also available at www.SethSpeaks.net –
The Winter Meetings podcasts continued last night with a very good show. Nick Nelson of Nick’s Twins Blog and TwinsCentric was the guest, and we spent a half-hour discussing lots of Twins-related, Winter Meetings topics. We discussed Tsuyoshi Nishioka, JJ Hardy, Carl Pavano, Jim Thome, Jesse Crain, Koji Uehara, Brandon Webb and many more players. We discussed the dollars and years that the early-signing free agents have received, and whether it is a trend, or just guys capitalizing early? What does it all mean for the Twins? If you haven’t listened to the podcasts in the past for some reason, why not start now? It’s simple, just click here.
And then if you are able to tonight, at 10:00 central time, I’ll be hosting the normally-scheduled SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins podcast but there will be a definite Winter Meetings slant to it. Aaron Gleeman (of Aaron’s Baseball Blog and Hardball Talk and many other sites) will come on during the show to talk about the day’s news and topics, so it should be a lot of fun. I will try to get one or two other guests as well, so please check it out.
And again, if you would, I’d love to hear your feedback on the podcasts. What do you like? Not Like? What would you like to hear on the shows? Whatever you like. Please feel free to e-mail me.
And, in the Comments section, please feel free to consider it an Open Thread of Twins and Baseball discussion for the day! (again, be nice, and be respectful, please)
SethSpeaks.net 
$7.5Mm for Ty Wiggington, utility player. If the owners can’t control themselves and spending in the middle of a really bad recession, they never will.
Any thoughts on how the insane contracts so far will influence the Twins’ actions?
In that case, the Twins FO should let the other GMs spend until they have no budget to complete the holes on their roster, while we sweep in and pick up some good deals. That strategy worked last year in getting O-Hud, and the year before with Crede.
One of the things that bothers me this time of year is a lot of unfounded speculation. Such as “The reason the Twins are shopping Hardy is because Gardy doesn’t like him”. I have read stuff like this in various posts on a number of blogs, and I find this kind of thing irritating. First of all, we really don’t know that the Twins are “shopping” Hardy at all. It seems they have had inquires about him but we really don’t know much more than that. 2nd of all if they are shopping Hardy I extremely doubt it would have anything to do with whether Gardy likes him.
The Twins Organization including Smith and Gardenhire are quite professional. Likes won’t have much to do with their decisions. Performance on the field, conduct in the locker room, conduct off the field, all those things will help make their decisions.
I know that Twins fans are quite passionate sometimes. I just wish they wouldn’t come up with these wild speculations based loosely on a comment that was probably taken out of context. I like reading thoughtful blog comments, I just wish I wouldn’t have to read so many thoughtless ones.
Jim H, you seriously believe that the relationship between a manager and player (Garza) has nothing to do with trades? I don’t agree at all.
As for the speculation, when La Velle and Joe C post it over and over, it’s because they are getting that from the Twins, as that is how they choose to communicate with us.
The Sox just re-signed Konerko, do people think they are better now, with the same O, but with Dunn at DH instead of a guy that wasn’t even replacement level?
Mike, do you seriously think that whether Girardi likes Jeter or A Rod has anything to with whether they are Yankees? Likes have little to do with things. Professional relationships certainly can be a factor. Nobody has ever suggested Hardy doesn’t handle himself as a professional in the locker room or on the field. I think that speculation that the Twins would trade Hardy because Gardy doesn’t “like” him is pretty silly.