Week in Review: Reality Sets In

[Nick Nelson]

Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

The Weekly Nutshell:
For a brief period, Twins fans got slight respite from the constant melancholy that now defines our existence as followers of this team. In the 10 days after their roster was stripped down and the front office declared contention off the table for the foreseeable future, the Twins at least played some solid ball and offered glimmers of hope that they might put forth a product worth watching in the final two months of the season. This past week, that illusion came crashing down.

Going up against a pair quality opponents in the Yankees and Tigers, Minnesota looked very much like a team with no juice, minimal talent, and nothing to play for. They were handled with ease in the Bronx, as usual, before returning home and getting mostly drubbed by Detroit in front of the few local fans still turning out. 

But the pain of two series losses paled in comparison to the anguish generated by news that the Pohlad family is pulling the Twins franchise off the market and maintaining principal ownership, ending a lengthy sale exploration odyssey and erasing any optimism that new leadership will come and change the course of this moribund organization. It all comes together to create a very bleak and uninspiring situation. So let's break it down!

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 8/11 through Sun, 8/17
***
Record Last Week: 2-5 (Overall: 58-66)
Run Differential Last Week: -13 (Overall: -37)
Standing: 4th Place in AL Central (14 GB) 

Game 118 | NYY 6, MIN 2: Buxton Homers in Return, But Team Goes Down Quietly

Twins hitters: 3 H, 11 K, 0 BB

Game 119 | NYY 9, MIN 1: Rodon Carves Up Feeble Twins Lineup, Pitchers Pummeled

Adams, Hatch: 6.2 IP, 8 ER, 11 BB

Game 120 | MIN 4, NYY 1: Ryan Locks In, Stops a Lengthy Skid Against Yankees

Ryan: 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 7 K

Game 121 | DET 4, MIN 3 (11): Twins Come Up Empty Multiple Times in Extra Innings

Twins 3 through 5 hitters: 1-13, 6 K

Game 122 | DET 7, MIN 0: Detroit Dominates From Start to Finish in Shutout Victory

Twins hitters: 2 hits, 0-9 RISP

Game 123 | DET 8, MIN 5: Decimated Bullpen Runs Into the Mud in Middle Innings

Adams and Kriske: 2.1 IP, 4 ER, 5 BB

Game 124 | MIN 8, DET 1: Paddack Once Again Cures What Ails Twins Offense

Lee: 1-4, grand slam

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NEWS & NOTES

The week started on a positive note, with Byron Buxton being activated from the injured list following a three-week absence due to ribcage inflammation, pushing Carson McCusker back to Triple-A. Buxton homered in his first game back. The next day, Matt Wallner rejoined the roster after a much shorter absence on the paternity list, with catcher Jhonny Pereda returning to the minors.

Alan Roden, the only trade acquisition to see MLB action in the immediate aftermath of the deadline, was briefly sidelined with a jammed thumb that he reinjured on Thursday, leading to a ligament strain that will sideline him for the remainder of the season. Roden was placed on 10-day injured list and then moved to the 60-day IL, making way for fellow deadline acquisition James Outman on the active roster and left-hander Génesis Cabrera — freshly signed off the street to a minor-league contract — on the 40-man roster. Travis Adams was also optioned to the Saints in the roster juggle.

A couple of key starters who have been out of action are on the comeback trail. Simeon Woods Richardson has been dealing with a stomach issue — according to Phil Miller of the Star Tribune, a parasite that needed to be surgically removed from his digestive tract — but he's feeling better now and was sent on a rehab assignment to St. Paul. Woods Richardson started against Omaha on Friday and tossed two scoreless frames with four strikeouts. Meanwhile, Pablo López threw in a simulated game at Target Field as he builds back from his shoulder injury, with a rehab stint likely the next step. If all goes well, López should return to make a handful of starts in September, but sadly it'll likely be more about showcasing his health to potential trade suitors than helping this lost Twins team in any meaningful way.

 

HIGHLIGHTS

At least we still have Joe Ryan. For now. Ryan was one of the lone highlights for the Twins this past week, leading the charge in Minnesota's only victory in New York. He held a potent Yankees lineup to one run over 6 ⅔ innings, with the offense doing just enough to avoid blowing another fine effort from the righty, who improved to 12-5 on the season. 

