It’s Time for the Minnesota Twins to Get Creative at First Base

[AceWrigley]

I was thinking maybe this guy would work. He'd knock down line drives about as often as Julien, and swing at strikes about the same. Lack of speed on the bases might be a problem, but that has never been a hinderance for the Twins, and the price would be just about right,

 

[LA Vikes Fan]

6 hours ago, DJL44 said:

I am not sure what is creative about taking a below average outfielder and making them a first basemen. That's been done thousands of times throughout baseball history. Usually, you end up with a below average fielding first baseman.

It's interesting that 1B offense has fallen since the introduction of the DH in the National League. There's now enough room for players who have a bat and nothing else to offer. Fielding has improved at 1B as offense has declined.

There also appears to be a glut of potential first basemen on the market this offseason. The Twins don't need to retrain Trevor Larnach and pay him $5M to play 1B when they can get an experienced 1B off the free agent market for the same price or less.

Potentially available 1B

Pete Alonso, Josh Naylor, Ryan O'Hearn, Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto, Luis Arraez, Miguel Andujar, Paul Goldschmidt, Rhys Hoskins, Yandy Diaz, Ryan Mountcastle, Triston Casas, Yoan Moncada, Carlos Santana, Justin Turner, Josh Bell, Ty France, Lamonte Wade Jr, Rowdy Tellez

That's 19 guys to pick from.

It's 19 names. but there aren't 19 potential Twins on that list. The $15M-$25M and up a year guys aren't coming to MN even if we would pay them that - they will get their money wherever they go so they're going to a winner, not a rebuilding team. The Japanese guys are too expensive and going to a place where there are Japanese people and culture, LA, SF, NY, Chi, Seattle.  So eliminate Alonso, Naylor, O'Hearn, Hoskins, Murakami, and Okamoto from the list. Eliminate older guys who are declining, OFs being sent to 1B because the suck in the OF (why do that when we could have Larnach or Wallner switch), guys who can't hit and/or have only one skill and it ain't with the glove; they are all bad adds - Arraez, Andujar (also likely to get $10m plus), Goldschmidt, Moncada (he stinks guys), Santana, Turner, Bell, France, Wade, and Tellez. None of those guys make any sense at all to me. Besides, at least half of those guys are more than $5M a season. 

So who's left that might make sense? Yandi Diaz, Ryan Mountcastle and maaaybe Tristan Casas. Diaz can really hit but he was -5 OAA last year in the field as a 1B/Dh. How is that even possible at 1B? Epically bad. Mountcastle was a good hitter in 2023 (.780 OPS), average in 2024 (.733 OPS), and lousy in 2025 (.653 OPS), and is a dead average 0 OAA fielder. Maybe we can fix him? Casas is similar - declining since 2023 to a .580 OPS in 2025 in 99 ABs with some major injury concerns. 

Guys, it's ugly out there at 1B. I could see trying to trade for Mountcastle on the cheap (he's not a FA until 2027), so maybe trade one arb eligible alleged OF in Larnach for an arb eligible alleged 1B in Mountcastle? Neither can field much so maybe it's a fair deal. Maybe we can try to get Casas for Larnach in a trade of disappointing guys or as a throw in when trading Boston Joe Ryan? That's about it. We need to look at making someone we have as a 1B because there ain't much out there. Wallner and Larnach might not be good enough but it's worth a try. 

[tony&rodney]

So far, in this discussion, the most creative and likely best suggestion put forth is using Austin Martin at first base. Doubt it is even considered but that seems much more likely to succeed than some other choices.

Wallner was a pitcher in college. He has a big arm. He struggles to get the ball from his glove to throwing and has a distinct dislike for cutoff guys. Check out his assist totals. Teams run at will on him. I have had this conversation with two third base coaches. He might be really good at DH if relieved of the bother of owning a glove. Neither Wallner nor Larnach are first baseman, although Larnach played one inning there in the Cape Cod Summer League once upon a time. I think the coaches and managers know.

I looked over the list of available first baseman before the season ended and numerous times since. Pete Alonso is on record as wanting 7 years. He is pretty brutal at the bag but if he will sign a 7/$84M contract, ok. Unlikely or impossible. My choice would be Josh Naylor at 4/$80M. Maybe add a signing bonus of $6M. He might get more but that is the limit for my budget of $111M for the 26 person roster. Naylor will not get less than $20M on multiple years.

