The Twins Have a Catching Surplus They Could Put to Good Use

[DJL44]

1 minute ago, MapleGroveTwinsFan said:

 

When you have young guys (23 or younger, 22 or younger even better) they can extend them at less that market rates (like the Twins did with Kepler, Sano, Polanco), 

IMO they should try offering Keashall an extension this year, and Culpepper and maybe Jenkins next year, and of course Lackey if he forces his way up. 

I would extend Jenkins now. Failing in 2026 might make it possible to get him to sign the extension. Once he establishes himself it will be too late.

[PuckettPond]

14 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

Yes he was better than Hall of Famer, Joe Mauer.

Mauer the 1st baseman?

[HarmonK03]

19 minutes ago, PuckettPond said:

Mauer the 1st baseman?

It is ok to enjoy when good things happen for the Twins.

[MapleGroveTwinsFan]

11 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

Or maybe extend him, we don't know the labor environment that will be in place at that time.  But we can't keep trading everyone after 5 years.

You should only extend the young guys, there are exceptions, (maybe a guy like Prilelipp who debuted at 25 because of a injury (think DeGrom), Catchers are a little different as well, they should have tried to extend Jeffers in the 24 season, but guys like Ober/Ryan/Matthews should be used/abused (I don't mean in a bad way, just shouldn't be protected like a younger guy (see Messick) and traded off and hopefully you hit on a Bieber type every know and then. 

[Scott51104]

Just a gut feeling, but I think Jimenez will be a keeper.

[umterp23]

52 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

The economics of MLB ensure that it will always make sense for large market teams to max out payroll. The Twins can’t afford to pay players retail prices.

Agree but teams that have a well oiled machine that aren’t the big spenders know how to maximize their player values and payroll. Twins on,y know how to maximize dumpster diving for value which makes missing playoff last 5 out 6 years the norm. Give me Brewers (19th in payroll), Rays (23rd in payroll) model all day long. Obviously it’s more than just payroll, you need skill set of making trades, drafting and player development. Twins mgmt group lack in all phases

[MeleMouth]

Best would be to keep developing them and do nothing else, unless they get a great offer for one of them. 

[MeleMouth]

38 minutes ago, PuckettPond said:

Mauer the 1st baseman?

The humor of this bit is receding.

[MeleMouth]

2 hours ago, Coach said:

Trial by fire; Lackey. It worked for Wynegar.  Why not?  Give him plenty of opportunities in Spring Training and see how things shake out.

We should do something because something like it worked out OK this one time fifty years ago is a bad model for decision-making.

Note also that Wynegar had raked for a full half-season after he was drafted and a full season the next year before he was called up. His first two years were good, but he also had large second-half swoons both years, probably because he was vastly overplayed. 

[Nashvilletwin]

4 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Please do not trade prospects to “make a push” in 2027

Amen!

[Whitey333]

Interesting article.  It solidifies the notion that the Twins have no direction.  What tgey have been doing for the past several years hasnt worked.  Relying too much on veterans to have a rebound season or an injury free one hasnt worked too well.  Relying on prospects to not only make the major league roster but then assuming they will become allstars doesnt always work.  A few prospects work out.  Most do not.  Twins sre in a tough position roster-wise.  But its their own fault.

[Nashvilletwin]

Catching plan 1.0:

1. Re-sign Jeffers to a 3 yr. deal

2. Bring Lackey up in ‘28 to pair with Jeffers.

3. Tinney becomes our 1B in ‘28 or ‘29

4. Trade Tait after the ‘27 season.

5. Diaw joins the big club in ‘28 or ‘29 as 3rd catcher and back up OF.

6. Jimenez stays in the system as a C through ‘29 and then we reassess when Jeffer goes. Maybe he’s a backup C in ‘29 if Jeffers is traded before the season or at the deadline.

