The Twins' Reluctance to Rebuild, and Whether It Will Remain This Winter

[Greggory Masterson]

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

There has been one instance of Derek Falvey trading a veteran for prospect(s) over the offseason. Just one. Can you think of it?

It was Gio Urshela, after 2022. Urshela was traded to the Angels for 19-year-old pitcher Alejandro Hidalgo, just hours before the non-tender deadline. This move suggests a high likelihood that Urshela would have been released, rather than the Twins paying him an estimated $8 million via arbitration. The trade was more about finding value than about getting worse in the present for future rewards.

Falvey’s avoidance of selling present value for future value communicates an intention not to spend any year in a state of non-competitiveness. Sure, the team has gone through periods of non-competitiveness, but it’s never seemed to be part of an intentional plan. There hasn’t been a single offseason that has seemed like throwing in the towel on the following year.

There have been trades of established players. But—except Urshela—they have all brought back big-league talent. There have been minor moves, like 2024’s trade of Nick Gordon for Steven Okert or 2021’s much-ballyhooed LaMonte Wade Jr.-for-Shaun Anderson swap, but most of the Twins’ most significant offseason moves have been these challenge trades, trading MLB talent for MLB talent.

The Twins wanted to sell Josh Donaldson ahead of 2022, but instead of prospects, they received Urshela and Gary Sánchez, and they included Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt to facilitate the trade. Jorge Polanco was traded for prospects Gabriel Gonzalez and Darren Bowen, but the Twins also received Justin Topa and Anthony DeSclafani in the deal, filling holes on the big-league roster—you know, in theory.

In both the Donaldson and Polanco trades, the primary motivation was to move salary, but the Twins used the trades to solve existing problems with their plans to contend immediately. Urshela took Donaldson’s spot, and Sánchez filled a backup catcher role after Mitch Garver was traded for Kiner-Falefa and prospect Ronny Henríquez, for example. The money was quickly reinvested. Carlos Correa signed shortly after the Donaldson trade, and within a week, the money saved in the Polanco trade was allocated to Carlos Santana and Jay Jackson.

Even if Urshela was seen as a worse third baseman than Donaldson, the moves served a purpose: to build the team in the short-term and (often) in the long term. As a perfect example of this, the trade that sent Luis Arraez to Miami netted Pablo López, Jose Salas, and Byron Chourio. The Twins dealt from a perceived surplus of lefty corner bats for a badly-needed frontline starter, and they stocked the farm a bit in the process.

Ahead of 2022, it was clear that they were ready to move on from Taylor Rogers, but instead of prospects, they brought in two experienced pitchers with more team control, in Emilio Pagán and Chris Paddack. Perceptions of the quality of these trades run the gamut, but it’s clear that the intent has never been to outright cut back on talent in the hopes that the trade would bear fruit three years later.

Beyond trades, the Twins have tried to shop each offseason in free agency, sometimes getting creative (like ahead of 2024), sometimes biding their time and hoping talent falls through the cracks (like ahead of 2018, 2021, or 2025). The late signings of Addison Reed, Logan Morrison, and Lance Lynn before 2018 didn’t work, but they still trudged on, adding Nelson Cruz, Jonathan Schoop, C.J. Cron, and (late in the offseason), Marwin Gonzalez ahead of 2019. Even after a disastrous 2021, in an offseason in which they dumped the biggest free-agent contract the organization had ever signed, they still added Correa, because they weren’t throwing in the towel on 2022.

I’m not sure that it’s the right tactic. At some point, a team has to cut its losses and stop taking half-measures. The reluctance to sell a player without getting commensurate MLB talent may have kept players around longer than they should have been with the Twins (Max Kepler, maybe?). But the Central has been open for the entirety of Falvey’s tenure—at least to win enough games to catch a Wild Card berth.

If nothing else, it’s a noble pursuit. And if, as fans worry, the next step of the process begun on July 31, 2025 is to further hack away at this roster, Falvey will be in uncharted territory. We’ve never seen this team jpack it in ahead of the season. There’s no history to base it on or use as speculation.

