A Preliminary Look at the Minnesota Twins' Baseline 2027 Roster and Payroll

[killercarewoliva]

Just now, Mike Sixel said:

None of those guys play first. If you bring back Bell one of those guys is sitting. 

Yes that is the great dilemma if you bring back Bell but it's hard to let go of 96 RBIs and you don't want any of those fellas sitting.

[killercarewoliva]

Just now, killercarewoliva said:

Yes that is the great dilemma if you bring back Bell but it's hard to let go of 96 RBIs and you don't want any of those fellas sitting.

I'm just thinking that Rodriguez is going to have some times of slumping trying to learn how to hit Major League pitching with all his strikeouts and such so that leaves some opening for Bell to be the DH. I'm just not sure what the team thinks of bringing Bill back. you know he has an agreement for next year

[killercarewoliva]

6 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

This offseason should SHOULD see some transactions. The past habit of sitting out November should give way to several transactions. This thought should drive some change.

It seems hard to believe the club would enter 2027 with four starting pitchers on expiring contracts, especially when one is returning from a lengthy absence due to injury while there are lingering questions about the other three veterans. Only Taj Bradley enters the offseason as a guy to put in ink. Connor Prielipp has shown us enough to earn a spot in the rotation. One of Mick Abel, Kendry Rojas, or Zebby Matthews gets the last slot. I'm guessing Abel with Matthews to the bullpen. 

Royce Lewis would be a reasonable utility player but I think he is gone. Looking over the form, I expect minimum salary to be at $1 miillion. The Twins could support a $140M budget. A few trades might fill in some depth pieces for the position side of the roster and perhaps one bullpen spot. The Twins should have about $40M available to sign three free agents (one position, two bullpen) after subtracting Lewis, Ober, and Ryan. Keeping Ober or Ryan is possible but not both. The Twins need to let Lewis, Larnach, and Wallner continue their careers elsewhere. There should be a fair return from them, not a regular though.

My expectation is that the front office is already sowing the seeds for transactions. Why not soon?

this is as good a place as any to stick this in here. Yes the dodgers buy their championship. the Mets been slightly more and can't even put a winning team on the field. let's look at Milwaukee. I think they are under 100K a year aren't they? then we have the awesome team called the Tampa Bay rays. they have put a winning team on the field consistently for 25 years and right now their team payroll is somewhere around $70 million and look at what they're doing? it can't always be coming down to money but the twins attendance is horrific. let's go back with that. also, the first two years of playoffs, the twins won the division and played the Orioles both years and lost three games to none. whichever year it was the twins lost the first two games in Baltimore. it was not a sellout in Baltimore and they went back to Minnesota in a 3 out of five series and sold out. why is that not done now? Calvin Griffith just didn't want to pay one thin dime to anybody. I think. Bert Blyleven made $9,000 and Jim Kaat made $13,000. so those figures are probably somewhere around $100,000 today. The twins lost the pennant on the last day in 1967 world series in 1965 on very little money. but I must agree in today's world, even with the Mets $400 million team salary and they can't win. you still need to get players on the field, especially for the twins is first base.

[weitz41]

I really like your predictions, Nick.

I think they move one more of the starters listed. That's just too much turnover from 2027-2028 season IMO. Then the #5 spot is rotated between Matthews, Rojas, Abel, Gallagher, Bohorquez and maybe even Morris.

Invest the $ saved into the BP, C, 1B or 2B.

[Brandon]

3 hours ago, Nick Nelson said:

If they do this, then one of Buxton, Keaschall, Jenkins or Rodriguez is sitting to make room for him every time he starts. And what of Roden? Just out of the plans?

I am pretty sure no one is starting 162 games in the OF next year.  Maybe Keaschall but Buxton, Rodriguez and Jenkins already have a history of getting injured.  If Larnarch was a full time player I wouldn't suggest it.  But at 3/4 time it might work and Larnarch could try a few games at 1B too.  I am also not saying they do this.  I am just suggesting it could be an option.  Larnarch was a good hitter last year.  He could also pinch him in 20 games or so off the bench.  

I will say the Twins shouldn't go all rookies in their lineup in a season their rotation will be at their best chance.to win and go to the post season.  Need some veteran hitters to help even things out.