Bailey Ober's latest start also qualifies as a positive. His final numbers (3 ER in 5.1 IP) were unspectacular and Ober only had four strikeouts, with fastball velocity continuing to hang around 90 MPH. But he did induce 14 swinging strikes, his highest total since early May. The right-hander has been mediocre in three starts since coming off the injured list (4.41 ERA, 4.40 FIP), but that's a big step forward from the form we saw in a disastrous month of June. 

He's pitched into the sixth inning in each of those three starts, and made them all winnable games for the Twins, so Ober once again looks like a usable starting pitcher. But it's a far cry from the frontline performer we saw prior to his drop-off this summer. Whether he's capable of getting back to that level or this is now just what he is — more of a hittable back-end soft-tosser — will have a big impact on the Twins' plans going forward ... including what they could potentially get in return for him this offseason.

 

There weren't many offensive bright spots over this 2-5 stretch but Brooks Lee made himself an exceptional with a power outburst in the latter portion. Entering the Detroit series, Lee was slashing .167/.220/.263 with two doubles and three home runs in his past 35 games. The lack of power was beyond concerning for a guy with no patience at the plate and no foot speed to leg out weak contact. 

Across four games against Detroit, Lee hit for the cycle with an extra double, capping off his slugging display with a grand slam that put Sunday's game out of reach. He drove in seven runs over the weekend, sparking a lineup that has otherwise severely struggled to get going. 

 

I still view these as baby steps for Lee, who has a long way to go in order to overcome the skepticism surrounding his skill set and his MLB production through 150 games. But I wrote last week about how vitally important his development is to the Twins' outlook at the shortstop position in 2026 at a minimum, so we'll take all the positive signs we can get. Hopefully the flurry of power is something he can build on rather than another blip on the radar.

LOWLIGHTS

This was an ugly, ugly week for the Minnesota Twins offense. Prior to breaking out for eight runs against Chris Paddack on Sunday, they were hitting .151 with a .480 OPS with 15 runs scored in six games. The Twins somehow managed to produce just six extra-base hits in 26 innings within the favorable confines of Yankee Stadium. They got shut out and two-hit on Friday night against the veteran husk of Charlie Morton. This is brutal stuff. 

Aside from Lee's series against the Tigers, there really was not an exceptional offensive showing to be found across the entire Twins roster. Buxton homered to start and end the week but was quiet in between. Royce Lewis fell deeper and deeper into the throes of his latest slump, starting the week 2-for-19 before finally homering on Sunday for the first time in nearly a month. Ryan Jeffers had two singles and one RBI in his 19 at-bats. Trevor Larnach and Wallner made no noticeable noise. Even Luke Keaschall finally cooled off, going 6-for-26 (.231) with no extra-base hits. 

The reality of what this team is should be setting in for everyone now. And unfortunately it's really difficult to have faith in a better future for the Twins offense. The holdovers who are supposed to steer the lineup back into a contending state are doing little to inspire confidence, as are the coaches and leaders charged with guiding their development. I'm a believer in Keaschall and to a large extent Wallner, but who else? Buxton's great but he's 31 and it can't be taken for granted he'll be this healthy or productive in 2026, much less 2027. 

The most baffling part of the front office's approach at the trade deadline is that they did very little to address what is clearly the most broken and stifling part of their team: the offense. Roden was the only hitter they acquired who actually joined the big-league club and he could not have looked worse, slashing .158/.200/.263 with 13 strikeouts and zero walks in 40 plate appearances. This is not some young kid overwhelmed by the MLB opportunity — he's 25 and has almost 900 plate appearances in the high minors, plus 113 PA as a Blue Jay before the trade. This was a dreadful first impression and that is all we'll get to see of him.

I don't want to overreact to such a sample sample, but the burden of proof is sort of on Roden and the Twins to prove he can be anything. He wasn't hitting before the trade. He was widely viewed as something of a tweener, not a top draft pick and never a top prospect. Now we're supposed to trust that this coaching staff, under which we've watched countless such players fizzle out, is equipped to unlock whatever they see in him. The same goes for Outman, who replaced Roden on the roster and initially looked like the same unproductive strikeout machine who lost favor in Los Angeles. You're saying the Minnesota Twins are going to figure out what the Los Angeles Dodgers couldn't?? It's a very tough sell.

The entire future of this franchise is a tough sell, in the wake of news that the Pohlads are digging in their heels and sticking around despite their level of unpopularity reaching new heights. The family's announcement on Thursday came with a tone-deaf open letter, as well as vague allusions to new minority partners who will be gaining equity in the franchise. None of this gives fans any reason for optimism that better days are ahead. I have about as much faith in the Pohlads to make business decisions with the fanbase's best interests in mind as I do in the Twins staff to turn around a wayward hitter. 

