Are the Twins Really Keeping Their Core Together This Winter?

[Woof Bronzer]

I am amazed at how many Twins fans are operating under the illusion that the "core" of the roster is somehow untouchable and worth preserving.  Vegas has this "core" at 72 wins.  

Is this really what fans want?  Holding onto a few above average players for the opportunity to win 72 games?  It's mindblowing.

The past two offseason the front office looked at the roster and said, this roster is good enough to compete without increased investments.  

They were disastrously wrong.  Twice.  

And we're suddenly all clamoring for them to do this again?  Third time's the charm?

What are we doing?  

[old nurse]

1 hour ago, Nashvilletwin said:

I’m not talking about those three.  Just the half dozen or so that came before them.  Larnach, Julien, Wallner, Kiriloff, Miranda, Martin, etc, etc.  Each of those players struggled under the Twins regime and none have made it (two are out of baseball).  Don’t bother with the injury excuses and the oft used “most prospects don’t make it” refrain.  The fact is none of those players and none since Jeffers and Arraez have made it.  Lewis and Lee are next.

So many want Larnach and/or Wallner to be an every day corner OF or DH.  Do you think they might be better prepared for that role if they actually had more ABs against lefties?

The point remains: if you want your prospects to transition, you have to be able to make the investment in them - even when they are slumping or when the matchup isn’t ideal. You have to build their confidence. The Twins under Rocco never did that.  
 

Hopefully that changes when the next crop (the three you referenced) come up.  We will see.

Twill this year be different? Will Jenkins, ERod, Gonzalez, even Culpepper see ML ABs? Will Wallner get platooned every time a lefty takes the mound? 

 

That is from your previous post. Nice that you run away from your comment

Larnach was sent down in 24 for injury rehab and was not sent down in 25

So when they sent down Julian, where was your posts saying they needed to give him more major league AB? Miranda was never the same after getting beaned. Off the top f my head, all I can say is Kirriloff was injured a lot. He was counted on being a 1B/of until the bone issue I doubt you looked up playing time and injuries for your statement 

Wallner was out with a hamstring injury and an Oblique injure, otherwise he was in all but 18-19 games. About 1/4 of his hitting was done against LH pitching. BREF says he started 13 games against LH. Wallner does not automatically sit against LH 

[Gamblerssoftball]

You're probably right, but it's depressing to think that there might not be any effort to improve the team. Nobody wants to watch a team without much hope to compete. I can't imagine how few tickets will be sold if they break up the "core".

[tony&rodney]

1 minute ago, old nurse said:

So with call ups , how many decent pitchers did he face in September?  

Would have they platooned Joe Mauer or not. Since you looked that up, I bet you checked his minor league stats to see if he hit lefties down there.

Different era, different game. For Mays

How many people here have said to get rid of Julian? Not a peep in response out of any of you that they needed to stick with him on the major lrague level?   

Jenkins faced good pitchers. He is ready. Nothing more to discuss on him.

You didn't answer about Joe. Ok, Matt Wallner. Did he get platooned in the minor leagues? Why the lack of patience now?

Mays was really bad for quite a stretch. The team believed in him similar to how SDP and MIL saw their guys.

Julien has been a whipping boy. I wrote that the Twins should trade Julien after 2023. I don't think Eddie benefitted with the way he was handled. He needs a fresh look from another team. It is almost impossible to predict how things go the next time around. Again, we can use examples. One - Brent Rooker, who was basically trashed as much as Julien. Two - Carson McCusker, who was tearing AAA apart and then sat on the bench for two solid weeks, getting six trips to the dish mostly against closers. There is no way to know if Carson would have done well if he was stuck in the lineup for two weeks and 40+ PA. He was sent down and never really recovered. I watched a ton of Saints games and although he still hit a few home runs McCusker never did recover his batting stroke. He needs a fresh look and may be out of baseball soon. We don't know. We do know he never had a shot. All of Wallner, Julien, Rooker, and McCusker are not really my preferred type of baseball player because they are basically DH's, but that doesn't change that they have been treated in a fashion not conducive for reaching success. For the record, I would have given Julien a longer run. There is a time to pull the plug, granted, just as pulling the plug too soon is not beneficial. There many examples of that too, but I think you get the drift.

