Despite the Pohlads Best Efforts, This Team Might Be Better Off

[Hans Birkeland]

Image courtesy of © Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

My first reaction to last Thursday was denial. Surely there were other prospects thrown into the Griffin Jax and Brock Stewart trades. Then came anger—because there weren’t. I even wrote a screed blasting the whole thing as a conspiracy to sell the team to a private equity conglomerate of ghouls who’d move the franchise to Nashville. Thankfully, the good editors at Twins Daily politely declined to publish it.

Then came coping: “If Pablo López comes back and Connor Prielipp shoves out of the bullpen, we’re really only seven games back of the Wild Card…” Nope. That was bargaining.

Any series in Cleveland is depressing, but this one gave me some clarity—or at least enough to revisit my own theory: this team has been maddeningly inconsistent because it’s full of J.D. Drews. Drew was a tinkerer. Talented, but not exactly a spark plug. That, to me, has been the Twins' hitting identity for a while now.

We didn’t expect this offense to be dominant coming into the year—not even with Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, Matt Wallner, Royce Lewis, Trevor Larnach, Willi Castro, Ryan Jeffers, and more waiting in the wings. We figured that if the team succeeded, it’d be on the back of the pitching staff. Other fanbases might look at that same group and see a potentially strong lineup. We knew better.

We knew the lineup would be less than the sum of its parts—and I’d argue that’s been a defining feature of the Correa era.

I’m not saying the team will be better now that he’s gone, but I do think the offense might be. Correa was never the type to just roll out of bed and go 3-for-4. He needed the right conditions: good health, a hitting coach he vibed with, a long ramp-up period, warm weather, and some BABIP luck. Like J.D. Drew, he’d be great on a team where he wasn’t the guy. But as the centerpiece? It doesn’t work. And you don’t really want younger players modeling themselves after that.

How many times have we heard guys like Brooks Lee, Wallner, and Jeffers say their swing “sucks,” or that they’re making some minor tweak, or trying a different bat? That’s the culture Correa brought in, intentionally or not.

During his peak in Houston, Correa wasn’t the alpha. The tone-setters were José Altuve and Yuli Gurriel—guys who saw the ball, hit the ball, and adjusted on the fly. Correa complemented that. After pitchers were worn down by Altuve and Gurriel slapping hits on balls a foot outside the zone, Correa would punish the mistake. He often did his best work lower in the lineup.

It’s like a golfer who plays "golf swing" instead of playing golf. A team can survive having one or two of those guys. Some teams have so many resources that they can field a whole lineup of swing technicians and still win—like the Yankees. But even they caught backlash in 2024 for leaning too hard into metrics, swing mechanics, and defensive WAR, instead of just… playing the game. They were even exposed in a minor scandal for rewarding minor leaguers based on batted-ball data instead of actual results.

That’s not inherently a bad thing. If you have a lineup full of guys who smash the ball, great. I get that. There’s just a spectrum here. On one end, you’ve got the Yankees and Correa. On the other, you’ve got guys like Doug Mientkiewicz preaching baseball instincts. You can’t skew too far in either direction. Can we at least agree on that?

Too many Twins hitters are playing against themselves, focused on process while smart teams are focused on results. Anecdotally, I think Austin Martin and José Miranda have been hurt by this philosophy. Miranda in particular was Correa’s protégé. Their natural strengths—reacting and putting the ball in play—got pushed aside in favor of swing optimization and decision trees.

Which is why I’m okay with Correa leaving. It already feels like the hitters are freed up.

Martin got caught stealing third the other night, and yeah—it looked bad. But the team was ahead, and he was trying to force the issue. (Maybe just don’t run on Jake Rogers next time.) On Sunday, Kody Clemens dropped down a bunt to drive in the winning run. Not because bunting is part of his offensive profile or the numbers said to do it, but because he recognized the moment. That’s playing the game.

And wouldn’t you know it—the team’s leader again is Byron Buxton, the ultimate see-ball-hit-ball guy. I like the idea of Emmanuel Rodríguez and Walker Jenkins coming up and learning from him. If they need to make technical tweaks, that’s what the coaches are for.

I’m not saying the Twins are going to win this year or next. And I’m not naïve enough to think the technocratic Correa philosophy will vanish overnight. Correa is a proven winner, a champion, and he made some critical high-IQ plays that helped break the team’s playoff curse. But his presence shaped the team’s approach in a way that didn’t work for everyone—especially for younger players like Miranda and Lee. Without him, those guys now have the option to go back to being who they were. Whether that’s a hair-on-fire type like Luke Keaschall, or a passive mistake-hitter like Rodríguez.

