DocBauer

All of this is arbitrary, of course. But I wouldn't place De Andre so high as a recent 16yo signing despite projection. Same might be said for Rodriguez, though I understand projection. Just not sure it's fair to place them this high so soon, especially with the overall depth of the system. Especially considering Sano and Javeier signings of the past. I might move them down a 10 notch based on what is on hand and their youth. Soularie is very interesting. He seems to be athletic, with hit and pop/power potential. He was the least exciting draft choice the Twins made last year, IMO. I wasn't crazy about Saboto, but I got it. Raya, even as a high ceiling flier was the most impressive draft choice to me. Soularie seems/feels like Rosario part 2. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Feels like he is an athlete who could play 2B, CF, (which I believe he did some) or LF. I always appreciate but somewhat discount scout profiles. I'd rather believe in the FO's opinion. Think Jeffers for example. But is he really worth this high a ranking with so many question marks? I say no nd would drop him at this point to the next 10 until we actually see him play.

I LOVE this and not just because we have something substantial to talk about now, lol. My first choice was Semien because I thought he brought the most balance of both offense and defense. But $18M??? NO WAY!! This was my 2nd choice as far as the FA SS that were available. No matter how good they are, I never wanted to part with any top prospects for a potential trade rental of Story or Baez. And I never thought the FO wanted to do that either. Financially, this is a bargain based on most projections I've seen. That is not unimportant as it provides more $ financial wiggle room. Part of the beauty of this is beyond the ability and the contract. Something I'm not sure everyone gets. The Twins don't HAVE to name Polanco OR Arraez as the 10th man. There is room for BOTH. I believe Marwin, based on 2019 and the pro-rated numbers for 2020, would have him around 450+ AB. So again, room for EVERYONE! For the moment, forget about Cruz. Forget a cheap 5th SP flier and a hopeful BP addition or two. Yes, Cruz will afford some coin. But they have it to spend. A 5th SP flier won't be expensive. And yes, there are some very interesting BP options to add that won't break the bank. But for a moment, just focus on the infield. We shouldn't stop here! INSURE the infield is as deep and versatile as the OF is! Especially considering there remain some injury concerns, even though we hope for the best. I am NOT taking anything away from the excitement I have, or we should all have, from this move. But we still have need for an 11th man. History and just daily depth and options tell us this. Have you taken time to just look at the remaining options out there? Think about Cabrera for $2-3M at 1B/2B/3B. Gyorko, Frazier, Miller, Schoop, Villar, and there are others to consider as well. There could be great value here for our FO who likes to lay low and wait.

Combination of bad auto-correct and being very tired, but you are correct. We got just short of 12". Seventh highest on record. Fun, fun, fun!

