2018-2019 Minnesota Twins Off-Season Thread

[dpodoll68]

Twins don't spend $ on players: "$%^ cheap Pohlads!"

Twins spend $14 million on one of the best available FA hitters: "He's too old! We never sign anyone in their prime! $%^ing cheap Pohlads."

They really can't win with some folks.

Sure they can. Both are valid criticisms. There are plenty of options aside from these two.

 

[BarnBurner]

Twins don't spend $ on players: "$%^ cheap Pohlads!"

Twins spend $14 million on one of the best available FA hitters: "He's too old! We never sign anyone in their prime! $%^ing cheap Pohlads."

They really can't win with some folks.

I hear Bryce Harper is available. Sign him.

 

[GophersInIowa]

I hear Bryce Harper is available. Sign him.

One thing I think some fans forget is the top free agents have to want to sign with the Twins too. For all we know, the Twins could have offered Darvish $28M a year and he still wouldn’t have signed.

 

[jamiche]

In fairness, we have won World Series by signing or trading for guys who are at least slightly past their prime: Bert Blyleven, Juan Berenguer, Keith Atherton, George Frazier, Roy Smalley, Joe Niekro, Don Baylor, Mike Pagliarulo, Jack Morris, Chili Davis, Steve Bedrosian. One of the things you gained with many of these guys that you get with Cruz is veteran presence and leadership.

That’s nearly 30 years ago. Most of the time signing guys past their prime is like formerly big name acts playing the casino circuit.


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[jamiche]

I hear Bryce Harper is available. Sign him.

Why not sign him? Seriously. The Pohlads can’t claim that the payroll prohibits that kind of a move. They also can’t claim that they don’t have the capital available to make that kind of an investment in the franchise. Ten years at $350M and slot him in with Cruz, Sanyo and Rosario. A lot of people would pay money to see that.


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[jamiche]

Twins don't spend $ on players: "$%^ cheap Pohlads!"

Twins spend $14 million on one of the best available FA hitters: "He's too old! We never sign anyone in their prime! $%^ing cheap Pohlads."

They really can't win with some folks.

$14M doesn’t make waves in today’s market. It’s #3 starter money. The Pohlads have stripped the payroll to nothing. It’s time to replenish and to give the new manager some players in their prime.


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[Bad Gopher]

That’s nearly 30 years ago. Most of the time signing guys past their prime is like formerly big name acts playing the casino circuit.


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It doesn't matter that it's 30 years ago. For the right team, signing Ervin Santana a few years ago would have put them over the top.

 

[BleedGopher]

Reusse: Nelson Cruz's slugging will help Twins, but mentoring Miguel Sano might help more

The Twins saw in Torii Hunter’s swan song season that personality, production and responsibility can be an excellent combination. Torii turned 40 in July 2015, the season the club went from 70 wins to 83 (and then an all-time-Twins-worst 59 without him in 2016).

Cruz will turn 39 on July 1. He has averaged 41 home runs and 104 RBI in his past five seasons. He isn’t unflawed: Cruz didn’t test positive for performance-enhancing drugs, but he was mentioned in the Biogenesis scandal and accepted a 50-game suspension to open the 2013 season.

Baseball and now the Twins have moved forward with Cruz. “He’s a very charismatic person, and a hard, hard worker,” Levine said. “If we get this deal done … we’ve only been here a little over two years, but I’m wondering if Miguel [Sano] has ever had another player from the Dominican who can be as helpful as Nelson has a chance to be with him.”

For sure, Cruz can relay to Sano that there still is plenty of time to become a consistent power hitter. At age 25, Cruz did not yet have an at-bat in the big leagues, and he now has 360 home runs and 1,011 RBI.

And Sano still will be 25 when the 2019 schedule opens March 28 at Target Field.

http://www.startribune.com/signing-nelson-cruz-a-home-run-move-for-twins/503572002/

Win Twins!!

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

Why not sign him? Seriously. The Pohlads can’t claim that the payroll prohibits that kind of a move. They also can’t claim that they don’t have the capital available to make that kind of an investment in the franchise. Ten years at $350M and slot him in with Cruz, Sanyo and Rosario. A lot of people would pay money to see that.


