Darius

Miller and Chapman are a couple of the most talented pitchers in the game. They are both physical specimens (Miller 6'7", Chapman 6'4", both 215-220). Both can hit triple digits (debatable on Miller, maybe absolutely topping out, but he can get high 90s). Comparing a 6'1", 190 lb (soaking) guy who hopes to "play up" to the mid 90s in the pen, because he's a lefty drafted in the top 10, to arguably the two best fireballing relievers in the world right now, is a stretch at its absolute finest.

All of the outrage, in general, isn't really unwarranted, as some want to play it. I feel the same overall about the perpetual ineptitude in regards to decision making, and the BS fed to this fan base for nearly a decade. On this particular topic, I'm not sure I expect Berrios or Chagrois to turn into anything at this point, so this in itself isn't overly irritating. But, who is at fault here? That's what I'd like to know. Why is it that this team pulls all of these highly talented and skilled individuals into its farm system every year, and nothing of worth ever comes out of the back end (since the late 90s/early 2000s)? When will these apparent coaching issues be fixed?

I love Buxton's effort. You can tell he absolutely loves making those tough catches. If he's doing that in Spring Training, you know you never have to question this kid's heart and effort. A few other guys on the team should take note.

A few glaringly obvious questions that id like to have answered by someone in the organization: 1). Why start Jay for so long? If it's about "speeding up his path to the majors," on a bottom dwelling team, why wasn't this the case before? What changed since last year (honest question)? 2). If there is such a glaring need in the bullpen, why not sign some veterans for a few million bucks + on short a contract? Some actual helpful bullpen arms, instead of minor league deals. You know, taxpayer funded stadium, piles of cash, etc, etc. 3). Weren't we told they didn't need bullpen arms recently, hence no free agents (outside of minor league deals)? Now, is there a surplus of SPs? 4). Back to "quickest path to the majors". He's at AA. Are you planning on him breaking camp, or getting a June call up? If not, what's the big timeline difference, here? If he makes strides this year as a starter, it's conceivable for him to get starts with the Twins next year. I'm not even saying it's the wrong move. But, It's absolutely dumbfounding how they handle some of these players, botch their development, then roll out these thoughtless contradictory for convenience. Like they can't be bothered to take the time explain the real reason to the serfdom, because it's beyond our understanding. Frankly, the tax payers lining their pockets deserve better than the brain-trust repeatedly frosting turds, and trying to sell them as Milky Ways. Just admit you're a turd salesman.

Another observation: I'm not sure why it became so fashionable to be anti-spending. There is a paradigm floating around the spending and success have some kind of inverse relationship. This just isn't true. The Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, Rangers, and numerous other big budget franchises totally eclipse the opposite in terms of sustained success. Every once in a blue moon, a team like the Royals or As make a cute little run, or a big-money team underperformed, and get people all worked up. And why are the Cubs being dragged into the small-market, build from the ground-up approach? Last I checked, they're in the top 5 in payroll every year. They just finally got competent scouts. Do people really think all of these big-time prospects were a product of them being cheap? I know a lot of salesman that would love your phone numbers. I'll take sustained success, over a cute little 1-3 year run that implodes once players want to get paid, any day. The opposite is like saying, "I'd rather have a terrible job, and live in a junky old house in a bad neighborhood, with bad schools, because they're generally the ones that win the lottery." Reality has been totally lost.

Twins "buying." This is one of the more hysterical spoof articles I've read in a while. You have a future.

It's the Twins. You really can't imagine a worse scenario? Andrew Albers? Scott Diamond? I could go on all afternoon. By Twins standards, Santana, Gibson, Hughes, Voglesong, and Mejia is a Starting rotation version of Murderer's Row. There is a chance they're all actual MLB rotation caliber pitchers, even if nothing more than a collection of #5s. They're normally rolling out a couple a guys that wouldn't sniff a 40-man slot on any other club, let alone a rotation spot.

...and the Twins screw up another career. Unlimited resources. Profits rolling in that they refuse to spend. All that cash laying around, and they haven't thought to put any of it to a medical and training staff that has a clue on how to get players in shape and keep them healthy. Pitching is one thing. But, when you're top hitting prospects are also dropping like flies and getting TJ, something is wrong. Sample size is way too big to keep claiming "bad luck." The ineptitude of this organization knows no bounds.

