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Carew was in his age 30 season in '76 when he became a full time first baseman. He had his amazing "Time cover" MVP season the following year. His 9,7 WAR more than doubled what Morneau put up in his best All-Star season. Knoblauch posted an 8.7 WAR in '96, 3rd best in the league. WAR isn't the be-all-end-all stat, but a 9.7 or 8.7 best compared to a 4.7 best says it all. For Twins careers, I agree with you on Morneau and Carew, but this article is based on best single All-Star seasons.

It isn't just Montas. terrydactyls included either Soderstrom or Longeliers in the deal. Both catchers are in MLB's the top 100 list, 56th and 59th, respectively. Balazovic isn't on the list. Fangraphs lists them 36th and 70th overall. Balazovic is ranked 90th. So it's certainly debatable that either of the catchers would more than make up for the loss of Balazovic. From MLB: ...Soderstrom entered pro ball without a ton of catching experience and that part of his game is still behind the bat, leading some to wonder if it would be better to move him to first, a position he saw some time at in 2021, to let his bat advance more quickly. There’s still work to be done, but the A’s are pleased with the progress he made in terms of blocking and receiving, as well as with using his above-average arm strength. ...the A’s wanted Langeliers to be one of the headliners in the deal that sent Matt Olson to Atlanta... ...Even if he doesn’t hit, Langeliers’ defense will make him a big leaguer. He has one of the best arms of any Minor Leaguer at any position and he threw out 42 percent of potential basestealers a year ago. He’s a strong leader and works very well with pitchers and after his experience on the postseason taxi squad, he’s close to being ready for a job as a big league regular.

I don't see the teams manipulating the system as some sort of moral disgrace. It's business. Both sides use loopholes at the drop of the hat if they deem it best for themselves. Both sides work out a system and agree to the conditions of the contract. Player contracts are a microcosm of the player-owner contract. If an individual player feels jilted by a loophole in the league contract, his beef should be with the player's association and the team he plays for. The player's association can negotiate the question when the next contract comes up. If the player believes his team did him wrong, he can take his services elsewhere when he becomes a free agent. As to terms of location and being to to an owner and a location for a decade, it's also part of being in a league system. It isn't a normal job. Buxton is as least as much an MLB player as he is a Twin. MLB rules are based on collective bargaining and play a large part in determining how much a player makes during his career. Part of being a successful league is having a degree of parity. In the long run, the continued success of the league makes both sides richer. To me, these questions are the business of the players and the owners. Both sides are equal. There are no real victims of immoral manipulation. It only becomes personal when and if it comes to a strikes or a lockout.

The beauty of baseball is it's many dimensions. There will always be many open questions.That leads to discussions and debates. It's a healthy thing on a healthy board. Nonsense comments and snarky remarks aren't healthy. TD doesn't often suffer that problem. I appreciate this debate/discussion. Got me thinking and I learned some things. Out of respect for your request in this specific discussion, I pass on commenting.

No, this isn't about 2021, though that's a huge part of it. From Nick's intro: "The idea is to assess players' importance to the future of the Minnesota Twins."

Organizations may also draft players from Double-A or lower to play for their Triple-A affiliates (for $12,000) and may draft players from Class A teams ..

221 So many variables. Safe to say it was a win for Houston, but it could also easily turn out to be at least a wash for the Twins. While Pressly pitched well in his final month in Minnesota, two earned runs in 13 innings, dropping his ERA from 4.14 to 3.40, he was lights out in Houston. After giving up an earned run in his first one inning appearance, he gave up a single run over the following 22.3 innings, with 33 k's and just 3 walks. His 2018 WHIP in Minnesota was 1.364, in Houston, 0.600. Pressly changed his approach with the Astros. By far the biggest factor in Pressly’s success was in locating his pitches, using his curveball as an out pitch. He also scrapped his two-seam fastball after the trade. His K/W ratio was 3.63 in Minnesota, 10.67 in Houston! He followed up in 2019 with a 6.00 ratio last season. In short, Pressly raised his game to a level that he wouldn't have seen had he not been traded. It's been said that his transformation with the Astros led to the Twins hiring of Wes Johnson. I'd argue that Johnson´s hiring alone makes the Pressly trade a win for the Twins.

