Nick Hanzlik

A few times a year, we hit the pause button and take a moment to talk about and reward our most popular community members and the contributions they bring to Twins Daily. During what was (far and away) the wildest Twins off-season of my lifetime, the community exploded with content.
You wrote 123 blogs from when the Astros hoisted a trophy through the day the Twins took that field in their first split-squad games in Florida.
123 blogs. Incredible.
Let’s take a look at some of the other numbers:
During the off-season, 424 people registered to comment on Twins Daily Over that time, 806 unique people contributed content to the site Users started 1,045 topics In those topics, you wrote 26,948 posts In those posts, you awarded 55,357 reactions to other users All of those are record numbers. Every single one. Mind-blowing.
Our most prolific poster was @chpettit19, with @Mike Sixel coming in a close second. Thanks to both of you for your continued quality contributions to the community!
Let’s get to the awards, shall we?
Most Popular Post
The Luis Arraez trade was almost certainly the most controversial of the winter, and @Puckett34’s thoughtful take on the advantages and difficulties of losing a fan-favorite player was the most popular post of the off-season. This award usually goes out to someone who swoops in with the snark, so seeing it go to a serious post is a bit of a surprise. Well done, Puckett34!
We award you a thoughtful and heartfelt prize for your thoughtful and heartfelt take on the trade: a laser-etched wood photo frame of Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger holding an autographed Nick Punto baseball card.

Honorary Mention
Losing Carlos Correa to the Mets was the low point of the Twins' off-season. In the thread detailing his surprise signing (not-signing) with the other New York team, @Nashvilletwin wrote what many of us were feeling; baseball is broken, and MLB seems not to care. Unsurprisingly, this post was wildly popular with the Twins Daily community, earning it the second most popular post of the offseason!
Most Popular Blog Entry
From the fan perspective, manager Rocco Baldelli is the most controversial person in the Twins dugout. Where much of the fanbase blames Baldelli for baseball ills that transcend what happens in Target Field, @Nick Hanzlik takes the opposite approach by suggesting Baldelli is the perfect manager for today’s game. Some people agreed, which is why it’s the most popular blog entry of the Twins Daily off-season!
Congratulations, Nick, and for your efforts, you shall be awarded this (not at all garish) limited edition Spring Training 2023 Minnesota Twins bobblehead!

Honorary Mention
Want a surefire way to create conversation? Take Mount Rushmore, add your local sports team, and fire off some opinions. That’s exactly what @Luke Thompson did in writing up a blog about the four players on the Twins’ Mount Rushmore, earning the second most popular blog of the off-season!
As I mentioned earlier, Twins Daily broke every record over the off-season: more users, more comments, more blogs, and more everything. And a big reason for that is the users mentioned above and all of you who comment daily on the site and add your thoughts, insights, and opinions on the Minnesota Twins.
That’s why Twins Daily is the best place to talk Twins baseball. And now it’s time to start watching some baseball and our Minnesota Twins!

