Cody Pirkl

Counter point: Twins sign the next Joey Gallo at $12m this winter and maintain the same payroll. That player is one of the worst players in baseball and gets a guaranteed roster spot all season because they're a veteran making money. Meanwhile 2024's version of Matt Wallner is stuck in St. Paul for half of the season and it's a terrible look when they finally get called up and have clearly been ready for months. We just saw it play out in 2023, just playing devils advocate. It's obviously unacceptable that the payroll appears to be getting cut. Sure these options already existed, but we know the Twins wouldn't have used them until they had no other choice if they signed potentially washed up veterans, regardless of performance on either end. I'd rather the Twins go out and sign Cody Bellinger for CF or Aaron Nola to replace Sonny Gray, but it doesn't appear that's going to happen, so these are the players that likely stand to benefit. Some of them could turn into valuable MLB players. That's worth discussing.

The negatives are obvious and will be discussed ad nauseam. Nobody is celebrating a decline in payroll. There are players that will benefit by getting an opportunity though, that's a fact. Those players are worth talking about. We don't need to spend the winter focusing on the negatives of the situation.

The Twins are cutting and potentially slashing payroll this winter. While this will undoubtedly result in a rightfully negative response, it will create opportunity. Which players stand to benefit from the Twins reducing payroll? Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports If the reports hold that the Twins are attempting to cut payroll from over $150m in 2023 to $125-140, the expectations for activity this offseason can be lowered significantly. The downside of this is obvious. The Twins likely can’t afford to bring in a proven slugger like Rhys Hoskins for first base. Safer Sonny Gray replacements, such as Eduardo Rodriguez or Aaron Nola, can be all but written off. There will be plenty of negativity around this news, and it’s all warranted. However, the payroll reduction will create opportunities for some players within the organization, likely the sole positive of pulling back on spending. Austin Martin With center field as one of the primary needs this offseason, Martin could be part of the solution. It would be great to sign Kevin Kiermaier or bring back Michael A. Taylor, but these names may price themselves out of the Twins' plans due to requiring multiple years or a one-year deal at a premium. Willi Castro became a passable center fielder in 2023, and they still hope that Byron Buxton will return to the field at some point. Austin Martin would be the fallback option, undoubtedly getting a big chance to stick in 2024 if everything stays the same. Martin slashed .263/.386/.405 in St. Paul last season, and the Twins are high on his ability to handle center. He stole 16 bases in 59 games, and his six homers were the most he’s hit in a season in professional ball. Martin’s skill set would be a great complement to the Twins' lineup with his ability to get on base and lack of strikeouts, and he could even become a platoon leadoff hitter against lefties if everything breaks right. Yunior Severino Even after Alex Kirilloff’s shoulder injury proved less significant than initially thought, the Twins likely need more confidence in the former top prospect’s ability to lock down first base for 2024. A right-handed option to platoon is a reasonable ask to insulate the position. Such a role may be less of a priority with limited funds available. Severino has little to prove after leading the minors with 35 homers in 2023. He got off to a rough start in his Triple-A debut but finished with a slash line of .233/.320/.511, and the Twins saw enough to add him to the 40-man roster after the season. Severino is a strikeout-prone light tower power hitter with a defensive profile likely to slot in best at first base. His ability to switch hit makes up for some of his lack of versatility, and he could carve out a career for himself as an all-or-nothing slugger capable of being a legitimate offensive weapon when he’s running hot. At 24 years old, Severino’s time may come in 2024, as the first call-up should Alex Kirilloff miss more time. Jair Camargo To combat the financial limitations, the Twins may not only spend less but look to shed salary from places they can afford to add elsewhere adequately. Should they decide to do so, Christian Vazquez becomes a prime candidate to ship out to another team. After not appearing in a single postseason game, it’s obvious Vazquez is the backup to Ryan Jeffers, and his total collapse offensively in 2023 makes him more replaceable despite his still great defense. Camargo profiles as a perfect backup catcher: He spent all of 2023 in St. Paul, hitting .259/.323/.503 with 21 homers in 90 games, he has received solid reviews on his defense and pitch calling, and his raw power gives him enough of a floor to be an asset to an MLB squad for several years. Camargo would likely debut in 2024 regardless after being added to the 40-man. Trading away an MLB catcher may push him onto the Opening Day roster. The Twins have internal options should they slash payroll, as in addition to the listed names above, they have several other young players on their way. Deshaun Kiersey Jr. may create a strong career for himself in center field. Several pitchers, such as David Festa, could see an earlier debut should the Twins shop in the bargain bin to replace Sonny Gray. At least with the deflating news comes the excitement of young players potentially debuting. Are there any other internal options that stand to benefit from the payroll decrease? Let us know below! View full article

