Matthew Lenz

Minnesota Twins relievers Taylor Rogers, Anthony Banda, and Cole Sands made their spring training debuts against the Baltimore Orioles. Can we draw any conclusions from the order in which they debuted? On the other side of the ball, is Luke Keaschall pegged as the everyday second baseman? View full video

The Minnesota Twins faced off against the Detroit Tigers on Monday in a game that was headlined by a dominant start by Mick Abel and an absolute TANK by Emmanuel Rodriguez. What are the chances that either player makes the Opening Day roster? View full video

Brooks Lee enters 2026 as the everyday shortstop for the Minnesota Twins. What did he work on this off-season to prepare for his role? View full video

The Minnesota Twins announced that starting pitcher Pablo Lopez has a significant tear in his elbow that will likely require season-ending surgery. Will the Twins use the next-man-up philosophy or look to add someone like Lucas Giolito via free agency? View full video

Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton provides an update on Pablo Lopez and discusses the team doing the little things on day one to be successful. View full video

After announcing Wallet friendly ticket packages last week, the Minnesota Twins continue to try to get fans back to Target Field. This week they announced over 50 different promotions over the 81 game home schedule. Additionally, they've expanded the happy hour pricing to Friday and Saturday games as well as a freebie on Sunday games for kids! View full video

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Tom Pohlad has had a lot to say since taking over as principal owner roughly two months ago. As our own Cody Christie pointed out, none of it really seems to make sense and the message only gets harder and harder to follow every time he's in front of a microphone. Or, maybe…just maybe we shouldn’t hold Tom accountable for the poor decisions of the Pohlads who came before him. At least that's what one Minnesota Twins alumnus is encouraging fans to consider. Former 1st round pick and Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe met with Pohlad via a Zoom call on Friday afternoon and “left the conversation feeling really, really excited about the future of the Twins.” By way of a video shared from his X account (that Plouffe alleges Pohlad didn't ask him to make), Plouffe shared that Pohlad reached out to him to set up the call to get Plouffe’s “thoughts on the organization, where we’ve been, [and] where we need to go.” Despite coming prepared for the call, Plouffe was told that Pohlad would talk first after which Plouffe told Pohlad he was “going to do great at this”. Plouffe went on to share that Pohlad “touched on” every one of the notes that he had prepared and that the call was a “breath of fresh air.” While Plouffe calls himself “bullish on this team” and an “optimist”, he pleads for fans to give “the Twins and Tom a chance this year.” Label me a cynic, because I'm not sold. While I'll give credit to Tom for speaking more and more candidly than any of the family members he succeeded, at the end of the day he's a businessman. Moreover, he's in real estate. He's a professional salesman and it's to be determined whether he's a professional baseball owner. While those are all facts, it’s my opinion that until he proves otherwise he's nothing more than a schmoozer. He allegedly believes that this Twins team, which is mostly the same as the team who went 19-35 in the last season two months of 2025, can compete in 2026. Yet, we’re two months removed from him taking on his new role and the Twins payroll sits roughly $35 million below last Opening Day and $70 million below the MLB average. Tom talked about 2026 being “critical to the success” of “building a business that can be playing competitive baseball for a string of seasons in a row.” Yet, the highlight of his short tenure as principal owner is spending $21 million on two average at best players (Josh Bell and Victor Caratini), one of whom opens the door to trading the third highest paid player on the roster (Ryan Jeffers). So, in case you got lost like I did, 2026 is “critical” but not critical enough to make moves that make the team meaningfully better. While I have enjoyed following Trevor’s post playing career, especially with how much love he's always shown the Twins, I don't feel obligated to just give Tom Pohlad a chance on a whim. After all, trust isn't given, it's earned. In fact, a little trust was lost hearing that Tom demanded to talk first. He wanted to control the conversation. He wanted to make sure Trevor heard what he had to say before Trevor had the chance to speak for himself. Take any class on leadership and you’ll learn how important listening is to being an effective leader. Tom didn’t listen, he told Trevor what he wanted to hear. In my opinion, he wanted to control the narrative. In my opinion, Trevor was schmoozed. So, call me a cynic because I am. Until Tom earns my trust, he's paying for what Joe Pohlad (and Jim before him) “got wrong.” However, at the end of the day, I am a Twins fan through and through. A few years from now, I hope I'm the one that got it wrong. Does listening to what Trevor shared change how you feel about the Twins as a team or Tom Pohlad as the new principal owner? Join the conversation in the comments! View full article

