mike8791

One would think that by signing Correa, Buxton and trading for Gray, this FO is serious about winning this year. Of course, other actions,e.g., trading Rogers, not beefing up their pen in the offseason, belies this notion so who really knows what their grand plan is. But since it is so illogical with a first place team and a huge addition like Correa that even the Wonder Boys are not at least somewhat interested in making an added push for the playoffs by Aug. 2nd, then yes, the Twins should make this trade for Castillo - a badly needed top-of-the-rotation arm to augment a suddenly flailing rotation. Steer is certainly expendable, given our surplus MI talent, although I wouldn't mind switching Martin if the Reds insisted. SWR is exactly the kind of prospect who a rebuilding team would want and while Winder has been a pleasant surprise, he might very well settle into a back-of-the-rotation arm. I would be fine with substituting Ober for Winder and perhaps add a lower level pitching prospect if needed to seal the deal. Any FO worth their salt would pull the trigger on a reasonable trade like this, again assuming they wanted to send the message to fans and players alike that they believe in this 2022 team. If not, they should pack their bags and find another sucker like JP. And good luck with that!!!

Ho Hum! Sorry guys, but this all sounds more like moving deck chairs around on the Titanic. Has anyone noticed that while the pen has gotten most of the bad press lately, it is the rotation, that not surprisingly has sprung a bunch of leaks lately? Guys like Smeltzer, Winder, Ober and yes, evenRyan(post IR) are not playoff ready pitchers. No, I'm not writing off this group's surprisingly good performance in the first half, but looking at the peripherals, is anyone surprised they are falling to the norm? Even Sonny Gray, their so-called "ace" has joined the crowd with his bomb in Texas. The FO tried putting lipstick on a pig, but it's still a .....And that's not even considering our bullpen problems. To this observer, as currently constituted, this is at best a .500 team in a weak division. If the Sox ever wake up, they'll leave the Twins in the dust. But because this hasn't happened, it is shame on Falvine if they don't strike agressively in going after at least two playoff-caliber starters by Aug. 2nd. With Sano's return to duty imminent, the FO should be on the phone to SD to consummate a trade for Snell. No, I don't think this team will be in the hunt for Montas or Castillo but there are some short term veterans likely available, incl. Thor, Rodon, Greinke, who might be available. And bullpen help is certainly available if the FO is willing to trade some of our excess high minors talent, e.g., Steer, Wallner, Larnach, Martin and/or one of our top 10 pitching prospects. Unfortunately, like his predecessor, Falvey has never shown the fortitude to go for it midseason. Bottom line, if Falvey sits on his hands, after making a big push for contention with the signing of Buxton and Correa, then isn't that a dereliction of his duties and a reason for termination? It's sort of amazing that even with this FO's abject failure to address the obvious weaknesses in pitching this past offseason(and then exacerbating them by the ill-fated Rogers trade), this team is still in the hunt for the postseason. These opportunities don't come along frequently with this franchise. Managment owes it to the fans to capitalize on their current position to act forcefully now, not nibble around the edges with minor moves that really don't disguise basic failings.

Reading the San Diego blogs, rumors are that they are looking to get salary relief by dumping Snell or Clevinger, with the former a more desirable choice because of salary. This dovetails well with Sano's situation in Minny. In case you haven't looked, Snell seems to have returned to form in his last outing(11Ks). Granted, he has been a disappointment overall but he seems to have regained his speed and control. This would be a win-win for both teams, with the Twins perhaps having to throw in some money or a midlevel prospect. There is no place on this team now for Sano with rise of Arraez, Kirillof and Miranda. The Twins offense is perking nicely now. What they need is pitching. Snell is well worth the gamble, especially if we are looking to end our playoff doldrums.

