Twins Missed a Golden Opportunity with Byron Buxton Roster Move

[Riverbrian]

39 minutes ago, Greglw3 said:

HarmonK03, all I can say is RodC29! You say tomato, I say tomato. 

And "Knock out a home run, shout a hip hurray...cheer for the Minnesota Twins tonight!"

Tonight doesn't rhyme

[Craig Arko]

20 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Tonight doesn't rhyme

Anybody want a peanut?

[nicksaviking]

On 7/30/2026 at 2:27 PM, Mike Sixel said:

Mid-August is the date they get another year of control.....give or take. 

It's not exactly a concrete reference source, but when Max Clark was called up the other day, MLBTR said he had no chance at accruing a year of service time at this point of the year.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/tigers-call-up-max-clark-top-prospect.html

[Mike Sixel]

2 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

It's not exactly a concrete reference source, but when Max Clark was called up the other day, MLBTR said he had no chance at accruing a year of service time at this point of the year.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/tigers-call-up-max-clark-top-prospect.html

Interesting. But every other team is wrong and the twins are right, clearly. 

[nicksaviking]

1 minute ago, Mike Sixel said:

Interesting. But every other team is wrong and the twins are right, clearly. 

I mean, obviously their track record says they are undefeated at being right...........

[mnfireman]

7 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

It's not exactly a concrete reference source, but when Max Clark was called up the other day, MLBTR said he had no chance at accruing a year of service time at this point of the year.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/tigers-call-up-max-clark-top-prospect.html

The article states that Detroit won't get any prospect promotion incentives...

[mnfireman]

15 minutes ago, mnfireman said:

The article states that Detroit won't get any prospect promotion incentives...

And he could also exceed rookie limits if he sticks with DET the rest of the season.

[Dave Lemke]

Just a sidebar to this discussion. One of the possibilities for Detroit to add Clark to the 40 man roster would be to DFA Outman. If Outman was still here that might change the discussion!

[nicksaviking]

11 minutes ago, mnfireman said:

And he could also exceed rookie limits if he sticks with DET the rest of the season.

As far as I know, that only matters when it comes to ROY voting these days.

[Whammy]

On 7/30/2026 at 8:34 AM, Drtwins said:

I agree the Gray move is a bit of a head-scratcher, but I don't see the Twins adding any of their top prospects to the 40-man roster with a potential labor stoppage looming in 2027.

Adding players like Jenkins or Culpepper could actually do more harm than good. Players on a 40-man roster aren't allowed to participating in team activities during an MLB work stoppage, which would mean no access to Twins staff or ability to play in the minors. That could be a significant loss of development time.

There's also the uncertainty surrounding the next cba. Changes to service time, arbitration eligibility, and free agency are all possible. Calling up Jenkins or Culpepper for a brief stint now could ultimately cost the Twins an additional year of team control under whatever rules are negotiated.

I know team control isn't something most fans care about, but from the Twins' perspective, it's hard to justify accelerating the timeline when they're not realistically positioned to compete with the Dodgers.

It's one thing to be pessimistic about the CBA and 2027, but it's another thing to allow that pessimism to flow downhill to other decisions that might negatively affect 2026. 

Also... Calling up those players now could just as easily get the Twins MORE team control. Maybe if they get called up this year they get grandfathered in to the current 6+ year system. We have no idea.

We shouldn't be making worse case assumptions built on pessimistic views. It'll lead to at the very least, complacency, but potentially something worse like kicking the can down the road until we are "positioned to compete with the Dodgers."

[Whammy]

18 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

As far as I know, that only matters when it comes to ROY voting these days.

There's a non-zero chance that if the service time stuff changes with the new CBA that rookie eligibility could determine whether early-career players are grandfathered in or not.

Unlikely... but possible

[mnfireman]

15 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

As far as I know, that only matters when it comes to ROY voting these days.

Which can be tied to the possible draft picks that are tied to the prospect promotion incentive... 

[chpettit19]

1 hour ago, mnfireman said:

The article states that Detroit won't get any prospect promotion incentives...

 

1 hour ago, mnfireman said:

And he could also exceed rookie limits if he sticks with DET the rest of the season.

