Matthew Lenz

The question posed to him was simply about Martin playing CF. No, he's not going to trash him but he also could have left it at "yea, we're gonna give him some more looks" or something along those lines.

Coming off an uneven but intriguing rookie campaign, the former top prospect arrived at camp this spring as a viable option in a utility role—but his skipper views him as a higher-upside player if confined to the outfield. Image courtesy of © Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Rocco Baldelli didn't shy away from offering Austin Martin a vote of confidence as a center fielder—maybe even one who can stand the gap when Byron Buxton is out, without the team missing a beat. “I think he has real potential in the outfield, to affect the game, to be a defensive star out there,” Baldelli said last week, in a scrum with reporters at Twins spring training in Fort Myers, Fla. “[Looking] at his jumps, looking at the way he's tracking the ball, closing on the ball, and the more time he has out there, I think he's one of those guys that will keep getting better.” As a rookie, Martin spent all but 94 of his defensive innings in the outfield, and 277 ⅔ of those frames in the pasture came in center field. The former fifth overall pick was learning the position on the fly: he had totaled just 257 innings in center during his time playing in the Twins’ farm system—although he did play there quite a bit in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays’ Double-A affiliate. In the first week of camp, Baldelli has made it abundantly clear what role he sees Martin playing during the upcoming season and beyond. According to Baldelli, Martin will get “a lot of time in the outfield” and, especially during spring training, “in center field”. The seventh-year manager sees Martin as someone who has “the ability to [be a defensive star], and the work ethic to do so.” Baldelli isn’t saying that Martin is there yet, but obviously, he believes the youngster can get there. While we can’t quantify Martin’s work ethic, we can look into the small sample of data we have to see if Baldelli’s comments have validity. In his debut season, Martin graded out as a below-average (and in some cases, a downright awful) defender at all three outfield positions, according to FanGraphs's UZR/150. In center field, in particular, he compiled a -15.5 UZR/150, which was second-worst among players who spent a minimum of 250 innings at the position. What makes that more surprising, given his 5-foot-11, 185-pound stature, is that his range (RngR - range runs above average) grades out worse than his arm (ARM - outfield runs above average). Baseball Savant seems to agree with FanGraphs, as Martin posted a -7 Range Run Value (RV) and a -2 Arm RV. All of this is not to be critical of Baldelli—his statements were not necessarily speaking of Martin’s present ability, and defensive stats still aren't what offensive ones are in terms of accuracy or consistency—but it might lead us to wonder what he sees that the overall numbers don’t. As with any defensive position, the approach to the ball is the largest determining factor of whether a batted ball turns into an out, a hit, or an error. As we take a closer look into Martin’s approach to flagging down a batted ball, we start to get an idea of where he struggles, and can hypothesize about why Baldelli seems to be so optimistic the former top prospect can “keep getting better”. Of players with a minimum of 25 outfield opportunities, in the first three seconds after a ball was hit, he covered two fewer feet than the average outfielder. In particular, his reaction was fifth-worst in all of baseball. His "Burst", which measures the process of getting up to speed after gaining a read on the ball, is better, but still worse than average. Yet, there are indications that Baldelli is right. Maybe Austin Martin will keep getting better. As an All-American out of Vanderbilt, Martin’s Baseball America scouting report suggested captaining the outfield could be his long-term role. “[Martin] has the instincts and athleticism to potentially handle center field," the report read. "He has the defensive ability to become an asset at a premium position.” Baldelli sees those tools, and we can, too. His above-average “Route” rating can be attributed to his aforementioned instincts, and his 75th-percentile sprint speed speaks to his athleticism. Given his lack of experience in the outfield as a whole (and particularly center), it's easy to understand why Martin's Reaction and Burst currently grade out as below-average. Reacting to a batted ball more than 300 feet from where it's hit is quite a bit different than when it's hit while you’re manning the keystone. Moreover, the lack of experience may help explain why his above-average sprint speed isn't leading to better Burst. There may be a lack of confidence, yet, affecting how quickly he attacks a batted ball. Given how his routes compare to others, maybe his sprint speed helps make up for the lack of “burst”. That's a lot of conjecture, but that's all we can really do given the sample size of innings played. Ultimately, Martin needs more seasoning before we can make any proclamations on whether he’ll be a “defensive star” in the outfield. The numbers don't look pretty now, but he has the tools to make it happen. However, ill-informed Baldelli haters can rejoice (they won’t): he's putting down the figurative “spreadsheet” and relying on his feel for the game to see Martin's future potential and impact with the Twins. View full article

I agree I think the downside to "bigger, faster, stronger" is that it's harder on the body. Maybe helps prevent or mitigate smaller injuries but when injuries do occur they're typically more severe? Completely uneducated conjecture but it would make sense, IMO.

