even is just an average major league player.

[RedBull34]

Rumors on the contract will pay him a pro-rated salary this year, 500K or so, and is heavily back loaded ending in 2020 the year he will turn 33.  So basically a 6-year deal worth $72M.  With it being heavily loaded, you could assume that as much as $35M would be coming in the last 2 seasons.  Imagine trying to move that contract if he flops or even is just an average major league player.

Pretty much.  It would be a great deal if this was football!

[Brock Beauchamp]

Rumors on the contract will pay him a pro-rated salary this year, 500K or so, and is heavily back loaded ending in 2020 the year he will turn 33.  So basically a 6-year deal worth $72M.  With it being heavily loaded, you could assume that as much as $35M would be coming in the last 2 seasons.  Imagine trying to move that contract if he flops or even is just an average major league player.

 

The Sox are back-loading a contract? That makes... no sense whatsoever. If anything, they should be trying to front-load a contract because they're a looooooong way from contention.

 

Honestly, they should be blowing up the team and starting over but that's another discussion entirely.

[SwainZag]

The Sox are back-loading a contract? That makes... no sense whatsoever. If anything, they should be trying to front-load a contract because they're a looooooong way from contention.

 

Honestly, they should be blowing up the team and starting over but that's another discussion entirely.

 

The Sox are back-loading a contract? That makes... no sense whatsoever. If anything, they should be trying to front-load a contract because they're a looooooong way from contention.

 

Honestly, they should be blowing up the team and starting over but that's another discussion entirely.

Yeah, according to Ken Rosenthal here: "Heavily Back Loaded" https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/502846959900983296

[Mike Sixel]

If you have money to spare, flopping does not matter. If it only took 10 million a year to sign Melky, it would be a bargain. We disagree greatly on the requirement for fans to wait 6 or more years for a team to be competitive. I think there is no such requirement to being a good fan.

 

The Hicks trade was years ago, before this last contract for Lee. Not sure what this contract has to do with my point at all.