Who Is the No. 3 Hitter of the Future for the Minnesota Twins?

[DocBauer]

First of all, a simplistic answer. I believe in the most balanced and deepest lineup you can put together. I don't believe on only power, or only speed, or all 9 primary hitters being LH. 

Second, the easy answer to FUTURE #3 hitter is probably Jenkins. But with all the hope in the world he's going to be even 80% of what he might be, I'm still having doubts he's ready opening day. Even June 1st or July 1st of 2026, that might be a lot put on his plate. But he's the easy choice down the road.

For the immediate future? The answer should be Buxton. While it's nice when he leads off a game with a bomb, he's still only guaranteed to actually lead off once per game. I want runners on base for him to knock in with his Dbls and HR.

The leadoff hitter should be Keaschall. That's his skill set.

That's the only 2 spots in the lineup, as of today, that I have certainty about. So who hits second for the immediate future? Based on skills and how he finished 2025, Martin might be a really good choice as a decent hitter with a good OB% and some speed. He acts almost like a 2nd leadoff option behind Keaschall in front of Buxton. If his bat comes around after a poor, SSS, based on his skill set and MILB numbers, Roden could be a solid option at #2, possibly in a quasi-platoon with Martin.

But I can see a version of the lineup where Lee takes a nice step forward in 2026 and takes over that #2 spot, despite poor footspeed. But I don't know that I'm ready to speculate on that.

While Naylor would be a perfect fit at 1B for the next few years, I've come to the conclusion he's just going to be too expensive. So my #2 1B option would be O'Hearn. He's not a power plant hitter. But he's LH, and an experienced, productive hitter.

He would be followed by Lewis at #5, and Wallner at #6. The 2023-2024 version of Wallner comes back, I could see a swap of he and O'Hearn in the 4 and 6 spots quite easily. But can they afford O'Hearn? Maybe. But that's probably my top 6.

And it's a top 6 I feel pretty good about.

I am going to bang this drum until proven otherwise, but Rodriguez has already burned through 2 of his 3 option years. If he's healthy, he needs a DAY ONE job. He's an excellent defensive OF who can give Buxton days off in CF. He's got some speed, and big power potential. Even if his actual AVG is mediocre, a decent OB%, combined with that speed, power, and defense makes him an almost must for 2026, whether he bats 7th, 8th, or 9th. 

Lee, Jeffers, and Rodriguez fill out the last 3 spots to begin 2026. With any kind of re-tooling of the lineup, that's how things SHOULD go.

A lesser 1B moves Wallner up, and changes the bottom end of the lineup.

When Jenkins arrives, as well as K-Pepper and possibly Gonzalez at some point, that changes some things, obviously. But that could be July or later for some of them.

Regardless, Buxton is the best and most dangerous batter in the lineup. Keaschall is the perfect #1 batter for the next 5+ years on the team. The rest is all TBD. 

Buxton at #3 for now, and maybe for the next couple of years. We'll see how it shakes out. But Jenkins is the #3 "hitter in waiting".

[dxpavelka]

14 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Free agent first baseman

Alonzo, Pete:  Correa type contract (first one)

[dxpavelka]

14 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

If I am playing mlb the show, I am signing Josh Naylor and putting him there.

I don't see him wanting to sign here, or even the Twins spending enough.

Who is this mysterious free agent 1b you speak of? And why is this free agent a better fit than a healthy Royce Lewis?

I'm also in on Lewis to 1B.  Which leaves Lee at 3B.  Which leaves a hole at SS until Culpepper is ready.

[Riverbrian]

Offense was and is the biggest issue with this team. Offense is why we are here and offense is how we will get better. 

It kind of shows how bad these things have gotten when half of Twinsdaily is trying to fix defense despite Offense really being the biggest issue with this team. You'd figure a team would have one or the other but Twinsdaily seems to be split with half of TD trying to improve the club by improving defense. 

OK... I get it. Defense is important.

However... Offensively... We have... IMO... 5 players on the current roster that hit average or better last year. Buxton, Keaschall, Wallner, Jeffers and Larnach.

I'm not counting Clemens or Martin on my list of 5 players that hit average or better last year because they were barely above average and have only been barely above average for a short period of time. 

One of those 5 probably needs to be traded (Jeffers) due to his expiring contract so we don't lose him for nothing.

Two of those 5 (Wallner and Larnach) are being shoved out the door by the defensive minded folks of TD. I really don't understand this because we don't have enough offensive cover to just let what little we have go. 

Lewis and Lee are bottom of the order bats until they show they belong near the top of the order. They shouldn't even be discussed as top of the order options until they demonstrate that they are top of the order options.

As the roster stands right now. Clemens is probably our starting 1B and as shocking as that sounds... He deserves to hit higher in the order than Lewis and Lee and very few want Clemens on the roster at all. 

The current candidates on the current roster.  

Jeffers if we don't trade him due to his expiring contract. 

Wallner if we don't trade him as suggested by some. 

Larnach if we offer arbitration. 

Lewis and Lee who are struggling. 

Martin, Rodon or Outman who are auditioning for careers. 

Clemens who is auditioning for a career.

Fitzgerald who nobody wants on the roster. 

Whoever the 2nd catcher or 1st catcher if we trade Jeffers? 

Keaschall and Buxton... that's what we got? 

If this roster is going to change this off-season. Offense better be a priority. 

 

 

 

 

[MGX]

With the current players on the roster - short answer is Buxton. Below would be my lineups

vs LHP
Martin
Keaschall
Buxton
Jeffers
Wallner
Lewis
Lee
1b -?
Roden

vs RHP
Martin
Keaschall
Buxton
Wallner
Jeffers
Clemens
Lewis
Lee
Roden

If we added a FA 1B like O'Hearn that would boost both lineups & our bench.

[Riverbrian]

 We could really really really use a young 1B with 30 homer potential. I understand the need to get more athletic and I support the desire to get more athletic but the 1B spot... I'd rather invest in a young 1B with stereotypical 30 home run power potential. 

Buxton and Wallner are the only players on the current roster with legit 30 home run power potential. 

Alonso is the only 30 Home Run Power Potential bat in free agency and he ain't coming. The Yankees, Mets and Red Sox will be needing to add a 1B like Alonso. Whoever doesn't get Alonso is going to pick off Naylor and then it is nothing but 1B question marks. 

We need to trade for a big aircraft carrier potential young 1B and perhaps the only chips that could get us that type of talent is Ryan or Jeffers.  

