Can the Twins Compete in 2026? At all? A response.

[DocBauer]

12 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

Can they compete in 2026? 

Yes they can... they gotta rebuild the bullpen but that can be done.

I think we will be strong in the starting rotation and I'm hopeful that we stay away from the cheap one year vet to fill position player spots.  

If they choose to spend some money... we have some money to spend now. Don't know if they will choose to spend money. But, they got the money to rebuild that pen now.  

. 

  

I agree. You either trust the talent/prospects on hand, the arms you've acquired, or you don't. 

And if you don't, then why are you in charge of anything?

I do disagree somewhat with 1yr rentals. I do think a couple FA arms to help the re-build of the pen makes sense. Honestly, I think Coulombe, for example, might have another solid year as a 1 out, 1 IP mid game option makes sense. Maybe there's another Stewart out there, or similar, coming off a bad season.

Jeffers does need a semi-decent backup because Cardenas probably isn't ready yet.

And I currently SO FIXATED on Josh Naylor as 1B to add a veteran bat and presence to the team.

But I don't want any other 1yr options that block Rodriguez, Jenkins, K Culpepper, or even GG or Fedko. I'm with you on that for sure.

[DocBauer]

On 8/25/2025 at 7:37 AM, jorgenswest said:

I appreciate the hope. A few thoughts.

• I think both Jenkins in the outfield and Prielipp in the pen can help from opening day.
• If they can’t get a player for Larnach it is OK to go the Rosario direction and let him go.
• Change in leadership brings new energy to any organization. They need that energy. 

I don't believe Jenkins will there opening day. Reaching AAA as a 20yo is CRAZY! I'm of the opinion that sometimes you just take an uber talented kid and run with him. Keaschall is a recent example. He was, and still is, recovering from TJ surgery, plus his broken forearm. But the talent can't be denied.

Em Rodriguez is about 30 days of health from wearing a Twins uniform. He's an enigma, but an enigma who could be good to potential All Star ability. But he's a little older, has played at AAA and flashes a bit, and I'd give a job in LF tomorrow if healthy and just live with it the way the Brewers did with Chourio. Rodriguez is talented enough to do the same. 

Not a knock on Jenkins at all. I just don't care about ROY or an extra draft pick if he is. I only care about a yet to turn 21yo kid who MIGHT NEED a couple weeks or months to just polish his game a bit more. Especially considering he's missed so much time and STILL been this good.

I do think Larnach is gone for various reasons. I think he has some trade value by himself, or with someone else as part of a deal. LH bats with a career .760 OPS against RHP who can OF part of the time with some decent power don't grow on trees. IDEALLY, he might be moved with a prospect for someone's #2 or #3 setup arm that is young and controlled for a couple of years. But I might be shooting high there.

Were I in charge of the Twins, I'd still keep Prielipp in the rotation, find a 4th pitch that works, and keep him working on how to set up batters. He's still learning how to be a "pitcher" and not a thrower. He's still only 24yo. But I don't disagree he has potential STUD RP ability. 

I just wouldn't go that direction just yet considering age and potential. 

[stringer bell]

I'm not anywhere near certain that Jenkins is ready, but if he is five weeks of AAA ball is plenty. He was regarded in the same prospect stratosphere as Chourio of the Brewers and he made the majors at 20. He was a good player as a rookie, so it isn't crazy to have Jenkins on the Opening Day roster.

Emmanuel Rodriguez just hasn't been healthy enough to develop. His numbers are always enhanced by a high walk rate, but he strikes out a ton and never produces a high batting average FWIW. I'd like to see Fedko in September with the idea that one of Fedko, Gonzalez or Rosario is the RH outfield option for the Twins in 2026. I've seen enough of Austin Martin. 

[jorgenswest]

@DocBauer 

Really appreciate the thoughts.

They failed to get something for Rosario and Farmer. They non-tendered  Rosario and retained Farmer. I wonder which would be the best route for Larnach. If they can’t get a real return should they keep him?

I am not certain the Twins are preparing Prielipp as a starter.  Think they prefer all of their potential major league arms to have the regular routine of a starter and this year the added 4 day regular routine. It gives an opportunity to get in work between each outing. In Prielipp’s case, the priority of a healthy arm had him pitching every 7th and then moving to every 6th day midseason. That is the same routine was given to Ragans when he missed three seasons with two surgeries. Ragans did end up starting. I wonder about Duran. Was one his arm injury in 2021 one of the motivations to put Duran in the pen? He was 24 when they made the move though he had pitched the routine of a starter in the minors. 