Now that I've been home for a few hours, shoveled TWICE and completed various household chores, I'm ready to add a few comments to an interesting OP that may die tomorrow, lol. But here goes: PAYROLL: The FO,and ownership, have pushed payroll each year since this group has been running things as value presents itself. They have basically stated they know they are not done, acknowledge there is value out there, and have repeated their own past mantra that they are willing to buy late rather than shoo early and go home. Watching what is happening across baseball right now, teams that appear to be contenders are making moves and seem to be keeping payroll at 2020 levels, or higher while teams that don't appear to be contenders are sitting out FA, making cuts, or small moves. IMO, I believe the "target" payroll for the Twins is around $130M with leeway because they recognize there are going to be some late options to be had. NEEDS: 1A] A BAT: Ozuna is nice, but with a group of very promising bats ready and nearly ready, they don't need to tie up 4yrs on Ozuna. Cruz absolutely makes the most sense. 1yr is a done deal. A 2nd yr can work with discount/performance numbers or a fair buyout. Perhaps a combination of all. It makes the most sense for both sides. 1B] INFIELDER: This could be any of the top 3 FA SS or someone like La Stella as a valuable 3 position 10th man. Signing a SS is a greater $ cost, but might add more total value and hedges against some of the ankle and knee concerns with Polanco and Adrianza. Both are young and talented and whichever one slides in to the 10th man role they STILL play almost daily. Where there is smoke there is often fire. I think the FO is looking HARD at one of the FA SS. (Note: If they keep Polanco at SS, then in addition to a valued 10th man, they need a legitimate Adrianza type to cover SS as the 11th man.) Cruz and a SS signing means the payroll sits around $128-130M, or the "target" area. But again, it's only a target and not necessarily the final destination. There is a difference between LIKING your roster/depth/flexibility and LOVING your roster/depth/flexibility. It doesn't take a savant to look at the total number of FA available to realize there are going to be solid guys looking for jobs and be available on value deals. 3] 11th MAN INFIELDER: With enough concern about Donaldson, Polanco and Adrianza health wise...even with hope/expectation they will all 3 be ready to go...why wouldn't you add inexpensive insurance? IF they stick with Polanco at SS, and sign a quality 10th man he probably doesn't play SS. Instead he plays 1B/2B/3B like La Stella, for example. So you need that Adrianza AS replacement. IF they sign a SS, Polanco can cover SS whether he is the 10th man or the starting 2B. Why not deepen your roster with another quality infielder on the cheap? An example I've brought up before, but how about Cabrera as a veteran bat for something like $3M? And there are others that could be valuable. 4] 5th SP: What about a $2-4M option...maybe with some incentives...or an invite with incentives to compete with Dobnak for the 5th spot? There is enough depth on the FA list that there could be a late rotation flier that costs very little. 5] BULLPEN: There won't be a major $ signing. But how about Colome or Soria for $3-5M? And maybe Clippard for $2-3M in addition? Not including a couple $M in incentives for a SP option, you could POTENTIALLY add an 11th man, 5th SP, and 1 or 2 BP arms come February for a total of around $10-12M. That pushes the payroll to the $140M-ish range. Which is keeping payroll in line with 2020 and in line with the payroll of contending teams at this point. AGAIN, there is a difference between LIKING your team and LOVING your team.

I am fully OK with an upgrade at SS and some sort of transference of Polanco or Arraez to a utility role. Any way you can upgrade your team, it's a good thing. But I have to say I think upgrading the bench in GENERAL is what's important, and that's not necessary adding that SS. I mean, does that SS mean you are done and can't bring in another bat? No more SP or RP options? Only one of the above options? Now it still comes down to final payroll. But right now, someone like La Stella to play 3 spots and provide a nice bat and an Adrianza replacement for SS and the 11th man role makes a lot of sense to me. That's half of the $ to bring in a SS and gives you more money for the other spots to be added to the roster yet. So how much positive value does a new SS add to the team as a whole vs adding a couple nice 10th and 11th man options and still have some $ to add another 2 or 3 players?

Rosenthal is still there if you are looking for a potential difference maker. History says I wouldn't go expensive, but I'd trust Rocco to use him right and Johnson to keep the walks down. Soria is still out there as a 1yr option who could fit in nicely. Why isn't Clippard already on board who can handle both sides of the plate in the middle innings on the cheap? TOTALLY understand the talent on hand and coming up. But there are too many arms and innings missing. I don't want to trust Alcala and others out of the gate. Blew it on Yates, IMO, but there is still room to add a valuable arm or two for 2021 to deepen the pen and allow the kids time to prove themselves.

Nothing against local boy Hand, but Rosenthal would be my Choice as well. I trust Rocco's pen usage of him and Johnson to keep the walks under control

I'm OK with this move. I'm not great with it, but I'm OK with it. He's very solid, deepens the rotation and provides a bridge for the young guys. I like the move even more if Happ is part 1 of 2 parts and someone else is being brought on board.

