Twins’ Biggest Areas of Need Heading Into 2026-2027 Offseason

[LastOnePicked]

1 hour ago, Woof Bronzer said:

With all the labor uncertainty it's probably fine for 27 to be a development year.  (26 should have been as well, but that ship has sailed.) Then it's playoffs or bust in 28, and we're winning the dang Series in 29.  

How, though? The only way that was going to happen was getting high-end returns from Lopez, Ryan, Buxton and Jeffers. You're right - that ship is long gone.

There's really not much to the organization after this wave of new "core" players - and the pitching pipeline is nonexistent. If they're somehow going to win in 2028, pretty much every prospect needs to stay healthy and produce and they're going to have to strike gold on nearly every free agent signing.

They've given themselves no margin for error or bad luck. And it's possible that Chicago is just about ready to turn the corner for a long while to come.

[LastOnePicked]

39 minutes ago, Sam Caulder said:

This is a good idea; I think I might do something on this now. Thank you

You should also know that this is a good article as well, and we appreciate it.

Personally, I'd love to read an article about how Cleveland and Chicago got to the playoffs. What were the key trades, key signings and key draft picks that made the difference?

[djvang]

31 minutes ago, David Maro said:

And people thinking Keaschall could play 1st are dreaming,he couldn't field 2nd and now you want him at 1st. He needs to remain in the OF, in LF because of his weak arm. You would then have ERod in RF with better defense and stronger arm. With Jenkins in CF which would be a far better OF. When and if Buxton can play you play him as your 4th OFer. 

I really don't understand why they keep playing Keaschall in RF. His weak arm is a huge liability. He might be passable in LF if they could fix that weird sidearm throwing motion. He throws like a 2B, unfortunately he doesn't have the glove for 2B. The only other alternative is DH but you'd rather have someone with more power there.

[Woof Bronzer]

2 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

They've given themselves no margin for error or bad luck. And it's possible that Chicago is just about ready to turn the corner for a long while to come.

I mean yeah they backed themselves into a corner for sure, and their margin for error is always going to be thin.  My "plan" would have been more realistic if 2026 was a full on development/bottom out year...and if they'd traded Ryan for Tolle and Arias...and if they'd traded Jeffers and others at the deadline...

I just don't know what else they do.  More 1 year plans to "compete"?  Just be honest about 27 which might be a weird/abbreviated season anyway.  And have a plan!  Look to the future.  Have a baseball strategy, not just a financial one.  

They're going to need to get starting pitching, not for 27 but for 28 and 29.  I'd target younger starters with Ryan and Lopez and see what you can get.  (I'd also put a stop the minor league strategy of training all pitchers to pitch 3 innings, if they're still doing that.)  I'd also give Morris run as a starter and I absolutely would not give up on Mathews, Preillip, even Festa yet.   They could definitely be part of the future, if probably not aces.

It's not impossible.  Do I think the current owner and FO have the competence and willingness and foresight to execute it?  Lol.  

But it's not impossible.  Two years ago if you would have said the 2026 White Sox would be a playoff team you'd have been laughed off this site.  

[HarmonK03]

1 hour ago, laloesch said:

Can we please move on from trying to desperately plug Royce Lewis into every position need the Twins have to justify his continued prescence on the major league roster?  He can't hit, he's an average fielder, is hard to coach, etc

I think Lewis has improved at 1B and will continue to if given the time.  Yes he needs to hit and I get if they move on but I think he has found a position.

I don't understand the statement that he is hard to coach, I am not sure where that comes from.  I have not seen reports that have said or even hinted at this.

[HarmonK03]

The Twins biggest area of need is a competent front office.  This front office has been given 10 years and produced one wild card win.  Bring someone in that can develop a plan sell it to TP and help sell it to the fans.

Otherwise any moves made will be viewed with skepticism because will there really be a plan behind them.  There are some good suggestions in the comments but I don't believe the current front office will do much different than the past.  Sign some league average at best 30 something veterans and hope to compete in a weak division.  They will continue to favor the lesser talented veterans over the potential upside of the younger players.  They have already shown this down the stretch run.

