Leaderboard

Man did I love watching Doug Mientkiewicz play 1st base. His stretch was amazing! You talk about Koskie play at 3rd but a lot of the defense abilities of the infield was because of Doug digging balls out of the dirt and his stretch.

PECOTA still believing in Sano and giving a higher projected DPC+ to Wade compared to Kirilloff and Larnach tells me everything I need to know about these projections. I'm going to completely disregard them.

I just believe many of us are setting our sights to low. I believe the Twins will sign Cruz And another starter And another reliever.

We could sign Cruz then make a low cost offer on Archer and sign a reliever like Kintzler or Clippard on the cheap

Signing Cruz seems somewhat insane. Hasn't put them over the hump the last 2 years, keeps them from signing pitching, he's old and will decline rapidly & they have at least 3 young guys that would fit his role very nicely with maybe not the proven performance, but potentially very good performance. 1 man don't make a baseball team.

I think those are good points we definitely could get priced out on Cruz. I don't think the FO wants to spend much more than they have in the past for Cruz. Cruz isn't getting younger so I can see why he wants a two year deal. It was a two year deal that brought him to the Twins granted one was an option year. Not sure what the bidding for Odo is but I find it doubtful that they would bring him back on a three year deal. He always has trouble the third time through the order and last year was injured and he isn't exactly young for a pitcher either. I think they get priced out there as well. Ozuna just doesn't make sense given all the slow plodding hitters the Twins have currently and stacked in the system. I don't see them going bullpen unless it is a lower priced one year deal as they have Colina and Chalmers pretty much ready to go and they I think they need to keep Gibaut and Waddell on the 40 man as well so they have options. Ober would likely be used in relief as well so I don't see them being too worried when it comes to relief. Paxton and Walker seem like possibilities if they come with one year deals. Next year Twins might need to bring up Canterino, Duran and Balazovic so might need a spot or two next year anyway. Also they could pitch in relief for the big club if absolutely needed. With the exception of Cruz I think it is bargain time or they are done. They will roll with what they have.

I think Twins FO is quietly hoping for universal DH so can get outbid for Cruz and diplomatically not sign him. I like Cruz for a one year contract, but want another SP in the range mentioned above, and another relief pitcher. Can't have too many pitchers, don't know if Twins have pitchers MLB ready in minors.

I do not want Hill again. If we have questions about signing Cruz at his age then we should not consider Hill based on age and health. And I would not write off our rookies because Pecota does not know how to project them. We know them; now we need to play them.