[old nurse]

1 hour ago, Nashvilletwin said:

I’m not talking about those three.  Just the half dozen or so that came before them.  Larnach, Julien, Wallner, Kiriloff, Miranda, Martin, etc, etc.  Each of those players struggled under the Twins regime and none have made it (two are out of baseball).  Don’t bother with the injury excuses and the oft used “most prospects don’t make it” refrain.  The fact is none of those players and none since Jeffers and Arraez have made it.  Lewis and Lee are next.

So many want Larnach and/or Wallner to be an every day corner OF or DH.  Do you think they might be better prepared for that role if they actually had more ABs against lefties?

The point remains: if you want your prospects to transition, you have to be able to make the investment in them - even when they are slumping or when the matchup isn’t ideal. You have to build their confidence. The Twins under Rocco never did that.  
 

Hopefully that changes when the next crop (the three you referenced) come up.  We will see.

Team	Date	Transaction
	October 31, 2024	LF Alex Kirilloff retired.
	August 23, 2024	Minnesota Twins sent RF Alex Kirilloff on a rehab assignment to St. Paul Saints.
	August 23, 2024	Minnesota Twins sent RF Alex Kirilloff on a rehab assignment to St. Paul Saints.
	July 30, 2024	Minnesota Twins transferred RF Alex Kirilloff from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
	June 13, 2024	Minnesota Twins placed RF Alex Kirilloff on the 10-day injured list. Back issue.
	October 12, 2023	Minnesota Twins activated RF Alex Kirilloff.
	October 12, 2023	Minnesota Twins activated RF Alex Kirilloff.
	October 12, 2023	Minnesota Twins activated RF Alex Kirilloff.
	October 11, 2023	RF Alex Kirilloff roster status changed by Minnesota Twins.
	September 8, 2023	Minnesota Twins activated RF Alex Kirilloff from the 10-day injured list.
	September 8, 2023	Minnesota Twins activated RF Alex Kirilloff from the 10-day injured list.
	August 30, 2023	Minnesota Twins sent RF Alex Kirilloff on a rehab assignment to St. Paul Saints.
	August 30, 2023	Minnesota Twins sent RF Alex Kirilloff on a rehab assignment to St. Paul Saints.
	July 30, 2023	Minnesota Twins placed RF Alex Kirilloff on the 10-day injured list. Right shoulder strain.
	May 5, 2023	Minnesota Twins recalled RF Alex Kirilloff from St. Paul Saints.
	April 30, 2023	Minnesota Twins optioned RF Alex Kirilloff to St. Paul Saints.
	April 30, 2023	Minnesota Twins activated RF Alex Kirilloff from the 10-day injured list.
	April 18, 2023	Minnesota Twins sent RF Alex Kirilloff on a rehab assignment to St. Paul Saints.
	April 11, 2023	Minnesota Twins sent RF Alex Kirilloff on a rehab assignment to Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
	April 11, 2023	Minnesota Twins sent RF Alex Kirilloff on a rehab assignment to Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
	March 30, 2023	Minnesota Twins placed RF Alex Kirilloff on the 10-day injured list retroactive to March 27, 2023. Recovering from right wrist surgery.
	November 10, 2022	Minnesota Twins activated RF Alex Kirilloff from the 60-day injured list.
	August 23, 2022	Minnesota Twins transferred RF Alex Kirilloff from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
	June 17, 2022	Minnesota Twins recalled RF Alex Kirilloff from St. Paul Saints.
	June 17, 2022	Minnesota Twins placed RF Alex Kirilloff on the 10-day injured list. Right wrist contusion.
	May 14, 2022	Minnesota Twins optioned RF Alex Kirilloff to St. Paul Saints.
	May 6, 2022	Minnesota Twins activated RF Alex Kirilloff.
	April 26, 2022	Minnesota Twins sent RF Alex Kirilloff on a rehab assignment to St. Paul Saints.
	April 13, 2022	Minnesota Twins placed RF Alex Kirilloff on the 10-day injured list. Right wrist inflammation.
	November 5, 2021	Minnesota Twins activated RF Alex Kirilloff from the 60-day injured list.
	August 10, 2021	Minnesota Twins placed RF Alex Kirilloff on the 60-day injured list. Right wrist ligament tear.
	July 21, 2021	Minnesota Twins placed RF Alex Kirilloff on the 10-day injured list. Right wrist ligament tear.
	May 21, 2021	Minnesota Twins activated RF Alex Kirilloff.
	May 19, 2021	Minnesota Twins sent RF Alex Kirilloff on a rehab assignment to St. Paul Saints.
	May 5, 2021	Minnesota Twins placed RF Alex Kirilloff on the 10-day injured list. Right wrist sprain.
	April 23, 2021	Minnesota Twins recalled RF Alex Kirilloff.
	April 23, 2021	Minnesota Twins recalled RF Alex Kirilloff from Twins Alternate Training Site.
	April 15, 2021	Minnesota Twins optioned RF Alex Kirilloff to Twins Alternate Training Site.
	April 14, 2021	Minnesota Twins recalled RF Alex Kirilloff from Twins Alternate Training Site.
	March 24, 2021

