SwainZag

His defense has never been his strong point, but if he puts up numbers anywhere close to his 2021 numbers his job is safe. Healthy Jorge is a Top 5 offensive 2nd baseman in baseball, and he's only 29. Also very encouraging was his pitch selection last season, his 14.4% BB rate was nearly double his career average. I'm betting on him bouncing right back into form.

No Twin besides Pagan fell into Twins fan purgatory quicker or more often than Miguel Sano. I'm not sure if it was the lofty expectations of him being compared to Miggy in his early years or down to the straight disgust of management putting him in the OF for 30 games 7 years ago, but fans love to rag on Sano. Just 2 years ago he hit 30 HR, which was more than anyone hit in 2022 and his .778 OPS would have only trailed Buck, Correa and Arraez. He had a BAD 2022, it's true, but he was injured for most of the year and only got 70 PA. He does K too much, but he deserves a shot somewhere and I hope he gets it. It would obviously be great for Kennys as well, he was also a favorite.

The Twins pitching staff on paper is MUCH stronger than it was a year ago and it's not even close. That's in both the staff and in the pen. I don't even know how anyone can even think it's a push with how much it should be improved.

I went to Target field in April last year and wanted Arraez gear and the Twins store inside the stadium didn't have a single piece of gear...shirt, jersey, anything. Obviously his popularity grew as the season went on, but let's not act like he was a huge draw before the mid-way point for the average fan. Buxton was and still is the biggest draw on the Twins, when he's healthy he's one of the most exciting players to watch in baseball. Either way, winning puts fans at the ballpark.

Welcome to Twins Daily! I agree it should help him, but it won't help the pop outs and weak grounders to 2nd base. They will still be outs.

Polanco seems like an easy choice against RHP. His average was a little down, but he drew a lot more walks than previously in his career. .374 OBP against righties last season. I imagine something like Polo-Buck-Correa. Against lefties, it's a little more muddled. I imagine Rocco goes with Buck in the leadoff spot, but where to go from there is probably anyone's guess.

I would argue they haven't traded their the best of their young controllable assets though. They have lost some talent, but held on to the elite guys. Adding talent and keeping your best guys IMO, is not painting themselves into a corner. I would much rather a team amass talent rather than hoard all their prospects. They lost: Graterol, Steer, Petty and CES as prospects and Arraez as a younger controllable asset, as well as 2 months of Cruz in a down year. They gained Maeda, Gray, Mahle, Ryan and Lopez. I really don't see a problem right now, especially when the team has guys such as Winder, Ober, Varland, SWR as well. Starting rotation depth is a much better thing to have IMO.

Curious....I see the term "ace" and "#3 starter" flung all over these boards. What makes a guy a #2?

How can your issue with the trade be that Lopez isn't an ace? Arraez should not bring back an ace. There are like 10-12 aces in all of baseball. I would agree I would love for the Twins to acquire one, but having issues with this trade because of that seems like an odd reason.

IF Lopez can pitch like the 1st half Lopez of last year this trade is a great one. He threw 180 innings last year, and it was his first year throwing more than the 111 he threw in 2019. The hope is he wore down throughout the season and he can continue to build on that 1st half. Luis was my favorite Twin, I really, really seeing him go.

Except Gallo actually plays a position of value. The Twins ran out almost a full 162 game OF position of Contreras, Celestino, Hamilton, Cave and Beckham last season. I'd take Gallo AB's over all of them. They can still bring in a RH bat before the season starts.

Grading a signing the day after is dumb. Though I have a feeling that even if he hits 35 HR and reverts to a 5 WAR player a lot of you will still be grading this as an F.

70-75 IMO is a pretty low estimate. This roster right now is stronger than it was before they signed Correa last season and the general consensus then was the Twins were a .500 or so ballclub on paper. I know they only won 78 last year with Correa, but it took quite the build up of injuries to get there.

Ah, well if they knew they wouldn't get a chance to counter offer then my point is mute.

Obviously I don't know how it all went down, but it's possible 10/285 was the best offer on the table until a few days ago. San Fran swoops in with their 13/350 and Boras comes to the Twins and gives them, "here's the offer." Would it make you feel better if the Twins said...oh well...we will offer 10/325 then. Knowing it still wouldn't get it done? Even after the Turner and Bogarts contracts, if the Twins sat thinking they had the best offer, what good would it have been bidding against yourself? Obviously looking at it now saying the Twins weren't serious and got outbid by $65M is easy to say. You could also say that San fran was desperate and overbid as well. Either way, I do think people are getting lost in the Correa stuff. IMO, the roster is stronger than it before Carlos signed last year, and the off season is young.