Amonahan

I'm curious how Arraez handled the off season and has prepped for year 2.

You nailed it on the bullpen. If it's 2019 and Zack Littell is the first bullpen arm you bring in during the post season, you are not going to win the series. Perhaps he becomes a lock down guy, but that was not the spot (3-3 tie in Yankee Stadium, game one) for him. I question Arraez playing as well. He was hobbled and couldn't make the necessary plays. Sure, his bat is a big plus, but if it is such a positive why is he batting ninth? Finally, having Garver lead off in game one did not work. I don't know what the number said, prior to the game, but I know he struck out three times. Game one was also atrocious to watch from a batting perspective. There were no adjustments. I doubt Tanaka threw more than 3 fastballs for strikes, but at bat after at bat, our guys (especially Sano) were sitting fastball for some reason. There were no gifts, and we lost.

I like where the numbers put us in comparison, but the playoffs are a different animal. We have a lot of first timers. It's up to Rocco to try and get everyone a successful first taste of life in the playoffs (easier said than done). You can see people rapidly unravel, deflate, etc., in these games. Here's hoping our guys can close out innings and pass the baton with empty bases, so everyone has a chance to start off right.

Like any Twins fan, I love defense, but we have to acknowledge how less important it is now as compared to 15-20 years ago. Sano is Ortiz 2.0, but starting at 3B rather than 1B. He can stay at 3B as long as he can, if his bat keeps up. His bat is irreplacable right now. If his bat stays and he falls to 1B, we can all consider ourselves lucky. Buy out the last two years of arbitration and try to get three more for a total of $50 mil, and see what happens. If it has to go closer to $60 mil, do it, please.