Lewis makes sense to an extent as does Jeffers but the Twins need to then fill those positions. Maybe Keaschall is the best choice. Trades? Tre' Morgan can pick it and is a contact hitter. Maybe he is decent. FA? O'Hearn is the only choice besides Naylor. 

At this point it is impossible to know what direction the front office is headed but there should be funds for a splash and first base is a hole in the organization. I love that they are teaching Mendez to play the position and will wait to see how that works, but he is 2 years away. The last choice is Kyler Fedko. He is reasonable athletic and quick. Last season he figured out quite a bit with his bat. Hard to know if he can make the leap.

The creative choice is Austin Martin. I never thought of that but he is very familiar with the speed of the infield and how everything works. He is also quick. I'm still reading though to wait for a better option. Give me Naylor.

[tony&rodney]

20 minutes ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

We need to look at making someone we have as a 1B because there ain't much out there.

So true, so without spending it is going to be an experiment.

[KikiMN]

Seems to me they have been nothing but creative since Mauer retired.  Revolving door.

 

[DocBauer]

3 hours ago, DJL44 said:

I think Lee to the bench is the best move.

I don't disagree. 

Let's say Lee starts to look like the hitter we all hoped for. Say he starts hitting on the .270's, lowers his K rate, takes a few more BB and his OB goes up to .320 ish. I believe there's 39+ Dbls potential inside of THAT hitter, who can still ding mid teen HR. That's a pretty good ballplayer, but not a star.

But he doesn't have a great arm, though I think it's good enough for some 3B, and with more time, I think he could be fine at 2B. And there's also room to improve at SS as well. But WHEN K-Pepper arrives, he's got a stronger arm, and more pure athleticism and range for SS. 

THAT'S when things start to get interesting IMO. That's when I see Lee moving in to a bench role who can play all 4 INF spots. Similar to Castro, he would play about as much as a starter, but taking over that super utility role. And IMO, that's still a valuable and important role.

IF we can find a solid answer at 1B now, or maybe after a 1 or 2yr rental, that INF could be really, really solid. 

So I don't disagree with you. But until a couple things shake out, he begins 2026 as a starter.

[SF Twins Fan]

6 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

I don't disagree. 

Let's say Lee starts to look like the hitter we all hoped for. Say he starts hitting on the .270's, lowers his K rate, takes a few more BB and his OB goes up to .320 ish. I believe there's 39+ Dbls potential inside of THAT hitter, who can still ding mid teen HR. That's a pretty good ballplayer, but not a star.

But he doesn't have a great arm, though I think it's good enough for some 3B, and with more time, I think he could be fine at 2B. And there's also room to improve at SS as well. But WHEN K-Pepper arrives, he's got a stronger arm, and more pure athleticism and range for SS. 

THAT'S when things start to get interesting IMO. That's when I see Lee moving in to a bench role who can play all 4 INF spots. Similar to Castro, he would play about as much as a starter, but taking over that super utility role. And IMO, that's still a valuable and important role.

IF we can find a solid answer at 1B now, or maybe after a 1 or 2yr rental, that INF could be really, really solid. 

So I don't disagree with you. But until a couple things shake out, he begins 2026 as a starter.

What if Lee shifts over and becomes the 1B when Culpepper comes up?  If he does continue to improve as a hitter, he's only had 700 PA's in the MLB, he could be a solid 1B.  He's got good hands and overall good instincts.  

[DocBauer]

3 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

The Roden/Fedko/Clemmens idea is indeed creative.  I am not sure they could take 3 roster spots for 1B/OF but that's another discussion.  At least these 3 guys are athletes, and they all have some experience at 1B.  Heck, add Martin to the list as well.  Maybe we end up with a couple good athletes that can play OF and 1B.

I dislike moving Lewis to 1B given he is now playing above average defense at 3B.  It would diminish his value, and it just crates another hole.  You could eventually slide Lee to 3B when Culpepper comes up but what have you really accomplished.  Now, you have 2 well below average hitters playing corner INF spots.  That's not a recipe for getting to the post season.

The best-case scenario to me would be a trade for a ML ready or near ready 1B.

Generally speaking, I agree with you. I have no problem with Lewis sticking at 3B. I only like the move to 1B if Lee starts to become the hitter we all hoped for, or close to it. Then it just becomes figuring out the best 4 man alignment. And that's where I see Lewis possibly moving to 1B.