[Nashvilletwin]

2 hours ago, old nurse said:

Twill this year be different? Will Jenkins, ERod, Gonzalez, even Culpepper see ML ABs? Will Wallner get platooned every time a lefty takes the mound? 

 

That is from your previous post. Nice that you run away from your comment

Larnach was sent down in 24 for injury rehab and was not sent down in 25

So when they sent down Julian, where was your posts saying they needed to give him more major league AB? Miranda was never the same after getting beaned. Off the top f my head, all I can say is Kirriloff was injured a lot. He was counted on being a 1B/of until the bone issue I doubt you looked up playing time and injuries for your statement 

Wallner was out with a hamstring injury and an Oblique injure, otherwise he was in all but 18-19 games. About 1/4 of his hitting was done against LH pitching. BREF says he started 13 games against LH. Wallner does not automatically sit against LH 

Right back to the injuries.  There are always excuses for why we never transition a high performing projectable minor leaguer into a decent major leaguer.  

Oh, and yes, I was for Julien staying up.  Rocco ruined that kid. Constantly in his doghouse. I’m looking forward to how he performs this year with a new manager.  Same with Lewis and Martin and Lee and Larnach and Wallner for that matter - they all needed new leadership. They probably all won’t make it.  But to-date none of them have. 

[ashbury]

4 hours ago, old nurse said:

The wind came out of sportswriters, some who have no connection to the Twins 

Claiming at the outset they aim for "a sustainable, championship-caliber team," then trading away important bullpen pieces who were under control past the end of the 2025 season, but now saying that they plan to keep the "core", is the dastardly work of sportswriters?  

[Chembry]

1 hour ago, Nashvilletwin said:

 

I’m not talking about those three.  Just the half dozen or so that came before them.  Larnach, Julien, Wallner, Kiriloff, Miranda, Martin, etc, etc.  Each of those players struggled under the Twins regime and none have made it (two are out of baseball).  Don’t bother with the injury excuses and the oft used “most prospects don’t make it” refrain.  The fact is none of those players and none since Jeffers and Arraez have made it.  Lewis and Lee are next.

I do think it’s a bit unfair to single out the Twins in regards to prospects that don’t develop as well as we hope.  Yes, we want the Twins to improve, but they aren’t any worse than any other team in MLB in that regard.  Take a look at top 5 prospects from each team from most years and you will find several that have struggled at the MLB level.  I picked a few teams from 2020 and looked at their top 5 prospects:

Braves: Cristian Pace (#13 ranked MLB) is 27 and back AAA, Ian Anderson (27, back in AAA), Kyle Wright (30, back in AAA)

BAL: DL Hall has been up and down

BOS: 2 of top 5 are in AAA at 27 and 30 (Jeter Downs and Bobby Dalbec), Bryan Mata, Gilberto Jimenez 

Cubs: Brailyn Marquez, Brennen Davis

A more recent example is Jordan Walker of the Cardinals. #4 MLB prospect in 2023. Hit .276/.342/.445, 16HR in 117 games in 2023.  Walker hit .201 in 2024, and .215 in 2025.

I could go on, but every team has prospects every year that struggle or don’t develop as they expect.  We just don’t hear about them very often and certainly don’t see it on a daily basis.  Could/would we like the Twins to get better?…yes, but every team goes through this.  The question remains, how much more rope do we give Julien/Gasper/Outman/etc…before placing them on waivers and moving on?  

[Doctor Wu]

9 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

I'm not sure how much Wallner or others currently on the Twins 40 roster were hurt by the way they were used or passed by with vets  like Manuel Margot. Patience was not something shown to the inexperienced players. This is as simple as looking at who was getting plate appearances.

Jenkins didn't hit in AAA? Clearly you are just looking at statistics. After a slow first week, Jenkins hit .296 in September with a .830 OPS. Much more importantly was that Jenkins hit the ball very hard. 