 

TRENDING STORYLINE

I'm very perplexed as to what exactly the Twins plan to do with their bullpen for next year. Stewart, with his iffy bill of health and all, was under control and he has proven to be a high-caliber late-inning arm when on the mound. The Twins traded him and three other such relievers, leaving the cupboard essentially bare. 

They desperately need Cole Sands to reassert himself as a dependable option, because he's the only established guy they've got now. In that sense it was nice to see him close out his week with a dominant outing, striking out the side in the seventh on Sunday. But what else is there even to work with? Who are we even watching with hopeful eyes over this final stretch of the schedule to see if there are the makings of anything there? 

On Sunday, pitching the innings surrounding Sands were minor-league journeymen Michael Tonkin, Cabrera and Erasmo Ramírez. One day earlier it was Adams, Brooks Kriske, Kody Funderburk, Tonkin and Justin Topa navigating an ugly mess of a game. José Ureña has been getting plenty of tread as well. 

None of these guys, except for Sands and perhaps Adams, have any business even being mentioned in Minnesota's pitching plans for next year. Sands has been bad this year and Adams, while showing glimpses of promise, has a 7.71 ERA and is now back in the minors. Are we going to even see anyone audition for a relief role on the 2026 team, or will the Twins stay the course of merely throwing guys out there to consume innings and get through the games, with no reason for any viewer to really care about how they perform?

I guess we'll have to assume the latter until further notice. Conventional wisdom is that the Twins have harvested enough talented arms that several of them are bound to pan into capable relievers. And maybe there's validity to that. But you can't just expect a bunch of guys, with no real experience pitching in short high-leverage stints, to show up in spring training next year and immediately click into those roles. I get that it happened with Jhoan Durán but he's the exception, not the rule.

Even for teams that are adept at it, building a bullpen takes time, patience and a lot of luck. The Twins are going to have very little in the way of a starting point for next year's unit and it's increasingly looking like they will have almost no starting point. If you take a moment to think about this organization's historical bullpen-building efforts outside of the five success stories they just traded away, that's a proposition you'll find more scary than exciting. 

LOOKING AHEAD

For whatever it's worth, the schedule is about to ease up. Two last-place teams are on the docket, with the Athletics first coming to town to wrap up a seven-game home stand before the Twins travel to Chicago for a showdown against the White Sox. These should sadly be some pretty evenly matched affairs.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 19: ATHLETICS @ TWINS — LHP Jacob Lopez v. RHP Joe Ryan
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20: ATHLETICS @ TWINS — RHP J.T. Ginn v. RHP Bailey Ober
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21: ATHLETICS @ TWINS — RHP Jack Perkins v. TBD
FRIDAY, AUGUST 22: TWINS @ WHITE SOX — RHP Zebby Matthews v. RHP Sean Burke
SATURDAY, AUGUST 23: TWINS @ WHITE SOX —  TBD v. RHP Davis Martin
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24: TWINS @ WHITE SOX — RHP Joe Ryan v. RHP Yoendrys Gomez

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[mikelink45]

What's left to be said?  Always a good summary thank you. 

[HerbieFan]

Man, Nick.  I sure with the Pohlads would read your stuff.  They might have a clue how their fans feel.  Like you, I have absolutely no faith in the current regime to develop hitters.  The track record speaks for itself.  

[Maybebaby]

Being a fan since day 1 of 61 gonna be hard to give 'em up like booze or smokes but I'm gonna try...what a waste.

[bunsen82]

Nick you must enjoy misery.  If you can’t see better pastures I don’t know what you have been watching in the twins system.  If you like Keaschall you should enjoy both Gonzalez and Culpepper.  Along with Rodriguez, both of those players will either be helping the team at the start of the season or mid season.  If we can have 3-4 good hitters to add to a Buxton Wallner Jeffers, Lee you have a pretty good lineup. I still think Lee is making progress. He is getting awfully close to breaking into positive territory for WAR.  At this point we take what we can get.  Abel looks ready to join the rotation.  Roden was not the main piece of the Varland trade, that was Rojas.  Roden didn’t have a great showing but he still has a chance.  We are finding some pieces in the bullpen.  I also think we only win 1 more game in that stretch if we kept everyone.  
 