Falvey has been insistent that he still does not intend to rebuild, and that he does not intend to continue to sell. He's told the media that he wants to add to his group, not subtract, which is in line with his behavior in previous offseasons. Whether you believe him is up to you.

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[The Great Hambino]

They've also never sold as aggressively at the trade deadline as they did this last year, including 3 high leverage bullpen options with multiple years of control. Have they ever traded anyone with more than 1 year plus the remainder of the season of control for prospects at a trade deadline?  To clarify, this wouldn't include Berrios or Pressly and their 1 year of control beyond the season in which they were traded.

They've also never agreed to pay someone $33MM to not play here while getting almost literally nothing in return.

They've also never put the team on the market during Falvey's tenure.

They've also never brought in limited partners to get out from under a mountain of debt.

They're doing plenty of things they've never done before.  They're already in uncharted territory.  I don't think "they won't cuz they haven't" really holds up.

 

[thelanges5]

It seems as though the front office doesn’t even have concepts of a plan at this point.

[sweetmusicviola16]

I'm with lange. I don't think they even have a plan. Sad.

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, The Great Hambino said:

They've also never sold as aggressively at the trade deadline as they did this last year, including 3 high leverage bullpen options with multiple years of control. Have they ever traded anyone with more than 1 year plus the remainder of the season of control for prospects at a trade deadline?  To clarify, this wouldn't include Berrios or Pressly and their 1 year of control beyond the season in which they were traded.

They've also never agreed to pay someone $33MM to not play here while getting almost literally nothing in return.

They've also never put the team on the market during Falvey's tenure.

They've also never brought in limited partners to get out from under a mountain of debt.

They're doing plenty of things they've never done before.  They're already in uncharted territory.  I don't think "they won't cuz they haven't" really holds up.

 

It doesn't hold up. I agree with that thought. 

24 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

It seems as though the front office doesn’t even have concepts of a plan at this point.

We are certainly in the dark. It might help sell a few tickets if the team does something that feels like a forward move. One would expect that the front office has a plan, but maybe they are shifting every day with uncertainty as well. One would also expect that there has been both direction and alignment with ownership as well. POBO comments seem to indicate that ownership hasn't yet given a plan. That seems very strange. We're all just floating in the breeze.

[Parfigliano]

Are you telling me that making it up as you go along isn't a valid plan.

[Patzky]

I think 'Shelty' is the only one outside of the Pohlads who has any answers .. and understandably he ain't talking 

[Blyleven2011]

18 minutes ago, sweetmusicviola16 said:

I'm with lange. I don't think they even have a plan. Sad.

How do you have a plan when the ownership is still telling you to reduce payroll  ...

If I was falvey , I would want to keep my self respect and walk away from this organization  , because the longer he stays the worse it gets and no organization will hire him for the same position if he continues to bomb us into oblivion...

Deadline trades brought back a couple of close major leaguers ( roden , Outman ) , but mostly  prospects unable to help finish out the 2025 season , we have a ton of prospects and we continue to not call up a hot bat when we have nothing to lose  , alot of them thrive in the minors only to rot and not be given a chance at a major league level  , our FO and scouts make poor assessments  , you put your best team on the field , take a chance on some that are not a high prospect , let them decide their fate ...

Stop the hoarding and give everyone a chance and stop playing players that should have been sent packing  , and play the hot hand , something has got to stick if you keep  trying different players from AA or AAA  , I'm not sure falvey has ever brought up anyone from AA  , Polanco could be the last player I recall hitting the big from AA  ...

Baseball is a win / lose proposition  ...

 

[DocBauer]

I've certainly lost a lot of faith in Falvey over the past year plus. To be fair, some of my lost faith is due more to ownership than Falvey directly. I believe I see the method in the madness, and a hint of a plan, but I remain unsure at this time.