Matt Wallner had a frustrating postseason debut in 2023, and many fans were rightfully disappointed. It’s worth noting that despite a poor stretch of five games, Wallner should have established himself as an exciting part of the 2024 lineup. Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson, USA Today Matt Wallner is a great story, being one of several native Minnesotans on the Twins roster in 2023. Many fans have been rooting for him since being drafted by the Twins 39th overall in 2019. His debut in 2022 left a lot of questions about his ability to hold up against MLB-level pitching. 2023 was far from perfect, but headed into 2024, Wallner should have fans feeling a bit better. Fans hate strikeouts. Twins fans especially do after watching the home team strike out a record number of times in 2023. They’ve also been subject to long stretches of hollow at-bats by hitters such as Miguel Sano and Joey Gallo in recent years, which has turned them particularly sour to whiffs. Strikeouts are a part of Matt Wallner’s game; there’s no way around it. Even in Triple-A, he struck out just a shade under 30% of the time in 2023. His 31.5% rate improved from the 38.5% he posted in limited action in 2022. The question with players like Matt Wallner isn’t whether they will strike out. It’s whether they make the strikeouts worth it. In 2023, Matt Wallner showed that he can make the trade-off worthwhile. In 254 plate appearances, Wallner slashed .249/.370/.507, good for 44% above the league average hitter. He walked 11% of the time and was on a 30+ homer pace for an entire season. Max Kepler had the lowest strikeout rate on the Twins, with a minimum of 250 plate appearances, and Wallner outpaced him in OPS .877 to .816. Matt Wallner’s 2023 is a prime example of how a high strikeout rate can be worth it. More encouraging even than Wallner cutting his strikeout rate from 2022 to 2023 is the fact that pitchers seemed to find a hole in his swing midseason, and Wallner was able to adjust back. The strikeouts became a focal point when Wallner went 0-16 with eight strikeouts from September 5-10, causing some to wonder whether we were watching things play out similarly to Trevor Larnach earlier in the season. Wallner took a day off to make some adjustments and finished the season, slashing .354/.456/.646 with a 28% strikeout rate. As a hitter who tries to wait out the pitcher to make a mistake, the strikeouts go hand in hand with the power and walks. Anything close that he doesn’t want to hit, he’ll spit on. Sometimes, he’ll miss pitches in the zone with two strikes, leading to higher strikeout rates. It’s an approach that could become a lot easier to accept if the Twins don’t have such a strikeout-heavy team in 2024. Joey Gallo and his 42.8% strikeout rate will be off the roster next season. Michael A. Taylor and his 33.5% strikeout rate may be as well. With fewer all-or-nothing hitters in the lineup regularly, Wallner should be a better complementary hitter in the Twins lineup, especially when contact specialists such as Brooks Lee and Austin Martin debut. It’s still a limited number of at-bats for Wallner in his career, but the high ceiling he’s shown, along with the ability to adjust, should be very encouraging. He may always be prone to stretches of low points to go along with the highs, but the hope is that as he develops, he becomes more consistent and continues to be able to adjust back to opposing pitchers. Five games in October shouldn’t warp fans' view of Matt Wallner. He had an unbelievable year, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t have a chance at an everyday role in 2024. Is he due for regression? Could he possibly even improve upon his impressive 2023? Let us know below! View full article