I'll repeat what I just stated in another response; if Lee just STOPS worrying about crappy contact and can reign in that urge to swing at crap outside his hitting zone, he just might be a .270 hitter with an OB% above .300. I believe he's got 30+ Dbls power and can still jack mid teens HR numbers. That's not a star player, but it's a really good player. I think he's capable at 25yo... and damn near a rookie in 2025...of becoming that hitter.

Over the next year or two, they find a 1B, Lee becomes a 4 position super utility INF, and there's no reason for Lewis to move to 1B. Period. 

I can also see a scenario where Keaschall's arm just never comes back and he moves to 1B. I just don't see that happening with time and rehab, but it's possible. That's where Lee suddenly slides in to the 2B picture. But again, I think Keaschall is going to be just fine with a little more time.

I tend to agree with @Riverbrianin regard to the team having more pre-arbitration players on the team and fewer 1 year fillers. I think the team is headed more that direction. But for various reasons, most all teams use 1yr rentals at various spots. And considering 1B and DH are the easiest and cheapest positions to fill, I'm still in favor of a short term option at 1B while younger players such as Roden, Fedko, Mendez, and Amick work at the position, climb the ladder, and a viable option emerges. MAYBE it's time for Rosario to also learn to play 1B. I could even, potentially, see Winokur evolving in to a powerful 1B with speed in a couple of years.

I don't disagree with your idea of trading for a long term 1B. I just feel it's the wrong use of prospect capital when you could add a rental there while ACTUALLY spending some time DEVELOPING a couple 1B options from the talent in your system.

You mention 3 guys as potential 1B options...which was a creative idea I brought up...as maybe being tough to roster. Not a big issue IMO since Clemens would still be a utility player, which includes 1B/2B both corner OF spots, and MAYBE an emergency 3B. Fedko and Roden not only form a quasi platoon at 1B, but they are also part of the 4th OF coverage.

I mean, this ONLY works if these kids actually SHOW SOMETHING with the bat. But imagine an opening day roster of Martin, Buxton, and Wallner in the OF. There's STILL room for Rodriguez or Jenkins to be there opening day and Wallner becomes the primary DH. Add in everyone else and SOMEONE as the utility INF and you get to 13 position players. 

That's 3 rookies, or near rookies, along with the young Lee and Keaschall, for a lot of youngsters on hand. But it's at least an interesting idea if the payroll is $100M ish.

Obviously, I'm hoping for $120M ish.

[RpR]

Lewis is moving better at 3rd but with his throws to First you still need a very good glove at First., 

Lee was pretty good at Third, so move Lewis to First and Lee to Third. Lee is just plain not good at SS due to his lack of range.

Put Fitzgerald at SS, as he would be better than Lee.

 

 

s

[DocBauer]

23 minutes ago, SF Twins Fan said:

What if Lee shifts over and becomes the 1B when Culpepper comes up?  If he does continue to improve as a hitter, he's only had 700 PA's in the MLB, he could be a solid 1B.  He's got good hands and overall good instincts.  

I don't disagree. The Lee, as a hitter, that I think we'd all like to see could be a fine defensive 1B with his good hands and good baseball instincts. He wouldn't be a masher, but I've never felt your 1B HAD to be a powerplant at 1B to be successful. Especially if you had power/offense at other positions.

Rewinding, I grew up watching guys like Carew, Hernandez, Grace, and Joyner playing 1B without tremendous power at 1B. But the did contribute to the lineup. 

More recent history has guys like Erstad and Bellinger playing 1B, even though they were also natural OF as well.

It's why I have ZERO objections to Keaschall moving to 1B IF his arm just doesn't come around after TJ and then a broken forearm this  season. However, I just don't see that happening. I fully believe rest and rehab will get his arm back strong enough for 2B. After that, It's all about him just working on the little things defensively. Remember, he's barely played 2B over the past 2 seasons due to his impending TJ surgery, and then the actual recovery time, messed up due to the broken arm.

Keaschall has all the quickness, speed, and athleticism to get to balls. But what he's been missing is the subtleties of positioning himself better, snaring the ball, and making the glove to theowing hand transfer.

IF things work out as hoped for, Lewis will ACTUALLY be healthy for most of 2026 with another offseason of hard work to get his body and swing right. Eventually, Lee is going to be more of the hitter we hoped for. Once again, he was almost rookie status during 2024. And the Twins will find a 1B for a temporary fix, at least. And then K-Pepper comes up to assume SS and Lee becomes a super utility INF who has all the tools to add 1B.