I wonder if their mind is open to Jenkins winning a spot in the spring and starting the season in the majors. Mine would be. 

 

[Muppet]

17 hours ago, stringer bell said:

I'd stop with the first five who were high draft choices or who had impressive rookie seasons (Julien). Keirsey Jr., Gasper and McCusker were older when promoted and never regarded as future stars or even certain to be major leaguers.

I'd normally stop after Julien, but I'd imagine that if the Twins system could produce decent players among those five than at least one or two of the others (Kiersey, Gasper, McCusker, etc.) would also have a decent chance at becoming a good player in the majors. 

[DocBauer]

On 8/27/2025 at 7:33 AM, jorgenswest said:

@DocBauer 

Really appreciate the thoughts.

They failed to get something for Rosario and Farmer. They non-tendered  Rosario and retained Farmer. I wonder which would be the best route for Larnach. If they can’t get a real return should they keep him?

I am not certain the Twins are preparing Prielipp as a starter.  Think they prefer all of their potential major league arms to have the regular routine of a starter and this year the added 4 day regular routine. It gives an opportunity to get in work between each outing. In Prielipp’s case, the priority of a healthy arm had him pitching every 7th and then moving to every 6th day midseason. That is the same routine was given to Ragans when he missed three seasons with two surgeries. Ragans did end up starting. I wonder about Duran. Was one his arm injury in 2021 one of the motivations to put Duran in the pen? He was 24 when they made the move though he had pitched the routine of a starter in the minors. 

I wonder if their mind is open to Jenkins winning a spot in the spring and starting the season in the majors. Mine would be. 

 

I DO think they look at Prielipp as a SP option. He's going to be 25yo in February and he needs better  command and maybe a 4th pitch to truly  DOMINATE ML SP.

EXPERIENCE WISE, Prielipp is a 21-22yo kid still learning how to pitch. 

Wouldn't you give him a couple of months to see if he could BE  that kind of pitcher? 

[jorgenswest]

5 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I DO think they look at Prielipp as a SP option. He's going to be 25yo in February and he needs better  command and maybe a 4th pitch to truly  DOMINATE ML SP.

EXPERIENCE WISE, Prielipp is a 21-22yo kid still learning how to pitch. 

Wouldn't you give him a couple of months to see if he could BE  that kind of pitcher? 

I really don’t know enough about the prognosis for the health of his arm and whether relief is the best role. The Twins didn’t give Duran that couple of months. Maybe they should have. I think the concern about the health of his arm was part of it. 

[tony&rodney]

Compete can be seen from different levels. Last night the Twins defeated a very good San Diego team. In numerous games sprinkled throughout the year the Twins have won games against excellent teams and had great plate appearances against numerous top starting pitchers. In those games the Twins did compete quite well.

The current roster, plus other players already within the organization, has enough talent to compete in many games next year. They could win anywhere from 60-70 games without making too many changes. So yes, the Twins can compete in the majority of games.

If one takes compete to mean win an AL Central title or qualify for the playoffs, there is an entire different sort of factors that would need to line up. If the Twins hold on to what many feel is their core (Jeffers, Keaschall, Lee, Lewis, Wallner, Buxton, Lopez, Ryan, and Ober), some things would need to happen. All of the core would need to eclipse anything they have done so far as baseball players, remain fully healthy all year, and the core would need substantial help from numerous pitchers and rookie position players (think ROY type seasons). If all of the above occur there is a chance, albeit slim.

The front office should be discussing dozens of potential trades with many teams and looking at various options for signings to improve the odds for 2026. Anything can happen. I'm just hoping that the Twins can field a competitive team next year. It will be easier to figure out what type of competitive once the roster is finalized.

[RpR]

Can the Twins Compete in 2026?

Yes!

[DocBauer]

On 8/27/2025 at 7:30 AM, stringer bell said:

I'm not anywhere near certain that Jenkins is ready, but if he is five weeks of AAA ball is plenty. He was regarded in the same prospect stratosphere as Chourio of the Brewers and he made the majors at 20. He was a good player as a rookie, so it isn't crazy to have Jenkins on the Opening Day roster.

