You're right packerboy, there's being frugal and there's being cheap. Sometimes you gotta seize the opportunity and shell out the money to get quality. I'd love to see A-Rod come here and would like to see what the Yankees want for him.
I still feel the Twins need to shore up the rotation. Santana, Liriano and Bonser are a great top of the rotation, but with Liriano's arm troubles they need to get some insurance or they'll end up in the same boat they were in this year's playoffs and without Radke this time.
Per Empire, Schmidt is not really a viable option, so that leaves Eaton, Weaver, Lilly and Suppan from the list I got at the Strib; however, per an article in MLB.com, Andy Pettitte, Vicente Padilla, Miguel Batista, Tony Armas Jr. and Randy Wolf are also available. Pettitte would be the obvious choice but he'll probably get the same attention as Jason Schmidt and be off the Twins' radar. Wolf might not be a bad option, his numbers weren't good last year but he was coming off Tommy John surgery and figures to be stronger next year. Another good option in my eyes would be Miguel Batista a righthander with experience in the AL. I don't like Weaver, Anderson's going to have enough work tending to all the young pitchers on the staff, he doesn't need another project.
Twins 34-34 on 6/18
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
Reusse's thoughts
From today's Strib:
Reality -- not a pipe dream
Stop taking the baseball version of a hallucinogenic, Twins fans. Alfonso Soriano wants a big stage. He's not going to sign here, even if Carl Pohlad would decide to start treating Terry Ryan's payroll like Monopoly money. And Alex Rodriguez, even if the Yankees wanted to dump him, has a no-trade clause that he wouldn't be waiving to come here to the prairie.
Here's a realistic game plan for the Twins this offseason:
One, sign pitcher Adam Eaton, who came back from his hand injury to pitch the second half for Texas. He has talent and could thrive with Rick Anderson as his coach.
Two, sign outfielder Frank Catalanotto, a solid hitter from Toronto. He would be a No. 2 hitter and would keep them from relying on Jason Kubel, who has shown little drive to get in shape and fulfill his potential as a hitter.
Three, acquire designated hitter Eduardo Perez from Seattle. The Twins need a hitter to kill lefties. He does.
My thoughts: Eaton's numbers aren't real good but he was coming off an injury as Reusse says. It looks like he'll want a 3 year contract, I'm not sure if the Twins will want to commit to him for that long. The Twins would be left with essentially the same style team as last year, Catalanotto is a better version of Jason Tyner and Perez is an older version of Rondell White, with more pop but a lower average.
Reality -- not a pipe dream
Stop taking the baseball version of a hallucinogenic, Twins fans. Alfonso Soriano wants a big stage. He's not going to sign here, even if Carl Pohlad would decide to start treating Terry Ryan's payroll like Monopoly money. And Alex Rodriguez, even if the Yankees wanted to dump him, has a no-trade clause that he wouldn't be waiving to come here to the prairie.
Here's a realistic game plan for the Twins this offseason:
One, sign pitcher Adam Eaton, who came back from his hand injury to pitch the second half for Texas. He has talent and could thrive with Rick Anderson as his coach.
Two, sign outfielder Frank Catalanotto, a solid hitter from Toronto. He would be a No. 2 hitter and would keep them from relying on Jason Kubel, who has shown little drive to get in shape and fulfill his potential as a hitter.
Three, acquire designated hitter Eduardo Perez from Seattle. The Twins need a hitter to kill lefties. He does.
My thoughts: Eaton's numbers aren't real good but he was coming off an injury as Reusse says. It looks like he'll want a 3 year contract, I'm not sure if the Twins will want to commit to him for that long. The Twins would be left with essentially the same style team as last year, Catalanotto is a better version of Jason Tyner and Perez is an older version of Rondell White, with more pop but a lower average.
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Blue Breeze
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:31 pm
Obviously I would love to get a player the caliber of A-Rod. Regardless of his postseason struggles, he would be the perfect fit in between Mauer and Morneau. Soriano, Lee, they would all look good, we are just not in a realistic position to get any of these guys. A-Rod, slim chance, but I doubt he would waive his no-trade clause to come here.
