If Twins Must Play 2026 on a Miserly Budget, They Should Blow Up the Roster and Build a Super-Farm

[Matthew Trueblood]

Image courtesy of © Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Twins aren't actually good, right now. They have the potential to be, if they get more from their latent talent in 2026 than they have gotten from many of the same players over the last two years, but they're not currently a competitive team. As they embark on their offseason work, they have to hope they can spend some money to support the roster and take it to the next level. Unfortunately, the opposite course might be their required path.

Let's imagine that the Twins' budget is as tight as we've all worried it would be. In that case, they're not only unlikely to make a significant investment to improve at first base or DH or to shore up their thin bullpen, but in danger of having to trade one or more of their expensive (though stellar) veterans: Byron Buxton, Ryan Jeffers, Pablo López and Joe Ryan. They would, therefore, have virtually no chance of surging back into contention. They'd also start feeling both time and personal pressure to move Buxton (who wants to play for a winner) and Jeffers (a free agent after 2026), in particular. Meanwhile, another lost year would mean launching the clock forward on López and Ryan, each of whom can be free agents at the end of the 2027 season.

In such a situation, there's a case to be made that the Twins would be best served by hitting the big red button and blowing up the current roster, in a more profound way than they did at the 2025 trade deadline. That's particularly true because of the young talent they've already amassed, and the influx they're likely to see next July.

MLB Pipeline ranked the Twins as the second-best farm system in baseball after the deadline. bolstered by the haul from their July fire sale. FanGraphs is much less bullish, ranking them just 12th, but even that is above-average. The truth likely lies somewhere in between, for the moment, with Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Eduardo Tait as the big four in a very deep group. They also have some good young players in the majors already, under long-term team and cost control. Luke Keaschall is the face of that cohort, but it also includes several intriguing pitchers. So far, the team hasn't gotten the big-league production for which they might have hoped from Zebby Matthews or David Festa, and it's still not clear what Mick Abel, Taj Bradley, Simeon Woods Richardson, Andrew Morris, Connor Prielipp and Marco Raya will become, but there's a good deal of young talent clustered around the big-league roster already.

That group will be supplemented, if the Twins have gotten their recent reorganization in Latin America right, by new waves of teenage talent from that part of the world. They have Eduardo Beltre, a 2026 breakout candidate, and added some exciting players from the low minors in July—though they then fired several of the scouts who helped find them. Much more quickly and tangibly, they should get help from a high pick in the first round of next summer's MLB Draft. They won't know exactly where they pick in July until the MLB Draft Lottery at next week's Winter Meetings, but they have roughly a 50/50 shot of nabbing a top-three selection. They also officially received a competitive-balance pick this week, though it won't come until the tail end of the second round.

It's not an easy needle to thread, but the Twins could end up with a once-in-a-generation farm system by the 2026 trade deadline. If they trade players as good and valuable as Buxton, López or the others, theirs will become the best farm system anyone has had in the 2020s. That's not the same as having the best farm system in the game at a given moment; it's a much bigger thing.

When people talk about teams who plunge into rebuilding with gusto (or even glee), they often cite the 2010s Cubs and Astros. Those clubs are sometimes held responsible, in public circles, for the culture of tanking and aggressive boom-bust team-building that took over the game in their wake. In truth, though, those teams were merely responding to the rules and incentives the game foisted on them when the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement altered the nature of draft spending and the competitive-balance tax. They were also scrambling to make up for unintentional multi-year downturns. They had to take their medicine for almost a half-decade before emerging as powerhouses, but they each succeeded in doing so, to some degree.

There was also an exemplar who came before those two teams. The late-2000s Royals were a bad team, but not on purpose. Frustrated by what he saw as a stagnating roster around him, ace Zack Greinke demanded a trade, and they accommodated him by shipping him to Milwaukee. In the wake of that deal, Kansas City was semi-voluntarily bad for another few years—but between some good draft picks, a couple of huge hits on Latin American talent, and the accelerant that was the Greinke trade, they also built the best farm system anyone had had in a decade or so.

As was true with the Cubs and Astros, that eventually paid dividends. The Royals contended in 2013, though they missed the postseason with an 86-76 record. The next year, they snuck into the playoffs, but then reeled off an improbable run to Game 7 of the World Series. In 2015, they won a second straight pennant, and this time, they finished the job, winning their first championship since 1985 by beating the Mets in five games.