Emmanuel Rodriguez just hasn't been healthy enough to develop. His numbers are always enhanced by a high walk rate, but he strikes out a ton and never produces a high batting average FWIW. I'd like to see Fedko in September with the idea that one of Fedko, Gonzalez or Rosario is the RH outfield option for the Twins in 2026. I've seen enough of Austin Martin. 

I believe Jenkins is really close. And when we do see him, even if he does well, I don't believe we're going to see anything close to a finished product to be sure. And I'm fully in favor of following a more Brewers-like philosophy of promoting top prospects quicker, and living with some questionable early production.

They've pretty much done that with Keaschall this year.

But just MY opinion, as great as Jenkins has been, a couple of minor injuries have robbed him of actual playing time. I think that's part of the reason his power is just begining to translate. I think a month or two at AAA would serve him well to just work on his growing power and ease him a bit better to MLB. June 1st as a 21yo works for me.

Rodriguez is an enigma. And maybe he always will be. If we're honest with ourselves, there's as a chance he's a bust as a potential All Star. But as much of an enigma as he's been, he's still been the same productive player at every level. And the talent is undeniable. HEALTH remains the issue. 

IMO, his actual BATTING AVERAGE is what's in question. There's still concern he might be too passive at the plate, looking for the perfect pitch. Not dissimilar to Sano. (Or even Julien). But a .423 MILB OB% seems to state he does have a sense of the zone. The power is great. The speed and defense are very good. Following the whole Brewers-like approach I'd like to see the Twins follow, I'd put him in OF tomorrow if he had a healthy stretch. And if he struggled enough, send him down, and get him right back up when he looks good again.

If someone could promise he'd only HIT in the .240-.240 range, but still keep his OB% around .350+...still WAY lower than his MILB numbers...K around 30-35% of the time but have a BB% of around 18%, with 30+ doubles and be a 20/20 guy with great defense, I wouldn't care about his AVG or K numbers.

I'd also like to see Fedko in September. I'm tired of NOT giving fast rising prospects a shot just because they aren't 22-23yo. Interesting that he's playing some 1B for St Paul. Gonzalez, while not as fast, and probably restricted to a corner spot and DH might be the better player in the long run, Fedko has earned a legitimate shot.

[DocBauer]

On 8/27/2025 at 7:33 AM, jorgenswest said:

@DocBauer 

Really appreciate the thoughts.

They failed to get something for Rosario and Farmer. They non-tendered  Rosario and retained Farmer. I wonder which would be the best route for Larnach. If they can’t get a real return should they keep him?

I am not certain the Twins are preparing Prielipp as a starter.  Think they prefer all of their potential major league arms to have the regular routine of a starter and this year the added 4 day regular routine. It gives an opportunity to get in work between each outing. In Prielipp’s case, the priority of a healthy arm had him pitching every 7th and then moving to every 6th day midseason. That is the same routine was given to Ragans when he missed three seasons with two surgeries. Ragans did end up starting. I wonder about Duran. Was one his arm injury in 2021 one of the motivations to put Duran in the pen? He was 24 when they made the move though he had pitched the routine of a starter in the minors. 

I wonder if their mind is open to Jenkins winning a spot in the spring and starting the season in the majors. Mine would be. 

 

The 4 day routine was just for arms that have talent, but who don't project to being legitimate ML starters. Adams and Ohl are the poster boys but there were others used in that way as well. It's a way to develop some solid 7-8th man swing guys in the pen that can give you a couple good innings every few days rather than a collection of only 1 IP arms.

As far as Prielipp is concerned, he'll be 24yo next season in AAA. That's not exactly old, especially for someone with so little experience. Speculation and rumor has the Twins working with him on a 4th pitch. His pure stuff is dynamite. But he's still learning how to "pitch". A 4th offering couldn't hurt.

He's had one official TJ surgery. Depending on what source you read, he's either had a 2nd TJ surgery, OR, they DIDN'T perform a 2nd one, they just added the new mesh brace to his existing previous surgery. From what I've read, that's the more accurate procedure. Still, there is the debate about someone with his potential maybe being a top of the rotation starter at 24-25yo...not old by any standards...versus not wasting bullets in the gun and just turning him to a potentially dominant arm in the pen. I think both sides have merit. I believe the Twins are going to stick with him as a potential SP for now.