I wasn't bummed out about Hendricks. I am bummed about Yates. He may never come back to what he was. But at $5M, I thought be was a PERFECT addition to the Twins. I have a lot of trust in our team to build a bullpen. And to be fair, there still remains a few arms who could be great values amongst what they have. But losing Yates kinda ticks me off! It was a PERFECT situation. Patient, patient, patient, trusting, trusting, trusting...know the method of madness that is the off-season of MLB and how well this FO has done...but patience and trust are being challenged right now.

A very well thought out and well researched arguement that I want to believe in. I WANT to believe in Quintana based on previous years of watching him, his IP, and his final results before joining the Cubs. I WANT to believe at 32yo, the same age as fellow lefty Paxton but with a better IP and health history, he has life left to make him a potential steal in a new environment. I think Johnson is a tremendous pitching coach. But in the article you reference many negatives from arm slot to pitch mix to virtually abandoning a slider/cutter he had previously. At what point do we dismiss the bandbox of Wrigly Field and the Cubs poor handling of his abilities and repertoire and just wonder if the last 3 seasons are reality vs fixable issues? I threw away my crystal and magic 8 ball years ago because they never seemed to work right. LOL I understand the arguement here that he could be a steal. But it also sounds like he's been a bit of a mess for 3yrs now. Just how good of a janitor is Johnson to clean up that mess? I WANT this to be a signing and have something close to the old Quintana. And the FO and Johnson are way smarter than I am. But I'm just not sure this would be the mountain I would choose to climb from the outside looking in. Personally, beyond Bauer, I don't feel the market is as vacant as many subscribe to. I think there are a few really nice 3/4 options available to raise the staff beyond the trade market. (Which remains a possibility). Quintana is absolutely one of those possibilities, despite the obvious question marks. And while I can't wait for a couple young arms to rise up soon, I have to ask, is "fixing" Quintana a better option than Odorizzi returning?

In that picture, man does he look almost exactly like a younger version if his dad! The Twins have always loved to promote from within and utilize former players for anything from coaches to instructors, to even radio and TV personalities. While not knowing to what degree other organizations do the same the Twins have to be amongst the most aggressive in this area. And I have always applauded such moves. And our current FO has maintained this "tradition" that began decades before they were placed in charge. But this FO also does things very differently than they were done in previous regimes. So any calls of nepotism would be grossly misplaced. Toby is where he is because of who he is and his hard work and knowledge. He's not where he because he was a journeyman infielder with the team or because of any favor to his father. Funny story, that I may have repeated some years ago, but several years ago when Toby was still a young milb infielder within the system, he called up Ron one night to ask him how to hit the low and outside slider. Ron's reported response was, "I'm going to hang up now. Think about what you just asked." Toby called back the next day to state, "You don't swing at it." LOL My favorite story for both men! Obviously Toby has learned a lot since those days.

1] DH: I wouldn't be disappointed in Ozuna, but I really don't like the 4yr commitment. Part of the reason I like Cruz is the short term investment while Krilloff, Rooker and Larnach get their feet wet. No Cruz? I like Brantley for 2yrs because he HITS, gets OB, has 20 HR and 40 Dbls power and can play a legitimate OF. He could hit 1-3 in this lineup and be very valuable. 2] SP: I like Paxton. I like that he's been very good when healthy. I like that he's LH. I like Odorizzi better. Still can't understand what's so terrible about a really good and sometimes great #3/4 SP even if he is only good for 5-6 IP. I also think there's going to be a TON of low cost fliers available late looking for an opportunity. Choose the right flier and you might find a #5 steal. 3] INF: With 3 excellent choices as a new SS, I don't see a trade for one. The question simply is, do the Twins want to make this move? If they do, then make your choice, shuffle Polanco or Arraez around and then one of several cheap options that are still out there for an 11th man role. Example: Cabrera for $2-3M. If you aren't going to make the big SS move, then make your choice for the 10th man role amongst the top choices, and then STILL sign that 11th man. But make a decision! 4] BP: Rosenthal has a big arm and might be had for $7M. Yates might be as good or better and come cheaper at $5M. Soria and Clippard and a few others are still available for $2.5-3M. Just because the Twins aren't going to sign a $10M relief arm doesn't mean there isn't some quality and real value out there.