Following up on Whitey, yes, the loss reflects on some intrinsic weaknesses in Rocco's game-time strategies, including: 1. The Twins lineup is badly depleted now with injuries to Correa, Larnach, and Sano - to name 3. So why is their best hitter remaining, BB, kept out of the lineup, including even PH? Just inexplicable in a close game with one of the 2 major competitors in the Div. This is on Rocco and perhaps the FO if they are, indeed, calling the shots. Quit babying our best player! Games count now just as much as in Sept. 2. Rocco's ineptness is even more apparent in his bullpen usage last nite. He blew thru our arguably 5 best relievers now, to leave Cotton the last arm remaining for extra innings. Are Thielbar(15 pitches), Duffey(5), Smith(15), Pagan(9), and Duran(12) so fragile that they couldn't go longer? With a runner on second to start extra innings, you want your best(and in the Twin's case, only) flamethrower for that inning. I can see using Duran for the 9th with a save opportunity, but not a tie game. Giving Duffey or Thielbar an extra inning would have allowed that, but alas we get Cotton - and the loss. I know there are those on TD will accuse the writer of second guessing but Rocco's mismanagment of the pen last night is not a fluke. We have seen it consistently during his stewardship. He babies his players to the point of absurdity. Not that he is the only one to blame. It was obvious to most of us this team badly needed a second closer alternative this offseason - and that was before trading Rogers!! We got a good pickup in Smith but that was it. While Duran has emerged as a potential closer, Rocco(and maybe the FO) are too risk averse to hand him the job, preferring instead to use the closer by committee. With the current quality of RPs, can we still afford to gamble in every tight game. Annoint Duran the closer and see how that goes. There is no one else on the roster who is even close. With a now winnable Central Division Title possible, does anyone still think Rocco has the smarts to steer this team to playoff territory? To this observer, the clear answer is NO. Replace him with a more demanding, experienced guy with a modicum of baseball savvy.

SSS, but the performance of Bundy and Archer, together with the continued brilliance of Ober and Ryan, both relatively unheralded in their respective orgs, certainly deserves kudos. Much too early to call Wes the "pitching whisperer", at least until a couple more months pass, but the rotation's surprising strong start gives credence to Johnson's creds. I can only wish his touch could be translated to our pen, where as of now, Johnson has failed at any transformation of a Twins minor leaguer into a trustworthy late-inning shutdown reliever. With Duran's touted "stuff", why isn't he ready for closer situations? This is still a major hole in the pen. Why haven't the Twins been able to develop a single minor leaguer into a steady reliever in Falvine's 5+ years in charge? A lot of this weakness should be laid at Falvine's feet., starting with the trade of Pressley when the window of contention was wide open and continuing thru 2022 when they traded Rogers, their only suitable closer going into the season. Joe Smith is likely a solid addition but certainly not the pitcher to stabilize a very shaky pen. The big failing of the FO was not to tap into a very deep FA reliever class to fill the glaring holes so apparent last year. With Duffy and Thielbar so shaky, why were retreads like Stashak, Rhomero, and Coulombe brought up instead of one or two of our top starting minor leaguers? . Is this failure a result of a subpar minor league pitching development staff, poor drafting or a combination of the two? Is Johnson's skill level applicable for only starting pitching.? In a weaker-than-expected Central Div., this team should be a solid contender this year, but their bullpen still looks like their achilles heel.

Guess I was a little late in my comments. Like Tony and Rodney said - WTF! Strengthen the back end of the rotation, severely weaken the pen! Sort of a microcosm of FO's offseason. Unless they have another significant add to the pen, our late inning situation now looks as precarious as our rotation. Duran and Alcala better step up big or look out below!

Nice to see FO still trying to improve what most of us believe is a very iffy rotation. The Pads would seem like a good trade partner with their excess of starters now. And Paddock would probably be an upgrade over either Archer or Bundy, but does he really fill the glaring need of a strong #2? His falloff from his rookie year leaves too many questions to answer. If the FO wants to really move the needle, they should focus on either Snell or Musgrove, particularly the latter. Rocco is very familiar with Snell and should be able to assess whether he is in a downhill trend or a good bounceback candidate. Musgrove would be the ideal choice, but to pry him loose would probably take a Kepler/Rogers combo. As others have mentioned, Lamet would be a nice chip to add to bolster the bullpen. Perhaps by taking on Hosmer's contract, the Twins could land both these guys. No sense in adding another #4 or 5 starter to the long list we already have, especially not for Rogers - our lone closer. Go big or stay home.

Well said, Nick! Their is no plausible explanation for the FO's indecision, except ineptitude. Why get Correa and Gray without further bolstering the rotation, not to mention the pen? I won't rehash all the FA pitchers they took a pass at, any one of whom,e.g., Stroman, Rodriguez, Rodon, et. al.) could have bolstered the top of the rotation. Falvine in 5+ years has not even been able to develop one reliever, no less a starter. Alcala hasn't been consistent. Maybe Duran will break the drought? But so far the pitching whisperers have failed badly. As you say, it should be this year or bust. Hoping for the best is not a strategy for winning a playoff game!

Ugh! No thanks!

