Twins should be doing what Baltimore is doing.

[jaimedude]

Twins should be trying to sign Joe Ryan, Ryan Jeffers, Bailey Ober, Royce Lewis, and Brooks Lee, Matt Wallner to extensions instead of going to Arbitration. Shows they are serious of trying to build than stripping it completely down. 

[Mike Sixel]

?

Baltimore has signed one guy, none as old as Ryan, Jeffers, Ober, or Lewis or Wallner?

Of the guys you listed, Lee is it as a comparison. That's it. 

Baltimore had a great hitting team, and didn't add one pitcher in the last few years to get better. They've done exactly what MN has done, except they have hitting and no pitching....where MN has pitching but no hitting.

[chpettit19]

5 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

?

Baltimore has signed one guy, none as old as Ryan, Jeffers, Ober, or Lewis or Wallner?

Of the guys you listed, Lee is it as a comparison. That's it. 

Baltimore had a great hitting team, and didn't add one pitcher in the last few years to get better. They've done exactly what MN has done, except they have hitting and no pitching....where MN has pitching but no hitting.

To be fair, they did add 1 pitcher last year, but then he left (Burnes). 

But, yeah, the Basallo extension (I assume that's what's lead to this discussion) would be far more like extending Keaschall than anyone listed here. 

[nicksaviking]

Ryan, Ober and Wallner will be well over 30 when they hit free agency. Their best baseball will be behind them at that point so I see no reason to extend them.

[Vanimal46]

You can argue that Baltimore is following our path… 101 wins in 2023, 91 wins in 2024, to now what appears to be an 85+ loss season. All because their ownership pulled back on spending and their FO thought they were the smartest guys in the room. 

[Mike Sixel]

On 8/25/2025 at 12:58 PM, Vanimal46 said:

You can argue that Baltimore is following our path… 101 wins in 2023, 91 wins in 2024, to now what appears to be an 85+ loss season. All because their ownership pulled back on spending and their FO thought they were the smartest guys in the room. 

This. Also, they were purchased in '24....and all private equity has done since is cut payroll (shocker).

Edit.... apparently not true. My bad. 

[Chembry]

I believe the OP is referring to is signing pre-arbitration players to extended contracts.  While not a new idea, this is becoming more of trend in recent years.  Jackson Merrill, Jackson Churio, Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Colt Keith, Corbin Carroll, Ceddanne Rafaela, Julio Rodriguez, etc...have all been signed to extended contracts into what would be the first years of their unrestricted free agency.  All of them had limited or zero MLB service time when extended.  Now Basallo is in the same category.  Spend a bit more now to save money in the future.  Especially if it's constructed like Basallo's, $1M/year 2026 through 2028, $4M in 2029, $7M in 2030, $11M in 2031, $15M in 2032 and 2033, and $18M in 2034.  There is a $7M buyout option in 2034.  Obviously there is risk to this approach, but if you are confident that the guy is a significant part of the future, it will save money in the long run. 

Should the Twins do that with any of their young(er) guys?  Right now, the only one I would consider is Keaschall, and only do it if the money is right.  Once they get to the show, you could consider Culpepper and Jenkins,  However, Jenkins is a Boras client and he probably wouldn't allow Jenkins to sign an extension that early in his career. 

Again, there is risk and you have to be confident that the guys are going to perform and be a part of the future of the organization.  Especially when considering the following:

Jackson Merrill signed a 9 year $135M extension after his all-star year last year.  This year, he is hitting .261 with 9 HR, 51 RBI, and .729 OPS. 

Kristian Campbell signed a 8 year, $60M extension after 5 days of MLB service time in April 2025.  He was sent back down to AAA in June and is still there.  

[Vanimal46]

12 minutes ago, Chembry said:

Should the Twins do that with any of their young(er) guys?  Right now, the only one I would consider is Keaschall, and only do it if the money is right.  Once they get to the show, you could consider Culpepper and Jenkins,  However, Jenkins is a Boras client and he probably wouldn't allow Jenkins to sign an extension that early in his career. 

I wouldn’t do it for Keaschall until we know where he’s going to end up in the field. His valuation is wildly different if he ends up at 1B vs 2B vs corner OF. 

Jenkins on the other hand has the pedigree and good odds of sticking at a premium position in CF. I will take the risk on that one. 

[Chembry]

3 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

I wouldn’t do it for Keaschall until we know where he’s going to end up in the field. His valuation is wildly different if he ends up at 1B vs 2B vs corner OF. 

Jenkins on the other hand has the pedigree and good odds of sticking at a premium position in CF. I will take the risk on that one. 

I agree with the assessment on Keaschall.  I don't see the Twins doing it before Culpepper or Jenkins.  If they were going to extend one, it would more than likely be Jenkins.  But Scott Boras doesn't like his clients to sign extensions until they reach free agency to maximize their worth.  None of the guys I mentioned are represented by Boras.  The likelihood of extending Jenkins is almost zero.  

[RpR]

2 hours ago, jaimedude said:

Twins should be trying to sign Joe Ryan, Ryan Jeffers, Bailey Ober, Royce Lewis, and Brooks Lee, Matt Wallner to extensions instead of going to Arbitration. Shows they are serious of trying to build than stripping it completely down. 