Continuing on from Part 2: #16 - Blayne Enlow RHP (3rd Round 2017, HS) | Enlow has had a very average minor league career so far. He throws 4 different pitches, which gives him an edge to be a starting pitcher, but his K/BB ratio (2.39) leaves a lot to be desired. He averages 92 MPH but can touch 95-96 on occasion. Enlow still has time to take a big step forward, and a good 2021 season could vault him into the top 10. | #15 - Edwar Colina RHP (International from Venezuela, 2016) | Ignore his bad outing in the final game of the 2020 season, I think Colina has a bright future, albeit as a reliever. His fastball can reach up to 100 MPH, and in combination with a strong slider, he was able to average about a strikeout an inning. Walks have been a problem for him, with a career 3.9 BB/9. He found more success in 2019 once he mostly ditched his changeup, though if he could bring that back, his repertoire would be all the more stronger. Colina should bounce between AAA and the MLB team in 2021, with the hope that he can figure things out like Jorge Alcala did in 2020. | #14 - Misael Urbina CF (International from Venezuela, 2018) | Urbina gets the nod over the other top [internal] international prospects after he had a strong 2019 in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .825 OPS. Urbina is ahead of most other prospects his age (he'll turn 19 soon), as scouts praise his plate discipline and hand-eye coordination. If he can develop power later on, he should jump up into the top 5. He was a base-stealing threat as well, but it's questionable if he'll continue to be such a fast runner after he puts on more muscle. | #13 - Keoni Cavaco 3B (1st Round 2019, HS) | Many considered Cavaco to be a reach in the draft at pick #13, and his play in rookie league only confirmed this for some. Cavaco hit .470 OPS with a dreadful 38% strikeout rate. Hope should not be abandoned for the young infielder, as many project him to have a 55 to 60 power ranking, and he's working on accessing this power. He's also blazing fast, having enough quickness to play SS, but is currently error-prone. Cavaco needs to get his career on the right path with a strong 2021 season. | #12 - Cole Sands RHP (5th Round 2018, Florida State) | Sands has dealt with some injury issues, but when he's healthy, he deals. He had a quality fastball that touches 95/96 and mixes in a curveball that might be the best in our system. He turned in a strong 2019 season, posting a 2.68 ERA in 18 starts with healthy K/BB numbers. Sands turns 24 in 2021, and needs to pitch a whole season (likely at AA) to prove himself as a starting pitcher. He could challenge for a spot in the 2022 rotation if all goes well. | #11 - Matt Canterino RHP (2nd Round 2019, Rice) | We haven't seen a full season in the minors from Canterino yet, but the scouts are raving about him. He's recently developed a nasty changeup that complements his strong fastball, which has already seen an increase in speed since his college days. He's going to be getting strikeouts by the dozens, if his track record is anything to go by. Canterino is still a ways away, and for pitching prospects, I don't count chickens until the eggs are close to hatch. | #10 - Gilberto Celesinto CF (International from , acquired in 2018 trade) | Unquestionably the best outfielder defensively on the prospect ranking, Celestino boasts a 60-60 run and fielding toolset and could be an elite defender in CF. As you might expect, his bat has been a bit shaky in the minors, as his 2019 season ran hot and cold - his first half was dismal, but his second half was stupendous. He won't be a power hitter in the big leagues, but he did knock out 10 HRs. Celestino profiles as a CF in the same vein as Kevin Kiermaier or Kevin Pillar. | #9 - Aaron Sabato 1B (1st Round 2020, North Carolina) | The Twins just can't resist a good hitting prospect, no matter how their caliber of athleticism. Sabato, the Twins' latest 1st rounder, crushed the ACC conference at college as he had a crazy .332/.459/.708 line. That's only over 368 career PAs, however. He's already rated as a 60 power hitter, meaning he could be a 30+ HRs a year guy. The problem will be what position he plays... it's either going to be 1B or DH. He's already a hefty guy and will need to learn how to play 1B. I don't mind having a pure hitting prospect like this, there's just a few too many of them just like him for my taste.

Maybe Sano is the hitters equivalent of Bret Saberhagen. He's good every other year. His best OPS+ in an even year is 108. His worst OPS+ in an odd year is 126. Hopefully, he has a much more normal offseason and start to the year, plus he doesn't have to worry about a position switch.

I'm not concerned about the rookie projections given how weird last year was and amazes me how many people want to write off Sano after a couple bad stretches coming off injury and COVID in 2020 after he was sensational in 2019. Sano had a .923 OPS in 2019 DESPITE having a brutal 3-39 stretch while changing his mechanics. He could easily have a 1.000 if he's healthy all year imo.

I never fully understood why so many believe Rosario is a better player under pressure. We can all certainly agree that Eddie is an intense player but given his plate discipline, or rather lack thereof, I'm not sure an "amped up" Eddie is a good thing and could make a minor argument the opposite is true. Career OPS+ of 100 as a baseline for the following career stats (lower is worse than overall career line, higher is better than overall career line): RISP: 98 Bases Empty: 102 Men On: 98 2 outs, RISP: 85 (yikes) Late & Close: 104 High Leverage: 91 All of those "clutch" stats have Rosario as a worse hitter than his career line, excluding Late & Close. Which makes sense as a spectator who has watched Rosario for many seasons. While he certainly had some very memorable moments, I also remember watching him miss a head-high fastball before walking back to the dugout or rolling over on a bad first pitch in a critical situation countless times. Guys with little to no plate discipline certainly get a lot of opportunities to make an impression - which Eddie must have done for many here - but when combined with all those bad, mostly forgettable plate appearances, his numbers in the aggregate suggest he was mostly neutral in critical situations and pretty bad in a few critical situations.

