Front Page: FEINSAND: Twins to Sign Josh Donaldson

[twinstalker]

I have to admit, I'm not as excited about this as you all. Between injuries, payroll concerns, and a drop in production vs NL pitching, not to mention he's now 34 (Mauer was basically on his last leg at that age), I can see this going badly. For one or two years, fine, but even those years are risky. I'm not so sure this is as good a deal as you all think it is. Hope I'm wrong.

 

 

[Lasorda_This_Out]

Maybe we're missing something?

 

With an Off-Season that screamed ImpactStartingPitching as the highest priority,

nothing really has happened (so far?). Now Donaldson?

Is there a next move before "Catchers and Pitchers Report"?

 

Probably?

 

So maybe Falvine know more than we do?

 

My thinking...lets step back...enjoy the fantastic Josh Donaldson Epic signing

and chill out and watch for some more Falvine magic?

 

Go Twins 2020!!!!

[SwainZag]

 

I have to admit, I'm not as excited about this as you all. Between injuries, payroll concerns, and a drop in production vs NL pitching, not to mention he's now 34 (Mauer was basically on his last leg at that age), I can see this going badly. For one or two years, fine, but even those years are risky. I'm not so sure this is as good a deal as you all think it is. Hope I'm wrong.

 

What are the payroll concerns?  This deal didn't put them in outrageous territory.  With all the money that came off the books, everyone was looking to where the Twins were going to spend their money....this is it.

 

Donalson in 2019 vs NL pitching:  .259/.379/.521/127 OPS+

Donaldson in 2017/18 vs AL pitch: .262/.375/.525/139 OPS+

 

Yes, he did get injured in 2018 and yes he is a little older, but worried about switching leagues vs pitching should mean little to nothing when it comes to hitters.

 

Age.  Comparing to Mauer just isn't the standard.  I love Joe more than almost anyone, but his years at catcher, combined with the injuries made him a shell of his former self at age 33.  Not only did Donaldson have an above average year with the glove, he was also above career averages across the board with the bat.  While using Joe at the same age can provide some foreshadowing on aging, using only him and no one else is pretty  short sighted.  

 

While I am a little concerned on how he will age, and years 3 and 4 he might not produce up to his salary......I love the signing.  

[shimrod]

I've been highly critical of the FO, and I'd like to state now that even if this goes south on them, due to injury or other factors, this was the right move. It makes a statement about the teams future direction and will, in my opinion, make the next FA acquisition easier. 

 

I would also like to address the offseason/trade deadline pitching issue. It should be noted our staff will be weakest at the beginning of the year, due to suspension and rehab. Every game counts, and if we wait until the deadline it may be too late. Let's start the year with a bang. 

[ScooterDance]

6 guys who hit 30HR last year

Another who led the team in WAR

Another who may lead the league in BA

Another who may have the best chance to win an MVP award this year.

 

Decent lineup.

[by jiminy]

My favorite part about this is thinking about how afraid other teams will be when they come to play here! I think we'll see some teams pressing, desperately swinging for the fences in a futile effort to keep pace.

[bighat]

 

Way to go Falvine! Ya got 'er dun! I guess I'll need to pick off a crow this spring and serve it up to myself.

If you find a good recipe, let me know. Right now I'm looking for some BBQ sauce to put on my hat that I'll be eating for breakfast.

[by jiminy]

Yes he's an injury risk, but the fact that they knew that and paid him anyway makes me give then even more credit for going for it!

 

And this lineup is DEEP! Those scary 1 through 9 lineups above don't even include Marwin! They are built to just keep on coming at you, even when injuries hit.

 

This is not one if those all your eggs in one basket free agent gambles. Worst case, Sano or Gonzales covers third, and we're fine. (Or Adriana or Arraez or Astidillo...)

 

Very impressed at the team they built, short and long term.

[by jiminy]

Regarding pitching, a trade for an up and comer would be great, but I wouldn't mortgage the future for an aging vet. It's possible the pitching we need is already in the system. If they strike gold with Graterol, Balazovic, Dobnak, Thorpe, or Duran, this team is set up to compete for a long time.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Fantastic work, now go trade for a starter.

If you’re going to push the accelerator down halfway, may as well floor it and see what happens.

This... I'm disappointed they didn't get a FA pitcher, but that just improved the lineup and the defense pretty significantly...

 

Trade for a starter.

[Old Twins Cap]

Awesome lineup, solid bullpen potential, decent starting pitching -- a lot of prospects on the farm.

 

What's not to like?

 

Or, do we want to go back to the thousands of speculative comments about what we might get for Dozier from the Dodgers?

 

Falvine have turned this ship in the right direction, steaming toward the playoffs.