So reports are that Kluber's rehab trainer works for the Yankees, so that might have nudged him further that direction as well. Paxton yes, though I think I still prefer Odorizzi and a better track record of health, 2020 not withstanding. Everyone else here would be on my list for "cheap" 5th rotation fliers. Not so sure a couple of these guys might not end up being ST invites with incentives and early outs.

Pretty much agree 100% with you, Tom. Not surprising as I've pretty much been saying the same things for two months. Tanaka probably has only 1-5 teams he would sign with and the Yankees a clear #1 choice. Healthy and coming off solid years, I'm interested in both Richardson and Walker. Each offers up a bit of healthy "upside", especially Walker. I think it's about 50/50-60/40 the Twins sign a FA or trade for a SP. But it has to be Paxton or Odorizzi if they go the FA route. They have the $ to afford either and both are clearly the best options available. Good news is each of them are really solid pitchers. Honestly, how can anyone feel bad about either of those guys competing for the 3/4 spot with Pineda? I strongly believe the Twins will also be signing someone from your D and F list for around $3M-ish for depth and to compete for the 5th spot. Just not sure I can offer up a best option list. But there's going to be a lot of guys who want to play and will be looking for work in the next few weeks. Might even be some milb signings with ST invites who could surprise. I also wouldn't be surprised if the "cheap" option was added first, much like Bailey last season. I'm bored to tears right now waiting for things to happen, but I'm still kind of excited about the options available.

Too SSS to suggest he has a career path of anything close to dominance in any way. BUT, in that SSS, he has also shown tremendous control and fortitude. So far, be has done everything he could possibly do to show he could have a great career as a middle reliever. And that is a good thing! IF he did find a decent 3rd pitch, it could move him forward to a role as part of a late inning option. I've seen enough of him thus far to pen him in as part of the 2021 bullpen. He is not Alcala or the potential of Corina at this point, both of whom I think the Twins have faith in, but he doesn't have to be. I've seen, thus far, all I have to see that he can be a quality middle relief option who gets the job done. I think Rocco and the FO feels the same. Now, some sort of change via a cutter or something else developed, he could take a step forward.

Appreciate the sentiment Ash. But the RP is filled with a number of intriguing options. The SP options are Bauer...however you feel about him...and a TON of interesting options that don't excite, but have value. Does not taking a $10M-ish flier mean they are going cheap? (And I've been in for $8-10M as a shot for some time on Kluber). Or does it mean they think Oddo, Walker, Richardson, etc, as good and safe an option? Or are they really looking at trade options similar to the moves they have made for Odorizzi and Maeda the last 2 yrs?

I was interested for $8-10M with some incentives, MAYBE a similar 2nd year option if both parties were interested. Every year there is someone who makes a surprise comeback. And Kluber is the #1 most likely to do that in 2021. He's scary but intriguing as hell! But more than $10M pushes me to the pass category. What does this say about Tanaka? Either the Yankees know something we don't know, or they also are pinching a few $. Maybe they have a secret agreement already? Just find them seemingly moving on very interesting. Does Maeda know Tanaka? Can he put in a good word for the Twins and living in the Midwest?