You're right Packerboy, Punto was clearly overmatched in the postseason, his bat cost us more than anyone else IMO. I love him as a utility guy, but he can't hit # 2 in the every day lineup, and he we need some power down at 3rd base, he doesn't provide it.
When did I ever label Kubel as a star? I simply stated he was a guy who could hit around .285 with some pop. Wouldn't you take that in your 7-spot? He is a hell of a lot better than Nevin, who looked terrible in the playoffs. He is an upgrade without question.
We are handcuffed by being forced to build from within and add veterans who are either past their prime or coming off bad seasons. The Angels, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Mets are going to monopolize the market on free agents, as they each over hundreds of millions worth of budget room. They spend, but only one is still alive, and 2 of those teams didn't even win the postseason.
You're right Packerboy, Punto was clearly overmatched in the postseason, his bat cost us more than anyone else IMO. I love him as a utility guy, but he can't hit # 2 in the every day lineup, and he we need some power down at 3rd base, he doesn't provide it.
When did I ever label Kubel as a star? I simply stated he was a guy who could hit around .285 with some pop. Wouldn't you take that in your 7-spot? He is a hell of a lot better than Nevin, who looked terrible in the playoffs. He is an upgrade without question.
We are handcuffed by being forced to build from within and add veterans who are either past their prime or coming off bad seasons. The Angels, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Mets are going to monopolize the market on free agents, as they each over hundreds of millions worth of budget room. They spend, but only one is still alive, and 2 of those teams didn't even win the postseason.
No one ever labeled Kubel a star. Thas was just me going for effect.
But seriously Blue Breeze, how do you know Kubel would be better than Nevin? Nevin has had a lot better career than Kubel. He didnt do much for us in the 3 weeks hw was here but thats a short auditiotn.
If Kubel can hit .280 and hit 20 HRs, play LF when White is DH, fine. Then maybe we dont add a guy. But he has never done that.
But seriously Blue Breeze, how do you know Kubel would be better than Nevin? Nevin has had a lot better career than Kubel. He didnt do much for us in the 3 weeks hw was here but thats a short auditiotn.
If Kubel can hit .280 and hit 20 HRs, play LF when White is DH, fine. Then maybe we dont add a guy. But he has never done that.
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Irishmans Shanty
- Posts: 3988
- Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2006 10:38 pm
Spend the money on bats! There are no pitchers out there that will give you a return on investment like an everyday player will.
2007 Rotation with Johan being traded for ARod
Bonser
Silva you live with his ups and downs, heck they did it this year and won the division
Rincon - I'm telling you the bullpen is stocked, stretch his arm out and make him a starter, he get's guys out with lateral movement, not with heat, intimidation, or a bizarre delivery. Chris Singelton, the Whitey's radio analyst said Rincon's ball moves more than any guy he ever faced. Rincon is a guy who could easily make 30 starts in a year if he was asked to do so.
Garza - guys he's only going to get better, he's no idiot either, who was he parked next to on the bench every time you saw a shot of the dugout? It tells me he's coachable unlike the dope they shipped to the Reds.
5th someone within the organization will need to step up, maybe it's Baker, Guerrier, Perkins, or Durbin (if in fact he is still in the organization). Boof did why not someone else?
1. Castillo 2b
2. Catalanotto lf
3. Mauer c
4. ARod 3b
5. Morneau 1b
6. Cuddyer rf
7. Hunter cf
8. White dh the same guy looks a lot better lower in the order doesn't he?
9. Barlett ss
Where's Punto? On the bench as utility/insurance policy. If Luis breaks down and goes on the 15 or 60 day, Punto is now a regular and they don't skip a beat.
Where's Liriano? Plan for him to be unavailable, forget he exists, smart organizations do not bank 1 win on an injury prone pitcher. If Liriano makes 30 starts, they could be a juggernaut.
2007 Rotation with Johan being traded for ARod
Bonser
Silva you live with his ups and downs, heck they did it this year and won the division
Rincon - I'm telling you the bullpen is stocked, stretch his arm out and make him a starter, he get's guys out with lateral movement, not with heat, intimidation, or a bizarre delivery. Chris Singelton, the Whitey's radio analyst said Rincon's ball moves more than any guy he ever faced. Rincon is a guy who could easily make 30 starts in a year if he was asked to do so.