[arby58]

On 11/10/2025 at 9:22 AM, Cory Engelhardt said:

Perfect world, with everyone healthy and playing at least at their 75th percentile, I'd have Keaschall in the #2 spot, Buxton in the #4 spot and then see who is the best fit between Jenkins and Lewis for the #3 and #5 spots. I'd love it if Lewis could be the #5 hitter and Jenkins #3. Hopefully everyone has good health.

As far as leadoff, I'm HOPEFUL that the walk rates that Alan Roden has shown in AAA can translate, but otherwise leadoff will be a separate question after that.

Buxton likes batting lead-off, and you want to get him as many ABs as possible when he's in the lineup. If the R/L/R/L thing is important, you could go Buxton, Keaschall, Lewis, Jenkins, Jeffers, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Lee, with a first baseman to be named later. In that line-up, one of the four OF would DH, probably Gonzalez. That is also a pretty good defensive outfield, and maybe Buxton moves to RF. 

Of course, putting all three AAA outfielders in the starting lineup is a stretch, but next year is likely to be a developmental year anyway.

[Cory Engelhardt]

45 minutes ago, arby58 said:

Buxton likes batting lead-off, and you want to get him as many ABs as possible when he's in the lineup. If the R/L/R/L thing is important, you could go Buxton, Keaschall, Lewis, Jenkins, Jeffers, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Lee, with a first baseman to be named later. In that line-up, one of the four OF would DH, probably Gonzalez. That is also a pretty good defensive outfield, and maybe Buxton moves to RF. 

Of course, putting all three AAA outfielders in the starting lineup is a stretch, but next year is likely to be a developmental year anyway.

This could work by May though. Barring health it would be interesting 

[nddan67]

 

'if they could find the next Brandt Alyea that would be fun.  For those who dont know he played with the new  Washington Senators 1965, 1968 & '69  With the Twins in 1970 he started the season on a red hot tear cooled for awhile and bounced back later in the year.  He hit .291 with 16 homers, 61 RBI.  It was a flash in the pan as he hit .171 in 1971.  He was fun as you knew he could make something happen,  We could use a one year find like that.   He played mostly Left Field.  1970 was his career year.  Clemens with a higher average, obp, slg.

 

[Steve J]

My favorite would be Buxton.  The Twins have a few players like Keaschall and Martin who, if they retain their effectiveness in their sophomore season, make a good fit for a more classic lineup.

Also, Buxton is fast and hits few ground balls.  When he makes outs, he makes them one at a time.  I hate seeing the #3 guy hit into double plays.  

If not Buxton, my vote would be for Ryan Jeffers.  He too is a flyball hitter and decent offensively.     

[Major League Ready]

On 11/10/2025 at 2:13 PM, farmerguychris said:

You surely said that with sarcasm, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's our opening day 1st baseman.  He's already on the team (they value depth) and he's making the minimum salary (most importantly).  This would be a very bad outcome for us, but I think more possible than we want to admit.

Why would they use Gasper over Clemmons who is a better hitter and defender.  If Gasper makes the team it's as a back-up catcher but I hope they find a better alternative.

[Major League Ready]

10 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

Two of those 5 (Wallner and Larnach) are being shoved out the door by the defensive minded folks of TD. I really don't understand this because we don't have enough offensive cover to just let what little we have go. 

I can't speak for others but they are probably thinking the same thing I am.  Larnach is an adequate hitter but there is a good chance we can get that level of hitting out of someone else that will provide better defense and base running.  Wallner is in a slightly different boat and probably worth another look because he has at times been quite potent, and he has 4 years of control remaining.  What's the point of keeping Larnach around if the team realistically is looking at 2028 to contend?  We are more likely to get to a point of contention if his roster spot is utilized to develop a contributor.

[Paul Walerius]

On 11/10/2025 at 9:39 AM, D.C Twins said:

An article about the 3 hitter which includes the names Outman, Keirsey, Vasquez, Larnach, and Lee in any context shows you just how far away the Twins are from being competitive. 

If it is not Jenkins in the near future, the Twins are even further away that we think.

I'm OK with poor result this year if they LET THE PROSPECTS PLAY!  But no retreads, or never-were/will be taking ABs (ahem... Outman) 

 

I will say I understand what you are saying, however, I do think you are being too hard on Lee.   I do like him and believe he will improve this coming year.  He basically has one year of experience and two different hitting coaches.   

Also to say they won't be competitive with lee batting 3rd then say Jenkins would make them competitive is naive.   Jenkins had a line of .242/.324/.396/.719 at AAA last year.  I am not saying he won't be good at major league level but Lee for context hit .237/.304/.428/.731 before he was first called up.   

I don't think we need to rush Jenkins.  Minnesota fans are quick to call young players busts too quick so lets have him get enough at bats at AAA so he is ready to perform in Majors.  

[Riverbrian]

11 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

I can't speak for others but they are probably thinking the same thing I am.  Larnach is an adequate hitter but there is a good chance we can get that level of hitting out of someone else that will provide better defense and base running.  Wallner is in a slightly different boat and probably worth another look because he has at times been quite potent, and he has 4 years of control remaining.  What's the point of keeping Larnach around if the team realistically is looking at 2028 to contend?  We are more likely to get to a point of contention if his roster spot is utilized to develop a contributor.

If there is a good chance we can get that level of hitting out of someone else.

A. Let them prove it. Put them in the lineup and let them out perform Larnach. If they do... Larnach can be released or traded. 

B. If we have 8 players over that level of hitting. Don't bother waiting for 2028. We will be in contention in 2026. 

Larnach's contract is not expiring. His Arbitration number will not drain the last drops of our current budget, this team will not be signing top end free agents. 

And I swear to everything holy... You can roster 5 OF'ers and provide sufficient playing time for all of them. You can allow for competition so players can prove they are better. You can also roster 6 infielders and provide sufficient playing time for all. You do not have to reduce talent to the bare minimum so a select few gets all the playing time. 

I look forward to you being right because a team that has Larnach as the 13th best guy out of the 13 on the roster will beat everything in it's path. 

[Major League Ready]

11 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

If there is a good chance we can get that level of hitting out of someone else.

A. Let them prove it. Put them in the lineup and let them out perform Larnach. If they do... Larnach can be released or traded. 

B. If we have 8 players over that level of hitting. Don't bother waiting for 2028. We will be in contention in 2026. 

Larnach's contract is not expiring. His Arbitration number will not drain the last drops of the budget , this team will not be signing top end free agents and I swear to everything holy. You can roster 5 OF'ers and provide sufficient playing time for all of them. You can also roster 6 infielders and provide sufficient playing time for all. 

