Week in Review: From Bad to Worst

[Nick Nelson]

Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Weekly Nutshell:
The Minnesota Twins have moved past the 'dead cat bounce' phase and now they just look like roadkill. The most humiliating week of on-field results in a season full of them saw this meandering corpse of a ballclub outplayed from front to back by a pair of last-place teams, dropping five of six against the Athletics and White Sox. The Twins were outscored by 20 runs and largely failed to put up much of a fight, including in an 8-0 blowout loss against lowly Chicago to close things out. 

I guess some folks might find solace in gravitating toward a higher draft pick. Tough for me to get excited about that personally. What I see is a losing culture starting to crystallize, with some painful downstream implications. We'll dig into those a bit as we dissect this sorry week of baseball from the hollowed-out husk of the Twins. 

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 8/18 through Sun, 8/24
***
Record Last Week: 1-5 (Overall: 59-71)
Run Differential Last Week: -20 (Overall: -57)
Standing: 4th Place in AL Central (14 GB) 

Game 125 | OAK 6, MIN 3: Defense Lets Ryan Down as Lineup Languishes

• Ryan: 4 IP, 5 ER

Game 126 | OAK 4, MIN 2 (10): Offense Whiffs on Opportunities Repeatedly

• Twins hitters: 2-15 RISP, 12 LOB

Game 127 | OAK 8, MIN 3: Last-Place A's Seal Sweep with Front-to-Back Rout

• Urena: 5 IP, 6 ER

Game 128 | MIN 9, CWS 7: Lewis Grand Slam Helps Twins Outslug White Sox

• Lewis: 3-5, HR, 4 RBI, SB

Game 129 | CWS 7, MIN 3: Abel Gets Rocked in Twins Debut, Digs Deep Hole

• Abel: 3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Game 130 | CWS 8, MIN 0: Bradley Follows with Another Ugly Debut, Bats Blanked

• Bradley: 5 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 1 K

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NEWS & NOTES

Twins fans finally got their first look at two of the top pitching acquisitions from the trade deadline, with Mick Abel and Taj Bradley joining the big-league rotation on successive days over the weekend following a Triple-A tune-up to start their tenures in Minnesota. You can read about their debuts below. To make room on the roster, José Ureña and Erasmo Ramírez were designated for assignment. 

Pablo López made his first rehab start on Thursday for the St. Paul Saints, pitching 1 ⅔ innings before hitting a predetermined pitch count (45). López allowed four hits, a walk and a run but showed solid velocity and appeared healthy in his first game action since he went down with a teres major strain on June 3rd. López will need at least two or three more rehab starts to build up, but could be back on the mound for the Twins by early-to-mid September.

 

Simeon Woods Richardson figures to be back sooner. He was down for a while with a bad digestive issue caused by a parasite, and hasn't started for the Twins in nearly a month, but SWR is nearing readiness. He made a second rehab appearance with St. Paul later in Thursday's game, entering in the fourth and allowing allowed four runs (3 ER) on five hits and a walk in 3 ⅓ innings, striking out four. Not the prettiest results, but as long as he's feeling physically able, the Twins will happily welcome him back into their rotation – maybe as soon as the next time through. Part of me wonders if we could see him used in at least a pseudo-relief role in September.

HIGHLIGHTS

Coming off a strong finish to the previous week, Brooks Lee stayed hot during an otherwise forgettable stretch for the Twins offense. Lee opened the week with another home run against the Athletics, then notched three hits including a double the following night. He finished the week 6-for-19 with six runs scored.

It was good to see a couple more extra-base hits from Brooks, but I'm even more encouraged by the patience on display with five walks and just two strikeouts. Poor swing decisions have been a big issue for Lee throughout the first 150 or so games in his MLB career, and it's probably the biggest barrier he needs to overcome in order to pan out as a solid regular. The fact that he's been finding his preferred pitch to jump on more frequently of late, and laying off the pitchers' pitches to coax more free passes, is very promising. Hopefully he can keep it up. It'll be one of the team's biggest storylines into September.

