You mad at the Twins inactivity? I'm not! Here's why...

[jcphitman]

So you're mad the Twins aren't active with a big name signing yet? Are you upset when Ryan says our newly acquired SP from the Pirates might start when he's 29 years old and has little no MLB success? Are you grumpy when TR says Duensing and Swarzak might start next year? Eddie Rosario gets suspended for being an idiot and it means he ruins our prospect for established SP plan? UGH, right?

 

It might get even worse! Josh Johnson goes to San Diego for "personal reasons" from what he says. A cheaper 8 million dollar a year deal (with incentives). Tim Hudson goes to the Giants. Today I read on MLBTR the Royals signed Vargas to a 4 year deal. The Dodgers and Giants are talking to Dan Haren. Where are the Twins? Weren't they supposed to be linked to pitchers who actually have a name and maybe know how to pitch just a little bit? I mean, heck ... we even lost PJ Walters to the Royals! No more PJ next year. No wonder those relievers need to work on starting again...

 

You know what? I LOVE IT! I love it all! Why am I not upset one bit? Reasons below:

 

1. Padres are done with SP's from what it looks. Johnson joined an already crowded rotation. We can eliminate them as competition for any bidding wars. I don't know about you, but I'm sick of hurt pitchers. I want someone healthy and ready to go ... Johnson wasn't worth it with hoping he'd be healthy.

 

2. If the Giants sign Haren, they are done. Yet another competitor gone for the Twins to bid against. Twins never seemed too in on Haren. Let the Giants have him. He'll want to be in the NL anyway.

 

3. The Royals are out of the way with Vargas. Their rotation is full from what the MLBTR piece seemed to say. From what it looks to be their rotation is going to be WEAKER next year! Vargas is a downgrade from E. Santana IMO. A division rival gets weaker in the rotation and can't compete with us for signing pitchers. That's a win to me.

 

4. I hope A.J. Burnett decides to return and re-signs with the Pirates. That would essentially eliminate them most likely (I'm not familiar with their rotation, but I'd guess they'd only be after one name, maybe two max).

 

5. I even like the Tigers trade. They keep Max and while it keeps their rotation strong, it limits them from going after what is out there.

 

In my humble opinion, names that I really didn't like or feel would sign here are signing elsewhere and taking options away for those remaining FA players I DO like and think would sign here. What does this mean for us?

 

Who is left (in order I'd sign):

Matt Garza

Phil Hughes

Ricky Nolasco

Bronson Arroyo

Ervin Santana

 

Other options as well, but look at that! We've been mentioned for Garza, Hughes, Nolasco, and Arroyo. While other teams will also be there, we saw teams like the Giants and Padres in on all these pitchers. Those teams are signing other players and ELIMINATING themselves from getting one or two of these established pitchers! It's like they are going to LET them possibly fall into the lap of the Twins to sign if TR decides spending other people's money can finally happen (especially when he's being urged to spend).

 

The NL West has consistently been mentioned as a great division for pitchers looking to re-establish their value or get a decent year or two under their belts for a better contract. Many thought Hughes would go there. With the Padres full and the Giants possibly full, can he go there now? He may look at options wfor pitcher friendly parks and realize he has one option left ... TARGET FIELD! That means, we pretty much get the right to sign a 27 year old pitcher who could improve very well at Target Field. We could sign Hughes and possibly fix him in his prime. You won't get many opportunities better than that (I'm a Hughes apologist ... I make no qualms about it.)

 

What about Garza? Sure a team like the Yankees could swoop in, but they are more likely to go after the big Japanese pitcher. He may look around and realize a return to the Twins is the best bet to make him an ace as well as cash in. He's the best pitcher on the market IMO the Twins could try and get. If we bring him back, we're really well off.

 

Nolasco starts seeing his options drop. Who has rotation availability left? WE DO! He may have to come here.

 

Arroyo has a lot of suitors, but as those suitors drop, he could be in trouble looking at us a lot.

 

The bottom line is I want to see more teams sign pitchers not named Garza, Hughes, Nolasco, or Arroyo (I'd rather pass on Santana .. let another team sign him for his 100 million and eliminate themselves from one of these four coveted pitchers) because their options become fewer, they know the Twins have money to spend, and will start pushing their agents to get a deal done here.

