Does Anyone Want to Come Here?

[Nick Nelson]

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Over the past two years, starting with their open pronouncement that they'd be "right-sizing" payroll in the aftermath of a postseason breakthrough, the Minnesota Twins have been steadily devolving into a complete and total mess that no one much wants to be associated with. 

By the trade deadline in 2025, we had players melting down on the field, requesting trades and taking shots on their way out the door. ("These facilities here, all the coaching staff, nutritionists, the kitchen — it's amazing what they have compared to what we had over at the Twins," said Chris Paddack shortly after being traded to Detroit.) Star Tribune columnist La Velle E. Neal III suggested that the Twins were almost doing Rocco Baldelli a favor by letting him go.

This is a wayward, rudderless franchise with unpopular ownership, questionable baseball leadership and meager fan interest. The most optimistic view is that the team will reinvest their Carlos Correa savings this offseason and push spending back to at least 2024-25 levels, potentially enabling the types of key additions to the bullpen and lineup required for a return to relevance.

Even if they have money to spend, though, the front office is going to find it difficult to recruit quality players who are in demand on the open market. Minnesota is just a blatantly unattractive destination at this point in time. 

That same dynamic applies to their search for new coaching talent. We'll find out soon how many members of Rocco Baldelli's staff new manager Derek Shelton intends to keep around, if any, but presumably the Twins be looking to add at least a couple of new voices to the room. The bench coach role feels particularly important, potentially being staged as an heir-in-waiting behind the 55-year-old Shelton. 

Will the best and brightest be drawn to this situation? Low expectations can be advantageous in some ways, but I just have a hard time seeing sought-after candidates gravitating toward this Twins team that is in such disarray.

The Shelton hiring itself feels like a bit of an ill omen. The Twins moved somewhat quickly to get their new skipper in place, ensuring they wouldn't get left standing in a game of musical chairs, but Shelton was hardly a hot commodity coming off a fairly disastrous run in Pittsburgh that led to his firing last May. If Minnesota didn't hire him, would anyone? 

This is unfortunately a constraint that needs to be kept in mind as we plot out what's possible for the Twins this offseason. There are plenty of signals pointing to a continued teardown, but even in the scenario where they keep their veteran standouts and try to bring in some impact players, their work will be cut out for them. 

With that in mind, the best hope for a turnaround lies in making good trades and getting more out of their current talent. The problem there is that Minnesota's only valuable trade assets (i.e. Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez) are also pretty essential to any vision for competitiveness next year. And while fresh coaching voices under Shelton could be a positive, the rising stars in that field are also being heavily recruited as staffs across the league get rebuilt.

If they have any desire to rebound, recapture fan interest and get things started on the right foot under a reshaped ownership structure, Derek Falvey and Co. are going to need to get creative. Because they've put themselves in a place where they'll really to struggle in talent acquisition regardless of their resources

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[IndianaTwin]

Apparently Byron Buxton didn't get this memo when saying he's a Twin for life. 

 

[D.C Twins]

7 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

Apparently Byron Buxton didn't get this memo when saying he's a Twin for life. 

 

Naw.... He'll give up on them NLT the trade deadline this year.

He'll give them a list of at most 3 teams and quite possibly 1 (Atlanta) and tell them to get it done. 

We are only about half-way to the inevitable rock bottom though if it makes anyone feel better, we have already achieved terminal velocity on the way down!

[old nurse]

The in demand free agents never came here. They used the Twins as leverage to get a better contract. Top tiers free agents cost money. Jim Pohlad will probably not sign off on another one after the poor return on investment Correa was. I don’t think there is a single Minnesotan in the major leagues that would put fans in the seats so that signing or trade isn’t going to happen. 

[Maybebaby]

Just maybe the youngsters will surprise all, and be competitive.  That'd be SWEET !

[Parfigliano]

5 minutes ago, Maybebaby said:

Just maybe the youngsters will surprise all, and be competitive.  That'd be SWEET !

It would be.  Maybe new coaching can make that happen.  More likely is they just aren't that talented.

[tony&rodney]

Everything hinges on whether the front office can make several solid trades. There are teams that would benefit from a few of the Twins players and the Twins need balance to their roster which makes those players available in mutually beneficial deals.

If the payroll can reach the $105-115M range, there is room for at least a free agent of substance on an overpay of sorts. I would think that the trades precede the FA signing(s).

