2019-2020 Minnesota Twins Off-Season Thread

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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And here we are, a week or so later than the last few years.

Win Twins!!
 


Breakin' The Plane said:
Go. Get. Some. Damn. Starting. Pitching!!!!!!!!!
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Dammmit you beat me to it!

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howeda7 said:
Pretty much the entire off-season right there. If they don't get at least one starter better than Berrios and a solid #3, they have failed.
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I think they'd be in good shape if they could sign a guy like Wheeler, then resign Pineda and Odo. Then leave the 5th spot to one of the young guys.

I'm really curious what they do at 1B. Do they bring back Cron for another year or do they let Rooker and Kirilloff battle it out for the spot?
 


GophersInIowa said:
I think they'd be in good shape if they could sign a guy like Wheeler, then resign Pineda and Odo. Then leave the 5th spot to one of the young guys.

I'm really curious what they do at 1B. Do they bring back Cron for another year or do they let Rooker and Kirilloff battle it out for the spot?
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I'd rather Wheeler be the #3 and target someone like Syndergaard in a trade. We can move Rasario and Balacovic (sp?) who is their #2 pitching prospect.

Sano should move to 1B.
 

howeda7 said:
I'd rather Wheeler be the #3 and target someone like Syndergaard in a trade. We can move Rasario and Balacovic (sp?) who is their #2 pitching prospect.

Sano should move to 1B.
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I wouldn't necessarily be against that. I don't think Rosario adds much value. Am a little worried about Syndergaard's trends. His strikeout numbers have gone down since his tore a muscle in 2017. He's still a great pitcher and talent though.

I think Sano ends up as a DH eventually. I see him playing both 3B and 1B next year. If they did trade Rosario, that would allow Kirilloff and/or Rooker to play some OF.
 


GopherJake said:
He led the team in RBI and played pretty damned well in the outfield, so I just don't understand these types of comments.
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Because if a team is trading away a top pitcher, they're probably expecting to rebuild. They'd value prospects much more.
 



Give Odo a qualifying offer. Either he takes a 1-year at the QO, or negotiates a 3-4 year contract.

Trade Rosario for a pitcher (won't be an ace, but a good #2 would be nice).

Tell Berrios to back off a little on his workout regimen, or at least try to get him to change it. There is something that is making him a 4-month pitcher.

Sign at least one quality starting pitcher, maybe 2.
 


Starting rotation - beginning of 2019 season - Berrios, Odo, Gibson, Perez, Pineda. Gibson got seriously ill; Perez remembered he was Martin Perez and reverted back to form (crappy), and Pineda got suspended. that's 60% of the starting rotation unavailable or ineffective. No team can survive that. Baldelli deserves Manager of the Year for winning 101 games while juggling the pitching staff.

at this point, I don't see any minor-leaguers who are a cinch to be in the Twins' rotation next year. Smeltzer and Dobnak showed some possibilities, but would they survive a full season of 30+ starts in the majors? Gonsalves keeps getting hurt and wasn't that effective this year when health. Graterol - I think - will move back to a starter next year. Maybe half the season in AA or AAA and bring him up at the all-star break?

So, it looks like at least 2 or 3 starters will have to be acquired through trade or free agency. Unless the brain trust believes that Gibson will bounce back, Smeltzer and Dobnak are ready, and they can re-sign Pineda to a bargain-basement contract. Odo had a nice year, but he's a 5-inning pitcher. he should be replaceable.
 

Re-sign Pineda, make a trade for a starter, and do whatever you can in free agency to sign bullpen help (Will Smith/Dellin Betances). Could do that vice versa and trade for relievers and sign a starter but there aren't a lot of free agent names that I really like unless we resign Odo. All of the big names on the free agent market are OOOOOOOLD.
 



per Shama:

What’s next for the local MLB organization? Here are 10 pressing questions the club faces in the coming offseason.

1. Does Derek Falvey remain the club’s front office leader? Speculation continues the Boston Red Sox have interest in the Twins 36-year-old chief baseball officer who grew up in the Boston area. Losing the “boy genius” to another organization would be a setback as the Twins try to address offseason needs.