[DocBauer]

#1 priority is a quality 1B. That stabilizes the INF, and the lineup, and maybe takes a little pressure off some of the young guys. Lewis just doesn't hit except for brief stretches, and hasn't hit for 3 years now. 

As I've stated elsewhere, we could trade for a 1B. But it's also possible there could be a 3B that would just be better at 1B, or an OF with 1B experience who could be moved there permanently. So FA and trade are both possibilities here.

#2 priority is the bullpen. I actually have faith in some of the arms there, and hopes for a couple others, but we simply need more. I'd say resigning Minter should be a priority. He's not what he once was, but he's still good. And then add another high velocity, late inning arm. Banda, Minter, and Funderburk from the LH side and Hoffman, Morris, Gomez, and player X is a really solid foundation. 

#3 priority is another solid bench option for better roster depth. It was really nice having guys like Farmer, Gonzalez, and Solano as good role players to deepen the roster. Castro was also that guy. Lewis could be valuable, even at $5M, playing 1B/2B/3B in that role. But I don't see him accepting it as he believes he's a starter still, IMO. Time to part ways for both sides and find a solid option to fill this role.

#4 priority is catcher. Why so low? Because Caratini is going to cost $10M no matter what, so he's not going anywhere. And despite his poor arm and very questionable bat...maybe it rebounds?...he's still a knowledgeable, veteran presence behind the plate. The only way to improve here is if they can find someone better overall than Jackson and perhaps he takes over the #1 spot for 2027. That's about the only way we see change/improvement here. (I'm not expecting Jeffers to accept the QO if offered).

#5 option would be a veteran OF for the #5 spot. Not a priority, but a consideration. Considering the probable make-up of the 2027 roster, I don't know that it matters if the #5 OF is RH or LH. But 5 OF are going to fill 4 spots most days when we include the DH. I'd like to shoot higher than Martin for this role. But I'm not sure I want Mendez or Gonzalez if they aren't going to play regularly. So maybe adding another experienced, solid veteran bat would be good for depth and the OF/DH rotation?

Again, not a priority, but an interesting consideration. 

There's going to be a lot more youth on the 2027 Twins, with a few more debuting at some point. These proposed moves add a missing 1B, and strengthens the pen and the bench. But they also don't block anyone long term or interfere with playing time for the young players.

[BSLinPA]

1 hour ago, soyouresayingtheresachance said:

If I could run the offseason, this is how the team would look opening day 2027.

 

ERod LF - Buxton CF - Jenkins RF (Keaschall 4th - Roden 5th) 

 

DH would be Keaschall. Buck would take days off from the field and DH some days. Keaschall would play LF those days with one of ERod or Jenkins filling in CF. 

 

Lee 3B - Culpepper SS - Clemens 2B - Contreras 1B (Kriedler UTL - Ross UTL) - Make a trade for Willson Contreras. Backup option sign Brandon Lowe for 1B.

 

Jeffers & Caratini behind the plate. I would've preferred Jackson over Caratini, but it seems he was DFA'd today, so probably wont be around next season. Give Jeffers the QO. If he doesn't accept, just try to sign him. I'd imagine 4 years/ $70-$75M should get it done. If we cant sign Jeffers, Tyler Stephenson is my backup. Caratini can not be the starter. If Alex Jackson stays with the club, keep him as backup C and trade Caratini. 

 

Lineup: 1. Keaschall 2. Jenkins 3. Buxton 4. Contreras 5. Jeffers 6. Clemens 7. Culpepper 8. ERod 9. Lee

 

Bullpen:

 

Sign David Bednar to be our Closer. Hoffman gets the 8th inning. Gomez & Morris get the 7th inning. Funderburk, Nanace, Banda, & Rojas round out the BP. Raisel Iglesias Is my backup to sign as Closer. 

 

Rotation:

 

Sign Michael King to lead our rotation. Followed by Taj, Ryan, Prielipp, and hopefully a healthy and effective Pablo. Zebby and others could be AAA depth or be moved to the pen if its deemed best. Sonny Gray is the other Starter I would consider signing. 

