My plan for 2013 is simple and I have no idea if it would work.

[Riverbrian]

STARTING PITCHING

 

#1 Free Agent Signed. (20 Million a year if you have to)

 

Terry Ryan needs to get aggressive with whoever he deems from the higher end of Free Agents. Overpay if he has to. Get in the Bidding and Bid.

 

#2 Trade for a young prospect with talent.

 

I have no idea what other teams would take for this prospect. We all know who the top guys are and I'm sure our scouts do. I don't know if it's possible. However, put a package together... Span plus another OF prospect if necessary but identify a top end prospect and overpay if you have to get him. Teams like the Braves are overloaded in Pitching prospects. Pick a team and make a deal. Easier said than done.

 

#3 Scott Diamond

 

Hope like hell... He continues.

 

#4 Put the best arm out there that you can.

 

Hope that Hendriks improves or Deduno improves his control. Work with them hard in the off season and spring training. If they don't improve... Tread water with them or DeVries or whoever until Gibson is ready or Baker is ready... IF Baker signs for an incentive deal... of course. That's a big IF in my mind. We still have DeVries and we can add some minor league deals to the mix. I have to believe that the Twins would be an attractive choice for the guy who was cut from an overweight staff. Finding a bargain is possible.

 

#5 Rule 5 guy... Take a chance on someone and believe in your selection. Put him in the rotation in the 5 spot to start the season. If he can't handle it... Stash him in long relief for the remainder of the season with the occasional spot start. The same candidates for the 4 spot would be candidates for the 5 spot.

 

As the season progresses. If we are out of it again in July. If healthy... trading Morneau is a possibility to acquire additional pitching. You gotta believe he is more attractive as that contract gets closer to expiring. If we are in it... and Morneau is healthy. OF Prospects for Pitching would be the way to go.

 

BULLPEN

 

The usual approach... Hang on to what you have unless trading them yields decent starting pitching. Sign some guys to improve like you do every year but nobody at a big dollar figure.

 

OFFENSE

 

Improve your bench. Specifically power off the bench.

 

Give Parmelee a Major league uniform and put him in the lineup. Rotate him with Mauer, Doumit, Morneau and Willingham. These 5 players will hold down the DH, C, 1B and LF positions. An occasional day off for each of them will not kill the team of them. It will leave a bat on the bench that can be utilized at the end of games. Sitting Parmelee on the bench for the majority of games and trotting out Mauer, Doumit, Morneau and Willingham every day will just kill Parmelee. This is what a team with a strong bench does. It doesn't mean having a guy sitting on the bench waiting to hit in the 9th every day.

 

Sign a power hitter to back up at 3b and C.

 

Finding this guy is real hard. This will cause some people to throw up but someone like Jake Fox. It doesn't have to be Jake Fox... Someone like him or "him" and play him every once in awhile. Fox at 3B on occasion will allow you to spot start Plouffe at 2b every once in awhile to improve offense against certain pitching matchups. When he isn't playing he can be a candidate for a 3 run homer in the ninth if needed and he can provide that third catcher insurance that Gardy craves so Doumit and Mauer can lineup together.

 

Outfield

 

Let's assume that Arcia and Hicks arrive after the Arb clock thing. I've also traded Span for a pitcher. That leaves Revere and Mastroianni until Arcia and Hicks arrive. We need another one for immediate depth. We could use an outfielder who can play a little middle infield. This OF candidate should ideally be someone who plays a very good infield defense and has learned to track a fly ball. Good Speed and a big heart would be ideal. Someone who can play a little OF and IF until Arcia and Hicks arrive and move primarily to the Infield when they do arrive. Or Remain in the OF if either of them struggle and need more AAA time.

 

Middle Infield

 

There is no one worth a damn out there and any large FA signing needs to be spent on pitching. Focus on Defense. Who plays the best defense. That's your guy. Carroll will be with us. We assume Casilla won't be with us... Florimon, Dozier, Escobar will have to battle it out for the two spots left. May the best glove win. If we sign an IF/OF guy to hold down a spot until Arcia and Hicks arrive. One of these guys will be sent down to AAA when Hicks and Arcia arrive.

 

If neither of those 3 guys are doing it defensively. Look for that defensive guy and sign him cheaply. I don't care if he hits .075 for the year. We need a SS who can pick it consistently. Range and Glove and Arm... The whole defensive package.

 

There it is...

 

Parmelee, Arcia and Hicks can improve depth... on paper at least... If Gardy can just get a playing time rotation right. None of these things are easy to do and it certainly doesn't put us on top of the baseball world. We gotta get some pitching... It'll be hard... This is the best I can do... Now I'll just wait for a call from Pohlad with a job offer.

[greengoblinrulz]

Terry Ryan stated earlier today they wont target big names FA & will sign affordable players.......another 90 loss season is looming

[Shane Wahl]

I like the depth that you go to, Riverbrian. Pretty good. What would you think about $22-25 million for two pitchers instead? Greinke is the one potential $20 million guy and if so, there is no doubt that it would be 5/100. That's a dumb amount. And there is certainly no near-guarantee that Greinke is going to be better than either/both Edwin Jackson and Shaun Marcum at 3 years/60-75 million combined.

[beckmt]

Greinke is out of sight. May sign 1 FA pitcher at about $10 mil a year, Marcum would suit me, but want no part of Jackson. Will need to find other relief pitchers and maybe a middle infielder. That will about fill out most of what I expect to be a $90 mil budget. Could use a WOW factor player, but do not think the Twins will go that route.

[Riverbrian]

I like the depth that you go to, Riverbrian. Pretty good. What would you think about $22-25 million for two pitchers instead? Greinke is the one potential $20 million guy and if so, there is no doubt that it would be 5/100. That's a dumb amount. And there is certainly no near-guarantee that Greinke is going to be better than either/both Edwin Jackson and Shaun Marcum at 3 years/60-75 million combined.

 

I'm all for it... I'd like to see 20 million spent on New Pitching. I made a mistake saying one... We need Arms(plural) but if it takes a good chunk of the 20 million to bring in the top guy on your list. So be it... Do it... Roll them dice. We need arms(plural) but we also need a stopper... Someone as close as possible to a shut down guy as we can find.

 

James Shields is the guy I want but any pitching will be an improvement and not signing a decent FA Pitcher(or two) would be a horrible mistake in my opinion. I understand that Terry Ryan has said somewhere that he won't make a big deal for FA pitching. I choose to ignore that and firmly believe that we have money coming off the books and it has to go somewhere.

 

The rotation is in shambles so maybe not all of it but a decent chunk of the money off the books should go toward the rotation. Its the only sane decision in my eyes.

 

I'm on board with you. I'd welcome both Marcum and Jackson. Jeez, I'd welcome Anibel Sanchez.

 

Now if they would only call either you or me for input. lol.