How Much Would the Twins Have to Spend to Prove They're Serious About 2027?

[Woof Bronzer]

25 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Culpepper didn’t play because he spent most of the season injured. The Twins should plan for at least one of their starters to be injured at all times. 

For sure.  I'm just saying the Twins rotated 3 guys around 2-3 roster spots to fill 1 position...and all it got them was 1/4 of the production that the younger Culpepper gave them in his first 6 weeks in MLB.  

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, MapleGroveTwinsFan said:

Ben Ross and/or Ryan Kreidler could be brought back for cheap (Arb 1) and be the 13th man off the bench to fill in short term, and Kreidler would be easy to DFA if he is no longer needed. And neither of these guys should be playing much if everybody is healthy. Either one could be made a spot start at 3B, SS, 2B. There is no reason for a team in the Twins position to spend money for a back up infielder, that is what low cost older/cheaper players are for. 

And if the Twins around the deadline are looking like a legit playoff contender and those guys haven't been great, then go out and get a vet FA to be at the deadline. 

The Twins should only be spending money on guys that are an upgrade over the current starters and don't block your more promising prospects or to replace soon to be free agents, For example if they sign or trade for an outfielder they better being moving one of the prospects to 1B, if they trade Lopez and/or Ryan, get the prospects and sign a pitcher to replace them. And don't keep Ober and/or Kremer and start them and push Prielipp and/Matthews to the pen, do it the other way around, and the young guys aren't holding their own, switch them around. 

Build a good roster and supplement with Salary, not the other way around. 

I get the argument. I've been having this discussion with many over the years.

And I have no personal problem with Kriedler. His bat fell of at the end but he did some nice things at times and won us a few games.

And I am all for giving Ben Ross opportunity to see if he can carve out a career. 

As much as I support younger players and I really really do support them. I think they are beyond necessary to develop them. I also recognize that they are going to develop on their own timeline and you have to prepare for that. 

My disagreement with you and Mike is rather simple.

When you bet on 9 players and 9 players only... you will lose almost every time. Now the fortunate thing is that all 30 teams will lose this bet every time so it equals out to a degree but... I firmly believe that you don't have to limit your options to 9 and the team that realizes that 13 instead of nine increases your possibility of success with more players... they will create for themselves a competitive advantage over the manager or front office doing the 9 thing. 

If injuries every single year hasn't made that apparent to people... I'm not sure how people are missing that. If Royce Lewis going on a one year plus slump doesn't make it apparent. If Keashcall getting moved to the OF doesn't make it apparent to all... If the consistent ever changing context from day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year for all 30 teams isn't apparent... I have to start doubting who exactly is paying attention as these things pile up like my recyclables when I miss the Thursday pick up.  These are 2026 examples, you can go back to 2025, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20 and just keep counting down and you will see that it happens every year. 

Yet year after year... We place our bets on 9 and we lose every time. Your odds of success will increase by rostering 13 players that you would like to see the field. Instead of 4 disposable players whose greatest value to the team is that they are disposable. And I will guarantee you that those disposable players will see the field. 

I will never agree with the rostering of any players that you hope never see the field. You want bench players. Here's how your find bench players. Bench the players who fail in their opportunity but never assume that the chosen 9 won't fail or be unavailable for competition... Because I'll bet a large sum of money that a portion of them will because they do every single year for every single team.  

BTW... My son lives in Maple Grove. It's an awesome suburb. 

[dcswede]

The conversation is premature until the lockout, salary cap and strike have played out. 

[DJL44]

5 minutes ago, MapleGroveTwinsFan said:

I want nothing to do with 30 year old Torres and his declining power, barely above league average bat, and lack of stolen bases. 

Jazz is interesting, but I assume a huge cost, and that means Lee, Culpepper or Houston ends up a utility guy, or the plan is to play him in CF when Buxton gets hurt, plus it means Clemens to 1B, and Keashall to DH and platoon OF - Not horrible.