 

Another central storyline, for better or worse: Royce Lewis, whose mercurial season continues to follow a twisting path. The third baseman's frustration with another prolonged slump was growing palpable last week. He slammed his helmet in the dugout on Wednesday after coming up short of a home run, finishing the A's series 2-for-11 to drop his OPS back down below .650. Before Friday's game in Chicago, Lewis made some odd comments to reporters about not wanting to follow coaching advice and implement in-season changes because it would put his stats at risk.

 

Thing is: he didn't have much in the way of stats to speak of, or at least not until Royce went out that very night and balled against the White Sox, launching a grand slam as part of a three-hit game that also included a stolen base and some stellar glovework at third. He homered again the following day and finished the week 6-for-23 with the two homers, a double and six RBIs.

 

THAT is the Royce Lewis we need to see, and the guy we hope he can still be. The same version flashed briefly around the All-Star break as well, but then disappeared. Unless we can see him sustain a reasonably solid level of play over the final five weeks, rather than reverting into a frazzled out-making machine, it'll be hard to trust in Lewis as a cornerstone for 2026 and beyond. If he can't find some sort of groove the rest of the way, I'll be curious to see how the front office proceeds with their first-ever draft pick as they transition to a new core.

LOWLIGHTS

I'm not saying the samples are meaningful, because they're not, but given the state of fan morale, it would really be nice if a single one of the new players acquired at the trade deadline could put forth a remotely favorable first impression. Instead we've repeatedly gotten the opposite. 

We saw outfielder Alan Roden (via Toronto) stumble out of the gates as a Twin, posting a .463 OPS and 13-to-0 K/BB ratio through his first 40 plate appearances before suffering a season-ending thumb injury. His replacement, James Outman (via Los Angeles) has not looked much better in sparse duty.

Over the weekend in Chicago, we got our first chance to see Abel (via Philadelphia) and Bradley (via Tampa), two starting pitchers who the Twins front office says they valued for their MLB-readiness. On successive days, the right-handers got blasted by a historically inept Chicago White Sox team, with Abel coughing up six earned runs in three innings on Saturday before Bradley allowed seven in five innings on Sunday. 

These were bad performances against a bad club. Yes, we're talking about young pitchers here, but they aren't that young. Bradley's dud on Sunday was especially troubling, because he's already got significant major-league experience (almost 70 starts) and was demoted by the Rays to Triple-A earlier this season, in large part because of the type of struggles with secondary pitches that we saw in Chicago. 

After coming over via trade and remaining in the minors, Bradley allowed 12 earned runs and 21 hits in 14 ⅓ innings across three starts with the Saints. Then he came back up to the majors and got ambushed by one of the worst lineups in baseball. Bradley faced 24 hitters and struck out only one.

 

All that being said, with the starting rotation, I can see the vision. The Twins are stockpiling pitchers full of talent and intrigue, and as a team trying to compete on a budget, that's what you've got to do. Hopefully, rocky outings like we saw from Abel and Bradley – not to mention Zebby Matthews, who got tuned up on Friday to round out this ugly mess of a series against the White Sox – are bumps on the road of nonlinear development. If you squint, you can also see how this pitching vision could translate eventually to a rebuilt bullpen, whittled out of a collection of ostensibly moldable arms that don't end up as starters. 

The vision for an improved offense is much harder to see. This was another lousy week of production from Minnesota's lineup, which was held to three or fewer runs in five of six games against two of the league's worst pitching staffs. Aside from the flurry from Lee and the flash from Lewis, no one's hitting at all. No one's been hitting, no one seems like they're gonna start hitting.

Trevor Larnach tallied one extra-base hit (a double) in 27 plate appearances. Matt Wallner went 3-for-16 with no walks. Outman struck out eight times in 14 at-bats. 

