Front Page: Potential Silver Lining of an Apparently Bad Offseason for the Minnesota Twins

[Linus]

I was hopeful of adding impact pitching just like everyone else. However you never know how well these contracts work out. May turn out to be a blessing in disguise (or not

[Major League Ready]

 

Eh, I can’t twist this offseason into a positive. The Twins are coming off a 101 win season, yet my excitement level is barely higher than the dark years of the past decade.

That’s pretty dismal.

 

If it makes you feel any better … The only playoff team from last year that improved significantly was the Yankees. It would not be unreasonable to say MN had the 2nd best off-season so far of last year’s playoff teams.

 

Houston lost Cole and has done nothing else.

 

Washington lost Rendon and added players that would be considered dumpster dives with perhaps the exception of Will Harris (3/24)

 

Dodgers lost Ryu / Hill and added Treinen.

 

Brewers lost Grandal / Moose / Pomeranz and added Garcia

 

Tampa lost Garcia  / D’Arnaud and added nobody

 

Oakland lost Roark / Bailey

 

You could make a case Atlanta had a better off-season. The lost Kuechel / Teheran and replaced them with Hamels and Will Smith.

 

Even everyone’s favorite STL has added a total of two one year deals for a total of $8M. Obviously, STL was not a playoff team but generally respected. Perhaps their unwillingness to participate suggests something.

[Mr. Brooks]

If it makes you feel any better … The only playoff team from last year that improved significantly was the Yankees. It would not be unreasonable to say MN had the 2nd best off-season so far of last year’s playoff teams.

 

Houston lost Cole and has done nothing else.

 

Washington lost Rendon and added players that would be considered dumpster dives with perhaps the exception of Will Harris (3/24)

 

Dodgers lost Ryu / Hill and added Treinen.

 

Brewers lost Grandal / Moose / Pomeranz and added Garcia

 

Tampa lost Garcia / D’Arnaud and added nobody

 

Oakland lost Roark / Bailey

 

You could make a case Atlanta had a better off-season. The lost Kuechel / Teheran and replaced them with Hamels and Will Smith.

 

Even everyone’s favorite STL has added a total of two one year deals for a total of $8M. Obviously, STL was not a playoff team but generally respected. Perhaps their unwillingness to participate suggests something.

Fair, but a couple of points.

 

1) We're fans of the Twins, not those teams.

 

2) How many of the other playoff teams were swept 3-0 in the first rounds? It's not unfair if some have the opinion that we were starting from a place of needing more reinforcements than those teams were.

 

At this point it looks like we're going to have to hope that the reinforcement comes from within.

It's possible, but not guaranteed, so we'll see.

 

I'm disappointed, but at the same time still willing to give this FO the benefit of the doubt, for now. Another sweep in the first round will start to chip away at that.

[blindeke]

The problem is that they should be spending $20-30M more this year than they are (so far). If Falvey and Levine cannot figure out a way to spend that money and improve the team, that is a huge disappointment.

[howeda7]

There's no silver lining to the Pohlad's pocketing $30 million we should have spent on the 2020 payroll. Will they add it to the 2021 payroll? No. Certainly not $ for $. This is pretty desperate spin.

[howeda7]

 

 

If it makes you feel any better … The only playoff team from last year that improved significantly was the Yankees. It would not be unreasonable to say MN had the 2nd best off-season so far of last year’s playoff teams.

 

Houston lost Cole and has done nothing else.

 

Washington lost Rendon and added players that would be considered dumpster dives with perhaps the exception of Will Harris (3/24)

 

Dodgers lost Ryu / Hill and added Treinen.

 

Brewers lost Grandal / Moose / Pomeranz and added Garcia

 

Tampa lost Garcia  / D’Arnaud and added nobody

 

Oakland lost Roark / Bailey

 

You could make a case Atlanta had a better off-season. The lost Kuechel / Teheran and replaced them with Hamels and Will Smith.

