kdag23

Blame it on the rain.

While I agree that you can't judge the offseason when there's still a few months before the season starts, you can certainly evaluate what has been done so far. To me, the goal should be to get better. Has the FO done things to improve this team for next season? I'm sorry, but resigning Odo and Pineda is not "adding" impact pitching. They were on the team last year, so not an improvement. Bailey? Same as Gibson, so not better. Hill? I would say an upgrade over Perez, but when is he actually going to pitch? Cron and Schoop both had some nice offensive contributions and they are both gone. Yes, there is still time to acquire a few players through trades, but due to this organization's penchant for coveting prospects I have little confidence in them being used to trade for any difference makers. So while it is still offseason and you can't truly evaluate until it's over, what are they going to do? Who are they possibly going to get? If we look at where this team is right now, with an offseason goal of improving this team for next season, how can it be anything but a failure?

You can debate about FA vs trades, developing from within or any combination. But when they say they're "in" on someone, in this case JD, and maybe the media blows things up more than they should, but if they are going after someone, then put your big boy pants on and do it. Instead of, offering $10m less and posturing, and saying that he's not interested in signing with us.

Based on some other articles I read, I think the Twins stuck with their original offer of 4/$90m for JD. Of course that's not going to get it done, but hey - they tried.

The problem is, if the Twins try to trade for a SP the cost will be high in terms of prospects they would need to give up. My guess is they don't make a significant trade based on their penchant for hanging on to their coveted prospects.

How can you say the pitching is better? Berrios, Odo, and Pineda = same. Bailey for Gibson? I'd call it a wash, which means not better. Hill may do some good things, but we don't know when he's actually going to pitch. To start the season, once you get past Berrios, Odo, and Bailey your duct taping it together. If that's your idea of better, then sure.

Nice article, although I don't think I'd give the FO a "C" grade for the offseason. If the goal was to get better, then it's probably a D or an F. It's the same team give or take a few parts. While others have lauded the FO for resigning Odo and Pineda, it doesn't make this team better than last season. I agree that if JD is signed the FO gets an "A" and I think perceptions would shift significantly. But I don't see it happening.

Sigh...

Now that's a blockbuster...I like it.

Doesn't the moves the FO makes to acquire starting pitching depend in what happens with Donaldson? He may be playing us, but he hasn't been signed yet so it's still within the realm of possibility. If it did turn out that we signed him I would say use remaining payroll money to get Wood or Walker, or both. If they're not able to sign JD I would say go the trade route and get the best starter you can pry away from a team looking for a corner outfielder and prospects with the understanding that you're going to have to part with at least one of the higher rated. In that type of scenario, maybe there's still some money to take a one year deal on one of Wood, Walker, or Hill.

I agree with you on needing to make a trade for a top level SP. Let's say Rosario is included, how many of the others you mentioned do you think it would take?

Ewen21 I'm with you in that it was a pretty pathetic display by the players in that series with the Yankees. And, let me just say that I am not convinced that the Twins did not try to hit home runs last season and I feel that part of the ineptitude was due to trying to hit the ball out. 7 runs in 3 games isn't going to win many series for sure. I can't speak for everyone, but I think if we get better pitching in that series it changes things a bit. Do we win the series against NY? Probably not. Do we win a game or more to make it an interesting series? Maybe, because good pitching usually beats good hitting. We had the offense, they just didn't perform but the pitching we didn't have and was identified as the area of need and yes, call it bad PR but based on comments from Falvine a lot of people thought they would address pitching needs and go after some big arms in the off season. Which, isn't over and there is a lot of time before spring training but seeing everyone that the Twins were supposedly targeting get signed by other clubs, CWS no less is pretty demotivating.

Yes, Archer or Gray would be good additions but if given the choice why not Sale? The problem as pointed out here recently is desperation and what the Twins would likely have to give up to get someone decent. Ray is another one. But it's going to be a seller's market, so again, how much are you willing to give up to land anyone on the Berrios or Odo level?

I will concede that it has not been a complete disaster. But of the 4 pitchers that were signed, 3 of them were on the team last year. Plus Gibson has not been replaced, so from a pitching perspective we're worse than last season. The FO said that they would target impact pitching, but they whiffed. Maybe the operative word is "target" which implies that you take a shot, not necessarily hit that target. It's like trying...there's no such thing, right? You either do something or you don't. The impression I get from this team is that they don't want to pay market value for anyone. So now we look at trade scenarios, but I won't hold my breath because that will likely involve giving up prospects, which they seem unwilling to do.

Clevinger and Bieber are a toss up for me as well, but I think the hair and the attitude are the leaning point for Clevinger.

Yes, if there was a salary cap then problem solved. Wasn't the revenue sharing put in place by big market clubs to avoid a cap? Speaking of revenue sharing, how much do the Twins get, and how much of that actually goes into player acquisition? I honestly don't know but if you listen to some that are known to rant about these things it goes into Pohlads pockets. I know these people exaggerate but I'm just curious if the actual numbers are known.

Drivkikejehu - Yes, running a major league team is a hard job and there are actually a lot of jobs that are hard. But does that prevent the people doing them from doing their absolute best? I think the FO is fortunate that they're running a club in this market; in Philly or Boston, or New York can you imagine having a team so close to being able to contend for a ring and not address a need that can get you there, which in our case was starting pitching? I think by in large this fan base makes it easy on these guys, which wouldn't be the case in other markets. Yes, I imagine others will be quick to point out that we're not NY or Philly and we can't spend like them blah blah blah. Well there's more than spending there's the trade market and maybe they will actually do something but I'm not holding my breath. We have loads of trade chips we could use but so far they have been unwilling to use them. I think the thing that bothers a lot of people is that the goal of this ownership or FO isn't really to win a title. When we won in '87 and '91 it was in part due to solid pitching that was acquired through trades. It just seems like it's field a good team, get people to the ballpark, just play it safe.

This looks to be like the best of bad options after Odo. I know a lot of people are saying Graterol as a starter, but to me he is more valuable in the pen. Not that he can be trusted in the 9th, Roger's is not always going to be available and to me the more power arms you have in the bullpen the better.

Good point and perhaps it's been mentioned, but what about trading for an impact bullpen arm or two? Especially since Roger's seems to have issues pitching back to back games. Turn it over to the pen and lock it down early or hold it to get some runs. Someone like, I don't know...Hader? I await the stones and arrows.

What's wrong with Tyler Duffy?

At the end of the day, it's all conjecture. The probable reality is that it will be years before the Twins are anything more than that cute ball club up there in MN, little engine that could, and actually make it out of the first round or past that one wildcard play-in game.

I'm not saying FA is the only way to go, and you bring up some good points about prospects. This team covets them instead of using them as trade chips when they could be used to bring in key talent to be more competitive now.

Yes, getting an "ace" is easier said than done. Well, guess what? The top teams manage to do it and actually win games in October. Stop making excuses, and find a way to make it happen.