Jeffers, Lewis, Wallner are mediocre at their best times; you do not extend mediocrity , more than one year, with possibility of a second.

[Mike Sixel]

37 minutes ago, Chembry said:

I believe the OP is referring to is signing pre-arbitration players to extended contracts.  While not a new idea, this is becoming more of trend in recent years.  Jackson Merrill, Jackson Churio, Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Colt Keith, Corbin Carroll, Ceddanne Rafaela, Julio Rodriguez, etc...have all been signed to extended contracts into what would be the first years of their unrestricted free agency.  All of them had limited or zero MLB service time when extended.  Now Basallo is in the same category.  Spend a bit more now to save money in the future.  Especially if it's constructed like Basallo's, $1M/year 2026 through 2028, $4M in 2029, $7M in 2030, $11M in 2031, $15M in 2032 and 2033, and $18M in 2034.  There is a $7M buyout option in 2034.  Obviously there is risk to this approach, but if you are confident that the guy is a significant part of the future, it will save money in the long run. 

Should the Twins do that with any of their young(er) guys?  Right now, the only one I would consider is Keaschall, and only do it if the money is right.  Once they get to the show, you could consider Culpepper and Jenkins,  However, Jenkins is a Boras client and he probably wouldn't allow Jenkins to sign an extension that early in his career. 

Again, there is risk and you have to be confident that the guys are going to perform and be a part of the future of the organization.  Especially when considering the following:

Jackson Merrill signed a 9 year $135M extension after his all-star year last year.  This year, he is hitting .261 with 9 HR, 51 RBI, and .729 OPS. 

Kristian Campbell signed a 8 year, $60M extension after 5 days of MLB service time in April 2025.  He was sent back down to AAA in June and is still there.  

Hence my reply that the OP listed all the guys that are literally not that.......(not to mention Baltimore hasn't been doing this at all before this).

[SteveLV]

The equivalent move would be to sign Walker Jenkins to that kind of deal.

Fat chance the Pohlads are doing anything of the kind.

The other examples listed are not even remotely close to the same situation.  Ober?  Why?

[DJL44]

Guys who actually should be considered

Keaschall, Woods Richardson

[jaimedude]

8 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

?

Baltimore has signed one guy, none as old as Ryan, Jeffers, Ober, or Lewis or Wallner?

Of the guys you listed, Lee is it as a comparison. That's it. 

Baltimore had a great hitting team, and didn't add one pitcher in the last few years to get better. They've done exactly what MN has done, except they have hitting and no pitching....where MN has pitching but no hitting.

Maybe they could line up on a trade. I would only actually keep one of Lee or Lewis and move the other guy. Lee to me seems like his best position is 3rd base.  I listed them as candidates but would not sign all of them. I would keep Lee and try and move Lewis for someone that profiles as a short stop or starting catcher. 

[bunsen82]

Who could be players that they think well outplay their contracts.  Remember we did something similar with Polanco and Kepler - they don't have to be big players or big contracts.  

This is really on how confident the org is on a prospect.   Right now there is a ton of variability on an Abel.  If you felt confident he will succeed you could save money and gain a year or two on player like him.  Matthews would be in the same category.  You are looking at 5-6 years 60-70 million.   Similar to a Kristian Campbell.  You are willing to increase salary now for future savings - have a better roster and extend your window an extra year or two.  

Keaschall - I think would be asking for more than the Twins would be willing to offer.  He does play a position the Twins have paid for in the past.  Culpepper or Gonzalez are the only 2 other players who may be willing to sign an extension now - that have less injury risk like a Rodriguez.       

[chpettit19]

19 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

This. Also, they were purchased in '24....and all private equity has done since is cut payroll (shocker).

 

19 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

You can argue that Baltimore is following our path… 101 wins in 2023, 91 wins in 2024, to now what appears to be an 85+ loss season. All because their ownership pulled back on spending and their FO thought they were the smartest guys in the room. 

Baltimore has not cut payroll. I don't get why this keeps being said around here. Their payroll is over 160 million this year. They cut payroll after their most recent attempt at winning in the 20-teens when they were rebuilding, but after they were sold their new ownership invested 60 million in the team. Their payroll has jumped significantly each of the last 3 years. They cut spending when they started their rebuild like they should have, but they've been investing and building their payroll back up as they've been getting competitive again. If the Twins spent 165 mil like Baltimore is right now I don't think any of us would be complaining.

[Mike Sixel]

7 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

 

Baltimore has not cut payroll. I don't get why this keeps being said around here. Their payroll is over 160 million this year. They cut payroll after their most recent attempt at winning in the 20-teens when they were rebuilding, but after they were sold their new ownership invested 60 million in the team. Their payroll has jumped significantly each of the last 3 years. They cut spending when they started their rebuild like they should have, but they've been investing and building their payroll back up as they've been getting competitive again. If the Twins spent 165 mil like Baltimore is right now I don't think any of us would be complaining.

Because that's what I read. My source must have been wrong. Apologies. 

[Obsvr]

Remember Dobnak?