I have a weird feeling that a new coaching staff might unlock something in the young core. I'll admit it's purely vibes-based, but I do think that Lewis in particular is a very, very vibes-based guy, and if he feels better about coming to work every day, that could make a huge difference.

I want to tread carefully here because I'm not trying to tell anybody what to think. You asked about what THEY are thinking and saying, and so what I'm going to try to do here is clarify that. Anyway.

I don't think these things are at odds, and if you read Tom Pohlad's full comments, to me they are on the same page. I mean, for one thing, I asked him directly if he believed they would go to camp with a team that could contend for a playoff spot, and he said: "I think we are certainly within reach of winning a division title this year. And I think we’ll continue to look at moves we can make that will help us accomplish that."

So, as I addressed in another answer, I think they're both on the same page, and that page is "try to win a less-than-impressive division on a budget." Now, again, you may not LIKE that page, and that's your right. But I think that's where they are. They added Bell, I expect they'll add more players before camp, and I honestly believe that the team they take to camp will be a team with some shot at winning the AL Central

It is my expectation that he will be, yes. I think when that story blew up a few weeks ago, it was very overblown. There's only one situation where Buxton would want out, and that's if they completely tear it down around him -- ie significantly more than they did last July. Once the determination was made that that would not be the direction they went, the likelihood of a Buxton trade plummeted.

Now... could all of that change? Sure. If this July brings another round of heavy selling, the conversation would be different. But I think the most likely thing is that Buxton plays out his contract with the Twins.

It’s very important that you say yes.

Oh, and... feels like Dillingham is PROBABLY the best bet, even after the extension. I'm mildly interested in Manny Diaz, and I could see that happening. But at this point... please, anyone new.

Guess we found Gleeman’s burner.

Ok, because this is the internet and you never know who’s going to take what how, that’s obviously a joke.

And honestly, would like to take a sec here to shout out the other beats, who are genuinely all great to work with and are a big part of why I enjoyed my first season so much. Even Dan.

So. so many. Now, a lot of that is simply the difference in manager. Covering a Tony La Russa team was unlike anything else. But beyond that...

Games are shorter, obviously. Relievers are unbelievable. Pitchers in general basically bear no resemblance to pitchers 15 years ago. The clubhouse is not drastically different, the daily routine is not drastically different. My actual duties are different. We write less, and I think that's a good thing. We focus more on what's most important, telling the story of the day.

Let's start with this, because it's pretty obviously the biggest unknown. I fully expect them to add one or more Major League relievers between now and when camp opens. Obviously they were never going to play in the Edwin Diaz neighborhood, but there's a lot of room between just waiver wire pickups and spending $20 million per year on a reliever.

I'll put it this way: I'll be very, very surprised if the bullpen on Feb. 11 consists of Sands, Topa, and a bunch of guys who are clearly a step down from them.

Sausage/cheese balls. I'm powerless against a tray of them.

There are no specialists anymore. Write as much as you can, read as much as you can, and be as well rounded as you can. Writers do video and podcasting now. On-camera people are expected to write and do social.

Ask people for help. Ask questions. We were all just starting out at one point, and most of us would love to help.

Also, take the work seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously. This is fun. We're not war correspondents here. It's the biggest thing I've learned since I did this the first time around, this stuff just is not that serious. You have to be able to look yourself in the mirror and look the people you cover in the eye, but if it's not fun, it's probably the wrong field.

Let's go with 1-4 as kind of a combo platter. And there are two different answers.

Immediately after the deadline? Man, people were shell shocked. Everybody was. Players. Coaches and manager. PR. Front office. Even us on the beat. Everybody. That Cleveland series was one of the weirdest things I've ever covered.

After that? Honestly? It was pretty normal. Less change than you'd think. Guys kept coming to work, and started concentrating on the work again. The remaining relievers got along. The team truly kept fighting. I know some of those games were ugly -- trust me I do, I was there -- but it wasn't a result of guys packing it in. The vibe really was surprisingly good in September.

Let's start with 2, since I answered this one above but want to hammer it home again. He's not looking to go. The article that Dan Hayes had early in the offseason perfectly encapsulated his situation, according to a person I talked to who would know -- he doesn't want to go anywhere. He wants to be a Twin. BUT if they were to tear it down even farther, then in that case he might be open to a trade.

What happened in November was that a reporter (whom I greatly respect) oversimplified that a bit in a blurb for a much bigger story, and everybody freaked out about it. Again, at some point, things could change. But as of now, he doesn't want to go, and they don't want to trade him.

Well, to answer the direct question, no I don't think that. I don't think there's anything inevitable (as we've discussed here before).

With that said, I think this is a fair question to ask/criticism to issue. It was directly asked as the news conference with Tom Pohlad, but the thing is, I don't know what the better course of action is. Like, sure, I get that it would be very entertaining to see them swim in the deep end of the free agent pool, but that's not happening. So your choices are, strategic upgrades (which I think they're not done making), or blow it up. And as he acknowledged, and as I think all of you know, there's zero appetite, and would be zero patience, for a full rebuild right now.

So, yes, it's a tricky line to walk, and yes, it's risky to try to square that circle. But I also see the logic, and in this division, with a couple of smart adds, I thin this team can compete

Maybe less quiet than it seems, since we had a manager search and the ownership stuff, but yeah, it's a little less hectic than some I've covered. For me personally, I'm much more a game guy than an offseason guy anyway. Some beat writers love working the phones, trying to break hot stove news, but my wiring is much more game-focused.

I've started and erased like 10 different answers to this. I've overthought, I've underthought. Thought about an all-Minnesota, Hold Steady/Replacements/Jayhawks type thing. Thought about U2 or Pearl Jam or the Stones. Thought about Oasis.

But how's this: I've never seen Outkast. It SEEMS like there have been some hints that maybe they're open to getting back together. So let's go with them.

I fully expect at least one non-waiver wire bullpen addition and probably more than one. They don't have a lot of payroll wiggle room but I do believe they have some, and obviously the bullpen is priority one.

I think that's a pretty good number but I suspect he comes in under that. He really needs to stay healthy for a while. He was excellent in winter ball this year, but I think there's not going to be any rush on him.

San Francisco is my favorite park in the Majors and obviously a great city to visit for a few days. I'd also rank San Diego really highly on both of those counts. And since they only go to each of them every other year, I'd recommend taking advantage of one of those two.

Live music! If I'm not covering a game, there's a pretty good chance I'm at a concert. Favorite shows from our first year in the Twin Cities: Joshua Ray Walker at the 7th Street Entry, The Hold Steady at First Ave, Minnesota Yacht Club festival, Garbage at First Ave.

I do not. And it kind of doesn't matter. If he doesn't want to go, he doesn't go.

We didn't gather postgame at home much this year, actually. Probably my fault, since I'm an old who lives in the suburbs, replacing a young'n who lived in the city.

(or I guess maybe I just wasn't invited.)

I do not. Very much out of my area of expertise.

Disconcerting.

Based on his answers above he's already making excuses for ownership so don't expect a candidate response.