E. Andrew

Also going with Zero. We shouldn't be spending on the infield, we definitely shouldn't on the outfield.

Very excited about this, have really liked Worley from afar for a couple years. Revere was fine and good, but the worst of our highest-rated ourtfield prospects. Pumped to get both a solid starter and a promising prospect - - very smart move.

Where's the best live 'media' coverage, in terms of pick updates?

Bullet dodged, definitely wasn't ultra-excited about Blanton. Granted fantasy baseball hardly applies, but he falls in that waiver-wire group where you just think 'Fine, whatever, just try not to lose.'

I think there's a good balance. If there aren't a few tantrums and tangents, I feel like I'm wearing a turtle-neck and drinking expensive wine.

I would like Inge or Hannahan, though I'm not sure what Inge would cost. I don't see any reason to bring in Youkilis unless we got an INCREDIBLE deal. I think it's good to keep Plouffe on his toes, we don't want another Valencia situation where the guy thinks he owns it. But this is a weird situation. You aren't going to have any of those possibilities being sent to the minors to wait, and why take playing time away from a guy who has promise, in a year that should be average at best? We've seen some poor management of playing time for prospects in recent years... I don't see a reason to platoon much in the infield either. Why pigeon-hole a guy this early in his career, and risk eroding his confidence? If we are going to play 5+ AAA players every night, let them play. If they are going to be platooned, let them play every night in Rochester instead. If Ryan is just letting this get out in the media, smart I suppose. But Plouffe would have to be pretty dumb to think the spot is his already.

The door should have stopped with Hardy. The day we picked him up nearly rivaled the stadium deal as one of my most exciting off-season days as a fan. I had spent several rediculously jealous years watching Hardy in Milwaukee. Stupid to let him go IMO. Few teams win without a solid SS, as Versalles and Gagne proved. Hopefully another will come along.

Good article. Good trade, but I'll miss him. A friend told me they used to frequently see him chilling by himself at Old Chicago on Hennepin in Uptown. Combined with that always stoic look, that's how I'll remember him. Sad to see the CF torch passed again, hopefully the next bearer can fill the shoes.

Salary dump, Twins fans understand. Start over on the cheap, roll the dice and wait for Yahtzee, like in '82 and '02.

Agreed, also thankful for YOU. Thankful for beer, as above. Thankful for Joe Mauer. I can watch/listen at peace as long as we have him, regardless of our record.

Yeah, Bulldog is a good uptown option. But I'm not sure you can beat Nook/Shamrocks. Haven't been to the Nook since the fire, but Shamrocks was definitely easier to get a table at. Waited an hour a few times, but it's fun to stop in at the other dives on the block if you haven't spent much time in the area. One time went a played Bingo at a bar just up the street while we waited, good time.

Agreed, how many other chances are there to rebuild a life? My buddy finished part of college, had a ton of debt but a good job, so he didn't worry about it. Then he lost his job. Without a college degree, how do you restart in this job climate? The oil boom can (and does) keep families together if you're smart, as noted above.

Jim Peterson made a surprisingly adept comment last night; to paraphrase - - Rubio and Shved could be NASTY together. Shved is showcasing some impressive distribution skills, if his shooting continues to improve, they could be a scary pair to try to contain.

See Carl Pavano - - New York Yankees. They weren't embarrassed to chase him again. In any average year til 2010 I'd have traded a solid prospect for Dickey. But with this team, no. We could be moving a guy that could be part of a winning core 2-3 years from now. Plus, there's less pressure for him to pitch well in MN than there is/was in NY, and his injury risk shoots up every year. I don't expect him to follow-up well, especially two seasons out.

... so next time a girl asks you "What bone did Joe Benson break?" You can point to it. On her.

Probably why we gave him as many chances as we did. Good luck to him.