Garza - guys he's only going to get better, he's no idiot either, who was he parked next to on the bench every time you saw a shot of the dugout? It tells me he's coachable unlike the dope they shipped to the Reds.
5th someone within the organization will need to step up, maybe it's Baker, Guerrier, Perkins, or Durbin (if in fact he is still in the organization). Boof did why not someone else?
1. Castillo 2b
2. Catalanotto lf
3. Mauer c
4. ARod 3b
5. Morneau 1b
6. Cuddyer rf
7. Hunter cf
8. White dh the same guy looks a lot better lower in the order doesn't he?
9. Barlett ss
Where's Punto? On the bench as utility/insurance policy. If Luis breaks down and goes on the 15 or 60 day, Punto is now a regular and they don't skip a beat.
Where's Liriano? Plan for him to be unavailable, forget he exists, smart organizations do not bank 1 win on an injury prone pitcher. If Liriano makes 30 starts, they could be a juggernaut.
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Blue Breeze
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:31 pm
You're right Packerboy, I dont know if Kubel will be better than Nevin. I just know that I would have rather had a healthy Kubel for the postseason than Nevin.
Trading the league's best pitcher for an insecure and mentally weak 3rd baseman is not an option. He would slug 35 home runs and drive in 125, but his value would not be nearly that of Johan's. We win 80% of the time Johan pitches, if he is not in the rotation, we don't come close to the playoffs this year. You can't win without an ace. Boof is not ready to be an ace. The Tigers and A's have the best two rotations in the AL, and they're in the ALCS. The only reason the Cardinals advanced is because of Chris Carpenter's arm. The Mets outslugged a mediocre at best Dodgers team, but even they have Tom Glavine, a hall of famer anchoring their rotation. Pitching pervades the top of the standings. The only player in baseball I would consider trading Johan for is Albert Pujols. A-Rod isn't even the best 3rd baseman in baseball, why trade the best pitcher in baseball for him?
Trading the league's best pitcher for an insecure and mentally weak 3rd baseman is not an option. He would slug 35 home runs and drive in 125, but his value would not be nearly that of Johan's. We win 80% of the time Johan pitches, if he is not in the rotation, we don't come close to the playoffs this year. You can't win without an ace. Boof is not ready to be an ace. The Tigers and A's have the best two rotations in the AL, and they're in the ALCS. The only reason the Cardinals advanced is because of Chris Carpenter's arm. The Mets outslugged a mediocre at best Dodgers team, but even they have Tom Glavine, a hall of famer anchoring their rotation. Pitching pervades the top of the standings. The only player in baseball I would consider trading Johan for is Albert Pujols. A-Rod isn't even the best 3rd baseman in baseball, why trade the best pitcher in baseball for him?
I like it IS....I like it a lot.
The Twins and their fans have never been here before. Never has the franchise had teams appear in the post seson 4 of 5 years. Never have they been in a situation where they cant get over the hump with a young team.
They won back to back divsions in '69 & '70 but lost to the Os of Palmer Cuellar, Brooks and Frank Robinson, Boog Powell and those guys who won about 110 games every year. The stars of those Twins teams were past their prime except for Carew and Blyleven.
After that it was a long famine followed by the 1987 and 1991 championships.
I dont think we need to give up a lot to get a big time slugrer in here. It ought to be job #1. If it had been done this year , I am convinced that the post season run would have been long and prosperous.
My choice would be Soriano. Why? Cuz he can steal a base. Id like to be able to watch a baseball game and see someone sfrom my team steal a base.
You not only have to HIT THE BALL. Every once in a while you need to STEAL A BASE.
The Twins and their fans have never been here before. Never has the franchise had teams appear in the post seson 4 of 5 years. Never have they been in a situation where they cant get over the hump with a young team.
They won back to back divsions in '69 & '70 but lost to the Os of Palmer Cuellar, Brooks and Frank Robinson, Boog Powell and those guys who won about 110 games every year. The stars of those Twins teams were past their prime except for Carew and Blyleven.
After that it was a long famine followed by the 1987 and 1991 championships.
I dont think we need to give up a lot to get a big time slugrer in here. It ought to be job #1. If it had been done this year , I am convinced that the post season run would have been long and prosperous.
