Riverbrian’s 2027 Payroll Blueprint:

[Riverbrian]

If Tom is going to spend. 160 million. Go get em Tom.

This team has starting pitching depth. It has a hard throwing bullpen. It has 6 infielders who could all be starters. It has 5 outfielders who could all be starters. It' a roster built for 162 games.

Free Agents... Sato and Morejon (as a starter). I'm just putting names down to represent the types of players I'd want for 2027. Bauers can substitute for Sato. I just want a big bat at 1B to be brought in. Morejon can be replaced by Rogers or someone in the upper shelf of the available starting pitchers. If they want go get King that's fine with me. But, see if you can bring in a starter that is better than Ober or Kremer. We will need someone who join Bradley for 2028. 

Trade acquisitions Casey Schmitt, Jeremiah Estrada and Sam Bachman. Again... just representations of the type of players that I would like to acquire. Doesn't have to be Schmitt, Estrada or Bachman. I want a capable infielder. 

Larnach, Ober, Kremer, Wallner plus unnamed minor league players for trade capital. I would like to keep Wallner for another run at it but I know I would be crucified for it by Twinsdaily. Wallner had a bad couple of months... no doubt about that. But he had some great months for us before that. But, if I list him... too many want him gone so I didn't list him.

Keaschall is listed as the DH... but I would not have a permanent DH. The DH would be used to our talented depth into the lineup more often. We would have 11 players for 8 positions if you don't count the Catcher position which is it's own rotation.

More playing time goes to the players who are earning it. Less playing time for anyone who hits like Lewis did last year.

If we end up with 11 guys who are killing it. The manager will have a good problem because it won't matter who plays and the Twins will still win 100 games. Unfortunately... that won't happen. Someone is going to perform like Lewis or Wallner did last season. Someone is going to get hurt.

I'm not afraid of youth. I'm afraid of no safety nets if Culpepper really struggles or if anyone gets hurt. I'm afraid of asking role players to take on larger roles when players struggle or players get hurt so I don't want role players on the roster.

I'm afraid of not enough talent. I want too much talent be it realized or unrealized talent. I want too much talent. I want the manager to lose sleep at night because he has too many options. It can be done and this is how you build a team for 162 games and a team built for 162 teams is the first thing Tom Pohlad mentioned that we didn't have in the press conference about what went wrong in 2026. So here is a team built for 162 games. 

• C: Victor Caratini ($7.00M)
• 1B: Teruaki Sato ($26.00M)
• 2B: Kody Clemens ($3.60M)
• 3B: Brooks Lee ($1.00M)
• SS: Kaelen Culpepper ($1.00M)
• LF: Emmanuel Rodiguez ($1.00M)
• CF: Byron Buxton ($15.00M)
• RF: Walker Jenkins ($1.00M)
• DH: Luke Keaschall ($1.00M)
• 4th OF: alan roden ($1.00M)
• Utility: Casey Schmitt ($2.50M)
• Utility: Royce Lewis ($5.10M)
• Backup C: Alex Jackson ($2.00M)
• POS: Add Dead Money Here ($0.00M)
• SP1: Pablo Lopez ($21.50M)
• SP2: Joe Ryan ($9.60M)
• SP3: Taj Bradley ($4.50M)
• SP4: Adrian Morejon ($20.00M)
• SP5: Connor Prielipp ($1.00M)
• RP: Jeff Hoffman ($7.25M)
• RP: Yoendrys Gomez ($2.30M)
• RP: Tommy Nance ($1.20M)
• RP: Cole Sands ($1.30M)
• RP: Kody Funderburk ($1.00M)
• RP: Jeremiah Estrada ($1.00M)
• RP: Andrew Morris ($1.00M)
• RP: sam bachman ($1.00M)
• POS: Add Dead Money Here ($10.00M)

Payroll is 9.91% over budget

[Linus]

I like the overall philosophy. Add a bat and some relievers which gives us a chance this year and builds towards the future. 

[tony&rodney]

Good roster and it looks fairly realistic to me. Thank you for submitting one. I count only 14 submitted rosters with many, many frequent TD voices absent. Thus, pleased to see you put up one

The idea of Sato is fun and I think Morejon is a good idea. I'm interested in how you acquired Schmitt, Estrada, and Bachman. They are all good acquisitions but the price for them is unclear to me. Did you trade Abel, Rojas, Matthews for them? Finally, what do you see in Wallner? He was a darling for almost everyone on Twins Daily before last year but his fans have abandoned him. Wallner is a pure DH and you state that you would not use a DH, so I was merely curious.

[Major League Ready]

I like it. 

I hope Tom Pohlad will back up his statements in a meaningful way.  

I will have to see it to believe it.  I don't believe they will spend unless the CBA requires it.

[tony&rodney]

16 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

I like it. 

I hope Tom Pohlad will back up his statements in a meaningful way.  

I will have to see it to believe it.  I don't believe they will spend unless the CBA requires it.

MLR? Did you post your roster?

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

Good roster and it looks fairly realistic to me. Thank you for submitting one. I count only 14 submitted rosters with many, many frequent TD voices absent. Thus, pleased to see you put up one

The idea of Sato is fun and I think Morejon is a good idea. I'm interested in how you acquired Schmitt, Estrada, and Bachman. They are all good acquisitions but the price for them is unclear to me. Did you trade Abel, Rojas, Matthews for them? Finally, what do you see in Wallner? He was a darling for almost everyone on Twins Daily before last year but his fans have abandoned him. Wallner is a pure DH and you state that you would not use a DH, so I was merely curious.