 

Even everyone’s favorite STL has added a total of two one year deals for a total of $8M. Obviously, STL was not a playoff team but generally respected. Perhaps their unwillingness to participate suggests something.

That's not comforting. It's quite aggravating. It only reiterates that indeed there is a huge window open now. Both in the AL Central and the AL overall. Yes, we would still be underdogs to the Yankees, even with another starter. But let's give ourselves a fighting chance to avoid them in the 1st round and at least have a shot if we do face them.

[MABB1959]

It would be nice to get to the ALDS or even play in a WS win or not.  These one and out with not wins is depressing.  IMO we will never get there.  Possible chance next year if Cruz can hold up and they get an Ace.  After next year our major players will start Free Agency and we will start another rebuild.  

[gagu]

While I at least think that I understand and sympathize with both ends of the basic argument, I'm leaning towards patience. Saying that the window is open now for a World Series run on one hand while on the other hand bemoaning the fact that the existing team can't win a playoff game much less a series seems problematic. If somehow a Scherzer had fallen in our lap last season, would we have been the favorite to win it all? How many pieces will it take to seriously compete on paper with powerhouses in Houston and NY? IMO, the Twins could theoretically drain the farm for prime ready talent and then only be among the top contenders.

As someone who suffered through long, lean seasons from '71 through '83, and again from '93 through '00, I greatly appreciate the nine-year run from '01 through '10 with six division titles and only one series win. I missed a lot of details and excitement during that time trying to adjust to life in South America. Mostly just box scores back then. 

Everyone has their own degree of hopes and expectations for their sports teams. My hopes are always high with less expectations for championships. KC won a WS, but I don't envy them, especially over the last 20 years. I'll take the eight post-season appearances and brighter future. KC was also working in a different window. The level of competition among the top teams was different in 2015. They had to face McHugh, Price, Estrada, and Harvey twice each. 2019 featured Cole, Verlander, Greinke, Strasburg, and Scherzer on two teams. Put the '19 or '20 Twins in the '15 window and I'd be all on board in giving up top prospects or breaking the bank for an ace level pitcher. 

Sorry for rambling on in such a scattered way. I see it as a very complicated argument with no easy answers either way. This is how I view it and it works for me.

[Mr. Brooks]

While I at least think that I understand and sympathize with both ends of the basic argument, I'm leaning towards patience. Saying that the window is open now for a World Series run on one hand while on the other hand bemoaning the fact that the existing team can't win a playoff game much less a series seems problematic. If somehow a Scherzer had fallen in our lap last season, would we have been the favorite to win it all? How many pieces will it take to seriously compete on paper with powerhouses in Houston and NY? IMO, the Twins could theoretically drain the farm for prime ready talent and then only be among the top contenders.

As someone who suffered through long, lean seasons from '71 through '83, and again from '93 through '00, I greatly appreciate the nine-year run from '01 through '10 with six division titles and only one series win. I missed a lot of details and excitement during that time trying to adjust to life in South America. Mostly just box scores back then.

Everyone has their own degree of hopes and expectations for their sports teams. My hopes are always high with less expectations for championships. KC won a WS, but I don't envy them, especially over the last 20 years. I'll take the eight post-season appearances and brighter future. KC was also working in a different window. The level of competition among the top teams was different in 2015. They had to face McHugh, Price, Estrada, and Harvey twice each. 2019 featured Cole, Verlander, Greinke, Strasburg, and Scherzer on two teams. Put the '19 or '20 Twins in the '15 window and I'd be all on board in giving up top prospects or breaking the bank for an ace level pitcher.

Sorry for rambling on in such a scattered way. I see it as a very complicated argument with no easy answers either way. This is how I view it and it works for me.

That's fair, but everyone is different.

For me, the 2000's are barely a footnote in Twins history. 1991 is what I'll remember (I was a tad young for '87).

[teanders999]

So, a different guy working for a different team used different players to create a winner? I'm convinced. No more free agents for me.