I look forward to you being right because a team that has Larnach as the 13th best guy on the roster will beat everything in it's path. 

 

 

I don't disagree with what you are saying, we just have different goals.  Your approach maximizes the present.  It makes perfect sense to make a young player "prove it" when a team is in contention.  There is no doubt, they won't have 8 better hitters but the goal during a rebuild is not maximizing the present.  I prefer an approach focused on building a contender and holding onto Larnach next year is counterproductive to that goal.  Of course, that's an opinion not a fact but if we look at successful rebuilds, those teams gave priority to players who could be long-term solutions.  Houston didn't keep anyone around because they didn't have 8 better hitters.

[Riverbrian]

1 minute ago, Major League Ready said:

I don't disagree with what you are saying, we just have different goals.  Your approach maximizes the present.  It makes perfect sense to make a young player "prove it" when a team is in contention.  I prefer an approach focused on building a contender and holding onto Larnach next year is counterproductive to that goal.  Of course, that's an opinion not a fact but if we look at successful rebuilds, those teams gave priority to players who could be long-term solutions.  

Out goals are the same... approach is different. Mike Sixel and I both agree that youth must be served for the future but there is no way I would ever consider his suggestion that we select 4 players for 4 spots and invest everything in them. No net... Just hoping  that Brooks Lee can get that OPS over .700 or that Royce Lewis's leg isn't surgically removed due to an injury suffered picking up a towel in the locker room. 

I'm all about young talent identification right now and the accumulation of that young talent. I hope we acquire so much young talent that it eventually spills over the sides. That's my approach to getting better as quickly as possible and since I don't fear young talent... I believe that you can win today without sacrificing the future. I'm the guy who spent the entire 2025 season counting pre-arb players to show everyone that youth is nothing to be afraid of. Youth doesn't mean wins... youth doesn't mean losses. Talent is the key.

The Twins current roster has 17 Pre-Arb players. Milwaukee has 18. Youth is being served. Not let's see who wants a career. 

I've typed plenty of words stating my desire for development. I'm not shucking development nor the future with the retention of a player in Arb 2. Cleveland isn't letting Larnach go. They roster Lane Thomas and Nolan Jones. Milwaukee will roster Vaughn and Bauers. Cleveland and Milwaukee will have a variety of players from zero to 5 or even 6 years of service time and that's a good thing because not everybody will reach free agency at the same time.  

Yes... we can deepen this thing. It's a viable approach. We can trade Ryan for example. 

Everything starts with that question and it's hard to pick a path without the answer to that question.  Are the Twins trading Joe Ryan? I think you and I agree that we would trade Joe Ryan. However... neither the front office, you or I can say what the market will provide in return. If market conditions don't provide decent enough players in return... you don't trade him. You try again at the deadline or next off season. 

If the Twins don't trade Joe Ryan.

Ryan, Lopez, Ober, Bradley, Matthews, SWR, Abel, Festa, Morris, and Rojas should keep the Twins in baseball games and provide excellent candidates for bullpen converts. Where any semblance of an offense will actually win baseball games.  

Even if we trade Ryan.

Lopez, Ober, Bradley, Matthews, SWR, Abel, Festa, Morris and Rojas could still be pretty formidable. 

How deep do you want to go? or Need to go?

Trade Ryan, Lopez, Cut Larnach, The tear it down to the studs rebuilding 2011 Astros didn't have the starting pitching we have as a starting point. We are already a level advanced above the 2011 Astros... we don't need to go all the way back to their starting point. We just need our offense to catch up quickly. The Astros were throwing 30, 32 and 28 year old pitchers in 2011... they actually tripped over Dallas Keuchel because they didn't have the pitching to keep Keuchel away from the majors. We won't be tripping over any Keuchel's on our way forward because of our impressive starting pitching depth. Our bullpen can be rebuilt partially with that excess pitching depth.

Offense... we need offense and I'm just not going to toss one of 4 players who are currently demonstrating above average major league skill. I'm simply going to provide the opportunity for someone to be better than them. Martin, Rodon, Outman, GG, Erod and Jenkins have to actually out perform Larnach first. They will get their chance. 

 

[Major League Ready]

10 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Out goals are the same... approach is different. Mike Sixel and I both agree that youth must be served for the future but there is no way I would ever consider his suggestion that we select 4 players for 4 spots and invest everything in them. No net... Just hoping  that Brooks Lee can get that OPS over .700 or that Royce Lewis's leg isn't surgically removed due to an injury suffered picking up a towel in the locker room. 

I'm all about young talent identification right now and the accumulation of that young talent. I hope we acquire so much young talent that it eventually spills over the sides. That's my approach to getting better as quickly as possible and since I don't fear young talent... I believe that you can win today without sacrificing the future. I'm the guy who spent the entire 2025 season counting pre-arb players to show everyone that youth is nothing to be afraid of. Youth doesn't mean wins... youth doesn't mean losses. Talent is the key.

The Twins current roster has 17 Pre-Arb players. Milwaukee has 18. Youth is being served. Not let's see who wants a career. 

I've typed plenty of words stating my desire for development. I'm not shucking development nor the future with the retention of a player in Arb 2. Cleveland isn't letting Larnach go. They roster Lane Thomas and Nolan Jones. Milwaukee will roster Vaughn and Bauers. Cleveland and Milwaukee will have a variety of players from zero to 5 or even 6 years of service time and that's a good thing because not everybody will reach free agency at the same time.  

Yes... we can deepen this thing. It's a viable approach. We can trade Ryan for example. 

Everything starts with that question and it's hard to pick a path without the answer to that question.  Are the Twins trading Joe Ryan? I think you and I agree that we would trade Joe Ryan. However... neither the front office, you or I can say what the market will provide in return. If market conditions don't provide decent enough players in return... you don't trade him. You try again at the deadline or next off season. 

If the Twins don't trade Joe Ryan.

Ryan, Lopez, Ober, Bradley, Matthews, SWR, Abel, Festa, Morris, and Rojas should keep the Twins in baseball games and provide excellent candidates for bullpen converts. Where any semblance of an offense will actually win baseball games.  

Even if we trade Ryan.

Lopez, Ober, Bradley, Matthews, SWR, Abel, Festa, Morris and Rojas could still be pretty formidable. 

How deep do you want to go? or Need to go?