In regards to trades... there is no way I could possibly know what players could be acquired nor could I know how much so all I can do is list the types of players that I would like and hopefully the Twins acquire reasonably facsimiles... if not the real thing. 

Schmitt could be replaced with Lawlar for example. I'm just looking for young talent and young talent that could be acquired. 

I know that I have Larnach, Kremer and Ober has trade chips and if we need to add from the minor league system to finish off deals with whoever... then we need to add from the minor league system to get the deals done. However... I recognize my limitations on constructing specific trades that both parties would agree to because I have been nowhere near the rooms where these conversations take place.  

In regards to Wallner. I view him like I view Lewis right now. Too talented to just hand to another team to fix. Wallner and Lewis didn't earn it so they gotta earn it.  I'm making them the safety nets... safety nets who could win a job back. 

Last year Wallner had a horrible 135 PA's and everyone wants to throw him away. Prior to that his OPS was: ,776 - .894 - .877 and we want to throw him away over two real bad months? This is 40 home run potential. Yeah, he's older now but when his timing is on... he is at another level of exit velocity.

Meanwhile we are at 1,000 AB's of sub par with Lewis now but Wallner has to go?  

I don't use 4th or 5th OF terminology when describing players but give Wallner that last spot and see if he can help us win ball games. When it's his turn to play... I'd imagine DH would be the spot because Buxton, Jenkins and Emma are better defensive options. However... Wallner won't play every day so others can use the DH spot as well for more AB's to what is now a competitive team. 

I have Keaschall listed in the DH spot because the format of the tool demands one. However... I want Keaschall playing in the OF so he gets better at it. He's young... he's athletic... he will figure out the routes and jumps in time. I don't want to diminish Keaschall's future value by cementing him into the DH position. 

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, Major League Ready said:

I like it. 

I hope Tom Pohlad will back up his statements in a meaningful way.  

I will have to see it to believe it.  I don't believe they will spend unless the CBA requires it.

It's such a precarious time to be doing this stuff. Will the CBA change? Will it stay the same with minor changes? 

My plan is based on it staying the same with minor changes? 

If a Cap and Floor is implemented. My roster may not make any sense anymore. 

[tony&rodney]

22 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

In regards to trades... there is no way I could possibly know what players could be acquired nor could I know how much so all I can do is list the types of players that I would like and hopefully the Twins acquire reasonably facsimiles... if not the real thing. 

Schmitt could be replaced with Lawlar for example. I'm just looking for young talent and young talent that could be acquired. 

I know that I have Larnach, Kremer and Ober has trade chips and if we need to add from the minor league system to finish off deals with whoever... then we need to add from the minor league system to get the deals done. However... I recognize my limitations on constructing specific trades that both parties would agree to because I have been nowhere near the rooms where these conversations take place.  

In regards to Wallner. I view him like I view Lewis right now. Too talented to just hand to another team to fix. Wallner and Lewis didn't earn it so they gotta earn it.  I'm making them the safety nets... safety nets who could win a job back. 

Last year Wallner had a horrible 135 PA's and everyone wants to throw him away. Prior to that his OPS was: ,776 - .894 - .877 and we want to throw him away over two real bad months? This is 40 home run potential. Yeah, he's older now but when his timing is on... he is at another level of exit velocity.

Meanwhile we are at 1,000 AB's of sub par with Lewis now but Wallner has to go?  

I don't use 4th or 5th OF terminology when describing players but give Wallner that last spot and see if he can help us win ball games. When it's his turn to play... I'd imagine DH would be the spot because Buxton, Jenkins and Emma are better defensive options. However... Wallner won't play every day so others can use the DH spot as well for more AB's to what is now a competitive team. 

I have Keaschall listed in the DH spot because the format of the tool demands one. However... I want Keaschall playing in the OF so he gets better at it. He's young... he's athletic... he will figure out the routes and jumps in time. I don't want to diminish Keaschall's future value by cementing him into the DH position. 

Thank you for the response. I appreciate it.

Agree that none of us has an idea about trades but the nature of the site is purely speculative so it can be worth guesses. I get you are not comfortable doing that though and respect it. You did put out specific names. I'm not ever serious about mine but rather just throwing out ideas.

Wallner? I think that decision was already made. A note on Wallner that might matter - he cannot hit any fastball at or above 95MPH. I do wish Wallner had been given a chance from the beginning to be only a DH. I'm not sure if that would have made any difference. 

Lewis? I have no idea what to do with Lewis. I advocated for trading him in November of 2023 and the reaction was  ..... ? (visceral). The mantra of earning it makes sense but when a team spends money it always seems like they stick with it too long.

Mainly I am really concerned that Zoll & TP just roll it back again because that is the past practice. Impossible to guess the budget too.

These blueprints were supposed to (imo) be a way for people to put out their rosters, defend their choices, and create conversations. After little participation in the last two years and mostly not useful comments, there are some better responses this year, but less than 20 people have put forth their rosters including many of the folks who are often very critical of others. I'm not sure why there is so little participation. Maybe the Blueprint needs to be in its own thread under Forums as opposed to just the last comment. Perhaps people don't know to go to place where the blueprints are found.