[jmlease1]

very happy with this signing, but pretty surprised that Atlanta couldn't/wouldn't match this deal. I think it's a fair deal for both the team and the player (and I'd be thrilled if Donaldson earns every incentive in here and they pick up that 5th year). Guessing the Nationals offer was too back-loaded/deferred for Donaldson. Gosh, it's nice to get picked in one of these dances!

 

With a full spring training (and plenty of time in the ramp up to it), Sano should be able to get ready to play 1B on the regular and be effective at it. Hopefully he can get really comfortable making scoops, but he will make a damn big target to throw to over there! (did you see the pics of him at the PC? dude looks massive, but not fat. Holy cow)

 

Donaldson is a great fit and should really help the offense insulate against regression from last year. You can't predict injury, but the Twins do have enough system depth to be able to deal with a couple of significant injuries, and Marwin gets to stay as the skeleton key to solve whatever problem you don't know you have yet.

 

I'd love to finish this off by trading for Jon Gray. But regardless, you have to give some props to Falvine for making the big move 

[tony&rodney]

The future is unknown. Signing Donaldson was the best option for the Twins in the present, meaning early January. All Twins fans still thirst for a Thor or a Snell in the rotation but other teams  most likely want all of their best pitching going into the season. At some point a team may be amenable to trading a very good starting pitcher if there is substantial potential coming back to them. The Twins may pay dearly later for a player but they will have determined their player resources can withstand the losses. Maybe Alcantara becomes available at a certain price or San Diego simply needs a better offense, opening a major trade for Chris Paddock. If I'm a GM, pitching stays put until it becomes necessary to take a chance on trading my pitcher(s) to address glaring weaknesses on my team. Texas is a team to follow in this regard. They may really struggle to support their pitching and determine that Kluber is available for the right price, whereas Cleveland and Minnesota couldn't get together for a trade this winter.

 

The Twins may have missed opportunities early in the offseason, but looking forward the team is still strong and I believe that adding Josh Donaldson creates depth for the future as well as improving the onfield product.

[Flipper1a]

The biggest thing that Donaldson brings......CSW added Gio, Keuchel, and Rondon is coming back to take on our LH bats. 

 

I thought last years roster was the best roster that I have seen....this makes this years better....amazing with the cap ###.

 

Maybe add Tajuan Walker or Aaron Sanchez to the mix somehow/someway?

[Brock Beauchamp]

I have to admit, I'm not as excited about this as you all. Between injuries, payroll concerns, and a drop in production vs NL pitching, not to mention he's now 34 (Mauer was basically on his last leg at that age), I can see this going badly. For one or two years, fine, but even those years are risky. I'm not so sure this is as good a deal as you all think it is. Hope I'm wrong.

Mauer had a friggin’ brain injury. There’s no comparison here other than time spent alive on earth.

[VATwinsFan]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CharlieDee]

Hats off to the FO for getting this done. We have no guaranties that this move will be a "good" move or not, but I give them credit for taking the chance. Super great!!!

[USAFChief]

I have to admit, I'm not as excited about this as you all. Between injuries, payroll concerns, and a drop in production vs NL pitching, not to mention he's now 34 (Mauer was basically on his last leg at that age), I can see this going badly. For one or two years, fine, but even those years are risky. I'm not so sure this is as good a deal as you all think it is. Hope I'm wrong.

Donaldson has put up a .900 OPS 4 of the last 5 years, including 2019.

 

Mauer's last .900 OPS came as a 26 year old in 2009.

 

The simple fact is, Mauer wasnt in Donaldsons class as a hitter after age 26.

 

Certainly age will catch up to Donaldson. But there's zero reason to think that will be immediate. And he's not really any more of an injury risk than any other player.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Donaldson has put up a .900 OPS 4 of the last 5 years, including 2019.

 

Mauer's last .900 OPS came as a 26 year old in 2009.

 

The simple fact is, Mauer wasnt in Donaldsons class as a hitter after age 26.

 

Certainly age will catch up to Donaldson. But there's zero reason to think that will be immediate. And he's not really any more of an injury risk than any other player.

I’m going to pick nits here but Donaldson has spent most of his recent time in the 140 OPS+ range, which is also where Mauer spent most of his time through 2013, his age 30 season.

[Alex Schieferdecker]

Only concern with Donaldson is age and injury history. The Twins' positional flexibility and Rocco's willingness to rotate and rest should allow them to keep Donaldson in good shape throughout the season. In certain pitching match-ups, he could play as DH or 1B or take the day off, with other players filling in.

[nicksaviking]

Man, his last two full season, Donaldson has walked 100 times. I mean, Polanco, Sano, Kepler and Cruz are excellent at working a count and drawing a free pass, but Donaldson is in a completely different conversation when it comes to that skill. 

 

I don't "love" walks, but it always seems like to me, the guys who are able to do it at an elite level are basically slump-proof.

[Steve Lein]

Bringing the rain, Twins! Love it.

 

This isn't an "A" offseason as they didn't land that "impact" pitching, but it's B+ at a minimum now. 