My choice would be Soriano. Why? Cuz he can steal a base. Id like to be able to watch a baseball game and see someone sfrom my team steal a base.
You not only have to HIT THE BALL. Every once in a while you need to STEAL A BASE.
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Irishmans Shanty
- Posts: 3988
- Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2006 10:38 pm
Those watching college FB in the very early 80's remember Herschel Walker as a great RB with the Georgia Bulldogs. Eventually, he was responsible for elevating the Dallas cowboys to their early 90's dominance and 3 Superbowl titles. Herschel didn't carry one ball across the goal line for those Cowboys but he did yield them numerous draft choices that did, courtesy of the Vikes. I remember the trade and its aftermath. At the time I was for it because the Vikings were saying let's strike while the Iron is hot and go for it. It failed and the Viking's death spiral began.
Do not think for a minute that trading Santana for ARod is parallel. For me to endorse this it would be straight up one for one. I see the risk as minimal and the reward infinitely unknown.
Make the Call Terry.
Do not think for a minute that trading Santana for ARod is parallel. For me to endorse this it would be straight up one for one. I see the risk as minimal and the reward infinitely unknown.
Make the Call Terry.
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Irishmans Shanty
- Posts: 3988
- Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2006 10:38 pm
If Santana has two great years he will be worth 40 wins until he will need to be refinanced. When that day comes he will equal or surpass Arod's value.
ARod is locked into a deal where his services will be available for the next 648 games. As he proceeds to hit the ball all over the place for the Twins he doesn't get any more expensive until the 2011 season.
The question is do you want that money going to a pitcher or a position player in '09 & '10?
See what happens when there isn't actual game action to discuss anymore.
Apologies to all.
ARod is locked into a deal where his services will be available for the next 648 games. As he proceeds to hit the ball all over the place for the Twins he doesn't get any more expensive until the 2011 season.
The question is do you want that money going to a pitcher or a position player in '09 & '10?
See what happens when there isn't actual game action to discuss anymore.
Apologies to all.
Ill be watching the games tonight. I think I will root for the As.
It will be enjoyable to watch some good baseball. I really cant stand watching footbal anymore. The NFL is a real turn off. Its a gangster league now.
The off field stuff is bad enough but now they bring it on the field with the head stomping.
If Zito gets the side out 123 do you think he will do some goofy dance and pound his chest and point to the sky?
No, he will walk back to the dugout like a professional who has done it before.
I think it will be a good series.
It will be enjoyable to watch some good baseball. I really cant stand watching footbal anymore. The NFL is a real turn off. Its a gangster league now.
The off field stuff is bad enough but now they bring it on the field with the head stomping.
If Zito gets the side out 123 do you think he will do some goofy dance and pound his chest and point to the sky?
No, he will walk back to the dugout like a professional who has done it before.
I think it will be a good series.
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Blue Breeze
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:31 pm
Getting away from the absurd Santana trade talk and letting packerboy and I put our swords down, this A's-Tigers series should be a very good one.
The pitching should be brilliant. Rogers and Zito are both crafty lefties who work the plate well. Haren and Bonderman both have tremendous stuff and give hitters fits. Harden and Verlander are both young studs with great arms and devastating offspeed pitches. The only thing I am tentative about in this series is the Oakland home crowd, they are one of the worst attendance wise in baseball and it's never really been a raucous environment, hopefully that changes with this series. The ALCS at Comerica should be fun to watch.
The pitching should be brilliant. Rogers and Zito are both crafty lefties who work the plate well. Haren and Bonderman both have tremendous stuff and give hitters fits. Harden and Verlander are both young studs with great arms and devastating offspeed pitches. The only thing I am tentative about in this series is the Oakland home crowd, they are one of the worst attendance wise in baseball and it's never really been a raucous environment, hopefully that changes with this series. The ALCS at Comerica should be fun to watch.
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Neutron 14
- Posts: 5339
- Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2005 12:48 pm
We need to find some power in our line-up, a true clean up guy. The obvious choice is getting a DH who doesn't bat in the number 8 slot.
I find it interesting and amusing that we are discussing filling this need with A-Rod who finished the season batting 8th for the Yanks.