The idea of Kody Clemens turning himself into a factor for future planning has lost luster as he's hurtled back to Earth in the second half; Clemens was 3-for-17 with no walks last week, and dating back to the All-Star break he's batting .190 with only two homers. His on-base percentage for the season is down to .278 as he comes to resemble the expendable asset that Philadelphia placed on waivers back in April. 

Austin Martin started only three of Minnesota's six games, which seems telling for a guy who is fighting to carve out a role on next year's team. He went 1-for-12 with a single and a walk. It really feels like we're already reaching the end of the line with Martin, and that might also be true of Edouard Julien, who made just two starts in six games. 

These aren't exactly the most reassuring case studies for the organization's hitting development staff, which will now be tasked with turning guys like Roden and Outman – not to mention the next upcoming wave of hitters – into impact contributors.

TRENDING STORYLINE

Are we watching the final starts from Joe Ryan in a Twins uniform? It's a question that's been looming in my mind since the deadline. As I watched his latest outing play out on Tuesday, the eventuality of an offseason Ryan trade felt more inevitable than ever before.

There's a good chance the front office will be motivated to deal him by their own interests, given how their go-forward strategy is taking shape. It's noteworthy that they were – by all accounts – open to trading Ryan at the deadline and reportedly came close to doing so with Boston. This is the definition of a sell-high opportunity, with Ryan coming off his first All-Star appearance at age 29 and still two years from free agency. 

Beyond the team's whims, I've got to think it's highly likely Ryan himself will push to be moved. I don't say this with any negativity directed toward him, and if it's how he feels, I wouldn't blame him at all. Never mind what a bummer it is to be playing your peak years for a team that's not even trying to win – the horrendous state of this ballclub actually threatens to put his earnings at risk.

While Royce Lewis's comments to media this past week about prioritizing his personal statistics might have landed poorly, there is undeniable validity in his sentiment. Baseball isn't fun and games for these guys; their livelihoods are on the line. The urgency is most intense for guys like Lewis and Ryan who are still at the arbitration stage, a couple years out from free agency, still targeting that generational payday. 

Ryan didn't pitch as badly as his line on Tuesday – 4 IP, 5 ER – suggests. He was let down by a godawful Twins defense that missed multiple plays they should have made behind him, even if they weren't ruled errors. The negative effects of this hapless defensive unit, which was not sharp even before jettisoning several of its best gloves at the deadline, are fully felt by Ryan: the earned runs charged, the extra arm stress from long innings, the shortened outings.

Meanwhile, you've got a Twins offense that routinely offers no run support, depriving him of potential wins and chances to pitch deeper into games. And on top of it, a stripped-down bullpen that is liable to let opponents cash in any stranded runners that Ryan happens to leave aboard. I see no convincing reason to believe any of these things will get substantially better next year.

Putting yourself in Ryan's shoes, wouldn't you want out? I'm afraid the non-contending Twins will be all too acquiescent to any such request. Maybe it's the right move, given where things are at now. But even if we are looking at the final handful of starts from Joe Ryan in a Twins uniform – especially if we are – it's critical for him to finish this season effective and healthy, leaving no doubt regarding his outlook for next year and beyond. That is the one nut Ryan hasn't been able to crack in his big-league career so far.

He'll have his work cut out for him as he kicks off the next week against an elite Blue Jays offense.

LOOKING AHEAD

After dropping back-to-back series against last-place teams, the Twins now will run into a pair of first-place teams. I hate to say it but things might get considerably uglier in the week ahead. The Blue Jays and Padres are two of the best in baseball, and they've been playing very well. The Twins right now look like genuinely the worst team in the majors. At least there will be some pitching probables worth checking out when the team returns home to Target Field next weekend.

MONDAY, AUGUST 25: TWINS @ BLUE JAYS — RHP Joe Ryan v. RHP Max Scherzer
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26: TWINS @ BLUE JAYS — RHP Bailey Ober v. RHP Chris Bassitt
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27: TWINS @ BLUE JAYS — RHP Zebby Matthews v. LHP Eric Lauer
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29: PADRES @ TWINS — LHP Nestor Cortes v. RHP Mick Abel
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30: PADRES @ TWINS — RHP Nick Pivetta v. RHP Taj Bradley
SUNDAY, AUGUST 31: PADRES @ TWINS — TBD v. RHP Joe Ryan

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[mikelink45]

What's left to say?  What is there to Hope for the rest of this year.  It is depressing and I applaud the fans that can see a silver lining.