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Because he won't sign here. They could offer Machado or Harper a 10 year deal for 500 million and they'd both probably say "pass".

 

[jamiche]

Because he won't sign here. They could offer Machado or Harper a 10 year deal for 500 million and they'd both probably say "pass".

I don’t think the Twins have ever really tried. Obviously, they would have to outbid the Yankees, the Dodgers and others but this would be the perfect time period to do it. They have shed a lot of salary and Andrew Zimmern sandwiches aren’t going to get fans to Target Field anymore.


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[bottlebass]

I don’t think the Twins have ever really tried. Obviously, they would have to outbid the Yankees, the Dodgers and others but this would be the perfect time period to do it. They have shed a lot of salary and Andrew Zimmern sandwiches aren’t going to get fans to Target Field anymore.


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Yah they will, we go with a group every year that goes only to try the new food items. For the record I attend a few games every year because I enjoy being outside on nice days. But those games are with a group of guys, the food group is a group of couples that we have been going with once a year every year for some time and I can't remember really ever sitting in our seats with that group, most years we don't even buy tickets next to eachother.

 

[jamiche]

Yah they will, we go with a group every year that goes only to try the new food items. For the record I attend a few games every year because I enjoy being outside on nice days. But those games are with a group of guys, the food group is a group of couples that we have been going with once a year every year for some time and I can't remember really ever sitting in our seats with that group, most years we don't even buy tickets next to eachother.

I didn’t mean it as an absolute. TF on a warm afternoon is a great place but there are far fewer fans in the category you described than half a dozen years ago when the ballpark was a shiny new object. Now it takes a winning team and, secondarily, players who excite fans. Winning teams require smart field and front office management and a commitment to spend money.


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[bottlebass]

I didn’t mean it as an absolute. TF on a warm afternoon is a great place but there are far fewer fans in the category you described than half a dozen years ago when the ballpark was a shiny new object. Now it takes a winning team and, secondarily, players who excite fans. Winning teams require smart field and front office management and a commitment to spend money.


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To fill the stadium yes, but that doesn't seem to be the owner's goal.

 

[tikited]

To fill the stadium yes, but that doesn't seem to be the owner's goal.

That is a very strange strategy for a owner to have. Too bad there is some truth to it .

 

[bottlebass]

That is a very strange strategy for a owner to have. Too bad there is some truth to it .

Agreed.

 

[howeda7]

Sure they can. Both are valid criticisms. There are plenty of options aside from these two.

Aside from Machado and Harper, what hitters could the Twins sign that are significantly better than Nelson Cruz?

Or is it "if you don't sign Machado or Bryce Harper it's because the $%^&ing Pohlads are cheap!"?

 

[howeda7]

One thing I think some fans forget is the top free agents have to want to sign with the Twins too. For all we know, the Twins could have offered Darvish $28M a year and he still wouldn’t have signed.

They very well might have. Supposedly they offered him >$100 million over 5 years.

 

[howeda7]

$14M doesn’t make waves in today’s market. It’s #3 starter money. The Pohlads have stripped the payroll to nothing. It’s time to replenish and to give the new manager some players in their prime.


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The payroll is currently ~$95 million. They need to add at least two bullpen arms and preferably a starter, though I doubt they will do the latter. The opening day payroll will almost certainly be above $100 million. Yes, down from last year, but not "stripped to nothing."

 

[howeda7]

Why not sign him? Seriously. The Pohlads can’t claim that the payroll prohibits that kind of a move. They also can’t claim that they don’t have the capital available to make that kind of an investment in the franchise. Ten years at $350M and slot him in with Cruz, Sanyo and Rosario. A lot of people would pay money to see that.


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They probably have to go significantly above whatever he's being offered by the Dodgers & co. to get him to consider it. So 10 years $400 million? Can they do that? Yes. Should they though? I seriously doubt Falvine wants to roll those dice. The same people who complained about "$23 million!" for 8 years are going to be OK paying him $40 million?

 

[Go4]

love the cruz signing. dude led the majors in home runs the last 5 years.