Duran kept having shoulder issues. Not surgery issues, but fatigue and the such. Some arms are just built for shorter innings more often. There's a couple of similar arms right now in the system that might make a similar move. Festa is one of them.

[DocBauer]

On 8/30/2025 at 8:53 AM, tony&rodney said:

Compete can be seen from different levels. Last night the Twins defeated a very good San Diego team. In numerous games sprinkled throughout the year the Twins have won games against excellent teams and had great plate appearances against numerous top starting pitchers. In those games the Twins did compete quite well.

The current roster, plus other players already within the organization, has enough talent to compete in many games next year. They could win anywhere from 60-70 games without making too many changes. So yes, the Twins can compete in the majority of games.

If one takes compete to mean win an AL Central title or qualify for the playoffs, there is an entire different sort of factors that would need to line up. If the Twins hold on to what many feel is their core (Jeffers, Keaschall, Lee, Lewis, Wallner, Buxton, Lopez, Ryan, and Ober), some things would need to happen. All of the core would need to eclipse anything they have done so far as baseball players, remain fully healthy all year, and the core would need substantial help from numerous pitchers and rookie position players (think ROY type seasons). If all of the above occur there is a chance, albeit slim.

The front office should be discussing dozens of potential trades with many teams and looking at various options for signings to improve the odds for 2026. Anything can happen. I'm just hoping that the Twins can field a competitive team next year. It will be easier to figure out what type of competitive once the roster is finalized.

I don't disagree that there are some IF's to be answered in order for the Twins to be an 85 type win team and compete for the ALC or a WC.

But there is ZERO chance if they just blow up the team and trade Lopez and Ryan. That's just a complete teardown that I don't think they have to do.

Buxton is a stud. Keaschall looks a potential one. What if 26yo Lewis can have a healthy year and get his stance/timing figured out? How about a healthy Wallner getting 450 PA and perform like he did in both '23 and '24? Jeffers is one of the top 4-5 offensive catchers in MLB over the past 5 years. Lee is hopefully going to continue his current improvement arc. And are we just going to dismiss TOP prospects like Jenkins, Rodriguez, and K Pepper being so close?

Yes, granted, there are some real IF's in there.

But my whole point was the team ISN'T devoid of talent, even in a disappointment season. Add a veteran BAT, convert a few arms to the pen, add a couple interesting arms that might be on the rebound and you just might have a solid pen. (Always additional arms to bring up later as well). And your total payroll for 2026 sits around $120M. That's less than this season.

ZERO guarantees! But I sure like TRYING rather than NOT trying. 

 

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, DocBauer said:

I don't disagree that there are some IF's to be answered in order for the Twins to be an 85 type win team and compete for the ALC or a WC.

But there is ZERO chance if they just blow up the team and trade Lopez and Ryan. That's just a complete teardown that I don't think they have to do.

A ton of ifs, for sure. Zero is not a chance and there is always an opportunity based on numbers. Sometimes the odds are very poor though. Right now the Twins are anywhere from the 12th-15th best team in the AL and anywhere from the 22nd-30th in MLB. Without some rather drastic changes or spectacular ifs between now and next April the Twins project as a team that wins somewhere around 75 games. Now those are just numbers and anyone can always bet against the odds. Any team has a chance. The Twins, Rockies, etc. all have a chance. The Twins rolled it back several times recently. The trade deadline purge shifted the roster more towards rebuilding. Only the front office and ownership knows the next phase. I wouldn't get  set with any players at this time.

[TNtwins85]

Good article! I love when people can see the positives and how the Twins can and should be competitive with a few tweaks at this point. If Ober can have a solid few weeks I believe they try to move him. This team is not as far off as people think and if they can piece together a bullpen they’re right there.

[SteveLV]

I want the Twins to get some of these young players up to MLB and see what they can do.  

Now.

Rosters expand today.  Gonzalez, Rodriguez and Fedko all deserve some AB's.  Promote 2 of them, please.

[Major League Ready]

On 8/25/2025 at 4:14 PM, RpR said:

Do another 2019 and bring in quality veterans ,BUT,  find a Quality SS, move Lee to 3rd and let Lewis, if he is still here, be nothing more than back-up.