I'm not as down on Lee as some are. But 1B is also the 2nd easiest spot to simply add a BIG BAT to your lineup. And when I look at talent on hand, talent so close to arriving, I just see Lee's best fit as that super utility INF, with someone else taking over 1B with a bigger and better bat.

[chpettit19]

2 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

So far, in this discussion, the most creative and likely best suggestion put forth is using Austin Martin at first base. Doubt it is even considered but that seems much more likely to succeed than some other choices.

Wallner was a pitcher in college. He has a big arm. He struggles to get the ball from his glove to throwing and has a distinct dislike for cutoff guys. Check out his assist totals. Teams run at will on him. I have had this conversation with two third base coaches. He might be really good at DH if relieved of the bother of owning a glove. Neither Wallner nor Larnach are first baseman, although Larnach played one inning there in the Cape Cod Summer League once upon a time. I think the coaches and managers know.

I looked over the list of available first baseman before the season ended and numerous times since. Pete Alonso is on record as wanting 7 years. He is pretty brutal at the bag but if he will sign a 7/$84M contract, ok. Unlikely or impossible. My choice would be Josh Naylor at 4/$80M. Maybe add a signing bonus of $6M. He might get more but that is the limit for my budget of $111M for the 26 person roster. Naylor will not get less than $20M on multiple years.

Lewis makes sense to an extent as does Jeffers but the Twins need to then fill those positions. Maybe Keaschall is the best choice. Trades? Tre' Morgan can pick it and is a contact hitter. Maybe he is decent. FA? O'Hearn is the only choice besides Naylor. 

At this point it is impossible to know what direction the front office is headed but there should be funds for a splash and first base is a hole in the organization. I love that they are teaching Mendez to play the position and will wait to see how that works, but he is 2 years away. The last choice is Kyler Fedko. He is reasonable athletic and quick. Last season he figured out quite a bit with his bat. Hard to know if he can make the leap.

The creative choice is Austin Martin. I never thought of that but he is very familiar with the speed of the infield and how everything works. He is also quick. I'm still reading though to wait for a better option. Give me Naylor.

Assist totals aren't a good way to tell if people run on someone. The guys who don't have guys run on them don't get a lot of assists because people aren't running on them. Wallner was tied for 25th in baseball in fielder runs for arm value according to baseball savant. Tied for 8th in their estimate of percentage of advancements stop because of his arm. They have him stopping runners from even attempting to advance 3% more than the average fielder. For reference, the top guy was judge at 7%, Misner and Doyle were at 5%, and PCA, Bleday, Teodosio, and Merrill were at 4%. Those were the only guys better than Wallner at holding runners, according to baseball savant. And he was 34th in baseball in lowest percentage of advancements being safe. The idea that runners run at will on Matt Wallner isn't supported by any statcast/baseball savant data. Not in the least. He's one of the best running game stoppers in baseball.

[tony&rodney]

4 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

Assist totals aren't a good way to tell if people run on someone. The guys who don't have guys run on them don't get a lot of assists because people aren't running on them. Wallner was tied for 25th in baseball in fielder runs for arm value according to baseball savant. Tied for 8th in their estimate of percentage of advancements stop because of his arm. They have him stopping runners from even attempting to advance 3% more than the average fielder. For reference, the top guy was judge at 7%, Misner and Doyle were at 5%, and PCA, Bleday, Teodosio, and Merrill were at 4%. Those were the only guys better than Wallner at holding runners, according to baseball savant. And he was 34th in baseball in lowest percentage of advancements being safe. The idea that runners run at will on Matt Wallner isn't supported by any statcast/baseball savant data. Not in the least. He's one of the best running game stoppers in baseball.

I'm very familiar with the data. I won't argue with what those people have recorded. I also don't have to buy all of it. Defensive statistics are not very reliable nor do they do well on comparing players. 

I have stated this before and it bears repeating here. I'm aware that many people enjoy the play of Matt Wallner and use numerous data points to point out his value. I respect that opinion and those data points. While I believe Wallner would serve best as a pure DH, I also think many MLB clubs may see Wallner as many of the folks on Twins Daily. There should be options for a mutually beneficial trade. 

My position is that the Twins need better defenders in the field, more speed, and better bats; more talent. Naturally there will be data points and arguments aplenty on many players. I'm not a fan of his play in the field. As long as he is a Twins, he will be seen as an option for right field. You may have him there for all of the reasons you effectively choose to use in his support. That's fine. I would move him to DH or trade him for value. No argument but a separate viewpoint.