I'm just going to try and address about everything here because there's a lot of good meat on the bone to chew on. But first, a tip of the cap to Matt for so much hard work and a very interesting and detailed OP! 1] EVERYONE wants that ONE GUY to finish a game or get the crucial outs in a big bullpen moment. But for DECADES the bullpen was just a group of guys to come in and finish things off and HOPEFULLY secure a win. Sometime in the 80's, roughly, the SAVE became a countable and important stat. In those days, 20-30 saves was excellent. A few guys even saved more than 30. Around the 90's and the early '20's era, we suddenly saw 40-50 saves as a benchmark. But then something interesting happened. Some very smart people began to break down what a save actually meant and how empty the SAVE stat actually was. What they discovered was a lot of those saves were given to a guy who pitched 1-3 outs, with a lead, and was at times facing the lower part of the order, possibly facing a PH or two. They also discovered that games were actually won or lost in the 7th or 8th inning not necessitating a "closer" appearance in the 9th. And sometimes, it was the "set-up" man who actually faced a higher leverage situation. Which is also why a lot of closer types began in that role before transitioning to what we know now and define as the "closer" spot. I DO NOT disparage the performances and careers of ANY past closer, especially great Twins such as Reardon, Guardado, Aguiilar, Nathan, etc. But the game changes, as all sports do. Perception and the game within the game also changes. Several years ago, the term "fireman" became something more thzn just the title of an award presented at the end of season. Smart, forward thinking teams realized the 7th and 8th inning were often more important and harder to navigate than the 9th. 2] A traditional closer is no longer what it was. YES, there are times in a game when you want a quality and experienced arm to finish a win in the 9th against the top or heart of the order. But I think what has been proven, and slowly been adopted, is you really want about THREE arms or so that can you can "count on" to handle the final couple of innings. Prove me wrong? 3] Hendricks, Hand, etc, are all fine and proven arms. And I want the Twins to have as many quality pen arms as they can. But the pure "closer" idea is quickly becoming outdated. Don't misunderstand, I'd LOVE a Hendricks, Hand, etc, in the pen. And the signing or Addison Reed...which looked good at the time...should NOT preclude the Twins from signing an "expensive" bullpen arm now or in the future. And true, quality pen arms can maintain viability in to their mid and even late 30's. But if you haven't seen a lot of those arms fade quickly vs $, then you aren't paying attention. 4] Even if you have a top closer for the 9th, he doesn't do much good unless he has opportunity to fulfill his role. Not just a team who can score enough runs, but a pen who can bring a lead to him. This brings us back again to the middle innings and having a deep and capable pen overall. 5] Rocco and the FO have adopted the newer priciple/analytics approach of a deep and versatile pen without defining roles such as primary set-up man or closer. They prefer matchups and fireman roles. THAT you can debate as you will; history vs changes in the game. AGAIN, I have ZERO objection to adding a quality arm to the pen regardless of label. And we know there is volatility in the pen, game to game, week to week, month to month. But hitters are the same. We end up looking at the full season and final results for hitters as well as pitchers. So Rogers, with good peripherals, is suddenly toast? What might he have done in a full season? Now, he might have had a poor/mediocre season in 162G, and we will never know. But to not think/expect he can't be part of the back end of the pen going forward is also being short-sighted. TODAY, with no additional moves yet made, the bullpen has Rogers, Duffey, Robles, Stashak, Alcala, Stashak and Thielbar penciled in. One new addition along with some subtractions, a group of un-interesting milb FA arms that could provide another Wisler, Harper, etc to help and surprise, along with an exciting Colina or Chalmers...even though I dream of him finding a 3rd pitch and sticking in the rotation...plus arms like Smeltzer or Thorpe providing help. (Also hoping a new year allows Thorpe to FIND himself again as a possible rotation piece). There are a dozen RP arms out there still available at different ages who could absolutely be viable additions to the current pen without some huge $45M investment. 6] I still would have brought Wisler back. Not sure I buy $ and no options or a 1yr surprise but Robles essentially replaces either him or Romo at this point. I WANT Clippard back for $2-3M. He proved, yet again, how good and reliable he is. I WANT another proven RH arm. Is Soria the answer? He COULD be. Do we get on Yates or Rosenthal for around $5M-ish? Maybe. Or Colome? I want a deep and versatile pen. But I'm just not sweating a huge RP contract at this point with all that is still available externally and internally.

I thought Bradley would have been a nice addition. Had him on my hope list for $5M. Interesting the Twins didn't even check on him. A Wood flier for that cheap would have been interesting as a second SP signing. I think there are others out there that will still be available in a couple weeks for a similar deal as a 5th rotation option candidate.

