Heyman: After Missing Out On Napoli, Twins Looking At Other Free Agents

[nicksaviking]

 

I think they want vets who have a bit more history on winning teams.

 

I understand the desire, but didn't we learn from Torii Hunter that leadership skills aren't exactly transferable upon the younger players? Do these guys have something that Hunter didn't? Because according to most every player, Hunter's face was next to the definition of 'clubhouse leadership skills' in the dictionary.

 

If this leadership stuff is essential, and the team currently doesn't have it, then I think they should be looking at acquiring such a player on a long-term deal. Why just 2017?

 

And to be clear, long term deals to veterans typically upset me and it's not something I'm promoting.

[TheLeviathan]

Why not just sign another damn coach then?  I don't get wanting another no-field 1B/DH guy.

[d-mac]

 

http://img.pandawhale.com/post-51553-joker-its-about-sending-a-mess-LGsx.gif

 

Did someone say cash outside?

[Mike Sixel]

 

I understand the desire, but didn't we learn from Torii Hunter that leadership skills aren't exactly transferable upon the younger players? Do these guys have something that Hunter didn't? Because according to most every player, Hunter's face was next to the definition of 'clubhouse leadership skills' in the dictionary.

 

If this leadership stuff is essential, and the team currently doesn't have it, then I think they should be looking at acquiring such a player on a long-term deal. Why just 2017?

 

And to be clear, long term deals to veterans typically upset me and it's not something I'm promoting.

 

the mentorship only lasts one year. Then it goes away, like amnesia.

[S.]

 

front office has shifted their focus on another crop of free agent bats including Justin Morneau, Billy Butler, Adam Lind, Pedro Alvarez and Ryan Howard.

 

 

 

[Thrylos]

FWIW, Pedro Alvarez is the only confirmed name here.  The rest of the names are Heyman's speculations. 

 

I kinda been following him since he was a top prospect for the Pirates.  I read something up there about "2 position versatility".   As far as third base goes, Sano is a gold glover compared to Alvarez.  That's the reason that Pittsburgh let him go.  His positional versatility is DH only.  He played 1B only 5 games with the Pirates before playing there with Baltimore last season, and he is worse at first than at third.  I'd take Vargas there any day over Alvarez.  The Twins need LH power.  I would not mind seeing him hitting after Sano at the 5 spot.   The only issue is that Vargas might be better last season, but 17 AB/HR players do know grow on trees (for reference last season Dozier was at 16.5 AB/HR and on the other hand Vargas was at 17.7.)   I can go both ways here, maybe a platoon with Vargas might be the solution, since Alvarez has been usually sitting against LHP...  Is there room for both?  Maybe, but bye bye Grossman.

[Thrylos]

 

The Twins were recently tied to veteran slugger Mike Napoli but lost out to Texas for his big bat. According to Fanrag.com's Jon Heyman reports that the front office has shifted their focus on another crop of free agent bats including Justin Morneau, Billy Butler, Adam Lind, Pedro Alvarez and Ryan Howard.

 

 

Nope.  The only one who Heyman said the Twins "talked about" was Alvarez.  The others are names he just threw up as a speculation.  

[Parker Hageman]

 

Nope.  The only one who Heyman said the Twins "talked about" was Alvarez.  The others are names he just threw up as a speculation.  

 

Twins have had confirmed interest in Justin Morneau as well.

 

I can assure you the Twins have had conversations about all of these players. They probably have even had conversations with their agents. It is how the offseason works. 

[Kwak]

1. Methinks the executive committee is behind this.

 

2. When one of these "veterans" are signed I predict: several posts claiming "I like this move", "no such thing as a bad 1-year contract", and "this will help...".

[Mike Sixel]

 

1. Methinks the executive committee is behind this.

 

2. When one of these "veterans" are signed I predict: several posts claiming "I like this move", "no such thing as a bad 1-year contract", and "this will help...".

 

"no one is being blocked, they can earn their way up"

"leadership can't be measured"

"you shouldn't punt on any year, they can still make the playoffs, that's why they play the games"

[adorduan]

 

Twins have had confirmed interest in Justin Morneau as well.

