Please DFA Clemens already.

[Mike Sixel]

Seriously, how are he and Outman on this roster still? 

[bean5302]

I don't think Clemens is going to add much in the way of long term value and I wouldn't stress about it if the Twins DFA'd him, but in his whopping 50 PA this year his xwOBA is notably above league average at .336.

Clemens is also traditionally a good fielder.

[Riverbrian]

The biggest reason Clemens is still on the roster. The Twins didn't really focus on trying to get him off the roster this off-season. 

In other words... the acquisitions of Wagaman, Arcia and Kreidler are the guys who can currently take him off the roster. 

Out of those 4... I'll take Clemens. 

[tony&rodney]

The time for roster decisions was last October and November. The Twins sat on their hands for three years. In a month or two, maybe longer, there will be change if the current group continues the struggles. This team is doing better than most of us expected and is the most interesting group in a few years. I'm preaching patience until the club wakes up from its DK dream/nightmare and moves forward with several changes.

[LakesPibble]

Clemens is serviceable.  Outman on the other hand...

[Richie the Rally Goat]

6 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

The biggest reason Clemens is still on the roster. The Twins didn't really focus on trying to get him off the roster this off-season. 

In other words... the acquisitions of Wagaman, Arcia and Kreidler are the guys who can currently take him off the roster. 

Out of those 4... I'll take Clemens. 

Clemens in a utility role, fine. As the big side of a 1B platoon, I have problems that can be solved with just a bit more creativity.

Emma Rodriguez should push Larnach to primary DH and Bell to primary 1B. Outman off the roster. Larnach would then shift to OF so Rodriguez/Martin can spell Buck.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Kody Clemens is what you get when ownership and the front office sit on their hands.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

I'd like to nominate Anthony Banda for the next DFA thread. Woof. 

[Hrbowski]

He's going to be the starting second baseman when Keaschall gets sent down

[ashbury]

2 hours ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

I'd like to nominate Anthony Banda for the next DFA thread. Woof. 

There are too many names on the 26-man roster that don't belong on a contending team, and not enough replacements worth an audition.

Who can they bring up to replace Banda that will make the team better?  I'm sure you'll say "anyone!!!", but as soon as that replacement from St Paul puts up an ERA of 7.00 we'll all be lobbying for someone else again, as though magic will make a AAA player like Matt Bowman suddenly become an asset.

Who can they bring up to replace Clemens that will make the team better?  I'm sure you'll say "anyone!!!", but, well, there isn't anyone.  Different warts on the next guy perhaps, but just as many.  ERod is the only one at St Paul who seems like a good bet to deliver average offense or better (though some worry that the Ks will loom larger in the majors), and promoting him makes sense as a replacement for Outman but doesn't do much to fix the problem we all see with Clemens.

If ownership is really serious about this year being one for contending, they need to let the FO take multiple steps to fix things.  But I don't really buy that PR in the first place.

[ewen21]

29 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Who can they bring up to replace Banda that will make the team better?  I'm sure you'll say "anyone!!!",

I understand your point of view, but in this case why not "anyone"?  Banda has a (well) below average career WHIP even after having two solid years in LA in his 30 and 31 year old seasons.  Subtract those two seasons (relatively late in his career) and consider what he has done in all the other seasons as a major league reliever.  It is actually very ugly.

This isn't to say I am advocating for this particular move right now.  A guy like Banda should be expendable at any point if this team is actually seriously going to contend for winning the division.  

[ewen21]

As far as Clemens is concerned, he is 30 years old and has 838 plate appearances.  With that much exposure he has a .203 lifetime batting average and a ,263 OBP.  That is pretty awful.  If he were to be DFA'd today no one should be unhappy about it.

[jaimedude]

7 hours ago, ewen21 said:

As far as Clemens is concerned, he is 30 years old and has 838 plate appearances.  With that much exposure he has a .203 lifetime batting average and a ,263 OBP.  That is pretty awful.  If he were to be DFA'd today no one should be unhappy about it.

He Clemmens  is wasting opportunities that should go to someone in the organization who can actually help the Twins win and develop a contender. Clemmens strikes out a lot and is a low impact marginal player. Too many 25th to 26th man roster types on the Twins. At best Clemmens is AAA level depth not a starter and not even a platoon splits guy. If the fans can see a MLB player is not a difference maker or helping as a solution, then what is  front office management doing. Clemmens would go unclaimed at 30 years old and no minor league options. Cody isn't helping the Twins develop better players or a winning future. The time for bobos and good ol boys on the Twins  is over.  Not a good fit for a team trying to pretend it is changing th8ngs. 