[JD-TWINS]

Matt Wallner hit .202 in ‘25

Matt Wallner hit .177 with RISP in ‘25

Matt Wallner hit .195 v. RHP in ‘25

Why would anyone think that Wallner learning how to play 1B is of any benefit to the Club? He hit 22 HR’s and Kody Clemens hit 19 HR’s. Kody can play 1B - 2B - RF - LF. I’m not trying to promote starting nor even keeping Clemens - just pointing out how truly disappointing Wallner’s year was. If he was from Stevens Point instead of Forrest Lake he would be run out of Target Field. ……… Potential, sure! Eddie Julien also has potential …… as well as a dozen other guys that have washed out in past 2-3 years.

I thought he’d be a Top 3 hitter on the Club in ‘25………was woefully mistaken!

btw - Luis Arraez hit .294 in 2025 ……. .287 with RISP ……. .304 v. RHP ……… ..262 v. LHP …… Lead N.L. in hits last 2 seasons and had 203 hits in 2023. He played in 154 games in ‘25…… 150 games in ‘24. IMO, sign him for 3 years at $40M total ……. & bat him 5th in line-up every day.

[TheLeviathan]

Trading for a long-term answer at 1B seems like priority number one this offseason.

Even more than bullpen for me.

[dxpavelka]

14 hours ago, Eris said:

“Even in a down year, Wallner remained one of Minnesota’s more productive hitters”

There was previous discussion on TD about Wallner. The main takeaway was despite having great numbers, he has a  negative WPA. From fangraphs, for 2025 his WPA = -0.87. The values were ~+0.5 in 2023 and 2024. 

yawn

 

[SteveLV]

Those numbers on runners advancing at a slightly reduced rate on Wallner.

Do those numbers account for all the situations where runners had no need to risk advancing because their team was already thrashing the Twins?  Kinda like defensive indifference in reverse?

He does have a strong arm, but you need to catch the ball first.  

I think he is destined for DH and occasional OF starts if he cannot play 1B which is what everyone is saying.

I still want to trade for Eldridge....

[Jacksson]

30 minutes ago, SteveLV said:

I still want to trade for Eldridge....

Did you also advocate trading for Sam Dyson & Shaun Anderson?

[soyouresayingtheresachance]

I just dont see it working out too well unless Wallner buys into it. And even then...I still dont see it. 

With all the "ready" outfielders in AAA, I'd prefer to see Wallner DH every day or atleast most days. Be an emergency outfielder. I worry that Trading him before giving him an opportunity to be the DH will end similarly to a certain former Twins player that is thriving as an Athletic DH. 

[Doctor Wu]

Big thumbs down to any idea of converting Wallner or Larnach to first base. Why does first base so often end up being the dumping ground for mediocre outfielders? C'mon, we can do better, or at least make a real attempt. No more in-house options in this case. We need to either trade for a first baseman that knows how to field the position (highly unlikely the Twins will do this) or sign another free agent, most likely another one-year rental. 

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, Doctor Wu said:

Big thumbs down to any idea of converting Wallner or Larnach to first base. Why does first base so often end up being the dumping ground for mediocre outfielders? C'mon, we can do better, or at least make a real attempt. No more in-house options in this case. We need to either trade for a first baseman that knows how to field the position (highly unlikely the Twins will do this) or sign another free agent, most likely another one-year rental. 

Agreed. Gotta have ability for sure but Killebrew played LF at one point before 3B & 1B……..it’s not crazy. Surely, it’s not a good move for everyone & I assume someone in Twin’s organization has had the thought that 6’3” & 6’5” slow outfielders should be considered for a move to 1B, haven’t done it for baseball reasons……..lack of capabilities maybe?!?!?!!

[Doctor Wu]

2 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Agreed. Gotta have ability for sure but Killebrew played LF at one point before 3B & 1B……..it’s not crazy. Surely, it’s not a good move for everyone & I assume someone in Twin’s organization has had the thought that 6’3” & 6’5” slow outfielders should be considered for a move to 1B, haven’t done it for baseball reasons……..lack of capabilities maybe?!?!?!!

Yeah, I'm certainly not dead-set against the idea of converting an outfielder, or catcher, to first base. Hey, Joe Mauer ended up doing a very good job! But I just don't see Wallner or Larnach, or even Jeffers, being a good fit at first base. 