You may have missed out on investing in GameStop or AMC over the past week, but there are three Minnesota Twins players worth investing in right now, while their values are at their lowest.Over the past week the stock market has dominated the national conversation and terms like “hedge fund” and “short squeeze” have entered the mainstream vocabulary. While many of the skyrocketing stocks on the market have already reached their peaks, there are three Minnesota Twins players worth investing in right now. These players' values are at their lowest, but figure to be in for big years in 2021. Buy now and ride these players to the moon! Randy Dobnak Randy Dobnak had an excellent start to the 2020 season, posting a 1.78 ERA through his first six starts and looking like a real piece in the Minnesota Twins rotation. The wheels started to fall off for Dobnak, though, as he posted an ERA of 8.27 over his next four starts and was eventually removed from the Minnesota Twins rotation. Though 2020 ended on a sour note for the right hander, his arrow is pointing up for the 2021 season as a result of the offseason changes made by the Minnesota Twins and the all-world infield defense that the Twins front office has assembled. Randy Dobnak is an extreme ground ball pitcher and excels the most with a great infield behind him. The Minnesota Twins improved their infield defense in a big way this offseason with the addition of Andrelton Simmons and shifting Jorge Polanco over to second base. Those changes combined with a (hopefully) healthy season from Josh Donaldson and Miguel Sanó could bode extremely well for the 26 year old heading into his third season as a big leaguer. It remains to be seen whether or not the Minnesota Twins will acquire another starting pitcher this offseason, but as things currently stand Randy Dobnak will begin the season as Minnesota’s #5 starter, and he’s one you should invest in now. BUYBUYBUY! Taylor Rogers The Minnesota left hander is coming off of the worst Major League season of his career in 2020. Rogers posted a career-high ERA of 4.05 with a 1.50 WHIP and opponent batting average of .302. Rogers repeatedly failed to come through in big moments for the Minnesota Twins and some thought he could be a non-tender candidate this offseason as a result. Rogers ultimately came to a deal with Minnesota this offseason for $6M. After such a poor season in 2020, why should Twins fans invest in him for the 2021 season? Although Rogers’ statistics last season were poor, his underlying numbers point to him being unlucky rather than bad last season. Although his ERA was a career-high 4.05, Taylor’s FIP (fielding independent pitching) was actually better in 2020 than it was in 2019. Further, Rogers posted a BABIP of .400, the sixth-highest mark of all MLB pitchers with at least 20 IP in 2020, indicating that he was extremely unlucky all season and balls were just finding holes in the field time and time again. After a season of bad luck in 2020, regression figures to flip back in a positive direction for the southpaw in 2021, especially with a season 2.7x longer than the shortened season last year. BUYBUYBUY! Josh Donaldson The 2020 season was nothing short of a lost year for the Bringer of Rain, who was only able to play in 28 games for the Minnesota Twins and was held out of both postseason games due to an injury to his calf. Because of the lost season for Donaldson, it’s easy for Twins fans to forget just how key of an addition he is to this club at the plate, and just how impactful he can be at the hot corner. The former MVP has posted an OPS of .900 or higher in each of his four healthy seasons since 2015, and even in his disastrous 2020, still posted an excellent OPS of .842. Though health is never a guarantee in the game of baseball, the load that Donaldson will need to shoulder in 2021 figures to have been reduced with the increased infield flexibility that came with the Andrelton Simmons signing. Now with Luis Arráez at the super utility position, the Twins can give Josh Donaldson routine days off without needing to suffer in the lineup. This figures to reduce the load on Donaldson’s calves, and keep him healthy for what should be a massive bounce-back season in 2021. BUYBUYBUY! Which Minnesota Twins player stocks are you investing in prior to the 2021 season? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email — Follow Matthew Taylor on Twitter here Click here to view the article

The bullpen is a plus department? I think that might be a bit of a stretch.

The big question now is how much more they add. Cruz (assuming no big regression) plus Simmons means a step forward for this team. They're a plus team in every department now.

Highly unlikely we’d go for another big bat when our remaining payroll is probably peanuts. I could see them shelling out maybe a few more million for another arm but not more than that. I’d love to be wrong.