I have to ask in fairness how many times did you watch Walker Jenkins play? I would say I saw half of his at bats. He is really good.

Emmanuel Rodriguez was injured quite a bit. Injuries are a part of the game. From May to the end of the season EmRod hit .287 with a .460 OBP. that's not bad in AAA for guy missing so much time he was rusty at times. Rodriguez has real talent.

Again, how many times have you watched Emmanuel play?

Young players are more apt to suffer slumps and bad habits in addition to questioning their abilities when they get benched after failures. That is pretty much shown over time.

Now I will grant anyone that not every young prospect has the requisite skills to succeed at the MLB level, but that is where management needs to identify talent. 

Two recent examples of management sticking with talent are Jackson Chourio (MIL) and Jackson Merrill (SDP). Both went through bad slumps and their teams/management stuck with them. If you want examples from a half century ago, look up Willie Mays, who wanted to quit and go home because he couldn't hit. Management told him, you are our centerfielder, just play.

So yes it is difficult to decide how many days a player gets. In some cases it is 4-6 weeks or more of hitting below .100. 

Closer to home, the Twins have stuck by Royce Lewis and are still waiting for him to produce. He has talent. A much more contentious player who wasn't even given a month to fail was Edouard Julien. I'll let someone from the Twins management explain that one. Naturally, everyone has an opinion but it is at the very least interesting that teams expecting to win playoff slots (MIL and SDP) can stick by their guys for months until they come around while other teams tap out pretty quickly. 

Here is a thought. Joe Mauer is in the Hall of Fame. He hit .182 and .225 versus LH pitchers in his first two years in MLB. Would the current Twins management have platooned Joe Mauer. He wound up as a .290 batter for his career versus LH pitchers. Some things take patience. I would have much more confidence in the decisions if I knew that the dugout manager and coaches were solely responsible for playing time. You will have to ask Joe Madden about that.

 

Well stated. One of the best posts I've read this off-season. Keep 'em coming!

[Doctor Wu]

3 hours ago, Chembry said:

I do think it’s a bit unfair to single out the Twins in regards to prospects that don’t develop as well as we hope.  Yes, we want the Twins to improve, but they aren’t any worse than any other team in MLB in that regard.  Take a look at top 5 prospects from each team from most years and you will find several that have struggled at the MLB level.  I picked a few teams from 2020 and looked at their top 5 prospects:

Braves: Cristian Pace (#13 ranked MLB) is 27 and back AAA, Ian Anderson (27, back in AAA), Kyle Wright (30, back in AAA)

BAL: DL Hall has been up and down

BOS: 2 of top 5 are in AAA at 27 and 30 (Jeter Downs and Bobby Dalbec), Bryan Mata, Gilberto Jimenez 

Cubs: Brailyn Marquez, Brennen Davis

A more recent example is Jordan Walker of the Cardinals. #4 MLB prospect in 2023. Hit .276/.342/.445, 16HR in 117 games in 2023.  Walker hit .201 in 2024, and .215 in 2025.

I could go on, but every team has prospects every year that struggle or don’t develop as they expect.  We just don’t hear about them very often and certainly don’t see it on a daily basis.  Could/would we like the Twins to get better?…yes, but every team goes through this.  The question remains, how much more rope do we give Julien/Gasper/Outman/etc…before placing them on waivers and moving on?  

Don't forget the Pirates and their #1 pick still waiting to blossom, Henry Davis. 

[weitz41]

I dig the optimism, the fan in me is like this..

[Major League Ready]

10 hours ago, Gamblerssoftball said:

You're probably right, but it's depressing to think that there might not be any effort to improve the team. Nobody wants to watch a team without much hope to compete. I can't imagine how few tickets will be sold if they break up the "core".

I would find it much more interesting to watch a young team with real potential develop than watch another 70 or even 80 win team.   Anyone hoping for them to patch the numerous holes and take another shot with this core can't complain that the twins are not interested in contending.  The only merit in that strategy is appeasing fans of this mindset because the likely outcome is continued mediocrity.

[NotAboutWinning]

3 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

I would find it much more interesting to watch a young team with real potential develop than watch another 70 or even 80 win team.   Anyone hoping for them to patch the numerous holes and take another shot with this core can't complain that the twins are not interested in contending.  The only merit in that strategy is appeasing fans of this mindset.