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images While you can question the motivation, you can't question the effort the Minnesota Twins Front Office is putting into getting fans to return to Target Field in 2026. After significantly reducing the price of the Twins Pass and announcing a buy two, get one free “Triple Play Bundle”, they have released an impressive lineup of promotions for the season. The headliner (at least for those of age and like to participate in such activities) is the expansion of the pre-game happy hour to include Friday and Saturday games. Fans can enjoy $2 beers from the time the gates open to the scheduled first pitch (emphasis on “scheduled” meaning it's not when the first pitch is thrown…sorry, no getting tanked for cheap when game starts are delayed). On Friday games, fans of any age can consume hot dogs and “snacks” at $2 an item. Another recurring promotion that will surely be popular amongst the under “12 & under” crowd (as well as the pocketbooks of the adults accompanying them) is the free kids ice cream and half-price kid meals on Sunday contests. Of course, these matinees have historically been “Kids Day” at Target Field where they will also have the opportunity to run the bases following the game. The Twins, though, are just getting started - they also announced upwards of 50 additional giveaways and theme nights across the 81 game home season. The highlight giveaway for me is the Kirby Puckett jersey giveaway when the Twins host the Athletics on Saturday, July 25th. Additional fan favorites include bobble heads and another replica jersey, which are listed below: May 16 (vs. MIL): Grogu Bobblehead via a Star Wars ticket package June 6 (vs. KC): Royce Lewis Jersey giveaway June 27 (vs. COL): Buxton Bobblehead giveaway The remaining promotions are nothing to sleep on. Below is a list of the giveaways that require you to be one of the first 5-10 thousand fans through the gates: April 3 (vs. TB): Opening Day Beanie April 5 (vs. TB): Kids Opening Day Beanie April 7 (vs. DET): Magnetic Schedule May 2 (vs. TOR): Minnesota Twins Fishing Lure June 22 (vs. LAD): Native American Heritage Night Jersey June 23 (vs. LAD): Night Light July 11 (vs. LAA): Twins Hall of Fame Pin July 12 (vs. LAA): Beach Tote Bag July 26 (vs. ATH): Back to School Lunch Bag August 16 (vs. PHI): Back to School Backpack August 30 (vs. CWS): Kids T.C. Bear Shoulder Mascot September 26 (vs. TEX): Fan Appreciation Hat September 27 (vs. TEX): Kids Appreciation Widget Baseball Hat But wait, there's more! As has been the case for awhile now, the Twins have an every growing array of special ticket package promotions. Most notably (for anyone who plans to subscribe to Twins.TV anyway), is Twins.TV Night on Wednesday, April 8th against the Detroit Tigers. If you purchase the special ticket package not only do you get into the game, but also included is a subscription to Twins.TV, "a behind-the-scenes exclusive look at what brings broadcasts to life", and a broadcaster meet and greet. Other “get a ticket, get an item” special ticket package promotions include: April 28 (vs. SEA): University of St. Thomas Night May 1 (vs. TOR): First Responders Night May 2 (vs. TOR): Mental Health Awareness Day May 3 (vs. TOR): Cancer Awareness Day May 12 (vs. MIA): Bark at the Park May 13 (vs. MIA): Nurses Night May 17 (vs. MIL): Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Day May 19 (vs. HOU): Wine Women & Baseball, St. Cloud State Night June 2 (vs. CWS): CSB+SJU Night June 4 (vs. KC): Prince Night June 5 (vs. KC): Pop Star Night, University of Minnesota Night, Golf Night June 7 (vs. KC): Pixar Night June 12 (vs. STL): Pride Night June 14 (vs. STL): Barbie Game Day, Winona State Night June 23 (vs. LAD): Gustavus Night June 24 (vs. LAD): St. Olaf Night June 27 (vs. COL): Girl Scout Night June 28 (vs. COL): Wine Women & Baseball July 10 (vs. LAA): Yacht Rock Night, Bowling Day July 24 (vs. ATH): South Dakota State University Night July 26 (vs. ATH): Hello Kitty Day July 28 (vs. KC): Wine Women & Baseball August 10 (vs. BAL): University of North Dakota Night August 11 (vs. BAL): North Dakota State University Night August 15 (vs. PHI): Field of Dreams Night, University of South Dakota Night August 18 (vs. ATL): Wine Women & Baseball August 28 (vs. CWS): Minnesota State University - Mankato Night, Breck Night August 29 (vs. CWS): SpongeBob Day August 30 (vs. CWS): Peanuts Day August 31 (vs. DET): St. Paul Saints Night September 1 (vs. DET): Bark at the Park September 15 (vs. NYY): Wine Women & Baseball While the product on the field may not be entertaining, many of these promotions might be reason enough to get to Target Field this summer. For additional details, such as whether you need to be the first 5,000 or 10,000 fans, make sure to visit the promotions page on the Twins website! Which promotions are you most excited for? Join the conversation in the comments! View full article