There’s no question that Nelson Cruz has been the heart and soul of the Twins line-up over the last two seasons, but the team doesn’t want to be left out to dry. Spring training is scheduled to start later this month and the remaining free agents are going to continue to come off the board. Minnesota may be forced to move on from Cruz.There is no salary cap in baseball, but many teams have a self-imposed limit this winter for a variety of reasons. Revenues were limited in a pandemic shortened 2020 campaign and there are still plenty of questions about how much those revenues will improve in 2021. Minnesota’s current payroll sits around $110-113 million with the team anticipated to spend around $125 million. This leaves room for one more big signing or a pair of smaller additions. Many early reports had Cruz asking for a two-year contract and when looking at his last two seasons, that might seem like a no-brainer. Since joining the Twins, he has hit .308/.394/.626 with 57 home runs and 32 doubles in 173 games. However, his increasing age continues to be the elephant in the room. He turned 40-years-old last July, and he will be 41 about halfway through the 2021 campaign. Does any team want to have significant money tied to a 42-year-old DH? With their remaining payroll, the Twins can go in a few different directions to help the 2021 squad. Many of the players listed below will sign in the coming weeks and Minnesota doesn’t want to be left with money on the table. Adding to the rotation seems like an intriguing option for the Twins and signing Cruz likely means the Twins would enter 2021 with their current rotation. Trevor Bauer won’t exactly fit into the team’s self-imposed payroll restrictions, but names like James Paxton, Jake Odorizzi, and Taijuan Walker are still available. Any of these options can fit into the middle of Minnesota’s rotation and be relied on for starts in the postseason. For designated hitter, the top name left on the market is Marcell Ozuna, who is a decade younger than Cruz. He is coming off a tremendous season with the Braves, but he would likely come with a longer commitment and higher salary than Cruz. Minnesota might not want to invest long-term at DH with many of the team’s top prospects projected to be corner outfielders or first base types (Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, Brent Rooker, etc.) Adding to the bullpen is also an option, but it remains to be seen if the Twins would consider spending money on relievers when the current regime has found luck in cheap options that turn into valuable assets. Alex Colome and Trevor Rosenthal are the two biggest names available and the Twins might be able to add both players with their remaining payroll flexibility. It still seems likely for Cruz to wind up back in a Twins uniform, especially with no decision yet made about the DH in the National League. However, time is ticking away, and Minnesota might not want to hold out much longer. Will the Twins be forced to move on from Cruz? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Concur. Moreover look at Ozuna's track record and compare it to Cruz's track record before he joined the Twins - I have this feeling that we'd be paying top dollar and getting essentially the equivalent of Eddie Rosario for it at least some of the time, if we signed Marcell to a multi-year deal.

This is great. I could use a Vari-Pitch propeller.

IMO Ozuna isn't an option. Don't you think that he's waiting to see if there's an universal DH too. If we can't afford Cruz we surely can't afford Ozuna if it's official.

.IF we have to choose. I Choose pitching. Im a huge Cruz fan, but if we are on a budget...we NEED another mid-level starting pitching depth. I honestly think the Twins can and should afford Cruz, another starter and 2 decent relievers. Cant understand why our payroll shouldn't be at least equal to last years. Are we trying to win the ws or make money. I just feel like so many mentions of us having the aprox 125 million limited payroll shouldn't be acceptable. But to each his own as they say.

I wouldn't mind to Clippard back he was solid last year. Another former friend I think would fit well is Brandon Kintzler, ground ball machine to feed the defense and should be in their price range.

The PECOTA projections for Nellie do not infuse me with a lot of optimism. To me, that's pretty pedestrian production and would constitute an over pay with a LOT of risk (he'll be 41 years old this season). Ozuna seems like a MUCH wiser investment at this point and he could even play some LF in addition to being the primary DH. Duval looks like a "cheaper" but very attractive and cost efficient option. I've been pining for the Twins to sign Paxton all off season. They should get him. An addition of Paxton and Duval would be good. An addition of Ozuna AND Paxton would be tremendous !! And would quite possibly thrust us over the White Sox as the dujour pick to win the division.

