Monkeypaws

Do we have any evidence, quotes, etc. that indicate Donaldson's (dis)satisfaction with the Twins?

Steve Carlton and Dave Hollins, the latter of whom was dealt for young David Arias, who just made the Hall of Fame. Can't unremember Vance Worley's glasses

The Twins did this last year, a guy who ranks 13th all-time on dWAR per Baseball Reference, and he was criticized heavily for his lack of offensive output. 2.4 dWAR ain't good enough for some at a key defensive position.

Nostalgia is a helluva drug.

I'd call it a tie. Yes, Kirby got the rings, but Rod got the batting titles. They were both best at their position for a long time. But Kirby never had to play for Calvin Griffith. Kirby was the first guy to break the 3 million a year barrier. He was valued by management, and had a better team to play with than Rod. Rod got traded because Griffith wouldn't pay him, and the guy would be an All-Star the next 6 seasons in Anaheim. Pohlads were cheap, but not Calvin Griffith penny-pinching cheap. They went out an got a Blyleven, or a Morris, and put their teams over the hump. Calvin would shed stars once they became too pricey, replace them with our favorite user name, Hosken Bombo Disco, although Disco was really Willie Norwood. Hell, he even dumped Killebrew. Impossible to compare really.

Wasn't Greene also a candidate to do the pitch and hit thing a la Ohtani? Might explain his lofty status.

Wowza the movement on that slider is unreal - that'll be tough to lay off when you're facing upper 90s heat, likewise the changeup.

Looks like an interesting crop. Anderson Nova and Juan Zapata are MLB-ready in the name department.

Perhaps Falvine feel the same way - their inactivity in the free-agent market might be an indicator.

In familial discussions, we also have our own Nick Gordon to consider. Father and brother did well, and doggone Nick has shown signs of promise. That said, I have an entirely different skill set from my Dad and my bothers. Mom's genes enter the conversation at some point.

Brothers of stars always make me think of Ozzie Canseco, or Keith Gretzky. Perhaps Bryan will fare better.

Old, or past prime - Rogers may bounce back, but the other 3 are past their "best by" date. Doesn't mean they might still contribute, but, ahh, you know what I mean. Not pieces to build around.

Aren't we forgetting Kepler?

Classic "Ignore the man behind the curtain" moment. I'm willing to feed the greed once or twice a year, and have the same suspension of disbelief I experience going to the movies. Target Field helps a lot, because it's a really great ballpark.

How would you grade them using the lil kids grading scale of E-Excellent, S-Satisfactory, NI-Needs Improvement?

Rodon has 29 other options out there. What draws him to Minnesota, divisional rival and all?

Conger looks like a character. With Tortuga gone, I'm happy to see him come on board.

What would be Rodon's reason to pitch for the Twins?

Lewis hasn't played a single game since 2019 due to covid/knee surgery. Thrusting him into MLB service after that time, and his 33 games at AA, doesn't seem like putting him into a position to succeed.

I'd do it - perfect stopgap until Lewis is there, ready or not. Can't overstate the importance of a good fielding shortstop with what looks to be a young and largely unproven pitching staff.

The Twins HOF crew was just filled out. Spent some time looking at Oliva and Kaat's stats: deserving, perhaps even moreso than some of our current HOFers. Happy ray of sunshine in a crappy, gloomy off-season, Buxton extension aside.

I feel bad for the Saints. Independent leagues are the shining beacon of baseball when MLB labor disputes pop up, and the Saints lost that.

I'm just happy to see Enlow on the list. I'm a believer.

All these threads, pipe dreams, about signing top free agents, I don't get it. Free agents should be an add to a solid team, which the Twins are on the margin of, but not really. I really believe the best teams are predominantly home grown: the Twins championship teams are an example. The great Yankees teams of recent years had a solid homegrown core, like wise the Red Sox, Giants. Draft and develop is still the best way for a middle market team to succeed. I'd love to see the Twins take an aggressive approach to promotion of prospects instead of signing AAAA fodder filler like the bullpen of 2021. Draft them then give them a chance dammit. I truly don't see any reason other than overpay why a top FA would sign here. Not a solid way to move forward.

I would agree - the Twins broke the bank at the time to resign Puckett. $ure times have changed, and many digits have been added, but winners tend to keep their best homegrown assets.