kab21

Adding what you suggest (3-5 players) would be considered a home run of an offseason if they could pull it off. Setting expectations that high would doom most teams to failure. This is a B+ offseason for me. They added 3 good arms to the bullpen. They added an excellent bat. They added an average starter. They got GREAT value in every signing and will not face any significant damage in future seasons (aside from Palacios). They have not totally taken care of the rotation though. Right now it is full of hopes and dreams. Berrios is the only pitcher that I would depend on. Does Gibson not pitch like a trainwreck? Does Mejia take one step forward and establish himself as a solid #3/4 (<4.25 ERA and 5-6 IP/start)? Does Santana implode due to an injury and age? Do Anibal or Hughes have anything left? Do any of the prospects step and take a rotation spot when the inevitable spot opens up? Does Berrios become a #2? Each of these could be <50% but at least the Twins have many options available.

Let's hope that a 13 man pitching staff isn't inevitable though. One issue the Twins will face is that they don't have a lot of players with options in the bullpen so they won't be able to do the sending down shuffle to get fresh pitchers like they did a few times last year (and other teams did more often).

I think Kennys was kept (for now) due to the inevitable injury that occurs in spring training. It is likely that if any of the OF'ers (except Buxton), Sano, LoMo or Mauer start the season on the DL then Vargas stays on the team. Granite could take the place of one of the OF'ers though. The Twins seemingly suffer from positional flexibility but not really. Kepler or Rosario can play CF if needed. Adrianza and Escobar can play just about anywhere. This is a pretty versatile and talented offense top to bottom on the roster.

I really don't understand how fans that have almost never (or almost never) seen the bottom end of the 40 man roster play can be so bent out of shape by 40 man roster cuts. Yes, these guys have some amount of potential because they were on the 40 man roster but at the end of the day he is a 27 yr old RP that was only able to pitch 2.2 innings last year. I am disappointed that they didn't think he was worth keeping. He throws 96 and had good K/BB rates when he was able to pitch.

I could easily see Mauer back on a team friendly deal especially after the reluctance of teams to spend big in FA this winter. I can't see teams lining up to give him any multiyear contracts >10M/yr.

The Twins have continued their winter of adding players for excellent values. Once again I really like the move but it is another odd fit for the roster. This will basically force Sano to play 3B extensively this season and I have my doubts at whether or not he is ready. Yes, he can days off when Mauer/LoMo get a break but I think we are looking at 4 3B GS each week. I am not concerned about the lineup being too lefty though. They have 3 RHB, 5 LHB and 1 SH in the starting lineup. But they have two SH as their top reserves. Grossman is definitely being kept on the roster although he loses a lot of playing time with this move. Vargas is definitely a goner (for basically nothing) and Granite is definitely stashed in Rochester for the time being.

This is a little disappointing since many of the hard throwing RP'ers that we were hopeful of really turning the bullpen around in the next year or two are out of the organization. There seems to be a preference for durability also.

Yes, but that is just a WAG on his games played as a DH with no basis and one of the reasons why I don't have a problem with him moving off of 3B sooner rather than later. I am also mostly concerned about the next 4 years (not the 25M/yr years) because I consider it doubtful that he resigns as a FA.

It is crazy. 4 of the top 25 prospects and 3 serviceable or better SS's on the MLB roster along with a near elite 2B. Hopefully the Twins can benefit from this in the next couple of years. I would love to see a Sonny Gray level (big trade from last year's deadline) trade involving this surplus.

He looks great for a DH and maybe a 1B. I have long maintained that he is going to be playing less and less 3B each year. I would put the over/under on his games started at 3B at 50% of his total game played. But I don't really care. IF he produces like most expect him to produce then those will be great numbers even at DH.

I see the Twins targeting Odorizzi (at the price of a prospect) instead of Cobb as a way of avoiding a 75M contract for an alright pitcher that could become dead weight halfway through. I would certainly rather have Cobb next season but I don't want to be paying Cobb 15+M for 5 years.