7. If Jimenez doesn’t make it, no big whoop.  Diaw is C #2.

8.  By ‘29 the Twins could have four of the five on the big league roster with Lackey and Jimenez as the main #1 and #2, respectively.  Tinney is at 1B and Diaw is OF #4-5 - but both can catch if called upon.  We maximize the value for Tait - the one guy, other than Lackey, who can bring back some real value - as we head into our open window in ‘28.

Seems fairly straightforward.

[Road trip]

One more to add to the list, Sam.  Prior to the growth of Diaw and adding Tinney, Lackey, et al in the past year, the sorta hot catching prospect was Ricardo Olivar.  Olivar made the Twins top prospect list in the 20-30 range the past two years.  He's been hurt much of this year, but he's still only 24.  He's a bat-first catcher, with his defense being a question mark, but he still has some trade value if the Twins prioritize other catchers in the minors.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

3 hours ago, Coach said:

Thanks RC, I always respect your posts.  Check this out while he was with the Twins: Butch Wynegar Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

15.5 WAR in the first five years of his career.  Might sign up for that, but not sure if the situation is the same.  Although, as I said, weird career for sure.  I worry that we might "ruin" Lackey by pushing him too much early (see Gomez, Carlos, who took a few years to straighten his career out after being pushed up because we had no options.  In this situation, I would actually be more curious if Diaw is closer to major league ready (albeit with a much lower ceiling) than Lackey.  Less concerned with messing up his development and hopefully Lackey could show up in 2028.  

[MeleMouth]

44 minutes ago, Whitey333 said:

Interesting article.  It solidifies the notion that the Twins have no direction.  What tgey have been doing for the past several years hasnt worked.  Relying too much on veterans to have a rebound season or an injury free one hasnt worked too well.  Relying on prospects to not only make the major league roster but then assuming they will become allstars doesnt always work.  A few prospects work out.  Most do not.  Twins sre in a tough position roster-wise.  But its their own fault.

They actually have had about six or seven directions over the past ten years, often including simultaneous directions that are in conflict with each other, making it harder for either direction to succeed.

In all that time, perhaps Keaschall is the only prospect who did well when he came up and mostly sustained that success in his second year. Further, for some reason, rarely did prospects "earn" their way onto the MLB team.

Instead, almost always they were called up on an emergency basis when the guy who was playing that position got injured, even though that guy was rarely anything great before he got injured, which means that, even for top prospects, their promotion is usually something that happens outside of a plan.

[old nurse]

4 hours ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

Maybe, but what a weird career he had.  If I remember correctly, they brought him straight up from A ball.  He looked like he might be a major star his first few years for us, had a couple of good years for the Yankees, and was pretty much done at age 29.  Not sure bringing him up early was what caused it, but it was certainly weird.  Lackey certainly has more experience than Wynegar did, but I'm not sure the situation is the same in the league now as it was then.  

Butch couldn’t stand New York after Berra was fired as manager. He had to retire due to arthritic feet 

[weitz41]

1 hour ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Catching plan 1.0:

1. Re-sign Jeffers to a 3 yr. deal

2. Bring Lackey up in ‘28 to pair with Jeffers.

3. Tinney becomes our 1B in ‘28 or ‘29

4. Trade Tait after the ‘27 season.

5. Diaw joins the big club in ‘28 or ‘29 as 3rd catcher and back up OF.

6. Jimenez stays in the system as a C through ‘29 and then we reassess when Jeffer goes. Maybe he’s a backup C in ‘29 if Jeffers is traded before the season or at the deadline.

7. If Jimenez doesn’t make it, no big whoop.  Diaw is C #2.

8.  By ‘29 the Twins could have four of the five on the big league roster with Lackey and Jimenez as the main #1 and #2, respectively.  Tinney is at 1B and Diaw is OF #4-5 - but both can catch if called upon.  We maximize the value for Tait - the one guy, other than Lackey, who can bring back some real value - as we head into our open window in ‘28.

Seems fairly straightforward.