I'm starting to worry that we're never going to see the Sano from his rookie season again. Obviously, I don't know this to be true because I don't see him off the field (Maybe someone more plugged in can straighten me out-- if there is such a person lurking): Does this guy have a work ethic issue, or what's the deal? Despite being young, it seems he's always dealing with nagging soft-tissue injuries (which may have more to do with size than being in shape -- but for most it's usually the latter). He never seems to really make any progress, more steady regression since breaking into the bigs. He used to swagger around talking about breaking home run records and someday being an MVP. Now, he's cracking jokes about "everyone striking him out." At this point, he has a longer track record of injury and lacking performance (relative to what we were expecting), than he does looking like a legit franchise centerpiece. Maybe I'm taking some things out of context and/or reading too much into the injuries/struggles of a second year/spring training. But, just not really feeling as great about this kid as I did 8-9 months ago.

Isnt it kind of ridiculous to have Hughes in the rotation, anyway? It's a rebuilding team with no chance of competing, extremely young, with Santana anchoring the rotation (which tells you something), and a load of young guys with more upside that Hughes that just need innings (Gibson, to some extent, Berrios, Duffey, Mejia, May--yes, I think, May should be giving a shot, Gonsalves, etc). I get that Hughes is getting paid, and that's why, but they just need to commit to the rebuild.

A few things cause me to disagree with this take: 1). You're not necessarily drafting a pitcher. What do you think about drafting high school shortstops (or young shortstops from Latin America). A whole mess of those have turned out well. 2). I don't buy a whole lot into the high school pitcher myth. Plenty have worked out for teamspicking 2-the end of the draft. Is there a serious implication that there a supernatural force a sabotaging the career of any high school pitcher pitched number 1, but may be a hall of famer if picked number 2? 3). A lot of #2 has to do with arm health. Kids taken number #1 out of high school generally throw harder, and more often, causing extra stress and the potential arm issues that come with bad mechanics/certain breaking pitches. I feel that there have been a lot of developments made in that regard. 4) If you get into trouble with #3, TJ surgery isn't a death sentence like it was a couple of decades ago, or even assuredly career altering like it was a decade ago. A lot of young guys have it these days and return to form nicely. I could list a few more reasons, but I think a refusal to pick a HS pitcher number 1 is flawed logic. It's a statistical anomolie.

Well, theoritcally, if he's that good (which, he would have be pretty darn good offensively....he wouldn't be the first one to sacrifice the offense)...AL teams wouldn't have to run a DH when he's on the mound, and he could hit for himself. I'm sure it's been done before, but I don't remember hearing about it happening since I've been watching the game. Unfortunately, the rule doesn't allow you to DH for your next weakest position player....which would be fun.

They can't possibly pass on Greene, right? The guy's upside at SP and/or SS is absurd, and the Twins can't seem to find either. At the very least, If I were Falvey, I'd be too terrified of this kid fulfilling his potential on another team to pass, and have it follow me for my whole career (which could be made significantly shorter as a result). Of course, all of this is said under the assumption that the kid is healthy throughout the process, and that his measurables are for real (and that he doesn't actually throw 92 on a legitimately calibrated gun).

Polanco's not the only one. When a player turns into something out of the Twins system, it's typically one of two things: 1) A miracle (Dozier) 2) The guy was developmentally fool-proof (Mauer, Sano).

Does he have an elbow in there somewhere?

If they take anyone else but Greene, I'll react like Brad Pitt in Seven after seeing "what's in the box."

I'm not overly disappointed it was Park, I guess. But, judging by how he looked before the wrist derailed things, I'll set the over/under with a new team at something like .245/.775 with 27 HR, which I would be ecstatic with at DH for the Twins.

Was it worst-case-scenario for the most of the pitching staff? I'm more inclined to think that some of those guys are just varying degrees of bad players (Gibson, Santiago, Hughes, Duffey). I'm still optimistic that Berrios can figure something out and be an actual useful rotation member (useful in MLB terms, which is a higher standard than Twins terms). But, it may not be this year. Santana is getting up there. He has some miles on that arm. I think the rotation could easily be just as bad.

It won't be that difficult for them to lose 100 games: A culture of losing is ingrained in most of the players, there is a poor infield defense, bad starting pitching, a bad bullpen, and loads of inconsistent strikeout/slump-prone hitters. Also, Mauer, Buxton, and Sano....possibly the 3 most valuable line-up cogs (outside of Dozier), haven't been the most injury averse.....or very good, for the better part of the last year. Ervin Santana is getting old and has a billion innings, and Hughes is no guarantee to come back. Are Gibson and Berrios able to anchor a rotation by themselves? Some seem convinced that 2016 was an outlier for this roster. I'm not convinced of that.

