Minnesota Twins Are Finally Planning on Playing the Young Guys. Why is Everyone So Upset?

[Cody Schoenmann]

Eons ago, payroll constraints were the least of Twins Territory's concerns. Instead, a significant number of those who follow the team were hyperfixated on the club's unwillingness to part ways with aging, unproductive veterans in favor of providing young, "high-upside" players with extended opportunities at their respective positions.

To be specific, that time was 2023, and the most notable cases of fans being upset over young, exciting players being blocked by aging veterans were Max Kepler and Joey Gallo blocking Matt Wallner's path to playing time in the corner outfield and Kenta Maeda blocking then-starting pitcher Louis Varland's ability to solidify himself as a member of Minnesota's rotation. There were also instances of distaste expressed over Christian Vázquez getting more playing time than Ryan Jeffers at catcher, and over Jorge Polanco and Kyle Farmer clogging Edouard Julien's course to becoming the next star Twins second baseman. Yet, the most pronounced gripes concerned Wallner and Varland not being rewarded the opportunities they were perceived to have deserved. 

Twins Territory's disdain toward Kepler, Gallo, Maeda, Vázquez, Polanco, and Farmer subsided as the team became scorching hot post-All-Star break, winning the AL Central and cathartically ending its 18-game postseason losing streak. Still, that contempt returned in 2024, when Vàzquez again obstructed Jeffers's path toward more starts behind the plate, Farmer denied rookie infielder Brooks Lee the freedom to roam freely as the club's primary utility infielder, and Chris Paddack deprived David Festa the chance to solidify himself as a core member of the club's five-pitcher starting rotation. 

A commonality among Kepler, Gallo, Maeda, Vázquez, Polanco, Farmer, and Paddack was that they were all veteran players signed to multi-million-dollar contracts. In fact, the seven veterans combined to make roughly $48 million in 2023. On the other hand, Wallner, Varland, Jeffers, Julien, Lee, and Festa were making league-minimum (or just over it in Jeffers's case) their respective seasons, meaning the fanbase (some being very prominent ones) was clamoring for not only what they perceived to be the younger, better options, but also the more cost-effective ones.

Fast forward to the present, and Twins decision-makers have changed course, no longer electing to sign aging, unpopular players on one-year deals in the name of "veteran depth." Instead, minimum-salaried, high-upside players Alan Roden and Austin Martin are projected to be platoon partners in left field. Lee is penciled in as the Opening Day starting shortstop. Luke Keaschall is anticipated to be the everyday second baseman and core member of the club's lineup. Simeon Woods Richardson and Taj Bradley are projected to fill out the club's rotation and the bullpen is expected to be filled with oodles of young, high-velocity arms, brimming with talent and potential. 

So, why is no one excited? Well, given that ownership has mandated the front office cut over $60 million in payroll since the 2023 season concluded, the optics are horrible. Couldn't be worse, really. Everyone who has followed this team the past two seasons recognizes that. The widespread feelings of strife and umbrage are justified. However, there's more to it. 

Obviously, most of Twins Territory really only cares about winning. Every fanbase is the same way. Yet, when one strategy isn't generating a sustainable form of winning, fanbases will advocate for the strategy that isn't being implemented to be adopted until their favorite team begins winning again. To be more specific, in early 2023, playing the veterans like Gallo, Vàzquez, Farmer, and Maeda wasn't working, so those who follow the team clamored for younger players like Wallner, Varland, and Julien to get more playing time in hopes of them being the solution for the team's losing ways. 

On the flip side, after watching young, cost-effective players like Roden, Julien, Bradley, James Outman (amongst others) guide the team to an abysmal post-Trade Deadline record, many factions of the fanbase are advocating for the front office to target free agents in the same ilk of Gallo and Vázquez (from a monetary perspective) in hopes of temporarily patching those holes and returning the club to postseason-contender status next season. Again, this constant course-correction isn't unique to Twins fans. However, it is vital to acknowledge the constant course-correction taking place. 

Signing and playing a horde of free agents on one-year contracts won't save the Twins in the same way that playing exclusively young, high-upside players on minimum contracts won't save the club either. Instead, it will require a collective of veteran and young players buying into clearly communicated methods and ideologies created and executed by Minnesota's front office and new coaching staff. That is how the Twins won in 2023 and how organizations like Milwaukee and Cleveland win season after season. Will that happen? The results are yet to be seen. However, constantly calling for dramatic course-correction is an unhealthy way to engage with the sport, let alone build a roster. 

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[Patzky]

The clamoring hordes are just going to love this..

[DJL44]

Larnach, Julien, Clemens and Outman aren't young. 

[Whitey333]

Interesting article filled with more holes than the perverbial pack of Swiss cheese.  