[ewen21]

Guys like Banda and Clemens are going to be on the rosters much longer on teams that really aren't contenders than they would be on contending teams.  I can accept that the Twins are not serious contenders.  Just don't sell the idea that they are if we are going to have a roster like this.  There are so many players that are either unproven or are unreliable due extensive to injury histories.  THere are many many teams like this.  The Twins are just one of those and it will require a lot of good fortune and luck to get into the playoffs.  As far as advancing in the playoffs with this current roster?

I do not count on that

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

And then there was yesterday's game where he proved his worth. At least for a day. Not saying that we need to keep him for the rest of the season, but he may be the least of our problems. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

On 4/24/2026 at 4:24 PM, ashbury said:

There are too many names on the 26-man roster that don't belong on a contending team, and not enough replacements worth an audition.

Who can they bring up to replace Banda that will make the team better?  I'm sure you'll say "anyone!!!", but as soon as that replacement from St Paul puts up an ERA of 7.00 we'll all be lobbying for someone else again, as though magic will make a AAA player like Matt Bowman suddenly become an asset.

Who can they bring up to replace Clemens that will make the team better?  I'm sure you'll say "anyone!!!", but, well, there isn't anyone.  Different warts on the next guy perhaps, but just as many.  ERod is the only one at St Paul who seems like a good bet to deliver average offense or better (though some worry that the Ks will loom larger in the majors), and promoting him makes sense as a replacement for Outman but doesn't do much to fix the problem we all see with Clemens.

If ownership is really serious about this year being one for contending, they need to let the FO take multiple steps to fix things.  But I don't really buy that PR in the first place.

Erod starting in Right, Martin Left, pushes Larnach to DH, Bell to 1B, and Clemens or Outman off the roster and increases the talent on the 26 man.

[C-Gangster]

I would personally like to keep him he's a decent player and teammate Maybe send him to the minors give him a reset. I would like to keep him but wouldn't mind if he saw less playing time or was sent down.

[nicksaviking]

On 4/24/2026 at 4:24 PM, ashbury said:

There are too many names on the 26-man roster that don't belong on a contending team, and not enough replacements worth an audition.

Who can they bring up to replace Banda that will make the team better?  

Who can they bring up to replace Clemens that will make the team better?

If ownership is really serious about this year being one for contending, they need to let the FO take multiple steps to fix things.  But I don't really buy that PR in the first place.

If we have to ask this question with this many spots on the roster, the question needs to be 'Who can they bring up to replace xxxx that will make the team better in 2027?'

But for now ownership wants to pretend that they are contending in 2026. The team will be better for it in the long run when they drop that facade.

[nicksaviking]

30 minutes ago, Bangkok Twins Fan said:

And then there was yesterday's game where he proved his worth. At least for a day. Not saying that we need to keep him for the rest of the season, but he may be the least of our problems. 

He wouldn't be a problem if he was a late game pinch hitter and getting Outman's at bats, but the guy has proven over and over again that he can't regularly get on base. That kind of player can't be your starting 1B against every right handed pitcher the league puts your team up against.

[Linus]

21 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

He wouldn't be a problem if he was a late game pinch hitter and getting Outman's at bats, but the guy has proven over and over again that he can't regularly get on base. That kind of player can't be your starting 1B against every right handed pitcher the league puts your team up against.

This. If he is the last guy on the bench it’s not horrible. But for some reason the Twins want to give him regular playing time. 

[stringer bell]

After yesterday's 5 RBI game, the numbers are still well below average, but not an embarrassment. He's still below the Mendoza Line (.194) with an OPS+ of 77. I would state that he's been a better overall player than Wallner because he offers a bit of speed and defense. 

I think Clemens and Gray are similar. They are older with limited big league time, but they are versatile and there is something intriguing about their hitting skills. Starting Clemens somewhere between occasionally and frequently against right handed pitching is about the exposure he should have. 

[ashbury]

5 hours ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

Erod starting in Right, Martin Left, pushes Larnach to DH, Bell to 1B, and Clemens or Outman off the roster and increases the talent on the 26 man.

Bell at 1B is enough to gag a buzzard, but that's what happens when they keep signing DHs.

[amjgt]

6 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

If we have to ask this question with this many spots on the roster, the question needs to be 'Who can they bring up to replace xxxx that will make the team better in 2027?'

But for now ownership wants to pretend that they are contending in 2026. The team will be better for it in the long run when they drop that facade.

I would argue that that facade (or misbelief) has actually given us Morris, Rojas, and Preilipp (and maybe even Abel) before i would have otherwise expected to see them. 

Whether it's Tom Pohlad not wanting to look silly with his "contending" comments and pushing the FO to find fixes, or whether it's Jeremy Zoll realizing he's probably on a pretty short leash with ownership and wanting to do his best to make ownership look as good as possible..... Doesn't matter to me which of those it is. I like the new-found pitching/bullpen urgency and can't wait to see some of it on the position player side of things. 