[Vanimal46]

Thank you for your consistency Nick. It has to be a challenge to keep writing these weekly recaps when nothing really matters anymore for the rest of 2025 and likely 2026. 

Also, I saw your Twitter thread about Joe Ryan and fully agree. I put the chances at 90% that Ryan requests a trade out of this mess. The signs have been there since before the trade deadline. The difference in quotes between Buxton and Ryan when questioned by reporters during the all star break about trade speculation is stark. 

[palmspringstwinsfan]

The only thing left to debate is whether the front office is worse at evaluating talent or developing it. I can’t decide but it’s clear they’re awful at both. Of course no one in the offices at 1 Twins Way seems to care. Hope is gone 

[FlyingFinn]

People complained about bullpen games and wanted starters up. We get Abel and Bradley and looks sometimes shorter and worse. Still, I agree with bringing them up, certainly Abel. 

[ashbury]

29 minutes ago, Nick Nelson said:

The Minnesota Twins have moved past the 'dead cat bounce' phase and now they just look like roadkill. The most humiliating week of on-field results in a season full of them saw this meandering corpse of a ballclub outplayed from front to back by a pair of last-place teams, dropping five of six against the Athletics and White Sox. The Twins were outscored by 20 runs and largely failed to put up much of a fight, including in an 8-0 blowout loss against lowly Chicago to close things out. 

Stop beating around the bush, Nick.  Tell us how you really feel.

[minman1982]

I think it is time to show both Rocco Baldelli and Derek Falvey the door. Baldelli has been with the team since 2019 and Falvey since 2017. The lineup got an overhaul at the trade deadline and it is now time that the front office and coaching staff get an overhaul in the off season.

[bunsen82]

Holy moly. So the Twins begin using the season as a spring training to work on developing things with Abel and Taj and we want to go off the deep end. Taj had no control to start the game and still if a couple of the weaker hits become outs it’s a different game or getting the double play. My concern was 10-12 pitches that were way off.  It’s  like he had no feel.  Abel I think will settle in.  Taj is a pretty big project, with some good upside, this is what we were expecting.  Jax has been awful for the Rays.

[Vanimal46]

18 minutes ago, minman1982 said:

I think it is time to show both Rocco Baldelli and Derek Falvey the door. Baldelli has been with the team since 2019 and Falvey since 2017. The lineup got an overhaul at the trade deadline and it is now time that the front office and coaching staff get an overhaul in the off season.

Ya think? We can probably count on one hand of all sports organizations who want the same FO and Manager leading a full rebuild after missing the playoffs 4 out of 5 years. 

Would it surprise anyone if Dave St Peter is brought back to run the business side of the Twins now that the for sale sign is taken off the lawn? Derek Falvey cannot continue running the baseball side. 

[tony&rodney]

The week went pretty much the way it felt it would go. The Twins are not fielding a team that can win more than a game here and there. The A's and White Sox are better teams. 3 games in Toronto with the Blue Jays and then hosting the Padres for 3 at Target Field should be a treat. Hope for 2 wins and who knows what will happen. 

Seems hard to believe still that the Twins couldn't pick up better position prospects in the recent purge. The only hope is that a bidding war breaks out for the Twins top three starters and some talent flows into the system at the top end. Still hopeful for a few fast, defensively skilled ballplayers who can hit coming back in trades.

[Markdumont25]

I've seen a few articles recently trying to find some silver linings or reason for optimism in the near future and (with no offense to the authors or to those in agreement with them) they just irritate me. 