For NOW, I'm willing to risk a little more faith considering the hint of a plan I see, and some recent comments I've heard from Shelton and Falvey. 

Shelton,  with no details given, seemed to hint he was assured of no big re-build. Maybe blowing smoke as he was just happy to have a new job? Or maybe he was speaking with confidence?

Falvey stated just recently that he was looking to make additions vs subtractions to the team. Can we take him at his word? I'm sure hoping so.

Past, even recent, payroll numbers and the expected post arbitration experience seems to indicate room to add. I remain hopeful until I hear otherwise. I don't believe in giving up too soon.

The 2026 Twins have holes, no doubt. And there are question marks regarding Wallner rebounding, Lewis staying healthy and getting RIGHT, Lee taking a step forward, etc. But I don't think positive answers are outlandish to expect. 

There's a potentially really solid rotation here.

There's a lot of top prospects and even some fringe prospects that are set to debut soon in the lineup and the pen. They won't all succeed, at least not immediately, but there is talent on this team, and hopefull talent about to debut. Whether the FO can make a handful of smart additions to augment 2026's roster holes is a major question.

But the 2026 Twins, other than the rotation potentially, aren't looking like a "roll it back again" team when you look at Martin taking a step forward, Roden hopefully TAKING a step forward after a SSS poor rookie debut, Keaschall becoming an important cog, and 3 top 10 talents for the OF knocking on the door to change things up further, with more speed and defense, and Wallner moving to primary DH. And what if K-Pepper follows Keaschall's development path and can be a better SS and move Lee to a super utility role in the near future as well?

There are holes and depth issues currently. And the pen needs a major re-build between what's on hand, who is coming up after being converted, and what FA are brought on board.

I'm not naive. 

But I do see a path for the Twins right now. And that includes talent on hand, talent on hand, and some smart additions if payroll allows.

I just don't believe a complete teardown and total re-build is necessary. I believe a warranted re-tool is taking place currently. And I'm holding on to that opinion/belief until I see something different. 

 

[sweetmusicviola16]

1 hour ago, Blyleven2011 said:

How do you have a plan when the ownership is still telling you to reduce payroll  ...

If I was falvey , I would want to keep my self respect and walk away from this organization  , because the longer he stays the worse it gets and no organization will hire him for the same position if he continues to bomb us into oblivion...

Deadline trades brought back a couple of close major leaguers ( roden , Outman ) , but mostly  prospects unable to help finish out the 2025 season , we have a ton of prospects and we continue to not call up a hot bat when we have nothing to lose  , alot of them thrive in the minors only to rot and not be given a chance at a major league level  , our FO and scouts make poor assessments  , you put your best team on the field , take a chance on some that are not a high prospect , let them decide their fate ...

Stop the hoarding and give everyone a chance and stop playing players that should have been sent packing  , and play the hot hand , something has got to stick if you keep  trying different players from AA or AAA  , I'm not sure falvey has ever brought up anyone from AA  , Polanco could be the last player I recall hitting the big from AA  ...

Baseball is a win / lose proposition  ...

 

Yep, all too often we're told how great this #5 or this #7 prospect is and he never is cuz he never gets a shot. Instead we'll sign some 34 y/o washed up player or trade for a Margot. I expect more of the same this time too. It's just a matter of time before Falvey starts reeling in his big late off season catches. As Roger Miller used to sing, "you can't rollerskate in a buffalo herd." But I can see Falvey strapping his wheels on as I type.

[IndianaTwin]

8 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

I've certainly lost a lot of faith in Falvey over the past year plus. To be fair, some of my lost faith is due more to ownership than Falvey directly. I believe I see the method in the madness, and a hint of a plan, but I remain unsure at this time.

For NOW, I'm willing to risk a little more faith considering the hint of a plan I see, and some recent comments I've heard from Shelton and Falvey. 

Shelton,  with no details given, seemed to hint he was assured of no big re-build. Maybe blowing smoke as he was just happy to have a new job? Or maybe he was speaking with confidence?