With an aggressive set of rebuilding moves this winter and during the summer of 2026, the Twins could be an even faster-moving version of those Royals. They have Jenkins as one prospective cornerstone of the next great team. If the lottery breaks right, they should have a chance to add another player of that caliber. The rest comes down to continued successes in scouting and (especially) player development, because Keaschall, Culpepper, and many young arms already in the system have that kind of upside—but it must be realized to become important.

Unlike the Royals, the Twins play in a market with average-plus ceiling, if they can dig out of the hole they find themselves in now. They have a higher initial baseline in their favor, and the rules won't drag on their attempts to sustain success the way they did with the Cubs and Astros. It only works if they raise the stakes and win their gamble, but the Twins might be better off trading some of their stars to go from a great farm system to a truly transcendent, change-your-fortunes kind of corps.

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[DJL44]

Load it up by trading Buxton, Jeffers, Lopez, Ryan and Ober. Then load it up more by drafting high for the next two seasons.

[minman1982]

17 minutes ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

Good points Matthew.  As I stated in another thread, if they tear it down, they need to go all the way.  Half way only keeps them in limbo and never in true contention.

Also of note... I've heard that MLB may restructure their divisions which according to what I read, would put the Twins in with tougher teams in the East in which case, they better build a winner.

It almost pains me to say this, but I agree with this. At this point, I am almost leaning to trading all four of Buxton, Jeffers, Ryan, and Lopez. The 2026 squad will be horrendous but is the current group actually going to be a contender without significant upgrades that the team is not willing to do? In this strategy, you are playing for maybe 2027, but more likely 2028 and beyond. I look to our east in Milwaukee to see the way to develop a team within the constraints of what the owners want to pay. Solid, deep farm system, good player development, and being willing to trade top talent when the price is right.

[old nurse]

The Royals did win the WS. They had a long run of mediocrity since. The Greinke trade shows if you have an elite talent you can get good prospects from a team. I don’t think anyone on the Twins current roster put up a 10 war season like Greinke did 

[Woof Bronzer]

Totally agree with this.  And that's not to say that I like it, or agree with it, or think this is the best strategy.  But the Pohlads are clearly cutting costs whether we like it or not.  So if the choices are, "try" to "compete" by signing cheap washed up vets and keeping the kids down in the minors, or commit to a full rebuild and hope in 3-4 years we are actual contenders, I'm taking the latter every day.  

[Brock Beauchamp]

I will happily accept this if the Pohlads leave at the same time.

[thelanges5]

Don’t trust the Pohlads or Falvey with a rebuild. Sad state of affairs in Twins Territory. 

[tony&rodney]

If the Twins spent $130M they might reach 81-83 wins. The roster is unbalanced with too many DH types and not enough bats, not to mention an empty bullpen. Perhaps the bullpen if ok with 2 additions and some young bucks but trades need to occur on the roster side.

The Twins need to be intentional and firm in transactions that involve any or all of Buxton, Ryan, and Lopez. These are players who slot into rotations as #1/#2 starting pitchers and Buxton has clear talent. There are teams who want to win next year and they have top prospects that are not slated as clear starters. These prospects aren't expendable types but they are should be available or a team could lose out to a prime competitor.

[tony&rodney]

8 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

Don’t trust the Pohlads or Falvey with a rebuild. Sad state of affairs in Twins Territory. 

Tough to fire the owners and Falvey is tied to the Pohlads. I get it, but it is out of any fan's control. At some point the front office has to know the difference between utility players and talent.

[ashbury]

It's not going to be what you think.  Front offices will gladly trade you volumes of second-tier prospects for your MLB talent, but the very top echelon prospects are simply not for sale, or you have to bowl them over with your offer. If Joe Ryan's our best bargaining chip, he (in a package) may net us one sure-fire young guy, but everything else we obtain in a fire sale will be speculative guys who we might be able to "coach up" to a high level of play but more likely will be average players if they develop at all.

"Loading up" is going to be with Roden- and SWR-level guys.  In a few seasons we'll be back to .500 at best, and then the players will start to be expensive.

Lather, rinse, repeat.   This is the MLB of today for some franchises..

[Hrbeks Divot]

41 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

If the Twins spent $130M they might reach 81-83 wins.

I think $130 gets them closer to 87-89 wins and a wild card but the long term outlook is still the same unless they commit to even slightly increasing payroll in the future. I hate to see a complete tear down but where they are is worse. I’ve been saying for a while that if they trade one of Ryan or Lopez they need to trade them both. Then follow that with Buxton and Jeffers. Hope the FO and scouts have a long term plan in place with a contention window opening in 28 and lasting a few years.

