All Things 2020-2021 Minnesota Twins Off-Season Thread

[BleedGopher]

I really hope we find a way to keep Cruz.

Win Twins!!

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Next year's lineup - wishful thinking -
C - Jeffers, Garver
1B - Sano (stuck with the contract, no market)
2B - Arraez
SS - Polanco
3B - Donaldson
LF - Rooker & Larnach platoon
CF - Buxton
RF - Kirilloff
DH - Cruz

If they can somehow get out from Sano's contract, put Kirilloff at 1B. Would have to move Polanco to open up SS for Royce Lewis. Gordon as Utility Inf if he can stay healthy.

Pitching - now this is where it gets murky.
SP: Maeda and Pineda are under contract. I would bring back Berrios. Odo if you can get him at a reasonable contract. Not a Dobnak fan. is Jhoan Duran ready?
RP: Bring back May and Duffey. I think Alcala has potential. Likewise with Edwar Colina. (begin in pen, maybe stretch out as a starter?) Maybe bring Wisler and/or Stashak back at a reasonable price.

and now the big question - can Taylor Rogers be fixed? this could be a money issue. if he wants big bucks, I would be very leery.

Bottom line - this team needs to get younger and more athletic.

 

[Ope3]

I really hope we find a way to keep Cruz.

Win Twins!!

I don't see it happening. I don't think he will take a discount to stay. The Twins I sense are going to be in a budget conscious mode with no Box Office gate this year, and who knows what for 2021 (as will several MLB teams) this year. If NL teams add the DH then they will be competing with 15 other teams for his services.

As great as he's been the past 2 years, tough to allocate limited resources to a 41 year old, who is a DH only.

 

[howeda7]

Moving this from the other thread:

My line-up next year would be

Arreaz 2B
Buxton CF
Kepler RF/DH
Donaldson 3B
Rosario LF/DH
Rooker DH/1B
Kirilloff 1B/OF/DH
Polanco SS
Jeffers C

Bench:
Garver C/DH
Nick Gordon
Gonzalez or someone else who can play 3B when Donaldson is hurt.
Wade

Rotation:
Trevor Bauer
Maeda
Berrios
Pineda
Dobnak

Bullpen:
Duffy
May
Trade/FA
Trade/FA
Rodgers
Alcala
Wismer
Stashak
Thielbar

I love Cruz, but he hit 1 HR after September 8th. I sense it's the beginning of a decline and he's not going to come back for cheap. I would rather spend that $ and Sano's salary on Bauer and give the kids a shot.

 

[howeda7]

I don't see it happening. I don't think he will take a discount to stay. The Twins I sense are going to be in a budget conscious mode with no Box Office gate this year, and who knows what for 2021 (as will several MLB teams) this year. If NL teams add the DH then they will be competing with 15 other teams for his services.

It would be a shame with how productive he's been the during the regular season to have 0 post season success.

I figure at most they will have a payroll of around $130 million next year. This year was ~$135. If the NL keeps the DH he will get an offer more than we should pay. He is 40 and as hot as he was in August he hit 3 HR's in September. 1 after September 8th.

 

[howeda7]

Next year's lineup - wishful thinking -
C - Jeffers, Garver
1B - Sano (stuck with the contract, no market)
2B - Arraez
SS - Polanco
3B - Donaldson
LF - Rooker & Larnach platoon
CF - Buxton
RF - Kirilloff
DH - Cruz

If they can somehow get out from Sano's contract, put Kirilloff at 1B. Would have to move Polanco to open up SS for Royce Lewis. Gordon as Utility Inf if he can stay healthy.

Pitching - now this is where it gets murky.
SP: Maeda and Pineda are under contract. I would bring back Berrios. Odo if you can get him at a reasonable contract. Not a Dobnak fan. is Jhoan Duran ready?
RP: Bring back May and Duffey. I think Alcala has potential. Likewise with Edwar Colina. (begin in pen, maybe stretch out as a starter?) Maybe bring Wisler and/or Stashak back at a reasonable price.

and now the big question - can Taylor Rogers be fixed? this could be a money issue. if he wants big bucks, I would be very leery.

Bottom line - this team needs to get younger and more athletic.

Sano's contract is $10 million/year. I don't think it's unmovable. You won't get much in return though. I'd move him and keep Rosario if the return is roughly the same. Why are we trading Kepler?

