Twins Sending Relief Messages

"Handing out big contracts to names like Wade Davis or Greg Holland could end up preventing money being spent elsewhere."

 

"a long term/high ceiling starter would make for one successful offseason."

 

So are we Darvish or bust at this point? Unless they're committing $ to a front end starter they shouldn't have to penny pinch in the relief market, and even then the dumpster diving probably isn't warranted. 

 

Right now the only "building," they've done is adding a 41 year old reliever and burning a 25 man spot on a Rule V pick. Hopefully some significant moves are made in the near future. 

I think we can come up with a more apt metaphor than "dumpster diving" for what the Twins are doing. "Identifying appreciable, undervalued assets?"

 

Or, since I just got back from The Last Jedi, "making a bet on Han Solo's upside while letting Jabba and Darth Vader overpay for the Boba Fetts and Bossks of the Galaxy?"

The moves have been underwhelming so far. A guy who might not play in 2018 and a 41 year old closer? Not exactly setting the world on fire when looked at from a casual fan perspective. Speaking to the guys at work they are rolling their eyes and saying same old Twins. Landing Yu Darvish would put a nice bow on the offseason. I am trusting the Boy Wonders have a few tricks left up their sleeve for this offseason.

Let me help translate:

 

Despite 2017 season and a window of opportunity created by their offense, Twins are not going to make a playoff run in 2018.

 

So, rather than pay for veteran relief, they are going to have young guys pitch the late innings and see what happens.

 

Hopefully, by 2019 or 2020, this will sort itself out.

Sooner or later...hopefully sooner...a couple young arms have to step forward due to nothing else other than the numbers of them. I am still intrigued by both Pressly and Duffey, wondering if Duffey might be best as the long/middle man. Hildenberger and Busentiz should take a step forward. Curtiss shows some great stuff. Can Chargois just be healthy this season! Please!

 

I am somewhat underwhelmed by Rodney, but don't consider it a bad move. He seems to channel an inner Guardado/Wild Thing Mitch Williams at times, but has real stuff most of the time, some nice peripherals, some proven success, and is an upgrade to the Belisle signing last season. Probably an upgrade to Kintzler, overall.

 

I would still feel a lot better with another proven arm, via FA or trade, though the FA market is drying up.

 

But there are some good arms to work with here. It's up to them to step forward, of course, and up to the staff to help them do so. I'm not totally happy with the lack of aggression regarding the pen, but I'm not despondent either.

Like I said in another post, grow your fingernails over the winter because you will be biting them often when Rodney pitches in the ninth. He should, however , save 38 games but will blow 6 saves in 2018 if healthy. Pineda is a good signing but may not pitch until mid-season. The big ballpark should help him. I'm not as big on Darvish as maybe some other starters and hope we don't over pay for a guy who is over rated.

 

I don't believe it's Darvish or bust, but I think they know adding a middle of the road starter isn't going to do much but add to the back end log jam.

Agreed that the need is greater than a mediocre starter. If they're spending FA $ I'd rather see them go after Darvish but Lynn still provides an upgrade.

 

They're essentially paying pennies to watch over Pineda's rehab, and then get a #3 starter for well under value in 2019, that's smart spending. Then, adding a veteran closer on a one-year deal paying just $6m in order to not block any of the arms that should be making appearances doubles down on that.

So many negative comments, but at least someone actually gets it.

 

The offseason hardly ends after the winter meetings conclude. None of Darvish, Arrieta, Lynn, or Cobb have signed anywhere. When articles are written or noise is made doesn't dictate when guys do deals.

 

It's one thing to be frustrated with moves that were and weren't made after the dust settles, but hand wringing because they didn't follow a perceived timeline is silly.

Agreed. Nobody has traded for Archer or Cole yet, either. There's still time (and room on the roster) for things to happen.

 

The Twins window of opportunity is for roughly the next four years. If you have to eat the end of Darvish's contract to have him be a big part of that, there's no harm there at all. Anyone complaining about Mauer's contract then or now is flat out wrong. You pay a guy for past results and future projections. Yes, Darvish will probably fade by the end of his contract, but if he bolsters a rotation that competes with the Indians, and into the postseason until Sano and Buxton are nearing 30, you've done right to add him.

 

Why do people keep insisting that the window will close once Buxton and Sano are past their arbitration years.  Why can't we extend one or both,  What if Lewis comes up in a couple of years and is better than both of them?  Then, we have Buxton and Sano in their prime plus Lewis. 

 

Why can't we have a pleasant surprise or two.  Judge was not a top 50 prospect.  Why can't Rooker or Thorpe or Graterol and Romero step up big time?  The window does not need to close in 4 years. 

Edited December 15, 2017 by Major Leauge Ready

Why do people keep insisting that the window will close once Buxton and Sano are past their arbitration years.  Why can't we extend one or both,  What if Lewis comes up in a couple of years and is better than both of them?  Then, we have Buxton and Sano in their prime plus Lewis. 

 

Why can't we have a pleasant surprise or two.  Judge was not a top 50 prospect.  Why can't Rooker or Thorpe or Graterol and Romero step up big time?  The window does not need to close in 4 years.

 

I think people are just trying to think realistically. We don't know where this team will be in one year let alone four. We hope they extend some of the young core, but right now we only talk about them in terms of absolutes. They are FA in 2022 and we can't think otherwise until it happens.

 

It would be nice to have a surprise player or players, but we can't count on it happening. The window doesn't need to close, and we hope it doesn't, but we can't say it won't either.

They're essentially paying pennies to watch over Pineda's rehab,

 

I'm having shoulder replacement surgery in 10 days and will have a four to six month recovery period. Anyone want to pay me a couple million to watch?

 

I agree with this signing (and the Rodney signing) and also with the commenters who are saying that all the "Ace" pitchers are still available. The off season is far from over. The Twins could still end up with Darvish or Archer, or even Cobb and Lynn both. As Keith Carradine was told many years ago in the TV show Kng Fu, "Patience Grasshopper."

Hawkins, Everyday Eddie, Nathan. Perkins Kintzler    Terry Ryan could find pretty good closers. It can't be too hard of job if Ryan can do it.  Maybe they should have kept Ryan as special chief senior gm in charge of relief. What in the Burton Jepson debacles do you mean that no one can be perfect? 

TR did find good relievers, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

Most of the baseball world considers TR an exceptional scout.

 

I couldnt agree more. Last year was the year of the young hitters coming of age and this year our young pitchers will step forward. There will be plenty of opportunity for many to shine.

This is exactly the way I see it.

 

I don't think Mauer's contract has hamstrung this club in anyway.

 

This team isn't getting to the World Series without significantly better starters, is there another option? If Darvish is good for the next 3-4 years and the Twins have a shot at winning, I don't care if he isn't living up to his contract at the end of the deal. 

 

Got to take a shot sometime and this club might not be another chance to get a front line free agent. They don't tend to WANT to come to Minnesota even if the front office is willing.

They get a chance to get a front line free agent every year. Let's not confuse Darvish with Kershaw or Greinke.

 

I’d like to see the window opened before worrying about when it will close.

And Waiting around for the window to open itself doesn’t sound like a good plan to me.

This is great. It reminds me that when I first came to the board in May, 2013, very few knew we were rebuilding even though it had started over a year earlier. For those with nothing better to do, I encourage you to read John Bonne's article of August, 2013 about the Cubbie's rebuild. That's when the lights came on.

Edited December 16, 2017 by howieramone2