I like the A's, but think Money-Ball will get all the credit. I'm not a fan of the self-absorbed Mr. book seller. Hence I'll root for the Tiggers.
PB, I wonder if anyone is going to go wild west outside a strip club at 3am. Remember Oakland is J.R. Riders town... err hood.
Ya think its ummm cultural?
I find it interesting and amusing that we are discussing filling this need with A-Rod who finished the season batting 8th for the Yanks.
I like the A's, but think Money-Ball will get all the credit. I'm not a fan of the self-absorbed Mr. book seller. Hence I'll root for the Tiggers.
PB, I wonder if anyone is going to go wild west outside a strip club at 3am. Remember Oakland is J.R. Riders town... err hood.
Ya think its ummm cultural?
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EREmpireStrikesBack
- Posts: 5140
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 3:28 am
- Location: Minnesota
TRADE SANTANA? Are you kidding me? No, no, no. Why not trade Mauer? ARod hits better than he does. (Plus I just bought a Santana shirt, I don't want it to be like the Randy Moss jersey I had)
I think that we *could* get ARod for less than Santana. That may mean Garza/Baker and someone or Boof/someone, but I do think we could get him w/o giving up Santana.
IMHO, Carlos Lee is still the best bet. He will come to a small market, isn't too expensive, slugs the ball (.300, 37 HRs, 113 RBIs most of which came for the no O Brewcrew), bats RH and plays decent D. And hey, he steals a base once in awhile (19 steals last year). Soriano won't come here because of market and we won't pay him the $ that he wants. Carlos Lee, Carlos Lee, Carlos Lee. Plus, Carlos would love to show the ChiSox what they missed out on, remember that. Sign him for 3 years and watch the offense explode with runs.
Whoever keeps saying Rondell at DH, did you not see that he can't hit as a DH, but he can as a LF. The numbers are staggering.
Btw, we just picked up Hunter's $12 mil option
The Empire's 2007 Minnesota Twins
1. Castillo 2B
2. Mauer C (I love the hit&run possibilites)
3. Lee LF
4. Morneau 1B
5. Hunter CF
6. Cuddyer RF
7. Player X DH
8. Player Y 3B
9. Bartlett SS
1. Santana
2. Liriano
3. Bonser
4. Batista/Armas Jr./Eaton
5. Garza
1. Nathan Closer
2. Crain Setup
3. Neshek/Reyes Situational
4. Rincon Middle
5. Guerrier Middle
6. Player Z Middle
7. Baker Long
World Series Champs for sure!
I think that we *could* get ARod for less than Santana. That may mean Garza/Baker and someone or Boof/someone, but I do think we could get him w/o giving up Santana.
IMHO, Carlos Lee is still the best bet. He will come to a small market, isn't too expensive, slugs the ball (.300, 37 HRs, 113 RBIs most of which came for the no O Brewcrew), bats RH and plays decent D. And hey, he steals a base once in awhile (19 steals last year). Soriano won't come here because of market and we won't pay him the $ that he wants. Carlos Lee, Carlos Lee, Carlos Lee. Plus, Carlos would love to show the ChiSox what they missed out on, remember that. Sign him for 3 years and watch the offense explode with runs.
Whoever keeps saying Rondell at DH, did you not see that he can't hit as a DH, but he can as a LF. The numbers are staggering.
Btw, we just picked up Hunter's $12 mil option
The Empire's 2007 Minnesota Twins
1. Castillo 2B
2. Mauer C (I love the hit&run possibilites)
3. Lee LF
4. Morneau 1B
5. Hunter CF
6. Cuddyer RF
7. Player X DH
8. Player Y 3B
9. Bartlett SS
1. Santana
2. Liriano
3. Bonser
4. Batista/Armas Jr./Eaton
5. Garza
1. Nathan Closer
2. Crain Setup
3. Neshek/Reyes Situational
4. Rincon Middle
5. Guerrier Middle
6. Player Z Middle
7. Baker Long
World Series Champs for sure!
Elk River AA State Champions- 2001 Boys & 2004 Girls
OK Neut its a bet. I have the As.
The stakes are high.
An adult beverage at the Liffy between sessions on Thursday.