We have a sound bite of the year candidate already. When asked about Jose Miranda recently, Carlos Correa declared, “Oh, he looks sexy.” 
There is much to be excited about regarding the likely five-hole hitter in the Twins lineup. The big one: the guy flat-out hits. After his early season demotion, Miranda returned and showed everything we expected after his breakout campaign in 2021. He hit for power, drove in runs, handled the bat with two strikes, and, most importantly, he put his struggles in the review mirror quickly. He’s a bat-first prospect starting to cement himself as a run producer in a good lineup. 
After showing huge upside, it appears the plan inside the organization is to trim him down and move him to third base long-term. I love his skill set at the plate, but I’m not sure this is the best move for Miranda or the Twins.
Miranda could have graded better as a defender, with well below average arm strength according to baseball savant and below average range. That information is readily available with one google search, what is our logic in limiting his power potential by trimming him down and trying to put a round peg in a square hole..? 
I’m genuinely asking because I don’t quite get this move, and I don’t understand how many widely accept it. The bat will make Jose great, and sacrificing a potential 30-homer, 100+ RBI guy’s pop to play (likely) bad third base doesn’t jive with me.
I could get behind Miranda being the stop-gap for the Royce Lewis return or the unlikely Brooks Lee sighting at third on a post-season team. Lee is a great player and will be great for us one day, but a mid-season call ups in a pennant race is hardly a move to rely on. 
That being said, if Miranda is the stop-gap, why are we trying to make him quicker and more streamlined? I want the focus to be on his development into a true four or five-hitter on any lineup in the big leagues because he’s that good of a run producer. He doesn’t have much swing and miss to his game either, especially by today’s standard, very rare for a run producer. 
The Miranda move is not as egregious as putting Miguel Sano in right field. That was an actual fish-out-of-water scenario. However, this course of action can dampen what Jose does well and put him in a position where he is not likely to succeed based on the available metrics.
The unfortunate reality is that if the Twins make no other offensive moves this offseason, which is unlikely, the roster seems a tad unfinished. The man for the job was Gio Urshella. A solid stop-gap for Lewis to rehab or Lee to be inserted when he’s ready rather than making him fit for the team’s timeline and mess with his development/service clock. It’s the one move that isn’t making sense. It’s Derek Falvey’s and Thad Levine’s one sore thumb this off-season that doesn’t quite add up.
There’s always a plan. All signs point to one or maybe two more moves on the offensive side. One thing I don’t want to see is us limiting Miranda’s offensive ceiling, his calling card as a player, to see him not have success at third base, along with no real future there. He’s a great player, and I hope he stays a Twin for a long time, but he’s a first baseman/DH. 
If no other moves are made, I hope he proves me wrong, plays replacement-level hot corner, and doesn’t lose any power. Bigger isn’t always better, but slimmer isn’t always quicker. The sexiest thing Jose Miranda can do this year is hit .270+ with 30 homers and 100 RBI, regardless of where he plays or what he looks like.

The Detroit Tigers led the American League from May 16th to October 6th, when the game was moved from its original date of October 5th because Brett Favre and the boys had a ball game. 
On September 6th, the Tigers held what seemed to be an insurmountable lead of seven games. They went 16-12 in September but floundered in the early October games, winning one of four. The Minnesota Twins won all four games, beating Cy Young award winner Zach Greinke in the process, thus leading to a tie after the final day to force a "163" for the division crown.
 
The rosters for both teams are a treat to look back on. The Tiger's notables in the pitching department were Justin Verlander, Rick Porcello, Edwin Jackson, Armando Galarraga, Dontrelle Willis, Fernando Rodney Joel Zumaya, and Fu-Te Ni. A formidable staff even before they added Max Scherzer. 
The bats brought some noise, led by Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Brandon Inge, Ryan Raburn, and Marcus Thames. A balanced lineup with decent reserves to make up a very formidable opponent.
 
 
The Twin's roster was steeped in talent as well. It was a potent offense with some sluggers and the famed piranhas. The staff was middling with a rotation of Nick Blackburn, Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins, Kevin Slowey, and Carl Pavano. None had an awe-inspiring season. The bullpen was the strength of the staff in the 2009 season, led by Joe Nathan, Matt Guerrier, Jose Mijares, Jesse Crain, and Bobby Keppel. 
The lineup was where this team made its hay—led by Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Denard Span, Delmon Young, Carlos Gomez, Jason Kubel, Alexi Casilla, and Orlando Cabrera. One of the more talented lineups the Twins have ever assembled, but it didn't have the starting pitching to match. We parked the Porche in the driveaway with the lack of starting pitching.
 