Everything now hinges on the next ownership group. The roster still has talent, and it’s suddenly cheap. We could get bought by Scrooge Capital, trade away Joe Ryan and López, and become the Cayman Island Twins. Or we could get an owner who invests—say, $10 million in bullpen help, signs a real first baseman, and locks up a couple of core guys.

If we get that owner—or even just get the payroll to $120 million—I’ll be jazzed about next year. The curse is still broken. The Pohlads are gone. Sign me up.

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[terrydactyls]

Hold your horses there, pardner.  The Pohlads aren't gone.  Until the ink is dry on the documents finalizing the transfer of ownership, I would just play the hand that you've been dealt.  Otherwise, good article.

[silverslugger]

I knew Correa wasn't the leader I wanted in the clubhouse when he explained that he had learned through the years that it was better to play at 90% in order to stay in the lineup rather than be injured.  There are precious few talents that can get away with that sort of mentality and it certainly wasn't the way I was brought up in baseball in the 70's and 80's.  Do you think Charlie Hustle would ever make a statement like that?  Dan Gladden's head probably slightly exploded, again, when he heard that statement.  

I'm more than ready for a full lineup of "see ball, hit ball" types (thank you Tony!) who are playing like their butts are on fire.  Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure when don't have the correct manager in the dugout for that type of ball either.  But that's a story for another day.

[MGX]

You wrote - "We knew the lineup would be less than the sum of its parts—and I’d argue that’s been a defining feature of the Correa era."

I would offer the following edit of this line - 

We knew the lineup would be less than the sum of its parts—and I’d argue that’s been a defining feature of the Falvey-Baldelli era.

 

 

[tony&rodney]

The Minnesota Twins and Carlos Correa marriage is over. Correa didn't work in the final analysis. The money gets attention but it wasn't really a factor. Correa played well .... at times, but also suffered various injuries. The position players on the team didn't exactly pick up the slack. Stuff happens. It sure seems like a pile of people want to see Carlos Correa as a negative and there are quite a few articles and comments that make him the scapegoat for the Twins performance. I just don't believe that is necessary. While Carlos may have produced less than what I may have expected, he isn't responsible for which players filled out the remaining 25 slots on the team or the performance of other players. 

[KirbyDome89]

I've never been a huge Correa fan as far as personality goes (too crafted) but we're blaming him for young guys not developing? I mean c'mon....

His "protege," Jose Miranda has been terrible in AAA this year. Does the Correa Effect stretch all the way to St. Paul?

[NYCTK]

I hate the Pohlads. But it seems too much ire for this dismantling is on them and not on the rightful target, Falvey. 

It sucks IF his goals or budgets were drastically changed after the 2023 postseason, but the Twins still had a middle of the pack payroll and it's his job to figure out how to put a good roster together. Instead he gave Twins fans DaShawn Keirsey and Mickey Gasper for opening day. One is maybe forgivable. Both, is just a failure. 

Getting rid of Correa is a great decision, for Falvey or whomever takes over his job when he's justifiably axed. 

[Patzky]

If you read Astros media about the series in NY, you'll see Correa referencing his successful at bats against Devin Williams while he was a Twin (the 'It's Time' HR) in pregame session. You'll see him tell his teammates about what and when Williams will throw. And then you'll see him leadoff in the 1Oth inning and start the game winning rally against the embattled Yankees closer. That is a student and teacher of the game. That is something that maybe a Pablo might come up with. He doesn't succeed without the teammates, but he adds a cerebral approach. 

[LewFordLives]

I will admit they have been more fun to watch this past week, except for cringing during the late inning pitching changes.

I think the Twins would be even more enjoyable to watch if they moved on from Larnach and/or Wallner. Enough with these three outcome hitters. I don't find it entertaining.

[Fred]

2 hours ago, silverslugger said:

I knew Correa wasn't the leader I wanted in the clubhouse when he explained that he had learned through the years that it was better to play at 90% in order to stay in the lineup rather than be injured.  There are precious few talents that can get away with that sort of mentality and it certainly wasn't the way I was brought up in baseball in the 70's and 80's.  Do you think Charlie Hustle would ever make a statement like that?  Dan Gladden's head probably slightly exploded, again, when he heard that statement.  