[SteveLV]

Jacksson, are you suggesting that we are now forbidden from ever trading with the SFGiants again because we had bad luck before?  Seems like a bizarre, illogical take.

Many teams have had bad outcomes with the Rays, but the Twins have done well.  Yet the Rays picked up the phone this past trading deadline.

[jmlease1]

18 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

Seriously, your argument is based on a half dozen Post Season games? How did Wallner do in ‘23 post season? Oh, he was 0-8 with 5 strikeouts - shocking!

The fact that Wallner sucks AND can’t stay healthy speaks volumes.

My point is, let Arraez hit in the middle of the line-up v. the Top 2 spots when fewer guys are on base. He would have 80 RBI w/o issue if batting 5th…….also, these would be “real & not projected IF he played”.

Matt Wallner was out at least twice this past season, maybe 3 times. Arraez played in 154 games - that’s a knock on Arraez?

In ‘24 Wallner was in the minors for 8-10 weeks because he was so bad after his first 19 games they had to send him down. Arraez had 200 hits ……..obviously, Matt’s a better guy to have in the line-up.

Listen, you're the one who brought up Arraez vs Goldschmidt.

The knock on Arraez is he hasn't produced that well for the past two seasons. He's currently showing exactly one skill: contact. Now, he's elite at it and it generates a lot of hits for him, but he's giving you nothing else. He doesn't walk, he doesn't hit for power, he doesn't run, he doesn't defend...and he only does his one big skill against RHP. That's a limited player.

I'm not going to pretend Wallner isn't a limited player: he is. He's not a good fielder, despite a superior arm, and when it's going badly for him he's a K machine. But he's also cheap and a very reasonable candidate for a rebound, since 2025 was far and away his worst season in MLB (I think we can ignore the cup of coffee he got in 2022). You're talking about giving Arraez $15M.

Diaz & Andujar are both better fits at 1B for the Twins. Diaz is a poor defender, but he fits with Clemens backing him up, being a defensive replacement late in games, and letting Diaz hit. Notably, Diaz had exactly 6 fewer hits than Arraez, while taking a lot more walks and clouting 25 dingers to boot. But it's a fairly big assumption that TB will decline the $12M option, considering how well he played last season.

Andujar is an interesting option. He's got limited experience at 1B, but he's also a player who might do better getting off 3B and trying to play OF and just sliding in as a 1B/DH guy. He's appeared there, even if the experience is limited. Last season's hitting might have been a high point, though; he really struggled for 4 seasons in a row before finally getting back on track a bit in 2023. So there's some risk that he's more of a 105-110 OPS+ guy rather than a 125 thumper. But he's got a fine track record of hitting LHP and can hold up ok against RHP, allowing the team to mix and match with Clemens (whom I presume will be on the team). I suspect his price tag will be more in the $6-8M range, which might actually fit the Cheap Pohald Payroll.

I'd certainly prefer someone like Naylor (even if he's a LH hitter who isn't great against LHP) but Naylor has likely priced himself out of the Twins market.

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, jmlease1 said:

Listen, you're the one who brought up Arraez vs Goldschmidt.

The knock on Arraez is he hasn't produced that well for the past two seasons. He's currently showing exactly one skill: contact. Now, he's elite at it and it generates a lot of hits for him, but he's giving you nothing else. He doesn't walk, he doesn't hit for power, he doesn't run, he doesn't defend...and he only does his one big skill against RHP. That's a limited player.

I'm not going to pretend Wallner isn't a limited player: he is. He's not a good fielder, despite a superior arm, and when it's going badly for him he's a K machine. But he's also cheap and a very reasonable candidate for a rebound, since 2025 was far and away his worst season in MLB (I think we can ignore the cup of coffee he got in 2022). You're talking about giving Arraez $15M.

Diaz & Andujar are both better fits at 1B for the Twins. Diaz is a poor defender, but he fits with Clemens backing him up, being a defensive replacement late in games, and letting Diaz hit. Notably, Diaz had exactly 6 fewer hits than Arraez, while taking a lot more walks and clouting 25 dingers to boot. But it's a fairly big assumption that TB will decline the $12M option, considering how well he played last season.