So on October 6th, 2009, these two very talented ball clubs would clash in a wild (mid)west showdown in the giant inflatable toilet, and I got to sit with my butt touching the back of the dome in the third deck. I was as far away from the field as humanly possible, and it was the best fan experience of my life.
We enter the dome to the familiar scent of peanuts, dome dogs that you can almost taste while you walk the concourse, and spillage from the trough. It's an aroma that I can smell to the day, and if I could get it made into a candle, I would. 
We meander to our seats, doing the awkward dance of not wanting to divert our path to a stranger then it ends up being a classic midwest exchange of "ope, scuse me." After taking in the smells and midwestern hospitality, we got to our seats to see the dome's bright lights and the place humming. The fans, the music, and the players getting ready for a win or go-home ball game, the excitement was palpable.
The game started slow, contrary to the energy draped all over the Metrodome. The first two innings were scoreless until the forever underrated Magglio Ordonez ripped a single to center field. Then one of the most memorable sports moments of my life took place. Twins fans capitalized on the energy in the building and the controversy that surrounded Miguel Cabrera that season. 
The crowd slowly started chanting. I couldn't understand what was being said at first, but then the crowd noise began to swell, and the entire state of Minnesota was chanting "Alcoholic." The crowd grew louder and more confident until the future first-ballot hall of famer blasted 430 foot no-doubter off the chairs in right-center field. The dome was deflated, and the score showed 3-0 in favor of Detroit.
The Twins did what all great ballclubs do in the bottom of that inning. They didn't get all three back, but they responded. Matt Tolbert and Span hit back-to-back singles. Tolbert advanced on a fly ball out, and then on an errant pick-off attempt to first base, Tolbert scored. In true piranha fashion, the Twins responded and kept the crowd alive.
The game stayed at three to one in Detroit's favor until the left-handed bat of Kubel deposited a homer of the future Cy Young Award winner Porcello to end his evening. The Twins then loaded the bases but failed to cash in again in the bottom of the sixth.
Baker walked the leadoff hitter in the 7th and was relieved by big Jon Rauch , who ended the threat. The little guys struck again in the bottom of the seventh. Fan favorite Nick Punto singled to start the inning, then The OC- Orlando Cabrera, dug in. One false pick-off move, then a hanging breaking ball... 
From my vantage point, it looked like he popped up to shortstop. The crack of the bat was almost on delay. The crowd noise was like a tidal wave that built up and crashed into our row in the back. The left fielder was moving back, and the ball kept floating and found the seats in the first couple rows in left field. 
Pandamonium. Cabrera immortalized himself in the hearts of Twins fans with one swing and sent Minneapolis into a frenzy. Homer hankies enveloped the sea of fans.
It felt like the game was in hand, and our bullpen was our strength. Nathan and Guerrier were waiting in the wings. Each with a sub-three ERA. 
Guerrier, with the double braided Phiten necklace, the mark of a good baseball player back then, was not sharp. Ordonez pumped a homer to left field to tie the game, and then Guerrier followed it up with two walks. 
Ron Gardenhire had to pull his best setup man and go to the closer. The game was hanging on by a thread, with our last big-time arm taking the hill, but we had our stud on the mound. Nathan fell behind 2-0 to Brandon Inge and induced an infield fly on a borderline pitch. Nathan and all his twitchiness got the backward K with his big curveball and recaptured the momentum.
The closers ruled the ninth inning. Rodney and Nathan both hung zeros, and we headed to extras. Crain entered the game and promptly hit Aubrey Huff with a pitch, and the pinch runner scored on a Inge double. Former Twin Clete Thomas was the defensive replacement for Ordonez in the outfield for the Tiger's attempt to close the ball game.
Cuddyer led off with a looper to right field. Ryan Raburn made a sliding attempt at the dying quail that made it to the fence in right field. Delmon Young couldn't cash in with the ground out. Brendan Harris then was able to work a walk, but the double play was in order. The Twins were one grounder away on the Metrodome's turf to getting a jump-start on the off-season. 
Tolbert tapped one back up the middle, but on this day, the turf giveth. Tie game. Redemption was spelled Raburn however. Punto lined a ball to left that was caught, and Raburn hosed the pinch runner Casilla at the plate. More baseball.
The 11th went quietly, but the dome was ready to burst. Thus began the inning that may have given me gray hair as a 13-year-old. Bobby Keppel was on to pitch and intentionally walked Raburn to load the bases. 
Keppel threw his first pitch to Inge, and he at least thought the pitch hit him. To this day, I still couldn't tell you if that was the case. After the game, Jim Leyland said that the replay confirmed the pitch hit Inge. What matters is that the home plate umpire kept Inge at home that day. 
The conclusion of all the hoopla was Inge hitting a tweener ground ball similar to Tolbert's, but Casilla made an excellent play and got the force out at home, two outs, bases still loaded. Keppel then struck out Gerald Laird to close the inning, immortalizing another player in Twins' history.
The bottom of the 12th felt inevitable. If Keppel can show that heavy of a sack, we can snag one run with the bottom of the order. Go Go Gomez led off with a single and made it to second on a ground out. Leyland put Young on to get the double play back in order, with Young's run not meaning anything. 
That brought Casilla to the dish, along with his .202 batting average with zero home runs. The slap hitter got his barrel out front and shot one through the right side. We all knew who was on second base. All I could think was "don't fall." Mauer got gobbled up by the turf monster earlier in the game on a fringe double. 
Gomez flew around third, and the team met him in a pile of dust after the celebratory slide. The top of the Metrodome flipped its top. We were hugging people we didn't know, and the blur of homer hankies took over the stadium.
It may not have been perfect, but it was our moment. The season wasn't galvanized by a World Series or even a post-season win. It was just a beautiful baseball game. The game had everything a lover of the game could dream of; much like a heavyweight title fight, the teams traded punches until finally, in the 12th round, someone hit the canvas. It's a game I will look back on and remember the beauty of a crap stadium and group that wouldn't be denied on October 6th, 2009.
And to cap off the night of baseball, we got blasted by that famous gust of Hubert Humphrey Metrodome air, trailed by the scent of dome dogs you could taste, peanuts, and urine. On that night, it was perfect.