Nick, glad you bring up uncertainties about Rogers and Duffy. Rogers was letting a lot of inherited runs scored before the injury. And one might question why the FO brought in Colome as closer to start the season. As for Duffy, he, too, must be a big question mark after his big falloff from previous years. He righted himself later in the season - when all the pressure was off, but to think he can rebound to previous two year levels is just irresponsible. Which brings up a bigger question: why is the FO sitting on their hands as multiple FA relievers are flying off the market? Are they incapable of juggling several balls at a time? Sure, the rotation should take precedence, but the if they fail to add 2 more starters like Gray, they would certainly need to bolster a very shaky pen if they had any hope of improving on 2021. To my mind, bolstering the pen is even more vital than adding a big time SS three weeks from opening day. What are they waiting for??

Been on the bandwagon for Gray for last 2 years. Excellent pickup. Should slot in the 2/3 spot for next 2 years which is exactly what they need. Petty is at least 4-5 years away. Nice to see FO give up a high ranking prospect for an established pitcher! Still have two more spots to fill, but this is encouraging in that Fo hasn't yet tanked on 2022. They have more prospects/surplus pitchers they can trade. My hope is Montas. Would package of Larnach/Arraez and top 10 prospect do it. With addition of KF, is it feasible to consider Martin or Lewis a trade option.

Some good points here, Doc! As you say the Garver/KF trade was reasonable. We traded from a position of relative strength(we hope!) for one of need. But what is more interesting, as you point out, is this looks like another sign that 2022 will be a rebuild. The trade, on the surface, does not move the needle much(and might even set it back if Jeffers doesn't step up) for this year. The FO's lack of urgency on the pitching front certainly would lean towards the scenario of 2022 being a test year for the young pitchers. How else can you explain their taking a pass on Rodon and Kikuchi, arguably the 2 best FA starters left? Talking about guys like Pineda/Cueto,et.al certainly points to their failure to push the club back into contention this year, no matter what they said earlier. Grrr! And yes, assuming we are seeing a rebuild, moving Donaldson makes more sense now that we have a surplus of IFs, both on the 40 man and in development. The new DH rule certainly should help demand for JD but what could we get in return.? IMO, the last thing we should do is add to our slew of pitching prospects. By contributing to his salary, FO might pry loose a good(=better than Pineda/Cueto) major league pitcher. Of course, the loss of Cruz, JD, and Garv will weaken the offense but if this is truly a rebuild, then don't stop midway. Nor should they count on a staff filled with prospects a path for contention in next 2-3 years, which is why landing at least two young, major league pitchers is still essential to a sharp upward swing in 2023 and beyond. And if their prospects flame out, the Wonder Boys will be long gone by then, anyway!

Biggest complaint is that Garver, one of the best trade candidates on the current roster, could have been a much more valuable chip in obtaining a more-desperately needed starter! This trade has a very low probability of moving the needle for 2022 prospects. Took away a plus offensive contributor in Garver for a decent offensive upgrade at SS. Not sure they couldn't have found a comparable SS without giving up such a valuable trade piece. If Jeffers continues to develop offensively and K-F does the same, this could be a decent long term move, but it certainly won't improve team's 2022 chances. Looks like "contending in 2022" was a pipedream, at least to date.

Update - Giants sign Rodon for 2yr/$44. Absolutely reasonable for Twins. This FO is a disgrace!!

Oops! Meant Tyler Glasnow on the Rays, not Kevin Gausman. Rumors has him on trade block because of injury.

Nick, you seem to be caught up in the euphoria of the agreement.: http://From the buzz I'm hearing, it sounds like the Twins will be among the teams to strike early with a big move – maybe even by the time you're reading this on Friday morning. http://At the end of January, I laid out three top post-lockout priorities for the Twins: trade for starting pitcher, sign a free agent starting pitcher, and figure out the plan at shortstop. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it plays out in that exact order, and all three are done by Sunday. Wow! I hope you're right but when has this FO(or past ones) ever jumped into the fray with the big boys? We haven't seen a big move, either by trade or FA, since the Falvine boys took over 5+ years ago, Their only "big move" in either category came with the JD signing, at the tail end of the preseason when every other team passed on him. So why would you expect their MO to change now that lockout is over? Do you think there's any more pressure from ownership to win this year after they passed on the pre-lockout agreement? If I were a betting man I would wager maybe one middlin' FA signing(Pineda?) , a C- level SS addition, and maybe a bullpen filler. But if I, too, got caught up in the moment: here is my wish list(in order of positive impact on returning the team to contention: 1. Sign Carlos Rodon! 2. Trade for Gray/Castillo from Reds or Montas from A's. 3. Sign one of Greinke, Pineda, Duffy or Kikuchi. 4. Sign McHugh for the pen 5. Trade for SS - Paul DeJong, Elvis Andrus, Kiner-Falefa, or Nick Ahmed And if there was any money left over(and there should be with $50MM available), take a flyer on Kevin Gausman even if he doesn't play in 2022. This type of move worked well with Pineda. Anyway, let's talk again Monday and see what this FO did accomplish.

