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Just finished watching another great interview, Seth, thanks. Sounds like he has been improving a lot each year, and growing, since leaving high school. Went back to look at this past summer's draft while listening. See that they took tall lefties with the second, third and fifth picks. Wouldn't it be fantastic if one of them turned out to be that guy everyone is looking for? Who knows, maybe it will be Cade. The one thing I did notice and it could have been the camera angle, but his hands looked really big. Having never thrown a pitch in my life I don't have a clue, but would that help with his grip? Thanks again, Seth, love these.

Sounds like this kid could be a good one, Seth. But then he was a third round pick and it would be nice to have him make it, big! One correction to your post, Lincoln is an hour southwest of Omaha on I-80, not I-90. Curious how he enjoyed his summer in Savannah, one of the nicest cities I have ever visited?

One thing we need to keep in mind is that the Twins are likely planning on adding several free agents over the winter. Will need spots for those. The problem this poses, and someone can correct me if this has changed, is that players added to the roster now must be kept on the roster until...is it spring training? That means if they release some of the guys you talk about and take it back up to 40, where are they going to find spots for those free agents? That's the reason I doubt you will see them adding as many as you mention. But loved your overall discussion. The next 24 hours or so should be very interesting. Will be shocked if we don't see at least a couple guys DFA that will be surprises. Guys like Thorpe, Stashak, Smeltzer, Cave, Astudillo will all be surprised to many of us, but will be equally surprised if at least one or two of this group isn't sent packing.

If the Twins trade Buxton they better get a haul back including at least one player ready to step in and play in 2022, not just several Hi-A guys with tons of potential. It will also signal that they are in full rebuild. In that case there is no need to sign any top starting pitchers, rather ink one or two older guys to one year contracts. Finally, if Buxton goes he needs to be accompanied by at least three others...Garver, Donaldson and Sano. Again, they should get a few more guys back who are ready to move up to Target Field.

Thanks, Seth. I have been expecting them to add five, with them being your top five. Perhaps a bigger question is will they select someone this year? With their record, they will be picking during the early stages of the draft and just might have someone sitting there they really like. So that would mean they need to get down to no more than 34, which will require 4 more cuts. Don't know if they would lose Vallimont or some of the others. Unlikely, but one never knows.

Sorry about the six years, Sconnie. Guess I saw it a lot over the past couple days and went with it. Also sorry that you took my post as containing 'vitriol' in regards to the FO. Wasn't my intent. My intent was merely to wonder whether it is time that we start asking the question if these guys are the saviors we thought? To me, that isn't bad mouthing them. Rather thinking it is time to start wondering, what if?

First, we don't know the status of negotiations with Buxton. For all we know, they may be 99% done and waiting on X, Y and Z to sign on the dotted line. But, I am getting concerned with the direction of the Twins. Unfortunately, that is easier to do after not seeing them play last summer because of the bloody tv situation. When Falvey and Lavine were hired we all, well most of us, jumped on the bandwagon and cheered. After all, it was new blood who would use all the new techniques available to take the Twins to the promised land. Here we are what, six years later and there hasn't been a single playoff win prior to this past season which was a disaster. Our top pitcher is gone and we are on the verge of seeing the most exciting player to play for the Twins since Puckett leave as well. The minor league system has been restocked. I am as big a fan of the kids coming up as anyone. Without our knowing, has this front office really been in the middle of a rebuild? But for every Bailey Ober there are several Joe Benson's which has been confirmed by many of those top draft picks several years ago. So we don't know if they got the right players, players who will return the Twins to the playoffs in 2022 or more likely 2023. If they do, that's a fantastic job. But what if they don't? What if these young pups that came in six years ago aren't as sharp as we all thought? Could this front office be presiding over a failure that takes the Twins down? I sure hope not, but it may be time to start asking that question. More important, Jim Pohlad better have this discussion with the family when they all sit down for Thanksgiving next week.

Would be another fantastic article, Nick, if the subject/situation wasn’t so damned depressing.

Happy for Berrios, who I considered a top notch player and person since the day he was drafted. With that said, not real certain I would want to have a seven year contract with any pitcher. Yes, Berrios keeps himself 100% in great shape. The question, however, is that he has never had any serious injuries. Don't almost all pitchers have an injury at some point in their career? At least the ones who pitch for more than ten years in the big leagues? That could mean that Berrios injury is just waiting to happen. Kind of like what happened to Santana after he went to the Mets. The good news for Jose is that like Santana, the money is locked in. Hoorah for him.