On Monday, Baseball Prospectus began releasing their PECOTA projections for 2021. There are a ton of interesting items within them, for Twins fans. Here are five of the most important.The Twins Have Excellent, Enviable Catching Depth We’ve talked all winter about Mitch Garver’s 2020, but broadly speaking, it’s easy to dismiss the lost season a fluke. Garver suffered an ill-timed injury in a surreal and shortened campaign. Mathematical models don’t dismiss anything, exactly, but PECOTA agrees with most Twins fans: Garver’s 2019 numbers come much closer to accurately describing him than his 2020 ones do. He’s projected to post a 114 DRC+ (BP’s proprietary, holistic rate stat for offensive value, where 100 is average and higher is better) in 2021. Garver only gets 304 plate appearances in PECOTA’s projections, though, because BP’s depth charts estimate a very even share of catching duties between Garver and Ryan Jeffers. Last month, Jeffers landed just outside the Top 101 Prospects list published by BP, but PECOTA might have nudged him back onto the list. In the same 304 trips to the plate, it projects a 109 DRC+ for Jeffers. Most teams would love to have a full-time starting backstop who hits that well. The Twins have two, who can split the job and stay fresher and healthier. PECOTA also thinks Willians Astudillo can be a roughly average hitter, though whether the Twins see him as a legitimate option behind the plate, anymore, is an open question. Alex Kirilloff, Brent Rooker, and Trevor Larnach Get Pessimistic Projections Before you freak out, know that there are some important caveats coming in a moment. However, it’s important to note that PECOTA is not excited about the short-term prospects of any of the team’s three prospective rookie left fielders, including Kirilloff, whom fans have penciled in as the primary left fielder ever since Eddie Rosario was non-tendered. The system has considered Kirilloff and Larnach as essentially identical for a couple of years now, but where it inspired cautious optimism a year ago, it offers no such immediate hope this time. Kirilloff’s projected DRC+ is 93, and Larnach’s is 91. Neither is in as much trouble, according to the system, as Rooker, whose projected 83 DRC+ is the worst among Twins players who figure to get meaningful playing time. Let’s dig into the caveats, though. For one thing, the fact that there were no minor leagues in 2020 leaves the system guessing, in some senses. It’s more bearish on rookies, in general, than it has traditionally been. There might be good reasons for that; we don’t know how the long disruption and the strange developmental environment of the alternate sites will affect players in this position. However, on balance, the system probably deflated the projections of those players more than their performance is likely to warrant. More importantly, there are ways the Twins can work around this problem, even if it turns out to be real. Jake Cave’s projection is not pretty, but LaMonte Wade’s is, with a 105 DRC+ and .349 projected on-base percentage. Wade playing fairly regularly in left field would not be a terrible outcome for this team. As we know, too, after the Andrelton Simmons signing, Luis Arraez might be available to play some left field. Kenta Maeda is No One-Hit Wonder The PECOTA projection for the Twins’ ace is downright gaudy. Though the system forecasts that he’ll throw just 156 innings (mostly the product of the BP team’s allotment of playing time on the depth chart and on the global concerns about innings totals in the season after such a shortened one), it values him at 4.5 Wins Above Replacement Player (WARP). His projected ERA is 2.53, and his 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings pitched would easily pace the Twins’ starters. His most comparable players, according to PECOTA, include Carlos Carrasco, Jacob deGrom, and Corey Kluber. Contending for the Cy Young Award again seems well within Maeda’s reach. The Middle of the Rotation Should Be Stable and Strong Beyond Maeda, there’s no thrilling, jump-off-the-page individual projection on the Twins’ pitching staff, but the projections still elucidate the solidity of the next three hurlers in the team’s rotation. Baseball Prospectus uses DRA- to value pitchers on a rate basis. It’s a statistic scaled to 100, where lower is better. José Berríos projects to post a 91 DRA-. Michael Pineda owns a projected 97. J.A. Happ is pegged for 100. That means that, even if Minnesota doesn’t sign any more starters, and even if none of these guys outpace their projections at all, Rocco Baldelli will have an average or better starter for four of every five games. PECOTA Still Believes in Miguel Sanó Given the way pandemicball affected most hitters, and the fact that Sanó was sidelined by COVID-19 at a crucial point during the preparation phase for the truncated season, there were plenty of reasons not to worry overmuch about his lousy 2020. Still, it was a rough season. Sanó hit just .204/.278/.478, good for a 92 DRC+ that made him a sub-replacement level first baseman. PECOTA is undaunted. It does project him for a dizzying 235 strikeouts in 574 trips to the plate, but it also thinks Sanó will hit 31 home runs, walk 67 times, hit .355 on balls in play (thanks to his prodigious ability to hit the ball hard) and post a 123 DRC+. Since it also projects him to be a good defender at first base, that translates to 3.6 WARP. If he produces that much value, Sanó will push the Twins toward an AL Central title in 2021, rather than away from it. Click here to view the article

PECOTA is fun, and I really like using math as a predictor. But PECOTA is almost always Bearish on the minor leagures. I don't understand it enough to know how or why, and it's understandable that the guys with the least amount of data would get the uber conservative estimates, but if teams based their rosters off of what PECOTA suggests the young guys will do, there would be about 4 rookies on MLB rosters each year.

