Who is Part of the Twins' Long-Term Core Four?

[big dog]

4 hours ago, Ex-Iowegian said:

To me, something is out of whack with this premise. Searching for players on the current roster to comprise a "core 4" and then  comparing to the Evil Empire core players, and even to the '87 and '91 Twins seems like an oxymoron or something.

Shouldn't a core group have some kind of history together longer than 4-1/2 months of a couple of seasons to qualify? Maybe some kind of mutual accomplishments consisting of more than leading the AL Central for a few months? These guys haven't done anything yet.

Sorry, but my thoughts lead more to the core players of The Big Red Machine, or half the roster of the Orioles in the late 60's early 70's. That kind of magnitude.

That’s a nice dream, but arbitration and free agency make that awfully unlikely. Especially if the owners want to keep making their money. 

[Brandon]

The core …. How bout Ryan, Winder, Ober, Buxton, Arreaz, Killeroff, Miranda, Jeffers, and Duran.  Why stop at 4. I can see Polanco and Correa getting extended if the front office will pay.  

[wabene]

4 hours ago, mini_tb said:

A lot of Twins fans wear rose colored glasses when it comes to Dan Gladden.  He had an OPS+ of 76 in 1987 and 80 in 1991.  Yeah, he was on both teams, and they mostly won in spite of him.  Is that what we're calling a core player?

Dazzling statistics!

[PatPfund]

This is a good article, in that it sparked a lot of reaction, but it is also a bit goofy in trying to compare a dynasty team (where sure you will have a stable group of players probably keeping the team at the top most years) to a team that won 2 World Series, but 4 years apart (and with very different rosters).

And worse, to a team holding the all-time professional sports record for consecutive playoff losses.

We probably want to hold off on naming championship core players until we at least win a playoff series, then win one again the next year.

[Aichiman]

Sorry but I disconcur.  My core 4 would be Arraez, Kirilloff, Polanco, and Miranda.  Goodbye Byron.

[cHawk]

8 minutes ago, Aichiman said:

Sorry but I disconcur.  My core 4 would be Arraez, Kirilloff, Polanco, and Miranda.  Goodbye Byron.

Goodbye Byron when they just signed him to a 7 year deal? The ****?

[JustinTyner]

11 hours ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

11 hours ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

I’d argue Gladden belongs, despite his numbers he was truly a catalyst. I would also argue for Gaetti, even though his last season was 90 and actually split away from the other hellraisers before that. 87 just doesn’t happen without Gaetti. Or Gagne, for that matter.

So now you have core five, which does not rhyme, undermining the entire premise  

(also Bernie Williams wtf)

Bernie Williams is ridiculously underrated. Pretty wild he’s not in the HOF to me.

[JustinTyner]

• Buxton

• Kirilloff

• Lewis

• Arraez

• Duran

barring any moves at the deadline. 

Ryan, Winder, Miranda, and Larnach all nice supporting pieces contributing now.

Pretty solid group, especially when you consider this upcoming crop of pitching in Canterino, Povich, Festa, SWR, Hajjar, Varland, Adams, Raya, Laweryson, Paredes, Headrick, Gipson - Long, Balazovic

Youll hit on a few of those guys. I like the shape we are in for the next 4-6 years.

[Aichiman]

4 hours ago, cHawk said:

Goodbye Byron when they just signed him to a 7 year deal? The ****?

Yeah.  It's called a trade.

 

[Karbo]

As of today I would list Buxton, Polanco, Arraez, Kepler. The others just haven't been here long enough to establish themselves as "core" pieces IMHO.

[nicksaviking]

17 hours ago, ashbury said:

In all honesty I stopped reading when I saw Larkin listed as a core four. 

You were thinking Randy Bush too huh?

Joking aside, few players have ever been as predictably consistent as Bush and Larkin. Dang good and year-in-year-out reliable bench bats. 

But yeah, bench bats aren't really 'core' material. No one's mentioning Nick Gordon and Gilbert Celestino this time around.

[chpettit19]

5 hours ago, Aichiman said:

Yeah.  It's called a trade.

 

Byron Buxton has a full no trade clause until 2027.

[Otaknam]

19 hours ago, rv78 said:

Can't narrow it down to 4 players. Lets do 8.

Arraez, Buxton, Kirilloff, Lewis, Larnach, Ryan, Winder, Duran.

 

[Otaknam]

Previous poster nailed it by expanding the list to include Arraez, Buxton, Kiriloff, Lewis, Larnach, Ryan, Winder, and Duran. 

[Otaknam]

Just now, Otaknam said:

Previous poster nailed it by expanding the list to include Arraez, Buxton, Kiriloff, Lewis, Larnach, Ryan, Winder, and Duran. 

They’ve all had some success in the bigs. Winder has some bulldog in him and hopefully can stay healthy. Am looking for the day when they don’t search the scrap heap for starters trying to make a comeback.