Advanced analytics love Byron Buxton . The eye test screams even louder. If you sit down next to a random person in Target Field who has never watched baseball on a day Lord Byron is in center field, ask them in the 5th inning, “Hey, who do you think the best player on the field is?” Anyone that can focus on the game will see the undeniability of Buxton’s baseball ability. 
Inconsistent playing time will never equal a .300 batting average at the Major League level with the stuff guys are throwing now. I felt it myself as a player dealing with wrist and hamstring issues. Being in one day and out the next, a week on and a week off, hitting big-league caliber stuff is based on comfort, rhythm, and timing. 
That comfort, rhythm, and timing are so fragile at the highest levels, and we saw what happened last year to a player with all-world ability. Byron looked like the MVP front-runner, but then the knee injury led to sporadic playing time, a strange playing time structure, and a dip in his performance at the plate. 
We got a flaccid Buxton last year. An ambivalent playing schedule alternating center field, designated hitter, and off-days isn’t suitable for Byron Buxton or his performance. The less time he spends in the outfield, the more it feels like we’re declawing a jungle cat. He was born to roam the outfield and steal bases, so why deny it? 
The one glaring thing that can and has denied Buxton and his ability is injury. Buxton is well worth his contract if he plays 80-90 games a season. So why not write him in the lineup every day? 
The risk is worth the reward, and 80 games of linear playing time in center field is more valuable than 90 of intermittent playing time. Baseball is not a dangerous sport. Some of his injury history can be attributed to happenstance. If the baseball gods smile on us, he will keep pace and play those 145-150 games, likely leading to an MVP or, at the least, a top-five finish.
We will get a much better Buxton if he stays on pace for 150 games and plays center field. If he gets hurt at the all-star break after playing 80 games, or plays 90 games sporadically and gets shut down in August, what’s the difference? I want us to unleash the glass cannon that is Byron Buxton. Even if it’s just by sheer good fortune, he will stay healthy eventually. 
Luxury is meant to be lived in. Keeping the Rolls Royce in the garage isn’t good for the engine. We have to let Buck buck!