The Twins have a history of turning former starters into top-tier relievers. Matt Canterino will be back from Tommy John surgery in 2024. Could the Twins make this transition once again? Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge Matt Canterino’s nasty stuff has been advertised to fans since he was drafted in the second round in 2019. The former Rice pitcher threw many collegiate innings, and it’s possible this finally caught up to him in 2022. Could Canterino transition to a bullpen role and impact the 2024 Twins? The concept of taking Canterino out of a starting role is difficult to imagine, given his repertoire and the success it’s brought him in the minor leagues. With a mid-90s fastball and formidable slider and changeup, he has everything he needs to carve through opposing lineups. He’s struck out well over one-third of the hitters he’s faced in the minor leagues and made it as far as Double-A. What sense does it make then to move Canterino out of a starting job? The concern at this point has to be creating an innings floor for Canterino. His career high in innings for a given year was the 37 he threw in 2022 before requiring elbow surgery. While the hope is that this has finally fixed the problems that have kept him off the field, his workload must be managed carefully. It’s hard to say where his innings limit will be, but it’s possibly well under 100 to ensure he’s healthy moving forward. The problem here is that even if the Twins' eyes are on a 2025 debut for Canterino in the rotation, his inning cap – even if all goes well – is likely only over 100 innings. No matter how effective he is, he wouldn’t be available for the entire season. That’s also assuming he stays healthy for an entire season for the first time in his professional career. The Twins could look to play the long game in pursuit of the top-tier starting pitcher Canterino could become, but the issue is that he’ll already be 26 years old in 2024. Next year will mark five years since Canterino was drafted, and it may be time for the Twins to rush him to the majors to help the big league club. We saw this play out most recently with Jhoan Duran. The Twins saw his numbers and raw stuff and determined they were better off letting him impact the MLB club rather than continuing to gamble on everything breaking the right way in the minor leagues. While Canterino doesn’t throw 104 with a 98 mph splitter, he could have a significant impact in a bullpen role. For how dominant he was in the minor leagues as a starting pitcher, it’s easy to see Canterino taking a bullpen role and running with it. More velocity on the fastball and being able to focus on the best possible pitch for each hitter rather than trying to mix things up for another trip through the lineup could make him another bullpen monster. It’s also a role that some scouts thought he would eventually settle into when drafted. Aside from his raw stuff, the funky delivery adds another element that would undoubtedly play up in short stints. It’s unclear what the Twins have in mind with Matt Canterino headed into 2024, but they may have seen enough talent from him that they’re confident he can get MLB hitters out once he shakes off some rust next season. The quickest way for him to be a contributor would be a shift to the bullpen, where the Twins rarely invest in the trade and free-agent market. Could Matt Canterino make the bullpen transition in 2024? View full article

Sonny Gray allowed 8 homers all year. Joe Ryan is never going to suppress the long ball at that rate

That's basically what this article says, not sure who's spoiled for suggesting this?

He had an ERA above 6 in the second half. I'll bet you the Twins and Joe Ryan himself would say he needs to bounce back from that.

Joe Ryan had an uneven 2023 season. After being one of the best pitchers in the AL in the first half, he was a completely different pitcher down the stretch. Where does he go from here? Joe Ryan's struggles are easy to summarize. In the first half of the season, he threw 107 innings with a 3.70 ERA and allowed 16 homers. In the second half, he threw 54 innings with a 6.09 ERA while allowing 16 homers in about half the time. It would be easy to say he needs to give up fewer homers, but the trick for Ryan is to find out how to achieve that goal. The knock on Joe Ryan throughout his minor league career was that he was too fastball-heavy and bound to be homer-prone. Through two seasons, this has proven to be true. Ryan still throws his fastball over half the time. While it's still a unique pitch that induces swings and misses, it's hard to deny that, as the league has seen it multiple times, they've found a way not to be fooled. Luckily, Ryan and the Twins have worked to add variety to his repertoire. First, in 2022, it was the sweeper, and in 2023, a split changeup became his second most used pitch. These different pitches have added different layers to Ryan's pitch mix for opposing teams to worry about, but neither has yet to emerge as a dominant offering thus far. Ryan was known to use almost purely fastball in the minors, so it's unsurprising that he hasn't picked up a new grip and immediately found a wipeout secondary. Pitching is always a work in progress, and Joe Ryan may be playing catchup when it comes to his offspeed pitches. Fortunately, Ryan and the Twins are investing plenty of resources into his development. Ryan spent time last offseason at Driveline, and things were paying off significantly during the first half. The facility helps pitchers tweak pitch characteristics and general mechanics, and another offseason of Ryan working to develop his offspeed stuff under their guidance can only help. They'll likely tweak the pitches he already has. They may even work on adding another. We may have to wait until the spring to find out. In addition to pitching specific endeavors, Driveline also works with players to help them physically get in the right place to endure a 162-game season. Health is an underrated factor for Joe Ryan headed into 2024. His dominant first half seemed so long ago, and many fans forget that the real turning point in his season was a groin injury that sent him to the IL. He was never the same after that point. It's reasonable to say that Ryan's injury had much to do with his sharp decline in the second half. He had a clean bill of health throughout his professional career before his IL trip in 2023, and the hope is that the injury was just a blip on the radar. He'll have a typical offseason to prepare for another grind in 2024, and Driveline may also assist in this. Joe Ryan will never be Sonny Gray when it comes to suppressing homers, but the degree to which he allows the long ball will determine what level of success he finds moving forward. His first half in 2023 wasn't smoke and mirrors. He was a dominant pitcher even as he continued to find consistency in his offspeed pitches. The hope is that further development and returning to good health can help Joe Ryan return to form and be the mid to high-end starting pitcher the Twins need. It's possible that Joe Ryan doesn't just return to form but has another level to reach. 2024 will tell us a lot about him. View full article