 

This setup also leaves many current players off the team. These guys would be traded or Non Tender / DFA'd: Royce Lewis - Trevor Larnach - Bailey Ober - Austin Martin - Dean Kremer. This still leaves an abundance of "ready" players at AAA, especially starting pitchers. The beauty of this blueprint is none of it is really fantasy. Every one of these moves are realistic. 

Appreciate your brainstorming/wish list and like your blueprint.  But there is no chance (and, therefore, "fantasy") that our Twins sign:  Ryans Jeffers + David Bednar/Raisel Iglesias + Michael King/Sonny Gray + trade for Willson Contreras at $36M for the next 2 years,  in a single off season.  Any one of these would be a pleasant surprise/welcome addition.   

Looks like Alex Jackson cleared waivers and was outrighted to StP.  Twins can easily add him to 40 man roster before the Fall deadline and he will be first time arb eligible (<$2M) or agree to a new contract.  May be a fall-back plan at C?

Have to think Dean Kremer was added with purpose......Twins pitching lab refresh.......and the proverbial veteran innings eater?

Unfortunately, the listed trade pieces appear more likely to provide "prospects" than MLB-ready talent; worthy of exploration, nonetheless.                         GO TWINS!!

[BSLinPA]

2 hours ago, soyouresayingtheresachance said:

If I could run the offseason, this is how the team would look opening day 2027.

 

ERod LF - Buxton CF - Jenkins RF (Keaschall 4th - Roden 5th) 

 

DH would be Keaschall. Buck would take days off from the field and DH some days. Keaschall would play LF those days with one of ERod or Jenkins filling in CF. 

 

Lee 3B - Culpepper SS - Clemens 2B - Contreras 1B (Kriedler UTL - Ross UTL) - Make a trade for Willson Contreras. Backup option sign Brandon Lowe for 1B.

 

Jeffers & Caratini behind the plate. I would've preferred Jackson over Caratini, but it seems he was DFA'd today, so probably wont be around next season. Give Jeffers the QO. If he doesn't accept, just try to sign him. I'd imagine 4 years/ $70-$75M should get it done. If we cant sign Jeffers, Tyler Stephenson is my backup. Caratini can not be the starter. If Alex Jackson stays with the club, keep him as backup C and trade Caratini. 

 

Lineup: 1. Keaschall 2. Jenkins 3. Buxton 4. Contreras 5. Jeffers 6. Clemens 7. Culpepper 8. ERod 9. Lee

 

Bullpen:

 

Sign David Bednar to be our Closer. Hoffman gets the 8th inning. Gomez & Morris get the 7th inning. Funderburk, Nanace, Banda, & Rojas round out the BP. Raisel Iglesias Is my backup to sign as Closer. 

 

Rotation:

 

Sign Michael King to lead our rotation. Followed by Taj, Ryan, Prielipp, and hopefully a healthy and effective Pablo. Zebby and others could be AAA depth or be moved to the pen if its deemed best. Sonny Gray is the other Starter I would consider signing. 

 

This setup also leaves many current players off the team. These guys would be traded or Non Tender / DFA'd: Royce Lewis - Trevor Larnach - Bailey Ober - Austin Martin - Dean Kremer. This still leaves an abundance of "ready" players at AAA, especially starting pitchers. The beauty of this blueprint is none of it is really fantasy. Every one of these moves are realistic. 

 

[Jacksson]

1 hour ago, BSLinPA said:

 

Got to look at 1B trade opportunities with organizations where the advancement of their ascending 1B talent is blocked by an established ML level 1B,  Research, Identify, Evaluate, Prioritize, Pursue.  Also be open to top AAA performers who could be moved to 1B or at least have exposure to playing 1B.  This should be a top priority and except for a few select players, EVERYONE or a combination of everyones should be available.

[weitz41]

#1 a starting catcher. Jeffers, Kelly, Stephenson or trade for one.

#2 a starting 2nd baseman. Brandon Lowe, but expensive and is injury prone,...Arraez? Trade for Ozzie Albies or Brandon Stott? (check #4 before you start typing that response...)

#3 2-3 BP arms. Morejon, Minter and Abreau.