[Nashvilletwin]

‘26 will 100% not be a competitive year.  ‘27 will be a stub season marred by the strike. The Twins next window starts in ‘28 and ideally can last 3-4 additional years.  Sell anyone who has value and will not be here when that window opens - as long as the return is one or more players who project to contribute during that window.

That’s the correct strategy for building a contender.  And it also is the best strategy for increasing the franchise’s value and getting the Pohlads out.

Buxton and Ryan are at peak value this week.  They should be gone by Sunday.  Lopez might need spring training or a month or two to get back to peak value. But if the offer is good now, hit the bid.  Jeffers seems more like a trade deadline type candidate.

[TJSweens]

There is precedent in Twins history as well. In 1982 Calvin Griffith decide his team was going nowhere and nothing to build around. Calvin had his own purge. Pretty well burned it to the ground. Then he brought up Hrbek, Gaetti, Laudner, Bush and Viola. He acquired minor leaguers like Tom Brunansky and Greg Gagne. We all know what the class of 82 accomplished.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

41 minutes ago, ashbury said:

It's not going to be what you think.  Front offices will gladly trade you volumes of second-tier prospects for your MLB talent, but the very top echelon prospects are simply not for sale, or you have to bowl them over with your offer. If Joe Ryan's our best bargaining chip, he (in a package) may net us one sure-fire young guy, but everything else we obtain in a fire sale will be speculative guys who we might be able to "coach up" to a high level of play but more likely will be average players if they develop at all.

"Loading up" is going to be with Roden- and SWR-level guys.  In a few seasons we'll be back to .500 at best, and then the players will start to be expensive.

Lather, rinse, repeat.   This is the MLB of today for some franchises..

This is exactly my fear about tearing it down.  If submitting to two (or more) years of terrible 100+ loss baseball, to be followed (if everything goes pretty well actually) by a team that is about the same as 2025, what have we gained?  I’m probably in the minority, but I would rather watch and cheer for an 82-87 win team than watch a train wreck for two plus years with only a faint hope that the team will actually be better than it is now.  

[TJSweens]

3 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

‘26 will 100% not be a competitive year.  ‘27 will be a stub season marred by the strike. The Twins next window starts in ‘28 and ideally can last 3-4 additional years.  Sell anyone who has value and will not be here when that window opens - as long as the return is one or more players who project to contribute during that window.

That’s the correct strategy for building a contender.  And it also is the best strategy for increasing the franchise’s value and getting the Pohlads out.

Buxton and Ryan are at peak value this week.  They should be gone by Sunday.  Lopez might need spring training or a month or two to get back to peak value. But if the offer is good now, hit the bid.  Jeffers seems more like a trade deadline type candidate.

I agree with all of that and move Ober too. The Twins won't commit to anything until the revenue sharing and potential cap are resolved. By the time that happens, Buxton will be 35 with Ryan, Lopez, Oberr and Jeffers also in their 30's and free agents. The next potential Twins contender won't be built around any of those guys. It will be built around Jenkins, Rodriguez, Culpeper, Tait and whatever collection of in house and acquired pitchers emerge,

[tony&rodney]

1 minute ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

This is exactly my fear about tearing it down.  If submitting to two (or more) years of terrible 100+ loss baseball, to be followed (if everything goes pretty well actually) by a team that is about the same as 2025, what have we gained?  I’m probably in the minority, but I would rather watch and cheer for an 82-87 win team than watch a train wreck for two plus years with only a faint hope that the team will actually be better than it is now.  

The Twins must extract those top players even if they must add a player or two. 

We know the Mets, Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays are going all in as much as they are able to this offseason. I expect Detroit and Seattle to go hard to field their best team as well. There are other teams that will want to discuss with the Twins too. 

If the Twins cannot get those top guys they should hold them. Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait were ok acquisitions but the Twins need much better for any of Buxton, Lopez, or Ryan, especially Ryan. 

[Riverbrian]

57 minutes ago, ashbury said:

It's not going to be what you think.  Front offices will gladly trade you volumes of second-tier prospects for your MLB talent, but the very top echelon prospects are simply not for sale, or you have to bowl them over with your offer. If Joe Ryan's our best bargaining chip, he (in a package) may net us one sure-fire young guy, but everything else we obtain in a fire sale will be speculative guys who we might be able to "coach up" to a high level of play but more likely will be average players if they develop at all.

"Loading up" is going to be with Roden- and SWR-level guys.  In a few seasons we'll be back to .500 at best, and then the players will start to be expensive.