The Twins showed their hand this offseason when Ryan Jeffers started every game. With Christian Vázquez under contract through 2025, the Twins could have a compelling offseason regarding the catching tandem in place. Image courtesy of Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports Christian Vázquez struggled significantly at the plate throughout much of 2023. His down year came to a head in the postseason, where his lack of a single appearance confirmed that he's undoubtedly the backup to Ryan Jeffers moving forward. On the wrong side of 30 years of age, and with multiple years of a relatively high salary remaining, could the Twins shake up the catching mix this winter? The Twins aggressively pursued Christian Vázquez last winter, eventually signing him to a 3-year, $30m contract to ensure he came to Minnesota. The bottom fell out in the deal's first year, as Vázquez posted a .598 OPS. His barrel rate plummeted to just 3.2%, and he struck out a career-high 23.1% of the time. At 32 years of age, it's fair to wonder whether this was a skills decline rather than just a down year. To the credit of Vázquez, he was still a plus defender behind the plate, something that the Twins indeed value for good reason. His blocking and framing were still excellent, even if his pop time declined. The defense is a significant consideration for two reasons. From the Twins' perspective, it may help bridge the gap between his offensive decline and the price tag. We know by now that the Twins believe in a near timeshare behind the plate to keep their catchers fresh. As long as Vázquez remains a plus defender, he'll likely still be seen as a perfectly viable option to start roughly half of the time in 2024. On the other hand, the defense could offer one final chance for the Twins to get out of the remaining $20m through 2025. After such a down year offensively, it may be hard to envision teams lining up to trade for Christian Vázquez, but it's not impossible. Just one offseason ago, the Twins had to go to great lengths to outbid multiple other teams. It may be tempting if they're willing to pay down at least some of the money to trade him and have a few million to spend elsewhere. When it comes to backup catchers, there are always plenty of options. Another significant factor in how the Twins pursue the catching position for 2024 likely has much to do with their opinion of Jair Camargo. The 24-year-old spent all of 2024 in St. Paul with a league-average .253/.323/.503 slash line. He slugged 21 homers with adequate defense behind the plate. He may not be a top prospect, but if the Twins believe he can hold his own offensively and play passable defense, he would likely be a fine backup catcher. The allure of this scenario is that Camargo would make the league minimum instead of $10m. The Twins could sign another glove-first backup at a more appropriate price tag, with Camargo still waiting in the wings in the event of injury. There may not be exciting names hitting the open market to replace Vázquez. Still, a player such as Victor Caratini could make sense as a switch hitter who provided near-league-average offense and plus defense last season and still won't break the bank. The Twins will have to decide this winter whether so much shuffling would be worth it at such a low-impact position. With revenues likely to decline with the TV network situation, it could be a reasonable way to save a few million. It's also possible they still see Vázquez as worthy of his $10m price tag, which would be fair given his strong defense. Perhaps they even project him to bounce back to some degree with the bat in 2024. After signing a sizeable three-year deal, it's been an odd first year for Christian Vázquez. Should the Twins look to move on from Christian Vázquez in 2024 to reallocate some payroll? Do they have what they need in Jair Camargo, or can they find another worthy replacement? Let us know below! View full article