I was going to post something similar. I see Diaw as more an outfielder than a catcher. Tinney and his (IMO) top of the scale power oozes 1B. Tait needs to rebuild his prospect pedigree a bit. I believe he will in 2027. Jimenez's A+ number are on par with Tait's but injury cut his season short. I'm rooting for him being the best part of the Paddack trades. Of course, Lackey. I'm hoping he follows in Houston's footsteps and makes it to AA on his performance next season. So, I see two catchers, an outfielder, a 1st baseman and a wildcard who catches.

We need to gather pitchers like we have LH OF's and C's lately.

Ryan: sorry we waited so long.

Pablo: we want to give to a chance at pitching deep into the playoffs.

Ober/Kremer: Come on man...he'll give you 120-150 innings. That's worth that AA BP guy and A ball guy I want.

Martin/Larnach/Lewis: Ok OK 2 boxes of girl scout cookies?

[Andy MacPhail]

Although our future looks good; Next season even if they offer Jeffers a QO, I don't think he accepts.  Jeffers is gone. So, next season looks pretty bleak & will be a need that needs to be addressed. Caratini/ Jackson could be OK for part of the season but for the whole season, IMO, could get pretty bad, especially if one or both goes down for any amount of time. 

Tait is more touted as a hitting catcher, yet his experience at A+ hasn't produced the offense that was expected. Yes, his trade value might have gone down a bit, still his hype is still there. So, I'd take advantage of it while we still can. He'd be one of the trading bait, I'd dangle out there 

[h2oface]

8 hours ago, PuckettPond said:

Mauer the 1st baseman?

Mauer wasn’t a first ballot HOF’er for his years at first base. It is just ridiculous to double down on this trolling. 

[Mike Sixel]

12 hours ago, Sam Caulder said:

Image courtesy of Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Twins have a luxury that almost every other major-league team would love to have: an abundance of young catching talent in the minor leagues. According to Twins Daily’s prospect rankings, five of the organization’s top 20 prospects are backstops. Vahn Lackey headlines that group as the No. 2 prospect in the system, while Eduardo Tait checks in at No. 8. Carson Tinney, Khadim Diaw and Enrique Jimenez round out the group at No. 11, No. 13 and No. 20, respectively.

Obviously, not all of those players are going to become impactful major-league catchers. That’s the reality of having this much talent at one position. Some prospects will develop into everyday players, others could become useful backups, and some won’t make it to the majors at all. But that’s also what makes the Twins’ situation unique.

Minnesota already has three catchers on their major-league roster, and Derek Shelton and the Twins have shown they aren’t afraid to utilize multiple backstops when the situation calls for it. With so much catching talent coming through the system, the organization could eventually have more prospects than it realistically has room for. That could make some of them valuable trade chips this offseason.

Before getting carried away with potential trades, there are a couple of names that can probably be crossed off the list. I think Target Field would burn to the ground if the Twins traded Lackey. Minnesota just selected Lackey third overall in July’s MLB Draft, and his first taste of professional baseball has been extremely promising. In 52 plate appearances at High-A Cedar Rapids, Lackey has posted a 1.000 OPS.  Obviously, it’s an incredibly small sample size, and there’s still a long way to go before Lackey is ready for the majors. But the early returns are about as good as the Twins could have hoped for. More importantly, he looks like the organization’s catcher of the future. It would make very little sense for the Twins to turn around and trade him before he’s even had a chance to develop. Lackey is going nowhere.

The same is probably true for Tinney, whom Minnesota also just drafted this summer. There’s little reason to believe the Twins would move on from a player they just invested in, unless something completely unexpected happens. (We have seen a slight uptick in the frequency of such trades, since the rules were modified to allow draft picks to be traded any time after the end of the World Series in the year in which they're drafted, but it's usually guys who get a lot of helium and become strong trade chips after being relatively low picks. Tinney doesn't fit the mold.) That leaves Tait, Diaw and Jimenez as the realistic trade candidates.