[dberthia]

Not falling for the rage-bait. I will just ask: "Have you seen the young guys"? I see nothing to get excited about, and I have no faith in the people who brought these guys into the organization or work with them on a daily basis. Not angry, just apathetic- that's worse.

[AceWrigley]

34 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Larnach, Julien, Clemens and Outman aren't young. 

Compared to me they are. 😀

[dxpavelka]

I've said this before and I'll say it again:  The only thing Twins fans hate more than the team NOT spending money like drunken sailors is when they DO spend money like drunken sailors. (Mauer, Correa, Donaldson) The same applies with going young.  Of course guys like Wallner, (SP) Varland and Julien being blocked MAY not have been such a boondoggle. But, yes, it IS time to make way for guys like Jenkins, Rodriguez, Rojas, Prielipp, Culpepper, Raya, Morris, Mendez, Olivar, Rosario; maybe even the other Culpepper, DeBarge, Gallagher, Amick, Borhorquez, De Andrade; and maybe even, eventually, Tait, Quick & Young. (Quick & Young DOES kind of sound like a movie.  Or at the very least a slick marketing campaign, circa 2030)  Perhaps at some point we should blow out some guys who are probably never going to be part of the solution:  Guys like:  Correa, Bader, Jax, Coulombe, Castro & France.  Maybe at the Winter Meetings.

[Permanent Twins Fan]

Everyone is upset because the reason the young guys are going to be playing is because everybody else is gone. The Twins aren't really choosing to play the 'young guys', they are just the players that are left. I think that there is a part of every diehard Twins fan that will really never be satisfied. That is part of the joy of being a fan of a small market team. Half of being a Twins fan is complaining about ownership, the front office, or something else. I know, personally, that if the Twins began winning every year, I wouldn't know what to do.

[AceWrigley]

James Outman has gone from "happenin' dude" to "what-the-hell-happened dude". I would like to think there is some up-side left to his career but I don't see it.

[Blyleven2011]

I've decided to go younger and I posted it in another thread about raya and Prielipp  this morning ...

And I got a thumbs down  , imagine that ...

Why am I going younger , Because the organization hasn't given us any direction on what direction we are going and I still believe trades are coming ( Lopez , Ryan , jeffers and then buxton if he opts out  , be nice to keep Lopez to pass along his knowledge of pitching  , Hawkins is here to help with that , trade lopez at deadline after half a season of mentoring )  ...

I'm done with the speculating and wasting my time of who we should sign and who we shouldn't at least until we know the direction  , it's out of my hands unless ( riverbrian and me ) go down to twins way and ask someone of authority what direction is the TWINS WAY  ...

[sweetmusicviola16]

People are upset because the team sucks. The ownership sucks. The FO sucks. The player development sucks. I say go younger with the exception of a couple of vet additions who would aid in mentoring and developing the young up and coming guys. 34 years and counting since we've been to the WS. That is why people are upset.

 

Edit: on field manager sucked until 7 weeks ago. The jury is out on the new one of course. We've sucked all the way around. Front, back, middle, above, below. Everywhere in between.

[Patzky]

37 minutes ago, dxpavelka said:

I've said this before and I'll say it again:  The only thing Twins fans hate more than the team NOT spending money like drunken sailors is when they DO spend money like drunken sailors. (Mauer, Correa, Donaldson) The same applies with going young.  Of course guys like Wallner, (SP) Varland and Julien being blocked MAY not have been such a boondoggle. But, yes, it IS time to make way for guys like Jenkins, Rodriguez, Rojas, Prielipp, Culpepper, Raya, Morris, Mendez, Olivar, Rosario; maybe even the other Culpepper, DeBarge, Gallagher, Amick, Borhorquez, De Andrade; and maybe even, eventually, Tait, Quick & Young. (Quick & Young DOES kind of sound like a movie.  Or at the very least a slick marketing campaign, circa 2030)  Perhaps at some point we should blow out some guys who are probably never going to be part of the solution:  Guys like:  Correa, Bader, Jax, Coulombe, Castro & France.  Maybe at the Winter Meetings.

The Quick and the Young. Plays on the Marquis better than Gallo's Humor.

[HerbieFan]

Because we're Minnesota sports fans and, as such, have come to just assume the worst.  Maybe rightfully so.....

[Linus]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

Larnach, Julien, Clemens and Outman aren't young. 

Nor are they good…..

[shimrod]

I think a lot of the complaints are perception the team is doing the right thing for the wrong reason. 

I'm looking forward to watching the young guys but I know the reason I'm getting that opportunity is ownerships demand to dramatically cut payroll. Still, I'd rather watch an ambitious young prospect than a marginal veteran who's only here because he couldn't catch on with a competitive team. 