This was wild to read at 7am. Cheers!

The Twins' young star needed a winter of quiet to get off the rollercoaster that has been his career to this point, and find his way back to himself. He's in a new frame of mind this spring. Image courtesy of © Brad Rempel-Imagn Images Royce Lewis’s story has been one of extreme highs and extreme lows. From kicking off the 2024 campaign with a monstrous home run to dealing with injuries (as usual) and slumps (not so familiar), the 26-year-old has had quite the ride since being drafted in 2017. Now, as spring training gets underway, the Twins third baseman is feeling good after spending the offseason getting back to his roots. “My intention [for the offseason] was just to get back to the roots of what I did when I was in high school when I was drafted,” Lewis said recently, in a scrum with reporters at Twins spring training in Fort Myers, Fla. “I feel fast, elusive, athletic, bouncy, all the things I want to feel.” I'm not specifically targeting Lewis when I say this, but that's a shift from the traditional training mindset of working on skills related to a player’s bat and glove. Of course, theoretically, improving your athleticism should impact your ability to hit and play the field. Looking at the bigger picture, though, I think this represents a larger shift in mindset that points toward the former top pick taking the next step in his development. We know he has the skills to be successful, but focusing on his athleticism will help with maybe the most important skill: availability. In eight professional seasons, Lewis has put together just three full campaigns (none since 2019). In 2022, he re-injured his surgically repaired right knee making a fantastic catch crashing into the center field fence. He returned exactly one year later, but would miss six more weeks due to an oblique strain in July of 2023. That's not to mention this awkward tumble. Then, last season, it took all of three innings for Lewis to strain his quad and miss two months of the season. If there’s one commonality between all of these various injuries, it's that they’re largely related to the way he's moving his body, unrelated to baseball. One way to minimize these injuries is strength training, but another is to learn about and improve how your body moves. “I’m really good at going zero to 60, but can I go 60 to zero … when I’m going through any movement pattern,” Lewis mused. This quote stuck out to me, as I relived some of the aforementioned injuries. While it's unfair to blame him for going balls to the wall (literally), maybe he doesn't re-tear his ACL had he approached that center field wall with more finesse—something the Twins' actual center fielder took years to understand himself. Then we look at the awkward movement running the bases, from 2023 (above) and 2024 (below, an instance in which it's impossible to miss the value of better deceleration skills). Whether or not this leads to 140 games played and a fully healthy season remains to be seen. What it does tell me, along with other comments regarding his daily routine, is that Lewis is turning the corner in his professional development. He’s starting to understand what it means to be a “pro” and, maybe ironically, it's led him back to his roots as an 18-year-old kid. What are your expectations for Royce Lewis this year? Join the conversation in the comments! View full article

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. It's been updated!

For the first time since 2017, the Twins made a selection in the MLB phase of the Rule 5 Draft this December. He'll have to make the team to stay with the organization, but if he does, he could be a difference-maker for them. Are we overlooking that upside? Image courtesy of Reading Fightin Phils The 23-year-old Eiberson Castellano had a phenomenal 2024 season, wherein he posted a 3.40 FIP and a 24.6% strikeout minus walk rate between High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading. Although he’s likely to work as a long man out of the bullpen if he stays with the Twins, 20 of his 22 appearances were starts last year. While he was great, the Phillies weren't completely off their rocker in not protecting the 2018 international signee. Not only did it take him more than three years to throw his first professional pitch in the States, but his results varied greatly in the seasons leading up to 2024, as he bounced back and forth between being a reliever and a starter. Now, as the Twins begin spring training, the 6-foot-3 hurler will look to show why he was “one of the more intriguing arms in the draft,” according to Geoff Pontes of Baseball America. In a podcast series doing a deep dive into each farm system, Pontes and JJ Cooper named Castellano a “non-top-10 prospect to watch” for the Minnesota Twins. “I think that there's a chance that this guy could be actually a useful long-term pitcher for the Twins,” Pontes said. It's not often that you can pluck a healthy starter with plus stuff (coming off a great season) in the Rule 5 Draft, and the Twins would be remiss to let this opportunity go to waste even if Castellano falters during spring training. In addition to working out of the bullpen, the Venezuelan (wait, a Venezuelan pitcher acquired via the Rule 5 Draft - sound familiar?) has the ability to make spot starts as needed or piggyback with Simeon Woods Richardson at times. For the Twins, there's indirect value in rostering a swingman who could reduce the pressure on David Festa and Zebby Matthews to make spot starts with the Twins, allowing them to really hone their craft in St. Paul instead until a larger opportunity opens up in the big-league rotation. For what it's worth, PECOTA projects an ERA north of 4.00 and a 12.4% strikeout-minus-walk rate. This would make him a slightly below-average pitcher, but relatively speaking, those are solid numbers for the role he’d be in with the Twins. Looking past 2025, Castellano represents depth at a position where you can never have enough of it. While the Twins have developed one of the best pitching pipelines in baseball and control their top arms for the foreseeable future, it's not out of the question for Castellano to move into the back end of the rotation somewhere down the line. Organizational floors are set by the performance of their star players, but how far they can go beyond their floor relies on role players and depth. Castellano’s potential contributions (along with other role players) could help this team go from competitive to contender—or from contender to honest-to-God winner. Players of his type can be invaluable to an organization, especially as a pitcher, and it's time we start looking at Castellano as such. View full article