Trade Ryan, Lopez, Cut Larnach, The tear it down to the studs rebuilding 2011 Astros didn't have the starting pitching we have as a starting point. We are already a level advanced above the 2011 Astros... we don't need to go all the way back to their starting point. We just need our offense to catch up quickly. The Astros were throwing 30, 32 and 28 year old pitchers in 2011... they actually tripped over Dallas Keuchel because they didn't have the pitching to keep Keuchel away from the majors. We won't be tripping over any Keuchel's on our way forward because of our impressive starting pitching depth. Our bullpen can be rebuilt partially with that excess pitching depth.

Offense... we need offense and I'm just not going to toss one of 4 players who are currently demonstrating above average major league skill. I'm simply going to provide the opportunity for someone to be better than them. Martin, Rodon, Outman, GG, Erod and Jenkins have to actually out perform Larnach first. They will get their chance. 

 

I agree we are deep in starting pitching.  We have very little else.  Zip in the BP.  No 1B.  Well below average at SS/3B. Great CF but the corners are very incomplete players with the exception of Martin who is still unproven and has a modest ceiling due to lack of power.  This is not a team anywhere near serious contention and holding onto players that are not part of the solution diminishes the effectiveness of the rebuild.  Invest 1 year into on boarding new corner OFers, a new SS, and rebuilding a decimated BP and auditioning young SPs.  We can rebuild very quickly because of the SPing you highlight but if they are going to be legit, they will have to field better players than Larnach.  I would like them to commit to a rebuild or not rebuild at all.  We are about to see if the FO is committed or puts a just good enough product on the field to keep people in the seats.  

[Riverbrian]

2 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

I agree we are deep in starting pitching.  We have very little else.  Zip in the BP.  No 1B.  Well below average at SS/3B. Great CF but the corners are very incomplete players with the exception of Martin who is still unproven and has a modest ceiling due to lack of power.  This is not a team anywhere near serious contention and holding onto players that are not part of the solution diminishes the effectiveness of the rebuild.  Invest 1 year into on boarding new corner OFers, a new SS, and rebuilding a decimated BP and auditioning young SPs.  We can rebuild very quickly because of the SPing you highlight but if they are going to be legit, they will have to field better players than Larnach.  I would like them to commit to a rebuild or not rebuild at all.  We are about to see if the FO is committed or puts a just good enough product on the field to keep people in the seats.  

You and I are not afraid of youth. We agree that we can't operate this franchise like the Phillies or Yankees. I certainly recognize the holes that you mention but what I'm suggesting is preparing for success and failure in 2026. I agree that the odds of success are long. 

Here is what I would do based on the current roster and I reserve the right to adjust this depending on November 18th and the 40 man roster decisions to come. 

I would trade Joe Ryan and Ryan Jeffers for additional young talent. I am looking specifically for a young  major league ready or near major league ready 1B as priority 1 and young major league ready or near major league ready SS with talent in return as priority 2. The way I see it... We will need these two additions just to make Kody Clemens or Julien the 13th player out of 13 on the roster.     

I would not sign any IKF or Josh Bell types for these spots. No one year contracts at a low dollar amount (Other than Bullpen). Let's Pittsburgh continue doing crap like Pham and IKF... as they remain in constant rebuild due to numerous failures with the limited youth they provide all or nothing opportunity to with no nets.     

I would only spend free agent money on the bullpen including placing a bet on a talented closer who had an off year last year that would like to remain in a closer role to restore his closer value (Williams for example) and I'm pouring as much young talent as I can through the offensive filter. Strength in numbers because we will find lack of strength in some.   

Since I am not qualified to assess who the Twins should protect with 40 man spots on November 18th and since I am not qualified to assess which young 1B or SS the Twins should acquire with those trade chips and since I have no idea what those teams will want in return... I'll just throw a couple of trade ideas out there so everyone can look at it. (Disclaimer: I don't want to discuss the personal opinions of the names that I suggest in the trades that are only suggested for example purposes only). 

Trade Ryan to the Phillies for Aiden Miller. 

Trade Jeffers to the Red Sox for Casas and Wong. Again... no idea if these are over pays or under pays... they match up well on BBTV and I have no idea if the Phillies or Red Sox would make these trades. These names are only for example purposes because I have no idea if there are better trades to be made for the chips I'm willing to deal. I'll certainly take a different 1B because of Casas injury history. Trade Ryan for Eldridge and Jeffers for a SS just as long as we get one of each. We will all have our own opinions on the example purpose names provided. 

Watch the 40 man roster drops for an additional catcher. Keep your eye specifically on the Dodgers and Rortvedt for example. 

Sign Devin Williams to a two year free agent contract. Grab at least one more decent bullpen arm from the free agency pile. Seranthony Dominguez for example? 

With health we could break camp with (and we will not be 100% healthy when we break camp). 

Infield: Casas, Keaschall, Lewis, Miller, Lee and Clemens. Lee can push Lewis, Miller and Keaschall. Yes Keaschall because we have no idea if Keaschall will sophomore slump like Julien or Lewis. We have no idea if Keaschall will be healthy for all 162 games. The presence of Miller and Lee on this roster provides protection for things like that. 

Outfield: Buxton, Wallner, Larnach, Martin and Outman.

Outman gets until June to get back to being the Outman that his skill set suggests he could be. He gets opportunity to show he can return... not every day opportunity but opportunity to show that he is better than Larnach. If they just plan on keeping Outman on the bench for an extended time... Just cut him now.

If he doesn't show himself as major league capable by June. DFA him and you have Rodon, GG, Erod and even Jenkins waiting in the wings. Who is the first choice? Who is the 2nd choice? Who is the third choice for call up when Outman fails. Hopefully the players will tell you by how they are performing in AAA. Injuries are going to happen... like death and taxes... Injuries are going to happen. Any one of those 5 players could be injured when we break camp. GG, Erod and Jenkins will get playing time and the opportunity to prove they are better than Larnach. That is pouring as much talent through the filter as you can to find out who will be helpful in 2026 and beyond. 

Martin keeps his infield glove on standby. If we have an injury to an infield position... Let's say Lewis gets hurt again. Martin can slide into an IF role for the moment and Lee can 3B primarily and we can call up one of our talented OF'ers to replace an injured IF. 

Catchers: Three on the 40 man... Just roll with Wong, Rortvedt and Pereda in AAA. Just don't fail in the development of Tait or even Olivar because we will need them down the road. 

Keaschall 2B

Buxton CF

Casas 1B

Wallner RF

Lewis 3B

Larnach DH

Miller SS

Martin LF

Rortvedt C

Lee plugging in, Outman plugging in to keep them honest. Everybody but Buxton yielding playing time for honest competition to establish who wants a major league career. Rodon, GG, Erod, Jenkins, Mendez, Culpepper ready to come up should any of them stumble (Outman for example)... those same players are also ready to come up should any injuries occur. If Jenkins gets the call and he kills it. He stays and the 13th player based on performance is gone.   