It seems there was a lot at play here with how the Player's viewed the MLB's offer. This article breaks it down pretty well. The Passan article I cited earlier in the Notebook piece does too. I think it would be a different conversation if this was December and not two weeks before Spring Training begins, not to mention all the players that are already at their teams facilities.

Nice article. Thanks.

Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported that the Twins and Nelson Cruz have revived contract discussions after a period of inactivity. Derek Falvey briefly commented on the situation during TwinsFest.The video below includes a key excerpt from Hayes’ article and video of Falvey addressing a question regarding Cruz during . From the outside looking in, it certainly seems like the Twins are trying to make sure they're not bidding against themselves and the Cruz camp is holding out hope additional suitors may emerge. There still hasn't been any reporting yet on the actual numbers that are being discussed, but as we prepare to turn the calendar to February, it seems likely this comes to a conclusion before too long. Now that Andrelton Simmons and J.A. Happ are officially Twins, the team should have even more cost certainty in regard to the rest of the roster. They have some good internal options at DH as is, but trying to replace both Eddie Rosario and Cruz would be a tall task. Do you anticipate Cruz re-signing with the Twins? SEE ALSO 2021 Winter Meltdown Pint Glasses On Sale Now Free Agent Faceoff: Marcell Ozuna vs. Nelson Cruz Why the Twins Shouldn't Re-Sign Nelson Cruz Click here to view the article

The most exciting thing for me in the MLB proposal was going back to 154 games. I see some big issues this season with the Brazilian, South African, and British varients making their way through the country. None of the moves or players moved would have excited me. It sounds like normal baseball routine moves. Do we really need a second Utility player? Can't Blankenhorn be that guy? What is left for us it the decision - Cruz or rookie shuffle at DH and who fills out the BP.

Really nice write up. Balanced with good and bad. Particularly enjoyed the Enlow and Cavaco write ups. I like where you placed Cavaco as well. There are too many unknowns to have him in the top 10 IMO. His bat and pitch recognition don't appear to have ever been strong and that can spell doom for many prospects. He obviously is gifted physically and if he could manage to be a five tool player he will have been a steal in that spot. Personally I think he sells out for power and ends up at third but a guy can dream. There is a fairly decent chance the bat never comes around ala Corey Ray of the Brewers. Loved the write up on Sabato and agree. The Twins don't seem to care about physical attributes as long as a strong hit tool profile is there. That philosophy probably makes sense until your farm system is full of guys like that. In a vacuum that pick makes sense but given we have a fleet of slow footed hitters there is a point where picks like that make less sense. They could focus on pitching in the higher rounds at least one year every five or so. I like what you wrote and my board would be similar. Might have Cantarino a little higher given all the helium but he fine where you have him as well. Thanks for sharing!

Could the Twins second utility position be filled by Astudillo? Doesn't play shortstop, but can play second, third, the corner outfield and catch. Isn't great at any of them, but also not the worst in the league. Assuming there is a 26 man roster again, is there?, might be the best choice for that 13th slot on the bench. I thought the MLB proposal was reasonable. Disappointed that it got rejected outright. Unless they can get vaccinations for all teams/personnel by early March, there will be cancelled games. And heck, will Arizona even allow the teams to enter their spring training sites next week? Hopefully, they will get back together this week.

I tried a few times to figure out PECOTA. It always seems way off. Heck, it seems almost random with some players. There's a reason no one uses it. If it works at all, it's incredibly complicated. While the rest of the baseball world searches in vain for an uberstat, Baseball Prospectus settled on a bizarrostat.