There are also fair complaints that the team traded away the bullpen for a collection of suspects. Playing the youth is great when they're actual prospects, not roster dumps. 

 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

I’m not upset about the young players, I’m upset about the years of dithering, followed by gutting the team and now dithering some more. This all could have been done incrementally…

i don’t know yet on what the direction is almost a month into the offseason? I don’t buy it.

do the deuce or stand up

 

[EGFTShaw]

There is a difference between playing the young guns because you are trying to work them in to the Big Show

and

HAVING to play the young guns because you gutted the team and refused to build upon a winner.

I look forward to the young guns, but the piss poor planning of the owners doesn't go unnoticed, and they still should be rake over the coals.

Pohlads are cheap cheap cheap.

I quoted something wrong in another post, but they still received around $210-$215M in 2024 for the revenue sharing machines and CUT payroll after winning their first series since before some of the current players were born.

[AceWrigley]

2 minutes ago, EGFTShaw said:

There is a difference between playing the young guns because you are trying to work them in to the Big Show

and

HAVING to play the young guns because you gutted the team and refused to build upon a winner.

I look forward to the young guns, but the piss poor planning of the owners doesn't go unnoticed, and they still should be rake over the coals.

Pohlads are cheap cheap cheap.

I quoted something wrong in another post, but they still received around $210-$215M in 2024 for the revenue sharing machines and CUT payroll after winning their first series since before some of the current players were born.

You gotta pay for your rock and roll lifestyle somehow.

[EGFTShaw]

PS - no one was upset we were playing our very own homegrown Polanco.

Gallo - hell yeah.  The guy can't even reach the Mendoza Line and still keeps getting employed by someone who misinterprets analytics and skews his value into 1.25-1.5WAR in salary.

[EGFTShaw]

Just now, AceWrigley said:

You gotta pay for your rock and roll lifestyle somehow.

Now there is an image I can no longer get out of my head.
Rock and Roll-ing Pohlads...😆🤣 😆🤣 😆🤣 😆🤣

[AceWrigley]

1 minute ago, EGFTShaw said:

Now there is an image I can no longer get out of my head.
Rock and Roll-ing Pohlads...😆🤣 😆🤣 😆🤣 😆🤣

You didn't know? My work is done here.

[CRF]

It's not like there's much choice. Ya gotta play who ya got. 

[purplesoldier4u]

Whatever, Cody.

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, Blyleven2011 said:

 

I'm done with the speculating and wasting my time of who we should sign and who we shouldn't at least until we know the direction  , it's out of my hands unless ( riverbrian and me ) go down to twins way and ask someone of authority what direction is the TWINS WAY  ...

OK... I'll try again... Let's do it. 

It's been my experience... that we can get about one question asked before they start ushering us out. We will ask that question. 

 

[Blyleven2011]

Just now, Riverbrian said:

OK... I'll try again... Let's do it. 

It's been my experience... that we can get about one question asked before they start ushering us out. We will ask that question. 

 

The blues brothers to the rescue  , I'm in town till Friday but I'm sure they are closed for Thanksgiving holidays  ...

Busy packing thinks up , I sold my home west of the cities  , will take another load up to lake home on Friday and be back next Wednesday  for a few days again  ...

I'll go if it works for you , I'll behave , it could be fun  , anyone else that  wants to join us , they'd have a harder time escorting us out of the building  ...

Let's go twins diehards , time to demand some straight answers ...

[Patzky]

29 minutes ago, CRF said:

It's not like there's much choice. Ya gotta play who ya got. 

The Rumsfeld Quandary 

[nicksaviking]

The Twins after gutting the roster and flushing payroll for two seasons: "WE didn't want to do this, but you fans are finally getting what you wanted, I hope you're happy!"

[Fatbat]

Finally gonna let the kids play…Its about time!!! This organization needs 2-4 rookies to get to the bigs every season. In 26/27, we will need 5-7 each year to build around what core is left. Its gonna be some growing pains but its also going to be some great games and good times!!!

[palmspringstwinsfan]

This article is one Cody over the clickbait line

[chpettit19]

You're confusing "young" and "inexperienced." The Twins have very few actually young guys on their current roster but have many inexperienced ones. They aren't the same thing. 

Austin Martin is not young, he'll be 27 next season. Allen Roden is not young, he'll be 26 next year. Keaschall is young, and you can argue Brooks Lee is borderline. They are the only "young" position players on the roster. This is why some of us have been complaining. Because the guys you're trying to call young are actually just inexperienced because they weren’t called up until their mid-20s.

The pitching staff is too far from being set to know what that situation will be. But people call Ryan and Ober young when they're essentially the same age as Lopez. The difference is that they were called up so much later they're still in arbitration while Lopez is making over 20 mil a year.