Lather, rinse, repeat.   This is the MLB of today for some franchises..

This is exactly what I think.

The Twins have a lot of the same type of options because there are a ton of these same types of options available on nearly every team to acquire. A lot of players cut from the same cloth.,, you describe them as Roden and SWR level. Jorgenswest will call them FV 45+ - 50 based on Fangraphs ratings. The Twins probably have more of these guys than most organizations and that's fine... actually... that's good to be loaded up with them because some of those players will exceed that rating. But... we don't need a bunch more to add to this growing pile.   

What the Twins lack and have lacked for years if not decades... is the superstar prospect. Walker Jenkins is perhaps the only player who fits into that bucket. These guys are tough to acquire because nobody wants to give them up. I believe the Twins will not consider any trade of Jenkins and the other 29 teams feel the same about their Jenkins level guys. 

It will take dynamite to shake them loose in a deal. Joe Ryan is the closest thing we have to T.N.T... actually the only player that could shake one loose so I think they should get the biggest baddest prospect that Ryan will produce and that's your deal whoever that might be. 

They may have to wait for the free agency pile of decent starting pitching talent to dwindle.... wait for the musical chairs to run out of chairs before the contenders get desperate enough to give one of them up.

Until then... I would imagine the Twins can ask for the top prospect but I would expect an immediate counter offer... Umm... no...  we are not giving him up but I'll give you 4 of these guys instead.   

This trading business is probably very difficult with 29 other shrewd trading partners. 

 

[CharlieDee]

It's not easy being a Twins fan right now.

[Major League Ready]

44 minutes ago, Hrbeks Divot said:

I think $130 gets them closer to 87-89 wins and a wild card but the long term outlook is still the same unless they commit to even slightly increasing payroll in the future. I hate to see a complete tear down but where they are is worse. I’ve been saying for a while that if they trade one of Ryan or Lopez they need to trade them both. Then follow that with Buxton and Jeffers. Hope the FO and scouts have a long term plan in place with a contention window opening in 28 and lasting a few years.

If they were to get a normal number of wins out of the extra expenditure that would equate to 5 wins.  Do you think they are an 82-84 win team as constructed?  I think you are at least 10 wins high.   

[weitz41]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

Load it up by trading Buxton, Jeffers, Lopez, Ryan and Ober. Then load it up more by drafting high for the next two seasons.

This sadly feels like the right way to go at this time. By the time the prospects are ready, the new CBA and HOPEFULLY new ownership will be in place.

30 minutes ago, Hrbeks Divot said:

I think $130 gets them closer to 87-89 wins and a wild card but the long term outlook is still the same unless they commit to even slightly increasing payroll in the future. I hate to see a complete tear down but where they are is worse. I’ve been saying for a while that if they trade one of Ryan or Lopez they need to trade them both. Then follow that with Buxton and Jeffers. Hope the FO and scouts have a long term plan in place with a contention window opening in 28 and lasting a few years.

I agree accept I believe they let all but 1 scout go. If ownership won't commit to 10-15th in payroll every year, then build it up and burn it down cycles may be the only way to have windows to contend in.

There was another post about trading Joe Ryan and asked would you go elite prospect or a package of good prospects. That (IMO) is where you can separate yourself from a Pirates rebuild and an Astros rebuild. If they burn it down to the studs, I hope they go for elite prospects. Say Marco Mayer, De Vries, Eldridge guys of that sort of pedigree and build a hopefully super farm. The depth is already there right now; Jenkins is the only one today that looks like he maybe a future all-star. Need more of those.

[Blyleven2011]

If we hit the red button and blow it up and trade Lopez,  Ryan,  jeffers and Buxton  , the twins might not even be a AAA team as referenced in the past ...

We have experienced bad teams in the past and most recently 2021-22 and 2024-25 ...

If it's blown up we will experience a team far worse than any of us have ever witnessed in the history of the twins ...

It's not a good team now and we have 5 first round draft choices including buxton on this team for  now ...

I'll continue to watch twins baseball  but the twins have gotten to be such an embarrassment in the MLB  ...

Justfor the record  , I'm glad we have new coaches at this stage and I think that will help the current 26 rostered players change their attitude towards stepping up their play for 2026 , Rocco didnt have that capability to inspire his players to be the best , something better has to be done and we know the FO has to stay out of the game and let the coaches succeed  ...

[tony&rodney]

24 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

If they were to get a normal number of wins out of the extra expenditure that would equate to 5 wins.  Do you think they are an 82-84 win team as constructed?  I think you are at least 10 wins high.   