The fly in the ointment on 'an extension soon' for Kirilloff is he is represented by Scott Boras, and Boras doesn't do the 'pre-emptive contract extension' for pre-arbitration players. My guess is they stash him in St. Paul for 'seasoning' in April.

Great article! Hats off to the FO, they saw the need found the solution and they let Simmons know that we're interested and sold the Twins. I'm excited about the addition of Simmons. Not only his talent but also the knowledge that he brings. I've felt the need for our SS prospects to get all the preparations that they need. I was concerned about Lewis being adequately trained at SS but now I'm not. Simmons has a lot to give and Lewis is hungry to learn. Lewis can pass that knowledge along. The fact that all the FAs that was linked to the Twins they didn't sign (hopefully Cruz is the exception) and those they did, weren't. Gives me some hope that they might be considering some FAs that aren't still linked to the Twins. Simmons will also inspire the rest of the defense to achieve an higher level

I'm surprised the '05, '06, and '10 Twins all finished ahead of the '01 Twins since they were largely the same defensively as the '02 Twins.

A related possibility is that they have a handshake agreement already, for $X million if there is no DH in the NL, and $X+Y million if there is, reflecting what both sides probably agree is the differential of a larger market for his services. Or perhaps an understanding that he can explore with an NL team if the opportunity arises, and the Twins can match the best offer. Of course if the Dodgers offer crazy money, he is gone. I just don't take the relative silence as meaning anything more than the parties see eye to eye, but are waiting for an event that is outside either party's control.

Many ways Cruz helps and hurts. His offensive production is great but... 1-He won't put more fans in the stands this year because the combination of COVID-19 restrictions and pent up demand will likely allow all available seats to be sold. 2-He likely has helped Sano develop as a human being but the credit for Sano's hitting so much better in 2019 obviously belongs to the now departed James Rowson. 3-The cost is going to be a lot of money, less defensive flexibility and less opportunities for development of other talents. My thumbnail cost/benefit analysis says to pass on this asset and use the savings on more pitching. A guy like Renato Nunez, who was DFA's by the lowly Orioles in November could likely be had on a minor league or two-way contract for very little $$ and given 500 ABs would likely give you a .250 ba and 25 HR's while providing defensive flexibility at 3B and 1B(not good at either but better than Cruz). Speaking of the Orioles, I see that they tried to defer the arbitration contract money owed to Trey Mancini and Anthony Santander. Mancini would absolutely give the Twins a nice bat at DH and good defensive flexibility. He is only owned $4.5m for 2021 and still has one more year for arbitration in 2022. I would also be willing to move prospects to get Santander. What do you think the Orioles would take for Mancini and Santander?? -Lamonte Wade is a local to the Baltimore area -Willians Astudillo gives them a DH to replace Mancini and back up catcher -Nick Gordon might be the young middle infielder they are looking for to pair with Richie Martin -Devin Smeltzer could be a quality starter in their rotation This is likely not enough, but these are all guys that would help the Orioles rebuild as they are MLB ready or AAAA players that are CHEAP and can be productive in Baltimore. Orioles would likely want more pitching but they do have a good number of young arms that are almost ready so perhaps we send some high ceiling A level player or players.

Lindor is a slightly better hitter, plays a premium position, and plays it *much* better than Rosario does his non-premium position. While Cleveland needed a corner OF (for like three seasons running) and Eddie fills that role just fine, he is in no way, shape, or form a replacement for anything about Lindor, who is better at pretty much everything baseball.

Alcala, Garver, Kepler, Kiriloff, alphabetically of course.

Buxton, Jeffers, Alcala

I'm putting my life savings into Kirilloff Stock. Alex to the moon. Also I'm short selling Rosario.

I read that the White Sox have shown no interest, despite them wanting to spend big and having an opening at DH. It seems really weird that the White Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Rays and Astros haven't at least sniffing around. He's not a perfect fit for any of them, but even if they don't truly want him, why aren't they at least trying to make it look like they'd make him work if only to drive up the price on the Twins? If he was on the White Sox, and it looked like the Sox were going to get him back on the cheap, I'd be pretty disappointed if the Twins didn't at least bluff to make sure the Sox paid more than they wanted to.

Interestingly enough, over the last two seasons with the Twins he has his highest batting average and hight OBP% ever in his career for a full season.