 

1 hour ago, nicksaviking said:

As far as I know, that only matters when it comes to ROY voting these days.

Clark would have to hit at a Barry Bonds level the rest of the year and lead Detroit to a division title to have any shot at the draft pick compensation this year. If they send him back down, or he gets injured, before he hits 45 days of service time (IL time doesn't count against rookie eligibility, to my knowledge) he'll still be eligible for the extra pick next year.

Another factor is finishing in the top 3 for MVP before he hits arbitration. I know you can get an extra pick that way (if the guy is eligible for the PPI pick), but I'm not sure if it can also get the player a retroactive full year of service time. Skenes, as an example, got a full year of service for winning ROY and not being up in time, but also won the Cy Young his 2nd season, which I'm not sure if that'd have triggered the full year of service or not.

[DocBauer]

11 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

Yup, I think moving Larnach to open a spot does make a lot of sense

Or moving Bell and put Larnach as the primary LH DH and open a spot in LF?

Not saying for sure that they will, or should, but they could shore up the OF defense and still keep one of their most productive bats in the lineup and have room for Jenkins or Gonzalez or Rodriguez. 

[Cory Engelhardt]

9 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

Or moving Bell and put Larnach as the primary LH DH and open a spot in LF?

Not saying for sure that they will, or should, but they could shore up the OF defense and still keep one of their most productive bats in the lineup and have room for Jenkins or Gonzalez or Rodriguez. 

That works for me too. Or even having Bell play more 1b.

[HarmonK03]

10 minutes ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

That works for me too. Or even having Bell play more 1b.

I hope you are kidding about Bell.  He can't play defense, he is an absolute butcher over there.  If that is a strategy then we might as well sell because we sure won't win with him at 1B.

[Cory Engelhardt]

6 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

I hope you are kidding about Bell.  He can't play defense, he is an absolute butcher over there.  If that is a strategy then we might as well sell because we sure won't win with him at 1B.

I mostly meant; if you HAD to pick between Larnach or Bell going, which would you pick? I don't know that you have to, but I don't love Larnach's defense either even if he has a solid bat this year. But you are probably right, Bell shouldn't be in the infield. 

[Paul Walerius]

On 7/30/2026 at 6:48 AM, DJL44 said:

Why do people think Walker Jenkins would provide an immediate boost on offense? He is not doing anything special in St Paul.

They could have promoted Fedko, but he would have sat the bench again. 

Gray can pinch hit for Kreidler.

We didn't really think Keaschall would do a whole lot last year, but he was pretty good.  

[DocBauer]

WOW has this OP really taken off in multiple directions!

JENKINS: I LOVE Jenkins and can't wait to see him! I think I've made that very clear. And I am NOT opposed to bringing up young prospects and letting them play. Once again, I was championing for Rodriguez to be in the opening day OF this season immediately. And I wanted K-Pepper up before he had his glute-hip injury. And frankly, I think the Twins are better off pushing their TOP prospects the way Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Tampa do. 

My only consternation about promoting Jenkins NOW was that he was going to make some kick start difference and the Twins lost a "golden opportunity" to promote him while Buxton was out. Period. 

The shot Buck got needs him to rest for about 10-14 days to be effective. He'll get that. And then he'll probably be back. While it's true offseason rest...and a possible offseason procedure MIGHT be needed to alleviate some of his hip issue...it's about maintenance the rest of the season. I don't expect hum to be out long. So I'm still not certain bringing Jenkins up NOW actually provides some kick start for the lineup. 

When Buxton is back, I guess they send Roden back down again and keep Jenkins? OK, maybe. And I'm 100% going to admit that Jenkins' numbers have been above his season numbers since he came back of the IL. But until something changes on the roster, the still developing, wonderfully talented Jenkins would be splitting time with Buxton, Larnach, Keaschall, and Martin to some degree. And this is a team chasing a playoff spot, and possible division win. 

So all I've been saying is maybe this isn't the right time for Jenkins to debut. A week or two from now, I could change my opinion depending on what the Twins do.

The fact that Clark has been promoted by Detroit, having a miserable and unexpectedly poor season has NOTHING to do with a promotion of Jenkins. That's just silly talk.