#4 1B (If an actual 2B hire or trade, otherwise this is #2) trade for Spencer Steer, say Lewis for Steer straight up? Steer and Clemens hold down 1B and can bounce to 2B, 3B and OF when needed.

Realistically, I don't expect much or any of this to happen but that'd be what I'd like to see.

[Andy MacPhail]

4 hours ago, TopGunn#22 said:

You've hit the 3 biggest areas of need, but I would differ with the order of importance.

#1  Catcher.  Caratini will be back.  Jeffers won't.  Although by making him a QO we should at least get draft compensation.  The Twins need to approach Caratini as their back-up Catcher, but finding a full time starter won't be easy.   The Twins are in a tough spot here.  Nobody they acquire will stand in the way of Vahn Lackey, who might make it up sometime in 2028, maybe opening day 2029.  But they need a guy who could start ahead of Caratini.  Here are some trade possibilities:

Pirates: Endy Rodriquez-26 years old or Henry Davis-29.  Rodriquez has talent, but can't stay healthy,  Davis was a one time top prospect, but is 29 and hasn't fulfilled the promise he once held.  The starter is Rafael Flores, so one of the 2 could be available.

White Sox:  Teel is the starter.  They also have Jake Rogers and Joey Bart.  That leaves the once promising 23 year old Edgar Quero who also just can't seem to stay healthy.  He's currently #4 on the depth chart.  He's young, but might be the best defensive catcher that could be had.

Brewers:  William Contreras is the starter.  33 year old Gary Sanchez and 26 year old former      Guardian-Indian Bo Naylor are the potential targets.  

Padres:  Luis Campusano is the starter but young phenom Ethan Salas will be their starter next year.  #3 Catcher is former KC Royal Freddy Fermin.  Campusano and Fermin are potential targets.

Nationals:  Keibert Ruiz is the starter.  He's backed up by 22 year old Harry Ford.  The potential target is 28 year old Drew Millas.

Giants:  The Giants #3 Catcher is former Rule 5 guy Daniel Susac who the Twins could have picked.  He's 25 years old and would be a good pickup.

Guys like Edgar Quero and Endy Rodriguez are interesting, but their youth could potentially block Vahn Lackey's future backup, and we have a LOT of minor league talent to consider on that timeline.  In addition to Lackey the Twins have Tait, Diaw, Jimenez, Olivar and Tinny.  Most every MLB team would be interested in one of these young catchers.  What type of pitching prospect could one of them return if we decided to trade one"

Since the Twins are only looking for a 2027 starter if we expect Lackey to progress quickly and Tait is also a consideration, a reunion with Gary Sanchez might make sense. The 25 year old Daniel Susac or the 28 year old Drew Millas probably fit the timeline better.  There ARE opportunities to make a deal to bring in a catcher that is better than Caratini.

The next priority is 1B. Is there a young 1B buried in someone's system who is blocked by a bona fide major league star?  Xavier Isaac from Tampa Bay, Keaton Anthony in the Phillies organization and James Tibbs from the Dodgers could all make sense.  Tibbs is 23 and stuck behind Freddie Freeman.  The Dodgers also have Dalton Rushing C/1B/OF making Tibbs a strong candidate.

Tibbs (bats L) hit .287 with 30 HR, 107 RBI and a .941 OPS at AAA Oklahoma City this year.  Isaac (bats L) has elite power and is buried behind Jonathon Arranda, Yandy Diaz and even C/1B Liam Hicks.  Keaton Anthony (bats R) is 25 years old and has hit at every level after being undrafted out of Iowa in 2023.  He's buried behind Bryce Harper.  

I have no idea what it would take to trade for one of these guys but if the Twins are willing to move on from Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Royce Lewis, Trevor Larnach, maybe one of our young catchers, we should be able to target one of these guys and make a deal.  We could spend money and sign Jake Bauers as well although I think he will have a lot of interest this winter.  All 3 of the young, minor league 1B could flop, but they are worth going after since we have no one who is an obvious minor league option for 2027.