Falvey stated just recently that he was looking to make additions vs subtractions to the team. Can we take him at his word? I'm sure hoping so.

Past, even recent, payroll numbers and the expected post arbitration experience seems to indicate room to add. I remain hopeful until I hear otherwise. I don't believe in giving up too soon.

The 2026 Twins have holes, no doubt. And there are question marks regarding Wallner rebounding, Lewis staying healthy and getting RIGHT, Lee taking a step forward, etc. But I don't think positive answers are outlandish to expect. 

There's a potentially really solid rotation here.

There's a lot of top prospects and even some fringe prospects that are set to debut soon in the lineup and the pen. They won't all succeed, at least not immediately, but there is talent on this team, and hopefull talent about to debut. Whether the FO can make a handful of smart additions to augment 2026's roster holes is a major question.

But the 2026 Twins, other than the rotation potentially, aren't looking like a "roll it back again" team when you look at Martin taking a step forward, Roden hopefully TAKING a step forward after a SSS poor rookie debut, Keaschall becoming an important cog, and 3 top 10 talents for the OF knocking on the door to change things up further, with more speed and defense, and Wallner moving to primary DH. And what if K-Pepper follows Keaschall's development path and can be a better SS and move Lee to a super utility role in the near future as well?

There are holes and depth issues currently. And the pen needs a major re-build between what's on hand, who is coming up after being converted, and what FA are brought on board.

I'm not naive. 

But I do see a path for the Twins right now. And that includes talent on hand, talent on hand, and some smart additions if payroll allows.

I just don't believe a complete teardown and total re-build is necessary. I believe a warranted re-tool is taking place currently. And I'm holding on to that opinion/belief until I see something different. 

 

To wit, on your "potentially solid rotation," I actually wonder if you are underselling it. How many teams have two All-Stars (Ryan and Lopez), a strong bounce-back candidate (Ober), four guys who have spent time on top 100 lists (Abel, Matthews, Bradley and SWR), another who has already made the majors (Festa) AND a couple of other guys (Morris, Rojas and probably someone I'm missing)? That has potential to move beyond "solid" to "top notch."

I'm also not naive, but I'm with you in seeing a path forward. In addition to the guys you name, they also have a pretty good CF to build around.    

[Vanimal46]

2 hours ago, thelanges5 said:

It seems as though the front office doesn’t even have concepts of a plan at this point.

The plan is staring you in the face. Depends if you’re accepting of it or not. The Pohlads took private equity money to get out of their crippling debt. This isn’t a long term partnership. Private equity needs an ROI in a short amount of time. 

Theyre going to spend the next year or two making the franchise more valuable to hit their desired market rate near $2 billion. Private equity slashes expenses to skeleton levels to show profitability. 

Fan interest is at a 25 year low. There’s literally nothing they can do to spike attendance #s. They’re still in limbo with TV broadcasts. So why would the Pohlads invest any further in the organization? They’re already hated so who cares if that lasts another year before the lockout. 

[Whitey333]

Who can believe much of anything Falvey says anymore?  All he sells is hope and hype.  I don't understand why he doesn't get more flack.  Before the tear down last July the Twins were 17th out of the 30 teams in payroll.  Not great but surely not outlandish.  Also they consistently have lead the Central division in payroll.  I think Falvey has done a terrible job allocating the payroll funds hes been given.  But Falvey sells snow in the wintertime.  He is full of hot air and continually lies and misleads fans about the Twins development player development and the organization as a whole. 

[Vanimal46]

Falvey is finally starting to build the gap between himself and the Pohlad family with his recent quotes. “Unless I’m told otherwise” being a huge indicator when discussing keeping Lopez/Buxton/Ryan. Spoiler… He already has been told otherwise so he’s making it known if it were up to him he would keep them and add to the roster. When the opposite happens, we know he was told to do so. 