GRAY: I'll say it AGAIN, I wish they had someone better to promote. Shelton is a fan, for some reason, but I'm not. With K-Pepper and Rodriguez barely off the IL, they just weren't viable candidates at this time. Period. Maybe soon, but not NOW. 

Personally, I would have brought Gonzalez up considering he's on the 40 man and we were facing a collection of LHP against the A's and Royals. He's been much better overall than his season numbers would indicate after a poor start. THAT might have been a lost opportunity!

I believe Gray was brought up simply because they believe Buck's IL stint will be brief, and they wanted an INF to just give a day off here and there over the next 10-14 days for Lee and Kreidler, who have been playing daily, to get a rest. When Buck comes back, he's immediately sent down and you haven't messed with the 40 man pre trade deadline.

Again, I'd rather see Gonzalez. And I'd love to see what Ross might do as a possible super utility option in the future instead of Gray, but then you're messing with the 40 man again.

IMO, this only a temporary move right before the deadline and the FO just doesn't want to mess around with the 40 man YET. Plus, it does make some sense just for a day off here and there for a couple guys. 

KEASCHALL: I admit I was so adamant about keeping him at 2B for the entire season to allow him time to develop, and was probably wrong. He just looks like a natural OF. I know he's played some OF previously, and I know it hasn't been enough, but DAMN if he doesn't look natural out there with a little more time. And I'm even talking about CF. He's not even close to being a finished product out there in the grass. But he's even faster than I thought he was. And almost daily when you watch him play, you can see him "figuring it out" from routes to balls off the fence. 

I really like this kid a TON. It's not rhetoric to say he's a BALLPLAYER. Offensively, he's good now. I think a little more pop/power will come naturally, even though he won't be a true power hitter. But he doesn't have to be.

Sorry to all the Martin fans out there...and I'm not a hater...there is a HUGE difference from what I've seen of Martin trying to play CF and what I've seen of Keaschall doing the same. 

I'm starting to LOVE the idea of Keaschall as an everyday player who can cover 5 spots, potentially, and be an OB machine at the top of the order. And I'm willing to live with a couple bad plays and growing pains because, again, damn, he sure looks like he could be outstanding with a little more time with some of the plays he's made.

[DocBauer]

I really, really, didn't want to post this. The OP has already run off the rails as much as I've seen. But temptation to talk and share has always been a weakness, LOL.

I have NO IDEA how Falvey vs Zoll became an issue here, but it has. And it's also become a Rocco vs Shelton debate. 

Look, I'm just going to be honest and lay all of my cards down and tell you I think Falvey was one of the best things to ever happen to the Twins in years! He had a vision. He changed the entire structure of the MILB system. He brought the Twins in to the 21st Century in so many ways. And he made a lot of great moves. 

In fact, almost all of the current 40 man roster and all of the prospects we debate about are a result of Falvey still the man in charge, and the scoutingstaff he put in charge.. And he was also the guy in control during 2019, 2020, and 2023 seasons. And it's never been his fault it ownership screwed things up.

I'm just saying, you might want to pause for a moment before hating on Falvey and reflect on some REALLY GOOD seasons and a lot of fun times INCLUDING THIS SEASON where he assembled the roster, imperfect as it is.

But it's HERE where I'm starting to wonder if Zoll isn't less paranoid about veteran depth and making moves. Under Zoll and Shelton, Lewis and Wallner were sent down. Lee was put in to 3B permanently. Kreidler was put at SS, finally, waiting for a healthy K-Pepper to take over when ready. Lewis has been moved to 1B which makes sense. And Lewis has adapted to 1B very well. And the move of Keaschall to the OF has started to make sense.

The jury is still out on Zoll as the GM. It's going to take a little longer to see if he's THE GUY to lead this team forward. But I keep reflecting on all the defensive position changes that have taken place and wonder if we would have seen these changes under Falvey?

Perhaps we're seeing a Zoll stamp on the team?

 

 

[DocBauer]

1 hour ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

That works for me too. Or even having Bell play more 1b.

Absolutely no! He's a very poor 1B. He's either the Twins DH for the remainder of the season, or he's gone. 