"His suspension was 60 games with 39 games remaining, not 37% of a season with 24% remaining." And the 60 game suspension was also at least tangentially based on a 162 game season. While a strict 39 games remaining stance seems more likely, I´m with Doc´s point that it´s an interesting argument.

This question highlights the beauty of baseball. The ever-evolving chess game. New rules force changes on one side that are countered by the other.I don't particularly see this strategy becoming "a thing" for constructing line-ups this season, but it certainly seems to have to legs as an option to consider in some scenarios. The argument is valid. An idea that hasn't been discussed much. Nate offers as a hypothetical and leaves it as an open question. First blush reasons why this will be mainly a secondary factor in setting lineups; I think the new rule will effect the 26-man roster as much or more than the starting lineups. There will be more relief pitchers rostered this season that are more evenly effective to batters on both sides of the plate. On offense, managers more place more emphasis on filling a last roster spot with a stronger pinch-hitter over a better defensive fielder. In any case, aside from and sometimes including walk-off win situations, managers will still understand the potential danger of giving out intentional walks. In short, IMO, this is an interesting counter for managers to consider when the stars align.

I think the point of this article got hijacked from the jump in the comments section. As I read it, there is no suggestion the Arraez should change his approach at the plate. Matthew laid out a cogent argument; basically a scenario where Arraez's current hitting style and ability to hit the sweet spot will produce more power in the future as his body matures. Pedroia hit eights home runs over his first full season in his age 23 season. Arraez hit four HRs at age 22 with 215 fewer plate appearances. Would it shock anyone to see him hit eight this coming season or 12 to 18 down the line while using the same general plate approach? IMO, Arraez is more than a contact hitter. Anyway, thank you Matt for laying the argument out so well. It hit home because I had a similar discussion with a friend Wednesday night.

Venezuelans speak Spanish. Portuguese is for Brazilian readers. Here is the Spanish translation: "¡Muchas gracias y bienvenidos a TD! También me apasionaba Johan Santana o la primera vez que lo vi. Es mi lanzador favorito en la historia de los Twins."

Yup. While between '69 and '70 Ryan pitched seven complete games, he also finished eight games out of the pen, recording two saves and a blown save. He had another save in the World Series.

While I at least think that I understand and sympathize with both ends of the basic argument, I'm leaning towards patience. Saying that the window is open now for a World Series run on one hand while on the other hand bemoaning the fact that the existing team can't win a playoff game much less a series seems problematic. If somehow a Scherzer had fallen in our lap last season, would we have been the favorite to win it all? How many pieces will it take to seriously compete on paper with powerhouses in Houston and NY? IMO, the Twins could theoretically drain the farm for prime ready talent and then only be among the top contenders. As someone who suffered through long, lean seasons from '71 through '83, and again from '93 through '00, I greatly appreciate the nine-year run from '01 through '10 with six division titles and only one series win. I missed a lot of details and excitement during that time trying to adjust to life in South America. Mostly just box scores back then. Everyone has their own degree of hopes and expectations for their sports teams. My hopes are always high with less expectations for championships. KC won a WS, but I don't envy them, especially over the last 20 years. I'll take the eight post-season appearances and brighter future. KC was also working in a different window. The level of competition among the top teams was different in 2015. They had to face McHugh, Price, Estrada, and Harvey twice each. 2019 featured Cole, Verlander, Greinke, Strasburg, and Scherzer on two teams. Put the '19 or '20 Twins in the '15 window and I'd be all on board in giving up top prospects or breaking the bank for an ace level pitcher. Sorry for rambling on in such a scattered way. I see it as a very complicated argument with no easy answers either way. This is how I view it and it works for me.

What this team needs is a good five WAR Seager. Maybe Corey, but the Kyle train left the station three seasons ago.