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Prato made 2 highlight reel catches to show that he's not a fluke. The 1st is after the 2:30 mark. The 2nd was when he was in college. Phenomenal effort. Stats: https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/205349/

My main concerns about Farmer are that his "double plays grounded into" seems high & he gets hit by a lot of pitches. Rocco needs to find the best spot in the batting order for him to not hit as many GIDP's, and hope that getting hit by pitches doesn't cause him serious enough injury to miss time when we need him. Double Plays Grounded Into 2021 NL 16 (6th) 2022 NL 20 (3rd) Hit By Pitch 2021 NL 18 (2nd) 2022 NL 16 (4th) https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/farmeky01.shtml

The Twins Bomba Squad beat the Bronx Bombers head to head in a season competition to set the new bomba record. Setting the new record despite having a larger home ballpark was a much more noteworthy accomplishment than winning the playoff round. Setting the new bomba record clearly offsets the playoff loss since the Yankees did not go on to win the world series or even play in it because they lost to the Astros in 6 games. Future generations will long remember the record breaking bomba season as the year that the Twins bested the Yankees and not the other way around. Sometimes losing enough playoff games to the Yankees has its just rewards.

If Kirilloff's choice is between having manageable pain and unmanageable pain again this year, then he could end up becoming just another part time player on the roster similar to Buck with his tendonitis. We can only hope that any promotion is not being rushed before he's allowed maximum time to fully recover. Another big question for this year would be even if his pain remains manageable, could it still negatively affect his hitting and by how much? We probably won't know until he starts swinging the bat somewhere again even if that's in AAA because he's missed so much playing time. Kirilloff will probably need to have an excellent spring training before being awarded the 1B position. And how will Rocco manage him from there, by giving him extra days off or by making him a part time DH? Those are some questions that need to be considered if Kirilloff is to become the everyday starter at 1B. Otherwise he could end up being just another platoon player with unrealistic expectations by the fans, but with an excuse if he doesn't deliver.

Twins sign RH relief pitcher Connor Sadzeck to a AAA contract. He has 36 innings of experience in the majors, mostly in 2019. He's listed as 6' 7" tall. https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/twins-connor-sadzeck-signs-with-minnesota/ Stats: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sadzeco01.shtml

Maybe the Marlins didn't provide him with enough run support. I doubt that the fans expect him to be an ace when the Twins only traded 1 player yet received 3 in return.

Thanks for the clarification. The NFL does pay huge signing bonuses to their stars before the contract is fulfilled which is much like guaranteed money. In some rare instances an NF:L team may try to recover a portion of the signing bonus. And I'd guess that if an NFL player were involved in a prohibited activity and got seriously injured then that might be one of them. The case I remembered was about an NFL quarterback. Usually NFL teams won't ask for a signing bonus back unless the player retires, quits the team or breeches his contract. And even then sometimes they don't try to collect from team superstars because it's treated like a payment to retire early. I found an article with some of the prohibitions of a standard MLB contract. Besides those, the player needs to be in 1st class physical condition. I suppose it's possible that if a player were injured in a non-prohibited activity that they could lose their paychecks during the portion of the season that they were injured and not in 1st class condition. That might be the reason for a player participating in any risky sports activity to buy their own loss of earnings liability insurance which could cost the player some money, especially if he's an elite superstar. And there can also be terms in superstar contracts that are added in which are aren't part of the standard contract, so not all contracts are the same. https://www.businessinsider.com/uniform-major-league-baseball-contract-2011-4

I agree to an extent but for the sake of argument I'd say that it's still a matter of properly managing each pitcher individually to keep them stretched out as starters. That could mean 2 pitchers in for about 5 and 4 innings each. Then you save your closer and BP for the next game. If the platooned pitcher doesn't get in enough pitches during that outing then he can throw another 20 pitches in a bullpen session immediately after the game "if necessary." What do they do when a starter needs to be pulled in the 3rd inning because he got pulled? Let's not assume a planned 2 inning scenario when that's not what platooning 2 starters is intended to be about. This is more about managing a different type of pitching based on modern realities of how long starters usually last and piggybacking them. Not for 2 innings, but 4 or 5. Ober & Varland may be exactly those kind of guys. You know that Rocco goes by pitch count. It's about thinking outside of the box to make the best "full use" of the pitchers that are available on the staff, & Rocco gets to choose his staff. The rest can be waiting in the wings in AAA. The Twins signed another guy that might work as long relief or as a backup starter and that's De Leon. AFAIK he's been signed as a "starter type" with limited MLB experience and an injury history but may become ready for prime time. Maybe his injury history will allow him to pitch 2-3+ instead of 5. The point is to manage the BP to last the whole season & to help keep them effective. It's just an idea that I wish they would actually try out using decent pitchers.