Soooo what say you? Are the Twins close or not so much?

The Minnesota Twins enter the 2025 season with largely the same core of players who finished the 2024 campaign. Looking past a historic collapse, the Twins were a playoff team for much of last season and multiple outlets are not only predicting the same in 2025 but also like them to take the American League Central crown. While not one of the team’s stars, a productive season from left-handed reliever Kody Funderburk is crucial to the Twins turning those predictions into reality. Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images / © Landon Bost/Naples Daily News/USA TODAY Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK Of course, the Twins’ season largely rests on the shoulders of its best players, and it’s those players that provide a very solid floor for the team to win 70 odd games. It’s the contributions of the role players that elevate this team from a fringe competitive team to a team vying for a playoff spot and division title. Funderburk is one of two southpaw relievers that are on the 40-man roster and represents one of those players who are make or break for the 2025 season. Went Wrong in 2024? Funderburk was very effective in 24 of his relief appearances in 2024. Unfortunately, he made 27 appearances total and the three that weren’t as effective inflated his overall line to a 4.55 FIP with a poor 10.6% strikeout minus walk rate and an elevated home run rate. Nearly half of his earned runs from last season came in just three appearances. Other than a four earned run outing on May 5th, Funderburk was well on his way to establishing himself as a very reliable big-league reliever two months into 2024. Then, on May 28th he was optioned to St. Paul in favor of Diego Castillo. His peripherals in St. Paul were very good which led to him being recalled on June 21st. After another stretch of effective appearances, Funderburk’s pitch velocities and spin rates dropped considerably in back-to-back appearances on July 8th and 12th. While a link between injury and those data points has never been publicly confirmed, it may explain why he wasn’t used for nine days and placed on the injured list with a left oblique strain which effectively ended his season. It’s not unusual for a reliever's stats to be heavily inflated by just a few appearances so, aside from staying healthy, I’m not overly concerned with his ability to make an impact for the Twins this season although it may not be right away. What Can Go Right in 2025? Although we have a fairly limited sample of just 46 ⅔ big-league innings across 38 appearances, Funderburk has been a very good reliever outside of the three aforementioned outings. He’s an extreme groundball pitcher who has excelled in generating weak contact, so I’m not worried about his home run rate from 2024. Moreover, he’s been serviceable against both handed hitters, but particularly effective against lefties due to having three pitches with above average movement. YmtNeDFfWGw0TUFRPT1fQkZBSFZsY0JCVllBQVZSV1Z3QUFCUTRGQUFBQUFBSUFVQVJRVWdFRFZ3WUJWZ3RX.mp4 His slider specifically features some of the best glove slide movement in baseball and devastated his left-handed counterparts with a 46.5% whiff rate and 90.2 mile-per-hour average exit velocity. While righties don’t whiff on the pitch nearly as often, they’re also susceptible to weak contact and had a .241 batting average against in 2024. His sinker, used almost exclusively against left-handers, is another offering with good movement although opponents handled the pitch fairly well in 2024 with a .422 wOBA (for what it’s worth, it was .058 in 2023). Again, it’s important to remember we’re dealing with pretty small sample sizes here.When he gets his opportunity, projection models like the 28-year-old to be an above average reliever in 2025 and I think that’s reasonable considering his arsenal and the depth of the Twins bullpen that should allow for Rocco Baldelli to use his relievers in the positions that make them the most successful. How Will This Impact the Twins? You may have noticed that I previously suggested that Funderburk’s impact may not happen “right away” in 2025 This is in part due to the bullpen only having two or three open spots for about five competing arms, and if we read the tea leaves from Baldelli’s first interview from camp we get an idea of how things may shake out. While answering a question regarding recently acquired southpaw Danny Coulombe, the Twins skipper said “We have a [need for a left-handed reliever] to fill on our roster. And I have longer term hopes that Kody Funderburk can also do some of those things too.” Coulombe’s spot on the active roster was never up for debate so it’s not overly surprising to hear Baldelli talk about him feeling that gap on the roster. What may be a little surprising is the phrase “longer term hopes” that seems to indicate Funderburk is likely to start the year with the Saints before he even gets his first opportunities in camp.. Regardless, as Twins’ fans are all too familiar with, injuries and poor performance will come and when they do Funderburk likely represents one of the first bullpen arms to get recalled. While the Twins' success in 2025 hinges on the performance of their star players, the contributions of role players like Kody Funderburk will be crucial in determining how far they can go. Funderburk's 2024 season was marred by a few disastrous outings and an injury, obscuring his underlying potential. If Funderburk can recapture his form and stay healthy, he has the potential to be a difference-maker for the Twins, solidifying their bullpen and contributing to a successful campaign. What are your thoughts on Funderburk entering 2025? How about Baldelli’s comments? Join the conversation in the comments! View full article