Absolutely this! Spend and make the team better, or blow it all up and let the kids (actual young players) play. But, please don't trot out the same team for a third year in a row and expect different results!!!

[karcherd]

10 hours ago, old nurse said:

Twill this year be different? Will Jenkins, ERod, Gonzalez, even Culpepper see ML ABs? Will Wallner get platooned every time a lefty takes the mound? 

 

That is from your previous post. Nice that you run away from your comment

Larnach was sent down in 24 for injury rehab and was not sent down in 25

So when they sent down Julian, where was your posts saying they needed to give him more major league AB? Miranda was never the same after getting beaned. Off the top f my head, all I can say is Kirriloff was injured a lot. He was counted on being a 1B/of until the bone issue I doubt you looked up playing time and injuries for your statement 

Wallner was out with a hamstring injury and an Oblique injure, otherwise he was in all but 18-19 games. About 1/4 of his hitting was done against LH pitching. BREF says he started 13 games against LH. Wallner does not automatically sit against LH 

Wallner is a perfect example of their impatience with the younger players.  In 24 he was sent down after two weeks and 25 AB's.  Yes I know his K rate was off the charts, but it was 25 AB's.  And he was 26 years old. And he was kept down in the minors for a month longer than he probably should have been. That was the year to find out if he could be part of the core moving forward.  With his pedigree from both college and the minors as a 2nd round pick, you need to develop players like this when you are in our market. And remember he was consistently pinch hit for by the pinch hitting machine Margot.  Now they are hoping he can be a core part of the team, they should know by now.

As for MIranda, he should have been given the 1B job in 23 over Solano and Gallo after his 22 season, maybe we wouldn't have the hole at 1B that we have now.  Definitely last year France should not have been handed the job over Miranda.  Was it the beaning or the complete lack of confidence shown in him that broke him last year.  Unfortunately we will never know.

[TJSweens]

The Twins have a core?

[old nurse]

45 minutes ago, karcherd said:

Wallner is a perfect example of their impatience with the younger players.  In 24 he was sent down after two weeks and 25 AB's.  Yes I know his K rate was off the charts, but it was 25 AB's.  And he was 26 years old. And he was kept down in the minors for a month longer than he probably should have been. That was the year to find out if he could be part of the core moving forward.  With his pedigree from both college and the minors as a 2nd round pick, you need to develop players like this when you are in our market. And remember he was consistently pinch hit for by the pinch hitting machine Margot.  Now they are hoping he can be a core part of the team, they should know by now.

As for MIranda, he should have been given the 1B job in 23 over Solano and Gallo after his 22 season, maybe we wouldn't have the hole at 1B that we have now.  Definitely last year France should not have been handed the job over Miranda.  Was it the beaning or the complete lack of confidence shown in him that broke him last year.  Unfortunately we will never know.

In 2025 Wallner was used differently than in 24, so what is the point of bringing up 24?

Nope you will never know why Miranda went down in performance. Doesn’t stop people from making unsubstantial caims it was the Twins fault According to Fangraphs he had an OPS of over .800 when he got hit in the head and in the time afterwards it was under .600. So it is entirely impossible that the headbonk from a 95 MPH fastball had absolutely no impact of Miranda’s career 

[Jeff K]

17 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

The San Diego Padres gave out some rich long term contracts in recent years, which isn't something the Twins will emulate at this time. However, Preller also completed a number of trades to improve the team as well and this is something the Twins can do. 

Twins fans (me too) succumb to overrating the guys on our team consistently. It is easy to go through the roster and say if Jeffers, Clemens, Keaschall, Lewis, Lee, Martin, Roden, Wallner, and Larnach all improve ..... If Buxton remains healthy and sets a new personal record for games played ...... If the young prospects like Jenkins, Rodriguez, Culpepper, and Gonzalez can make a smooth transition to MLB ......

That seems like too many ifs but it is, apparently, the plan. 

The Twins were very fortunate in regards to games missed due to injuries last season as compared to the other teams in their division. The team is not fleet of foot, struggles defensively, and has problems hitting. Those factors seem to indicate some changes need to be considered and pursued. 

Generic comments are pretty common and we have seen Falvey repeat himself, nearly word for word, most offseasons. During the seasons he proclaims confidence in the talents of all the players and staff and suggests the performances on the field will shortly see improvement. Reflection is looking like something just to get the hair perfect.

