Fred

The BIG difference is Gallo's Gold Glove fielding

If you're doubting that Kiriloff can come back after that "bone shortening" surgery, check out Kirk Gibson's history. I can't remember the exact number, but he smacked a lot of baseballs out of the park after the same surgery. I choose to be optimistic. Man, I am glad baseball is back. Oh, and I love the pitch clock.

Any season that they don't have to rely on someone like Jake Cave should be good fun. I'm happy about all the depth on the 40 man, but I think their catching in the minors could be stronger. They have a couple of years to work on that. My hope rises every Spring. I'm getting excited!

Ya pays your money, and ya takes your chances. You won't always win the kewpie doll.

I like your thinking, but, as far as a trade, couldn't it be a package of both?

The way Rocco burned through his relievers last season, says, to me anyway, that they will take 13 pitchers north. I still think a trade for Kepler is coming. In fact, I think it might be that they are looking at the glut of infielders (Lewis, Lee, Julien, and Martin) who are close, and are talking to teams about Polanco thinking to get something good for him before his knee/ankle finally gives out. Now, I'm like most of you and would hate to see him go, but I wonder what they could get for a package of Kepler and Polanco. I'm thinking Polanco instead of Miranda because of the youth factor.

Jose Salas is probably just shaking his head about now.

I'm not a died-in-the-wool analytics type, but one stat I like is RISP. I hope my impression is wrong, but it didn't "feel" like many of the Twins did real well in those situations

Seems like that bet has already been made

Baseball is supposed to be entertainment. He cornered the market!

When we have to depend on a "Jake Cave type", the season is lost.

"The Twin's Way" is a good way to maximize the contributions of guys like Celestino, but it shouldn't have to be taught in the Majors. If a guy comes up without knowing how to bunt, which base to throw to, etc., the minor league coaches and managers (The ones who should be teaching) need to be held accountable. That being said, I don't ever want to see guys like Nelson Cruz concentrating on hitting behind the runner, or bunting, for that matter.

Careful! You might be getting addicted to hopium. As an addict, I can tell you it brings a lot of disappointment into your life

Think of Gallo as a replacement for Kepler. Gallo has a career OPS that is 50 points higher than Kepler. He has 2 Gold Gloves (at least 1 in RF) to Kepler's couple of nominations. So, slight improvement. It was obvious, last year, that having Kepler and Sano in the lineup wasn't a good thing. Removing Sano, some improvement. Slightly improving the Kepler hole is a good thing. Yes, they need a right-handed bat in the outfield, but finding an improvement over Garlick shouldn't be that difficult. I don't know about you, but, to me, Sano didn't seem to be coachable or motivated, and he surely can't play in the outfield.

>$3.5 million to Pagan makes me think they may be relying on analytics too heavily. Of course, they could (I hope) look like baseball geniuses. Bring on the season!

They already have that hitter, and Gallo can play in the field. No room for 2 like that on the roster

Maybe Angel Hernandez should be embarrassed. With enough evidence, even the Umpires Union couldn't save his job.

They're not getting rid of Kepler because he is due $10 million. They are spending slightly more on Gallo for an upgrade of nearly 50 points of career OPS, and an increase in power (Kepler 1 HR every 22 ABs, Gallo 1 HR every 13 ABs). Both are nearly equal defensively, with Gallo having 2 Gold Gloves, and Kepler being a finalist a couple of times. They don't need 2 guys like that on the roster, hence they trade Kepler.

Maybe they could look at saving some payroll and substitute Kepler for Julien or Martin. All the defense in the world does you no good if you lose 3-2 every night. At least Martin is a right-handed bat. Julien doesn't cost them 8 million plus. Defense isn't the only thing to consider

Sadaharu Oh - No!

You know disparity is a problem when a team owner shrugs and goes to the 4th level of luxury tax without even blinking.

Is it a good thing that Pagan is still a Twin?

Think Billy Hamilton with an acceptable OPS. I enjoyed Hamilton as a pinch runner, but thought somebody should slap Baldelli when he put Hamilton in the starting lineup. No such reserve with Bradfield.

On the Vikings Report with Drew and Ted, they frequently talk about "The ESATT Nation". It's an acronym for everything sucks all the time. There just are some people who are not happy unless they're miserable. I suspect you're replying to one of them.

All I've got to say about "cheap" owners is that the Pohlads have been head-and-shoulders better than Calvin Griffith. Man, I do not miss those days!