There are many talented coaches in baseball. I'm sure Derek Shelton knows more than a few and he should be given wide lattitude to promote individuals for the staff. Falvey does not have the experience or knowledge to singularly make those decisions. Coaches can make $200-500K each which is not a deal-breaker for even the Twins. There are a number of good people who would be excited for an opportunity. The Twins should expect their coaches to receive 3-5 years contracts as well, which is common on many teams. In the final accounting, coaches don't break the bank. For reference, look to the cost of paying Carlos Correa; $10M per year plus $1.33M per year for his ongoing bonus. That is a bill for 3 more years. Currently, the Twins have a manager, a bench coach, and 12 other coaches. 

If the Twins actually have any trouble whatsoever recruiting available coaches, there is a problem so large the franchise is in more trouble than we thought.

[jorgenswest]

If I am a once top prospect catcher looking for a fresh start and opportunity Minnesota would be near the top of my list. There is a clear opening at number 2 and a chance to be number 1 if Jeffers is moved at the deadline. Opportunities in the Twins bullpen are vast. There is an opportunity to come here take over the closer role during the season and change a career. It may be an opportunity a former top prospect shortstop or first baseman would take.

There are players out there that just need a fresh start and new opportunity to take the next step. Anyone looking for that opportunity should want to come here.

 

[Nshore]

The enormous kitchen, and top of the line coaching and nutrition the Tigers shoved into whiner Paddack didn't make him a better player though.  

[yeahyabetcha]

Who cares??  The Twins plan should be to develop some minor league talent and advance it and not spending money on mediocre fee agents.  TD needs to get over its obsession with what the payroll will be.

[DJL44]

A steady job and a promised trade to a contender if the team is out of the running will attract veteran players. Do you think Bader is upset with how last year went?

[Richie the Rally Goat]

25 minutes ago, yeahyabetcha said:

Who cares??  The Twins plan should be to develop some minor league talent and advance it and not spending money on mediocre fee agents.  TD needs to get over its obsession with what the payroll will be.

The Dodgers and Blue Jays?

[Whitey333]

Maybe, just maybe, the Twins are stripping it down to make the franchise more attractive to a potential buyer. Wishful thinking?  Yes probably.

[tony&rodney]

56 minutes ago, jorgenswest said:

If I am a once top prospect catcher looking for a fresh start and opportunity Minnesota would be near the top of my list. There is a clear opening at number 2 and a chance to be number 1 if Jeffers is moved at the deadline. Opportunities in the Twins bullpen are vast. There is an opportunity to come here take over the closer role during the season and change a career. It may be an opportunity to a former top prospect shortstop or first baseman.

There are players out there that just need a fresh start and new opportunity to take the next step. Anyone looking for that opportunity should want to come here.

 

Absolutely. The Twins need to make a few gamble deals. Rolling the 40 person roster back as was done the last two years will set the franchise back years. There are coaches and players who would love an opportunity to succeed.

[Major League Ready]

In the past 15 years, there have been 4 teams in the bottom half of revenue that produced 20% of their WAR via free agency.  2015 Pirates, 2018, Brewers, 2019 Rays, and the 2019 Twins.  None of those teams are exactly know for attracting or signing free agents.  Of these teams, the Twins have spent by far the most in free agency.

[jmlease1]

Pay them and they will come. Pretty much no one is taking a discount to come here, but if the Twins offer market rate they won't have trouble signing players. 

The issue is, they won't offer market rate, at least not for significant free agents. The front office won't have the budget to sign any stars, so they won't sign any stars.

Despite the issues on the roster and things looking dim for 2026 (unless some prospects show out early), player will still come here to play. If the money is right.

The organizational leadership may be terrible at business, dreadful at PR, and staggeringly tone-deaf with the fans, but they've got a good reputation around the league for taking care of players and their families. Target Field is a great park to play in. Twins Cities in the summer isn't a barrier.

It will simply come down to money.

[olerud]

No why would they? The management has been terrible, the culture has become toxic. You'll see they won't be able to draw flies this year! 

[yeahyabetcha]

31 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

The Dodgers and Blue Jays?

Not sure of your point.  But if you believe the Twins will, can, should spend at the level of the Dodgers and Jays you are going to be disappointed.  

[Greglw3]

2 hours ago, Nshore said:

The enormous kitchen, and top of the line coaching and nutrition the Tigers shoved into whiner Paddack didn't make him a better player though.  

Funny!

[Cory Engelhardt]

Trades are going to be the way this offseason.

Otherwise, I’m just picturing Stanley tell Michael MONEY over and over and over

[dxpavelka]

O - P - P - O - R - T - U - N - I - T - Y

Will always make folks want to come.  I heard all the rubes on this site talk about the fact that nobody would be interested in the manager job.  And yet guys were.  Same will be true for players.  