The Twins do not necessarily need a teardown but they need to be in contact with pretty much every team with thoughts of completing transactions which are mutually beneficial to both clubs. Waiting for calls works when Miami is intent on acquiring a batting title winner or Tampa Bay wants a DH for the stretch run and those deals were important; the calls were answered. The front office also needs to reach out to every team in hopes of finding something that works. Baseball clubs are a bit of a puzzle and a team needs to find the pieces that fit. A team really should not carry more than one DH and it is important to have strong defenders at half the positions on the field. 

The current core of the Twins consists of Byron Buxton among position players and Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan among the pitchers. That's a good start. Now let's add to that solid core.

And to your point, I think the Twins need to replace both corner outfielders to improve their defense and speed.  Perhaps hang onto Wallner as a DH and emergency outfielder.

[Peter]

This upcoming season will be intense competitive and exciting!!!Twins have 2nd best farm system!!!  Not if but when another world championship will happen!!! Remember the twins are a small town team and aren’t supposed to be the big city teams!!! 

[TJSweens]

What really is the core of this team? A 32 year old star CF who has lost his best years to injuries, an above average catcher on his last year of team control and a couple of very good 29 year old starting pitchers.

That's a small core. The Twins won't spend enough in free agency to supplement a core like that. By the time our top prospects are productive major league players, this bunch will be older and likely at the end of their time with the Twins. I just think the least bad option is to finish the dismantling process and maximize the potential under the new CBA.

[D.C Twins]

I captured an image of one of the fans that think the Twins are keeping the core together!

[D.C Twins]

"The Twins are saying they are not rebuilding."  *  (you missed the asterisk)

* Until the season ticket sales window is closed and they 'suddenly' got an offer that they cannot refuse 

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, Peter said:

This upcoming season will be intense competitive and exciting!!!Twins have 2nd best farm system!!!  Not if but when another world championship will happen!!! Remember the twins are a small town team and aren’t supposed to be the big city teams!!! 

New Ulm is a small town. The Twins Cities are small town in the same way as Seattle.

FWIW, the Twins are in the middle as far as population with Tampa Bay, San Diego, Denver, St. Louis, Baltimore, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Cleveland below the Twins as small towns. Oh and Milwaukee is far and away the smallest market in MLB.

[USAFChief]

2 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

New Ulm is a small town. The Twins Cities are small town in the same way as Seattle.

FWIW, the Twins are in the middle as far as population with Tampa Bay, San Diego, Denver, St. Louis, Baltimore, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Cleveland below the Twins as small towns. Oh and Milwaukee is far and away the smallest market in MLB.

You're responding to a bit.

"Peter" is not an actual poster.

[Major League Ready]

16 hours ago, Woof Bronzer said:

I am amazed at how many Twins fans are operating under the illusion that the "core" of the roster is somehow untouchable and worth preserving.  Vegas has this "core" at 72 wins.  

Is this really what fans want?  Holding onto a few above average players for the opportunity to win 72 games?  It's mindblowing.

 

The beauty of baseball is that we can dream of a scenario where Lewis is a 130 wRC+ guy, and Lee improves drastically, and they find a 1B, and Jenkins comes up and excels immediately, and the starting staff stays healthy and perform well, and they completely rebuild their BP, and they win the close games.   In that scenario, as unlikely as it might be, the Twins could conceivably have a shot at a playoff position.  This is what some fans want. If you ignore or don't recognize the future cost, why give up anything now no matter how low the odds are of it coming together?

[tony&rodney]

55 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

You're responding to a bit.

"Peter" is not an actual poster.

Thank you. Didn't know that.

[karcherd]

6 hours ago, old nurse said:

In 2025 Wallner was used differently than in 24, so what is the point of bringing up 24?

Because it applies to how this organization is lacking in developing their prospects and not having patience with them.  We will see this year if they truly believe Wallner is an every day player because last year they did not have the options to sit every lefty hitter against left handed pitching.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

On 12/6/2025 at 3:48 PM, Richie the Rally Goat said:

The running water can be a problem

Minnesota was beautiful and very comfortable during my two summer visits to Minneapolis to see the Twins play baseball. However, after watching this video on snow removal systems, I am so grateful I live in North Carolina. No offense intended.  

[tarheeltwinsfan]

2 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

The beauty of baseball is that we can dream of a scenario where Lewis is a 130 wRC+ guy, and Lee improves drastically, and they find a 1B, and Jenkins comes up and excels immediately, and the starting staff stays healthy and perform well, and they completely rebuild their BP, and they win the close games.   In that scenario, as unlikely as it might be, the Twins could conceivably have a shot at a playoff position.  This is what some fans want. If you ignore or don't recognize the future cost, why give up anything now no matter how low the odds are of it coming together?