 

As for bringing in another starter via trade, I don't do that now anymore. This is a move you make at the trade deadline.

 

Twins rode the offense in regular season to the ALC title and playoff appearance last year, they'll be able to do that again now. Thus that trade deadline is a better place to make that "impact" addition than where they are now.

[dex8425]

Heck. Yes. So pumped for spring training now. 

 

Went from "we will be a little worse than last year" to "lineup and infield defense should be as good or better than last year" with this signing. I think he will add some fire to the clubhouse as well. Much like Cruz did. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Something just came to mind: think of how many of the players on this list, just one year ago today, would have made us go "meh". Most.

To be fair, a year from now, some in that list may make us go "meh" again.

[Dman]

 

Berrios, Odorizzi, Bailey, Dobnak, Thorpe, Pineda, Hill, Smeltzer, Graterol, Duran, Poppen, Colina...

 

It would be a minor risk to start the season with this slate, but it might be enough to win the division.

 

We have an overwhelming consensus about both the quality and depth of the position player roster, with Gonzalez, Avila, Cave, Adrianza, Wade, and Astudillo as first responders to any injury.

 

This may not come into play in early 2020, but the reality is we have 7 quite promising prospects fairly close to ready in Lewis, Larnach, Kirilloff, Graterol, Balazovic, Duran, and Jeffers. The trade value of these prospects, or alternatively of the current regular any of them would replace, is a lot higher than what we're used to having available for trade.

 

With this as the backdrop, it wouldn't surprise me if Falvey waited to make another rotation move until he can zero in on a stress-related opportunity, either yet this off-season (Boston?) or next trade deadline.

 

Bottom line is that their prospect capital is still there and the final hole in the roster is one front line starter.

 

I pretty much agree with your take here.  I honestly think the FO is going to go with the young guys to start the year.  Through April they likely only need to cover one spot in the rotation so they just need to cover two spots for one month tops which equals 5 or six starts from the young guy(s) who fill Pineda's spot.  Once Hill is back later in the year then all five spots are filled by vets until the end of the year. 

 

I think the FO wants to know what they have in a Dobnak, Thorpe, Smeltzer or Graterol so they can make a decision on if they are a part of the teams future or not because they have Balazovic, Cole, Colina and maybe Vallimont, Enlow and Canterino who they might want to add if they pitch well this year. They can't keep all these number 4\5 starters on the 40 man so will have to make some decisions fairly soon.

 

In the playoffs we didn't have Pineda and the issue wasn't starting pitching as much as the bullpen and the bats going quiet.  I know depending on Hill is not a great strategy but he could end up being a difference maker as well.  If Thorpe or one of the young guys steps up then that is timely or gravy as well.

 

That being said if that is the plan they don't have much veteran depth if one them gets hurt and can't pitch the rest of the year. They would be vulnerable to start the year with the young pitching but I still think that is a risk they will be willing to take.

 

If they can find a trade partner for a top-line starter I am all for it.  I just don't see them doing it until they feel forced by injury or ineffectiveness of the guys they have. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Trevor Storey and Jon Gray both have one year contracts (I believe) and the Rockies may not be able to retain the. So trade Lewis, Rosario, Polanco, Thorpe, and Enlow for both and extend them!!!!

I appreciate the enthusiasm, although Story and Gray both have 2 years of control left for the Rockies. (They are on one-year arbitration contracts for 2020, but are still arbitration eligible for 2021 too.)

[jmlease1]

 

Man, his last two full season, Donaldson has walked 100 times. I mean, Polanco, Sano, Kepler and Cruz are excellent at working a count and drawing a free pass, but Donaldson is in a completely different conversation when it comes to that skill. 

 

I don't "love" walks, but it always seems like to me, the guys who are able to do it at an elite level are basically slump-proof.

 

The patience is good for this team, which occasionally was hurt by not having another patient hitter to mix in the lineup. I'm a little concerned about the rise in Ks (career high last year), but if the OBP stays north of .370 and the SLG stays over .500 and he can play 120+ games, he'll be a real force in the middle of the lineup.

 

I wonder if Dallas Kuechel has any regrets signing with the ChiSox now?

[Battle ur tail off]

Now making a trade for a starting pitcher becomes more of a reality IMO. I know now, I at least FEEL like it may happen. Whether it's now or at the deadline. 

This move is going to energize the fanbase and I'd guess the team as well. Go out and get that great starting pitcher and this would look like the best offseason of any team in the league I'd say. 

 

 

[TouchEmAllGuy]

We are going to be seeing  a lot of 2 run Bombas with all of the walks the RainMan takes.

[Brock Beauchamp]

If this lineup remains anything close to healthy, we're going to see A LOT of 4.1 inning starts from opposing pitchers as they slink back to the dugout with an ERA of 9+ for the game...