 

I can assure you the Twins have had conversations about all of these players. They probably have even had conversations with their agents. It is how the offseason works. 

Thanks for ruining my day....

[Pardon My Dinger]

I don't know...sounds like our short term plan is to just mash at the plate in the short term. It'll be fun, I guess.

[drjim]

 

"no one is being blocked, they can earn their way up"

"leadership can't be measured"

"you shouldn't punt on any year, they can still make the playoffs, that's why they play the games"

 

All true statements.

[S.]

 

I don't know...sounds like our short term plan is to just mash at the plate in the short term. It'll be fun, I guess.

When i think of mashing at the plate and fun to watch, Billy Butler and Ryan Howard don't exactly come to mind. Not in 2017 at least.

[USAFChief]

the mentorship only lasts one year. Then it goes away, like amnesia.

In your life, Mike, have you not been in organizations, teams, groups, that prospered more or floundered more due to formal and/or informal leadership?

 

Why would a baseball team be different?

[KirbyDome89]

 

Why not just sign another damn coach then?  I don't get wanting another no-field 1B/DH guy.

This ALL DAY.....

 

If leadership really is that important why not hire some of those ex players going to ST (Hunter, Hawkins, Cuddyer, ect...) as a permanent bench coach or some sort of clubhouse role.That might make too much sense though, so they better just sign another "veteran," player and toss out a couple unknowns in a season that is lost before it even starts. That strategy has definitely worked out the past few years..... 

[Oldgoat_MN]

I just typed up a post then erased the whole thing,

 

Summary: This off-season is like those I am sadly used to.

[David HK]

 

I don't know... Alvarez has a career .438/.500/.500 line at Target Field in 18 PA!

Another SSS All-Star!  That's what got us John Ryan Murphy-- he hit a huge HR against Perkins, and the FO thought, 'hmm.... this guy must be great!'  (Apparently not realizing that these kinds of performances are against OUR pitching staff- not exactly Cy Young material...)

[Riverbrian]

 

Can anybody get a read on what this front office thinks of Kennys Vargas? I thought the Park DFA at least partially meant that they liked Vargas and were ready to roll with him as the primary DH. It doesn't look that way right now.

 

Looking at it from the outside.

 

It sure looks like Molitor has an issue with him. 

 

Saying that isn't fair to Molitor but I don't know what else to assume from my viewpoint. 

 

Vargas was called up on July 4th and then benched August 2nd with a .308/.425/.631 stat line... 1.056 OPS... You don't bench a guy producing like that on team that was producing like it was... unless... someone had stubbornly formed a negative opinion prior to his producing like that. Someone willing to cling to that opinion. 

 

I'm not saying that this opinion is wrong but damn it... the player was proving you wrong and you should have let him continue doing that. He was rolling when you benched him and now it appears that that opinion is leading to more of the same before 2017 begins.

 

Vargas was eventually sent down to the minors so Trevor Plouffe and his .678 OPS could play.

 

Here's a late September quote from Paul Molitor:

 

“I can’t give him a black-and-white answer about his future here. I’m going to encourage him about what he’s done and what I think he needs to do better,” Molitor said. “But [with] how many guys we have there, I’m not in position to give him anything overly concrete about what his future is here and what he might be doing.” 

 

I also assume that Falvey and Levine are not going to plug their ears and shout LA-LA-LA-LA when Molitor gives his opinion on the current roster. 

 

 

 

[KirbyDome89]

^^^^

 

If the manager with supposedly only one year left (fingers crossed) is allowed to make those decisions then this team is never going to improve...

[drjim]

The main problem with Vargas is he doesn't hit all that well and provides no other value.

 

I don't mind giving him one more shot, but I have minimal expectations and would welcome a veteran bat.

[DocBauer]

Alvarez would be the only guy I'd consider here. But my personal opinion? This is just something to tweet about. Said rumors already have the Twins moving in from Morneau. Howard is a joke, right? The Twins were supposedly interested in both Davis and Napoli and let each sign with other teams on small contracts they could have easily matched or beaten if they wanted to. The team still has Vargas, Park, Grossman, Mauer and evenot partial off days for Sano and Dozier to DH. I think this is nothing about nothing.