Go Twins. Win the World Series this year. What were the preseason odds against this scenario in 1987? 100 to 1. Also the Twins had a negative 20 run differential that year. And again in 1991?  The Twins and their opponents, the Braves, both went from worst the previous year, to first. The Twins were again 100 to 1 odds against winning it all and the Braves were 250 to 1. I'm not a good enough mathematician to figure the odds against the Twins meeting the Braves in the World Series in 1991.However, it's why we play the games.

[DocBauer]

If THE CORE is keeping Buxton, Lopez, Ryan, Jeffers, and some other, younger, cost controlled players them I'm 100% on board.

If you consider THE CORE to be a repeat of the exact same team from the previous 2 seasons, I'm not on board.  But I also think that's a bit of a fallacy. 

Martin and Roden get first crack at LF to improve defense and team speed. Wallner may, or may not, be starting in RF depending on whether the Twins keep Rodriguez and/or Lopez down at St Paul to begin the season. 

Keaschall was not part of the team opening day last season. WHOEVER wins the #5 spot in the rotation either wasn't with the Twins opening day last season, and perhaps not even in the organization. 

Personally, I still don't buy Larnach with the team opening day. I think he "sets the floor" for now and will be moved. But even still, as a DH and not starting OF, I couldn't complain all that much.

But there are definitely changes from opening day 2025 to opening day 2026 in the works. And that's a good thing. A shakeup was warranted. 

FWIW, I believe there will be 2 different "parts" to the Twins 2026 season. There will be the roster that opens, and then "part 2" begins when we start to see Rodriguez, Jenkins, K-Pepper, and hopefully Gonzalez making their debut. (There may be additional prospects/arms included). 

Hopefully, there won't be a "part 3" where trades happen to break down the team.

I will state essentially what I said in a different post in that every team begins each season with the need for some things to go "right" in order to have a good season. Some teams have long lists, and some teams have shorter lists. But they all have them.

I believe in 26yo Lewis, playing good defense and running the bases the 2nd half of 2025, as a step up player in 2026. I believe in Wallner rebounding to something much closer to his 2023-24 self. I believe the 25yo Lee will take a step forward in 2026, but how big of one is TBD. I have faith Lopez and Ober will enjoy far healthier 2026 seasons. 

And while I don't expect everyone to take the world by storm when they debut, I can't help but be excited about the prospects...bats and arms...that project to begin in St Paul. 

IF the FO actually has SOME payroll flexibility, I can see additions that might be enough to make a difference. A trade of MILB talent for a 1B would be awesome. But if they want to hold on to said prospects, might they not still fill the 1B hole decently with someone Iike Nathaniel Lowe for $9M? (Solid career numbers-go look). And spend another $11-12M ish for a pair of veteran RP such as Coulombe/Thielbar/Rogers as a LH option and perhaps Finnigan as a RH. (Examples, not the only options). This might be accomplished even with a ridiculously low $110M ish payroll.

I'm not naive enough to believe arms on hand, arms signed, and arms converted (EX: Festa) will rebuild a high end bullpen in a single offseason. But I can see a path where a competent pen might be assembled. 

It's a new season with a new manager and some new coaches. There will be a handful of new players when all is said and done. And there will be some interesting promotions and debuts from young talent at some point. And I like the rotation and the other factors I've already mentioned.

I just refuse to see the talent on hand, granted some needing upticks or rebounds, and the young talent assembled and nearly ready, and decide we should just give up on 2026 before it even begins. So yeah, I'm in favor of keeping "the core" together if it means Lopez, Ryan, Buxton, and Jeffers begining 2026 as Twins.

[LastOnePicked]

4 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

The beauty of baseball is that we can dream of a scenario where Lewis is a 130 wRC+ guy, and Lee improves drastically, and they find a 1B, and Jenkins comes up and excels immediately, and the starting staff stays healthy and perform well, and they completely rebuild their BP, and they win the close games. 

The beauty of baseball is watching a winning club in action, not imagining one. It's long past time for this team to pick a lane. and they seemingly did last trade deadline. It's a rebuild. So commit to it.

There is nothing even remotely realistic about this club and the playoffs in 2026. And that's fine. Build now for future success.