To me it seems like the org continues to put out weaker players to ensure we maintain a good draft slot. If someone Breaks out great. We need to keep players healthy. If Ryan’s gives us 3-4 more good outings that’s a best case scenario,  Ryan finally shows he can be the #1 pitcher the enter season rather than wearing down. Either as a major trade chip or for the Twins. I still can’t tell which direction the Twins are going but ultimately I think  1 of the SP gets traded. 

[stringer bell]

I would like to see the Twins be competitive in 2026. They currently have one component—starting pitching—to do so. That is counting on a healthy return for Pablo and no trades.

As mentioned, building a bullpen has to be a high priority. Current starters, bargain pickups or trade pieces?

On the position player side, it would be great to see some guys step forward. First round draft choices Lewis and Lee are the two guys who have the pedigree to do so and we saw Lewis be a fine hitter for about the first 100 games of his career.  Lee hit a grand slam and Lewis also homered today so maybe there’s some hope. I probably was most encouraged by Lewis markedly increasing his sprint speed, maybe he is just now feeling fully healthy. His defense has been pretty good all year.

[Danchat]

3 hours ago, Nick Nelson said:

None of these guys, except for Sands and perhaps Adams, have any business even being mentioned in Minnesota's pitching plans for next year. Sands has been bad this year and Adams, while showing glimpses of promise, has a 7.71 ERA and is now back in the minors. Are we going to even see anyone audition for a relief role on the 2026 team, or will the Twins stay the course of merely throwing guys out there to consume innings and get through the games, with no reason for any viewer to really care about how they perform?

Good stuff, Nick, and I agree word for word with this paragraph. You capture our frustration succinctly.

[USAFChief]

Tough to consider the current situation anything but a disaster. 

Even tougher to see any way 2026 isn't another one.

[D.C Twins]

1 hour ago, bunsen82 said:

Nick you must enjoy misery.  If you can’t see better pastures I don’t know what you have been watching in the twins system.  If you like Keaschall you should enjoy both Gonzalez and Culpepper.  Along with Rodriguez, both of those players will either be helping the team at the start of the season or mid season.  If we can have 3-4 good hitters to add to a Buxton Wallner Jeffers, Lee you have a pretty good lineup. I still think Lee is making progress. He is getting awfully close to breaking into positive territory for WAR.  At this point we take what we can get.  Abel looks ready to join the rotation.  Roden was not the main piece of the Varland trade, that was Rojas.  Roden didn’t have a great showing but he still has a chance.  We are finding some pieces in the bullpen.  I also think we only win 1 more game in that stretch if we kept everyone.  
 

To me it seems like the org continues to put out weaker players to ensure we maintain a good draft slot. If someone Breaks out great. We need to keep players healthy. If Ryan’s gives us 3-4 more good outings that’s a best case scenario,  Ryan finally shows he can be the #1 pitcher the enter season rather than wearing down. Either as a major trade chip or for the Twins. I still can’t tell which direction the Twins are going but ultimately I think  1 of the SP gets traded. 

If grandma had wheels she could be a bicycle.... 

[mrtwinsfan]

[mrtwinsfan]

Just now, mrtwinsfan said:

Honesty

[Nshore]

The Twins need to clear out some of the outfield dead weight in their line-up next year and bring in the youngsters.  Jettison Larnach, Wallner, and Rodent.  I know many like Wallner, but the guy is supposed to be a bruiser, and he has 20 something RBIs toward the end of August.  Killebrew used to have 20 RBIs by the end of the first game of the season.  Time for a new start.

[old nurse]

When Nelson Cruz was traded I don’t think anyone thought Joe Ryan would become what he is now.  The talk seemed to be he was a 2 pitch pitcher, which was not viewed favorably. The realities of the moment may not the future

The hitting part of the Twins is a frustration. It seems like they can pummel most teams 4-5 starter except if they are left handed. It gives the FO hope but the record shoud have dashed it

Trading even great relievers for hitting prospects is counting on the other team making a mistake on a prospect.. How many teams have traded a player that later regularly puts up 3 WAR as a near major league  read prospect ?  Reality has not set in 

[NYCTK]

Weird fact: for all the fretting about how the Twins have ruined their chances for many years by trading away controllable bullpen arms, the Twins bullpen has performed better AFTER the trade deadline than they did before it. 