Maybe. I was trying a comment on the optimistic side.

I'm still hopeful that there are teams who feel acquiring one or more of the Twins top guys will push them forward quite a bit and that those teams then offer up true talent.

[Blyleven2011]

48 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

This is exactly what I think.

The Twins have a lot of the same type of options because there are a ton of these same types of options available on nearly every team to acquire. A lot of players cut from the same cloth.,, you describe them as Roden and SWR level. Jorgenswest will call them FV 45+ - 50 based on Fangraphs ratings. The Twins probably have more of these guys than most organizations and that's fine... actually... that's good to be loaded up with them because some of those players will exceed that rating. But... we don't need a bunch more to add to this growing pile.   

What the Twins lack and have lacked for years if not decades... is the superstar prospect. Walker Jenkins is perhaps the only player who fits into that bucket. These guys are tough to acquire because nobody wants to give them up. I believe the Twins will not consider any trade of Jenkins and the other 29 teams feel the same about their Jenkins level guys. 

It will take dynamite to shake them loose in a deal. Joe Ryan is the closest thing we have to T.N.T... actually the only player that could shake one loose so I think they should get the biggest baddest prospect that Ryan will produce and that's your deal whoever that might be. 

They may have to wait for the free agency pile of decent starting pitching talent to dwindle.... wait for the musical chairs to run out of chairs before the contenders get desperate enough to give one of them up.

Until then... I would imagine the Twins can ask for the top prospect but I would expect an immediate counter offer... Umm... no...  we are not giving him up but I'll give you 4 of these guys instead.   

This trading business is probably very difficult with 29 other shrewd trading partners. 

 

I hope we are right that Jenkins is that super 5 tooled star in the making  , we need it , i guess we can say that Buxton even though he has been injured alot has come the closet to being a super star from our system  ...

Lee had a lot of that hype but has so far shown nothing , but there is still time for him and hopefully Lewis can get on track cause time is running out on him ...

Bad coaching at the major league level and the injuries haven't helped these players but maybe 2026 they will bust out after a regular injury free off season , just like buxton had an injury free off season in 2024-25,  he had a very good season in 2025 ...

[NYCTK]

1 hour ago, Riverbrian said:

This is exactly what I think.

The Twins have a lot of the same type of options because there are a ton of these same types of options available on nearly every team to acquire. A lot of players cut from the same cloth.,, you describe them as Roden and SWR level. Jorgenswest will call them FV 45+ - 50 based on Fangraphs ratings. The Twins probably have more of these guys than most organizations and that's fine... actually... that's good to be loaded up with them because some of those players will exceed that rating. But... we don't need a bunch more to add to this growing pile.   

What the Twins lack and have lacked for years if not decades... is the superstar prospect. Walker Jenkins is perhaps the only player who fits into that bucket. These guys are tough to acquire because nobody wants to give them up. I believe the Twins will not consider any trade of Jenkins and the other 29 teams feel the same about their Jenkins level guys. 

It will take dynamite to shake them loose in a deal. Joe Ryan is the closest thing we have to T.N.T... actually the only player that could shake one loose so I think they should get the biggest baddest prospect that Ryan will produce and that's your deal whoever that might be. 

They may have to wait for the free agency pile of decent starting pitching talent to dwindle.... wait for the musical chairs to run out of chairs before the contenders get desperate enough to give one of them up.

Until then... I would imagine the Twins can ask for the top prospect but I would expect an immediate counter offer... Umm... no...  we are not giving him up but I'll give you 4 of these guys instead.   

This trading business is probably very difficult with 29 other shrewd trading partners. 

 

You are right, there are few 50+ FV prospects. Only 23 by Fangraphs ratings, not even including Walker Jenkins who FG has downgraded to a 50 FV prospect. This tells you just how exclusive (and valuable) those prospects are, and Joe Ryan likely just isn't good enough to get one in return, one for one. 

Would have to be a very aggressive GM like San Diego (who don't currently have a 50+ FV) or Philadelphia. Maybe the Dodgers. But, for example, the Mets have one such prospect and I can say, definitively, that there is no chance the GM would make that trade. 

[Riverbrian]

13 minutes ago, Blyleven2011 said:

I hope we are right that Jenkins is that super 5 tooled star in the making  , we need it , i guess we can say that Buxton even though he has been injured alot has come the closet to being a super star from our system  ...

Lee had a lot of that hype but has so far shown nothing , but there is still time for him and hopefully Lewis can get on track cause time is running out on him ...