The Houston Astros are looking for a left-handed hitting outfielders and a backup catcher. The Minnesota Twins have both as expendable options in Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, and possibly Ryan Jeffers. Should they kick the tires on third base Isaac Paredes? If so, what does that mean for Royce Lewis? View full video

Image courtesy of © Thomas Shea-Imagn Images The Houston Astros have been in the rumor mill for the vast majority of the offseason, specifically as teams kick the tires on third baseman Isaac Paredes. Earlier this week, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported that the team “is seeking an outfielder who hits from the left side in any potential package for Paredes.” Unless you've been buried under a rock since last year’s trade deadline, you're well aware that the Minnesota Twins have an excessive amount of left-handed hitting outfielders. They have high-value prospects like Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez who will likely debut in 2026. They have middle-of-the-road veterans like Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach, who have some upside but also come with their fair share of warts. They also have lower-value options like James Outman, Alan Roden, and Hendry Mendez, of whom Outman and Roden are ready to compete at the big league level (Outman is actually out of options). Finally, right or wrong, the Twins have an owner who believes they'll be competitive in 2026. While the Twins have a plethora of options to meet the needs of the Astros, you now may be asking yourself, “But isn't Royce Lewis our everyday third baseman?” To which I’d say, “meh, I guess”. While Lewis is penciled in as the team’s primary third baseman in 2026, I simply think he no longer has the leverage to demand where he plays. Additionally, as a client of Scott Boras and someone who has made multiple questionable remarks publicly, I no longer care to try to keep him happy. He's under team control through the 2029 season, and I already think it's a long shot that he re-signs with the Twins without a dramatic turnaround within the clubhouse and organization as a whole. If we turn to the productivity on the field, his inconsistencies at the plate have led to a career .762 OPS and a 110 wRC+, both buoyed by a 2023 breakout. Since the start of 2024, those numbers have dropped to .705 and 94, respectively…I guess you can't call it a slump if that's what you typically produce. Moreover, he's played a passable third base, but not to the point where moving him to second (we’ll get to Luke Keaschall next) would make the infield meaningfully worse than it's already going to be. Simply put, adding Paredes bat to the lineup would more than make up for the downgrade in defense at the hot corner, and it would help Tom Pohlad meet his unrealistic expectations for the 2026 season. Of course, if Lewis shifts to the keystone, then Keaschall gets booted from his primary position. However, there are already questions on whether second base can be his long-term home. While he exploded on the scene at the plate in 2025, he finished T-14th among second basemen with at least 150 attempts with -2 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 2025 (he barely met this threshold with 156 attempts). So, then, where does he go, you ask? To the corner outfield. While his experience was limited to just 173 ⅔ innings across 20 games, Keaschall has patrolled centerfield for both the Double-A Wichita and High-A Cedar Rapids in 2024. In the long run, many baseball minds think he's destined to call the outfield grass his home, and a trade for Paredes could open a spot sooner rather than later. However, a left-handed hitting outfielder is not the only match the Twins have. The Astros have been tied to catchers Joey Bart, Christian Vazquez, and Victor Caratini this offseason to back up Yainer Diaz. While no reports have suggested the Twins are set on moving Ryan Jeffers, the signing of Caratini to a two-year, $14 million deal ahead of Jeffers final year of team control seems to suggest that's a distinct possibility. If they were to move Jeffers, that would make Caratini the primary backstop ahead of Alex Jackson. Paired with one of the mid or low value outfielders named earlier, the Astros could solve both of their needs while giving up Paredes and a mid-level prospect. Again, this is all under the assumption that Pohlad realizes this team, as-is, cannot truly compete in 2026. By acquiring Paredes, the Twins add a reliable bat to an offense that has been anything but. Do you think the Twins can compete in 2026? Do you think they should kick the tires on Paredes? Join the conversation in the comments! View full article

Seven Minnesota Twins are competing in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, including Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, Pablo Lopez, Luis Quinones, Dan Altavilla, and Matt Bowman. Here's a guide covering who's competing and the countries they're representing! View full video

The Minnesota Twins announced two wallet-friendly ticket packages to get fans back to Target Field this season. Will you take advantage of these limited-time offers? View full video