TopGunn#22’s 2025 Payroll Blueprint:

[TopGunn#22]

I think 2025 is a good opportunity to shake things up.  I'm willing to trade to not only move a significant amount of payroll off the team, but to include some highly ranked minor league pieces to entice other teams with deeper pockets to accept ALL the salary we're sending out.

TRADE:  Duran, Castro and Paddack along with $3.5 million in International Pool money to the Dodgers for catcher Dalton Rushing and oft injured RHP Dustin May. 

TRADE:  Vasquez, Larnach and Top Ten OF prospect Gabe Gonzalez to Marlins for LH SP Jesus Luzardo.  Luzardo is signed for 2025 at $8.6 million but we would have him for two more years at arbitration salaries.

TRADE:  SWR, Alcala and Marco Raya to Baltimore for 3B/1B Jordan Westburg. 

SIGN:  Tyler O'Neill 2-years $14 million per.  Amed Rosario IF/OF 1 year $2 million and IF Jose Iglesias 1 year $1.5 million.  

I'm essentially removing about $30 million in salary and adding about the same back, just reallocating it across the roster. 

The team beefs up it's already formidable rotation without moving Jax.  Jax becomes the primary closer with Duran moving on to the Dodgers.  He can handle it.  He's more consistent.  We add a Gold Glove caliber, 30 HR thumper in LF who hits RH.  This solidifies the OF of Buxton, O'Neill and Wallner with Keirsey as the 4th OF until E-Rod and Walker Jenkins are ready.  

Royce Lewis and Jordan Westburg become the Twins corner infielders for a decade.  It doesn't matter to me which position each plays.  The Twins will figure this out.

We also add a couple of veteran glove men who at the plate make consistent contact and have some speed.  Each of Rosario and Iglesias are signed for one year while guys like Keaschall and Eeles and Helman prove they are ready or not.  Each also gives us a veteran at SS/2B/3B to support Westburg, Correa and Brooks Lee.  

Rushing will back up Jeffers but also get some time at DH and maybe even 1B to get him more AB's.  All reports say Rushing's bat is ready for MLB.  Let's get him AB's.  

IF...and it's a big if, the trades make sense and they open up a FA signing like O'Neill, the Twins are primed to be competitive with a lineup and rotation like that, and a BP that could be pretty darn good, all while waiting for the next wave of hitters (E-Rod, Walker Jenkins, Keaschall) and pitchers (Matthews, Morris, Soto) to make their way to the big leagues.  It should also help the Pohlad family maximize their selling price and leave the new ownership group with a sense they made a good purchase.  

• C: Ryan Jeffers ($4.70M)
• 1B: Jose Mirands ($0.80M)
• 2B: Brooks Lee ($0.80M)
• 3B: Royce Lewis ($2.30M)
• SS: Carlos Correa ($36.00M)
• LF: Trevor Larnach ($2.10M)
• CF: Byron Buxton ($15.00M)
• RF: Matt Wallner ($0.80M)
• DH: Edouard Julien ($0.80M)
• 4th OF: Austin Martin ($0.80M)
• Utility: Willi Castro ($6.20M)
• Utility: DaShawn Keirsey ($0.80M)
• Backup C: Christian Vazquez ($10.00M)
• NA: Dead Money Here ($0.00M)
• SP1: Pablo Lopez ($21.50M)
• SP2: Joe Ryan ($3.80M)
• SP3: Bailey Ober ($4.30M)
• SP4: Chris Paddack ($7.50M)
• SP5: Simeon Woods Richardson ($0.80M)
• RP: Jhoan Duran ($3.70M)
• RP: Brock Stewart ($0.80M)
• RP: Griffin Jax ($2.60M)
• RP: Jorge Alcala ($1.50M)
• RP: Cole Sands ($0.80M)
• RP: Justin Topa ($1.30M)
• RP: Louie Varland ($0.80M)
• RP: Kody Funderburk ($0.80M)
• NA: Dead Money Here ($0.00M)

Payroll is 0.99% over budget

[TopGunn#22]

Cody Christie has just posted an article about two trade scenarios to acquire Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins.

Trade #1  Was Royce Lewis for Luzardo, a catching prospect named Joe Mack and an IF prospect named Gage Miller.  While I would love to add Jesus Luzardo to our rotation, I don't know enough about Mack and Miller to part with Royce Lewis.

Trade #2 was Larnach for Luzardo even up.

In my Twins off season plan that I THINK I posted (even though I am not a Premium Member) I had proposed a trade of Larnach, Vasquez and Top Ten OF prospect Gabe Gonzalez for Luzardo.  

I mention this because Miami's catchers had the following OPS in 2024:  Fortes .577 and Pereda at .481.  Miami has, without a doubt, the WORST catching situation in MLB.  They have had interest in Vasquez and they NEED him.  They have a young staff who could benefit from having a vet like Vasquez.  And in this trade I expected the Marlins would pay all $10 million for Vasquez.