CesarTovar

Any blueprint needs to start with addressing team defense, which Seth's does. Simply, better defense makes for better pitching. Defensive upgrades at catcher, shortstop, and outfield should be a priority. Second, team speed should also be a priority. A fourth outfielder cannot have Grossman-like speed. Should be more like a Royals Dyson-type, someone who can actually steal a base once in a while (Rajai Davis?). Lastly, obviously, is starting pitching. Absolutely have to get all starters to go 6+ innings consistently. If can't find that or do that, then make sure we have a stout bullpen built not from retreads but proven arms with a mix of promising youth. We could almost trash the entire bullpen and start over.

Well, it would probably help to go position by position, starting with the pitchers. Better strikeout rates likely equates to better defensive numbers. So, get more pitchers who can get more strikeouts. Plenty of those in the minors, especially after reviewing a top 30 prospect season review on another site. Catcher needs to throw out more (any?) would be base stealers. That will likely help overall defensive numbers. First base, think about giving Mauer some time in left and Vargas (or Arcia or Hunter) some time at first. Second base is fine. Shortstop, give Danny S. more time to refine and Esco is good when needed. Third base is fine for now. Outfield, ugh. But any discussion should start with who projects as starters in 2016, not now. Buxton, Rosario, Hicks, Adam Walker, Arcia all in the discussion, as is possibly Plouffe (and Mauer?). To help NOW (and lord knows they need help) think about a trade or waiver signing of any of those previously mentioned. Give Hicks significant time in center. Robinson is an adequate backup at any of the outfield spots. Move Arcia to right, ful time. Put Hunter in left 1-2 days a week (can't be worse than what we've seen so far and over the past couple of years) and DH 4-5 days a week. Get rid of retreads (looking at you, Nunez) that don't help at all. Sure, Vargas won't get full time play in this scenerio but he would get starts a couple of days a week at DH/1B combined and he would be a useful late inning bench bat. Then again, i probably don't know what i am talking about and should just trust Molitor/Ryan to do what is best for the team going forward.

Lifelong Twins fan, but now a Royals season ticket holder, here. Just cannot underestimate the importance of defense and relief pitching, especially for the Royals. Don't see any regression there. Royals get Hochaver back in the pen and didn't lose anyone. If Holland stumbles at closer, Davis is a very suitable replacement. Will still have Dyson as late inning defensive outfield replacement and pinch runner. Oh yea, don't forget their team speed and stolen base capabilities. They may not hit a ton of homers, but they certainly will hit more than last year (I expect Moose and Hosmer and Rios and Salvy will all help there). In short, offensively they will be better, defensively they will be the same, pen will be the same (maybe even better), team speed still outstanding. Only question mark is starting pitching but the pen allows the starters to not have to be fantastic, only good. And they will be good. Ace Ventura, Danny Duffy (another year removed from TJ and a high-velocity lefty), Vargas, Guthrie, and now Volquez is a rotation I would match up against most other teams in the league (with a few exceptions - Indians, White Sox). The Royals may not win the division but they should be in the 85-92 win range. I'll take another shot at the wild card. It was a wild, fun ride in 2014!

My first mitt as a youth was a Cesar Tovar autographed model. Since then, and for the way he played, he has been my favorite all-time Twin. Rugged, versatile, talented, always a great attitude when with the Twins. And he played all 9 positions in one game. I still wear #12 whenever I can.

Maybe Hicks should put down the 7 iron and pick up a bat and hit about 1000 balls off a tee (from both sides of the plate), hit soft toss for about an hour a day, and in another two weeks get in the cage and start hitting and hitting and hitting. He's probably feeling a ton of pressure with all of the Buxton talk also.