I would rank the BP last of the 3 main areas because I think we have the nucleus of a decent BP and we are starting from a spot FAR AHEAD of where we began this year.  Hoffman is a potential Closer or 8th inning guy.  Gomez did well until he ran out of gas.  He's still a decent 7th inning arm.  Some young guys showed some promise and if Banda is under contract for 2027 he is a bounce back candidate.  I think Zebby should be in the rotation for 2027 but if he loses his spot in a spring training competition put him in the BP to start the year.  Same with Abel.  David Festa and Matt Canterino are pipe dreams but I'm not ready to give up on them.  Marco Raya could emerge.  But I would spend some money on a bona fide Closer.  Maybe a Ryan Helsley.  Having an arm like that pushes talented arms like Hoffman and Gomez down a notch and deepens the BP.

There is some reason for optimism for 2027.  There is young talent starting to matriculate to the big league roster.  The team is getting younger and more athletic.  I say keep the pipeline open and look to bring more on board while moving on from some familiar faces.  Even if we embrace a complete rebuild, the bar is low enough in the A.L. Central that we might just surprise like this year's White Sox.  

 

I love your rationale; I'm 100% behind you. IMO, we have guys that can step up in the BP. So, catching is our #1 problem. Caratina hasn't proven himself from back-up. If the Twins are serious, they need someone better. You might look at our MiLB teams & say we are set but when will they be ready? Not next year. I really like Edgar Quero, Endy Rodriquez & others you mentioned; I don't think any of them would block Lackey. They'd be good tandem with Lackey especially the LH hitters. If both prove to be elite catchers that cry out for more playing time, that's a good problem to have.

I'm sick of the expensive FA merry-go-round at 1B that never goes anywhere. I'm fine with Lewis at 1B & I'm fine with trading Lewis & go with Keaschal at 1B & keep him there. I'm fine with trading veterans if we get younger players that'll contribute right away.

[LeatherAntenna]

7 hours ago, rv78 said:

Believe it or not, this roster is not perfect.

I laughed myself right out of my chair. randball stu would be proud.

 

Yes, when I read that, I thought it was another satire story.

[Mike Sixel]

25 minutes ago, weitz41 said:

#1 a starting catcher. Jeffers, Kelly, Stephenson or trade for one.

#2 a starting 2nd baseman. Brandon Lowe, but expensive and is injury prone,...Arraez? Trade for Ozzie Albies or Brandon Stott? (check #4 before you start typing that response...)

#3 2-3 BP arms. Morejon, Minter and Abreau.

#4 1B (If an actual 2B hire or trade, otherwise this is #2) trade for Spencer Steer, say Lewis for Steer straight up? Steer and Clemens hold down 1B and can bounce to 2B, 3B and OF when needed.

Realistically, I don't expect much or any of this to happen but that'd be what I'd like to see.

Please don't use assets to deal for a catcher. Lackey is up next year or 28. Are we really giving up the future for short term gains on a team that's been awful for two years? Why is Cincinnati treating steer?

[LA Vikes Fan]

Before you can predict what you need you have to understand what you have AND what steps are going to happen in the off-season. I think we can do both. Fun exercise so let's start with steps I think are likely coming:

1. Starting Pitching - Pablo Lopez will be re-signed through a three or four year extension. Joe Ryan will be traded to a team that thinks they can sign him to a 5 or 6 year extension, most likely in California since he's made no secret that wants to go back there. It's in the Twins' best interest to trade him to a team that can re-sign him so they get the most in return. I suspect he will go to the Dodgers or the Giants, but I could see the Rangers or Braves trying to get him as well. 

2. Catching - Ryan Jeffers will get the QO and sign elsewhere. I think the Twins will offer him something like three years, $45-$60 million but it will take four years, $75-$80 million to get him signed and I don't see them going there. Hope I'm wrong.

3. Free Agents/Arb candidates We Have - We re-sign AJ Minter to a two-year deal, in the $8 to $9 million AAV range, the higher end of his projections. Rogers, Larnach, and Bell will be gone, maybe we get a AA or AA prospect for Larnach after tendering him a contract.  Ober stays one more year as a long man in the bullpen/6th starter, after signing a 1 or 2 year deal in the $6 million-$8 million per year range.