Cody, you make some valid points but how can you ignore his horrific HR/9 rate of 2.5? This is a no-no for any RP. Sure, if he can rachet up his FB by 2-3 pts he might have a shot but what are the chances of that at this stage in his career? Guys like Jax, Thorpe, Stashak, and probably Dobnak are roster fillers who should be jettisoned quickly if and when our top pitching prospects develop.

Cody, can't agree here at all for following reasons: 1. You rightfully say it makes little sense to go for just one top rotation arm, but why should the FO look to just one when they can obviously add a second from FA(Rodon, Greinke, e.g.), find a solid #3 in a Pineda, Kim, Odo, or Duffy - none of whom will break the bank in salary or prospects? Seems to me a strawman argument. 2. Waiting a year (or 2 or 3) to try contending again is a crap shoot, given the current lineup, which has the potential of being playoff-worthy now, but will not all be on the roster in 2 years or will be less productive. 2022 is certainly the best year to contend so long as FO is agressive in going for 3 major league starters not currently on the roster. Believing the team can contend in the next 2-3 years by depending on prospects and dumpster diving is a fool's errand, especially given the failure of this development team to graduate at least one difference maker in 5+ years of control. 3. Montas is exactly the type of trade prospect the FO should be seeking, provided they can come to agreement on extending his contract beforehand. You can quibble with overpaying for him, but if you think Arraez, Cavaco, Strotman are keys to a contending club, I beg to differ. The only guy I'd hate to lose would be Duran, as he looks like the only potential closer down on the farm, but yes, to get Montas for one valuable prospect is worth it. You trade from strength and so Arraez is redundant, and we have a pretty long list of near-majorleague-ready pitching prospects. While the FO's timidity pre-shutdown is regrettable, to say the least, there are still available pitchers out there who if added would transform this team into a contender this year. They owe it to the current players, the fans and to themselves(if they value their jobs and future employment) to make all reasonable efforts to reconstruct a staff currently at the bottom of of MLB rankings into one that is at least league average. Over valuation of prospects prevented Ryan's team from ever becoming successful in the playoffs and so far Falvine seems intent to following in TR's footsteps. This is their last chance to right the ship.

But have these 3 moves really moved the needle? Story would be a major addition but his salary would preclude this org. from spending on their area of biggest need(by far) - starting pitching. If Kikuchi was our major add, this is still a bottom 5 rotation. We need at least two better than average starters. Rodon, despite the injury risks, clearly stands as the premier target. A #2 could be added by trade. For #3, I like Kim and then Pineda. A Kikuchi-level starter could be thrown into the mix to compete with Bundy, Ryan and Ober for bottom two spots. Story's signing would squander resources needed for pitching. Don't forget, if Twins did pull off a trade for an A's or Red's starter to slot as a #2, they would almost have to be ready to extend the contract of said pitcher, given the haul it would take to pry one of these guys loose. Unlikely the team budget allows for top 2 pitching additions plus Story. Fortunately, this offense looks strong enough on paper to contend with the needed rotation additions so Story would be a luxury we could ill afford. I,too, like Rodriguez as an inexpensive pen addition, but his add alone wouldn't turn this bullpen into a plus. A Tepera-like signing would also be needed. I still cling to hope the Twins can contend in 2022 but not if their biggest pitching add is Kikuchi.

Law: Lewis is not a shortstop and has now lost probably a thousand pro plate appearances to injury and the pandemic. And before that, his swing mechanics were a disaster. “Iffy” is kind. His leg kick, which I’m told he instituted himself, screwed up his timing. So, the last time we saw Lewis hitting with “good” mechanics was 3 1/2 years ago, and he still needs a position change, and there’s a chance he won’t get his 80-grade speed back after the ACL injury. If someone thinks he belongs on a top-100 list now, with all of those factors (including an awful performance in 2019), I would say they’re not looking at the subject objectively. There are absolutely 100 better prospects out there, considering probability, performance, upside and time to the majors. Above is from Gleeman's interview with Keith Law in The Athletic. This is as scathing an opinion of the current Lewis that I have seen. While, like all prognosticators, Law is by no means infallible, he is certainly one of the most respected. As he said above, there is little reason to this point to look at Lewis as a top prospect anymore, particularly at SS. If so, this #1 overall prospect pick by Falvine is a colossal failure. There is just no sugar coating it! Throw in their failure to develop even one solid major league pitcher in their 5+ years, not to mention their timidity in FA, one has to wonder - how have they held their jobs? Patience is one thing; putting your head in the sand is another.