I'm more than ready for a full lineup of "see ball, hit ball" types (thank you Tony!) who are playing like their butts are on fire.  Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure when don't have the correct manager in the dugout for that type of ball either.  But that's a story for another day.

Early in the season I watched a Mussels game. Then watched 2 more, before I called my Daughter and told her to check out Payton Eeles. I predicted he would be in Wichita before the end of the season, because he had a real "Charley Hustle" vibe. So, they skipped him over Wichita and he went to the Saints. Now, I'm telling my Daughter that the Twins could use a guy with that kind of drive as a good example in the clubhouse. Even though he seems to have slacked off a bit (it's a long season), I'm standing by that. I want him on the club coming out of spring training. The Twins could use a little fire.

[Wedman13]

Let's not blame Correa for the failures of others.  The last time we won a playoff series he was the best player on the field.  Wallner, Lewis, Lee need to take their own accountability, which they would agree with - and I have a feeling they will step up..

the biggest change in this team (albeit its been 1 week) is not the exit of Carlos Correa, it's been the entry of Luke Keaschall.

if anything, I think the 2019 bomba squad, while fun as hell, set us back years.  Hopefully now we can get back to some level of fundamentals and exciting baseball. (If Rocco can adapt).

With the players we have, those on the doorstep and the ones we acquired....I'm  very excited for the future of the team. 

[rv78]

42 minutes ago, Patzky said:

If you read Astros media about the series in NY, you'll see Correa referencing his successful at bats against Devin Williams while he was a Twin (the 'It's Time' HR) in pregame session. You'll see him tell his teammates about what and when Williams will throw. And then you'll see him leadoff in the 1Oth inning and start the game winning rally against the embattled Yankees closer. That is a student and teacher of the game. That is something that maybe a Pablo might come up with. He doesn't succeed without the teammates, but he adds a cerebral approach. 

And what you won't read about is when he used that same cerebral approach and hit into a doubleplay to end a Twins rally. How often does he tell his teammates about those experiences? I think they were more numerous. 

[Patzky]

7 minutes ago, rv78 said:

And what you won't read about is when he used that same cerebral approach and hit into a doubleplay to end a Twins rally. How often does he tell his teammates about those experiences? I think they were more numerous. 

Wouldn't call those cerebral so much as physical failings

 

[ashbury]

I grit my teeth and try to ignore the omnipresent "the Pohlad's" in the comments section, but can we please ask the site's story editors to catch the mistake when it's in a headline?  😀

[miller761]

Love the way the team is playing. They are playing baseball...reacting to the situation and putting their best foot forward to take advantage of the situation. There has been an increase of opposite field hits from this bunch and they are scoring runs. Not smart enough to know if the 2 are related but am sure enjoying it. I see throws that the cutoff man can cut and more throws from the outfield to correct bases. I see more aggressive nature on the bases without being reckless. I see more similarities with my home state Milwaukee Brewers minus the bullpen and we all know what they did to us in that last series in Minneapolis. Maybe the trade deadline 2025 will change Twins baseball in more ways than we first thought

[weitz41]

It's early yet but like what I've seen. Actually, look like they're having fun instead of standing at the time clock.

No P.... words

[MikeNC]

I was wondering why Correa seemed invisible to me during July, stats show he hit .300.  Oh but wait, for the entire month, 70 ABs, he had 3 RBIs.  Luke had that many in his first two games back - BOTH of them!  Correa just wasn’t the same guy this year.  Lack of clutch hitting, more errors both fielding and throwing, some were saying his range diminished.  I was so relieved when they unloaded 2/3 of his salary.  Time to move on for sure.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

No sour grapes here

[purplesoldier4u]

See ball, hit ball = Kirby Puckett

It was fun watching Puck in spring training and BP because he swung at, pretty much, anything and everything, that's who he was and he figured that's what he did.

It was fun to watch him hit a ball a few inches off the ground or one that was head-high. Sure, it made for some ugly at-bats, but the man would swing the bat with a purpose. Of course, Puck never saw a pitch over the plate that he didn't like, almost Bomba Squad-ish!

As the Common Man might say, either you're on to something or you're on something when you link Correa to the odd at-bats by the team.

[Wedman13]

34 minutes ago, MikeNC said:

I was wondering why Correa seemed invisible to me during July, stats show he hit .300.  Oh but wait, for the entire month, 70 ABs, he had 3 RBIs.  Luke had that many in his first two games back - BOTH of them!  Correa just wasn’t the same guy this year.  Lack of clutch hitting, more errors both fielding and throwing, some were saying his range diminished.  I was so relieved when they unloaded 2/3 of his salary.  Time to move on for sure.