[The Great Hambino]

2 hours ago, thelanges5 said:

It seems as though the front office doesn’t even have concepts of a plan at this point.

I think Falvey has a plan.  I'm not sure I'd bet on it being a good plan, but I think he has a pretty good idea of what he'd do given various budgetary levels.

Ownership, on the other hand ... 

[bean5302]

1 hour ago, Blyleven2011 said:

How do you have a plan when the ownership is still telling you to reduce payroll  ...

 

Ownership "your payroll ceiling is x"
GM "okay, I'll plan based on the budget of x"

You know. Like every single other business in America.

Right now, if the Twins hold the course, their payroll projection is $89MM.

Let say the payroll target was $50MM. 

No problem. Gotta drop $40MM of payroll. Buxton and Lopez need to be moved and replaced with pre-arb to arb1 players making $1MM or so. There, we're at $50MM or real close to it.

 

[DocBauer]

32 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

To wit, on your "potentially solid rotation," I actually wonder if you are underselling it. How many teams have two All-Stars (Ryan and Lopez), a strong bounce-back candidate (Ober), four guys who have spent time on top 100 lists (Abel, Matthews, Bradley and SWR), another who has already made the majors (Festa) AND a couple of other guys (Morris, Rojas and probably someone I'm missing)? That has potential to move beyond "solid" to "top notch."

I'm also not naive, but I'm with you in seeing a path forward. In addition to the guys you name, they also have a pretty good CF to build around.    

To be perfectly honest, I said a "potentially solid rotation" only to avoid backlash from other posters who want to yell out statistics from the previous year.

It is undeniable that the 2025 rotation didn't meet expectations. Lopez got hurt. While he certainly didn't stink, Ryan slipped some in the 2nd half. Chicken and the egg on Ober: was he hurt? Or did he mess up his mechanics and that lead to his hip injury? I have complete faith in all 3 being good/great again in 2026. And that includes Ober, still only 30yo when the season begins, UNLESS we hear something different about his hip. But we haven't so far have we? So I'm expecting a playoff caliber 1-3 again in 2026 if everyone is, hopefully, kept.

SWR really disappointed me the 1st half. I really expected more from him. But what is crazy is how he got seriously ill, lost weight, had to go through a minor surgical procedure, and then got BETTER to close the season. The command he showed of his new/refined splitter down the stretch made me start to think he might actually push a healthy Ober for the #3 spot. (Not that it really matters).

To say your team's #5 spot is a concern would probably be echoed by almost every team in MLB. Despite their pure STUFF and potential, and relative youth, it's time for Matthews and Bradley to take the next step. Matthews has options. Bradley doesn't. And I've brought that up on various occasions. If Bradley doesn't turn the corner, and Matthews, Abel, or Morris DO turn that corner, then Bradley HAS to move to the pen. 

That's not necessarily a bad thing! Bradley could be the next potential closer for the Twins, and Matthews, Abel, or Morris simply become an even better #5 rotation option. Again, NOT a bad outcome!

Whoever isn't the #5, in that scenario, suddenly becomes the #6 or #7 depth option in the rotation. Of course, the opposite could be true if Bradley suddenly starts to throw like gangbusters. 

I have SO wanted Festa to reach his full potential as a SP. And it's AWESOME that he's responded so well to treatment and appears ready to go. But there's so many reasons at this point that seem to dictate he's a perfect candidate for the pen where he could potentially excel. And there's a couple of AAA arms that are going to be transitioned to the pen, reportedly, including Lewis and Raya. But how much better does a new, re-built pen look with 1 of Bradley, Matthews, or Abel joining Festa?

I really like our rotation. And I like it's depth even with someone moving to the pen along with Festa. So you were right to call me out.

[IndianaTwin]

4 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

To be perfectly honest, I said a "potentially solid rotation" only to avoid backlash from other posters who want to yell out statistics from the previous year.…

Legit. 