Bullpen: Williams, Seranthony, Prielipp, Festa, Topa, Funderburk, Sands and Raya. 

Starters: Lopez, Ober, SWR, Bradley and Matthews (Abel, Morris and Rojas). 

This team could compete. It could also lose.

But... I am not afraid of youth and I have not thrown away 2028 from a development standpoint regardless of what happens in 2026.         

[Major League Ready]

2 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

You and I are not afraid of youth. We agree that we can't operate this franchise like the Phillies or Yankees. I certainly recognize the holes that you mention but what I'm suggesting is preparing for success and failure in 2026. I agree that the odds of success are long. 

Here is what I would do based on the current roster and I reserve the right to adjust this depending on November 18th and the 40 man roster decisions to come. 

I would trade Joe Ryan and Ryan Jeffers for additional young talent. I am looking specifically for a young  major league ready or near major league ready 1B as priority 1 and young major league ready or near major league ready SS with talent in return as priority 2. The way I see it... We will need these two additions just to make Kody Clemens or Julien the 13th player out of 13 on the roster.     

I would not sign any IKF or Josh Bell types for these spots. No one year contracts at a low dollar amount (Other than Bullpen). Let's Pittsburgh continue doing crap like Pham and IKF... as they remain in constant rebuild due to numerous failures with the limited youth they provide all or nothing opportunity to with no nets.     

I would only spend free agent money on the bullpen including placing a bet on a talented closer who had an off year last year that would like to remain in a closer role to restore his closer value (Williams for example) and I'm pouring as much young talent as I can through the offensive filter. Strength in numbers because we will find lack of strength in some.   

Since I am not qualified to assess who the Twins should protect with 40 man spots on November 18th and since I am not qualified to assess which young 1B or SS the Twins should acquire with those trade chips and since I have no idea what those teams will want in return... I'll just throw a couple of trade ideas out there so everyone can look at it. (Disclaimer: I don't want to discuss the personal opinions of the names that I suggest in the trades that are only suggested for example purposes only). 

Trade Ryan to the Phillies for Aiden Miller. 

Trade Jeffers to the Red Sox for Casas and Wong. Again... no idea if these are over pays or under pays... they match up well on BBTV and I have no idea if the Phillies or Red Sox would make these trades. These names are only for example purposes because I have no idea if there are better trades to be made for the chips I'm willing to deal. I'll certainly take a different 1B because of Casas injury history. Trade Ryan for Eldridge and Jeffers for a SS just as long as we get one of each. We will all have our own opinions on the example purpose names provided. 

Watch the 40 man roster drops for an additional catcher. Keep your eye specifically on the Dodgers and Rortvedt for example. 

Sign Devin Williams to a two year free agent contract. Grab at least one more decent bullpen arm from the free agency pile. Seranthony Dominguez for example? 

With health we could break camp with (and we will not be 100% healthy when we break camp). 

Infield: Casas, Keaschall, Lewis, Miller, Lee and Clemens. Lee can push Lewis, Miller and Keaschall. Yes Keaschall because we have no idea if Keaschall will sophomore slump like Julien or Lewis. We have no idea if Keaschall will be healthy for all 162 games. The presence of Miller and Lee on this roster provides protection for things like that. 

Outfield: Buxton, Wallner, Larnach, Martin and Outman.

Outman gets until June to get back to being the Outman that his skill set suggests he could be. He gets opportunity to show he can return... not every day opportunity but opportunity to show that he is better than Larnach. If they just plan on keeping Outman on the bench for an extended time... Just cut him now.

If he doesn't show himself as major league capable by June. DFA him and you have Rodon, GG, Erod and even Jenkins waiting in the wings. Who is the first choice? Who is the 2nd choice? Who is the third choice for call up when Outman fails. Hopefully the players will tell you by how they are performing in AAA. Injuries are going to happen... like death and taxes... Injuries are going to happen. Any one of those 5 players could be injured when we break camp. GG, Erod and Jenkins will get playing time and the opportunity to prove they are better than Larnach. That is pouring as much talent through the filter as you can to find out who will be helpful in 2026 and beyond. 

Martin keeps his infield glove on standby. If we have an injury to an infield position... Let's say Lewis gets hurt again. Martin can slide into an IF role for the moment and Lee can 3B primarily and we can call up one of our talented OF'ers to replace an injured IF. 

Catchers: Three on the 40 man... Just roll with Wong, Rortvedt and Pereda in AAA. Just don't fail in the development of Tait or even Olivar because we will need them down the road. 

Keaschall 2B

Buxton CF

Casas 1B

Wallner RF

Lewis 3B

Larnach DH

Miller SS

Martin LF

Rortvedt C

Lee plugging in, Outman plugging in to keep them honest. Everybody but Buxton yielding playing time for honest competition to establish who wants a major league career. Rodon, GG, Erod, Jenkins, Mendez, Culpepper ready to come up should any of them stumble (Outman for example)... those same players are also ready to come up should any injuries occur. If Jenkins gets the call and he kills it. He stays and the 13th player based on performance is gone.   

Bullpen: Williams, Seranthony, Prielipp, Festa, Topa, Funderburk, Sands and Raya. 

Starters: Lopez, Ober, SWR, Bradley and Matthews (Abel, Morris and Rojas). 

This team could compete. It could also lose.

But... I am not afraid of youth and I have not thrown away 2028 from a development standpoint regardless of what happens in 2026.         

Nobody can say you have not thought this through!  

BTW ... I like the whole plan.  The only thing I would do differently is remove Larnach.  I would look to fill the OF spots between Jenkins / Rodriguez / Martin / Gonzalez / Rodon / Outman / Fedko and Rosario in roughly that order in terms of potential. 

[Riverbrian]

55 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

Nobody can say you have not thought this through!  

Too much time. 

The whole purpose of posting it... Is to show what is possible by accumulating as much talent as you can. 

No guarantees for immediate success but plural options for the present and future instead of singular focus on a few key individuals hoping that they all work out and starting over again in 2 or 3 years if they don't.  

If I need 8 eggs to survive and 50% typically fail. I want to go for 12 eggs to increase my odds of getting those 8 eggs that are needed. It's the fastest way to respectability in consideration of our budget parameters.   

Erod, or GG or Jenkins has to out perform Larnach before you even think about Larnach going away.