Not sure I can really agree with this. Most, if not all, of the perpetual bottom dwellers (Twins, Padres, etc) are chalk full of potential. That's just what happens when you have loads of high draft picks. The problem with this: 1) prospects very rarely reach their potential, and people often vastly overrate what the player will actually be once (or if) he reaches the majors. Buxton is a prime example. That guy never had a chance of living up to that kind of out of control hype. 2). These organizations, even if they find the prospects with the chops to fulfil that "potential" (often pegged by people who hardly known the kids, and have seen them play a handful of games, if at all), are totally incompetent when it comes to development. I have no reason to believe at this time that Falvey and LaVine will be given the freedom to change that. Let's take a look at the "potential": Buxton: I think he'll be a very good player....but I don't think he's an MVP guy as it was sold. He's a solid piece, but not an organization changer. I don't think he gets to the level of an Ellsbury....and definitely isn't going to sniff a Trout level. I'm not sure there is a good com out there....maybe a Pollack type from Arizona, with a lower hit tool, or a Kiermeier from TB with a little more hit and power? 2). Sano had an extremely tough year, and I'm worried about him. I don't know if he'll ever get back to where he was his rookie year. I could be way off here, just a gut feeling, but I don't think he gets even close to that "MVP" level that looked imminent his rookie year. When he's not on one of his homer binges, he's a big liability. The only silver lining in those stretches, is that he strikes out every time so he stays out of double plays. His eye at the plate seems to regress as he gets more and more desperate to break out of slumps. 3). Rosario: Same story. Huge potential, and highly touted tools. But, don't think they come to fruition. What we see now, is what Rosario is as an MLB player. Wildly inconsistent, volatile attitude, and wreck less on both sides of the ball. When he's going bad, he's an anchor dragging the middle of the lineup down, because he has no on base skills. He doesn't really have the power to speak of (like Sano) to justify hanging with him through those stretches. 4). Kepler: Of all of the prospects, I like his chances the most. I think that torrid start to his career threw expectations out of whack, but I think he'll be a solid, reliable, well-rounded player.....not a superstar by any means. 5). Polanco: He is what he is. Very good offensive middle infielder....if only he could hang defensively in the middle infield. Berrios: Ceiling gets lower every week. At this point, if he turns out to be a reliable middle of the rotation guy, I'd be thrilled. His command just isn't there to be a legit frontline starter. You can have the best stuff in the world, but if you can't spot it consistently, it doesn't matter. Unless something changes drastically, I'm not counting on him, in terms of being a guy you can feel good about in game 1 of a playoff series....which is what matters in the end. If you don't have that guy, you might as well tank until you can find one. I could go through other minor league prospects (Gonsalves, Stewart, Gordon, Romero), but I think those are the big ones, in terms of competing now. The high-end players (that you need to really compete....not the phony 00s while in the weakest division in baseball...I'm talking championship calibur guys) just don't appear to be there. Sometime they come out of nowhere (Johan)....but short of a miracle like that, I think this organization is in real trouble of entering a Pirates or Royals type level of half-century futility (even though you can probably lump them in with them already). I'm not optimistic. It'll be years until they compete. If they want to expedite things, it's going to have to come via free agency (a real stopper in the rotation, and some bullpen help....offensively, they should be fine).

Well, let's hope another suitor comes along, or they get desperate before the deadline, once the season starts. The inability to get deals done, and failure to maximize the value of assets that are probably going elsewhere once they hit free agency, is a big reason why this team is a train-wreck in the first place. Letting Dozier walk for nothing in a couple of years will only perpetuate that problem. I'd rather then just take De Leon and some filler. De Leon may flame out because of shoulder issues....but a lottery ticket is better than nothing. Dozier hasn't helped this team win games the past two years, and that's not going to change over the next two.

Can someone tell Fleck to stop using this as an adjective/adverbial every sentence, then?

Please elaborate.

I didn't know he's from PR, interesting. I wonder what kind of impact that would have on Berrios, and vice versa, as I'm sure they're familiar with each other giving the similar age. Maybe some familiarity, and someone to relate to, could help loosen him up a little. Language barrier, and age/cultural difference, etc.....I just don't see him developing those kinds of relationships with Kyle Gibson, Phil Hughes, etc. I know Santana has helped him out, but he may be gone. Maybe a huge stretch, but it certainly can't hurt to have someone to hang out with during down time and unwind, or bouce ideas off of.

This list starts and ends with Joe Mauer.