Let's face it - Sabato is still a horrible #1 draft choice no matter how you spin it! This FO has failed miserably in top draft choices from Day 1, starting with Lewis who is now no longer ranked in the top 100. Many of us were appalled by his being the #1 overall pick at the time with all the excellent pitching prospects available. Wouldn't Green or Wright look nice on our roster now? This inability to draft difference makers, coupled with Pohlad's cheapness and Falvine's aversion to make transformative trades, dooms this franchise to mediocrity.

You've pretty much got the priorities right, Nick. The needs are urgent if this team is really going to return to contention this year, but "urgency" is a word unknown in Twin's lexicon, so your priorities are highly unlikely to occur with this risk-averse ownership and FO. But if we are going to dream, let's push signing of Rodon to the top of the list. He will be costly(at least $20MM/yr) but he won't require a long term contract, thereby lessening burden of his contract. I like Hayes' suggestion of going hard after Montas, but as Dan says, only if Twins commit to signing him long term. If that is actually the game plan, then including Martin or Lewis makes sense, but would give up 2 of our top 10 pitching prospects not named Canterino or Winder. Sands and Balazovic should get the A's attention. And any of the 3 you mention, Greinke Kikuchi, or Pineda(in that order) would totally change the 2022 outlook. While we do have to give up some prospects, the loss is manageable as 2 of our 3 open rotation spots are filled by FA signings. The only other suggestion is the Twins need a late inning pen addition - someone like Tepera, McHugh, or even Jannsen if Pohlad could be persuaded to loosen his purse strings to at least $140MM. Will any of these moves happen? Very doubtful, but certainly in the realm of possibility.

It's a sad commentary when this lackluster pen looks solid compared to the rotation. At least the FO has a valid excuse: why pay money for relievers when the rotation is so bad!

Just can't get on "we need to sign an OF" bandwagon. Celestino seems ready as backup, at least based on his finish at AAA. Don't think this FO will trade Kepler because: 1.) they are too risk averse; 2.) his value has dropped considerably; and 3.) they have more valuable trade candidates who they can better afford to lose,e.g., Arraez, Jeffers or Garver, pitching prospects, middle IF prospects. There is no excuse for them not to acquire a strong #2 starter with this package. As for LF, they will likely look at combo of Larnach, Rooker(Ugh!!), or some low cost castoff. As others have noted, if they have $50MM to spend, they must go hard after Rodon, find an interim or better SS, and yes, fill some holes in the vBP with at least one potential stopper. Just not enough room in budget for a FA OF.

Top Gunn: Trade Arraez, Larnach, Sabato, Cole Sands and Thorpe to the A's for Montas and Bassitt. There are many reasons why this trade will never happen, the first of which is in 5 years this FO has never shown the b***s to pull off a trade of this magnitude. They're only adept at trading MLers for prospects at the trade deadline and picking up mid-level starters who have flaws(Odo, Pineda, Maeda) for prospects. The second reason this will never happen is the slate of available starters is now greatly reduced, meaning a ton of teams will be bidding for the few available proven ML pitchers available in trade. The 5 player package you propose includes one utility player without a real position, a formerly top corner OF prospect who has little defensive ability and tailed off badly enough to be sent back to the minors, and 3 other marginal prospects who have little trade value(except to Twin fans). The Twins should go all in for the one FA pitcher, Rodon, who has shown top-of-the-rotation talent with the downside risk of being injury prone. That didn't stop the brass from signing Buxton to a 7 year contract. Why should it stop them from signing a player who would not cost them any trade capital at a reasonable 2-3 year contract, and at an AAV that would not be much higher than Story's? It makes so much sense that you might ask why The Wonder Boys didn't get it done by the lockout deadline? If Rodon were signed, the Twins would have plenty of trade capital to acquire one of the top available starters - Castillo, Gray, Montas, Bassitt, or Lopez, any of whom would slot in as a #2 arm on a contender's staff. A possible package including two of the following - Arraez, Kepler, Jeffers/Garvey and one or two of our top 10 pitching prospects would be very attractive to one of the A's, Marlins or Reds. These losses are palatable, given the strength of our minor league pitching staff, catcher, corner OF and middle infield positions. Resigning Pineda, signing a good fielding SS for a 1-2 year contract, and adding two significant relievers would round out a vastly improved roster in 2022. Falvey is on the hot seat. If he can't make the moves to give us a fighting chance for contention in 2022 then time for him to find a job he can handle. In any case, he has a long ways to go now with much less leeway than two months ago.