Monkeypaws

I know he's as old as dirt, but I've always enjoyed watching Joaquin Benoit pitch. He still averages over a K per inning, and well under a hit per inning. He is a bit wild at times, but he'd be cheap.

Woah, thought Kipness got it there - seems like a scenario....

They got about a half hour, looking at the weather radar, then it gets really wet in Cleveland. Drama!

Dammit, just give us our head of baseball operations already!

OMG, now it's raining

Over before midnight? over-under... Damn, game 7 madness! This gonna be cruel for one fasnbase.

These are two of my favorite managers going at it in game 7 - hate to see either lose really.

Dammit, it looks like the Cubs just might pull this off - I know a boatload of folks who will be missing work tomorrow, and Friday too probably....

I was wondering why the Twins would want to sign the singer from the Offspring for their pitching staff, then I realized it was Derek Holland, not Dexter.

Disagree with: •Santiago, we need pitching, so we trade a competent pitcher? •Santana ... ditto., double, as he is actually good. •OF filler. Buxton needs to play, along with Kepler, Escobar, and any of the guys knocking: Palka, Walker, English, Granite. Don't want any rehash vets. •Mauer is a platoon guy for me. 3 years of pretty steady decline. Let him and Vargas battle for 1B, and Park and Vargas battle for DH. Sunken cost is what it is, only 2 more years. Ease him out gracefully, like Manchester United is doing with Rooney. Don't want Joe taking at bats from Sano or the outfielders. Overall, nice thoughts though.

Buxton is also a new and apparently devoted father. http://www.twincities.com/2014/01/25/twins-prospect-byron-buxton-a-natural-as-a-father-too/ I can attest, you are only young once, but your children's youth is exceedingly short; they change so quickly. Not sure if this is his motive, but if I had a choice, I'd pass on winter ball and spend quality time with my son.

Power hitting RH 2nd baseman, guaranteed 100+ Ks, modest OBP, who makes spectacular defensive plays but comes up bad in advanced metrics and turns 30 next year. He is cheap. Unless a team has a huge hole at 2nd and an overload of top 100 prospects.... Best to ride this contract out unless some blows you away with top 100 prospects, which I think highly unlikely. Let Polanco work out at short all winter, and Dozier provides great value at 2nd, and the marketing folks love him.

Great drama tonite at Wrigley. Cody Allen, 23rd round draft pick of Cleveland in 2011, out of St. Petersburg College. He is one cool cucumber. (Twins drafted Tim Shibuya 20 picks later). Allen is the only member for the 23rd round of that draft to make the majors. I personally love to see guys that weren't bonus-babies rise to the top like that. edit: 2011 was the Levi Michael, Travis Harrison, Hudson Boyd draft. The only Twins' 2011 pick to make MLB so far is 40th rounder Kyle Barraclough, who did not sign and became a 7th rounder of St. Louis in 2012, and was ultimately traded to Miami.

I don't see the Twins making a signing like Lester. That kind of money is reserved for the biggest markets. The rest of it could certainly be within their grasp. The Orioles might have got Hardy for Hoey, but that shrinks in comparison to giving Arrieta to the Cubs.

They got everything they need to succeed here, provided corporate lets them do their job. 5 years of premium picks in the system, and another to come. Good young core. Nice ballyard. Good fan support, considering.

Exactly my feel on the guy, well said Doc.

Bert alreadt wins this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c84V486jzYY Matt Garza!!!

The Twins may have actually bought low with this guy if Cleveland goes on to win the Series. Already liking the results of his labors.

Waiting till he's fully grown to work on breaking balls? Sounds good to me.

In the words of Calvin Griffith, " I really like that kid." Hey, Dwight Gooden broke into the majors at 19. Give him a couple years in the minors to work on the secodary offerings and boom, potential ace.

As mentioned in another thread, ZG profiles as a perfect 4th guy(at the least): speed, glove, plate discipline. He could fill in at all 3 OF positions, provide late inning defense and speed on the basepaths. How is his arm?

Like the approach they are taking with English. I would like to see 4th outfielders of his or Granite's ilk - speed, good defense, not hapless with a bat, can come in as a sub both for defense and baserunning. Grooming them from within seems so much better than going out back to the scrapyard for Mastro, Robinson, or Schaeffer. Grossman is not a good enough fielder to be an ideal 4th outfielder.

So Seth, Stuart Turner doesn't make your top 50? Or did I just miss him?

Grrene certainly looks the part - he also looks like the kind of player a team like the Twins are only going to get through the draft.

Not bringing someone back who had an expired 1 year deal isn't really the same thing as firing them. I don't think this really requires a POBO to accomplish.