 

What does this do for us?

 

1. Maybe we are able to sign a bigger name for less than imagined. It'll still be a bad contract .. I get it. However, it might be less of a bad contract than we originally imagined since it appears people don't want to play here due to the losing.

 

2. We keep our assets. No having to trade for a pitcher and no having to give up a draft pick to sign any of those four names.

 

3. We let Rosario serve his suspension, come back, and rebuild his value. He's still going to be a prospect after 50 games. We can use him later on. What if all of a sudden we are in the race come the trade deadline? Why not cash him in for something at that point if it matters? Signing two of the above named SP's puts us in the race if the pen stays decent and if our bats rebound from last year (which is possible).

 

I actually AGREE with TR saying he wants Johnson to make the rotation or will consider Duensing/Swarzak starting. Why not say it? We all know the chances of them actually doing it with them needing to show us something isn't likely to happen. However, when he says it, he's playing his cards. He's telling the FA pitchers we may as well just go with what we have until our prospects are ready and don't need to sign you. Why drool all over a pitcher and let him take advantage of you? The key here is if TR plays the game right and then goes and SIGNS a pitcher ... maybe as I said in point one, it works for less money. If TR doesn't sign a couple decent pitchers, then all of this optimism will go away and he'll deserve the wrath he gets.

 

I also agree for the same thing with catchers. Phillies signed Ruiz? Fantastic! I hope AJ's options drop so he comes here for a year and maybe we get a better deal on him. We have AJ catch so we have a solid option behind the plate, some attitude in the clubhouse and Pinto learns from him.

 

Let these other options that I didn't like sign. Hopefully the team offering Big Pelf a multi year deal is the Orioles so they are taken from the mix.

 

TR, the market is in your favor! Options for proven players are dropping. USE IT to your advantage! Spend some money for once your ownership WANTS you to spend! Bring them in and use their options dropping to your advantage.

 

I'm backing you on this. Show us you care. Show us 90 losses are done starting next season. Show us why we should come to the ballpark. Show us why we should give a damn. Sir, the baseball is in your field. Let's see what you do with it.

[howieramone1406390264]

Well thought out!

[Riverbrian]

Very Nice... I'll take those thoughts and put them in my coffee tomorrow. It'll be a Good Friday.

[TheLeviathan]

There are a lot of good points here. I guess I'm curious about something that maybe a 40 man expert could help with. If you count Duensing and Swarzak, by my count we have 11 guys on our 40 man that are starters.

 

If, as I hope we do, we add two guys via FA or trade....how are we going to juggle the 40 man? Is that going to hinder us, because I see a glut of "meh" all at the same position.

[pierre75275]

Don't forget Scott Kazmir. If the twins sign Garza and Kazmir and AJ I wonder how much better they would be next yr?

[pierre75275]

Nice post by the way.

[Linus]

A hundred years ago I was a student at the U of M, when they still played football outside at Memorial Stadium. Towards the end of each season it was frequently cold with snow piled up in the bleachers. A fellow student sitting about 20 rows below me would come each Saturday dressed in a bomber hat, goggles, scarf and shorts. The tradition was that he would hold high above his head some sort of stuffed rabbit / jackelope type creature as a target; he would immediately be pelted with hundreds and hundreds of snowballs. He did this many times per game until he was battered. It was amazing and brutal all at once and it was great fun. I always said "this guy, his positive attitude, his ability to take punishment - I love this guy".

 

I love you jcphitman

[Old Twins Cap]

Terry, you promised to not hang around the Blogs anymore! :)JK

 

This is all believable as long as the Twins end up doing something about their rotation. If not, it's, well, putting a lot of makeup on what amounts to an imperfect porcine pretender.

[Riverbrian]

A hundred years ago I was a student at the U of M, when they still played football outside at Memorial Stadium. Towards the end of each season it was frequently cold with snow piled up in the bleachers. A fellow student sitting about 20 rows below me would come each Saturday dressed in a bomber hat, goggles, scarf and shorts. The tradition was that he would hold high above his head some sort of stuffed rabbit / jackelope type creature as a target; he would immediately be pelted with hundreds and hundreds of snowballs. He did this many times per game until he was battered. It was amazing and brutal all at once and it was great fun. I always said "this guy, his positive attitude, his ability to take punishment - I love this guy".

