You're the GM - Fix this.

[B. Amish]

we need something to talk about.

If you were in charge, how would you handle things before next year?

who do you let leave? who do you sign? who do you trade? any free agents you would sign?

[B. Amish]

cuddyer, thome, kubel, and capps are free agents.

nathan has an option for $12.5 million or a $2.5 million buyout.

young is arbitration eligible next year and a free agent in 2013... i think.

[PierBridge]

This is such a mess right now I'm gonna have to think about this one for a bit.... DOH!

[B. Amish]

if you want to look at the 2012 free agent list, search 'mlb 2012 free agents', there is a good list at mlb trade rumors HSOforum.

[mainbutter]

Sign Cuddy over Kubel. Kubel's bat will likely be better, but we are in desperate need of a utility player who can fill in at 2B.

As for pitching.. *shrugs*

Magic up some money for a higher payroll?

I'd put money on Thome being done after this year, or re-signing with the Indians for a final stint as a fill-in DH-er pinch-hitter role.

Capps is too frustrating to hold on to. I think he may be let go simply because the fan's don't enjoy seeing him up anymore.

Fan-preference plays an important part in team selection. The job of baseball isn't to win the world series, it's to fill seats and sell merchandise. They usually go hand-in-hand, but sometimes a few compromises are made, especially on teams that aren't a shoe-in for playoffs every year.

[B. Amish]

when looking at the list of free agents, i'd say someone is going to be throwing a lot of money at both cuddyer and kubel as they are two of the better free agents available in an overall weak class.

[mrklean]

cuddyer, thome, kubel, and capps are free agents.

nathan has an option for $12.5 million or a $2.5 million buyout.

young is arbitration eligible next year and a free agent in 2013... i think.

Keep cuddy cause he is a big fan fav and he is able to do pretty much anything on the field, including pitch let Thome and Capps go and at least talk with Kubel to see what kind of money hes thinking about. No way we can pay Nathan $12.5 mil, but its kinda hard to just let him go hes starting to put it back together see if you could restructure something with him otherwise hand the ball off to Perkins and pray we can get some more pitching from free agents

[zepman]

Capps and Nathan both have to go...way too much $$$ being spent here. Perkins can close.

[greebs]

give cuddyer 8 years at $20 million per year. that will solve everything. he's all this team is lacking. all does is hit .290 with 25 homers and 100+ rbi's each and every year guaranteed. he's their best infielder at any position he plays and probably their best pitcher. oh ya; one more thing. re-sign punto

[Big Tom]

Thank Billy Smith for the nice office and nearly new telephone.

Outfielders

Offer Cuddy $24M for 3 Years

Offer Kubel $26M for 4 Years

When both refuse their offers, Start Revere, Span and Plouffe/Benson and enjoy the draft picks...We should have traded both of these guys

[PierBridge]

Not it gets a bit easier.

So we now know it will be Revere in left, Spaun in center and either Cuddy/Kubel in right field depending on if we sign one or both.

Morneau back to 1st and Danny V at 3rd are shoe-ins. We'll probably have to go with Ishi and Cassilla up the middle which isn't great but hopefully they can make do. Mauer behind the dish and some DH-ing. Ploufe and Rebko filling where need be.

Pitching is a whole nother topic....

[Big Tom]

Infielders

1B Morney will be fine if he ever stays healthy, Mauer can back him up when he DH's

2B Casilla has some skills just motivational issues. More time is warranted.

SS Nishioka needs to spend some time in the minors to learn to hit and field. The fact that he won multiple gold gloves and a batting title in Japan speaks volumes about the level of play over there. He's not major league quality yet. Maybe Ploufe can challenge for this spot.

3B Valencia has some nice power and a good arm. That said he's just like Casilla, they need a Ritalin dispenser in the dug out for these two. I hope Plouffe or someone else can push him until Sano is ready.

Catcher I don't understand why we traded Jose Morales after trading Wilson Ramos. Butera is not good enough to play in the bigs even as a backup. I wish we'd kept Morales so we had the luxury of shopping Mauer if he continues with the "chronic 50 points under his career average syndrome". As it stands I hope we get some kind of value out of Baby Jesus for all of that money or we'll remain middle to bottom in the weak AL Central.

