mattkummer

Responsible for the greatest 40th birthday present I could have had. Went to the game against the Tigers with a bunch of friends. Twins came back from a deep hole, and Dozier did this... Coolest moment I've seen in person at a game.

This is a DEEP team. Arraez is a no doubt starter on just about any MLB team, and on the Twins, he's the guy without a true position. They are well positioned to handle injuries that arise (pun intended) with the flexibility on the roster. Arraez can easily slide back to the infield if any of Donaldson, Simmons or Polanco get hurt. Plenty of depth between Rooker, Cave and Kirilloff for LF. And plenty to fill out 1B or DH if Cruz or Sano go down with Donaldson, Rooker, Garver, etc.

There's a saying in hiring and recruiting people to work in Minnesota (or the Upper Midwest): It's extremely difficult to get them to come here, but if you get them, it's almost impossible to get them to leave. The Twins are facing the same challenges that any employer does. It's compounded by the fact that most MLB players are from warmer climates. If they have the choice, familiarity and lifestyle is going to win out. At a certain point, an extra $10-20 million isn't going to sway things all that much. And yes, I think the prospect of winters lasting into early May and starting in mid-October is a factor for baseball players when they have the choice to largely avoid it. It's somewhat unique to baseball. Football is about the elements, and there's more variance in where players are from. I suppose it doesn't hurt that the Vikings play inside either. The Wild probably has an advantage because so many hockey players are from northern states or Canada. NBA is an indoor game, but even there it's tough to compete of the allure of Miami, LA, SF-- or if you don't mind the relative cold, NYC or Boston. Money will be a big factor, but it's a two way street and the final decision in free agency rests with the individual player. For the Twins, that means trading is the most likely path for impact pitching. And drafting/developing better than anyone.

How about 4/120 for Harper? Allows him to hit free agency again for his age 30 season.

If Buxton's toe hasn't healed, or isn't healing, what's the point of running him out there, when it's clearly impacting him on the bases and possibly at the plate? I get he's a defensive freak, but when he is doing what he did the 2nd half of last year, it literally transforms this offense due to his speed on the basepaths. Send him to the DL to get the toe healed, then a rehab assignment to build back his confidence. At this point, Jake Cave is a better lineup option until Buxton gets right/healthy. Or LaMonte Wade. And for love of dog, can Dozier get on one of his good streaks? He's sinking his FA value along with the Twins playoff chances.

Let's say somehow, all these guys keep rapidly developing, and they don't get bit by the injury bug. (I know, unlikely.) It could make 2020 awfully interesting, especially if the current crop of younger players underperforms. I can envision this lineup: C: Garver 1B: FA Vet/Rooker 2B: Gordon 3B: Escobar SS: Lewis LF: Kiriloff CF: Buxton RF: Kepler DH: Sano (hopefully) SP: Romero SP: Berrios SP: Graterol SP: Gonsalves SP: Gibson The questions are: -I'm assuming the Twins sign Escobar in FA, and let Dozier walk. What happens with Polanco? -Is Rosario the odd one out in the OF? -It may sound crazy, but if Buxton continues to not hit-- is he the odd one out.

At a certain point, Berrios needs to figure out the command issues at MLB. There's no use in sending him to AAA, because he'll dominate there without having to figure it out. He's got the stuff, he's got the work ethic. It's just putting it together. And, he's had some atrocious strike zones to deal with.

I live near Appleton, WI-- so I try to make it to a Wisconsin Timber Rattlers game when the Twins affilate is in town. It's been a couple years though.I did get to see Miguel Sano in 2012 when he was with Beloit. I remember him seeing my Twins hat before the game and coming over to shake my hand. The next year, I made a point to see Byron Buxton in a mid-July series. This is a picture I took of him on-deck. He was promoted to Ft. Myers the next day.

I think Kintzler gets moved today, and that's it. If there's another-- it would be Santana but only if Gray and maybe Darvish goes. The rest will be August moves. Belisle, Grossman, Gimenez. I don't see a market for Dozier right now either. But that could change next month if a 2B on a contender gets hurt. Still, my gut feeling is that Dozier is a Twin on Opening Day 2018.

It is nice to get great seats for cheap. Was there Saturday. Row 1, Section 120. $30.

My guess is that Kepler goes back to AAA when the Twins hit the road Wednesday, and Murphy comes up. I'd rather see someone like Murphy in that limited role than a top prospect who needs ABs. I'd put money on moving Perkins to the 60 day DL. He even said he'll be out longer than 15. Right now, the bullpen is better without him-- so take the time and make sure he's healthy. It will be interesting to see what happens when Santana comes off the DL. That's when I think Buxton gets sent out if he continues to flail at the plate.

I think the Twins lack of activity regarding the bullpen at the winter meetings shows that they are fine with their late inning bullpen being May/Jepsen/Perkins (7th/8th/9th). Quite honestly, I'm OK rolling with that to start the year. Yeah, I think finding a situation LH who's better than O'Rourke is a needed add. I'd listen to offers centered around Drew Storen (who's obviously not a lefty), for additional BP help. But if the Twins get him, he's gonna want to close. That OF of Sano/Rosario/Arcia is terrifying from a defensive standpoint. I think Seth is right: if Buxton doesn't make the team out of spring training, they'll go with Danny Santana in CF, Rosario in RF and Sano in LF. Arcia can be a bench bat-- and quite frankly can/should be in rough platoon at DH with Park.