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

Moving this from the other thread:

My line-up next year would be

Arreaz 2B
Buxton CF
Kepler RF/DH
Donaldson 3B
Rosario LF/DH
Rooker DH/1B
Kirilloff 1B/OF/DH
Polanco SS
Jeffers C

Bench:
Garver C/DH
Nick Gordon
Gonzalez or someone else who can play 3B when Donaldson is hurt.
Wade

Rotation:
Trevor Bauer
Maeda
Berrios
Pineda
Dobnak

Bullpen:
Duffy
May
Trade/FA
Trade/FA
Rodgers
Alcala
Wismer
Stashak
Thielbar

I love Cruz, but he hit 1 HR after September 8th. I sense it's the beginning of a decline and he's not going to come back for cheap. I would rather spend that $ and Sano's salary on Bauer and give the kids a shot.

Sano has 2 years and 20 million total left on his contract. I dont even remember giving him an extension. My guess is they give him one more year to produce because they would have to eat some money to trade him, unless they get some team to fall in love with him.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

Next year's lineup - wishful thinking -
C - Jeffers, Garver
1B - Sano (stuck with the contract, no market)
2B - Arraez
SS - Polanco
3B - Donaldson
LF - Rooker & Larnach platoon
CF - Buxton
RF - Kirilloff
DH - Cruz

If they can somehow get out from Sano's contract, put Kirilloff at 1B. Would have to move Polanco to open up SS for Royce Lewis. Gordon as Utility Inf if he can stay healthy.

Pitching - now this is where it gets murky.
SP: Maeda and Pineda are under contract. I would bring back Berrios. Odo if you can get him at a reasonable contract. Not a Dobnak fan. is Jhoan Duran ready?
RP: Bring back May and Duffey. I think Alcala has potential. Likewise with Edwar Colina. (begin in pen, maybe stretch out as a starter?) Maybe bring Wisler and/or Stashak back at a reasonable price.

and now the big question - can Taylor Rogers be fixed? this could be a money issue. if he wants big bucks, I would be very leery.

Bottom line - this team needs to get younger and more athletic.

Im hopeful another team wants to trade for Polanco. His lack of fire concerns me, and he really needs to hit well to make up for his average at best fielding.

I actually like Dobnak. I want to give him another chance.

 

[Ope3]

I really hope we find a way to keep Cruz.

Win Twins!!

Comments on MLB.com from both the Twins and Cruz, make it sound as though a return is at least possible. Hope my earlier take was off base, but I still think it's less than 50/50.

 

[howeda7]

Sano has 2 years and 20 million total left on his contract. I dont even remember giving him an extension. My guess is they give him one more year to produce because they would have to eat some money to trade him, unless they get some team to fall in love with him.

$10 million isn't much when the average ML payroll is $120 million or so. If there's a universal DH he's a good fit for a trade to the NL. I'm just tired of watching 2 months of flailing at everything for two hot weeks of crushing the ball. Maybe we take back some over-priced reliever in exchange.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

$10 million isn't much when the average ML payroll is $120 million or so. If there's a universal DH he's a decent fit for it. I'm just tired of watching 2 months of flailing at everything for two hot weeks of crushing the ball.

Remember when he first came up? How selective he was?

 

[howeda7]

Im hopeful another team wants to trade for Polanco. His lack of fire concerns me, and he really needs to hit well to make up for his average at best fielding.

I actually like Dobnak. I want to give him another chance.

Polanco's still on a pretty cheap contract and there's no obvious replacement. No way I'm trading him. They obviously have doubts about whether Lewis can play SS and he can always come up and break in at 3B when Donaldson is hurt. If Lewis proves he can play SS and Donaldson stays healthy, maybe you trade Polanco next off season, but not now.

 

[howeda7]

Remember when he first came up? How selective he was?

He can still have a decent eye. But he only has the discipline to do it for very short periods. It's frustrating. At this point he is who he is. He's not changing.

Dobnak is more than fine as a 5th starter. I think people over-reacted to a couple bad starts. The Twins demoted him due to roster circumstances with Odorizzi/Bailey coming back, not because they decided he sucks.

 

[forever a gopher]

More starting pitching. Assuming Odo signs a multi year deal elsewhere for more than Twins money. Need a closer. Rogers wasn’t good. For as much hype as he got, he was just OK in 2019. Some position players that have drive/fire. Or merely a “clubhouse” guy that is worth more than the analytics say. If Rocco is going to let players do whatever they want, you need a veteran clubhouse guy to hold others accountable.

With the money they spent on Donaldson, and with Maeda making more due to incentives, I’m not expecting anything of note to happen in FA. So it’ll have to come via trade or the minors.

Oh, and Rocco- leave your fu*%ing starters in more than 5 innings in a playoff game.