 

[jamiche]

They probably have to go significantly above whatever he's being offered by the Dodgers & co. to get him to consider it. So 10 years $400 million? Can they do that? Yes. Should they though? I seriously doubt Falvine wants to roll those dice. The same people who complained about "$23 million!" for 8 years are going to be OK paying him $40 million?

The Mauer contract was the right move, even though it didn’t work out. I would advise them to do it again. I think it would be fine for the Twins to open the season with a payroll of $150-170M. No laws against busting through the major league average payroll barrier. I’m not saying that they have to go after every FA in his prime. A once a decade signing is ok.


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[dpodoll68]

Aside from Machado and Harper, what hitters could the Twins sign that are significantly better than Nelson Cruz?

Or is it "if you don't sign Machado or Bryce Harper it's because the $%^&ing Pohlads are cheap!"?

I'm not talking about this season only, I'm talking about the last 34 years.

 

[BleedGopher]

STrib: Nelson Cruz's power potential will move the needle for Twins

The Twins l hit 166 home runs last season, fewer than 11 other American League teams. That’s hardly unusual. In the Target Field era, they’ve never ranked in the upper half of the league in homers, a shortcoming that becomes more glaring as the game grows more dependent upon power.

They’re working to change that, however, and the signing of Nelson Cruz this week puts an exclamation point on that effort. Adding Cruz and his 37 home runs to the 19 position players already on their roster means the current Twins combined to hit 198 homers in 2018, a total that wouldn’t quite boost them into the top half of the AL, but still would represent the fifth-most homers in Twins history.

It’s no accident; the Twins’ free-agent signings this winter have focused on adding power. C.J. Cron, who hit 30 homers last season for the Rays, was brought in to play first base, and Jonathan Schoop, who managed 21 homers in an otherwise disappointing season for the Orioles and Brewers, will play second. That’s a significant power boost for a team with only one other slugger — Eddie Rosario and his 24 homers — who hit more than Schoop.

But Cruz takes this trend to a new level, one that few Twins free-agent signees can boast. Despite having reached his 38th birthday in July, the Dominican DH smashed 37 homers for the Mariners last season, and that total was the fewest he had managed since 2013. A sixth straight season with that sort of production would rank among the greatest ever in Minneapolis, where only Harmon Killebrew (eight times) and Brian Dozier have ever piled up so many long balls.

Twins fans don’t have to be reminded, however, that it’s dangerous to assume that home runs success elsewhere will automatically transfer to Target Field. Only one free-agent signee in Twins history has ever come aboard off a season with more MLB homers than Cruz’s 37: Logan Morrison, who hit 38 for Tampa Bay in 2017. And it was only three winters ago that optimism reigned over the acquisition of a slugger who produced 105 home runs in his two previous seasons: ByungHo Park.

Buyer beware, in other words.

http://www.startribune.com/nelson-cruz-s-power-potential-will-move-the-needle-for-twins/503643342/

Win Twins!!

 

[BleedGopher]

STrib: Top 10 story lines to watch in Minnesota sports

3. Can Buxton and Sano revive their careers?

Maybe revive is too strong a word. But maybe not, considering what a lost season 2018 was for both. Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, two longtime cornerstone prospects, hit below .200 last season while both dealt with injuries and stalled progress. If the Twins are going to launch themselves forward in 2019, Buxton and Sano figure to need to have prominent roles. It will be interesting to see if new manager Rocco Baldelli can draw more production and consistency out of both.

http://www.startribune.com/page-2-biggest-2019-storylines-to-watch-in-minnesota-sports/503746212/

Win Twins!!

 

[short ornery norwegian]

I saw a note the other day that the Twins have virtually no money guaranteed to anyone beyond the next two years.

One can argue that all of the off-season moves are short-term, stop-gap measures - Schoop, Cron, Cruz. No long-term commitments.

My gut still tells me that Falvey and Levine are setting everything up to make their move in 2020 or 2021. If they somehow happen to win this year, that's a bonus. But I suspect the long-range plan is to put a team together to contend in 2021 and beyond - building around the next group of minor-leaguers - Lewis, Rooker, Kiriloff, Graterol, etc.