4. 1B - We don't need a 1B for 2027. We have one. His name is Kody Clemens. He's an above average defensive 1B, average to below average at 2B, and there is nobody out there to pick up. His roughly .235 – .240/.300/.450 (.750) slash line only needs to go up a little be perfectly viable at 1B. He improved his batting average from .218 to .235 from 2025 to 2026. If he comes close to doing that again he's a .245/.315/.450 hitter who's a decent hitter against same sided pitching, hits 25+ HRs with 80 plus RBIs, and field at an above average level. That is a whole lot better than any available free agent IB that we could afford.

If that's true, what do we need? 

1. We need a younger, controllable middle infielder to play 2B. I love the idea of trading for Xavier Edwards of Miami. I think that will require a package like Matthews and Kalai'a Rosario or Henry Mendez. I think we make that deal. I would make a lesser deal to get Vaughn Grissom of the Angels. 

2. We need a Catcher. I think the targets will be first Dalton Rushing of the Dodgers and second Tyler Stephenson of the Reds. I think Twins should try to trade Joe Ryan to the Dodgers for package that includes Rushing and a 15-30 prospect that's at least in AA.  I like Jackson Ferris (LHP) or Logan Wagner (2B).

3. We need one more upside, late inning reliever if we don't re-sign Minter, should still try to get one even if we do. Probably requires a free agent signing. Love the idea of signing David Bednar but I think that's unrealistic since he will want to stay with the Yankees. I think we sign Bryan Abreu.

4. We need to get some value for Royce Lewis because in my scenario he has no place to play. I think we trade him to the Angels for Grayson Rodriguez, a classic trade of two talented "change of scenery" candidates. Angels desperately need a 3B, have no one in the pipeline, and Twins get a talented but inconsistent hard throwing RH pitcher. 

So, in summary, I think the moves are to trade Ryan the Dodgers for Dalton Rushing plus a prospect, trade Lewis to the Angels for Grayson Rodriguez, sign Bryan Abreu as a free agent, trade Zebby and a AAA OF for a controllable 2B like Xavier Edwards, and re– sign AJ Minter for the bullpen. We then move Kody Clemens to primary 1B, teach Roden and Martin to be passable at 1B for MLB depth there along with Caratini, with Sabato and GG in AAA as 1B depth. Here's what we wind up with we do those things:

Starting Pitching - Rotation is Lopez, Bradley, Prielipp, Kremer, and Abel. Rojas, Grayson Rodriguez, Gallagher, CJ Culpepper, Bohorquez, and Paredes are in AAA and are the rotation fall backs in that order. 

Bullpen - Hoffman (closer/late inning), Morris (closer/late inning), Minter (closer/late inning), Gomez (closer/late inning), Banda, Abreu, Nance, and Ober.  Sands, Adams, Paredes, Pasqualotto, and one classic MiLB signing like Matt Bowman are in AAA for BP depth. I'd like to do the same thing with Funderburk but he is out of options and I think they will trade either him or Ober, or keep both in the bullpen and not pick up a guy like Abreu. 

Starting Lineup/batting order - Keaschall (OF/DH), Culpepper (SS), Jenkins (OF/DH), Buxton (OF/DH), Clemens (1B), Lee (3B), Rushing (C), Edwards (2B), Roden (OF/DH). The group of Jenkins, Edwards, Rushing and Roden fill the #3, #7 – #9 spots depending on how guys perform but the #3 spot is a place to put a LH hitter who can hit LH pitching. Might be vulnerable to LH starters so we need to keep Martin or find a quality RH FA bat who can play OF, C, or IB but doesn't need to start because I want Jenkinsin thee lineup almost every day with Roden or EmRod. Maybe we pick up Ryan Monuntcastle coming off of injury? Good luck with anyone else based on what i can see so we keep Martin. I have high hopes that Jenkins can fill the #3 spot so that the first four hitters in the lineup are all speedy, base stealing/good baserunning threats, with the slower guys in the #5-#7 holes, and faster guys at the number 8 and 9 spots. I put Roden in the starting lineup instead of EmRod because Roden has outperformed him (and Jenkins) in the roughly 80 ABs they've gotten in 2026 (50 for EmRod). Thos latter two are fighting it out for ABs. 

