Comments on: Ron Gardenhire says the Twins “are making a mad effort” to re-sign Michael Cuddyer

By: Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:57:48 +0000

But they let Shane Mack get away.

By: sonofshanemack

sonofshanemack — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:16:28 +0000

People have to realize that this was Gardy talking.

Gardy LOVES Cuddyer. Not as much as he loves Nick Punto – I’m sure he cried for hours after he signed with the Cards – but he still loves the guy.

Gardy doesn’t make personnel decisions. Terry Ryan does. Ryan didn’t usually sign aging veterans to long multi-year deals. He let Koskie, Hunter, Jacque Jones leave after they wanted too much money and were getting older. He’s a pragmatic guy. Ryan hasn’t always given Gardy what he wanted, so I wouldn’t get too worried.

By: docktorellis

docktorellis — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:23:52 +0000

TWINS!!!!! WHY????

By: docktorellis

docktorellis — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:12:26 +0000

Bryz, I just nodded my head and threw up in my mouth.

By: JB (the original)

JB (the original) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:02:14 +0000

Ahh yes, the arbitration numbers… I’m not sure if I want to go with “I think I threw up in my mouth a little bit” or “I don’t remember eating that” Good thing we got that inexpensive Japanese whiz kid at SS, err, 2B, uumm AAA, maybe? Boy, they resign Capps, and it’s just gonna be like “Miracle on 34th St.” Can someone help me pull this fork out of my eye?

By: hansob

hansob — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:24:37 +0000

Don’t forget he can still accept arbitration and the ~$13M that would go along with that. So if you’re in on Cuddyer, you’d have to outbid that, too. I’m guessing if the best offer he gets is 2 yrs / $18M, he’s going the arbitration route.

As Johnnie Cochran once said, “If you’re a buyer on Cuddyer, you’ve got to go higher”

By: JB (the original)

JB (the original) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:22:12 +0000

Shhh. I know that, but that’s not exactly they can go out and tell the fanbase after getting a new ballpark on the public’s dime and then laying a big ‘ol egg on the field last year. It wouldn’t go over so well after the public allows them to pump up the payroll like they did, and then go in the toilet when almost half of it goes to the gimpy M&M boys for the next couple (well several in Mauer’s case) years. They really hosed themselves.

By: Francisco (FC)

Francisco (FC) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:51:24 +0000

Has anyone checked on Gleeman?

By: WhenMattStairsIsKing

WhenMattStairsIsKing — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:40:58 +0000

“We’re making a very mad effort! We’ve performed voodoo, we contrived a seance, we bought him a Sam’s Club membership and we’ve offered to stuff his locker with Nutella every day! We’ve gone delightfully mad!”

By: Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:31:42 +0000

There’s no reason to have a fallback. If he isn’t healthy, the season is a bust anyway.

By: Bryz

Bryz — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:58:40 +0000

The problem is that the Twins don’t even realize that Cuddyer should be platooned.

By: JB (the original)

JB (the original) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:51:23 +0000

Oh, and I wouldn’t offer anything over $8M a year for 2 years with a 3rd year “numbers” based option.

By: JB (the original)

JB (the original) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:48:24 +0000

What worries me is that this “mad action” doesn’t bode well for the Twin’s expectations on Morneau’s ability to come back. The Twins have essentially 0 fall back plan if he can’t make it–if they’re truly thinking retooling as opposed to rebuilding–in which case they could justify throwing Parmalee out there and let the chips fall as they may. There aren’t a lot of FA 1B or DH types out there (esp. RH) in their price range who can play elsewhere in the field (and reliably match Cuddy’s #’s) if Morneau does come back OK. He’s a great team guy, the fans love him, he’s willing to play anywhere he’s asked, he’s a righty on a team that needs them, can cover 1st, and RF ‘adequately’ on a team that has serious questions at both positions. If there’s another guy out there that matches those qualities, I sure haven’t heard his name and Twins mentioned in the same sentence this offseason. He’s no star, but his peg does fit the Twins hole at this time when there aren’t a lot of other options (other than spending big money, and I think we can all agree that that’s a non-starter).

The Twins are having another STH call-in Q&A tonight at 7pm with Terry Ryan; if I can get my question in (they had over 3500 on the line last time) I’ll ask him just that.

By: JBerardi

JBerardi — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:36:18 +0000

Favorite player or not, the last thing any team coming off a 99-loss season needs is to throw a bunch of money at a platoon guy on the wrong side of 30.

By: Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:36:14 +0000

Four years is even too long.

By: Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:35:15 +0000

Easy equation to sum it up:

Cuddyer and Capps
-or-
Willingham, Coffey, Shoppach, and one more reliever (maybe Francisco?) and three top-60 picks to bolster an increasingly under scrutiny farm system?

To steal a catch-phrase from a local real estate guy: “It’s the biggest no-brainer in the history of mankind.”

By: baseballpaul

baseballpaul — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:30:53 +0000

Michael Cuddyer is my favorite player in MLB, but I think 8.5 million is the magic number. More than that and we’re over paying. I’d give him 4 years at that price. Anything over four years and we’re stuck. Maybe we could get a declining price contract, 10.5/9.5/9/8 I’d do that too.

By: trevorb06

trevorb06 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:30:26 +0000

Sadly, they’re not. I’ve got the kool-aid ready friend. Join me.

By: Jeremiah Graves

Jeremiah Graves — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:29:45 +0000

Agreed.

Without a serious hometown discount, there’s zero reason to bring him back. Let him sign elsewhere and reap the draft pick benefits.

By: trevorb06

trevorb06 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:29:08 +0000

Yeah, resigning Cuddyer (especially over Kubel) would be pretty mad.

By: Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:28:24 +0000

As a Twins fan:

“Are you f*****g kidding me?”