I 100% agree with you, but the OP blaming him for the failings of grown men is a bridge to far.

[Whitey333]

Im also glad Correa is gone.  That was the biggest addition to the Twins trade deadline:  Correa subtraction.  His time here was a bust.  The only thing bigger was his ego.  Perhspsbif he had performed anywhere near expectations for him we would been better off.  While you can understand the comment that you can't blame him for the other 25 players, you can and should blame Correa for not being anywhere near a 35 million a year player should be at.  Good riddance Carlos.

[mikelink45]

Too soon

[Blyleven2011]

2 hours ago, miller761 said:

Love the way the team is playing. They are playing baseball...reacting to the situation and putting their best foot forward to take advantage of the situation. There has been an increase of opposite field hits from this bunch and they are scoring runs. Not smart enough to know if the 2 are related but am sure enjoying it. I see throws that the cutoff man can cut and more throws from the outfield to correct bases. I see more aggressive nature on the bases without being reckless. I see more similarities with my home state Milwaukee Brewers minus the bullpen and we all know what they did to us in that last series in Minneapolis. Maybe the trade deadline 2025 will change Twins baseball in more ways than we first thought

Amen brother ....

[Old Twins Hat]

Correa lost me with his Christian Dior quote.

What kind of player even knows that much about lavish jewelry.  WTF?

[old nurse]

In the past the Twins have stated that there approach to hitting is tailored to each player’s strengths.  New hitting coach, not much different results.  The thought that Correa does better as not having to be the center of a team could be validated by the tear he is going on in Houston. 

[Schmoeman5]

No one will say it. Correa was not a good leader type ballplayer. And his best days are behind him. Someone mentioned Miranda. Correa took him under his wing. When he was going good it was all joy and kumbaya. When he struggled it was like Miranda had cooties and he distanced himself leaving a young guy with more questions than answers. And he's not the only one. So thumbs down all you want. Because I know for a FACT that was the clubhouse culture that CAPTAIN CORREA brought to the Twins. Baseball is hard to excel at under good conditions. Once doubt sets in or pressure gets ratchted up, its even harder. No one ever asks the hard questions. And even if they do get asked, they wouldn't be answered honestly. Just like post game Rocco. As a group, if Twins players were asked what type of guy was Correa and was he a good leader? The responses would be positive. Behind closed doors or off the record, different story. And thats from multiple players that I had a conversation with. Now that he's no longer a Twin they can relax. And dont say he held players accountable. He liked you if you were going good, if not. Then you were ignored. And he wasnt held accountable for his own play.  Ie lack of hustle, or moving runners. He made a lot of heads up plays but was he great? No. It's just that he's better than anyone over the last 10 years or so. Same goes for Correa himself. I wouldn't be surprised if does really well back in Houston. He's not THE guy there. So he can just go out and play. And all the "they're grown ass men" comments. A good leader helps to guide folks. Inspires them with words and actions. A captain isn't just a captain when things are going good. Thats not a captain. Thats a cheerleader. A good captain takes charge when the sht hits the fan. And at the trade deadline, thats what happened.  What did Correa do? He abandoned ship. He wasnt going to be part of any rebuild. Captain Smith at least went down with his ship. No trade clause. Thats hilarious. Leader my ass. 

[Wedman13]

1 hour ago, Schmoeman5 said:

No one will say it. Correa was not a good leader type ballplayer. And his best days are behind him. Someone mentioned Miranda. Correa took him under his wing. When he was going good it was all joy and kumbaya. When he struggled it was like Miranda had cooties and he distanced himself leaving a young guy with more questions than answers. And he's not the only one. So thumbs down all you want. Because I know for a FACT that was the clubhouse culture that CAPTAIN CORREA brought to the Twins. Baseball is hard to excel at under good conditions. Once doubt sets in or pressure gets ratchted up, its even harder. No one ever asks the hard questions. And even if they do get asked, they wouldn't be answered honestly. Just like post game Rocco. As a group, if Twins players were asked what type of guy was Correa and was he a good leader? The responses would be positive. Behind closed doors or off the record, different story. And thats from multiple players that I had a conversation with. Now that he's no longer a Twin they can relax. And dont say he held players accountable. He liked you if you were going good, if not. Then you were ignored. And he wasnt held accountable for his own play.  Ie lack of hustle, or moving runners. He made a lot of heads up plays but was he great? No. It's just that he's better than anyone over the last 10 years or so. Same goes for Correa himself. I wouldn't be surprised if does really well back in Houston. He's not THE guy there. So he can just go out and play. And all the "they're grown ass men" comments. A good leader helps to guide folks. Inspires them with words and actions. A captain isn't just a captain when things are going good. Thats not a captain. Thats a cheerleader. A good captain takes charge when the sht hits the fan. And at the trade deadline, thats what happened.  What did Correa do? He abandoned ship. He wasnt going to be part of any rebuild. Captain Smith at least went down with his ship. No trade clause. Thats hilarious. Leader my ass. 