As Twins fans, we have an unfortunate reputation for being ungrateful and being a group that says, “well, it’s Minnesota sports. What do you expect?”. We should expect that for the next six years, the Twins will push the payroll and the trade market to put a championship-caliber ballclub on the field for this window.
What does this mean for the fan base? As a fan base, we owe this front office an apology and patience leading up to spring training. Carlos Correa is no doubt a significant domino that has fallen. Our emotions over the last 20 years with our playoff misfortune are justified, but it has to stop here.
As a former player, I can tell you a fanbase’s attitude bleeds into a clubhouse. Players hear you, players are human, and our attitude as losers needs to be adjusted. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. 
A great example of our impact is the Vikings kicking situation. Imagine being a 22-year-old kicker for the Vikings; everyone tells you that you are supposed to stink and miss the big kick because you are a Viking. 
Let’s think about it on the micro level as well. Everyone has a friend or family member who blames everything on their ‘bad luck.’ Those people are exhausting to be around, and for lack of a better term, “they end up living in a van down by the river” - Matt Foley. 
You put that unfortunate attitude into a large group of people, and it can have power over a group of athletes no matter how confident they are. It’s human nature. There needs to be a shift in the attitude of the Minnesota sports fan that contributes to the success rather than them having success despite us.
If our journey as Twins fans was a romantic comedy, we would be the girl with the glasses who gets overlooked by everyone. The Correa signing was Minnesota taking off the glasses, and the world has realized we are pretty desirable. We landed arguably the best shortstop in baseball, and it doesn’t matter how. He is a Twin, and the narrative must shift that we are a mid-market team at worst.
We may not be the belle of the ball, but Minnesota has announced its commitment to championship-level baseball for the next six years. It’s a wonderful time to be a Twins fan, and we should celebrate, but now the creativity of this front office needs to show its power and acquire the remaining pieces to compete for a World Series.
I implore you to fight every instinct to bring up injuries and playoff failures this year. In the immortal words of George Costanza, “My life is the complete opposite of everything I want it to be. Every instinct I have in every aspect of life, be it something to wear, something to eat… It’s often wrong.” 
Costanza then announces how he will change, “Yes, I will do the opposite. I used to sit here and do nothing and regret it for the rest of the day, so now I will do the opposite, and I will do something!” 
We have the same opportunity as Twins fans. We love being miserable, and our instinct is to be a bummer. The Correa signing goes against all those preconceived notions. It’s time to enjoy arguably the most talented duo in baseball besides Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani (Byron Buxton/Correa) and the creativity of a front office that will not be done with just the Correa signing. 
It’s time to support a team rather than being the thing the team has to conquer. We are the Minnesota Twins, and we are a good baseball team, and it’s time to show up at Target field in 2023.
 

