Minnesota Twins 2026 Spring Training Preview: Much to Sort Through

11 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

Is it assumed that Larnach and Wallner are the starting COFs?  I don't know if it's ideal to have them both in the outfield at the same time.  That leaves a lot for Buxton to cover, and it's not platinum-glove Buxton out there anymore.  I could see Martin and Roden/Outman (Rodman?) taking care of LF the majority of the time early in the season.

Bell can play 1B if you want both Larnach and Wallner in the lineup at the same time (the one not in right takes DH), since I assume that means they're facing a righty

I wonder if Zoll would take a mulligan on tendering an offer to Larnach at this point if given the chance.   I thought he'd have been traded by now if there had been any interest in giving up a competent reliever for him at his arb salary

RISP in April - June - August, v. RHP who do you prefer at the plate? ……….. Outman - Roden - Larnach

That’s why he was tendered.

31 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Emmanuel Rodriguez

Will Emma be healthy for more than 35 days at a time? ………..if he is great! Outman & Roden & Clemens are not the answer and at $108M for ‘26, how much more does the “Team need to save”? People keep saying the organization shouldn’t have “spent” on Larnach - come on - in real terms across the game, he’s almost free. I like Larnach’s bat v. RH pitching until someone forces him off the roster.

9 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

Wallner, Larnach, Lee, Bell - start all four and give the pitchers a bottle of Advil.  Talk about GOLD Gloves - these are made of Iron.  Clank.

My biggest hope is that we are not wedded to the past.  That there is true evaluation on all levels and we cut veterans, rookies, DFAs according to their ability and no one has a lock on anything.

Sorry, Ryan, Pablo, Jeffers, and Buxton - we are counting on each of you.

Get ready: Lee & Bell, as switch hitters, will be in the Line-up 80% of the time together.

1 hour ago, The Great Hambino said:

I'd rather pinch hit with Bell/Caratini/whomever else is available off the bench and bring Rodman in for defense and use Larnach's salary on the bullpen or maybe towards better middle infield depth.

I realize Bell and Caratini weren't on the roster at the time he was signed, but surely they knew they'd be bringing in someone who could hit righties given the $14MM they spent on those two.  Walking from Larnach would've been one of the easiest ways to rebalance the roster given their constraints.

I was in favor of tendering Larnach because I thought he could be moved for a reliever.  And maybe he still can. 

I also don't think they're legitimately competitive, so an alternate answer is "I don't really care, stop wasting our time/your trade resources and get on with the rebuild."  But that ship has sailed

No offense - this is to everyone who feels the “$$ spent” on Larnach are recklessly spent. The recklessness is an organization that has gotten So So So cheap that their fanbase thinks there is some ceiling or constraint on spending - for some reason other than the OWNERSHIP BEING CHEAP. Larnach makes less than $5M and the total Salary spend is somewhere around $108M for the year. His salary is almost free on 65% of the rosters in the game. $108M spend in ‘26 after spending $155M in 2023 is an embarrassing twist……….$122M in ‘21 & $136M in ‘22.

The spending on Larnach not taking place “so the organization could use it elsewhere” because they can’t spend any more, is, or should be, sickening to the fanbase.

8 hours ago, Jim H said:

I care nothing about Larnach's salary. What I care about is that he is a below average corner outfield platoon bat. The Twins were dissatisfied enough with their current corner outfield options to bring in 3 left handed hitting corner outfielders at the trade deadline. Now those guys are blocked by the holdover corner outfielders and are likely to be leapfrogged by the near ready minor leaguers.

Explain how any of that makes sense. Even better the Twins have likely blocked up the dh spot by what they did this winter at catcher and first base.  One of the reasons people are expecting a Larnach trade is that its the cleanest way to clean up the mess they have made of their roster. 

Now, that might not be the best way to fix the outfield situation but by waiting this long to address the situation they will likely find limited ways to improve their roster.

 

 

 

 

I know of Outman & Roden …… not sure who the 3rd OF guy “brought in” is? DFAing Outman and keeping Roden in AAA or as the LF while Larnach is the DH v. RH pitching is a solution that’s likely.

If Rodriguez or Jenkins or Gonzalez hits their way onto the 26-man, great. Worrying about “blocking Roden &/or Outman” isn’t a real concern for the organization. Outman was a flier trade for the oft injured Brock Stewart…..he threw 3 1/3 for the Dodgers before he was done for the season. Roden was the SECOND piece in the trade with Toronto for Rojas!

Larnach’s OPS (as a true platoon) was .771 in ‘24 …….. he had 15 HR’s in a strict platoon with 355 AB’s. Last year they tried “to expand his role” and he had 118 AB’s against lefties (24%) and it dropped his overall OPS to .727. When he goes back to a straight platoon in ‘26 his OPS will rebound. He had 17 HR’s in 503 AB’s in ‘26. Bell at 1B with Carstini at C and Clemens or Roden in LF with Larnach at DH is the probable set of lefties, w/Wallner v. RH pitching.

19 hours ago, Jim H said:

Hendry Mendez, part of the Phillies trade.  He is younger than the others obtained, but he is a left handed hitting corner outfielder. The Twins are talking about trying him at first base. He falls in the same bucket with Gonzales and Rodriguez. So technically he is mostly blocked, if he is blocked, by the near ready outfielders already in the system.

Sure they could dfa Outman and lets not worry about Roden.  But I circle back to the question, why did they trade for these 3 guys in the first place? If they don't fit the needs of the organization why not request different players in the trades? They did that with the catchers acquired at the deadline. Why acquire corner outfielders if you already have a bunch and don't really plan to get rid of any?

Now, obviously there is likely a plan and the extras will be reduced eventually.  You can certainly justify Larnach's current place on the roster as you did.  The question is still why did they do what they did at the trade deadline and why have failed to address perceived weaknesses on the current roster?

 

Again, Outman was a flier - maybe he comes in and starts to look more like ROY candidate from 2023………..hasn’t happened. Depth for Buxton for days off.

Roden tore up AAA for a couple years but didn’t show much in his time with Twins & hurt as well. Again, Rojas was the central figure in this trade with Toronto …… if Roden forces his way onto the roster, great!

Mendez is 22 through the season and doesn’t really relate to one more year of Larnach. AA is highest level to date. Also, potential CF depth at some point.

Jenkins is still on the young man’s development path.

Gonzalez hits RH.

Rodriguez has shown year after year that the Team can’t count on him being available due to multiple health issues.

A relatively inexpensive “known” in Larnach trumps a bunch of maybes. He’ll DH 80% of his starts. Can always shift things during the season. EVERYONE is blocked until one beats somebody out with performance!