Literally zero idea what your point is in this incredibly long post.  Correa is a horrible guy (per your personal sources) but should have not accepted a trade -  to stay here and continue to be the 'cause' of our players not performing and therefore continue to sink the ship?  While having teammates who are your close friends that talk behind his back?  

So you dislike him, felt he wasn't a great leader, teammates didn't like him......but you thought he should stay.  It's a very odd perspective if I understand your words  correctly, but ok.

[MGX]

It's easy to tear into someone when there gone. Here are some facts about the 4 seasons Correa spent here...

- in 2 of the 4 seasons he was the most valuable player on the team in terms of WAR

- in 2023 when he had a down season we won the division & he hit over .400 in the playoffs

Everyone is entitled to their opinion & can blame Correa if they want. For me the owners, front office & the manager are more responsible for the lack of team success over the last 4 seasons than any one player could be.

 

[DocBauer]

Is it possible the presence of Correa MIGHT have "held back" a few players because they felt in the back of their head that he'd come through somehow? A big MAYBE.

Sometimes something works, and sometimes it doesn't.  But to blame Correa for influencing poor, or at least inconsistent, production just doesn't jive with me. He was fully invested in helping the Twins win. ONE GUY messed up the offense and its development?

While the lineup has been frustrating to say the least, it's a problem of IDENTITY.

The Twins K'd way too much for a lot of people's taste, but they still produced a few consecutive seasons of power and run production that ranked them in the top 5-10 consistently. CONSISTENCY was an issue, but not total production. 

The Twins dismissed their hitting staff and brought in another one to help eliminate all the K's, and they saw their offense actually decline. 

To be fair, we saw some of those K changes in 2024 with the staff we had on hand. But that fired staff found a new home in Toronto almost immediately and the Jay's have been one of the best run producing teams in MLB in 2025.

Do they have better players? Possibly. But the Twins still began 2025 with Buxton, Lewis, Wallner, Correa, Jeffers, and Larnach. That's not zero talent.

If Rocco haters ever listen to some of his comments and quiet coach speak, and look at who he was as a player, and look at some of the things he's TRIED to do at times, and commented that he'd like to do MORE, you'd realize the rosters he's had the past couple of years doesn't have the speed and athleticism he'd like to have to do some of the things he'd like to do.

Keaschall, just for example, comes up and suddenly runs. He didn't do that without some sort of permission to do so. I'm NOT saying Rocco is a great manager, or that maybe there's someone better to lead the team going forward. But he's also played the hand he's dealt.

The scouting/drafting department is NOT ignoring POWER. And they shouldn't. Power is still king! But they've been drafting more athletic players the past few years, and even focused more on HIT/CONTACT ability for many of their selections. 

But it's been a slow transition from BOMBA SQUAD to a more complete, more balanced squad. And while I'm again not posting as necessarily a Rocco fan or believer, what's he supposed to do if his squad is built improperly? The GO is STILL in charge at the end of the day.

Do we blame the FO for not being more creative in their roster building? Maybe. Do we give the FO at least a partial pass because they have been so hamstrung the past couple of years that the best they could do at 1B was France?

To be fair to the FO, Castro and Bader, and Taylor were smart additions. But could they have done more and better if they didn't have the rug pulled out from beneath them AFTER the Correa signing?

Said before and will say again, while not always a fan of everything the current FO does, I wouldn't mind seeing what they could do with new owners that actually gave a damn and were willing to spend a couple needed $ here and there.

Regardless, at this point, SOMETHING had to be done to shake up the team/roster and find a new direction.

My question remains, as I've posted variously in different OP's, WHAT IS THAT DIRECTION? Because I'm still not really sure.

Sometimes things work, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes changes just have to be made. But to single out Correa's presence and influence ad a reason for a depressed or inconsistent offense by himself is short-sighted at best.

[Rufus]

Maybe the Pohlads know what they are doing.