[Greglw3]

I’m pretty sure this won’t be so popular but my economical solution for the Twins would be to sign Ryan O’ Hearn with his .281 batting average and .366 OBP to play LF/RF/1B/DH.

Then sign Luis Arraez and his National League Leading hit total and .316 career batting average to play 1B. Let’s not forget that Arraez has hit .354 for an entire major league season, which maybe 1/10 of 1% of MLB players since 1960 have ever done. 

$12-14 MM / yr for each player on 3 yr deals optimally.

Then I’d plug Gabriel Gonzalez into RF if he appears ready in spring. I think he’s a pure hitter.

Austin Martin and Walker Jenkins could be in the running for lots of OF at bats also.

Worst case, an outfield of Austin Martin, Byron Buxton and O’Hearn would be a big improvement.

The long shot, but apparently really talented hitter is Hendry Mendez.

I would also set up a competition at SS where Brooks Lee has to beat out Kaelen Culpepper for the SS job.

I don’t want to run it back with Wallner or Larnach, most likely.

 

[dxpavelka]

1 hour ago, yeahyabetcha said:

Not sure of your point.  But if you believe the Twins will, can, should spend at the level of the Dodgers and Jays you are going to be disappointed.  

Three of the eight highest payrolls didn't even make the playoffs.  Four of the other five won't win the World Series.

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, Whitey333 said:

Maybe, just maybe, the Twins are stripping it down to make the franchise more attractive to a potential buyer. Wishful thinking?  Yes probably.

Why would that make the franchise more attractive? Do you strip your house down to the studs to sell it?

[ashbury]

We're back to echoing Terry Ryan's old lament: sometimes you just can't get free agents to take your money.

AKA the Small Market Blues.

[Dave Borton]

Contracts are based on stats. You take them to the negotiation table.

Say you are a pitcher, free agency has finally arrived for you. Average April temperature is 47.* Snow is a known factor. You want to come here? Really?

[gman]

I suspect that the Twins can't sign any free agent for a price they can get anyplace else. Which of course means they need to pay a premium. Secondly when their reputation was good, or at least ok, they still didn't sign Correa or Donaldson until near the end of spring training and they still paid a premium. And with that Correa still opted out after 1 year. 

[Sjoski]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

A steady job and a promised trade to a contender if the team is out of the running will attract veteran players. Do you think Bader is upset with how last year went?

I agree on Bader, but he’s the exception. But that’s precisely the point. The article is lamenting that the ‘Harrison Bader tier’ is now the ceiling for Twins free agency. That’s as good as it gets.

Look at the pattern: Gallo, Margot, Shoemaker, Bundy, Archer, Happ, Simmons… the list goes on. Most of these signings have been complete failures or placeholders—warm bodies with little upside. They’re not impact players. They’re not needle-movers. They’re just a roster filler. And when that becomes your norm, it’s not bad luck—it’s a broken strategy.
 

[Mike Sixel]

10 minutes ago, ashbury said:

We're back to echoing Terry Ryan's old lament: sometimes you just can't get free agents to take your money.

AKA the Small Market Blues.

Agreed. Bunk article. If you pay, people come. 

[tony&rodney]

27 minutes ago, Greglw3 said:

I’m pretty sure this won’t be so popular but my economical solution for the Twins would be to sign Ryan O’ Hearn with his .281 batting average and .366 OBP to play LF/RF/1B/DH.

Then sign Luis Arraez and his National League Leading hit total and .316 career batting average to play 1B. Let’s not forget that Arraez has hit .354 for an entire major league season, which maybe 1/10 of 1% of MLB players since 1960 have ever done. 

$12-14 MM / yr for each player on 3 yr deals optimally.

Then I’d plug Gabriel Gonzalez into RF if he appears ready in spring. I think he’s a pure hitter.

Austin Martin and Walker Jenkins could be in the running for lots of OF at bats also.

Worst case, an outfield of Austin Martin, Byron Buxton and O’Hearn would be a big improvement.

The long shot, but apparently really talented hitter is Hendry Mendez.

I would also set up a competition at SS where Brooks Lee has to beat out Kaelen Culpepper for the SS job.

I don’t want to run it back with Wallner or Larnach, most likely.

 

All ideas are welcome. O'Hearn might be ok. Arraez is strictly a DH with no power and no speed. If the Twins were flush with power, speed, and good defenders then Arraez would be at least a consideration. As is the Twins are flush with DH players. Mendez can hit. He is also a DH. I'm ready to see any or all of Jenkins, Rodriguez, Fedko, and Culpepper. I really like Gonzalez but he is a DH also until he gets more repetitions. Change should happen. It is difficult to know when the youngins will be ready.