Torii Hunter was a phenomenal player, and no one will give you any pushback on that take. What the baseball writers overlook, and what is a huge topic for debate, is his claim to a spot in Cooperstown. On the last vote, Torii Hunter received 21 votes. He was selected on just over five percent of ballots, barely keeping him in on this year's ballot. The distorted curve of how we grade center field play and offensive production has plagued his candidacy. Other premium defensive positions like shortstop and catcher get more love for their defensive prowess.
The way the game has evolved, the value of great defensive center field play has started to creep up on the value of a great defensive shortstop. We can put the glove before the bat when we evaluate a premium defensive position and their rightful spot in the Hall of Fame. Ozzie Smith has been enshrined in Cooperstown (no one should argue against that). We need to pause and look at Torii Hunter’s body of work and the transcendent defense he brought to center field for as long as anybody to play the position.
Ozzie Smith is a no-doubt Hall of Famer, but his offensive numbers do not warrant a trip to Cooperstown. His career slash line is .262/.337/.328 for a career OPS of .666 and an 87 OPS+ (OPS+ takes into account eras of play and stadiums played in. 100 being an average OPS+). Pair that with 2,460 hits, 28 career homers, and 580 stolen bases. Most impressively, The Wizard only struck out 589 times in his 10,778 career plate appearances (roughly 5.5% K-rate). There’s no denying that in his prime, Smith willed his way to be a productive hitter by stealing bases and putting the ball in play even though he only hit over .300 once in his 19-year career. 
The accolades for The Wizard of Oz kick off with the Gold Gloves; he brought in 13 of them at the shortstop position. From ‘80-’92, Smith was the standard of great defense and racked up his 13 consecutive gold gloves. He was also a 15-time All-Star in an era where the soft-hitting shortstop was acceptable, and his final three selections were a hair charitable in his age 39-41 seasons. Lastly, he brought home his one silver slugger when he slashed .303/.392/.383 for a .775 OPS, no doubt his best season.
I’m a firm believer in the OPS and OPS+ statistics. It is the easiest way to judge someone’s prowess at the plate. My benchmark for a solid hitter is a .750 OPS, and the average for OPS+ is 100 on the nose. Smith surpassed .750 once in his career and approached it with a .747 OPS in only one other season. Based on OPS+, he surpassed that number four times, with his best season being a 112 OPS+. Otherwise, he was well off that mark in all his other seasons. The Wizard was swinging a wet newspaper, and the ball stuck to his bat. He was not a pure hitter. 
So why was he a sure-fire Hall of Famer? DEFENSE MATTERS. If we agree and baseball writers agree, then there is a case for Torii Hunter to be enshrined.
Offensively, Hunter holds up better than Smith. The career slash line on T-Nuts is .277/.331/.461 for a career .793 OPS (110 OPS+), a very respectable career line, 10% above league average for his era. You pair that with 353 homers, 2,452 hits, and 195 stolen bases. Hunter struck out more than Smith, but Hunter brought WAY more juice with his bat. He posted a .762 OPS or higher for 13 seasons in a row (also 13 seasons with an OPS+ of over 100) to go with two Silver Sluggers and his nine consecutive Gold Gloves in center field. The only center fielders with more Gold Gloves are three of the freakiest athletes ever to play the game: Willie Mays (12), Andrew Jones (10), and Ken Griffey Jr. (10). 
Hunter’s problem is that the steroid era moved the needle for offensive production. We have become callous to consistency, 20-homer seasons, speed, and good defense. We saw this play out so ridiculously with Fred McGriff. Anyone that watched and knew baseball said McGriff is a Hall of Famer. It took his candidacy to reach a jury of his peers, and he was elected IMMEDIATELY and UNANIMOUSLY. 
Hunter’s prime was in the heart of the steroid era, saving runs and providing almost immeasurable value as guys were elevating the baseball more frequently. On the flip side, his offensive numbers, unfortunately, lost value as players’ hat sizes fluctuated more than bitcoin prices. Hunter’s hat stayed the same size.
Hunter was an iconic center fielder. He also evolved into a true pro at the plate when his speed, age, and the speed demon Peter Bourjos (not Mike Trout) required a move to right field. Longevity in center field is impossible. You can’t stick in center field for 15 years plus, and we need to adjust the measuring stick for excellence in center field accordingly because players like Torii are essential to the history of baseball. 
I do not think Torii Hunter is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he has a better case than is being shown by current voting numbers. In his prime, he was arguably the best defensive center fielder we’ve ever seen. Then he proved to be a genuinely productive bat for 13 of his 17 seasons. 
If defense matters, and in a previous era, we acknowledged defense matters when we rightfully inducted Ozzie Smith. We must either declare defense doesn’t matter, OR Torii Hunter is a Hall of Fame center fielder.
 