Bad coaching at the major league level and the injuries haven't helped these players but maybe 2026 they will bust out after a regular injury free off season , just like buxton had an injury free off season in 2024-25,  he had a very good season in 2025 ...

Royce Lewis is probably the guy. Can't give up on him yet but a lot of shine has come off the chrome this past year. 

[Cory Engelhardt]

The primary thing I worry is, IF they truly do trade some really good veteran players for prospects, the history (at least recently) with full tear-downs hasn't shown the results we would all dream for. So IF they can get prospects who actually will be really good in the next 1-5 years, great. But I have my doubts.

I still think they can make a smart trade and receive a haul now for Ryan. I also agree with Tony + Rodney that they need to change out some of their roster to be better on defense. And doing those things doesn't have to mean cutting everything else to the bone so to speak.

[Riverbrian]

31 minutes ago, NYCTK said:

You are right, there are few 50+ FV prospects. Only 23 by Fangraphs ratings, not even including Walker Jenkins who FG has downgraded to a 50 FV prospect. This tells you just how exclusive (and valuable) those prospects are, and Joe Ryan likely just isn't good enough to get one in return, one for one. 

Would have to be a very aggressive GM like San Diego (who don't currently have a 50+ FV) or Philadelphia. Maybe the Dodgers. But, for example, the Mets have one such prospect and I can say, definitively, that there is no chance the GM would make that trade. 

In the end... it's going to be the money guys who will consider it because they can buy their superstar players. 

Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Jays, Red Sox, Giants and...

Well... that might be it. 

Of that group... They would probably try to land Valdez and Suarez first before considering losing diamonds.  

The Mets need pitching but why trade Nolan McLean? They want to add to Nolan McLean and that brings you down to Baty, Vientos, Jett Williams territory. They are fine prospects but more of the same.  

The Phillies (Miller), Giants (Eldridge) and the Red Sox (Meyer) are the teams with a top level prospect to try and land. The additional problem is that those teams... if they lose out on Valdez and Suarez and King... they will call the Nationals for Gore, they will also call the Reds for Greene, they will call the Tigers to check in on Skubal trying to land that pitcher and keep Miller, Eldridge and Meyer in house.   

Maybe the Yankees consider giving up Rice. 

It's tough sledding on the GM hills. 

 

 

[NYCTK]

3 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

The Mets need pitching but why trade Nolan McLean?

Exactly. There's no one that would trade McLean (55 FV) for Ryan. Benge (#21 MLB) miiiiight be available but I highly doubt it. 

8 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

that brings you down to Baty, Vientos, Jett Williams territory. They are fine prospects but more of the same.  

Very insulting to my boy Jett :-(

Jett is a step ahead of Culpepper. But, yeah, not exactly someone you look to build a franchise around. I am very excited to see him in the majors, but I do think he's traded somewhere this offseason so it likely won't be with the Mets. 

[Riverbrian]

20 minutes ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

The primary thing I worry is, IF they truly do trade some really good veteran players for prospects, the history (at least recently) with full tear-downs hasn't shown the results we would all dream for. So IF they can get prospects who actually will be really good in the next 1-5 years, great. But I have my doubts.

I still think they can make a smart trade and receive a haul now for Ryan. I also agree with Tony + Rodney that they need to change out some of their roster to be better on defense. And doing those things doesn't have to mean cutting everything else to the bone so to speak.

Some of them may work and some of them will certainly fail.

That's why I like having numbers on my side.

That's why I don't like the Ty Frances of the world

And... And... that's why I constantly talk about 26 players who can play, no such thing as a log jam, competition for playing time... not putting all your eggs in a single player basket. There are people who say give Brooks Lee 162 games... I'm not one of those guys.

Brooks Lee needs to compete for his playing time.   

I want flat out competition and the players will tell you who is ready and who is not. 

[Riverbrian]

2 minutes ago, NYCTK said:

Exactly. There's no one that would trade McLean (55 FV) for Ryan. Benge (#21 MLB) miiiiight be available but I highly doubt it. 

Very insulting to my boy Jett :-(

Jett is a step ahead of Culpepper. But, yeah, not exactly someone you look to build a franchise around. I am very excited to see him in the majors, but I do think he's traded somewhere this offseason so it likely won't be with the Mets. 

If the Twins move Buxton... Now you are probably talking about Jett. 

A little 5 foot 1 SS would become a fan favorite quickly and I'd love to see Jett push Brooks Lee so Brooks Lee can push Royce Lewis and even Luke Keaschall if he decides to look like Julien in his sophomore year.