Larnach can be a more serious discussion next off-season when his contract is expiring at a higher Arb 3 number. By next off-season... we should have solid information on GG, Erod, Rodon, Jenkins, Culpepper, Martin, Lee, Lewis and the guys that I traded for. We can re-assess at the deadline... We can re-assess next offseason and the decisions will be incrementally easier because the players will tell you through performance.  

On the other hand. If we could trade Larnach for a decent reliever right now. I'll be Ok with that as long as the reliever is decent. 

I'm just not going to cut him loose for nothing when we need hitters to deepen this lineup to surround Buxton with. If Larnach hits the same and ends up our 8 hole hitter because 7 hitters are performing even better. We are a playoff team.  

I'm hoping Larnach gets that OPS above .800 and becomes a more interesting trade candidate. Maybe as soon as the trade deadline. If he doesn't and Erod, GG and Jenkins show themselves. The issue is solved either way because you can make a decision on Larnach the very second that Jenkins, Erod or GG out perform him. Again... as soon as the trade deadline.

In the meantime... Larnach and Wallner for that matter... competing with the next wave is not a bad thing in 2026. Nobody needs to be blocked.

         

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, Major League Ready said:

 

BTW ... I like the whole plan.  The only thing I would do differently is remove Larnach.  I would look to fill the OF spots between Jenkins / Rodriguez / Martin / Gonzalez / Rodon / Outman / Fedko and Rosario in roughly that order in terms of potential. 

I responded before this addition. 

I'll take the 96% agreement and honestly... the 4% that is Larnach isn't a tremendous issue in itself because it will take care of itself.

It has to care of itself because you can't hold back that wall of outfielders that you list. Only Larnach can hold them back through performance and if Larnach is holding them back through performance... we are golden.   

Starting the season with Larnach doesn't mean finishing the season with Larnach. This whole thing could be clarified by the trade deadline.  

I'm just asking for someone to beat him out of a job first.    

BTW... As an addendum to what I outlined earlier. I'd be a lot more comfortable if one of our OF'ers could provide occasional 1B work. Not going to recommend anyone... I'm not saying they should transition to 1B full time but I am saying... if any of them has the ability to play an occasional decent 1B to backup Casas or Eldridge or whoever we acquire. I'd say we have decent options every where for most every injury contingency.

Just like Martin playing some IF if an injury occurs to Lewis or Keaschall allows an OF call up for one of our young OF highly ranked options. If... Rodon for example (Not recommending anyone) could play some 1B if Casas or Eldridge or whoever goes down. It's another opportunity to call up an OF like Jenkins or GG or Erod if an injury occurs at 1B.

You would basically create a roster that one of our highly rated Outfielders is the first call up regardless where the injury dictated opening occurs... other than catcher of course.  If any injuries occur at 1B,2B,3B,SS,DH,LF,CF or RF. Jenkins the guy you list as first in line can be first in line when any injury occurs. He could even break camp with the club.    

On Fedko and Rosario. I'll wait to see if they are protected on November 18th. That's why I reserve the right to change what I'm thinking right now based on the upcoming 40 man decisions. If they end up with a high number of protected outfielders. A different type of clean up will be required.   

[ashbury]

15 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

I look forward to you being right because a team that has Larnach as the 13th best guy out of the 13 on the roster will beat everything in it's path. 

A team with 12 guys better than Larnach will not need Larnach on the roster with them to serve as their benchmark.

[Riverbrian]

6 minutes ago, ashbury said:

A team with 12 guys better than Larnach will not need Larnach on the roster with them to serve as their benchmark.

Yep

And we are not there yet. 

[ashbury]

2 hours ago, ashbury said:

A team with 12 guys better than Larnach will not need Larnach on the roster with them to serve as their benchmark.

 

2 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

Yep

And we are not there yet. 

We're obviously coming at things from a different point of view, and we had a similar discussion a few weeks ago.  Yours is that Larnach isn't the squeakiest wheel, so he's not first in line to have something done about.  Mine is that when a lot of things need to be done, the exact ordering is less important than the imperative that they all get done.

Even with that said, I'm not quite sure why Larnach is some kind of hill you want to die on for 2026.  Baseball-reference.com has an entertaining feature called Similarity Scores near the bottom of most veteran players' pages - it's derived from a Bill James idea from around 40 years ago and is just a toy, but fun.  I looked at Larnach's list - here are his 10 most similar players through their age-27 seasons (that's Larnach's 2024 and apparently they haven't updated yet):
    Gavin Sheets (974.6)
    Kyle Blanks (973.4)
    Pavin Smith (972.2)
    Aaron Altherr (970.2)
    Steven Souza Jr. (970.0)
    Ken Wood (970.0)
    Willie Calhoun (969.9)
    Joe Hague (968.8)
    Dante Bichette (968.6)
    Chris Parmelee (967.9)

The numbers aren't important except to illustrate how easy it is to find matches for a given player (with 1000 being someone's virtual clone). The 10th best match for Willie Mays, a much more unique kind of guy, at age 27 is teammate Orlando Cepeda with a similarity score of only 851.  Carlos Correa is fun to look at - his age 27 list brings me to Vern Stephens, a really good and sadly forgotten shortstop from the 1940s/50s, and... whoops, that's a rabbit hole I'll have to not dive any further down.

Anywho, Larnach has a pretty common set of skills and/or results, leading to a lot of matches in major league history.  Which in turn means maybe we can learn something from history, though I'm lazy and will look at only the players this toy gives me.

I took a quick glance through the careers of these 10 guys.  What jumps out at me is this: 6 of them were out of the majors before age 30.  That is to say, they were in the majors at age 27 and matched up closely enough to Larnach (considering the full arc of their careers up to that point) to be on this list, and then *poof* *fizzle*. Blanks, Altherr, Wood, Calhoun, Hague, and our own Parmelee.

Of the remaining four, two are currently active players: Sheets has amassed WAR of -1.0 and +0.7 in his age 28 and 29 seasons.  Smith likewise has 0.6 and 0.4 to show for his hard work at age 28/29.  As to the final two, Steven Souza had a really good WAR of 3.6 at age 28 and then the bottom fell out - he hung on to age 33 but was never again a valuable player.  Dante Bichette finally made good on his promise as a prospect and after his rough start he blossomed at age 29, only to sink back into mediocrity, though to his credit he kept finding work until the ripe old age of 37.