I generally err on the side of hope and optimism but now is the time to grieve what has been a catastrophic and demoralizing 2 year plunge from the organizations 21st century peak. I don't think even the most pessimistic among would have predicted being in the sorry state we are now less than 2 years removed from our first playoff series win in two decades. And I realistically don't see things improving any time soon.

The returns on our fire sale were at best average and more likely underwhelming. Just about every one of our top prospects from the last few years has struggled to live up to expectations. I don't see much reason to believe in our front office or coaching staff, especially with their ability to develop offensive talent, after underachieving more years than not under their tenure. With the same owners who put "right-sizing" into every die-hards vocab, I don't see the financial commitment improving. There doesn't seem to be any coherent plan in place beyond not spending too much money.

Obviously no one knows for certain what the future holds, but I certainly think it's fair to say that the next 3 to 5 years seems pretty bleak for Minnesota baseball and I, for one, want to have some time to be sad about it without hearing that it's actually not that bad.

[LastOnePicked]

17 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Would it surprise anyone if Dave St Peter is brought back to run the business side of the Twins now that the for sale sign is taken off the lawn?

Please no. This organization needs fresh faces and new ideas.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Yeah the real story is the Pohlads and Falvey. 

Royce Lewis is far down the list of problems. Although he's not doing himself any favors, on or off the field, especially with the terrible sports media in this market looking to pounce on stuff like this.

People talk about Joe Ryan demanding a trade.. I hope Royce Lewis is also demanding a trade. 

 

[Mike Sixel]

10 minutes ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

Yeah the real story is the Pohlads and Falvey. 

Royce Lewis is far down the list of problems. Although he's not doing himself any favors, on or off the field, especially with the terrible sports media in this market looking to pounce on stuff like this.

People talk about Joe Ryan demanding a trade.. I hope Royce Lewis is also demanding a trade. 

 

The sports media in Minnesota is soft compared to the test of the US. Dude said he wouldn't take coaching in the middle of an awful year long stretch. That's not good. 

[D.C Twins]

[USAFChief]

20 minutes ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

Yeah the real story is the Pohlads and Falvey. 

Royce Lewis is far down the list of problems. Although he's not doing himself any favors, on or off the field, especially with the terrible sports media in this market looking to pounce on stuff like this.

People talk about Joe Ryan demanding a trade.. I hope Royce Lewis is also demanding a trade. 

 

Pounce on stuff like what? 

Like Lewis flat out stating he's perfectly happy with his sub .700 OPS because trying to improve it might cost him money?

I don't see that as a media problem. That's a Royce Lewis problem.

[RpR]

• "When you complain, you make yourself a victim. Leave the situation, change the situation, or accept it. All else is madness" — Eckhart Tolle

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

The sports media in Minnesota is soft compared to the test of the US. Dude said he wouldn't take coaching in the middle of an awful year long stretch. That's not good. 

58 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Pounce on stuff like what? 

Like Lewis flat out stating he's perfectly happy with his sub .700 OPS because trying to improve it might cost him money?

I don't see that as a media problem. That's a Royce Lewis problem.

My sense is that in other markets, they would absolutely be talking about Rocco nonstop. That happening here? Nope. I mean, the guy is a goldmine of head scratching decisions. But hey, easier to have a guy like Royce Lewis or Aaron Hicks to kick around.

How long did we have to listen to the media whistle past the graveyard in this market and not say a thing during the end of the Spielman-Zimmer era? 

 

[jimbo92107]

Are the Twins still playing? Sorry, I dropped out for few weeks... I hear the Pohlads decided there's a little more blood in the cow after all... Oh drears... I suppose they have to keep playing, all the way to the end... Ownership has drained all the fun out of this team.

From here, it would be hilarious if the Saints sold more tickets than the Twins. I hear the Saints are kinda fun to watch. I wonder if they still have that cute little pig delivering baseballs...

[Eris]

On Royce Lewis. There were previous reports of friction between Lewis and Correa concerning Lewis’ unwillingness to do more to improve himself as he faltered late in the 2024 season. This seems consistent with his current stance. 