So, if you're hoping for a major trade, or a real top-level free-agent signing, I still think that's not going to happen for at least 2 or maybe 3 years. Build the team around the core of young talent, and then supplement with free-agents or trades to complete the roster.

 

[BleedGopher]

per Shama:

Twins personnel boss Derek Falvey talking on Sunday’s WCCO Radio “Sports Huddle” program didn’t hesitate in referring to his starting outfield positions being set for 2019 with Eddie Rosario in left, Byron Buxton in center and Max Kepler in right.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Win Twins!!

 

[GophersInIowa]

I saw a note the other day that the Twins have virtually no money guaranteed to anyone beyond the next two years.

One can argue that all of the off-season moves are short-term, stop-gap measures - Schoop, Cron, Cruz. No long-term commitments.

My gut still tells me that Falvey and Levine are setting everything up to make their move in 2020 or 2021. If they somehow happen to win this year, that's a bonus. But I suspect the long-range plan is to put a team together to contend in 2021 and beyond - building around the next group of minor-leaguers - Lewis, Rooker, Kiriloff, Graterol, etc.

So, if you're hoping for a major trade, or a real top-level free-agent signing, I still think that's not going to happen for at least 2 or maybe 3 years. Build the team around the core of young talent, and then supplement with free-agents or trades to complete the roster.

I agree with this. Then when they've got the good, young (and cheap) talent playing well, you add pieces where needed. That's what Houston and KC recently did. Signing someone to a large long-term contract when they aren't contenders is extremely risky.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

I agree with this. Then when they've got the good, young (and cheap) talent playing well, you add pieces where needed. That's what Houston and KC recently did. Signing someone to a large long-term contract when they aren't contenders is extremely risky.

right. You have 26 roster spots to fill and only so much money. Need to have most of the team be quality players on rookie or team friendly deals, then seal the deal with high priced free agents on your weak roster spots where you werent able to develop

 

[howeda7]

I agree with this. Then when they've got the good, young (and cheap) talent playing well, you add pieces where needed. That's what Houston and KC recently did. Signing someone to a large long-term contract when they aren't contenders is extremely risky.

Depends on what you mean by long-term. If you can get someone like Dallas Kuechel on a 4-year deal, he can both help you now and still be here in 2 years when you think you can win it all. They probably won't win the WS in 2019. But they can win the division and there's something to be said for going for it. It's tough to have a team that is entirely players under team control and 1-year deals.

 

[BleedGopher]

per Sid:

Baldelli stays focused

When the Twins hired new manager Rocco Baldelli in October, there was a big belief he was brought in to have a much closer relationship with front office bosses Derek Falvey and Thad Levine.

That might still prove to be the case once the season starts, but one thing Baldelli is happy to let Falvey and Levine run with is free agency.

So far this offseason, the Twins’ biggest splashes have been bringing in first baseman C.J. Cron, who Baldelli worked with last season with the Rays, second baseman Jonathan Schoop from Baltimore and free-agent DH/outfielder Nelson Cruz. Acquiring Cruz last week was a big move.

“I think it’s fair to say that the only responsible thing to do is just always be on the lookout for players that can fit you,” Baldelli said. “Those are areas where there could be fits in some situations, but as the manager of this team, this is not where I like to focus a ton of my attention. Derek and Thad have to look into all things that are going on and valuable players and player acquisitions and things like that.”

Baldelli said he is definitely brought into free-agent discussions, but said the main focus for himself and his coaching staff is on whoever is on the roster.

“I am aware of those conversations and I’m a small part of those conversations, but I like to spend most of my time on the players that we have,” he said. “I mean that. That’s where my attention and where our staff’s attention has to lay. Spending time worrying about the guys we have, what we can do for them, communicating with them and talking about what we can do for them going forward, these are the things that demand all of our time.”

One thing Baldelli continues to believe is that the roster he inherited from a 78-84 team in 2018 can compete immediately, even without any more big moves.

He thinks getting improved performances out of players such as Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco can have as big an impact as any free agent available.

“This is certainly the type of situation where, if we can help our guys really make small adjustments and take the next step in their career in a small way, we are going to benefit in a huge way if we can do that,” Baldelli said.

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-...n-t-love-split-up-big-ten-schedule/503822032/

Win Twins!!