This is hardly a scientific sampling, nor is the forecasting infallible.  Still, it's systematic, and not cherry picking of guys I happen to remember.  I was prepared to see evidence in either direction.  But if I'm looking for evidence that Larnach was likely to be an asset to the Twins at age 28 (spoiler alert: his WAR in 2025 was 0.1) and going forward, it isn't here.  Guys with resumes similar to Larnach's don't last too much longer, or if they do they don't amount to much.  Is it worth a 1-in-10 gamble that he turns out as good as Dan Bichette? (The ship has already sailed on an age-28 season like Souza's.)  The odds seem better that Larnach's poised to fall off a cliff, and you'll have to do something about him sooner than you think.

(And need I belabor the point by saying that the top comps for true stars like Mays and Correa do not fit this fizzle-after-27 pattern?  Not that either of us is calling Larnach a star - just, this makes it clear we haven't misjudged Trevor's hidden potential.)

Larnach's going to need replacing soon.  Rip the bandaid off now.

Okay, enough about that.  Perhaps your POV also is that removing Larnach from an impending 90-loss team might turn them into a 93-loss team or something like that - or even just that he's a reasonably popular fellow.  If I were actually employed by the Twins I might have to take this angle - it's important not to crater so badly that attendance takes even another step downward.

But I'm not employed by the Twins.  And armchair-GMing a 90-loss team bores me.  Like I said, we're coming at things from a different point of view. 

Whew.  I don't know how you do all the typing you do.  I'm tired.  Maybe I need to use ChatGPT to compose my messages. 😁

 

[tony&rodney]

A player who can hit fits on any team as a DH. A team of DH players doesn't work because suddenly those routine ground balls and fly balls (where the guy has to go his left or right with some athleticism) become base hits. Every team needs offense as we saw in the playoffs, but we also saw defense. Keep the DH players at DH. If they are good, they can bat in the three hole. 

[Riverbrian]

9 hours ago, ashbury said:

 

We're obviously coming at things from a different point of view, and we had a similar discussion a few weeks ago.  Yours is that Larnach isn't the squeakiest wheel, so he's not first in line to have something done about.  Mine is that when a lot of things need to be done, the exact ordering is less important than the imperative that they all get done.

Even with that said, I'm not quite sure why Larnach is some kind of hill you want to die on for 2026.  Baseball-reference.com has an entertaining feature called Similarity Scores near the bottom of most veteran players' pages - it's derived from a Bill James idea from around 40 years ago and is just a toy, but fun.  I looked at Larnach's list - here are his 10 most similar players through their age-27 seasons (that's Larnach's 2024 and apparently they haven't updated yet):
    Gavin Sheets (974.6)
    Kyle Blanks (973.4)
    Pavin Smith (972.2)
    Aaron Altherr (970.2)
    Steven Souza Jr. (970.0)
    Ken Wood (970.0)
    Willie Calhoun (969.9)
    Joe Hague (968.8)
    Dante Bichette (968.6)
    Chris Parmelee (967.9)

The numbers aren't important except to illustrate how easy it is to find matches for a given player (with 1000 being someone's virtual clone). The 10th best match for Willie Mays, a much more unique kind of guy, at age 27 is teammate Orlando Cepeda with a similarity score of only 851.  Carlos Correa is fun to look at - his age 27 list brings me to Vern Stephens, a really good and sadly forgotten shortstop from the 1940s/50s, and... whoops, that's a rabbit hole I'll have to not dive any further down.

Anywho, Larnach has a pretty common set of skills and/or results, leading to a lot of matches in major league history.  Which in turn means maybe we can learn something from history, though I'm lazy and will look at only the players this toy gives me.

I took a quick glance through the careers of these 10 guys.  What jumps out at me is this: 6 of them were out of the majors before age 30.  That is to say, they were in the majors at age 27 and matched up closely enough to Larnach (considering the full arc of their careers up to that point) to be on this list, and then *poof* *fizzle*. Blanks, Altherr, Wood, Calhoun, Hague, and our own Parmelee.

Of the remaining four, two are currently active players: Sheets has amassed WAR of -1.0 and +0.7 in his age 28 and 29 seasons.  Smith likewise has 0.6 and 0.4 to show for his hard work at age 28/29.  As to the final two, Steven Souza had a really good WAR of 3.6 at age 28 and then the bottom fell out - he hung on to age 33 but was never again a valuable player.  Dante Bichette finally made good on his promise as a prospect and after his rough start he blossomed at age 29, only to sink back into mediocrity, though to his credit he kept finding work until the ripe old age of 37.

This is hardly a scientific sampling, nor is the forecasting infallible.  Still, it's systematic, and not cherry picking of guys I happen to remember.  I was prepared to see evidence in either direction.  But if I'm looking for evidence that Larnach was likely to be an asset to the Twins at age 28 (spoiler alert: his WAR in 2025 was 0.1) and going forward, it isn't here.  Guys with resumes similar to Larnach's don't last too much longer, or if they do they don't amount to much.  Is it worth a 1-in-10 gamble that he turns out as good as Dan Bichette? (The ship has already sailed on an age-28 season like Souza's.)  The odds seem better that Larnach's poised to fall off a cliff, and you'll have to do something about him sooner than you think.

(And need I belabor the point by saying that the top comps for true stars like Mays and Correa do not fit this fizzle-after-27 pattern?  Not that either of us is calling Larnach a star - just, this makes it clear we haven't misjudged Trevor's hidden potential.)

Larnach's going to need replacing soon.  Rip the bandaid off now.

Okay, enough about that.  Perhaps your POV also is that removing Larnach from an impending 90-loss team might turn them into a 93-loss team or something like that - or even just that he's a reasonably popular fellow.  If I were actually employed by the Twins I might have to take this angle - it's important not to crater so badly that attendance takes even another step downward.

But I'm not employed by the Twins.  And armchair-GMing a 90-loss team bores me.  Like I said, we're coming at things from a different point of view. 

Whew.  I don't know how you do all the typing you do.  I'm tired.  Maybe I need to use ChatGPT to compose my messages. 😁

 

A lot to unpack here. The answer to almost everything you say: A minority opinion or uncommon thinking coupled with a willingness to respond can distort the overall impression. 

I do type a lot of words. Comprehensive context for my crazy thoughts so the path to get where I am is shown. I take different approaches, I've tried catch phrases and I've tried novels. I've tried humor, parables, metaphors and I've tried dead serious but mainly... the willingness to discuss or respond to all comers leads to frequency, frequency leads to possible mistaken levels of conviction toward the subject at hand. The more you respond, the more paint that gets spilled on you. You risk being painted a 9 or 10 on the subject when you are probably a 5 or 6. .. but hey... that's life in the Serengeti. 

A hill to die on? Not at all... I won't die on this hill. I'm just a guy with a minority opinion with no place to go but up the hill in his willingness to discuss it. 