Injuries, unfortunately, are nothing new to the Twins. Depth became key in 2023, as the front office looked to insulate several positions with high-risk players. In 2024, first base should be added to that list. Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Production-wise, 2023 was a successful season for Alex Kirilloff. The former top prospect bounced back from years of wrist issues that kept him off the field. His overall offense was 20% above the league-average hitter. While the wrist finally held up, a shoulder issue emerged, first sending him to the IL midseason, and then knocking him out of the ALDS. Unfortunately at this point, the Twins need to be careful with how much they expect to get out of the former first-round pick. 2023 was surely a major step forward for Kirilloff’s health, appearing in 108 games, his most since 2018. While this can be considered a positive, the fact that his season ended in injury yet again is difficult to ignore. He’ll spend his offseason rehabbing a surgically repaired shoulder, and his readiness for day one of the 2024 season isn’t guaranteed. We all love Kirilloff after having watched him ascend through the organization across so many years, but relying on him being durable and effective in 2024 is too much of a risk. First base is one of the easiest positions to find help. Offense is the number one factor, with gold glove-caliber defense rarely being a priority. In addition to there often being many available options that are pure first basemen, it’s also a position that former outfielders and other position players will transition to relatively often. Regardless of how the Twins see Kirilloff, first base will certainly be a spot to add to with Joey Gallo and Donovan Solano departing. The question becomes whether they add platoon/depth pieces, or if they pursue top-tier contributors. They could look to add someone like Garrett Cooper or CJ Cron on cheap deals to platoon. The risk of course is the possibility that Kirilloff continues to miss time and these players find themselves in a much bigger role than intended. Perhaps someone like Edouard Julien is trusted at first base more in 2024, making this route more viable. The Twins could also look to make an addition that immediately becomes a key offensive piece. If they were to sign someone like Rhys Hoskins to a deal, the Twins would be making a legitimate full-time addition to the lineup. Hoskins has a career .846 OPS and would add a hulking right-handed bat to a lineup that has needed more thump against left-handed pitchers for years. It may make Kirilloff’s path to everyday playing time a bit more narrow, but he was often platooned even when he was healthy and productive. The Twins can also utilize the DH spot to make it work. The Twins have found themselves in a familiar situation. First base may not be quite at the level of center field, where they have to plan for the backup potentially becoming a full time player, but there are significant question marks for Alex Kirilloff headed into 2024. As a team looking to compete for a second consecutive division title, and a young core that could carry them into October as they develop, the Twins can’t afford to downplay the uncertainty at a position that’s so easy to insulate. Should the Twins be wary of trusting Alex Kirilloff too much headed into 2024? Should they be looking to make a modest addition to first base, or a major splash to make sure the position is completely covered? Let us know below! View full article