The lack of production from the position players is the real concern. I want to like Roden and want to see him in the mix next season. I think the front office recognizes next year is sort of a punt year with minimum effort put into to building a true contender. It'd be a bit foolish to expect a bunch of prospects, great (Jenkins) and middling (Gonzalez) alike to come to the show and contribute positively. I think Roden was being counted on to be a sort of a low friction placeholder, there until someone forced their way to the majors. And his skillet seemed a decent fit to then move into a 4th OF role.

He's been so bad though that they can only really consider him a 40 man guy, barely higher in their depth chart than Austin Martin. Both players given a few more chances, but someone they could give up on with little concern. 

[Doctor Wu]

1 hour ago, Nshore said:

The Twins need to clear out some of the outfield dead weight in their line-up next year and bring in the youngsters. 

Fully agree on that idea. Larnach and Wallner have had their chances and have pretty much underwhelmed. Bring up some of these youngsters and let them sink or swim. 

[Doctor Wu]

9 hours ago, bunsen82 said:

Nick you must enjoy misery.  If you can’t see better pastures I don’t know what you have been watching in the twins system.  If you like Keaschall you should enjoy both Gonzalez and Culpepper.  Along with Rodriguez, both of those players will either be helping the team at the start of the season or mid season.  If we can have 3-4 good hitters to add to a Buxton Wallner Jeffers, Lee you have a pretty good lineup. I still think Lee is making progress. He is getting awfully close to breaking into positive territory for WAR.  At this point we take what we can get.  Abel looks ready to join the rotation.  Roden was not the main piece of the Varland trade, that was Rojas.  Roden didn’t have a great showing but he still has a chance.  We are finding some pieces in the bullpen.  I also think we only win 1 more game in that stretch if we kept everyone.  
 

To me it seems like the org continues to put out weaker players to ensure we maintain a good draft slot. If someone Breaks out great. We need to keep players healthy. If Ryan’s gives us 3-4 more good outings that’s a best case scenario,  Ryan finally shows he can be the #1 pitcher the enter season rather than wearing down. Either as a major trade chip or for the Twins. I still can’t tell which direction the Twins are going but ultimately I think  1 of the SP gets traded. 

Actually, I'm feeling a bit optimistic about next year already. Sure, lots of pieces to move and/or settle, plus that bullpen will be a big challenge to rebuild, but I don't feel all the doom and gloom that so many other are expressing. I think we needed to make some big changes, and the waves of trades last month was a start. We have a lot of exciting young players in the system and it's time to see what they can do on a bigger stage. 

[Whitey333]

Hope and hype.  That's what the Twins market.  Is there any reason for realistic hope with the current list of can't miss prospects?  People talk like prospects like Jenkins, Culpepper, Gonzales et al are guaranteed MLB stars.  I hope so but we can surely make an impressive list of the current can't miss prospects that are missing.  It's always the same.  We got these great prospects coming up.  Prospects are suspects until they prove themselves.  We have too many of them that either don't make it or they level off at the mid to upper 20s

[FlyingFinn]

4 minutes ago, Doctor Wu said:

Actually, I'm feeling a bit optimistic about next year already.

I would feel a lot better about 2026 with Varland as our closer.

[bunsen82]

19 minutes ago, Doctor Wu said:

Actually, I'm feeling a bit optimistic about next year already. Sure, lots of pieces to move and/or settle, plus that bullpen will be a big challenge to rebuild, but I don't feel all the doom and gloom that so many other are expressing. I think we needed to make some big changes, and the waves of trades last month was a start. We have a lot of exciting young players in the system and it's time to see what they can do on a bigger stage. 

The starting pitching should be a major depth point.  You have Ryan and Lopez if they keep them as a solid 1-2 punch.  Ober is the question mark.  If the velocity comes back he is a #3 option, if not he is a backend option. Abel continues to pitch well in AAA.  SWR has pitched solidly in the MLB over 2 seasons,  and Matthews shows some potential.  You then still have Bradley and Festa as backup options.  If SP is the hardest thing to accumulate we are sitting well on that end.  

LF Rodriguez/Gonzalez/Roden

CF  Buxton 

RF  Wallner/Larnach (Potentially 1 of them is traded in the offseason)

3rd  Lewis

SS  Lee/Culpepper

2nd Keashall

1st  ???? (Clemens, Sabato, FA?)

C  Jeffers

Honestly its not a bad core.  