 

I love you jcphitman

 

Brock... We need the "like" button back. That post deserves a "like"

 

Great set up!!!

[Linus]

True story.... I believe alcohol may have been involved.

[jcphitman]

Linus, I agree. Which is why in my original post that I wrote if he doesn't sign two good pitchers with the market in his favor, all the optimism is out the window and he deserves the wrath he will get.

 

I forgot about Kazmir! Add him to the list as well!

[ashbury]

True story.... I believe alcohol may have been involved.

 

[old nurse]

There are a lot of good points here. I guess I'm curious about something that maybe a 40 man expert could help with. If you count Duensing and Swarzak, by my count we have 11 guys on our 40 man that are starters.

 

If, as I hope we do, we add two guys via FA or trade....how are we going to juggle the 40 man? Is that going to hinder us, because I see a glut of "meh" all at the same position.

 

Starters in name only. Actual usage on a major league roster remains to be seen

Use the adjective "capable major league" to go with starter and your count becomes countable on the finger on the right hand of Scottie from Star Trek

[Spicoli]

Only a Twins fan could write a thread like this. In case you haven't noticed the Twins NEVER sign good FA's. Especially with the new owners! You really think their inactivity is a tactic to get cheaper players? Heck no! They wont get Santana, Jimenez, Nolasco..... They might get Arroyo but that's because nobody else wants a player that old, only the Twins would do something that dumb just to say they did something.

 

The Twins aren't active because they don't plan on paying anyone decent. Everyone here talks about how signing anyone good is a bad idea because they will be overpaid lol. News flash, to win you have to spend money. In a league with no salary cap you really cant overpay someone. Yea if they get a season ending injury or something it was a bad move but you cant say you overpaid someone right after they were signed. The market determines what a player gets. The Twins have saved hundreds of millions the last several seasons with their super small payrolls, they can afford to spend money. But they wont.

 

Its truly sad how every off season the Twins break our hearts. Last season we all were talking about which top SP we were getting. Then before we knew it we traded away 2 of our best players. Don't get your hopes up guys.

[Linus]

jcphitman - here come the snowballs. Surprised it took so long.

[twinsfaninsaudi]

I only skimmed your initial post but I'm pretty sure you look like a genius today.

[jcphitman]

Only a Twins fan could write a thread like this. In case you haven't noticed the Twins NEVER sign good FA's. Especially with the new owners! You really think their inactivity is a tactic to get cheaper players? Heck no! They wont get Santana, Jimenez, Nolasco..... They might get Arroyo but that's because nobody else wants a player that old, only the Twins would do something that dumb just to say they did something.

 

The Twins aren't active because they don't plan on paying anyone decent. Everyone here talks about how signing anyone good is a bad idea because they will be overpaid lol. News flash, to win you have to spend money. In a league with no salary cap you really cant overpay someone. Yea if they get a season ending injury or something it was a bad move but you cant say you overpaid someone right after they were signed. The market determines what a player gets. The Twins have saved hundreds of millions the last several seasons with their super small payrolls, they can afford to spend money. But they wont.

 

Its truly sad how every off season the Twins break our hearts. Last season we all were talking about which top SP we were getting. Then before we knew it we traded away 2 of our best players. Don't get your hopes up guys.

 

Spicoli, we didn't get Nolasco, huh?

 

Wonder what positvity can do once in a while. Hope you like that crow...

 

Those snowballs taste like chocolate malts! Keep em coming!

[TheLeviathan]

Starters in name only. Actual usage on a major league roster remains to be seen

Use the adjective "capable major league" to go with starter and your count becomes countable on the finger on the right hand of Scottie from Star Trek

 

I don't disagree, but the Twins also just recently added to that glut for reasons I can't figure out. Someone will have to go off the 40 man, what I don't understand is why they added some of the glut there already.

[Marta Shearing]

The thing I like about the Nolasco signing is not surrendering that draft pick. Ryan hasnt fully redeemed himself yet, but this is a nice start. Now sign AJ. Giving Salty 3 years would be a waste. Im on the Pinto bandwagon.