 

In the words of John McEnroe .... You can't be serious!

[RpR]

2 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

In the words of John McEnroe .... You can't be serious!

Serious.

[notoriousgod71]

19 hours ago, SteveLV said:

I want the Twins to get some of these young players up to MLB and see what they can do.  

Now.

Rosters expand today.  Gonzalez, Rodriguez and Fedko all deserve some AB's.  Promote 2 of them, please.

You'll get Adams and Keirsey and you'll like it.

[Major League Ready]

On 8/31/2025 at 11:17 PM, tony&rodney said:

A ton of ifs, for sure. Zero is not a chance and there is always an opportunity based on numbers. Sometimes the odds are very poor though. Right now the Twins are anywhere from the 12th-15th best team in the AL and anywhere from the 22nd-30th in MLB. Without some rather drastic changes or spectacular ifs between now and next April the Twins project as a team that wins somewhere around 75 games. Now those are just numbers and anyone can always bet against the odds. Any team has a chance. The Twins, Rockies, etc. all have a chance. The Twins rolled it back several times recently. The trade deadline purge shifted the roster more towards rebuilding. Only the front office and ownership knows the next phase. I wouldn't get  set with any players at this time.

It is all about the odds.  75 seems slightly optimistic but let’s go with that.  How do we get a shot at 85-86 wins to have a shot at the playoffs.  Spend $50M on Free agents.  That would project to 80 wins.  Now what?  Are we going to trade away prospects in an attempt to get to 85 wins.  We might be able to keep Jenkins but it would take some good prospects to bring back a couple of impact bats or RPs.  Should we trade away Matthews / Festa / Culpepper / Emma / GG?  

What are the odds the free agents and trades produce enough to get us to 85 wins?  Is making the playoffs with a fringe playoff team goal worthy and worthy of the cost of getting there.
What is the cost?  Several good prospects traded away and several good prospects not acquired for Ryan/Lopez/Ober.  That is a dramatic shift in future resources.  We would also most likely be taking on a couple long-term contracts and we know from history the back half of those contracts are generally not productive.  Sunk payroll costs are also a likely detriment to post 2027.   The net of it is that taking a shot 2026 and 2027 if we have a season significantly reduces our chances for several years post 2027.  

Even if the odds of success are the same with these two strategies which I doubt, one strategy has the potential for 2 years of success and the other 5-7 years or perhaps more with extensions and the ability to trade from excess.
 

[tony&rodney]

42 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

It is all about the odds.  75 seems slightly optimistic but let’s go with that.  How do we get a shot at 85-86 wins to have a shot at the playoffs.  Spend $50M on Free agents.  That would project to 80 wins.  Now what?  Are we going to trade away prospects in an attempt to get to 85 wins.  We might be able to keep Jenkins but it would take some good prospects to bring back a couple of impact bats or RPs.  Should we trade away Matthews / Festa / Culpepper / Emma / GG?  

What are the odds the free agents and trades produce enough to get us to 85 wins?  Is making the playoffs with a fringe playoff team goal worthy and worthy of the cost of getting there.
What is the cost?  Several good prospects traded away and several good prospects not acquired for Ryan/Lopez/Ober.  That is a dramatic shift in future resources.  We would also most likely be taking on a couple long-term contracts and we know from history the back half of those contracts are generally not productive.  Sunk payroll costs are also a likely detriment to post 2027.   The net of it is that taking a shot 2026 and 2027 if we have a season significantly reduces our chances for several years post 2027.  

Even if the odds of success are the same with these two strategies which I doubt, one strategy has the potential for 2 years of success and the other 5-7 years or perhaps more with extensions and the ability to trade from excess.
 

75 was very optimistic. I don't like predicting 100 losses. I have no idea where Falvey is leading this organization. I'm not sure he is capable of gaining the talent needed in trades. Uncertainty abounds in my mind for the Twins. Yet I do think there is potential for positive change.

The current roster is either the worst team in MLB or among the bottom five. If the roster is rolled back, expectations should be low. 

As much as we may want this guy or that guy to remain Twins, the best bet for the Twins is for each of the five players mentioned to close the season on hot streaks raising their value among other teams. The position side of the roster needs sweeping changes. I'm hoping for a busy November and December.