[Mike Sixel]

In your life, Mike, have you not been in organizations, teams, groups, that prospered more or floundered more due to formal and/or informal leadership?

 

Why would a baseball team be different?

My point was in response to Hunter, and how everything he mentored seemed to just disappear in one year. Like they need a mentor every year, that they somehow forgot whatever they learned. And yes, leadership is important. As I posted, there is a veteran catcher to mentor the young catcher, if there is one. There are veteran pitchers. The first baseman and second don't need one. That leaves five players that do. Did they all forget what Hunter taught them?

[Taildragger8791]

 

I agree, though I don't agree "he played on winning teams, ergo he is a winner and can teach it" to be true....

 

People and sportswriters do get carried away with hyperbole and the over-simplified idea of "winners" teaching "how to win". But I do think there is something to be said for getting productive guys who are known to have good work habits and professionalism and know how to sacrifice personal achievement for the betterment of the team. It's no surprise that often those guys come from a winning background, since winning teams by nature have more of those guys than bad teams.

 

Bonus points if that player has a reputation for actively reaching out to other guys instead of just quietly going about his business.

[h2oface]

Unfortunately, the Twins can't offer a clubhouse leader a realistic chance of playing in October. It isn't always about more money, especially when the clock is ticking.

[Deduno Abides]

You don't consider Billy Butler when you look for a good bat or a clubhouse leader. Actually, none of these guys (sorry, Mourneau fans) are really known for leadership.

[GP830]

Out of those names, and if this is a must-- I'd want Justin out of all of them. He was okay down the stretch for the Sox last year, and probably wants to give the fans in MN something to cheer for. He's got a personal motivator to come back and perform. 

 

If they're looking for LH DH option who will act as a veteran presence and teach kids how to win in MN-- I don't really see any other choice. 

 

Also, I've been hyper critical of the Morneau reunion since the rumblings started-- now it's looking inevitable based on the logic of this regime.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I understand the desire to field a veteran or two but that list is full of DO NOT WANT.

[Mike Sixel]

Catcher: Castro (veteran) and either a veteran or not as backup.....covered.

1B: Mauer .... probably doesn't need a mentor

2B: Dozier.....probably doesn't need a menotr

SS: ???....even if it is Polanco or the new guy, Escobar should be able to mentor that person...covered

3B: Sano....might need a mentor

LF: Rosario...in his third fullish season, does he still need a mentor? How long do MLB players need them...not covered, I guess.

CF: Buxton....not covered

RF: Kepler....not covered

DH: sounds like a veteran is coming in....covered

 

So, they have all of 4, maybe 5 guys who forgot everything Torii taught them, who need mentors. But they have Mauer, Dozier, Castro, Escobar. I guess if you think those four can't handle the work, along with the coaches and any veteran pitchers, well, I guess you bring in another veteran. Hopefully whatever he says sticks for more than 1 year. Hopefully at some point, they don't need mentoring during their career anymore.

 

I'm not arguing that leadership does not matter, please don't throw that straw man at me. I'm asking why the lessons Torii "taught" didn't stick, and why they need a veteran, why do you need MORE veterans than young players?

[GP830]

 

Out of those names, and if this is a must-- I'd want Justin out of all of them. He was okay down the stretch for the Sox last year, and probably wants to give the fans in MN something to cheer for. He's got a personal motivator to come back and perform. 

 

If they're looking for LH DH option who will act as a veteran presence and teach kids how to win in MN-- I don't really see any other choice. 

 

Also, I've been hyper critical of the Morneau reunion since the rumblings started-- now it's looking inevitable based on the logic of this regime.

I want to add to this-- 

 

It feels like the FO is doing everything it can to make it seem like the situation is ripe for a Morneau signing. For instance, a few weeks ago "both sides agreed there is no space right now." Then Park gets DFA'd, then there's talk of veteran leadership needed, then there's talk of a LH DH needed. 

 

It's like jeez, just sign him already so we can all start complaining...