Of those three, Tait is easily the most intriguing. The Twins just spent a first-round pick on Lackey, but Tait was one of the organization’s most highly regarded prospects before that selection. If Minnesota decides it needs to make a significant addition this offseason, Tait could be the piece that gets a deal done—assuming you find the right buyer. His stock is, undeniably, a bit down from where it was when the Twins got him as the centerpiece of the Jhoan Duran deal. He'd need to be a co-headliner in any deal, and he doesn't unlock top-tier targets for you. But he still moves the needle, if you find someone who believes in him behind the plate.

Diaw or Jimenez could be used as part of a smaller deal. The bullpen immediately comes to mind. Minnesota did a lot to improve their relief corps at the trade deadline, adding several arms who helped stabilize what had been a major weakness earlier in the season. But let’s be realistic here: there’s still more work to be done.

The Twins are going to have opportunities to add relievers this offseason, with plenty of bullpen arms entering the final year of their contracts. A prospect like Diaw or Jimenez could be enough to facilitate a one-for-one deal for a useful major-league reliever. That might not be nearly as exciting as using Tait and a top outfield prospect to aim for a bigger prize, but it could ultimately be just as important. Bullpens are volatile, and the Twins have already learned how quickly a strength can become a weakness. Adding another reliable arm could make a meaningful difference over the course of a full season.

None of this is to say that the Twins have to trade any of these catchers. There’s a good argument for keeping all of them. Catching is probably the most physically demanding position in baseball, and having multiple talented options in the system provides valuable insurance against injuries, stalled development or prospects failing to reach their expected ceiling. But that doesn’t mean the Twins should ignore the trade value they have created.

Five of their top 20 prospects are catchers. Most organizations would love to have that problem. The Twins now have the flexibility to keep developing that group and see how everything shakes out, or they can use some of that depth to address more immediate needs. If Minnesota believes it can make a legitimate push in 2027, they should at least consider the latter.

 

View full article

 

You want to trade prospects for a RP..... On a team that's going to lose ninety games? I'm glad you aren't the GM.

[Sam Caulder]

2 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

You want to trade prospects for a RP..... On a team that's going to lose ninety games? I'm glad you aren't the GM.

what makes you so sure they're going to lose 90 games?

[Steve Lein]

I think the Twins have two legitimate catching prospects, and they are Vahn Lackey and Eduardo Tait. One is much more likely to stick than the other, but they're the ones to watch.

I'd like to see them try to turn Carson Tinney into a version of Pete Alonso at 1B. Opponents basically had green lights to run on Diaw and Jimenez, not sure they can stick. It is nice to see so many guys in that consideration though.

 

[old nurse]

8 hours ago, Sam Caulder said:

what makes you so sure they're going to lose 90 games?

You have to put on your navy colored glasses, not the rose ones.  Put on the video linked below.. That will allow you to see that Lopez will be the one not to recover from TJ, Prelipp’s arm will fall off. Buxton and Rodriguez will be injured every young  position player will regress Kody. Clemens will turn back into a pumpkin. All you have to do is as the title suggests. 

 

[Mike Sixel]

10 hours ago, Sam Caulder said:

what makes you so sure they're going to lose 90 games?

That's your argument? That this team is actually good and should be buyers?

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, old nurse said:

You have to put on your navy colored glasses, not the rose ones.  Put on the video linked below.. That will allow you to see that Lopez will be the one not to recover from TJ, Prelipp’s arm will fall off. Buxton and Rodriguez will be injured every young  position player will regress Kody. Clemens will turn back into a pumpkin. All you have to do is as the title suggests. 

 

I mean, I'm not sure how it wasn't clear I was talking this year, and not trading for the short term.... But I was. I hope that's clear now. 

[Sam Caulder]

15 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

That's your argument? That this team is actually good and should be buyers?

Not an argument, just curious why you feel that way. I wouldn't have pegged them as a 90-loss team next year

[darin617]

 

Everyone seems to have forgotten about Ricardo Olivar. Another C/OF who is out for the season.