Not really. The Twins have played multiple SS prospects at multiple positions on the same team before and it makes it easier for the inevitable 'he's blocked but X position is needed' situation that arises. I really like having guys like Palacios in the org and it is easy to see why the Rays targeted him. He is the A ball flyer that we often talk about targeting in similar trades. But overall I am quite happy with the trade. Odorizzi has his flaws but he should be solid and the Twins rotation has trainwreck written all over it. Hopefully someone like Mejia or Gonsalves nails down a spot this year to further solidify the rotation.

This all reminds me of the 'man weight' that Liriano put on while rehabbing from TJ. He was just flat out of shape. We will need to see more photos and game action of Sano to know what kind of shape he actually is in though. He might have gained considerable weight but it won't affect him at the plate (all I care about). I think between the added weight and the recovery from leg surgery his time in the field will be quite limited this season though. One other thing to think about is that Sano seems to be gaining 20 lbs (about) per year. I know people have said that typically athletes (and everyone) gains weight as they age but this is a little extreme. At some point it has to stop. There isn't an ideal weight for Sano. He could be perfectly fine at a ripped 280 but the key is the ripped part and not the actual weight.

Perhaps the FO will surprise us but I think this move signals the end of the offseason for the Twins. I feel that the FO got very good value in each of the moves and avoided any long term damage (long contracts or trading top prospects). However, they didn't make the moves that are needed to improve this year and be a true contender. Improvement will mostly come from prospects and young players improving. I don't think there will be enough of a starting rotation to contend for the playoffs unless the Twins are very, very lucky (like the run Colon and Gibson went on in the second half).

Herschel Walker people Herschel Walker

Players have misread the market and signed for less than the QO that they turned down. This isn't a rare circumstance. There are other mediocre players on the 40 man that can be cut if necessary. The amount of teeth knashing over Rule V, 40 man spots, #5 starter competition, etc... is baffling. My concern right now is only about the bigger signing/trade for the rotation. If there isn't one then that is when my pitchfork comes out. Not having a 40 man roster spot is not a reason that prevents them from making another move.

I really have no idea what the FO is thinking but 4 years of Lynn/Cobb ends at age 35 and 6 years of Darvish ends at age 38. In addition to that the organization has a history of 4 year contracts to pitchers in their 30's. The sticking point for me though is if Lynn/Cobb still expect to get paid 18+/yr and how long they will wait.

I still think only one of Hughes or Sanchez is in the opening day rotation. I also have some level of optimism that the Twins add one more (legit good) starter. Berrios Gibson Mejia Sanchez/Hughes Slegers but hopefully a legit good FA/trade instead

If a 40 man roster spot is your only concern with this move then you shouldn't be concerned. It isn't worth zero but it also isn't anything to get bent out of shape for.

Somebody is on a roll this week. We continue to be in agreement.

Who said good? This just isn't a move to be upset about. Kind of like picking up utility IF or OF that might not even make the team. But yet people get upset about those kind of moves.

Honestly I can live with this move. I almost consider it a 'let's see if Hughes or Sanchez have anything for the 5th spot' type of move and am okay with one of them being in the rotation until Ervin comes back. If they are awful then this was a low dollar band aid. Getting Sanchez doesn't change the necessity of adding one very good pitcher and that is and always has been the priority this offseason. That can (and must) still happen. If that move doesn't happen that is when I will get upset. One little bright side is that Sanchez has been enormously unlucky (HR/FB rate and BAPIP). IFFFFFFFF those returned to normal then he could be sort of solid this year. I don't have high expectations for Sanchez but the Twins also didn't pay a lot.

Yes, I think they should get more than a top 50 prospect for a 4-5+ WAR player. This isn't even remotely a consideration for me. Dozier is very good and apparently underappreciated (by more than just Thrylos). If they can't they should keep him and the production that he will provide this season.

even for DeLeon+ was his words. DeLeon was a nice prospect but not that great and perhaps the FO saw something (like injury history) that they didn't like and wanted someone else that was unavailable.

We are in 100% agreement until the last paragraph. You don't just give a player like Dozier away and Santana is now injured and not even worth the bottom of the top 100 prospect that I pegged his value at earlier this offseason.