However, to be clear... I fully realize that I am talking about one roster spot. I think roster spots are gold and I don't believe you should ever waste them but I understand that I am talking about one player and one roster spot. We are talking about 4% of the potential 26 man roster. Frequent postings may give the impression of lost perspective but I do the math. It's one roster spot. 

We are coming at this from a different point of view and I think it's possible that it has little to do with Larnach.

I think it quite possible that the source of our divergent viewpoints on Larnach stems from this sentence:

Perhaps your POV also is that removing Larnach from an impending 90-loss team might turn them into a 93-loss team or something like that

I think that a losing record is probable in 2026 but I don't believe that it's necessarily fated. I don't care about 90 or 93 losses... that would never influence my thinking. 

My range of possibilities in 2026 doesn't start at 90 losses as a best case scenario. I'm not holding the hopeless pitchfork and I suspect that will be the next hill that I must climb because there are a lot of people holding pitchforks.  

I've said this before. If we keep Joe Ryan, this starting staff has the potential to be good to very good. Even without Ryan... the starting staff has the potential be decent and keep the team in games where an offense will be helpful. The bullpen can be rebuilt. The offense is where my concern is focused. I see the offense as the primary problem with this club and I have felt this way for a quite some time. 

I feel that the Twins may actually be finally serious about looking for offense if they are sincere in their declaration of a commitment to develop young players as stated by Shelton.  

If you feel there is no chance in 2026... I'd imagine that Larnach won't make any sense to you. 

I'm not there. I recognize the holes... all that needs to happen and I think it's possible to come together quicker than most imagine if the offense can provide something. Doesn't have to be the best in baseball... but it just has to show something.   

The team has work to do...  Larnach is just not where you start and where you start matters if you don't have the hopeless pitchfork to chuck around. It's not an order of execution as you put it. 

We are not going to sign a proven .800 plus OPS guy in free agency to increase that upper end. It's not going to happen... Larnach is our upper end until players out actually out perform him and he could be out performed by the trade deadline or not. We have 5 players who are demonstrated above MLB average and I think one of them (Jeffers) has to be traded due to his expiring contract and potential value in return. I'm not tossing one of the other 4 when it simply isn't necessary. Larnach can be on the roster and Jenkins can still rise to be a monster.  

Larnach is a much tougher potentially more realistic discussion next year when his contract is actually expiring and his Arb 3 number higher and younger player replacements have actually shown themselves.     

It's OK to ask for someone to out play him first and we have options for that as long as they are allowed to compete with Larnach. If the Twins plan to play Larnach at DH for 162 games and force his competition to watch... I'm out... You can clear his roster space right now.    

Like I said to MLR earlier... This 4% issue that is Larnach himself should resolve itself... if the Twins just allow it to resolve itself. Larnach either out plays the incoming wave or he doesn't. If he doesn't... issue is resolved by the deadline. If he does... the next wave is still here to keep knocking on that door until they knock it down. Larnach hears the footsteps... he has to hear them. But Hey... That's life in the Serengeti.   

I'm hedging my bets on all players by asking for competition from all 13 roster spots so we have increased odds of finding 6... 7...  instead of banking on 6 or 7 to find 6 or 7 (6 7 is for the kids... I don't understand the reference but it's all over the place).

I'm hedging my bets on wins and losses until what most think will happen... actually happens and then that 4% can be addressed. 

 

[ashbury]

8 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

If you feel there is no chance in 2026... I'd imagine that Larnach won't make any sense to you. 

I can't separate my own feelings about the roster from the need to be realistic in terms of what the FO will (or is constrained to) do.  Cashing in viable bullpen pieces that were under control in 2026 told me last July that either ownership or the FO feels there is no chance in 2026.  It does me no good if I want to say "oh yes there is a chance!" if they plan to undercut me at every turn.

As for Larnach, he makes even less sense to me if I DID think there was a chance in 2026.  A DH-type turning 29 before Opening Day and with no plausible path to an .800 OPS would be a downward drag on a team with aspirations to contend. 

If there's a role in the majors for Larnach anymore, it's for a team with no hope who needs a place holder until the young .... aw crud, I already went through that form of fandom in 2012-2014.  Larnach's our new Josh Willingham - no, wait, Willingham actually proved capable of hitting 30+ home runs when healthy.  Larnach's our new Ryan Doumit - wait, except he doesn't play behind the plate.  I guess Mickey Gasper is our new Doumit, leaving Larnach as, uh, Chris Parmelee?

I get depressed about the Twins when I think about Larnach, which makes me sadder because I like the guy.

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, ashbury said:

I can't separate my own feelings about the roster from the need to be realistic in terms of what the FO will (or is constrained to) do.  Cashing in viable bullpen pieces that were under control in 2026 told me last July that either ownership or the FO feels there is no chance in 2026.  It does me no good if I want to say "oh yes there is a chance!" if they plan to undercut me at every turn.

As for Larnach, he makes even less sense to me if I DID think there was a chance in 2026.  A DH-type turning 29 before Opening Day and with no plausible path to an .800 OPS would be a downward drag on a team with aspirations to contend. 

If there's a role in the majors for Larnach anymore, it's for a team with no hope who needs a place holder until the young .... aw crud, I already went through that form of fandom in 2012-2014.  Larnach's our new Josh Willingham - no, wait, Willingham actually proved capable of hitting 30+ home runs when healthy.  Larnach's our new Ryan Doumit - wait, except he doesn't play behind the plate.  I guess Mickey Gasper is our new Doumit, leaving Larnach as, uh, Chris Parmelee?

I get depressed about the Twins when I think about Larnach, which makes me sadder because I like the guy.

Well... We are who we are and we feel what we feel. 

If his ceiling is low... His floor isn't. He's been pretty consistent. I have no concerns of him going bad Royce Lewis for an extended time. Just haven't really seen him go Juan Soto for an extended time either.     

For now... I'm OK with that until the potential higher ceilings raise their floor. 

I'm not concerned with what Larnach will be at age 31. That's for Trevor to be concerned about.  

I just want talent accumulation and I'm ok with the kids coming and taking him out... but they got to take him out first and I hope the Twins will provide the opportunity to do so. 

We will learn what the Twins think... Soon enough. We have a lot of OF on the 40 man already and we have potential candidates to add and I'm guessing we are or certainly will be over the line in the total number of OF on the 40 man. We got to be able to staff the other positions. 

It should be an interesting off-season because the team is kinda lumpy right now... if you were not so depressed... you might enjoy it. 😉