Andujar is an interesting option. He's got limited experience at 1B, but he's also a player who might do better getting off 3B and trying to play OF and just sliding in as a 1B/DH guy. He's appeared there, even if the experience is limited. Last season's hitting might have been a high point, though; he really struggled for 4 seasons in a row before finally getting back on track a bit in 2023. So there's some risk that he's more of a 105-110 OPS+ guy rather than a 125 thumper. But he's got a fine track record of hitting LHP and can hold up ok against RHP, allowing the team to mix and match with Clemens (whom I presume will be on the team). I suspect his price tag will be more in the $6-8M range, which might actually fit the Cheap Pohald Payroll.

I'd certainly prefer someone like Naylor (even if he's a LH hitter who isn't great against LHP) but Naylor has likely priced himself out of the Twins market.

If you can figure out how to get Diaz - fabulous!!

I live in Cincinnati and have watched Andujar carve up LH pitching for the last 2 months - excellent! But that’s it …….DH or PH & 25% or so of pitchers are LH.

Kody Clemens can’t be a 70-75% platoon guy at 1B, not on a competitive Club.

I guess all this is moot if there’s no idea what the spending plan might be. 

I don’t get the Arraez hate though? If it’s just the money - I get it. If it’s hitting .262 v. LH pitching and “that sucks” I don’t get it…….his OBP was .327 and he hit .294, so he walks 3 times out of 100……..Wallner has OBP of .311 and he hit .205, so he walks 10.5 times out of 100.

Arraez struck out 21 times in 675 PA’s.

Wallner struck out 114 times in 392 PA’s.

Not being able to advance runners nor drive RISP in is a hole in Twin’s line-up. Arraez had 61 RBI (64 over 162) and 42XBH in ‘25……….Wallner had 40 RBI (62 over 162) and 41 XBH in ‘25.

Arraez OBP from ‘22 - ‘25 is .375 - .393 - .346 -  .327………….Byron Buxton’s OBP from ‘22 - ‘25 is .306 - .294 - .335 - .327 ………things fluctuate year to year. Arraez, however, plays 93% of games.

[jmlease1]

10 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

If you can figure out how to get Diaz - fabulous!!

I live in Cincinnati and have watched Andujar carve up LH pitching for the last 2 months - excellent! But that’s it …….DH or PH & 25% or so of pitchers are LH.

Kody Clemens can’t be a 70-75% platoon guy at 1B, not on a competitive Club.

I guess all this is moot if there’s no idea what the spending plan might be. 

I don’t get the Arraez hate though? If it’s just the money - I get it. If it’s hitting .262 v. LH pitching and “that sucks” I don’t get it…….his OBP was .327 and he hit .294, so he walks 3 times out of 100……..Wallner has OBP of .311 and he hit .205, so he walks 10.5 times out of 100.

Arraez struck out 21 times in 675 PA’s.

Wallner struck out 114 times in 392 PA’s.

Not being able to advance runners nor drive RISP in is a hole in Twin’s line-up. Arraez had 61 RBI (64 over 162) and 42XBH in ‘25……….Wallner had 40 RBI (62 over 162) and 41 XBH in ‘25.

Arraez OBP from ‘22 - ‘25 is .375 - .393 - .346 -  .327………….Byron Buxton’s OBP from ‘22 - ‘25 is .306 - .294 - .335 - .327 ………things fluctuate year to year. Arraez, however, plays 93% of games.

I don't hate Arraez, I just think he's got a limited skill set that doesn't help the Twins enough. I agree that Clemens shouldn't be getting a lot of time on a good team: he's a useful bench player who can swat some homers, get on a hot streak, and play credible defense at several positions. But I think we're keeping him for next season, so part of the equation at 1B is how can he be deployed optimally? With Arraez on the team, there's really no 1B time outside of defensive replacement that makes much sense. That's part of why Andujar might be a good fit: he pounds LHP, he might be able to play a quality 1B with reps, and while he's best at hammering LHP, he's not helpless against RHP so you don't have to put him in a strict platoon, which can help you from over-exposing someone like Clemens.

Comping Arraez's OBP to Buxton's doesn't really help here: Buxton is a far superior all-around player, so finding a stat where Arraez looks the same to an all-star CF doesn't really sell me any more on Arraez; instead it says to me that Arraez needs to be able to do more things well to be anywhere near Buxton's level. With Wallner, it's not really even a question of which one is "better": we have Wallner under team control for cheap, he's got some useful skill sets that can make him a useful/valuable RF/DH. We shouldn't be picking between Arraez & Wallner.