[rv78]

9 hours ago, minman1982 said:

I think it is time to show both Rocco Baldelli and Derek Falvey the door. Baldelli has been with the team since 2019 and Falvey since 2017. The lineup got an overhaul at the trade deadline and it is now time that the front office and coaching staff get an overhaul in the off season.

I seriously want this to happen yesterday already, but with the current state of the team I am now leaning the other way. 2026 is going to be another year of crap especially if Ryan and Lopez or even just one of them gets traded. With that in mind, let's let Falvey and Rocco suffer through another season of ineptness and failure. Afterall, if the fans have to, why not the 2 people that are most responsible for it. As a GM and Manager who else would want to walk into this mess? Give them all of 2026 and on the last day of the season show 'em the door with a foot up their arse.

[rv78]

31 minutes ago, Eris said:

On Royce Lewis. There were previous reports of friction between Lewis and Correa concerning Lewis’ unwillingness to do more to improve himself as he faltered late in the 2024 season. This seems consistent with his current stance. 

I for one wouldn't take much advice from Correa. He supposedly worked with Miranda in 2023 and 2024 and look where that got him.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

I need to go for a long walk in the country. This is too depressing.  

[Coach Wheels]

10 hours ago, palmspringstwinsfan said:

The only thing left to debate is whether the front office is worse at evaluating talent or developing it. I can’t decide but it’s clear they’re awful at both. Of course no one in the offices at 1 Twins Way seems to care. Hope is gone 

It is amazing how quickly this ownership and front office bailed on a potentially very good baseball team. From 23 to 25.........wow.

Heads should roll but ownership doesn't care

[USAFChief]

8 hours ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

My sense is that in other markets, they would absolutely be talking about Rocco nonstop. That happening here? 

 

So...the media should pounce? ;)

I don't disagree on Rocco, BTW. He should've been gone by at least last year.

I just don't think the media is responsible for the dumb **** Lewis says. 

[Doctor Gast]

I quit watching the Twins, even before the deadline fiasco. Not because of the players but I couldn't stand watching what Falvey & Co. was doing to our team. But I discovered that the CWS series was streaming free, & I wanted to watch both Kyle Teel & Edgar Quero catch. I have followed Quero since his early years with LAA & Teel during his college days. I was not disappointed; they both hit very well & their catching was pretty good. Both of them have been on top of my wish list. IMO, they are both very close. Teel has a slight edge in slugging but I'd pick Quero over him because I like how he moved behind the plate & his presence.

I also wanted to watch Buck again, Bradley & Able's debut & a couple of hitters that were frustrated with Baldelli's micro-managing of their hitting approach, & wanting to go back to their old swing. IMO, there is nobody who wants to win more than Royce Lewis. & I hate how social media likes to bend out of shape what he says. Lewis is frustrated over his performance & him not helping this team to win. It has nothing to do with his concern about his stats over winning! I can't believe fans are still falling for that crap! I like Lewis's ABs much better at CWS. 

 I will state again & keep on stating that our problem isn't our players like Lewis, It's Falvey & Co. who are more concerned about how their analytics & acquisitions look than the team winning!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are running out of excuses so the only excuse left is the players they put together & developed. Years of placing players in positions where they don't belong. Recently, Julien was never a 2Bman & Martin was never MLB OFer, SS or utility player. Keaschall is a wonderful hitter but he's not a 2Bman. Further protect him at 1B/ DH & have him play LF next season. We need our best INF on the field. Martin's natural position is 2B, settle him there. We have to have a player cemented at 2B so there can be continuity between our best SS & 2Bman. Instead of a steady musical chairs, Baldelli loves to play. Stop PHing Martin, let him have steady regular ABs & let him hit his own way. He seems just as frustrated over how he's been coached.

Nothing will change as long as Falvey & Co. are at the helm. The team they mismanage is not worth watching although I'll still cheer our players.