I already owe 'Mr Lets Get Another Pitcher' ChisK one so I might as well go in deep.
Sure its cultural. Its the culture of the NFL today. It wasnt like that when our Purple People Eaters ruled the earth.
The stakes are high.
An adult beverage at the Liffy between sessions on Thursday.
I already owe 'Mr Lets Get Another Pitcher' ChisK one so I might as well go in deep.
Sure its cultural. Its the culture of the NFL today. It wasnt like that when our Purple People Eaters ruled the earth.
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Blue Breeze
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:31 pm
I like the looks of your lineup ER. I agree, Carlos Lee is the only legitimate FA we could target and would consider coming here. Very underrated player. I like Armas Jr. as a FA possibility too, he has good stuff and has always had potential, but never harnessed it. He has had solid back to back seasons and could thrive under Rick Anderson.
Move Boof in front of Liriano in the '07 rotation, and we are set. Can't have the lefties back to back in the regular season. Of course this is all best case scenario, which rarely happens, but we can dream.
Move Boof in front of Liriano in the '07 rotation, and we are set. Can't have the lefties back to back in the regular season. Of course this is all best case scenario, which rarely happens, but we can dream.
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Wild4hockey
- Posts: 631
- Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:18 pm
- Location: Delano, MN
Twins
What has been the Twins identity since 2000?
Defense...
All this talk about bringing in guys like Soriano, A-Rod and Lee gets away from the foundation of our team. Morneau has finally developed into the player the organization had bet on. Some of the names being thrown around remind me of the Bautista, Castro experiment. How did they work out?
The twins, in all reality will land some middle tier free agent to help boost the pitching staff. With Radke gone and Liriano's ability to remain healthy in question pitching will be an area they look to bolster. I like the idea of a Tony Armas Jr. Other than that I don't see them being very active in the offseason.
Defense...
All this talk about bringing in guys like Soriano, A-Rod and Lee gets away from the foundation of our team. Morneau has finally developed into the player the organization had bet on. Some of the names being thrown around remind me of the Bautista, Castro experiment. How did they work out?
The twins, in all reality will land some middle tier free agent to help boost the pitching staff. With Radke gone and Liriano's ability to remain healthy in question pitching will be an area they look to bolster. I like the idea of a Tony Armas Jr. Other than that I don't see them being very active in the offseason.
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EREmpireStrikesBack
- Posts: 5140
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 3:28 am
- Location: Minnesota
Carlos Lee is very solid defensively. He is better than Rondell, Tyner or Kubel and has a very strong arm. I wouldn't see anyone running on our outfield with him out there. Very underrated speed wise too. Faster than Cuddyer, no doubt. I would be in heaven if we pursued him.
I like the Armas Jr. idea though, he's a guy that will be solid but could be very good with how good our coaching is.
I know about the lefty, lefty thing, but I was just going in order of how good they are.
I like the Armas Jr. idea though, he's a guy that will be solid but could be very good with how good our coaching is.
I know about the lefty, lefty thing, but I was just going in order of how good they are.
Elk River AA State Champions- 2001 Boys & 2004 Girls
Hot Stove League talk is great, that's why baseball is such a great game.
The Twins need to figure out what to do with their current players before going on the open market, that will determine where they need to go. I'd sign Mauer to a long term deal, he's worth it and he's the face of the francise for many years to come. They picked up Hunter's option today and my hunch is he will finish out his career here when the new stadium opens which I'm alright with; he's been a solid but not perfect player, he's done much within the community, and he's easily the most recognizable Twin, his 5 Gold Gloves don't hurt much either. How much Morneau gets is a mystery, the Twins probably don't want him to get to arbitration because he'll get a ton, just look how much Lohse got with crappy numbers. Cuddyer is probably in the same boat as Morneau with this exception - he can field very well.
Given The Twins signed Hunter for 13M, Santana's on the books for 12 M (if he's top 3 in the Cy Young voting his no trade clause kicks in so no A Rod for Johann), Nathan, Redman, and Castillo together are another 13 M. That's probably more than half the Twins total salary for 2008 and they haven't even done anything about Mauer, Morneau and Cuddyer yet who will all command big, probably 7 digit, raises. Also don't forget about Silva and his 3.2 M, he's also arbitration eligable and I can't remember the last pitcher to not get a raise by going down that road. Given the salary constraints old Carl has put on Terry Ryan and the fact the Twins drew so well I don't expect one good Free Agent signing this off season. The Yankees with their 200+ million payroll made it as far as the Twins did and were even worse in the post season.