[Greglw3]

9 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

I'm watching the games and seeing how he looks and comparing that to his strong play before he was injured. Right now Culpepper is swinging at a few pitches he was spitting at earlier and he swung through a few middle middle gifts. He could tune in quickly .... we shall see. Kreidler is the better player at this time. Forget the stats and highlights and watch the games if you really want to see how Culpepper (or Jenkins) looks right now. 

FWIW, Sabato continues to totally mash mistakes. I doubt MLB pitchers put the ball on the tee very often but Sabato is not missing when the pitchers go middle middle.

I do watch some of the games but only Gamecast since Culpepper returned from injury.

[twinstalker]

Over 200 comments, probably been said, but the lockout is likely playing a part here.

[HarmonK03]

13 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I really, really, didn't want to post this. The OP has already run off the rails as much as I've seen. But temptation to talk and share has always been a weakness, LOL.

I have NO IDEA how Falvey vs Zoll became an issue here, but it has. And it's also become a Rocco vs Shelton debate. 

Look, I'm just going to be honest and lay all of my cards down and tell you I think Falvey was one of the best things to ever happen to the Twins in years! He had a vision. He changed the entire structure of the MILB system. He brought the Twins in to the 21st Century in so many ways. And he made a lot of great moves. 

In fact, almost all of the current 40 man roster and all of the prospects we debate about are a result of Falvey still the man in charge, and the scoutingstaff he put in charge.. And he was also the guy in control during 2019, 2020, and 2023 seasons. And it's never been his fault it ownership screwed things up.

I'm just saying, you might want to pause for a moment before hating on Falvey and reflect on some REALLY GOOD seasons and a lot of fun times INCLUDING THIS SEASON where he assembled the roster, imperfect as it is.

But it's HERE where I'm starting to wonder if Zoll isn't less paranoid about veteran depth and making moves. Under Zoll and Shelton, Lewis and Wallner were sent down. Lee was put in to 3B permanently. Kreidler was put at SS, finally, waiting for a healthy K-Pepper to take over when ready. Lewis has been moved to 1B which makes sense. And Lewis has adapted to 1B very well. And the move of Keaschall to the OF has started to make sense.

The jury is still out on Zoll as the GM. It's going to take a little longer to see if he's THE GUY to lead this team forward. But I keep reflecting on all the defensive position changes that have taken place and wonder if we would have seen these changes under Falvey?

Perhaps we're seeing a Zoll stamp on the team?

 

 

Yes Falvey did modernize the front office, I will give credit to him for that.  But the team has basically been a .500 team over his tenure.  And there has been no real continuity from year to year, they have consistently been signing one year deals for castoffs to fill holes in the lineup.  That is not sustainable.

I know everyone wants to dump on the Pohlads and the way payroll was cut in 24 should have been handled differently.  But Falvey kept trying to do the big splash contract, first with Donaldson, then with Correa.  One player is not going to make a difference and every mid market team that has made these types of signings have moved off of them.  You need to build a team around that player and Falvey didn't do that.  He didn't do a good job of working with the resources given him, maybe he needs to be in a bigger market because markets this size don't typically operate the way he wanted to.  

This roster was built with input from Zoll, I am giving him as much credit or lack of credit for this mismanaged roster construction that they currently have.  What we don't know is who was pushing some of the moves that we have all questioned but Falvey obviously approved them.  

Let's see where we end up this year, but calling up Gray in the middle of a pennant race after his lack of production is one sign of someone not doing their job.  And we will see about the Kremer trade.  He did do well on the Minter trade.  But Zoll was instrumental in building this team, the only change is he now makes the final call.

I think the best thing for this organization is to have a fresh start and an objective review of what is working and not working.  They have to get off the treadmill of mediocrity and I don't know how it happens with the current structure.

Yes I am excited that they are playing well and Shelton has obviously got them playing well.  But is it sustainable, because I still see no plan.  And I would like to stop riding this rollercoaster to the degree we do here in Minnesota.

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

7 hours ago, twinstalker said:

Over 200 comments, probably been said, but the lockout is likely playing a part here.

Possible. That makes every other team wrong and the twins right..... Seems.... unlikely.