There's a scene in the new movie Ford v Ferrari where Ken Miles, race car driver, jumps in Carroll Shelby's Ford GT40 for the first time. He tears off and burns rubber all over Los Angeles International Airport, and then slides to a stop to talk to Shelby. After climbing out of one of the fastest, most powerful cars that had ever existed, Miles had this to say:
"It's awful! It doesn't track! The third gear is too high, the torque is not reaching the road, the steering's loose because the front end gets light, and over 140, thinks it's an airplane, yeah!, who wants to lift up and fly to Hawaii!"
Miles hops back in the car, and the rest of the movie is largely dedicated to Shelby and Miles figuring out how to perfect the car. Now, the Twins had a prototype Ford GT40 on offense last year. Instead of deciding that being one of the most powerful lineups that had ever existed was good enough, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine decided to go and make the offense even more dangerous.
With frustration from impatient Twins fans bubbling over, the "timid" front office and the "cheap" Pohlads made the biggest free agency splash in franchise history yesterday, signing All-Star (and former MVP) third baseman Josh Donaldson to a 4-year, $92 million deal.
Donaldson racked up 6.1 bWAR last year, which would have been the best on the team for Minnesota. He also mashed 37 home runs and walked 100 times. He's one of the best defenders at third base in the league, even at age 34, and will provide a big boost in the field for the Twins (who need it). The front office, with this signing, created more runs than they could've possibly prevented by signing any starting pitchers in their league. I went in-depth on this impact here, for twinkietown.com.
In conclusion, the Twins hit a Bomba 71 days before Opening Day. With a near-legendary offense, an elite bullpen, and an above-average starting rotation, the squad is geared up and ready to go. And they're fast enough to leave a New York Ferrari in the tail lights.
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