[Mike Sixel]

Private equity destroys companies, slashes costs, and sells off assets. Every. Time. Why do people think this will be different? @Vanimal46is right. 

[DocBauer]

30 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

I think Falvey has a plan.  I'm not sure I'd bet on it being a good plan, but I think he has a pretty good idea of what he'd do given various budgetary levels.

Ownership, on the other hand ... 

The PLAN, as I see it, is a better balance of defense and and offense with more speed and athleticism. 

Speed and athleticism means better defense. Speed and athleticism doesn't necessarily mean a team that suddenly looks like the '80's Cardinals. But it means a team that can run the bases much better.

Power still plays.

If you look at the last 3-4 drafts, you will still see power. But you will also see more athletic players, more speed and potentially better defenders included.

But it's an ongoing process that isn't near completion yet. And not every prospect is going to turn out for sure. But even if you glance at the at the Twins top 20 prospects you'll see a mixed collection of power and speed.

[Vanimal46]

30 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Private equity destroys companies, slashes costs, and sells off assets. Every. Time. Why do people think this will be different? @Vanimal46is right. 

If the Pohlads never have to announce the minority investors they won’t. I don’t believe for a second it’s taken months for MLB to approve them. When Marc Lore and A Rod needed minority investors for the Timberwolves they were announced within a week. Just a tiny bit of critical thinking leads you to the Pohlads lying about everything happening right now. 

[Greggory Masterson]

4 hours ago, The Great Hambino said:

Have they ever traded anyone with more than 1 year plus the remainder of the season of control for prospects at a trade deadline?  To clarify, this wouldn't include Berrios or Pressly and their 1 year of control beyond the season in which they were traded.

Well obviously yes, they traded Andrew Vasquez at the deadline in 2019. Who could forget that?

[The Great Hambino]

20 minutes ago, Greggory Masterson said:

Well obviously yes, they traded Andrew Vasquez at the deadline in 2019. Who could forget that?

Oh.  No wonder the Bomba Squad flamed out in the playoffs

[The Great Hambino]

24 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

If the Pohlads never have to announce the minority investors they won’t. I don’t believe for a second it’s taken months for MLB to approve them. When Marc Lore and A Rod needed minority investors for the Timberwolves they were announced within a week. Just a tiny bit of critical thinking leads you to the Pohlads lying about everything happening right now. 

Supposedly one of the groups added some additional investors that required further league vetting

But there's a nonzero chance that the Pohlads botched this deal and the limited partners no longer exist

[Vanimal46]

4 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

Supposedly one of the groups added some additional investors that required further league vetting

But there's a nonzero chance that the Pohlads botched this deal and the limited partners no longer exist

Given Joe's business success in other family ventures, he very likely said something he shouldn't have publicly back in late July when these mystery investors were brought to our attention.

[terrydactyls]

3 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

How do you have a plan when the ownership is still telling you to reduce payroll  ...

If I was falvey , I would want to keep my self respect and walk away from this organization  , because the longer he stays the worse it gets and no organization will hire him for the same position if he continues to bomb us into oblivion...

Deadline trades brought back a couple of close major leaguers ( roden , Outman ) , but mostly  prospects unable to help finish out the 2025 season , we have a ton of prospects and we continue to not call up a hot bat when we have nothing to lose  , alot of them thrive in the minors only to rot and not be given a chance at a major league level  , our FO and scouts make poor assessments  , you put your best team on the field , take a chance on some that are not a high prospect , let them decide their fate ...

Stop the hoarding and give everyone a chance and stop playing players that should have been sent packing  , and play the hot hand , something has got to stick if you keep  trying different players from AA or AAA  , I'm not sure falvey has ever brought up anyone from AA  , Polanco could be the last player I recall hitting the big from AA  ...

Baseball is a win / lose proposition  ...

