But have you looked at what the market has been this offseason?

8.4 million in one season for pitching depth is NOT enough to take away everything Ryan has done with this team over the past five years or so.  Please don't overreact to stupid little stuff.  

Last year's Tony Batista signing along with a TWO YEAR deal for the ever popular Juan Castro who is the type of player you can find at almost ANY triple A ballpark? Thus I'm not just looking at one season.

I acknowledge the market is out of whack, but let me just say that given a choice to start the year with Garza, Perkins, Baker/Slowey OR Ponson, Silva and Ortiz, I take the kids. I have no faith that the three "VETS" are going to do any better than the kids AND the kids come cheaper.

Isn't that what the Twins are worried about, money?

... will start in the rotation. Perkins may too though he and Baker will probably have to earn it.

Johan/Silva/Garza are probably set. Baker, Ponson, Ortiz and Perkins will fight for the last spots. Some time in AAA couldnt hurt Perkins if he doesnt earn a spot. Ortiz can work out of the bullpen and has in the past, I feel like Ponson can as well. Baker will probably get a rotation spot, and will just end up in AAA if he sucks etc.

Slowey needs more time in AA and some time in AAA. His stuff may not translate well to higher levels so they need to give him time to work his way up.

Probable rotation:
Santana, Garza, Silva, Baker, Ponson
Ortiz to Pen, Perkins to AAA

If Perkins shows up and looks ready, he will push Baker to AAA or Ponson to the pen, depending on how Baker looks.

like Jgaztambide said, its $4.1 million for some pitching depth, its not bad deal for a team with such a questionable rotation

8.3 million (4.3 + 3.1 + 1)for some dogs and it's especially disturbing when you consider the kids in the system. This isn't a barren system that doesn't have possible replacements.

Isn't there ANY one pitcher they could have paid that money to this year? Isn't Jeff Weaver better than these guys combined?

I can ONLY defend these three moves if NONE of the money is guaranteed. But to waste your time on these bums when the kids could take a chance is incomprehensible. Even if you look at last year's numbers you can't be hopeful these guys are better than what Garza and Baker did in their first year.

Isn't he out of options?  What is his future with the Twins?

Ponson signed a minor league deal so that's not the issue.

Silva's xFIP the last three years are
4.78  4.16  5.09.
Weaver's xFIP the last three years are
4.57  4.30  5.05

Silva and Weaver seem like a wash performance wise.  Silva is the devil they know, but he is also cheaper and will require only a 1-year commitment.  He was reportedly not ready to pitch last year after the WBC and most of his sucking happened in April.  He lost his sinker last year.  Hopefully he shows up with the sinker plus a new splitter this year.

The signing that puzzles me is Ramon Ortiz.  I normally trust Ryan's scouting, but he is bad at free agent signings.  

It does make sense that Ryan feels that Garza, Perkins, and Slowey were rushed and/or not ready yet.  He has shown a lack of confidence in Baker who has an option left.

The rotation at the beginning of the year appears to be Santana, Bonser, Silva, Ortiz, and Baker/Ponson with Ponson/Baker, Garza, Perkins, and Slowey enhancing their repertoire and waiting their turn in Rochester.  If Baker or Ponson do not seize the opportunity in spring training, Perkins, Slowey, or more likely Garza could pencil themselves in with a strong showing.

If Silva or Ortiz crash and burn, there is still the 5th starter role and the Kyle Lohse exit strategy.

Ryan is very concerned because he used 10 different starters last year.  [Of course he may be guaranteeing that he do that again.]  He is risk averse and values veteran presence.  And he knows the Twins are uniquely positioned to challenge this year -- the last year that Hunter and Castillo are under contract.  

No matter how bad they are, you can usually find someone to take their salary off your hands for a low-level prospect.  Keep in mind that all of these deals are 1 year, sacrifice nothing in the long-term, and are easily dumped if they suck.  $8.4MM is worth it if one of these guys puts up a sub 5.00 ERA and keeps Perkins/Slowey from being rushed.

The Twins just lost Alex Romero to Arizona on waivers. WTF was he thinking on this one? 2 totally boneheaded moves in one day is quite an accomplishment.

Ortiz may not have pitched well last year statistically, but he did pitch 190 innings.  I think adding Ortiz makes it easier to go with one of the young guys in the number five spot in the rotation. The Twins really only have Santana who is a certainty to produce. Bonser and Silva have questions and either one could fail to give a lot of innings. So 190 innings from Ortiz, even if he struggles through some of them, is going to make things a lot more stable.

As for Romero, I think he has been overrated in the blogsphere for a long time. His upside was Dustin Mohr and he doesn't really look likely to achieve that. The Twins have several players ahead of him in the fourth and fifth outfielder race. I don't see where he was ever going to get a chance with the Twins.

The continuing complaints about Castro's contract are really silly. In case you missed it, the Twins got a young prospect in return for Castro when they traded him to Cincinnati. And the Reds then signed him to a multi-year contract. And it gave Bartlett a chance to develop without the major league manager breathing down his neck about mistakes.

Into a "competition" without these slugs clogging the rotation and you've achieved the same result.

Let Slowey in too and Baker again.

How is taking a shot on them and their potential worse than taking a shot on the three they signed all of whom have consistently stunk the last few years??? HOW is that the worse course of action. Ortiz sucked in a pitcher's league. Tell me he's going to be better than ANY of these guys.

RE: Castro he sucks and I don't care if anyone signed him and the "prospect" they got in return is nothing but AAA roster filler. It was a bad move and it was compounded by signing him for two years. Indefensible.

keep racking up those GM of the year awards

oh no the twins just lost a 4th or 5th OF'r at best type..

zzzzz

who cares..

You know what should never be confusing?  GMs stockpiling starting pitching depth.

Yeah, Ryan is a real bonehead for spending 8 mill on three starters (one of whom posted a 3.44 ERA just two years ago) when one former labrum injury guy who never has posted a sub 4.50 ERA just got 5/55.

Fact is, if any of these guys sniff a 4.50 ERA the Twins get their money's worth.  And if they don't, big deal.  Cut the strings after a few bad starts and go with the youth.  There is no downside, only depth.

You know maybe you're right, a GM should stockpile SP depth.

Frankly, Allard Baird doesn't get nearly enough credit for that in KC last year.

He "stockpiled" Luke Hudson, Scott Elarton, Mike Wood, Joe Mays, Todd Wellemeyer and others.

When he does garbage moves like that, people determine he's not much of a GM; when Terry Ryan does it, it's wise in today's economy and he's smart to give these guys a shot.

I don't get the difference.

has drafted as well as any guy not named Beane.

Where is the list of players Beane drafted since Grady Fuson left who even remotely compare to Mauer, Morneau or even Cuddyer?