Monday Morning Minnesota: Schrödinger’s hope edition

Previously on Twinkie Town:

• Zach confessed something a lot of us feel in our hearts; analytics are trustworthy and correct, but also really kinda boring.
• TJ compared Eddie Rosario to a burger from Hardees, in a piece that is actually worth reading and not an attempt to get a fast food sponsorship for this website. By the way, I’m the Dairy Queen chicken strip basket and gravy of link dump writers.
• Brandon rounded up all the news about our AL Central rivals, because knowing your enemy is half the battle. The other half is violence.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• The Athletic’s Dan Hayes debunks some fan submitted Twins trades, noteworthy is his determination that Eddie Rosario has basically zero trade value. So if you were hoping to get something for Rosario, stop. Stop having hope.
• On that note, Puckett’s Pond goes further in depth finding out exactly why the final Ed has such low value. I’m already starting work on the final piece of the 25 Shortstops/25 Eds trilogy, Zero Eds.
• STrib’s La Velle E. Neal has a worthwhile piece discussing future payroll and the ongoing negotiations with Nelson Cruz with Jim Pohlad and Derek Falvey. Pohlad says that the fact that 2020 lost the team money is NOT a driver for payroll in 2021, so have hope! But also he says the uncertainty of 2021 is a factor. So don’t have hope? Maybe have hope. Put the hope in a box and leave it in a quantum state of uncertainty.
• Twins Daily looked at the possibility of MLB banning the shift, and what that might mean for the Twins.

Around the World in Bases and Balls:

• Alex Cora, fired from his position as Manager of the Red Sox due to being implicated in sign stealing for BOTH the Astros and the Red sox, has now been re-hired by the very same Sox one year later. So that’s interesting.
• Another person fired because of the same scandal, Ex-GM of the Astros Jeff Luhnow, continues to just be very very grumpy and unlikeable. Like just take responsibility, dude!
• Crawfish Boxes warns us all to prepare for yet more battling between the MLB and MLBPA, which is very unlikely to be fun for anyone, for any reason, at any time.
• The Ringer ranks the top 50 free agents. Free agent lists are always fun because you get to do some heavy, weapons-grade imagining. (Please do not sign Trevor Bauer, Twins, I am begging you.)

Today’s soundtrack is from Eye of the Beholder, a game about a team of adventurers waiting around for their spells to recharge.