Absolute no to Ozuna. He's shown none of the consistency Cruz has shown. Further, we are talking about a long term commitment, which I am against. I support the DH, always have, for many reasons, but you just don't LOCK UP a DH unless he's a special bat. I think Rooker is going to be an OK player. Maybe even a good one, I think Kirilloff is going to be great. I think Larnach is also going to be good to great, which is why I hope any trade the Twins MIGHT make doesn't include AK OR Larnach. Those two could be our corner OF for years to come, or a combination of 1B and OF. Why, unless a trade opportunity came our way would we part with either? Cruz for 1yr makes so much sense for both sides it's almost ridiculous it hasn t happened yet. But I get it. But as great as Cruz has been, If you want to buy into MLB TRADERUMORS, Brantley could be had for the same projected salary or less and could actually play the OF giving the roster flexibility. OR, you could sign one of the top 3 SS options, move Polanco to super utility, STILL sign an 11th man amongst the many options available, and still sign Bradley or Pillar for OF depth and versatility to go along with a SP and possible RP move and forgo a direct DH signing. Of course, IF you buy in to a $135-140M payroll, all bets are off. You can STILL sign or trade for a SP, potentially bring in an 11th man AND another solid BP arm and STILL bring in Cruz or Brantley. I believe the Dirty Sox are about $120M right now. They MIGHT make a move or two to augment their roster and push it it $130M. Do the Twins actually do less than that? No to Ozuna long term because there is so much talent on hand. Yes to Cruz on the short hand to let the roster and prospects come up and play. YES to a signin of Bradley or Pillar on the cheap to fill out the OF and DH spot with Kirilloff and Rooker and everyone else on hand.

The Twins have needs, of course, to still address. But they also need a bat and not just a SS with offensive ability/potential. And with a super slow off-season and ST only 5 weeks away barring a change to delay, most every team still has moves to make a d rosters to flesh out. And, as of now, there is NO DH for the NL. Yes, that could yet change last minute, especially if they use it as leverage to gain something else such as a shorter season, etc. IF, there is no sudden NL DH addition, Cruz has little to no market. IF MLB suddenly shifts gears and add the DH, there still aren't 15 teams added as suitors. There will still be teams with enough depth to not need a 41yo DH, or up against a payroll wall, or simply re-building and have no room or need. I WANT Cruz back on a 1yr because I think they need a bat, I think he has ONE MORE really good year left in him, though I would expect some slippage of his total OPS. And one more year of his experience and leadership is a good thing. I see multiple ways he fits in $ for 2021 even with additions to be made, but won't go in to all of them right now. Why I DON'T want Cruz back is because the Twins CAN afford to wait for a few bargains to fall to them, but CAN'T wait for EVERYONE in order to complete their 2021 roster! Trade or FA, they need to bring a SP in while still needing to bring a decent bat in. And they are primed to add a SS and have 3 FA options that don't cost prospects. Further, unless Rooker, Larnach or Kirilloff are involved in a trade...and I hope they aren't but we can survive if any of them are...the Twins have a nice glut of options to handle OF/DH/1B along with Sano and Donaldson spending time at DH. Think about this for a moment: The Twins actually trade for a SP. Let's say Musgrove, which makes sooo much sense. No guarantee, but he could really thrive with an organizational change and better coaching. The Pirates know the Twins system and said trade COULD include Larnach or Rooker, but COULD also include something like a ready made OF like Cave, Enlow or Canterino plus an OF like Wallner or Urbina, etc. BOTH teams win. Suddenly, the Twins have their SP addition with $23-28M to spend IF the $125-130M IS reality. (I'm still doubting that). So you bring in your FA SS for $12-14M. That's another $9-11M for one more "proven" BP arm and and another 11th man INF and even a possible OF in a market deep in all 3 spots. Sound crazy? Maybe. But think something like Clippard and Cabrera for $5M total. Now you can look at something like $4-6M for Bradley or Pillar. The Twins COULD do a $135-140M which I'm still betting on. Where there is smoke, there is fire. If so, NOW you have the ability to sign Cruz or Brantley, etc. But no Cruz, do you like the team as presented?