[thatoneguy]

If Mauer continues to underperform once he's back to full strength, shopping him won't be an option - nobody, not even the Yanks, would take on that contract unless he's raking like he used to.

[thatoneguy]

Thank Billy Smith for the nice office and nearly new telephone.

Outfielders

Offer Cuddy $24M for 3 Years

Offer Kubel $26M for 4 Years

When both refuse their offers, Start Revere, Span and Plouffe/Benson and enjoy the draft picks...We should have traded both of these guys

+1

[B. Amish]

jasyn werth set the market for 32 year old right fielders last year coming off of career years. 7 years and 126 million.

will someone throw huge amounts of money at cuddyer? probably. i'd be surprised if the twins resign him.

[greebs]

jasyn werth set the market for 32 year old right fielders last year coming off of career years. 7 years and 126 million.

will someone throw huge amounts of money at cuddyer? probably. i'd be surprised if the twins resign him.

if this is a "career year" for cuddy, he's even less of a player than I gave him credit for. Sure he's the twinks mvp this year but that's more or less by default because nearly everyone else has been so terrible. let's not forget his numbers this year will pale in comparison to the worthless delmon young's numbers from just a year ago.

I'm confident the twins will give him some ridiculous amount of money that they will regret in the long run.

[Harmonica Bear]

I'd start my fix this way: You have to be strong up the middle. We are solid in center, have a great catcher, a plethora of bodies who can play 2nd adequate so...

Go get

1 stud ace

1 stud shortstop (defensively and offensively)

and do what you have to and get it done.

Oh and like every other GM , try and improve your bullpen without breaking the bank.

[Brian-Mn]

Delmon is gone.........thats 5 million.

Release Thome..........thats 5 million

Buy out Nathan..........thats another 7 million

Buy out Nishioka.........salary wash.

Majaris........trade him for a sack of batting practise balls.

Take your 17 million and pay Kubel and get some pitching help.

2012

1b) Moreau

2b) Casilla

3b) Valencia

ss) Need one

rf)

CF) Span

lf)

c) Mauer

dh) Kubel

If you find stud homerun hitting outfielder then play Revere in left. If not he is a defensive replacement, pinch runner. With 60 days of conditioning my 57 year old arm would be as good as his.

We need a short stop who can catch & throw. American leagues worse defense, that can't happen again.

Let Perkins try and close. Although I'm not sure he is much better then Liriano head wise.

Above all, the Twins need a re-dedication to spring training. Play the starters into shape. Make them play every day.Fundamentals and defense.

2011 will be known for bad defense and the disabled list.

[bucketmouth64]

I am surprised that Capps hasn't been moved. There are contending teams that need bullpen or reliever help. Wasn't he signed to only a one year deal?

[thatoneguy]

I am surprised that Capps hasn't been moved. There are contending teams that need bullpen or reliever help. Wasn't he signed to only a one year deal?

The key is that contending teams need HELP, not a pitcher with a flat fastball who can't locate an off-speed pitch and who has given up NINE bombs in 52 2/3 innings of relief work. And who has only 26 Ks in 52.2 IP. Not exactly the kind of guy who can get a contending team out of a tight spot in a key game.

[jwmiller33]

No contending team is going to look at Capps as help with the way he has pitched since the AS break. He just isn't good enough right now to have a contendor hand him the ball in meaningfull/pressure situations

[IamZombie]

The piranhas have turned into carp.

I'm still standing by my pick of Revere in center, IF, IF he works on his throw/arm.

Valencia needs a wake up call, his position at 3rd should not be guaranteed.

He's been mailing it in.

[thatoneguy]

Revere makes too many errors and has too weak an arm to play CF, but I'd be happy with him in LF at the top of the lineup - at least til a long term solution is found. I'd like to see Mauer get some reps at 3B, if for no other reason than to light a fire under Valencia. Mauer's a good enough athlete that he'd be a good defensive 3B, and I think it's clear to most that his body just won't hold up as an everyday catcher.

Think he'll rework his contract? Hahahahahahaha

[B. Amish]

I'm still standing by my pick of Revere in center, IF, IF he works on his throw/arm.

revere's arm is what it is. you develop a strong arm when you're in your teens, not when you're in your 20's.

[Harmonica Bear]

Yep - all he can work on is fielding the ball properly and cleanly, perfecting his body position and foot work, know where you have to go with the ball. And getting the cut off man deeper....