If we are only getting one year, the cost had better be closer to the Odorizzi deal than Larnach +. Otherwise, pass.

Fantastic, Seth. And best luck to Josh in 2022, expect to see him on the hill at Target Field.

Did he graduate in three years? Or is that still in his future?

Yes, interested in what/how his experience at VMI prepared him for his future in baseball and beyond?

This will be the first interview I will be able to watch live, Seth. My biggest question is related to learning more about his injury and why he was shut down. Was it more of their being careful and not pushing him seeing he hadn't pitched at all in 2019? Or was there a real injury? If so, how is it healing? Watched this kid in most of his starts (MiLB tv) while in Wichita, hands down was the best pitcher in the organization, IMO. Looking forward to it, Seth.

Great article, Nick. Have been thinking and talking about this for much of last season. Glad to see it was eventually mentioned that if a pitcher goes 3-4 innings, he doesn't need to have four full days of rest. So two pairs of pitchers piggybacked could have each pair pitching every fourth game, covering one half of the games played. So four of the thirteen man staff should get you 6-7 innings in half your games. Considering that so many of our young guys were limited this year due to not pitching in 2020, this may make a ton of sense. I maintain that rather than taxing the bullpen, this would actually result in less work by the bullpen. With days off, could probably get thru a season with two traditional starters, the four who piggyback into two of four games, and a fifth starter who would double as long relief when frequently missing starts. That leaves another six relievers to finish games, with most games needing only 2-3 innings of work. When you do have someone blow up and the pen has more work, ship the 13th guy back to St. Paul and bring up the next reliever, much as they have been doing for the past couple years.

When talking about innings, shouldn’t you include his Olympic innings? Don’t know what that total was, but I suspect it was more than a few if you include the innings he must have pitched in both actual games and other game/scrimmages leading up to Tokyo. You show 92-2/3, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were another 15-25 on top that. So he may have been close to 120 this year.

Prior to the injury, Nick, I believe the Twins messed with Dobbers head out of spring training. He was starting, then he wasn't. He was long relief, until they sent him down to St. Paul to build his innings back. Since he first appeared, Dobnak has been a starter. I hope that the Twins now realize this, get his finger 100% and let him battle next spring for a spot in the rotation. If he doesn't win it, then send him to St. Paul as depth for when he is needed.

Thanks, Seth. Seeing the kid has been here seemingly forever, that is a surprise. This year was certainly a step forward for the young man, hopefully, next year will be another. He still has soooo much natural ability, would love to see him put it together and become that big shortstop the team has been without for a long, long time.

Always look forward to everything you write Nick, cause it’s always great. Thanks! Its nitpicking, but I sure hope Dobnak is used as a starter only. Also see Kirilloff as their full time first baseman with Sanó as a backup and DH. will be surprised if more than 5 of the 60-day guys are kept following the deadline.

Interesting how sad it was when the Twins lost Rodriguez. Of this year’s crop, sad to see Cabbage and Whitefield. Hopefully Cabbage returns. Two names i was glad to not see were Palacios and Javier. See from above comment that Palacios has resigned with the Twins, but will now be Rule 5 eligible.

Good article about Stroman, Cody. Have one comment, however. Who says he is "one of Minnesota's top free agent targets?" Lots of people out here think he should be. But do the Twins? As far as I know, no one has actually talked to the FO and gotten a list of who they are going after. Perhaps it would be better if you said "one of the top free agent targets, whom the Twins should be interested in." Or maybe, may be interested in.

Good to see Sisk have a clean week. If I recall previous reports, he has struggled to date.

Not going to speculate what the final deal can/should be. That is something for the FO and Buxton/his agent to decide. What I will say however, is get it done. I don't see how the Twins can begin preparations for next year until the Buxton question is answered. On the other hand, don't have a clue what/if the CBA negotiations will mean to signing him. Hopefully, they are talking as I type this and we will have an announcement...soon!

Interesting. All the proposed trades always seem to me to have the Twins giving up too much, way too much, for some glitzy name. Add me to the keep Buxton here camp.

What a great interview with an exciting young man. Is the sky the limit for this kid? Thanks Seth.