2. Is the ownership and front office zealous enough to elevate this franchise to a place among baseball’s elite? Success doesn’t always follow money but the Twins had a modest payroll in 2019 and certainly could expand it in the offseason because of their ongoing personnel needs. First-year manager Rocco Baldelli and his staff look like an asset in helping the franchise acquire free agents. Baldelli, 38, is a calm, steady leader who has surrounded himself with knowledgeable instructors, and they have created a welcoming culture for players.

3. Can the Twins find two or three new quality starters? It’s been obvious all season the team needs a better starting staff. The need wasn’t addressed during the season and has to be at the top of the off-season to-do list. Falvey, or his successor, will have to shop outside the organization for pitching help.

4. Will the Twins find a staff ace? It seems like the franchise has been searching forever trying to find a “bell cow.” Fans want to anoint Jose Berrios but he only flirts with success so far. The absence of a No. 1 pitcher is a huge handicap in the playoffs (see Berrios’ failed effort last Friday in the opener against the Yankees), and during the regular season when losing streaks need to be stopped or a must win is needed.

5. Who are the free agents the Twins want to retain? DH Nelson Cruz will be 40 next July but management has a club option on his contract for next season and will almost certainly want him back after he hit 41 home runs and became a dominant leader during his first season in Minneapolis. After Cruz, the Twins will need to sort through a number of players on their last year of contracts including quality starter Jake Odorizzi.

6. Next year will the Twins be anywhere near the home run producers they were in 2019? The core of expected returning players will offer power again but it’s not likely the Twins can hit 307 home runs in 2020. Maybe not even close because the prediction here is the MLB commissioner’s office wants to manufacture baseballs for next season that are more pitcher-friendly than the “rockets” flying all over the country this summer.

7. Is there any reason the 2020 Twins won’t have a roster again featuring personnel who can play many positions? The 2019 team had more players capable of playing various spots than any Twins club dating back to the franchise’s start in Minnesota in 1961. That’s a huge plus because it allows the organization to carry a max number of pitchers and allows Baldelli to move players around when injuries occur. It’s a long list of versatile Twins including Marwin Gonzalez, Ehire Adrianza, Luis Arraez, Jorge Polanco, Willians Astudillo, Mitch Garver, Miguel Sano, Max Kepler and Eddie Rosario.

8. Can the Twins have a season without losing a key contributor to suspensions for violating MLB drug policy? Michael Pineda might have been pitching better than any of the Twins starters when he was suspended in September for the rest of the season. With Pineda available the Twins could have started him instead of former Uber driver Randy Dobnak in last Saturday’s blowout loss to the Yankees. In 2018 the Twins began the season without Polanco who was suspended for 80 games. That was a significant loss for a team that earned its way into the playoffs the prior season.

9. Can Byron Buxton have a healthy season in 2020? His acrobatics in center field are worth not only the price of a ticket but at least a couple of wins per season to the Twins. But Buxton’s resume has numerous entries detailing his injuries and missed games, with the latest setback a left shoulder subluxation that placed him on the 60-day injured list in September, making him unavailable for important late season games and the post season.

10. Will Miguel Sano keep his weight under 300 pounds and avoid off-field incidents? Sano, 26, has the potential to be the long-term captain of the Bomba Squad, and perhaps become the franchise’s greatest home run hitter after Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew. But Sano’s weight and conditioning rightfully worry Twins fans. He is advised to avoid carbs, get his entertainment at daytime yoga sessions, and perhaps avoid the party life.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Win Twins!!
 

GophersInIowa said:
I wouldn't necessarily be against that. I don't think Rosario adds much value. Am a little worried about Syndergaard's trends. His strikeout numbers have gone down since his tore a muscle in 2017. He's still a great pitcher and talent though.