[TheLeviathan]

10 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Ya think? We can probably count on one hand of all sports organizations who want the same FO and Manager leading a full rebuild after missing the playoffs 4 out of 5 years. 

Would it surprise anyone if Dave St Peter is brought back to run the business side of the Twins now that the for sale sign is taken off the lawn? Derek Falvey cannot continue running the baseball side. 

They'll resort to Necromancy before they give up on Dave St. Peter so this tracks.

[ziggy]

Quote

overmatched by divisional bottom-feeders. 

That says it all. What does that make the Twins?

Falvey masterminded this team and they are a bottom 4 team in the league. The new acquisitions that have debuted are castoffs the other teams had given up on. 

Durans quote last year "I'm just an employee here" was telling to me the attitude the players have playing for Baldelli. It's all individual numbers for the players, not team play.

[bunsen82]

10 hours ago, Markdumont25 said:

 

The returns on our fire sale were at best average and more likely underwhelming. Just about every one of our top prospects from the last few years has struggled to live up to expectations. I don't see much reason to believe in our front office or coaching staff, especially with their ability to develop offensive talent, after underachieving more years than not under their tenure. With the same owners who put "right-sizing" into every die-hards vocab, I don't see the financial commitment improving. There doesn't seem to be any coherent plan in place beyond not spending too much money.

Obviously no one knows for certain what the future holds, but I certainly think it's fair to say that the next 3 to 5 years seems pretty bleak for Minnesota baseball and I, for one, want to have some time to be sad about it without hearing that it's actually not that bad.

Has the prospects that have come up struggled yes.   Up to this point the only one that has succeeded elsewhere is Rooker but he struggled at other stops as well.  We have found players to be replacement players in the field,  we have struggled to find that star.  Keaschall looks really good right now,  and a key piece to build around.  Lee's approach has been so much better lately.  A 10-12 pitch at bat yesterday in the 1st with a hard contact but got an out but moved the runner.   Those 2 look like something to build around (and tend to go against your thesis).  The Twins have developed pitching very well,  its just some of it came from outside the organization.  You don't have a Varland, Jax, or Duran if you can't develop players.   Or a Joe Ryan for that matter.  Jeffers has been an 8 WAR over his career but as a whole the batters have struggled.  

The talent coming looks better than the previous group of prospects.  Jenkins and Culpupper both have very good contact rates, power and good defensive skills.  We are getting into the more 5 tool prospects that have a much higher probability of succeeding.  You then have another group with good skills but slightly flawed in Rodriguez and Gonzalez.  Can a Fedko find lightening in a bottle and be a lower prospect that succeeds - it is very possible.   The farm system is strong.  We have some players and pitchers to build around.  If they do trade Ryan it will be for a haul. 

If you start going to analysts now vs day of the sale, they will tell you the Twins got very good returns.  Yes a few have struggled with their 1st taste with the big league team.  Other than the Stewart trade,  which I can still make an argument for,  everything else looked like very good returns and in some aspects selling high. Jax, Varland, and Coloumbe have had some rough outings.  Castro and Bader have both looked like back up players.  3 players have done well.  Duran, Correa, and Ty France.  Go look at Abel's stats.  Moves up a level and struggles.  Comes back the next year and dominates.  I am ok with giving him more reps this month.  Getting him used to this level,  seeing if he can increase his strikeout ability.  Bradley's outing yesterday showed what he has become,  struggled with command early,  settled down for 3 shutdown innings afterward.  He doesn't have a lot of confidence or feel for the ball right now.  The split finger looked good.  If it becomes a weapon then teams can't load up on the fastball.    

Personally I think the new window starts in 2027.   We have a pretty deep Starting pitching for now,  we have some decent hitting prospects coming up,  we need to rebuild the bullpen.   

[LewFordLives]

I really don't see the point in ramping up Pablo to make a couple meaningless starts. If the goal is to move his contract, wouldn't it be better to come back 100 percent next season and then maybe trade him at the deadline?  I don't think a couple late September starts are going to have much influence on another teams decision about whether to pursue him.