Yes the hitting philosophy and some of the players approaches have not been great.  Can Lee become a 1 to 2 WAR player.  The fact he was a -.7 earlier in the season and currently sits at a -.3, yes I think he can.  He looks solid at SS.   If the bat just gets a bit better he becomes a very solid utility player and possibly someone another team want to take a chance on.  If not he is a great placeholder and insurance for Culpepper.  

Lewis,  has the potential to be great,  but the hitting approach is swing as hard as he can. If you can fix him,  suddenly the offense looks pretty good.   

Lastly the bullpen and pitching staff.  With basically Ryan as our lone healthy SP other than Ober,  would you be surprised to know in August the ERA of the entire staff is 3.93.   That is really solid.   There are pieces in there that definitely won't be part of 2026, but my guess is there will be more pieces than most anticipate.   Sands and Topa as of now will be the high leverage relievers.  You need 2 more solid relievers at minimum to find or add and you have the makings of a solid bullpen.   

We are running with 2-3 starting pitchers and 2 solid relievers and we are at 7-9 since the deadline against some pretty solid teams.   All in all we are not that far away.   

[Doctor Gast]

With a bunch of players that fell into our laps, we found success in '23. In '24, instead of building off that core (by at least picking up a veteran innings-eater), they chipped away at it. Making the rotation & INF fragile (with Julien mainstay at 2B & being injury plagued) without making any attempt to bolster them (I don't count injured DeSclavani, Margot or deadline Richards). In '25, they still did nothing to address our rotation & INF problems.

I get that we had the Twins' salary problem. Fine, stay away from FA (which they couldn't) & trade away some redundant players to bolster our weak points (which they didn't). Players, when they see their FO isn't doing anything to help them win while weakening them, no wonder they play uninspired & not hungry.

We had great veteran success experiences, who were there to guide the next group, where we could start a winning tradition. That hope wasn't only restricted but was ripped out of us. OK, the Twins were disappointing, then sell off the expiring contracts & with some slickness get something back. Even try to take advantage of the deadline & trade Jax to shore up our fragile areas adequately & still try to compete this year & in the future. If you are dead set on trading Correa, don't do it when his value is rock bottom, do it during the offseason. At least leave us hometown grabbler Varland, to anchor the BP.

It takes a lot of time, talent & luck to get to where we were at. I foresee us floundering for years after being gutted, So regretfully, why hang on to Ryan, Lopez & Jeffers? We'll see players like Lee & Keaschall, trying to put stuff together. It'll take a long time for prospects like Jenkins & Rodriguez to get established. I'll hope again after Falvey is gone & after that my expectancy can see anything in the distant future.

[bunsen82]

52 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

I would feel a lot better about 2026 with Varland as our closer.

I would as well.  I still come back that trading Varland will likely be the biggest trade we look back on and regret.   You got decent value but you had a potential multi year closer or fireman akin to the way we used Rogers.  

[mike8791]

Always enjoy your week wrapups, Nick!  Thoughtful and well-written.  I do think, however, you are excessively negative on the team's future.  Sure, the team's decision not to sell, coupled with the bullpen's decimation at the trade deadline was disheartening.  And I fully support vocal protests against the Pohlads for their reversal and, just as disheartening, their support for the Falvey/Rocco team.  The near term future(both in '25 and '26) looks bleak.  But as a long-time Twins/Senators fan, I remain mildly optimistic for the longer term, for a number of reasons:

1.  BA's revised prospect ratings put the Twins as #2 only behind the Dodgers.  Moreover, we now have 5 prospects in the top 100 ratings. While this does not mean instant success it is an indication that the team greatly improved their minor league system with their trades. Our future rotation, with Abel and Bradley added to a solid core of Lopez, Ryan, Ober and SWR, looks like a strong base going forward.  Mathews and Festa have shown enough flashes of solid depth to allow for trading one of the top four for badly needed offensive help.

2.  Correa's salary dump was the right move.  He was an albatross on future spending and while I do not expect any top FA signings to result, there is now much more flexibility to add some meaningful FAs.  Bringing $300-400MM of outside capital also allows for loosening of the purse strings.

3. While the evisceration of the pen was shocking, it is easier to build a pen than a rotation.  We have several minor leaguers like Prielip, Raya, and even Festa who are viable candidates to help the big league club as soon as next year.  No, a Duran replacement is not apparent yet, but our ability to turn failed starters into big league relievers gives me some hope for future development success.