The Twins 2023 season is hard to look at as anything but a success. With the playoff curse behind them and a new core arriving, they’ll be looking to build on 2023 next year. Consistency on offense should be a priority, but how can they do it? Image courtesy of Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports The Twins had a good offense in 2023, finishing seventh in all of baseball by OPS and 10th in runs scored. As fans surely remember, they accomplished this by following up a .709 OPS in the first half with a .809 OPS in the second half. Despite this marked improvement and solid overall numbers, consistency always seemed to be lacking to some degree, and this really showed up in the postseason. How might they improve this over the offseason? Cut The Strikeouts The Twins set the all-time record for strikeouts in the regular season with 1654. Based on their final offensive numbers for the season, it’s easy to say this wasn’t a major problem, but it was clearly this team’s biggest issue. Far too often did the lineup fall into a rut of hitter after hitter failing to put the ball in play. Based on their strong second half, the hope was that they could overcome this record-setting flaw, but their playoff performance showed that this is a tall task. True to their offensive identity, the Twins struck out 28 times in their final two postseason games in front of the home crowd, an untenable 52% strikeout rate. It was an offensive formula Twins fans watched plenty often in 2023, and it leaves so little margin for error that fixing it should be priority number one this offseason. There were rumblings of the scouting approach or overall team philosophy being a problem in the first half that could certainly be tweaked. The front office could also do a better job of the personnel they’re targeting in avoiding the Joey Gallo types this winter. By all accounts, the Twins expected to be top 10 in the league in strikeouts from day one in 2023. They don’t need to model their team after the Cleveland Guardians, but perhaps they should challenge themselves to not have such low expectations in the strikeout category in 2024. Development of Youth The Twins were undoubtedly saved by the next offensive core that emerged in 2023. There’s no doubt the offense remains stagnant without the emergence of Edouard Julien, Royce Lewis, Matt Wallner, etc. While prospect development isn’t linear, the Twins have several young players who have flashed their star power and ability to adjust. Royce Lewis showed strides in plate discipline down the stretch that he’ll hope to build off of, and perhaps a normal offseason and being another year out from ACL surgery keep him healthier for the grind of a full season. Edouard Julien emerged as a postseason star, and his plate discipline and power should only continue to improve as he prepares for a full-time role in 2024. Matt Wallner fell into a deep pit of strikeouts in early September and was able to adjust back in less than a week. It’s hard to deny that the Twins best hitters were rookies in 2023. If they stay at the same level the Twins will be formidable in 2024. It’s easy to see a scenario where they improve and bring the offense to a whole new level. New Faces As always, the departure of several players will bring new additions from the trade and free-agent market. It’s become nearly impossible to predict what this front office has in store, but additions to the outfield and infield are certainly in the cards. Effectively rounding out the roster around the emerging rookies that weren’t yet factors last offseason will be key. The Twins may see another emergence of youth in 2024 as well. Several young players are on the doorstep of the MLB and will surely make their debuts next season. From the power profile of Yunior Severino, to Austin Martin’s on-base and speed combo , to Brooks Lee’s well-rounded profile making him a top-20 prospect in all of baseball, the Twins have no shortage of candidates to come up and help the team next season. While the Twins are sure to add to the pitching staff in some fashion, it’s hard to deny that building a more consistent offense should be priority number one in 2024. What the team accomplished with record-breaking strikeout numbers is impressive, and it’s interesting to consider how much more effective the offense can be with a bit more balance. Hopefully, in 2024, Twins Territory will find out. View full article

Rarely do teams slug their way to postseason success, as October always features some of the biggest arms in baseball to help suppress offenses. Through their first two games, the Twins have shown that their pitching staff should be able to hang with the best of them. Image courtesy of Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports Pitching has been a question mark for the Twins seemingly forever. After showing what looked to be a Top 5 staff in baseball in the first half, they came back down to earth after the All-Star break after injuries and a bit of regression hit. With a few pieces missing and a lack of deadline moves, the Twins hinged on several players returning in good health at he top of their game, and through the first round of the playoffs, it looks like the bet paid off in a big way. While the Blue Jays offense is far from a juggernaut, they were comfortably a lineup in the top half of the league ranking 11th in OPS at .745. In two games against this lineup, the Twins pitching staff was utterly dominant. The pairing of Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray was predictably formidable, but the bullpen is where the Twins' stable of arms really answered a lot of necessary questions. The Twins leaned on their bullpen for 7 1/3 innings, allowing just five hits, one walk, and striking out 10. Perhaps more impressive than the pitching lines was how dominant each arm looked when called upon. It goes without saying, this is a bullpen unlike any we’ve ever witnessed in Twins territory. For years it seems Twins fans have watched opposing postseason-caliber bullpens be called upon with a stable of arms capable of approaching triple digits, wondering how this was even possible. Those days are now over. From Brock Stewart and Louie Varland to Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran, the Twins' postseason bullpen looks every bit the part. It seems just yesterday that the Twins' main targets were soft-tossing, pitch-to-contact, ground ball specialists. Skipping ahead to 2023, the Twins reliever with the lowest average fastball velocity to appear in either game was Caleb Thielbar averaging 93.8 in Game 2. This isn’t the mid-2000s Twins anymore. Beyond the pitchers who dominated in the first round, the Twins have yet to turn to other pitchers who have dominated to varying degrees such as Chris Paddack, Kody Funderburk, and Emilio Pagán, each of whom we’ll likely see at some point against Houston in the coming days. The playoffs are random, but the Twins have the tools to compete in an atmosphere so often dominated by pitching staffs. With two legitimate top-of-the-rotation options to lead what is finally a dominant, high-octane bullpen, fans should have a reason to believe that the Twins are legitimate contenders to go on a run for a few weeks, which is all it takes in the postseason. There are no assurances in October, but the Twins have put together a pitching staff worthy of hanging our hopes on. Regardless of where the season goes from here, it’s worth celebrating. It’s time for Twins fans to sit back and enjoy the smoke being thrown on a daily basis. View full article