I think that it's about priorities. I thought that some NFL contracts have included restrictions that prohibit specific risky activities that a player can't engage in. If MLB players want guaranteed money then maybe they should be willing to accept the loss of income if they can't perform their MLB job as a result of an off-season injury The players can buy their own insurance for loss of earnings but I don't see how the team can be on the hook for their salary. Maybe the team isn't liable, but either way it's still about priorities. I'm glad he's not playing.

In case of injury, there will be a lot of BP depth on the Saints just a phone call away. It's a waiting game to see how this year's depth signings work out. iMulti-mllions of $$$ doesn't grow on trees, and they also need to grow the attendance. Doesn't the MLB still need to fix the TV rights problem?

If Sano were sent to the Saints, then he could get some good press and generate fan support that would follow him back to Target Field if he makes a comeback. If not sent up then the Saints fans would have a slugger to root for. Even if Sano made it back to Target Field,, that wouldn't mean that he couldn't play at the same time as Gallo. Sano would only need to prove that he can make quality at bats & get some hits. Maybe Sano could hit better than Palacios when he came up too. Sano's power depth is insurance as long as his price is right.

I'd rather see extra starters that can be platooned and that can help keep the BP fresh over the course of the season. That could also allow all of the starters to have some friendly competition among themselves which could help set a performance baseline for future contract considerations. Moore had a bounce back 2022 but who knows if he can keep it up.

No one needs to be dropped, not even Ober. They all just need to be properly managed to maximize their opportunities because some will have misfires and/or injuries. Starting pitchers can be platooned instead of parading the same tired bullpen onto the field every night because the starters don't last. Sometimes 2 starters can pitch one complete game instead of watching some of the same circus acts like Pagan blow games. It's mostly a matter of scheduling management and thinking outside of the box. If the fans need to wait for Varland then they need to wait. But maybe having more starters will cut down on injuries to Mahle and the rest. Who really knows how effective any of our starters will be? At least we know Varland's arrow is pointing up & that he seems to already be effective & durable.. The best players are the ones who are available and not out with injuries. Maybe having more starters can give Rocco better options than working with a larger bullpen, & can help to win more games. Maybe Varland can be an option for platooning starters as needed.

I don't know if Varland is absolutely ready or not, but he's fun to watch and seems to get results. If Joe Ryan weren't traded to the Twins then he would have been stuck in AAA which would have been a loss for MLB. Since Varland seems to be an effective enough pitcher then the Twins should find room for him to pitch. If he's close enough to his peak now then winning is up to his personal discipline & fortitude. That's what baseball is about, a team sport where will overcomes the opponent. The Twins should cut out the hanky panky and let him play ball! Maybe his durability & others injuries will be the deciding factor that gives Varland his big break sooner rather than later. After all he's a hometown favorite. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Sano should get signed to a minor league deal and I wouldn't even mind if it was with the Twins. He's looking for the best deal that he can find. But his main issue is consistency which is required to remain a pro. If Sano can somehow be more consistent with his bat then he can make it back to the bigs. The Twins know more about his medicals than any other team. If the Twins have any faith in him at all they'll make him an offer. But IIRC after paying him a $3 mil buyout I doubt that they would offer enough to sign him unless all of the other offers are similar. Many Twins fans would probably love to see him make a comeback and be a hero but he's got a lot to prove. He could end up being more productive than Gallo & Jeffers, or he can continue to chase pitches as if he needs eye glasses. That's anyone's guess but I'd want to see what he can do in AAA before moving back up. His buyout was an issue of financial necessity for the Twins, and maybe Sano has some hard feelings But if he still has a house in Minny then maybe there's a slight chance for a reunion of mutual convenience.