[Major League Ready]

5 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

75 was very optimistic. I don't like predicting 100 losses. I have no idea where Falvey is leading this organization. I'm not sure he is capable of gaining the talent needed in trades. Uncertainty abounds in my mind for the Twins. Yet I do think there is potential for positive change.

The current roster is either the worst team in MLB or among the bottom five. If the roster is rolled back, expectations should be low. 

As much as we may want this guy or that guy to remain Twins, the best bet for the Twins is for each of the five players mentioned to close the season on hot streaks raising their value among other teams. The position side of the roster needs sweeping changes. I'm hoping for a busy November and December.

I think what happened at the trade deadline is a pretty clear indication of where Falvey is leading this team.  Trading Duran / Jax / Varland and Correa is a clear signal they are going to retool / rebuild the roster in a manner that can't be done over an off-season.  

My guess is they will spend all of 2026 and part of 2027 transitioning in players for every part of the roster.    The OF will transition to 3 of Jenkins / Roden / Rodriguez / Gonzalez / Fedko and Outman with Wallner becoming a primary DH and occasional OFer.  Their many pitching prospects will be auditioned with some becoming part of the rotation and others moved to the BP.   The INF has less moving parts in 2026 and is pretty dependent of Culpepper making the leap.  Lewis will get the entire year to prove he belongs.  1B is hard to predict.  Maybe they bring in a France equivalent.

[tony&rodney]

2 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

I think what happened at the trade deadline is a pretty clear indication of where Falvey is leading this team.  Trading Duran / Jax / Varland and Correa is a clear signal they are going to retool / rebuild the roster in a manner that can't be done over an off-season.  

My guess is they will spend all of 2026 and part of 2027 transitioning in players for every part of the roster.    The OF will transition to 3 of Jenkins / Roden / Rodriguez / Gonzalez / Fedko and Outman with Wallner becoming a primary DH and occasional OFer.  Their many pitching prospects will be auditioned with some becoming part of the rotation and others moved to the BP.   The INF has less moving parts in 2026 and is pretty dependent of Culpepper making the leap.  Lewis will get the entire year to prove he belongs.  1B is hard to predict.  Maybe they bring in a France equivalent.

This sounds like you expect the Twins to chase the Rockies and White Sox for a record. Another article asked which among Lopez, Ryan, Jeffers, Wallner, and Lewis would be traded. A few people added in Ober and Larnach. In one article there was a comment asking people to play the other side and questions what the Twins would want for Walker Jenkins (comment did not suggest a trade). That made me think of whether a Tarik Skubel for Walker Jenkins deal was way off. Never happen? Who says no? The reverse of that is Joe Ryan plus a good A ball prospect for Max Clark. Never happen? Who says no? This coming winter should be an opportunity to create a more talented team. The Twins should not be trading Ryan and/or Lopez for a pile of utility players. The Twins need value. Any of the others should be discussed widely. 

I do expect Royce Lewis and Matt Wallner back, which is a big part of my pessimism for next year. Larnach, Julien and Miranda had some value a few years ago, but they were never going to be consistent answers. I view  Lewis and Wallner in a similar vein. Who even knows if other teams consider either as viable players though. Any of us on this board can forward a pile of ideas but we have zero clue of demand or what is available.

[Irishman]

Next season, I don't think any free agents would want to sign with the Minnesota Twins.  They wouldn't be a very good team next year.

I wouldn't sign with the Minnesota Twins if I were a baseball player.     

[TwinsAlmostWin]

It is shocking to me that this many people have asked you if the Twins can compete next year - it's honestly unbelievable. This many people asking you such a stupid question is such a microcosm into Twins culture. The Twins as a whole won't look much different than this year, yet people are expecting THIS team to compete for a WS? Are you seriously kidding me!? WE JUST LOST FOUR IN A ROW TO THE WHITE SOX!

 

Also, let's assume most people asking you if the Twins can compete next year are asking if you think the Twins have a shot to make the playoffs, which is ridiculous. I want to shake people who think way. The team needs to take steps towards winning a WS or BUST. I'm so sick and tired of "making the playoffs" essentially being our WS. 

For the first time in my life, I am actually wondering if the Twins moving out of town wouldn't be a bad thing, which is sad to say. 