[Road trip]

6 hours ago, stringer bell said:

After yesterday's 5 RBI game, the numbers are still well below average, but not an embarrassment. He's still below the Mendoza Line (.194) with an OPS+ of 77. I would state that he's been a better overall player than Wallner because he offers a bit of speed and defense. 

I think Clemens and Gray are similar. They are older with limited big league time, but they are versatile and there is something intriguing about their hitting skills. Starting Clemens somewhere between occasionally and frequently against right handed pitching is about the exposure he should have. 

I commend Clemens for his game yesterday, but in my mind he's still a AAAA player.  On a contending team he is a depth guy you stash at AAA, waiting on a call up due to injuries at the MLB level.  The same is true of Gray, and yes, they are similar players, although Gray has a better and more versatile glove.  The big difference?  Well, Clemens has that major league name... I sometimes think that is the reason some fans like him.

[amjgt]

In my mind the same question exists, to varying degrees for each of Outman, Clemens, and Wallner

Who are you going to replace them with, where you're happy with the roll that new player is going to take on, or what it does to the rest of the players playing time?

a) Outman. He's barely playing. There's nobody at AAA that I want barely playing. Especially with the current emergence of Martin, who's soaking up what little playing time Outman was getting.

b) Clemens. When he plays, it's 1B. There's nobody worth calling up from AAA that can play 1B, so you're going to get a heavy mix of Caratini and Bell over there. Not a great option (not that Clemens playing 1B is some great option).

c) Wallner. Probably the easiest 1-for-1 swap since he's both getting a ton of playing time and is a lefty outfielder which we have in spades at AAA. The problem here is that he's the one I'm least interested in giving up on. 

[stringer bell]

21 minutes ago, amjgt said:

In my mind the same question exists, to varying degrees for each of Outman, Clemens, and Wallner

Who are you going to replace them with, where you're happy with the roll that new player is going to take on, or what it does to the rest of the players playing time?

a) Outman. He's barely playing. There's nobody at AAA that I want barely playing. Especially with the current emergence of Martin, who's soaking up what little playing time Outman was getting.

b) Clemens. When he plays, it's 1B. There's nobody worth calling up from AAA that can play 1B, so you're going to get a heavy mix of Caratini and Bell over there. Not a great option (not that Clemens playing 1B is some great option).

c) Wallner. Probably the easiest 1-for-1 swap since he's both getting a ton of playing time and is a lefty outfielder which we have in spades at AAA. The problem here is that he's the one I'm least interested in giving up on. 

I think Fedko is a better fit as a fifth OF. Like Outman, he can run a bit, can play all three outfield spots and has shown power. He probably isn’t as good a baserunning threat or defender, but he would have the platoon advantage against LH pitching and thus would get used more than Outman. I believe he is 27 years old so probably no worries about sporadic playing time  

I also think Clemens and Gray are somewhat redundant  The hitter that Gray has been thus far combined with his versatility could take almost all of Clemens playing time  Gray as a part-time player at all four positions in the infield could get him full-time platoon at-bats. I doubt Gray is as good with the glove as Clemens, but he did win a job including backup shortstop and thus far he’s hit well enough to deserve more playing time.

 

 

[Danchat]

1 hour ago, amjgt said:

There's nobody at AAA that I want barely playing.

Stringer bell already sniped me on this one, but Fedko is absolutely a guy I'm fine with lightly using. I don't see him as much of a prospect so it doesn't matter if he gets limited ABs, of which he's already being limited in AAA.

[jaimedude]

We need Culpepper and E Rodriguez brought up Friday. I don't care who goes between, Outman, Clemmens, Gray, being DFA candidates, take your pick. Wallner can be optioned to St Paul any day now. It is time for Culpepper and E Rideiguez to make the jump, at least end the staleness soon. Wallner is near bottom of MLB in WAR, crappy defense and a poor hitter. Wallner is a bust of a draft pick. 

[jorgenswest]

Clemens after 74 PAs.

• best exit velocity on the team (50+ PAs)
• 5th in EV90
• 5th on the team in xwOBA at .340 (league average .323)
• one of three players on the team with a positive DRS and OAA though he isn’t playing his best position of 2B
• 2nd on the team in stolen bases
• last on the team in BABIP at .220
• 9th on the team in OPS and below league average.

[bean5302]

1 hour ago, jorgenswest said:

Clemens after 74 PAs.

• best exit velocity on the team (50+ PAs)
• 5th in EV90
• 5th on the team in xwOBA at .340 (league average .323)
• one of three players on the team with a positive DRS and OAA though he isn’t playing his best position of 2B
• 2nd on the team in stolen bases
• last on the team in BABIP at .220
• 9th on the team in OPS and below league average.

Yeah his xwOBA and BABIP seems to be reflecting bad luck, even if Clemens winds up trailing expected by 10-15pts throughout his career, he's been solid enough at the plate.