I think Sano ends up as a DH eventually. I see him playing both 3B and 1B next year. If they did trade Rosario, that would allow Kirilloff and/or Rooker to play some OF.
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Sano will DH eventually but Cruz will be there next year. I would see if either Gordon can stick at SS or Kiriloff in the OF and move Gonzalez/Arreaz/Polanco accordingly. I would prefer in an IF of Sano at 1B, Polanco at 2B, Gordon at SS and Arreaz at 3B. That would improve all spots defensively except 1B.
 

howeda7 said:
Sano will DH eventually but Cruz will be there next year. I would see if either Gordon can stick at SS or Kiriloff in the OF and move Gonzalez/Arreaz/Polanco accordingly. I would prefer in an IF of Sano at 1B, Polanco at 2B, Gordon at SS and Arreaz at 3B. That would improve all spots defensively except 1B.
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I've heard Gordon isn't that good of a defensive player. Don't have enough experience watching him to way in though. Personally I'd see if he has any trade value left. We have a few other SS prospects besides Lewis that we can maybe hope to bring up as Polanco ages.
 

tmvander said:
I've heard Gordon isn't that good of a defensive player. Don't have enough experience watching him to way in though. Personally I'd see if he has any trade value left. We have a few other SS prospects besides Lewis that we can maybe hope to bring up as Polanco ages.
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His advance stats has his defensive runs saved at 0, which IIRC means he is average. Polanco is negative. Arreaz at 2B is slightly negative. Sano at 3b is very negative. Lewis is not ready and going out and getting a FA SS doesn't make sense if he will be ready soon. So I'd give Gordon a 2 month trial. If he flops, move Gonzalez to 3b and Polanco and Arreaz back to SS and 2B.
 

howeda7 said:
His advance stats has his defensive runs saved at 0, which IIRC means he is average. Polanco is negative. Arreaz at 2B is slightly negative. Sano at 3b is very negative. Lewis is not ready and going out and getting a FA SS doesn't make sense if he will be ready soon. So I'd give Gordon a 2 month trial. If he flops, move Gonzalez to 3b and Polanco and Arreaz back to SS and 2B.
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May be worth a shot but I think I'd almost rather have Gonzalez in the lineup somewhere instead of bringing Gordon up. Infield of Sano, Polanco, Arraez, Gonzalez (could flip flop Sano/Gonzalez). Unless you trade Rosario and put Gonzalez in the outfield. Then you call up Gordon instead of calling up Kirilloff
 

howeda7 said:
His advance stats has his defensive runs saved at 0, which IIRC means he is average. Polanco is negative. Arreaz at 2B is slightly negative. Sano at 3b is very negative. Lewis is not ready and going out and getting a FA SS doesn't make sense if he will be ready soon. So I'd give Gordon a 2 month trial. If he flops, move Gonzalez to 3b and Polanco and Arreaz back to SS and 2B.
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I think it will really depend on if they think Kirilloff and/or Rooker are ready to go or not. If they are, then I think Sano stays at 3B for another season.
 

The other thing is Adrianza is a free agent. Could Gordon fill his role? That might mean he only plays a few days a week though.
 

tmvander said:
May be worth a shot but I think I'd almost rather have Gonzalez in the lineup somewhere instead of bringing Gordon up. Infield of Sano, Polanco, Arraez, Gonzalez (could flip flop Sano/Gonzalez). Unless you trade Rosario and put Gonzalez in the outfield. Then you call up Gordon instead of calling up Kirilloff
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Gonzalez should be in the line-up either way. I'd basically make it a contest between Kiriloff and Gordon and perhaps Rooker. Whoever is the most ready stays. Gonzalez either plays LF or 3B accordingly.
 



When you have bases loaded in a playoff game and you pop out, you are not a DH. Sano either needs to play a position, improve as a batter or be traded. As a DH he’s going to be 400 lbs.
 

Sano 55 walks. 159 strike outs. No intentional walks.
 

saintpaulguy said:
When you have bases loaded in a playoff game and you pop out, you are not a DH. Sano either needs to play a position, improve as a batter or be traded. As a DH he’s going to be 400 lbs.
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I'm not opposed to trading him if the price is right.
 

