Twins Should Bring Burnsville's Sam Carlson Home for Christmas

[Seth Stohs]

Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

It is always interesting to see how Minnesota Twins fans react to Minnesotans who play for the Twins. The best example of this just might be Joe Mauer. He was such a great athlete at Cretin-Derham Hall. He was named Mr. Baseball and Mr. Football as a senior. He was all-state in basketball. He signed to play quarterback at Florida State, but then his hometown Minnesota Twins made him the #1 overall pick in the 2001 MLB Draft. He signed, debuted in less than three years and embarked on a career that made him a first-ballot Hall of Fame catcher. Along the way, and with the advent of social media (specifically Twitter), there was a vocal minority who seemed to believe he could do no right. 

The Twins signed St. Paul native Dave Winfield late in his career, and he notched his 3,000th career hit in a Twins uniform. Paul Molitor, also from St. Paul, came to the Twins and spent the final three seasons of his big-league career as the team's Designated Hitter. Minnesotans of a certain age will never forget Game 7 of the 1991 World Series and the job that St. Paul's Jack Morris did in shutting out the Atlanta Braves for 10 innings. Each spent time late in their Hall of Fame careers with their hometown team. 

Twins fans also loved when they brought back New Ulm native Terry Steinbach. Another former Gopher and Twins first-round pick is Glen Perkins, a native of Stillwater. 

Caleb Thielbar went from a tremendous human-interest story when the Randolph native signed and then debuted with the Twins and became a reliable southpaw in the bullpen. Then, he became an even more interesting story when he was called out of retirement by the Twins to come back in 2020. He made the team and remained with the Twins through the 2024 season. 

The final example I'll mention is Louis Varland. Born in St. Paul, he went from North High school to Concordia University, in St. Paul. Three years later, the Twins drafted him in the 15th round in 2019. He was fantastic in the lower levels of the minor leagues in 2021, and in the upper levels in 2022. After getting time as a starter, Varland moved to the bullpen full time in 2025. He was hitting 100 mph, and becoming a reliable, high-leverage option for Rocco Baldelli. But then at the trade deadline, with four more years of team control, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. He set a record for most appearances in a single playoff run. Twins fans were understandably irate about the trade, and not just because of the remaining service time and a great reliever being lost. Even with getting a couple of players with solid potential, Minnesota fans hurt for Varland who wasn't afraid to tell people how much he loved getting to play in his own backyard. 

Maybe to appease the Minnesota fans of Minnesotans, the Twins added right-hander John Klein to their 40-man roster. He graduated from Osseo High School in 2020, went to Iowa Central Community College and then signed with the Twins in August of 2022. He ended the 2025 season with the Saints and will head to Fort Myers for big league spring training in February. 

There are several pitchers who grew up in Minnesota that I would be excited for if the Twins brought them in on a minor-league deal. How about lefty reliever Lucas Gilbreath, a former Gopher. How about Minnesota State-Mankato alumni RHP Dalton Roach and LHP Brody Rodning. The southpaw played with Simeon Woods Richardson and Austin Martin in the Blue Jays organization. 

In any case, if the player discussed below signed and reached the big leagues with the Twins, it would be a great story. And there's never anything wrong with a good story. However, I also feel like there could be a role for him on a big-league roster at some point in 2026. 

RHP Sam Carlson 
The Burnsville native was a heavily discussed name here at Twins Daily throughout the spring of 2017. Reports early in the year had him being selected sometime in the late first round or in the second round. We posted several Q&As and interviews with him during his high school senior. 

When the draft came in June, he was not taken in the first round. However, reports told us that he and his representatives began getting calls from teams late in the first round. Carlson made it known that he was looking for a certain signing bonus to keep him from going to college. Did the Twins call him and try to get him to sign for maybe $1.5 million? We may never know for certain, but I believe they did, or they should have. Either way, he didn't settle and signed for $2 million with the Mariners after they made him their second-round pick. 

That summer, Carlson pitched in two games for the Mariners Arizona League team. He threw 21 pitches and looked good. He was the Mariners #3 prospect at that time. Unfortunately, he didn't pitch in 2018. Instead, he had Tommy John surgery. The recovery was rough, and he missed the entire 2019 season as well. Like other minor leaguers, Covid meant that he didn't pitch in games in 2020 either. 