 

This may be the first time in all the time I've been on Twins Daily that I actually agree with @Blyleven2011.  Until ownership lets the front ofice and the public know what the hell the budget restraints are, you really can't blame Falvey, Zoll, or Shelton for not trying to strength the Twins.  But with no guidance from the owners, the front office has their hands tied.  They can't pursue any free agents (or trades) that would add any salary to the payroll if they don't know what the ownership will approve.  And they shouldn't make any moves the lowers the payroll if the savings go in the pockets of the Pohlads.  If I were Falvey, I would look for work elsewhere.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

2 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I've certainly lost a lot of faith in Falvey over the past year plus. To be fair, some of my lost faith is due more to ownership than Falvey directly. I believe I see the method in the madness, and a hint of a plan, but I remain unsure at this time.

For NOW, I'm willing to risk a little more faith considering the hint of a plan I see, and some recent comments I've heard from Shelton and Falvey. 

Shelton,  with no details given, seemed to hint he was assured of no big re-build. Maybe blowing smoke as he was just happy to have a new job? Or maybe he was speaking with confidence?

Falvey stated just recently that he was looking to make additions vs subtractions to the team. Can we take him at his word? I'm sure hoping so.

Past, even recent, payroll numbers and the expected post arbitration experience seems to indicate room to add. I remain hopeful until I hear otherwise. I don't believe in giving up too soon.

The 2026 Twins have holes, no doubt. And there are question marks regarding Wallner rebounding, Lewis staying healthy and getting RIGHT, Lee taking a step forward, etc. But I don't think positive answers are outlandish to expect. 

There's a potentially really solid rotation here.

There's a lot of top prospects and even some fringe prospects that are set to debut soon in the lineup and the pen. They won't all succeed, at least not immediately, but there is talent on this team, and hopefull talent about to debut. Whether the FO can make a handful of smart additions to augment 2026's roster holes is a major question.

But the 2026 Twins, other than the rotation potentially, aren't looking like a "roll it back again" team when you look at Martin taking a step forward, Roden hopefully TAKING a step forward after a SSS poor rookie debut, Keaschall becoming an important cog, and 3 top 10 talents for the OF knocking on the door to change things up further, with more speed and defense, and Wallner moving to primary DH. And what if K-Pepper follows Keaschall's development path and can be a better SS and move Lee to a super utility role in the near future as well?

There are holes and depth issues currently. And the pen needs a major re-build between what's on hand, who is coming up after being converted, and what FA are brought on board.

I'm not naive. 

But I do see a path for the Twins right now. And that includes talent on hand, talent on hand, and some smart additions if payroll allows.

I just don't believe a complete teardown and total re-build is necessary. I believe a warranted re-tool is taking place currently. And I'm holding on to that opinion/belief until I see something different. 

 

I can pretty much agree with everything said here.  Too many folks are convinced of a better outcome by stripping it down to the studs and selling off anybody with any value.  If they do that, they MIGHT be back to the 2025 squad in 2028 IF they do things right and there are no hiccups.  Really.  What are the odds that they do everything right and everything goes well?

I have more faith in building around the current rotation and trying to supplement the offense, while rebuilding a bullpen on the fly.  It may not be pretty either, but the odds of not being atrocious for the next to years are probably much higher.  I remember the late 90’s, and the early 80’s.  Don’t need to live through that again. 

[Parfigliano]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

Private equity destroys companies, slashes costs, and sells off assets. Every. Time. Why do people think this will be different? @Vanimal46is right. 

They are locusts.  Strip it bare and move on.  Never a thought given to building anything.

[Lartwinfan]

In 2018 the Twins were 2nd in the final standings at 78/84, but they were building up to a powerhouse hitting team won 101 games in 2019 and set the Home run record. They had a great shot at it all that year.. all they needed was a really good closer. In 2018 fell be traded Ryan Presley, who was a really good closer to Houston where he went on to become fireman of the year and all that jazz.. He traded Presley for prospects, Gilberto Celestino, and Jorge Alcala. 
Enough said?

[dxpavelka]

Does ONE really bad season necessitate a rebuild?