[Mark G]

21 hours ago, wsnydes said:

I'd go Buxton, Kirilloff, Ryan and Duran if we're needing to include a reliever.  Without any sort of "requirements", I'd swap Lewis for Duran.  

You would list a twice seriously injured player with a few dozen at bats in the majors over Arraez?  C'mon, would you really?  

[wsnydes]

Just now, Mark G said:

You would list a twice seriously injured player with a few dozen at bats in the majors over Arraez?  C'mon, would you really?  

I would.  I think Lewis can be that level of a game changer.  I like Arraez quite a bit, but I don't think you can build a team around him.

[farmerguychris]

Buxton (if can stay healthy), Lewis (if knee can stay healthy), AK (if wrist can stay healthy), and Ryan - IMO

Would be ok with Duran in there as well, but have trouble putting a reliever in there as a core player when their careers (like Duffy) can be so brief.

[Mark G]

38 minutes ago, Otaknam said:

Previous poster nailed it by expanding the list to include Arraez, Buxton, Kiriloff, Lewis, Larnach, Ryan, Winder, and Duran. 

Only two of which are proven MLB players, and one of them struggles to play 120 games a year.  As much as I like the potential of the other 6, please give me a year or two more before I crown them part of a future core.  Here's hoping you all are right.  

[Mark G]

3 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

I would.  I think Lewis can be that level of a game changer.  I like Arraez quite a bit, but I don't think you can build a team around him.

Well, I hope you are right, but it is even harder to build a team around a guy who misses a year or more at a time with injuries, never knowing if he will return the same player.  But then we have done that with Buxton, so who am I to argue with injury prone players?    

Besides, if I had my way we would pay the price and build the team around Correa, but me and JP don't always see eye to eye on those things (I really wish he would answer my calls).  

[Rosterman]

Anyone!? 1`5 Players on the Twins team in 2025? How about 2026?

[wsnydes]

9 minutes ago, Mark G said:

Well, I hope you are right, but it is even harder to build a team around a guy who misses a year or more at a time with injuries, never knowing if he will return the same player.  But then we have done that with Buxton, so who am I to argue with injury prone players?    

Besides, if I had my way we would pay the price and build the team around Correa, but me and JP don't always see eye to eye on those things (I really wish he would answer my calls).  

Correa has only played more than 110 games twice in his career.  If you're worried about injury, he's not exactly the poster child of health either.

[Mark G]

9 minutes ago, Rosterman said:

Anyone!? 1`5 Players on the Twins team in 2025? How about 2026?

I may have had 20/25 vision when I was younger, but I need glasses at this age.  I don't think I can see that far.    

[Mark G]

3 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

Correa has only played more than 110 games twice in his career.  If you're worried about injury, he's not exactly the poster child of health either.

In '20 he played 58 out of 60, in '21 148 out of 162, and so far this year 61 out of 85.  I think I would take my chances with that recent track record with as young as he still is.  But that's just me.  

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, nicksaviking said:

You were thinking Randy Bush too huh?

Joking aside, few players have ever been as predictably consistent as Bush and Larkin. Dang good and year-in-year-out reliable bench bats.

It's hard to build up value when your only distinguishing skill is one PA every few games or so.  Pushing these guys into other roles than that almost always cost the team more than it benefited.

[wsnydes]

19 minutes ago, Mark G said:

In '20 he played 58 out of 60, in '21 148 out of 162, and so far this year 61 out of 85.  I think I would take my chances with that recent track record with as young as he still is.  But that's just me.  

He's certainly less risky, I wasn't arguing anything differently.  But he's had his fair share of injury shortened seasons as well.  He's not without risk though.

[Schmoeman5]

49 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

I would.  I think Lewis can be that level of a game changer.  I like Arraez quite a bit, but I don't think you can build a team around him.

You can't build a team around a guy who gets on base 40% of the time? As General McAuliff said to the German surrender proposal during the Battle of the Bulge. NUTS!

[wsnydes]

4 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

You can't build a team around a guy who gets on base 40% of the time? As General McAuliff said to the German surrender proposal during the Battle of the Bulge. NUTS!

Not one that doesn't have a position in the field and isn't a great defender anyway.  Sure, he can DH, but I don't really want to build a team around a DH.

[Schmoeman5]

2 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

Not one that doesn't have a position in the field and isn't a great defender anyway.  Sure, he can DH, but I don't really want to build a team around a DH.

Arreaz is not a great defensive player, I agree, the overriding fact is he can hit. And I'm not building a team solely around him. TD Army is always complaining about 2 things. The bullpen and lack of hitting or lack of hitting with RISP. Solo homers are better than 2 run shots? Go back to Twins vs Yankees game when Cole pitched. 3 or 4 solo shots. Who won the game. ARREAZ, leadoff playing wherever for the next 5 years is a good start 

[Mark G]

31 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

He's certainly less risky, I wasn't arguing anything differently.  But he's had his fair share of injury shortened seasons as well.  He's not without risk though.

No 35 million dollar man is; would be too easy, wouldn't it?