There are obviously structural/systematic things that need to change to make this team successful in the postseason. They could spend the offseason looking in the mirror and changing things up. I have zero faith they will do any of that, and we’ll at best be in the same spot next year.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

Moving this from the other thread:

My line-up next year would be

Arreaz 2B
Buxton CF
Kepler RF/DH
Donaldson 3B
Rosario LF/DH
Rooker DH/1B
Kirilloff 1B/OF/DH
Polanco SS
Jeffers C

Bench:
Garver C/DH
Nick Gordon
Gonzalez or someone else who can play 3B when Donaldson is hurt.
Wade

Rotation:
Trevor Bauer
Maeda
Berrios
Pineda
Dobnak

Bullpen:
Duffy
May
Trade/FA
Trade/FA
Rodgers
Alcala
Wismer
Stashak
Thielbar

I love Cruz, but he hit 1 HR after September 8th. I sense it's the beginning of a decline and he's not going to come back for cheap. I would rather spend that $ and Sano's salary on Bauer and give the kids a shot.

I'm a big fan of Bauer, but I don't see it. It's not the $. I don't see ownership bringing in a guy that's as vocal as he is. And he's probably going to look at how they baby the pitching staff and say "no thanks". Actually what he'd say is going to be way more colorful than that.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

I'm a big fan of Bauer, but I don't see it. It's not the $. I don't see ownership bringing in a guy that's as vocal as he is. And he's probably going to look at how they baby the pitching staff and say "no thanks". Actually what he'd say is going to be way more colorful than that.

This team could use some fire. Bauer is going to get paid big. Out of Twins price range after signing Donaldson.

 

[tmvander]

I'd like to see them trade for a shut down closer. Someone who is nasty. I have always liked Edwin Diaz from the Mets. He's fairly cheap and struck out 50 guys in less than 26 innings this year. He'd be on contract a couple of years too. I think he's kind of walk heavy which isn't ideal but when you throw 99 and your ball moves its bound to happen.

I'd be ok giving Romo another chance and let him be your 8th inning guy throwing low 80s sliders than bring in Diaz to slam the door. If you can get Rogers back cheap do it as a situational guy with experience in late innings in case of injury.

The lineup on paper is really good they just never can do anything in the playoffs. Not sure how you fix that.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

I'd like to see them trade for a shut down closer. Someone who is nasty. I have always liked Edwin Diaz from the Mets. He's fairly cheap and struck out 50 guys in less than 26 innings this year. He'd be on contract a couple of years too. I think he's kind of walk heavy which isn't ideal but when you throw 99 and your ball moves its bound to happen.

I'd be ok giving Romo another chance and let him be your 8th inning guy throwing low 80s sliders than bring in Diaz to slam the door. If you can get Rogers back cheap do it as a situational guy with experience in late innings in case of injury.

The lineup on paper is really good they just never can do anything in the playoffs. Not sure how you fix that.

I'd be okay with trading for Diaz. But I think Romo has to go.

 

[tmvander]

I'd be okay with trading for Diaz. But I think Romo has to go.

It wouldn't break my heart if he was gone. They just need a better bullpen...especially if your starters are only going to pitch 5 innings in playoff games.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

It wouldn't break my heart if he was gone. They just need a better bullpen...especially if your starters are only going to pitch 5 innings in playoff games.

I dont get that 5 inning strategy at all. Only if you have a LIGHTS OUT bullpen, which the twins did not.

Maeda and Berrios probably had 2 more innings each in them

 

[tmvander]

I dont get that 5 inning strategy at all. Only if you have a LIGHTS OUT bullpen, which the twins did not.

Maeda and Berrios probably had 2 more innings each in them

I mean its a bone head move no doubt, but regardless you're not going to win any games in the playoffs scoring 1 run. Hard to fault the bullpen for losing these ones even though they did.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

This team could use some fire. Bauer is going to get paid big. Out of Twins price range after signing Donaldson.

I don't disagree, it's just not how they seem to want to construct a team. And unless Bauer backs off what he's stated previously, he's only signing one-year deals, so it's not like you're asking the Pohlads to make a 300 million dollar commitment.

 

[howeda7]

I'm a big fan of Bauer, but I don't see it. It's not the $. I don't see ownership bringing in a guy that's as vocal as he is. And he's probably going to look at how they baby the pitching staff and say "no thanks". Actually what he'd say is going to be way more colorful than that.

Supposedly he only wants one-year deals. So give him $25-30 million. He's kind of an @ss, but this team needs that. Also, you can sell him on never having to face Max Kepler.

I didn't mind what Romo did, it was the slop he throws at his age that is the issue.

 

[howeda7]

This team could use some fire. Bauer is going to get paid big. Out of Twins price range after signing Donaldson.

If he's staying true to his word on not wanting to sign multi-year deals, he's not out of their price range. If they let Cruz, Hill and Odorizzi go, they have more than enough to sign him.

 

[howeda7]

I'd like to see them trade for a shut down closer. Someone who is nasty. I have always liked Edwin Diaz from the Mets. He's fairly cheap and struck out 50 guys in less than 26 innings this year. He'd be on contract a couple of years too. I think he's kind of walk heavy which isn't ideal but when you throw 99 and your ball moves its bound to happen.