[DocBauer]

On 9/3/2025 at 6:19 PM, TwinsAlmostWin said:

It is shocking to me that this many people have asked you if the Twins can compete next year - it's honestly unbelievable. This many people asking you such a stupid question is such a microcosm into Twins culture. The Twins as a whole won't look much different than this year, yet people are expecting THIS team to compete for a WS? Are you seriously kidding me!? WE JUST LOST FOUR IN A ROW TO THE WHITE SOX!

 

Also, let's assume most people asking you if the Twins can compete next year are asking if you think the Twins have a shot to make the playoffs, which is ridiculous. I want to shake people who think way. The team needs to take steps towards winning a WS or BUST. I'm so sick and tired of "making the playoffs" essentially being our WS. 

For the first time in my life, I am actually wondering if the Twins moving out of town wouldn't be a bad thing, which is sad to say. 

I appreciate your opinion. I really do. And I understand your perspective and frustration with the team right now, the moves made, and questions about the FO and ownership. 

But the whole point of the thread was a response to "CAN they compete". And IMO, that's different than WILL they compete.

CAN and WILL come down to ownership and the FO.

Imagine, just for a moment, that they KEEP Lopez and Ryan. With all the talent available, you have a good rotation and depth. Now imagine Lewis and Wallner rebound, and Lee keeps progressing. You've got top prospects like Keaschall, Rodriguez, Jenkins, and K-Pepper arrived, or very close to doing so. What if they add a solid 1B with a solid bat?

That means a team that MIGHT compete if they can smartly add a couple decent pen arms, and transition a couple arms for the pen and just be solid/competent there.

So it's not an overly optimistic belief about WILL THEY. It's about a few smart additions without blowing up the payroll and providing a CAN THEY opportunity. 

So I began this thread with the CAN THEY idea/response.

[TwinsAlmostWin]

16 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I appreciate your opinion. I really do. And I understand your perspective and frustration with the team right now, the moves made, and questions about the FO and ownership. 

But the whole point of the thread was a response to "CAN they compete". And IMO, that's different than WILL they compete.

CAN and WILL come down to ownership and the FO.

Imagine, just for a moment, that they KEEP Lopez and Ryan. With all the talent available, you have a good rotation and depth. Now imagine Lewis and Wallner rebound, and Lee keeps progressing. You've got top prospects like Keaschall, Rodriguez, Jenkins, and K-Pepper arrived, or very close to doing so. What if they add a solid 1B with a solid bat?

That means a team that MIGHT compete if they can smartly add a couple decent pen arms, and transition a couple arms for the pen and just be solid/competent there.

So it's not an overly optimistic belief about WILL THEY. It's about a few smart additions without blowing up the payroll and providing a CAN THEY opportunity. 

So I began this thread with the CAN THEY idea/response.

That’s fair, and a good distinction between “can” and “will.” There is quite a bit that needs to go right for them to be able to compete. So I agree they can compete if everything goes right, which it never does, so then I go back to they realistically can’t compete, and most certainly won’t choose to compete. 

[Mike Sixel]

On 9/3/2025 at 8:17 AM, Irishman said:

Next season, I don't think any free agents would want to sign with the Minnesota Twins.  They wouldn't be a very good team next year.

I wouldn't sign with the Minnesota Twins if I were a baseball player.     

You likely would if they offered you the most money. 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Sure, they 'can' compete the same way the Pirates or Rockies can. But the reality is, they won't.

I suspect Lopez, Ryan and Jeffers are the next to go and the Twins will have an even younger and cheaper roster than they have now.

The only hope is that there are sweeping changes to the front office because I don't trust this regime to make the right moves or to identify the right prospects either in trades or in the draft.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

The other problem is the Twins have had major issues in developing position players. Aside from Larnach, who has plateaued, young players don't just fail to develop but they regress to the point where they aren't MLB caliber players. I don't know how you fix that without gutting a lot of the organization and Joe P. doesn't seem to have any sense of urgency.

[Tjwalsh65]

On 8/26/2025 at 10:58 AM, SF Twins Fan said:

It will be very interesting to find out who the two minority groups are and what percentage of the team they will own.  Personally, I'm hoping the Wilfs are one of the groups and maybe the Davis family.  I'm hoping each owns at least 20%, so they have a bit more say in how both the business side and team operate.

If it is 200 million each they are paying then I suspect 10 to 15 percent each.