He returned to the mound in 2021 at Low A Modesto. He made 19 starts and reached 100 innings. He was 6-4 with a 4.77 ERA, but he impressively had 112 strikeouts. He stayed in Modesto in 2022. He made 11 starts and five relief appearances. He had 60 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings. He moved up to High-A Everett in 2023 and made the transition to the bullpen. He pitched in 39 games and made just one start. In 48 innings, he had 60 strikeouts. At season's end, he became a six-year minor league free agent. 

Early in the offseason, he signed a minor-league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. They had him pitch at Double-A Biloxi.  In 44 games and 48 1/3 innings, he posted a 4.25 ERA and had 51 strikeouts. He again became a free agent. Last offseason, he quickly was signed to a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers and spent the season in the Triple-A Oklahoma City bullpen. He worked in a career-high 45 games and posted a 4.22. He had 78 strikeouts (11.8 K/9), but he also walked 36 batters (5.4 BB/9). It was uncharacteristic as Carlson had never walked more than 4.0 batters per nine innings.   

Carlson is no longer a top prospect. He will spend the full 2026 season at 27 years old. He typically throws four pitches, a four-seam fastball, a sinker, a cutter, and a slider. In 2025, he threw his cutter about 45% of the time. He threw his sjnker about 30% of the time. It was an average of 93.3%, and it appears to that he topped out at 95 mph. He threw a slider that averaged about 80 mph. He threw just six percent four-seam fastballs. 

So what role could Carlson play in the Twins organization? Carlson is intriguing as a one-inning guy (at least primarily). After years of injury, Carlson has remained healthy the past three years. First and foremost, he can be a veteran pitcher in the Saints bullpen. While he doesn't have the big velocity, I am intrigued by his pitch mix, and I'd love to see him work with Pete Maki, Jonas Lovin, Nat Ballenberg, and the rest of Twins pitcher development staff to see what they can do with him. 

If the Twins were to sign Sam Carlson to a minor-league contract, there will be that segment of Twins fandom that will mock the moves, sarcastically regurgitating phrases like, "Cheep Polands," or "We're going to the 'ship!" However, both pitchers can certainly fill a role with the Saints in 2026, and there could potentially be a big-league role that each could fill. And that's the goal with most minor league signings. Depth for the big-league club waiting 10-miles away in St. Paul. 

And hey, it's Christmas... There's nothing wrong with a feel-good story! 

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[IndyTwinsFan]

Provided that it's primarily for AAA depth, with an opportunity to pitch in the Twins bullpen if he shows enough, I wouldn't be opposed to this thought. 

That being said, I doubt that it would actually happen, for several reasons.  And even more doubtful that such a signing would play out that way.

[thelanges5]

Nothing to lose with a MiLB signing. I’m intrigued. 

[terrydactyls]

In the penultimate paragraph there is a line that reads "However, both pitchers can certainly fill a role with the Saints in 2026, and there could potentially be a big-league role that each could fill."

Who is the mystery second pitcher?

[Heiny]

Enjoyed the article.  Bring him home!  Nothing to lose on a minor league contract.  Is at an age where the pitcher in him could certainly develop under the right tutelage and in the right atmosphere.  Love a good homer feel good story.  Bring him home.

[MMMordabito]

21 hours ago, terrydactyls said:

In the penultimate paragraph there is a line that reads "However, both pitchers can certainly fill a role with the Saints in 2026, and there could potentially be a big-league role that each could fill."

Who is the mystery second pitcher?

Could it be John Klein mentioned earlier?

[DocBauer]

Sorry Seth, born and raised in South Dakota in early years, and a Nebraskan since about age 11 in Nebraska, I've been a Twins junkie since about 5 or 6 with my dad listening to the radio and teaching me the game.

It's a wonder when a local kid makes good because I grew up as a Minnesota fan. I don't dislike this Varland trade because he was a Minnesota native, as some have proclaimed. I disliked the move for the move.

If Carlson is s good move on a MILB deal to add to St Paul and MAYBE surprise for the Twins at some point in 2026, so be it. But wishes or not, sorry, that's all it is at this point.

 

[Jacksson]

What about GUS Varland??