The ongoing Mets negotiations with Carlos Corea and the agreed upon 12-year, $315M deal have dragged on for weeks after the Mets expressed concerns about Correa’s surgically repaired right leg. But there has always been optimism from both sides that a dea would get done because Cohen tends to get what he wants. And Cohen wanted Correa.
His attitude might have changed. 
Cohen is not active on Twitter; his last tweet was back in November. Before today, the last tweet he liked was a Mets fan espousing signing Carlos Correa almost a month ago. But today he found a few that he liked that have a little different slant.
“Met fans? Don’t panic. In the event this isn’t a ploy remember, the Mets have options in either Escobar or a young gun in Baty. I want Carlos, but he needs the Mets more than they need him. Plus his options are shrinking. Stay the course. #lgm #nymets #MetsTwitter”
That was posted by @Adrian16010, discussing a story about how the Mets had grown “very frustrated” with the weeks-long negotiations they’ve had with Correa’s agent, Scott Boras. But Cohen wasn’t done. He also liked this one:
“We are already a better team than we were this time last year. Remember... We won 101 games last year. That's because of the commitment Steve Cohen has made to the team and fans. Whether the Correa deal works out not, it's great to have an owner willing to do anything to win!” - @BruceGamsey

This isn’t the only evidence that the chances of the Mets and Correa reaching an agreement could be fading. The aforementioned SNY’s story by Andy Martino yesterday claimed that a Mets source said the team was very frustrated and considering walking away. Later yesterday, Jim Bowden insisted that the Twins have again become a legitimate candidate on MLB Network Radio. 
 

Fans will debate whether the Twins made Correa a quality offer and if a 13-year contract is viable and MLB's new direction or ridiculous. We do know that Correa was a significant draw to Target Field in 2022 and a lightning rod of excitement. He represented hope for a Twins fanbase reeling from a 2021 last-place division finish and signified a potential new direction for the Front Office and the franchise. Never before had the Twins gone out and gotten the top free agent in baseball. Plus, Correa chose the Twins. 
Now, he’s gone. And so are the majority of other impact free agents on the market. Twins fans reacted accordingly late Tuesday night with feelings ranging from frustration to disgust to profound disappointment. 
The Twins might still make a big move this offseason, like signing free-agent pitcher Carlos Rodón. Otherwise, the Twins have only signed free-agent catcher Christian Vazquez this offseason. It is looking increasingly likely the Twins will have to go back to the well and sign free-agent pitchers of the Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer caliber (the “bargain bin,” as some would pejoratively say). Would these moves be enough to “save” the offseason and spark excitement for 2023?
Even with the Correa hype and strong on-field play for much of the season, in 2022, the Twins finished 20th in MLB attendance, averaging 22,514 fans per game. We know team performance significantly impacts crowd attendance. In 2019, the Bomba Squad season, the Twins brought in about 28,000 fans per game. Would a 2023 team lineup that is essentially unchanged but sans fan favorites Correa and Gio Urshela substantially outperform its 2022 lineup? With a healthy Buxton and the continued development of its young stars, maybe, but I have my concerns, especially pitching-wise. 
Twins fans have a right to expect more out of their team. I don’t blame them if they are feeling disappointed, angry, or even a bit apathetic right now, whether it be because the Twins did not make a Correa contract happen, a feeling that they will never be able to compete with the big market teams, or because they think the Twins put all their eggs in the Correa basket and let the other free agents pass them by.
Next season, the Twins play 16 home games in April, the most of any month, so with the cold temperatures, the Twins will already be playing from behind attendance-wise. I doubt the new Twins uniforms and the giant new scoreboard will cause much of an attendance bump. Fans may pack the ballpark to see teams like the Padres, Giants, and Cubs, who the Twins would have been less likely to host before the 2023's new balanced schedule format.  Perhaps the Twins will implement more bargain ticket deals or schedule more postgame concerts; regardless, the Twins will have to come up with something to draw fans back to the ballpark because the offseason moves alone have not done much to energize the fanbase in the wake of a disappointing 2022 season.