Enter this offseason with some positivity

 

 Ever since the internet became a means for sports fans to connect, the Twins have been an increasingly aggravating source of dismay and discord. The long post season losing streak shortly after the team was threatened with contraction because of penny pinching ownership certainly encouraged these bad vibes. But look at that video up above. Those are some good vibes, right? That is one happy stadium with a very happy team entertaining them. 

Despite the bellyaching of the last, oh, 20 years, it was THIS manger and THIS front office that put the team over the top. That's good! They did good! The results are the best they've been in a very long time. That's why the Red sox were taking a look at Thad Levine to run their front office. Despite everything that will happen, and the grousing that will inevitably come up, remember that we aren't in a long term drought anymore.

And surely, there are a lot  of question marks. How will the Twins retain a top starting rotation? Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda are free agents after this season. I think even the Twins are surprised by how good Gray was this season, which makes him more difficult to replace. The late spurt from Chris Paddack this past season gives hope that he will command a rotation spot as a reliable contributor in 2024. Bailey Ober came on for Tyler Mahle early in the season this past year and will be a rotation regular. The greatest concern will be depth, I think, which Minnesota was able to leverage in 2023 with Ober and Maeda, but the margins will be thinner next season without some additions. There aren't many names available at the top of the market, so picking at the edges might be the best idea anyhow. 

The pitching is a bit less of a concern if the Twins are hitting. The Twins are hitting if they are healthy on offense. For the second year in a row, the team was significantly impacted by injuries. Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis in full health for the full season would be terrific. If Jorge Polanco or Max Kepler are around again in the next campaign, having them all season would be helpful as well.

The option decision may be waiting on some payroll decision making. This time, the decision my hinge on where their TV revenue comes from. rather than the general cheapness of ownership. The Twins had a TV deal with Diamond Sports Group, to air games on Bally Sports North. DSG has gone belly up, and with more and more people cutting out cable, there is no easily identified TV partner, nor is there the revenue guarantee that partnership would assure. The Twins might want to patch their holes, they might even identify some good ways to do ot, but the money in this shifting landscape might just not be there. 

But look at that video. Even with all the headwinds of the winter, we still have the tailwinds leftover from the fall.  

North Dakota State, the quarterback factory

Carson Wentz had a good start, but is likely a wash in the NFL. He sustained an injury with the Eagles, who then went on to win the Super Bowl with his back up. Wentz was ultimately traded to Indianapolis, where he struggled, then he was dumped on Washington, and now, he is jobless. 

Trey Lance was injured in his first real chance to be the starting quarterback, and never had the chance to win back his spot. Brock Purdy certainly earned his spot as a starter, but it isn't a great reflection of the 49ers draft process that their top 5 selection couldn't stick at quarterback. Lance was just traded to the Cowboys, where he backs up Dak Prescott.

As you may know, one thing that they have in common is their alma mater; North Dakota State. They also have another important thing in common; a major, career derailing injury. Wentz was pretty good before his initial injury, and Lance never really had a chance to prove himself. Do we know if the Bison only send out busts? 

One thing that the Bison did under the tenure of both Lance and Wentz was protect the blind side of the quarterback. The jerseys were kept clean for both quarterbacks while they played in the FargoDome. In both drafts that the saw an NDSU quarterback selected in the first round, a starting tackle from the Bison was also selected. Joe Haeg moved to the interior line, but had a 6 year career starting with the Colts and bouncing around. Dillon Radunz was a second round choice by the Titans to protect Ryan Tannehill. 

This is an ultimate truth not just for for the North Dakota State Bison, but for the National Football League. The best way to get the most out of a quarterback is to make sure they stay healthy. 

The culmination of a season's storylines arrives in Game 1

The course of the season, as always, results in either a postseason appearance or missing that opportunity. Much of what transpired during the season is evident based on what is seen on the field. Players that emerged during the season are in prominent spots on the roster, significant injuries mean certain players are left off. No doubt, that shows up in the Twins' roster as they take on Toronto. 

The Twins have seen three rookies make their mark on the team this season in Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien and Matt Wallner, and all three figure to be important players in the postseason for Minnesota. There were injuries to all of the most important position players this season. Carlos Correa and Lewis are going to tough out some nagging injuries. Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler have rebounded to have strong second halves of their season. Byron Buxton never was right, and finds himself sidelined. 

The biggest story in baseball over the offseason was the Carlos Correa saga. I didn't give it enough attention here when it happened, but holy smokes, what a journey that was. He ended up back in Minnesota. He's a notoriously tenacious performer in October, and now, in the first season of his new contract, he will get a chance to show that again, even after a season where he struggled. 

A little bit of every Minnesotan, I think, assumed that Correa would struggle. This is Minnesota, where big money players tend to be snakebitten. Loke at Joe Mauer, or even Buxton for proof. Correa returning wasn't as big a deal in Minnesota as it was outside of Minnesota because of Minnesota fan existential dread, in part, but also because not long after. the biggest story for Minnesotans broke.

Luis Arraez was traded to Miami for a package of players headlined by Pablo Lopez. Minnesota got off to a terrible start offensively this year, and Lopez didn't get results that fit his peripherals for a few months, and initially, the move was derided. It was hard to see the personable Arraez go. I won't relitigate the trade, but I will note that the Twins got Lopez with the intent to make him even better than he was in Miami.

Consider that a success, then. He was an All Star this season, and finished with a career high in strikeouts. Lopez was generally a reliable presence in the rotation. His strikeout rate was up, his walk rate was down, and the problems he had with production were the result of a BABIP that was about 20 points higher than his career, or the league average. Lopez has become a better version of himself in Minnesota, and as a result, he's starting Game 1 in the playoffs.

Pitching, pitching, pitching. It's all anyone has talked about this season, the season before, and every season since Johan Santana, Brad Radke and Carlos Silva were around. Now, the Twins have figured it out. That other nagging concern -- the bullpen -- has even come together, though that will need to be proven over the next several weeks. 

Everything Twins fans and observers have discussed all season is going to be front and center. Lately, these discussions have been overwhelmingly positive. Let's hope that trend continues into October.