I vote for both!

Great OP idea! But betting on potential trades is a fools errand at this point. Assuming a 26 man roster, which could easily change, 18 spots are currently filled. Kepler Buxton Cave/Wade Donaldson Polanco Arraez Sano Garver Jeffers Maeda Berrios Pineda Rogers Duffey Alcala Robles Thielbar Stashak Despite angst and holes, that's a hell of a place to start! Said it in other threads and will re-state it here, the final position roster can't be fixed until the FO makes a determination on Cruz and SS. Trust Polanco, you bring in Hernandez or Profar and then one of many cheap alternatives that should be available for the 11th man spot. And there are some good options available! Don't trust/want Polanco as the primary SS? Then you sign one of the 3 FA SS available and sign as quality bat as you can to play the field and rotate DH. And then you still need an 11th man who can fill in different spots. Either way, Cabrera anyone as your 11th man? Do we believe the reports on Odorizzi getting a $13-14M multi year deal? Then unless payroll matches 2020, we have to look at a trade option or lower cost FA. Musgrove in trade? What about Walker, Richardson or Kluber for $8-10M? Soria for the pen? Reportedly, he's been offered about the same as Robles but slightly more. The Twins banking on their ability to develop a pen and waiting for Alcala and Colina to step forward? Is there any way to save $2-4M for a 5th SP invite? Doubt it. But hoping. Might be a few invites available to potentially surprise and compete. Would love to see $1-3M available, which might not be, to sign a veteran catcher for an invite and opt out. Again, might not be possible. Besides any "fluid" payroll set of anywhere from $125-135M-ish, the biggest determination is SS and Cruz. If and when they make a commitment to either or both spots, everything else starts to fall in to place.

I work for a communications company. That being said, I have no dog in this hunt. And I have total understanding for anyone who is a cord cutter. I get it. But what you are seeing is an expected evolution in the process. If you actually pay attention to the process...and why would you normally because it's frustrating, confusing and fluid...all the other "options" keep adding and deleting while raising rates. And you shouldn't be surprised. Media in all forms remains fluid and will be for years to come. Even if some dream of free internet becomes a reality some day, we will all have to make decisions as to what "package(s)" we want to subscribe to. And *hint* they won't get cheaper, lol. I'll be following the Twins on the MLB app for video and audio on my car and WNAX 57.0 from Yankon SD as well as right here on TD!

Great post! While I am also more interested in Musgrove as the "cheaper" alternative, and my preference, I think it behooves us to take a moment to at least consider taking on Moustakas or Castellanos in a deal for Gray or POSSIBLY Castillo. The POSITIVE is pretty simple. Moose gives us a nice, veteran, proven bat to play 2nd and 3rd base with the idea of fitting him at 1B as well and he can obviously DH. While we still need a glove man to cover SS and other positions...whether or not Polanco remains the full time SS or moves to utility is up for debate in this context...Moose becomes one of our two 10th/11th man options we need. Castellanos, on the other hand, provides a decent option at both OF and 1B though I think his 3B days may be over, and can obviously DH. The NEGATIVE is pretty obvious as either contract now eliminates Cruz. Now, that elination is and has been open to debate. Many have objectively and rightly stated that betting on another season may be fools gold and it may be time to cut ties now vs doing so too late. On the other hand, a short 2020 may actually work in Cruz's favor in the Father Time eventuality of decline and we could/should expect at least one more season at or close to his previous level of production. And none of us has to debate the experience and leadership factor he brings. I think these considerations are worth examining. But IF we go the trade route, my thoughts/hunch/preference is Musgrove and the belief Cruz has one more really good season left in him and possibly one more decent/good season after that should a 2nd yr option MAYBE being involved.