Yes, the offense remains well below average, yet we seem to have more competition for weak positions: Culpepper at SS, Jenkins, EM and Gonzales for corner OF and two rookie catchers who have high upside.  Not all these names will produce but if 1 or 2 do, the Twins offense has to be improved, if not next year, then hopefully in '27.   Lots of hope and wishful thinking here, but I for one am glad of the shakeup.  It was overdue.   Ownership's continuation certainly dampens hope for a quick turnaround but there are some reasons for optimism now that the deck has been partially cleared.  Don't despair!

 

[Blyleven2011]

12 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

What's left to be said?  Always a good summary thank you. 

Might be the best right on article I've read this year ...

The most important point Nelson said was trading off deadline pitching and not addressing our weaknesses  ( hitting ) , very good bullpen pitching with team control should have brought better returns , we got some talent but not enough  ...

If the FO would have traded for major league ready players that could help the offense then I would have considered it a minor sucess ...

We still could have been 500 team if they would have done it right  ...

Falvey has proven he is not a very good deadline trader , he's had more success during the off season , that's how I see it ...

[LastOnePicked]

I didn't mind the shift to a rebuild ... but with the Pohads remaining in control, this isn't a rebuild. It's a demolished lot that ownership intends to let stand vacant for "asset appreciation."

After the debacle of this week, I propose a new MLB ownership rule to coincide with any revenue sharing. If your team receives revenue sharing dollars and doesn't make it to the LCS within any 15-year span, you are required to sell the team back to MLB for the exact price you paid for it. MLB will then facilitate a sale to new owners, and any additional profit goes to support youth baseball.

[Woof Bronzer]

A lot of posters here seem to be forgetting that this organization cannot develop hitters, and is currently "developing" the concept of a starting pitcher out of the organization altogether.  Having a highly rated farm system is irrelevant if you can't turn the prospects into legitimate MLBers.  

[NYCTK]

2 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

I would feel a lot better about 2026 with Varland as our closer.

Sure, but the front office isn't overly concerned about the Ws and Ls in 2026. Rightfully so, and the fans should reset their expectations accordingly. They made a good decision to blow up the team, so they're not going to change course immediately by  trying to contend just one season later. 

51 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

Can Lee become a 1 to 2 WAR player...yes I think he can.  He looks solid at SS.   If the bat just gets a bit better he becomes a very solid utility player and possibly someone another team want to take a chance on.  If not he is a great placeholder and insurance for Culpepper.  

This is how I view both him and Roden now. Not surprisingly they've both been worth exactly 0.0 fWAR. Neither of them are young or prospects anymore, but there's enough skills present that you can expect them to improve to the point they can be a 1.0-2.0 WAR player. Not anything you're building a team around, but perfectly good starter that you can fade into a IF or 4OF bench role. 

56 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

my guess is there will be more pieces than most anticipate.   Sands and Topa as of now will be the high leverage relievers.  You need 2 more solid relievers at minimum to find or add and you have the makings of a solid bullpen.   

Yeah, all of Sands, Topa, and Funderburk will be present in the 2026 bullpen and that's fine. They're all reasonably priced and they all have options in the event they need roster flexibility. Tonkin will likely be brought back but he's always a good candidate to be DFAd and shipped off to the next MLB bullpen that needs an expendable arm for a few weeks. 

But that leaves 2 spots for some Free Agents, and 2 spots to shuffle through failed starters in the minors to see who might excel. The bullpen situation is fine despite everyone losing their minds over it. 

41 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

I didn't mind the shift to a rebuild ... but with the Pohads remaining in control, this isn't a rebuild. It's a demolished lot that ownership intends to let stand vacant for "asset appreciation."

It's very easy to feel discouraged, but all of the moves made were completely defensible in an effort to try to actually contend as soon as 2027.

People are showing too much negativity and despair, especially with this idea that the Pohlads will just completely change their ownership style now, and just become the Pirates. They suck, no doubt, and next year's budget is going to be small, but that's not even necessarily an ownership driven decision. It doesn't make sense to inflate your payroll during a rebuild. 

Just remember: Falvey is way more responsible for this team's woes than the Pohalds. 

[Jeff K]

1 hour ago, bunsen82 said:

The starting pitching should be a major depth point.  You have Ryan and Lopez if they keep them as a solid 1-2 punch.  Ober is the question mark.  If the velocity comes back he is a #3 option, if not he is a backend option. Abel continues to pitch well in AAA.  SWR has pitched solidly in the MLB over 2 seasons,  and Matthews shows some potential.  You then still have Bradley and Festa as backup options.  If SP is the hardest thing to accumulate we are sitting well on that end.  