He must have an eagle's eye to hit the ball on the 3 spot. The best hitters in history are said to have their dominant eye on the opposite side or across of their batting side. When a switch hitter is as good as Jorge, you know he must be benefitting by having cross eye dominance. It helps to have the eye closest to the pitcher be the dominant eye. Then it's a matter of execution with his bat speed & a great swing & focus due to training.

Whatever the Twins plans are it will happen in steps. Miranda first needed to gain as much speed as possible to be able to hit more doubles. His MLB value is as a hitter and every base counts towards pro success. He wants to be able to keep hanging with Correa in the bigs! There's no room for regression. If Miranda plays 3B then it's probably out of necessity on a game by game basis because every player is only one play away from being injured, or a day away from illness due to covid. Every position needs multiple backups, and pros need to be the best ball players that they can be to make more money. Miranda has a lot of upside and fan appeal. He needs to protect his career by staying healthy and producing results on the field in any position that he plays.

This 2019 video with "El Capitan" and Justin Morneau shows Jorge's pregame workout which he does off of a hitting tee before games. It's amazing how much work that Jorge puts into his hitting which is why he's one of the best. He started switch hitting when he was 12 years old! He's given the Twins fans so much to be proud of, He's a true pro!

Polanco & Buxton appear to be last 2 remaining Twins players to pass through the Eastern League's AA Twins affiliate New Britain Rock Cats. The last year of the team's 20 year affiliation with the Twins ended after the 2014 season when the Twins established their new AA affiliation with Chattanooga, which was before the current AA affiliate Wichita. I don't know if that is significant or not. However Wichita plays in the Texas League against teams that have different MLB affiliations then the Eastern League. The Texas League has 10 teams while the Eastern League has 12 teams. It's the largest AA league and has been in existence for 11 decades. You can see it's affiliates on the page below. https://www.milb.com/news/eastern-league-overview

Sano hit amazingly well during his rehab stints in the FCGL & AAA after having surgery. But those HR's wouldn't have ever altered the decision to buy out his $14 mil contract for 2023. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=sano--001mig

Rotations aren't measured in a vacuum but against hitters & fielders, both theirs & ours. Also since, starters do not pitch the whole game they get replaced by the bullpen. Some pitchers improve while others regress year to year and in a random fashion on a game-to-game basis. We have many different hitters/fielders & pitching options as do other teams, and as we travel around the whole league this year each opponent will field different combinations and the proof of performance will emerge by our win-loss record. I've always believed our starting pitchers only need to keep the game close enough for our hitters to win the game when the bullpen takes over. Rocco plays a big part of making so many decisions. Fans just need to believe that there's so much more to baseball than the starting pitchers. Sometimes a game doesn't begin until the starting pitchers are knocked out of the game, and it's up to our hitters to wear them out. Let's hope that our team can win more games across the MLB than the rest of the Division. Starting pitchers only represent one aspect of a team's overall ability to win games.

Twins sign Tigers AAA free agent relief pitcher Nolan Blackwood to a minor league deal. Appears close to making a MLB debut. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/twins-sign-nolan-blackwood/ar-AA1776Mb Minor league stats: https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=blackw000nol

The Twins knew they couldn't get more than a prospect for Max unless he was part of a package deal. This puts Max on notice that they intend to buy out his contract next year. Even if they trade him by the deadline he will still be bought out by the next team and will only be a rental. His black & tan glove is one of the handsomest gloves in all of the MLB. I hope that he can get his bat going and can obtain his payday somewhere. I'd hate to see him need to go to another country to play. He may end up being platooned this year depending on spring training, the roster & his production. Those are all powerful incentives for him to swing for the fences.

The AP story states that Miami argued at the hearing to pay him $5 mil and lost. If Arraez didn't win it would have shown that the arbitration system was broken. https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-minnesota-twins-miami-marlins-luis-arraez-49cb99f246bfc48bdbc2e96091dcbc92

Just my personal opinion but I'm hoping that Maeda proves himself this year and resigns with the Twins next year. He had an excellent year as a Twin before his injury and he's an elite athlete. His age shouldn't get in the way of resigning him if he can pick up where he left off. I also like McGill. I think that he has a strong arm and good velocity. I'm not so sure about Gray & Mahle in the future yet even though folks rate them highly. We'll see if they can deliver this year. I'm looking forward to Varland coming up and there will be more free agent pitchers & prospects available next year.