Souhan: Why the Twins should consider trading Eddie Rosario

Nelson Cruz and Marwin Gonzalez will be back, Luis Arraez will be the second baseman, and top prospects Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Lornach could be ready at some point next season.

The logical trading chip is Eddie Rosario.

Rosario is highly entertaining. He hits home runs. He provided many of the best moments of this season. He also played right field in the playoffs because the Twins view Gonzalez as a better outfielder so he played in the larger field in left. Rosario’s numbers, aside from his home-run (32) and RBI (109) totals, were underwhelming. His .300 on-base percentage is poor.

If baseball deadens the baseball next year, Rosario could turn into a corner outfielder with gap power who doesn’t draw walks.

The problem with trading Rosario is that there may not be many general managers who want to give up value for such a player. But it only takes one.

The Twins have built their farm system to the point where they can afford to trade their cleanup hitter and another prospect or two for a starting pitcher, if they can find a taker.

http://www.startribune.com/why-the-twins-should-consider-trading-eddie-rosario/562562602/

Win Twins!!
 

howeda7 said:
I'm not opposed to trading him if the price is right.
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Sano definitely improved. But Saintpaul guy is making some good points.

Sano feasted on weak pitching. How often did he have a great at bat against a good pitcher? He always tried to kill it, which is horrible situational hitting. That based loaded situation he should have been trying to get good wood on it and not blasting it to the moon. That sitation calls for changing his approach. But he never changes his approach.

Arreaz got a double to the gap in game 3 against a hard thrower because he flicked his wrists. Sano tries to pull almost everything. We he doesnt try to pull, hes money. But he tries to pull 95% of the time, and swing as hard as he can.

It might be time to sell high here.
 

I'm not in favor of trading Rosario unless twins get offer they cant refuse. I'm a big believer in clubhouse chemistry, and hes a part of the core in my mind. He is one of the leaders on the team

I do not want Cron back. I understand his thumb was hurting. But he is another pull happy guy that can hit off of weak pitching. Surely we can do better than that.

Any thoughts about Garver at first base? Not impressed with his catching skills.

Any thoughts on starting pitching? Gerrit Cole would be great, but so risky to give a P $25-30 mil per year. But you also need a true ace. Is Berrios that? I think he is a good #2, but not your ace. I'd love Smeltzer and or Randy Dobnak to get a shot at in the rotation. Perez is an enigma. I think they'll bring him back. I think he has really good stuff, but has a tough time locating his pitches and makes too many mistakes

Bullpen turned out to be good. Duffey and May have found their niche. Hopefully sign romo for one year. They need a lefty besides rodgers.
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
I'm not in favor of trading Rosario unless twins get offer they cant refuse. I'm a big believer in clubhouse chemistry, and hes a part of the core in my mind. He is one of the leaders on the team

I do not want Cron back. I understand his thumb was hurting. But he is another pull happy guy that can hit off of weak pitching. Surely we can do better than that.

Any thoughts about Garver at first base? Not impressed with his catching skills.

Any thoughts on starting pitching? Gerrit Cole would be great, but so risky to give a P $25-30 mil per year. But you also need a true ace. Is Berrios that? I think he is a good #2, but not your ace. I'd love Smeltzer and or Randy Dobnak to get a shot at in the rotation. Perez is an enigma. I think they'll bring him back. I think he has really good stuff, but has a tough time locating his pitches and makes too many mistakes

Bullpen turned out to be good. Duffey and May have found their niche. Hopefully sign romo for one year. They need a lefty besides rodgers.
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Free agent market for starters isn't great. A few obvious names like Cole but a few of them like Darvish, Strausburg will likely have their options picked up by the Cubs/Nats. I think a guy like Cole Hamels is interesting but he's like 36 and isn't the same guy he was a few years ago even. He'd still likely be expensive and pitch less innings and have worse numbers than if we re signed Odo.

I think our only option to get a guy better than Berrios is through trade because the free agent market only has about 2 guys (Cole, Wheeler with Wheeler being about at that same level) and all teams will be in on them. That's why i'm hoping they grab a few free agent relievers and make a trade for a higher end starter.
 

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