There's a nice article on mlb.com about Radke and just what he's meant to the Twins over the years. He sounded just a bit Brett Favreish about retirement but given his health I hope he retires, he did go out with good starts. Though in Nirvana a rotation of Santana-Liriano-Bonser-Radke-Silva all healthy and pitching to full potential would be about as dominant as the majors has seen in a long long time.
The Twins need to figure out what to do with their current players before going on the open market, that will determine where they need to go. I'd sign Mauer to a long term deal, he's worth it and he's the face of the francise for many years to come. They picked up Hunter's option today and my hunch is he will finish out his career here when the new stadium opens which I'm alright with; he's been a solid but not perfect player, he's done much within the community, and he's easily the most recognizable Twin, his 5 Gold Gloves don't hurt much either. How much Morneau gets is a mystery, the Twins probably don't want him to get to arbitration because he'll get a ton, just look how much Lohse got with crappy numbers. Cuddyer is probably in the same boat as Morneau with this exception - he can field very well.
Given The Twins signed Hunter for 13M, Santana's on the books for 12 M (if he's top 3 in the Cy Young voting his no trade clause kicks in so no A Rod for Johann), Nathan, Redman, and Castillo together are another 13 M. That's probably more than half the Twins total salary for 2008 and they haven't even done anything about Mauer, Morneau and Cuddyer yet who will all command big, probably 7 digit, raises. Also don't forget about Silva and his 3.2 M, he's also arbitration eligable and I can't remember the last pitcher to not get a raise by going down that road. Given the salary constraints old Carl has put on Terry Ryan and the fact the Twins drew so well I don't expect one good Free Agent signing this off season. The Yankees with their 200+ million payroll made it as far as the Twins did and were even worse in the post season.
There's a nice article on mlb.com about Radke and just what he's meant to the Twins over the years. He sounded just a bit Brett Favreish about retirement but given his health I hope he retires, he did go out with good starts. Though in Nirvana a rotation of Santana-Liriano-Bonser-Radke-Silva all healthy and pitching to full potential would be about as dominant as the majors has seen in a long long time.
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State Champ 97
- Posts: 1970
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:43 am
- Location: Bemidji
I like the idea of Carlos Lee in LF. Radke is done. He had a very good career but it is over. I also think they will lock up Mauer and Morneau to long term deals and deal with Cuddyer and Hunter later. I wouldn't be surprised to see them move Silva to the pen for long or middle relief and make Gurreirer a starter.
I dont know why you would pay Mauer and Morneau before you have to. Any long term deal wold be expensive right now for either.
Id rather see a short term acquisition that would get them to the next step now while there is the opportunity.
Mauer is a home town boy who will want to stay here. He wont be cheap but he wont leave for the highest bidder so long as the Twins are reasonable.
Id rather see a short term acquisition that would get them to the next step now while there is the opportunity.
Mauer is a home town boy who will want to stay here. He wont be cheap but he wont leave for the highest bidder so long as the Twins are reasonable.
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Wild4hockey
- Posts: 631
- Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:18 pm
- Location: Delano, MN
Bonds
Now this is just hypothetical because it would never happen but how great would it be to see Bonds picked up as our DH. The guy would be a huge threat in the middle of our lineup. Of course this would probably never happen because from a PR point of view the Twins would never bring someone in that controversial but you have to admit having a lineup like this would surely produce runs:
1 Castillo
2 Mauer
3 Cuddyer
4 Bonds
5 Morneau
6 Hunter
7 Punto
8 White/Tyner/Ford
9 Bartlett
From top to bottom you would have to split up the lefties but something like this would surely lead to a lot of runs/victories!
1 Castillo
2 Mauer
3 Cuddyer
4 Bonds
5 Morneau
6 Hunter
7 Punto
8 White/Tyner/Ford
9 Bartlett
From top to bottom you would have to split up the lefties but something like this would surely lead to a lot of runs/victories!