Bench - Caratini (C/1B), EmRod (OF/DH), Martin (5th OF/2B/RH hitter), Kriedler (UTL who can play quality SS). Jackson in AAA is the 3rd C. Wouldn't hurt to teach Roden and Martin to play a passable 1B for a backup there and I would tell them that now so they can work there in the off season. 

There you have it, attack away. Happy to post this in the Blog section or even as an article here if we want to have a "What Will The 2027 Twins Roster Look Like" post to start the raging debate over the winter.

[weitz41]

2 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Please don't use assets to deal for a catcher. Lackey is up next year or 28. Are we really giving up the future for short term gains on a team that's been awful for two years? Why is Cincinnati treating steer?

I'd prefer the sign one(catcher). Same with the other positions. Planning on Lackey is not far off from planning on Lewis being a star player. Steer and Lewis are pretty close to equal value. Steer (1b/3b/OF) seems to be more of a bench guy for them (350AB) to Lewis(450AB) being a 1B/2B/3b for them. They have similar issues at 2B and 3rd base. Being lack of offence. To me that looks like a good fit for both teams.

[Mike Sixel]

20 minutes ago, weitz41 said:

I'd prefer the sign one(catcher). Same with the other positions. Planning on Lackey is not far off from planning on Lewis being a star player. Steer and Lewis are pretty close to equal value. Steer (1b/3b/OF) seems to be more of a bench guy for them (350AB) to Lewis(450AB) being a 1B/2B/3b for them. They have similar issues at 2B and 3rd base. Being lack of offence. To me that looks like a good fit for both teams.

If you don't plan for your stars to be stars, just fold your team. At some point, you have to trust the process. 

[Wedman13]

10 hours ago, Woof Bronzer said:

The Twins were worse this year after the deadline than last year, and will end up with something like 4-5 more wins than last year.  Only 3 more years of "remarkable recovery" like this and they'll get to .500!  And then someday, the playoffs....

The organization's stated goal this year was not "figuring it out" but competing, and playing meaningful games in September.  Tom Pohlad specifically said the year should be judged on wins and losses.  

Curious and not being provocative  and your posts are great but what was he supposed to say?  "Our industry sucks and it's hard to compete with teams that have 10x our revenue.  the rest of us minor league towns try to develop and just deliver a good fan experience?"

it is not 1987 of 1991 and  everything has changed.  So yes regarding the twins I look forward to 2027 and arguing about a 70-75 win team.  And for the next 25 years.  Let's develop them and hoard injured superstars and 33 yr old maybes and get after it!

[Nashvilletwin]

The question isn’t the correct one.  The question should be “What should the Twins do to get prepared for ‘28?”

We have 18 months to get these things done:

1. New owners. Likely post the new CBA and after the ‘27 season.

2. New GM.  Won’t happen until ownership changes.

3. Re-sign Jeffers. We don’t care if we overpay. Jeffers catches for two years and then plays 1B and DH.  Probably won’t happen because TTT and JZ are delusional idiots.

4. Trade Ryan, Lopez, Hoffman, Larnach and Lewis for young starting pitching this off-season. None of those players will be on the ‘28 Twins. See #3 above as to why it won’t happen.

5. Play the young guys - everyday.  That includes Culpepper, Jenkins, ERod, Lee, Keaschall, Houston (when he’s brought up) and all the young starting pitchers. Should happen, right?

6. Buxton goes to primary DH. If he insists on playing OF every day, oblige him by trading him. Won’t happen. See #3 again for the reason.

7. Start building the bullpen with projectable ‘28 and ‘29 talent.

8. Get ready to spend some real $ in the pre ‘28 off-season to fill any holes (for the ‘28 - ‘30  seasons) identified in ‘27. Probably happens with the new CBA - certainly if #1 is accomplished.

Easy peasy. Steps #3-#8 are what TTT should do to maximise the Pohlad’s sale price. If the Twins did these things, attendance and fan excitement would be greater and the window would be wide open for ‘28-‘30.