I'd be ok giving Romo another chance and let him be your 8th inning guy throwing low 80s sliders than bring in Diaz to slam the door. If you can get Rogers back cheap do it as a situational guy with experience in late innings in case of injury.

The lineup on paper is really good they just never can do anything in the playoffs. Not sure how you fix that.

Relievers are so fickle from one year to the next. I wouldn't be shocked of Rogers goes back to lights out next year. That said, I'm in favor of upgrading the bullpen via trade as well. That's what I'd try to get for Sano. Rogers is still under team control and will definitely be back. May is a FA I would like to keep but not if the $ is more than $6-8 million.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Some buzz that Polanco was playing with injuries down the stretch. saw one reporter claim that Polanco might have to have surgery.

My general feeling, as I said earlier, is that this team needs to become much more athletic. too much waiting for a HR - and something like 68% of their HR's were solo shots because they didn't have people on base.

I like Kepler - but he has become another all-or-nothing hitter. .228 BA, .439 slugging, .760 OPS for a corner outfielder.

It's time to find out if Larnach, Kirilloff, Rooker and Lewis can play "at the major league level," to quote Bert.

and if you have more younger guys under team control in the lineup, (i.e. affordable) maybe you can afford to add a starting pitcher.

 

[BleedGopher]

per STrib:

The Twins ended the season as American League Central champions, again, before being swept out of the playoffs, again. A look at who will stay, and who will go:

Twins player-by-player look: Will they stay or will they go?

The Twins ended the season as AL Central champions, again, before being swept out of the playoffs, again.

www.startribune.com

Win Twins!!

 

[BleedGopher]

Where do the Twins go from here? Assessing their biggest offseason issues


For the second straight year, Derek Falvey found himself in this position far faster than he’d hoped, assessing an all-too-familiar abrupt ending to a great season. A day after his club extended its North American-record playoff losing streak to 18 games, the Twins president of baseball operations fielded questions Thursday morning about yet another quick dismissal from postseason play.

Outwardly, Falvey smiled and pleasantly answered each and every question asked by reporters during a 42-minute session.

But as much as he grinned his way through it, Falvey admitted he’s still feeling the sting of the Twins’ surprise early exit. Four days earlier, the Twins were celebrating a second straight American League Central title. And yet on Thursday, Falvey was left to sift through the remains of a great season done in by two days of poor play against the Houston Astros.

His team’s exit occurred so quickly that Falvey confessed he and his front office have barely scratched the surface of what’s to come for the Twins, who pushed in all their chips for the 2020 season by loading up the roster with talent and a team-record payroll and still find themselves in this same precarious spot.

“It’s disappointing we aren’t still playing,” Falvey said. “Candidly, as I was driving in (Thursday) morning thinking about it a little bit, I didn’t expect to be having this conversation today. No one did. It hit us pretty hard yesterday. There was a lot of emotion around it. Because we felt exactly … that this team had a chance to go deeper than we ultimately did.”

Rather than do their prep work in the postseason bubble next week in Los Angeles during the AL Division Series, Falvey, general manager Thad Levine and Co. will instead begin to determine the club’s new course from the comforts of home. Though the roster is flush with more talent than ever before, the Twins have many questions to answer, including the futures of a handful of key free agents, whom to keep from the core and whom to part with to make room for the next wave, and even what would the club’s budget will look like after a 2020 season conducted without fans.

Here’s a look at a handful of those issues the Twins face and how they would possibly answer them.

Where do the Twins go from here? Assessing their biggest offseason issues

After yet another postseason flop, the Twins face a critical offseason that could go in a number of different directions.

theathletic.com

Win Twins!!

 

[BleedGopher]

per Shooter:

The Twins’ 2021 spring training opener against the Baltimore Orioles in Fort Myers, Fla., is less than five months away.

Charley Walters: Fading Vikings facing big decision on Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins’ $21 million salary for next year already is guaranteed. In March, the Vikings will have to decide whether to guarantee the $35 million he’s signed for in 2022.

www.twincities.com

Win Twins!!

 

[BleedGopher]

per Shooter:

Eddie Rosario’s days in Minnesota probably have come to an end due to the Twins’ glut of young outfielders.

With rookie catcher Ryan Jeffers, 23, impressing down the stretch, it’s likely Twins catcher Mitch Garver, who turns 30 in January, will get one more season to impress.

Charley Walters: Fading Vikings facing big decision on Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins’ $21 million salary for next year already is guaranteed. In March, the Vikings will have to decide whether to guarantee the $35 million he’s signed for in 2022.

www.twincities.com

Win Twins!!