IAMNFan

I'd say you're 1/2 right. However, Rocco does not inspire and should have been fired by June 1 in 2021. Team was underwhelming at best. Rocco is not elite and therefore changing managers in baseball is an easy, oft done way of trying to change the lockerroom. Not saying the new person would have been better, but it wouldn't have been worse either. Staying with Rocco at this point, seems like insanity.

For the front office, this is a no brainer trade. Now it's up to the players to make it work. Kirilloff needs to be the stud at 1st he is supposed to be. The rotation has some soilidness to them, now stay healthy. The outfield has plenty of pieces, along with a couple infielders, to cover DH at high level while taking a 1/2 rest day once in a while. Imagine if some of our players actually start to reach their low end potential? Lewis, Kirillof, Miranda, Larnach and all pitchers, we're looking at you. With that said, if this club isn't playing well on May 1st, the front office needs to change the manager. The message in the organization needs to be clear. Everyone's job is on the line. I doubt front office will be tolerated much longer if this isn't a playoff team.

Words, words, words. I bet LaRussa high 5'd him in locker room. LaRussa absolutely loves beating into submission his potential closest rival. White Sox have talked all off season how they were better team. Have no doubt, LaRussa did not give him a take sign. Consequences were that he was in the line up the next night.

This is why I thought a new voice would be good in the dugout. Managers are a dime a dozen most of the time, but a fresh voice can sometimes lead to a turn around, not because of coaching, but just inserting some urgency. Rocco does not understand urgency, IMO. Probably too late now though, too big a hole. Now you might as well see if he adapts.

Was so excited before the season started when I realized that the Twins would be out in Baltimore when most of our family will be out visiting our daughter before she heads to the Middle East for a year for the Air Force. Camden Yards better serve craft beer! The Tuesday night game after a day game could be "epic".

Baseball Manager is the least important coach in sports. That being said, it is time for a new voice in clubhouse. This team hasn't hit since Rowson left and for the talent acquisition has under performed. Move on and see if you can jumpstart the season.

Hopefully there will be an expanded roster this season so Cruz can play a little less early and be fresher for the push and post season. I really believe it is make or break time for Rooker and a few others that will need AB's this season and less time for Cruz early could be just the ticket.

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.

Reasons Rosario is gone: Rooker, Kirilloff, Larnach. All have higher ceilings, take better at bats and are ready. Throw in what we have done to our economy and it is a no-brainer. Throw in that FSN is available to 1/2 the viewers as it was 2 years ago and it is a slam dunk. Rosario will sign with a poor team that doesn't have major league talent ready for about 3 million.

You're not wrong except that Beasley can do so many things and is on a rapid incline of improvement, raw talent always gets a second chance. Wisler throws a slider and Matthew points out that his numbers don't project well in addition to the fact that he can't do the up and down anymore.

The term "Ace" is so overused. You are right, he is not an Ace, and probably never will be. There are only about 8-10 Ace quality pitchers right now and unfortunately the Twins don't have 1 of them. He is a very good pitcher, but too few times has he been able to match up with another top pitcher and be better.

Interesting how you forget about a game last week that was very well pitched by the starters where neither starter was clocked over 92, but yet had hitters perplexed, but that is cherry picking I guess. Velocity is important if you can't locate. Location is important if you don't have velocity. In Berrios case, he doesn't have great command, therefore velocity would be more important, especially if he just can't corral his stuff. It's funny how those who haven't seen a lot of baseball think that the current trend is the only way.

Catchers have this concern. Seems worse than ever.

Berrios issues seem to be Twins issues. They can't get good hitters out in the strike zone, and I realize this is what separates pitchers. Odo & Pineda have maybe been better, but it just seemed like Berrios & Gibson were afraid to throw strikes/didn't trust their stuff. Gibson is gone after a long wait for him to improve. I'm 50/50 now on whether Jose will ever improve enough to merit a large extension when he cannot separate himself from the pack. I think the above stats pointing out that he is in the 26th & 46th percentile speak volumes that he is somewhat overrated by most Twins fans. I would love to be wrong on this one, as I would love to see him win a couple Cy Young's because he is "home grown". I agree with the article in general. He is under control, is going to be paid well, will be paid better based on performance and has a chance to either earn a handsome extension or be expendable. We have time to decide.

Which as stated in several articles, is one of the best things this FO is doing well: building the farm system.

My advice would be different. Address it and move on. Keep talking about it only affects the current and this transgression is in the past. Like serving on a board of directors, the time to debate is during the time allowed for debate. Once the board makes a decision, it is the boards responsibility to move forward as a united group with that decision per Roberts Rules of Order. His contract, I'm pretty sure was discussed in another thread. 2017 was an outlier for him and someone discussed that his current deal was more relevant than not. I'm good with that explanation also. It's going to be a fun season. I'm happy we have him. I'm more happy that he addressed it and I hope that is the end of the distraction for the team.

The Commish represents the owners. He is just a puppet. So saying the Commish is clueless is saying the owners of a top 3 sports organization are clueless. Is that what you are saying? I would guess if there was a majority of the owners who were dissatisfied with the Commish, he would have been sent packing at this point. I question the other teams more myself. Why didn't they adapt, if they knew it was going on? Twins of 2017, look pretty inept in this scenario. Berrios looks awful. Why weren't they able to change things up? Everyone's personal responsibility in this matter was/is questionable.

I fully expect Maeda to go about 2 1/3 in his first start just so Twins fans can go bat$*** crazy and then he'll settle into a nice groove like Pineda did last season that too few noticed. I like the move and Maeda starts will be more important than any relievers appearances.

I get it, Berrios is one of ours. He is a solid #2 pitcher. I truly hope he takes another step and becomes a top notch #2. I think he and his agent are looking for #1 money at this point. Call me crazy, but I think the front office is well served to wait this out and see if he can put together a complete season and prove that he is what he thinks he is. His durability so far suggests that a longer term deal will be ok. Lets just make sure the $ matches performance. Obviously management believes that 5 or 6 #2 or #3 starters is good enough with this offense. They may go after a #1 at some point, but they have shown the ability to accumulate #2 & #3 starters. It is a business and I think both sides are smart enough to work through the process.

Marwin allows the Twins to be very flexible with injury call ups.

Practice.

"Who'll stop the rain" when a new pitcher is entering.

Rooker, Lanarch, Raley, etc., are fun to think about to replace Rosario. But an outfield of Celestino, Buxton & Kepler would be fun too.

More interesting to me is, that the roster sits at 37, so Wheeler, Pineda & Romo? Prospects are great, but reality says that 1/2 of those guys won't make it here and 1 or 2 could be gone before season. And if the Twins are going to make a serious run this year, we need to hope that 1 or 2 of them is no longer on the 40.