LF Rodriguez/Gonzalez/Roden

CF  Buxton 

RF  Wallner/Larnach (Potentially 1 of them is traded in the offseason)

3rd  Lewis

SS  Lee/Culpepper

2nd Keashall

1st  ???? (Clemens, Sabato, FA?)

C  Jeffers

Honestly its not a bad core.  

Yes the hitting philosophy and some of the players approaches have not been great.  Can Lee become a 1 to 2 WAR player.  The fact he was a -.7 earlier in the season and currently sits at a -.3, yes I think he can.  He looks solid at SS.   If the bat just gets a bit better he becomes a very solid utility player and possibly someone another team want to take a chance on.  If not he is a great placeholder and insurance for Culpepper.  

Lewis,  has the potential to be great,  but the hitting approach is swing as hard as he can. If you can fix him,  suddenly the offense looks pretty good.   

Lastly the bullpen and pitching staff.  With basically Ryan as our lone healthy SP other than Ober,  would you be surprised to know in August the ERA of the entire staff is 3.93.   That is really solid.   There are pieces in there that definitely won't be part of 2026, but my guess is there will be more pieces than most anticipate.   Sands and Topa as of now will be the high leverage relievers.  You need 2 more solid relievers at minimum to find or add and you have the makings of a solid bullpen.   

We are running with 2-3 starting pitchers and 2 solid relievers and we are at 7-9 since the deadline against some pretty solid teams.   All in all we are not that far away.   

I agree with much of what you say; however, I think you understate troubles of the Twins bullpen.  Sands has been, at best, mediocre this season and Topa has been decent.  They can not be counted on as front line relief pitchers.

[P Meyer]

Really happy to see Keaschall, Lee, and Lewis getting consistent at bats, and time at positions. I don't know that they will ever amount to long term MLB players, but consistency is probably the best chance for them to do so. 

[P Meyer]

15 minutes ago, NYCTK said:

Sure, but the front office isn't overly concerned about the Ws and Ls in 2026. Rightfully so, and the fans should reset their expectations accordingly. They made a good decision to blow up the team, so they're not going to change course immediately by  trying to contend just one season later. 

This is how I view both him and Roden now. Not surprisingly they've both been worth exactly 0.0 fWAR. Neither of them are young or prospects anymore, but there's enough skills present that you can expect them to improve to the point they can be a 1.0-2.0 WAR player. Not anything you're building a team around, but perfectly good starter that you can fade into a IF or 4OF bench role. 

Yeah, all of Sands, Topa, and Funderburk will be present in the 2026 bullpen and that's fine. They're all reasonably priced and they all have options in the event they need roster flexibility. Tonkin will likely be brought back but he's always a good candidate to be DFAd and shipped off to the next MLB bullpen that needs an expendable arm for a few weeks. 

But that leaves 2 spots for some Free Agents, and 2 spots to shuffle through failed starters in the minors to see who might excel. The bullpen situation is fine despite everyone losing their minds over it. 

It's very easy to feel discouraged, but all of the moves made were completely defensible in an effort to try to actually contend as soon as 2027.

People are showing too much negativity and despair, especially with this idea that the Pohlads will just completely change their ownership style now, and just become the Pirates. They suck, no doubt, and next year's budget is going to be small, but that's not even necessarily an ownership driven decision. It doesn't make sense to inflate your payroll during a rebuild. 

Just remember: Falvey is way more responsible for this team's woes than the Pohalds. 

Strong disagreement here. It starts and ends with the owner. Good owners invest in the team. Bad ones don't. Good owners hire good people. Bad ones don't. Good owners are accountable. Bad ones aren't. 

[NYCTK]

8 minutes ago, P Meyer said:

Strong disagreement here. It starts and ends with the owner. Good owners invest in the team. Bad ones don't. Good owners hire good people. Bad ones don't. Good owners are accountable. Bad ones aren't. 

I agree it ultimately falls on them, cause they should have fired Falvey and Rocco last October.

But Falvey is the one that built this terrible team. He's the one that constructed an opening day roster featuring Randy Dobnak, DaShawn Keirsey and Mickey Gasper, despite a pretty healthy $140 Million payroll and a fairly healthy roster. Joe Pohlad is a wealthy dope, but that's not on him.