Cole Ragans had multiple UCL surgeries before he turned 22. Despite that, he's turned into a Cy Young-caliber starting pitcher, and he earned himself some guaranteed money before entering arbitration. His story should have Minnesota Twins fans optimistic about a pitching prospect who has faced similar adversity. Image courtesy of William Parmeter After being drafted 30th overall by the Texas Rangers in 2016, Cole Ragans had a good start to his 2017 campaign with Low-A Spokane, carrying a 3.80 FIP and 34.8% strikeout rate at 19 years old. Unfortunately, he left his Aug. 30 start after just 1 ⅔ innings with elbow discomfort. That led to his first UCL procedure. He had a subsequent surgery on Mar. 28, 2018, after feeling pain in the same elbow during a spring training intrasquad game After a long rehab process and losing 2020 to COVID, it ended up being 1,344 days between starts for the left-hander. He returned on May 5, 2021, and has impressed ever since. In 2024, he finished fourth in Cy Young voting, and he recently signed a three-year deal, giving him cost certainty during his arbitration years. The 27-year-old has flourished in the face of adversity, which should leave Twins fans optimistic about Connor Prielipp’s future. Like Ragans, Prielipp has had multiple UCL surgeries before he could make it past High-A ball, although the circumstances surrounding those procedures were a bit different. Prielipp had his first Tommy John during his sophomore season with the University of Alabama. Despite the injury and limited track record, he declared for the 2022 MLB Draft and was selected by the Twins in the second round. It was a high-risk, high-reward selection, and it wouldn't take long for the Twins and Prielipp to see the risk go from an abstraction to a concrete problem. He experienced arm soreness two appearances into his professional career, leading to his second elbow surgery at 22 years old. While it remains to be seen exactly how well Prielipp rebounds from these procedures, Ragans represents hope that the lefty now sees the reward materialize into a productive and healthy 2025 season. While Prielipp is likely to start the year where he ended 2024 (at Cedar Rapids), he’s one of those arms who could sprint through the minor-league levels (which would be another similarity to Ragans). In fact, before the Danny Coulombe signing, Greggory Masterson that Prielipp could be the left-handed reliever the Twins needed for 2025, and Nash Walker called him a “Major X Factor”. While it was always unlikely he would debut in 2025, it just reinforces how impactful he can be if he stays healthy. Realistically, it's probably best for the 24-year-old to prioritize making it through an entire minor-league season and instead set his sights on 2026 for that breakthrough. If everything falls right, Prielipp could have a Ragans-esque ascension and impact on the Twins very soon. If that happens, we may look back to the team-friendly three-year deal that Ragans just signed as a blueprint for the Twins to lock in some cost certainty for Prielipp. While Ragans is the exception to the rule, Prielipp has the arm talent to flourish in the face of adversity. View full article

