Monkeypaws

Nice!

Don't disagree. Still, the similarities are there.

Well, nobody else said it: Tony Oliva - 3 batting crowns, health issues, Twin his entire career, no championships. No Hall.

How do you know they didn't make offers? You can't hold a gun to a free agent's head and order them to sign your offer, hence the "free" of free agent.

Thing is, do you know what offers Ryan put out there that weren't accepted? Maybe he made legit offers to guys like Haren and McCarthy, but they simply chose to go elsewhere. Last place team has trouble attracting top free agents - no surprise there. Pretty simple to just blame Ryan.

I remember when Elarton was the shizz in the mid-late 90s; maybe they want him to give some tall-guy tips to Meyer.

Hank! I will assume the minority role here and say, let's wait and see how he does before we crucify Ryan.

Agreed - like this kid based on his answers.

Good trade for Philly, great trade for the Twins.

It's easier top be patient when you have a competent GM at the helm as opposed to a bumbling buffoon.

Weird - they had an article in the Boston Globe this morning saying the Sox could lose players, and Pressly was not mentioned.

for Benson, Swarzak, Robertson, and Guerra. Do it.

Deduno looks better all the time....

Count me in the minority I guess, but I've liked this trade from day 1. Meyer just looks like an absolute stud, and I haven't read anything to change that opinion: more the contrary actually. I couldn't care less about next year if the Twins can field a great young team in a couple years with some real chops. Meyer will track nicely with the rest of the goodies on the farm at this point.

Who are the teams that come up when looking for trade partners for Span: Atlanta? If I'm them I go after Hunter/Cabrera/etc. instead of trading something away.

Consider this - according to BA, Sano was the 6th youngest guy in the Midwest league: http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/2012/04/the-youngest-players-in-each-full-season-league/ Hard to say he's being held back.

Hicks' development path reminds me a lot of Hunter's. No eye popping numbers, but fairly steady ascension through the system. Wish the Twins had given him a cup of coffee last season. I think starting in Rochester and getting off to a good start would be best for him.

Inge hasn't caught since 2008 - I suppose he could do it in an emergency, and I would much rather have him than Butera on the bench. Still, Inge hasn't hit over .250 since 2006, and some of his averages are Butera like (.205, .197. .218); may as well just get Punto at that point.

Chargeois at 36? I think Sickels had him in his top 20. What's your take on JT Seth?

Newb question, are Badler & Eddy scouts?

Hey, he is one of the PP boys with Parmalee I think a winter of rest and getting healthy will bring back the beast-mode Plouffe. Two years in a row he has had major power, and one at the major league level. Who are we to say how the thumb injury is affecting him? If he was sitting out nursing the wound people would be calling him a wuss.

Knuckeballers are nothing if not late bloomers -- I'm glad for his success, and attribute a large part of it to maturity, National League, and perhaps a bit of short-sightedness on the Twins part. I like a rotation with variety, and Liriano - Dickey would have added a nice contrast to soft throwing pitch to contact righties. Throw in Diamond, and that could have been an interesting rotation.

The guy needs to get away from being a nibble-nuts and trust his stuff. Actually, today vs. Detroit, I thought that was the first time I've seen borderline pitches go his way, and what a huge difference that makes. He is very close to being a decent MLB pitcher. He needs to establish the strike zone early, and get the benefit of calls as the game progresses.

My feelings exactly - Plus, when you look at that wife, life is pretty sweet for him in spite of this failure.

Hitting is the hardest thing to do in baseball - triple crown trumps all-around play for me every day. And seriously, R.O.T.Y. is a better than average consolation prize for Trout, plus the promise of future contention.