 

[mluebker]

10 hours ago, djvang said:

I really don't understand why they keep playing Keaschall in RF. His weak arm is a huge liability. He might be passable in LF if they could fix that weird sidearm throwing motion. He throws like a 2B, unfortunately he doesn't have the glove for 2B. The only other alternative is DH but you'd rather have someone with more power there.

I think there’s general agreement that they want his bat in the lineup every day, and he does create some excitement on the base paths. But with a weak arm and an iron glove, he’s going to be a liability in the outfield or at second. So where can they put him where his fielding skills aren’t going to erase what he adds with his bat? It’s gotta be first base or DH, and I’m convinced Buxton will be the DH going forward. Hard to imagine Keaschall would be any worse there than Michael Cuddyer, Miguel Sano, or even Joe Mauer when he was learning the position.

[mluebker]

3 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

you don't plan for your stars to be stars, just fold your team. At some point, you have to trust the process. 

I’m all about process when you’ve got a good one that’s working. But even then, it doesn’t replace good judgment. 

[Parfigliano]

Keaschall 4 hit night

[Wedman13]

3 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

If you don't plan for your stars to be stars, just fold your team. At some point, you have to trust the process. 

Maybe Carl was actually smart in 1999/2000?

[TopGunn#22]

LA Vikes Fan, I like the methodical way you laid your plan out and ideas.  I would also include Abreu (if acquired) in the possible Closer role.  He failed miserably for Houston when Hader was injured early this season, but his raw stuff is excellent.  I would love it if the Astros and the Twins could revisit that trade this off season.  I think Abreu just got off to a rough start, and he's capable of throwing 80 innings out of the pen.

I have a little different outlook on Catcher and 2B.  While I really like Xavier Edwards and agree that we could probably get him from the Marlins for Zebby even up, I still like Zebby's potential too much and I believe Marek Houston is going to be up no later than June 1st.  His glove alone is so good, that I could even see him break camp as the starting SS with Culpepper moving to 2B to open the season. 

Catcher on the other hand is a much more pressing need.  Caratini is sub-par but at least a somewhat capable veteran.  Jackson will never hit like he did this year.  He's primed for major offensive regression.  What we essentially have are 2 backups.  All our catching depth resides in the minor leagues right now and is about a year and a half to 2 years from being a factor. 

That's why I disagree with Mike Sixel (no offense Mike, I just disagree) on the priorities between 2B and Catcher.  Clemens can hold down 2B until Houston pushes Culpepper over.  We desperately need someone who can be better than below average at catcher for 2027.  Edgar Quero (CWS) and Endy Rodriquez (Pirates) are 2 I would check on.  Daniel Susac from the Giants could be a throw in for a Joe Ryan trade.  Catcher is an acute issue in the short term.  It's also why I suggested the possibility of trading trading one of our minor league Catchers for someone who could help us in 2027 and still be around to become Lackey's backup.

I don't think the Dodgers trade Rushing.  He's Will Smith's backup and can also spell Freeman at 1B.  But I love your trade idea of Lewis for Grayson Rodriguez.  The raw stuff is tantalizing, Gray-Rod just needs to stay healthy.  Acquiring him would allow the Twins to move Joe Ryan.  It would all be speculation until it happens, but Ryan still has enough value to bring a nice piece or 2 back.  The 3 young guys buried behind MLB stars who are 1B would be a good starting point for Ryan, but even if the Twins didn't target those guys, we agree that Cody Clemens at 1B works.  25 HR and 80 RBI are very possible for him. 

A rotation of Lopez, Bradley, Gray-Rod, Prielipp, Abel, and Zebby and a BP that has Hoffman and Abreu along with Morris, Minter, Banda, Funderburk and Sands has talent.  Our lineup would be depending on a LOT of young guys who may be hot and cold throughout the year.  But our defense would be much better with Lee, Houston, Culpepper and Clemens in the infield and E-Rod, Buxton, Jenkins and Keaschall in the OF.  Just not having Larnach and Wallner makes the OF "D" better.  I'd have Keaschall taking hundreds of fly balls in LF.  He's a good enough athlete that he could become average.  His throwing makes LF the only logical spot to put him.  But his bat will always play.    

 

[William K Johnson]

Where are we with Anthony Banda?