Rocco Baldelli sat down with writers covering the Minnesota Twins to kick off spring training on Thursday. One topic of conversation was Jhoan Durán’s robust health, and his usage (alongside Griffin Jax). Let’s read the tea leaves and talk about what the closer role might look like in 2025. Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images In 2024, Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax combined for over half of the Twins' high-leverage innings, as defined by FanGraphs. This was despite Durán getting a late start to his 2024 campaign, due to an oblique strain. Yesterday, Rocco Baldelli acknowledged that the injury impacted his performance. “I don’t know how big of an effect it had, but I’d say it definitely was something that tempered his ability to get to where he needs to be,” Beldelli said. The Twins manager pointed to the second half of the season as the time when Durán was throwing the ball “exceptionally well”. The data surely supports this notion, as Durán sported a 1.97 FIP, a 27.3% strikeout minus walk rate, and a lowly .152 opponents' batting average from Jul. 1 on. As the Twins are getting set to begin spring training, Durán’s health continues to be a topic of conversation. “I think you could really look at [Durán] and see that he spent a lot of time and effort on coming in in excellent shape”, said Baldelli. So can we expect Durán to reprise his role as one of the league's most dominant closers? Come to think of it, has Baldelli ever named a “closer”? He hasn't. “[Durán’s] going to throw a lot of ninth innings for us," he said. "I’m sure [Jax] will throw some ninth innings for us.” Last season, Durán dominated ninth-inning appearances 41 to 15, but the two were nearly equal in high-leverage appearances, where Jax held a 44 to 38 advantage. So while Baldelli won't officially name a closer, Durán seemed to be the go-to guy in save situations, while Jax was used in high-leverage opportunities earlier in games. As much as we love to see one of the best closer entrances in baseball, maybe Baldelli is onto something by not naming a closer. Instead, what if Durán and Jax were just two high-leverage relievers who very rarely (ideally never) had to pitch on back-to-back nights? Given the Twins' depth in the bullpen (when healthy), is it feasible to alternate Durán and Jax and use them in whatever high-leverage situation might arise on days when it's their turn, regardless of inning? While Durán has done his best work when pitching on back-to-back nights, limiting those types of outings will undoubtedly keep him fresher and healthier over the grueling season. For Jax, he's found the most success when given a day or two between appearances, so this strategy would dually put him in the best position to be successful. Moreover, the workload would stay roughly the same but the added rest could bring the impact of both players to another level. While deploying this strategy may be better for the team, it would require a lot of flexibility and understanding from the two players. For better or worse (mostly worse), saves reign supreme when it comes to reliever compensation, especially arbitration awards. Telling two of the best relievers in the game they may not be used in those situations as often would likely have an impact on their bottom line. Additionally, Baldelli would be committing late-game, high-leverage opportunities to the likes of Cole Sands, Brock Stewart, or Jorge Alcalá. No disrespect to those guys, but they just aren't in the same tier as Jax or Durán. Regardless of how Baldelli decides to use his relief arms, the talent that sits in the bullpen gives him the flexibility to manage each moment nimbly. He can worry less about saving an arm for later in the game, given one of the best bullpens in baseball. If you could manage the Twins’ bullpen, what would your strategy be? A more traditional hierarchy (middle relief, set up, closers) or a more flexible approach? Share your thoughts in the comments! View full article

The Minnesota Twins begin spring training with three primary roster battles. Who could fill in at the back end of the rotation? Which relievers could win the low leverage roles? Who could play second base other than Willi Castro? Watch this preview to get those questions answered. View full video

The Minnesota Twins are set to start spring training and there will be 16 non-roster players vying to make one of the final spots on the Twins 26- and 40-man roster. Who are the big names and who, if anyone, has the best chance to make the cut? View full video

Don't hate this!