Arraez is pretty limited to 2B, 1B or not a huge fan of that.

Lowe pretty limited to 2B and hasn't really played much at 1B or DH. 

McNeil has been a below average hitter for 4 of the last 6 years (2022 was pretty awesome, without much power or speed, bad combo in the current baseball world and turns 35 in April. (so this is probably what the Twins will do if available) 

All except Torres bat left handed, all but Jazz don't run and are on the wrong side of 30 for a multiple year contract. Only Jazz has any real time at 3B and that is a stretch (74 career games, albeit 24 and 25). None play SS so if there is an injury or Culpepper needs to go down, they are sliding over. 

 

McNeil is definitely a rung below the others, but he also is the one likely to sign a one year cheap contract. He is more of a “raise the floor” player and would be my last choice.

Lowe hasn’t played much 1B because he’s still a good defender at 2B. 

Jazz has a ton of utility, speed, defense and is the youngest guy on the list.

Everyone here is very familiar with Arraez.

Torres can still hit and he hits LHP especially well. That’s useful for the Twins.

[MapleGroveTwinsFan]

26 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

When you bet on 9 players and 9 players only... you will lose almost every time.

Then the Twins should upgrade at 3B, move Lee to 2B or Utility, Move Erod or Keschall to 1B, and Make Clemens another utility guy, 

That way you have a bench of guys that should play, and some defensive flexibility. My opinion on what should be done is based on next year not a organizational approach.

[Riverbrian]

16 minutes ago, MapleGroveTwinsFan said:

Then the Twins should upgrade at 3B, move Lee to 2B or Utility, Move Erod or Keschall to 1B, and Make Clemens another utility guy, 

That way you have a bench of guys that should play, and some defensive flexibility. My opinion on what should be done is based on next year not a organizational approach.

I won't argue with that approach. It's fine by me.  

Just accumulate talent as much as you can. And don't ever stop short and stuff your roster with lesser players on purpose. 

People talk of log jams. I've never seen one. A legitimate log jam means you are going to the playoffs because you got talent bursting at the seems. A legitimate log jam means you have trade chips with actual value than can load up the next wave. This team can't free agent there way into this. They must develop their way to this. 

I don't want my manager on auto-pilot with the lineup card. Hoping today is the day that Royce Lewis figures it out with even lesser options to choose from. I don't want my summer to be sunk by sinking ball players and we lack the alternatives to fix it. 

I want my manager tearing his hair out trying to figure out how to get playing time for all because they are all kicking ass. 

And I'll tell you... A good manager can do that. A bad manager can't because he's stuck in some sort of incremental better/worse disease. 

Necessity is the mother of invention. Let's make it necessary. 

[SteveLV]

Easy to spend Pohlad money:

1)  Sign Jeffers

2)  Extend Ryan

3)  Extend Lopez

4)  Give Jenkins one of those 8 year deals.

5)  Add additional pitching.

See?  Easy!

[weitz41]

19 hours ago, MeleMouth said:

It seems contradictory to say that because Abel pitched perhaps 30 innings in 2026 he won't be ready for a starter's load, but Lopez who didn't pitch at all should get an extension at a raise. Can you elaborate?

I guess, been there done that, or a professional to a rookie, is why I expect 110-120+ innings out of Pablo and 60-80 from Abel. Yes, Pablo is coming off TJ and may not take an MLB mound before May. As for the extension, if you don't trade anyone or extend anyone you could go from 5 veteran starters in 2027 to one in 2028. As I mentioned I'm shooting for 2028. 4 newish starters doesn't strike me as being in on 2028.

How many times this season did we read something about limiting starts for Prielipp over inning pitched previously? He had 82.2 innings the previous season. 144.1 this season total. Abel 28.1 to 100+ seems far-fetched to me. Don't get me wrong he will get MLB innings in 2027. I see him as #7 or #8 on the depth chart.