And as much as the Twins have needed more contact-oriented players the last couple of seasons, with Keaschall & Martin in the lineup, we do have more of that in place now. But if you were adding another contact heavy guy, wouldn't you want them to have the speed to go with it?

Arraez isn't a bad player, but he's limited. Would he be getting any real consideration if he weren't a former Twin?

[LambchoP]

They need to sign or trade for a real legit first baseman. If not, Royce Lewis may be the long term answer, if his bat can wake up again. Maybe we get lucky and Fedko's 2025 breakout was for real and he can carry it over to the MLB?

[Jim wyllie]

I don't know how many times I've brought this up in comments, move royce Lewis to first base his defense would likely play better and he would likely stay healthier.  From there the infield could be keaschall at third lee at short and Clemens at second at least till Culpepper reaches the majors.

[SteveLV]

Can Keaschall play 3B?

[jmlease1]

16 minutes ago, SteveLV said:

Can Keaschall play 3B?

No. If his arm might not play at 2B, it's not going to play at 3B. He's more likely to shift to 1B or OF than 3B.

But Lewis' defense was looking good again at 3B, especially in the second half as he really got his legs under him. Moving him seems unlikely.

[TopGunn#22]

The 1B for Tampa Bay going forward is Johnathon Arranda.  Yandy Diaz is pretty much a DH for the Rays at this point.  Diaz is listed as the FOURTH string 1B on their depth chart.  I'm not sure Tampa wants to pay a DH $12 million a year.  For "most" MLB teams $12 million is a reasonable expense.  For Tampa Bay, I would think it's an extravagance.  

But I would love to see the Twins find a way to trade for Diaz.  He's 33 years old but had a really solid year at the plate last year.  I think he's still got 2 good years in him.  I'd want him to be the Twins primary DH who would play 1B a couple times a week.  Maybe log 40 or so starts at 1B.  While Naylor or Pete Alonso would be the most "impactful" signings, the Twins need to be smart and economical in filling 1B so they have enough money to bring in a Helsley or Williams type of vet to be our Closer.

Andujar is an interesting name, and aside from his tremendous 2018 with the Yankees he finally showed signs of being a solid hitter again last year.  But he's only played SEVEN games at 1B in his CAREER.  Only 4 of those were starts.  He's more a shaky LF and primarily a DH.  I think he'd be a bit too much of a risk.

2026 is the immediate issue, but I'd LOVE to know what our esteemed brain trust has planned for 2027 and beyond.  The configuration of our IF could look radically different if a couple guys keep developing and we end up with the #1 overall pick in July.  Brooks Lee has the biggest bullseye on his back.  Presumably, he'll enter 2026 as the starting SS.  But some of that depends on what trades the Twins make this off season and who we get in return.  

It also matters that the Twins currently have 2 excellent SS prospects in Culpepper and Marek Houston and would add a "Bobby Witt Lite" SS in Roch Cholowsky if they win the #1 overall pick.  All this points to a short life for Brooks Lee as a Twins SS.  Even if Lee improves to begin 2026, his time at SS is ending soon.  The idea he could be a Utility Guy with the ability to cover all 4 IF positions is interesting.  He might be more useful as a trade chip with the talent coming up behind him. 

Even with Royce Lewis moving better at 3B, his future could very well be at 1B.  For 2026, I'm leaving him at 3B and maybe for several more seasons.  

I really think it's high time the Twins make some moves to shore up 1B.  Bringing back a 40 year old Carlos Santana is NOT the answer.  Trying to jam the square peg into a round hole (trying Wallner and/or Larnach there) is not the answer. 

In a make believe world, I'd just sign Alonso and bat him cleanup.  Unfortunately, we Twins fans live in the real world.  I would trade for Yandy Diaz.  The cost would NOT be prohibitive and I think Tampa will look at the $12-million for a primary DH as not cost effective.  I would also trade Joe Ryan to the Red Sox and get Tristan Casas as a throw in for the overall package.  Diaz and Casas are not quality fielding 1B.  Their forte is hitting.  But between the 2 of them the Twins would upgrade 1B & DH, a big step toward getting a better lineup.  And at least both Diaz and Casas are actually 1B, as opposed to Wallner, Larnach or even Andujar. 

The Twins just don't have a 1B prospect close to being major league ready.  That guy was supposed to be Sabato (maybe even Rooker).  In 2-3 years they "might" have a 1B prospect but waiting until 2028 is not an option.