Just before pitchers and catchers report to spring training the Minnesota Twins made a couple of their positional battles a little bit less hotly contested. Nonetheless, there will be some playing time scrambles to follow in the coming weeks. Image courtesy of © Dave Nelson-Imagn Images Derek Falvey and the Twins front office have been busy the last couple of weeks, locking down a lefty reliever (Danny Coulombe), a fourth outfielder (Harrison Bader), and a right-handed hitter with experience at first base (Ty France). With those players virtually guaranteed to make the team out of camp, we no longer have to wonder if Edouard Julien or Willi Castro will get more reps at first base. We no longer have to wonder whom Rocco Baldelli will deploy when the need for a left-handed reliever arises. We don't have to guess about what happens when Byron Buxton gets hurt, or when Matt Wallner or Trevor Larnach are set to face a southpaw in a high-leverage situation. Those questions have been answered by the flurry of signings. So what questions remain? Four Starters for Two Rotation Spots The four players in line to compete for the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation are: Chris Paddack, Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa, and Zebby Matthews. Barring a Paddack trade, he’s a lock to make the Opening Day roster, since the Twins are paying him $7.25 million this year. That leaves three young guns for the fifth and final rotation spot, and you have to imagine that Woods Richardson is the heavy favorite of the group. Yes, he ran out of steam in his first big-league season (wherein he set a career high in innings pitched), but you can’t ignore that he carried a sub-4.00 ERA into the final month of the season with a solid 13.1% K-BB rate. Barring injury (or a trade), I would put a lot of money on Festa and Matthews headlining the Triple-A St. Paul Saints rotation to start the season. The silver lining here is that the Twins are well positioned if (more like when) injuries strike the major-league rotation, with some of the best young pitchers in baseball ready to play the role of “next man up.” A Cluster of Relievers for Two (ish?) Bullpen Spots It’s hard to know exactly how many bullpen spots are open, given the number of cheap, “flier”-type arms the Twins have at the bottom of their bullpen hierarchy. If we operate under the assumption that they will carry eight relievers and that six of those spots are spoken for (Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax, Cole Sands, Brock Stewart, Michael Tonkin and Coulombe), then we have two spots for roughly five arms. Depending on Stewart’s recovery timeline from arthroscopic shoulder surgery last August, a third open spot could temporarily open up for the start of the season. Regardless of how many jobs are open, though, the five competitors are: Jorge Alcalá, Justin Topa, Louie Varland, Kody Funderburk, and Rule 5 Draft pick Eiberson Castellano. Of those names, Castellano has the most at stake. If he does not make the active roster, he will have to be offered back to the Phillies. Alcalá can be optioned at the start of the season, but once he accrues just eight more days of service time, he'll no longer be optionable, as he'll reach the threshold of five years' service. At that point, the rules protect players from being optioned, so teams can't artificially delay free agency at the end of their window of team control. That makes his fight for a spot fairly high-stakes, too. There aren’t any special circumstances following the remaining three pitchers on the list, as each have at least one option remaining and is relatively cheap. Topa is set to make the most money, at $1 million, and represents one of two chances (Gabriel Gonzalez being the other) the Twins have at getting anything from the Jorge Polanco trade. Funderburk is the only other lefty reliever on the Twins 26- or 40-man roster, after they lost southpaw swingman Brent Headrick on waivers Tuesday. Varland will be in a relatively new role, as he looks to be the Twins' latest failed starter who flourishes in a relief role. The Twins obviously saw something in Castellano to make him their first Rule 5 Draft pick since Tyler Kinley in 2017, so I think they’ll give him every opportunity to make the club out of camp. I feel the same way about Michael Tonkin, given that they likely lose him if he is waived. If Stewart isn’t ready for Opening Day (or if one of the other two don’t make it), then you’re likely looking at Topa or Funderburk as the “first two out”. I feel pretty strongly that Varland will (and should) start the year in Triple-A St. Paul to grow into his newfound role as a reliever. The Battle for the Keystone The battle for second base may not be resolved by the time spring training is over. Heck, it may never be truly “resolved” in 2025; there could be a merry-go-round, just like last season. Barring a trade, Willi Castro will be on the Twins' Opening Day roster. He played nearly 300 innings at the Keystone in 2024. It’s likely that at least one of Brooks Lee, Austin Martin, and Julien end up starting the year in Triple-A St. Paul. Whoever remains on the roster will likely be used in more of a utility role around the infield, making spot starts at second base when Castro is playing one of the other five positions he’s played in the past. If I absolutely had to make a guess now, I like Martin to make the club, given his versatility. After him, I really think it largely depends on spring training performance to see which of Julien and Lee make the cut. For what it’s worth, FanGraphs's Roster Resource currently projects Lee as the starting second baseman; Julien on the bench; and Martin with the Saints. The Twins have addressed several key questions with recent signings, but intriguing roster battles remain. Of the three, Rocco Baldelli’s biggest decision entering his seventh spring training as the Twins skipper will be how to fill those last two(ish) spots in the bullpen. Who do you think makes the cut? What storylines are you following in spring training? Join the conversation in the comments! View full article

It's even more wild to look at some of the rosters (and dwindling resources) Baldelli has been given and attribute the Twins missing the playoffs to him. He's not perfect but far from the reason they've missed in 3/4 seasons. Also, the AL Central had four times finish above .500, three make the playoffs, three make the divisional round, and one make the championship round. 🤷🏼‍♂️