St. Paul had an impressive list of top prospects pass through this season. The downside of the big names hanging around is some performances were underappreciated. Three players in particular deserved a lot more attention. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Michael Helman) Just because a player isn’t on top 100 prospect lists doesn’t mean they have no chance to impact their Major League roster. In addition to several global top prospects who are sure to have a future with the Twins, a trio of less-known names will be pushing for a shot in 2024. It should be interesting to see how things play out. Anthony Prato The former 7th-round pick Anthony Prato looked like a success story throughout his professional career through 2022, but what he did in 2023 was different. After a disappointing start with a .553 OPS in Double-A, Prato was promoted to St. Paul and never looked back. He wound up finishing the season slashing .302/.452/.539 with 10 homers and 10 steals with the Saints. He walked nearly 20% of the time while bouncing around the infield and outfield. Between his plate skills and defensive versatility, Prato looks like a legitimate option for a super-utility role. The issue, of course, is finding room for him. With several top prospects on the verge of debuts and some such as Royce Lewis and Edouard Julien already having arrived, the opportunity is slim before even mentioning the assumed return of Willi Castro in 2024. Prato is Rule 5 eligible this winter, and it’s very possible a team will take a shot on him if the Twins don’t have 40 man space. Prato deserves a shot somewhere. Michael Helman Helman had a very unfortunate season from an injury standpoint, as his right-handed bat almost surely would’ve been called upon by the Twins had he been available. After a 20-homer, 40-steal season between Wichita and St. Paul in 2022, Helman showed more of the same when healthy in 2023. Between three levels, Helman hit seven homers and stole eight bags in just over 150 plate appearances. A shoulder injury caused him to miss significant time, but he hit .296/.356/.546 with the Saints. There’s no way the Twins couldn’t have found him a spot during their offensive outage of the first half, especially when they were so in need of right-handed options. Like Prato, Helman can play just about anywhere, including shortstop in a pinch. Turning 28 next year, it’s time he gets a shot somewhere, and he’s Rule 5 eligible as well. Perhaps his lack of volume this year keeps him from getting snagged, and the hope is that a healthy 2024 gives him an opportunity to make his debut if he sticks around in the Twins system. Jair Camargo It was pretty surprising that Camargo didn’t debut this season, but the Twins were incredibly fortunate with the health of their catching duo of Christian Vázquez and Ryan Jeffers. Camargo held up his end of deserving a promotion, socking 21 homers and posting an .826 OPS from behind the plate in 2023. He has the profile of a solid backup catcher at the major-league level with his passable defense, strikeout concerns, and thunderous bat when he gets his pitch to hit. The question in 2024 will be whether the Twins trust Ryan Jeffers to take over the lion’s share of appearances behind the plate. Both defensively and offensively, Jeffers has blown Christian Vázquez out of the water, and he’s the younger option. Some have suggested that the Twins should shop Vázquez and see how much they’d have to pay to unload the remaining two years, $20 million elsewhere since it’s possible Jeffers playing time increases to a point where that dollar amount isn’t justified. If the Twins trust Jeffers to catch 60-70% of the innings behind the plate, The bar to clear for the other half of the tandem becomes lower, and Camargo is deserving of an opportunity to fill a modest role in the big leagues. A lot would have to change, but hopefully, Camargo can find a way onto the big league roster at some point in 2024. The Saints had an incredible season. Hopefully, several future pieces emerge as part of the Twins' future from the 2023 Saints roster. We know plenty of top prospects such as Brooks Lee, David Festa etc. Some of the underrated prospects deserve a lot of attention too. View full article

Misfortune has hit the playoff-bound Twins again, as Carlos Correa has hit the IL, and Royce Lewis suffered a hamstring injury in Tuesday’s contest. If either is unavailable for the playoffs, the Twins need to prepare for drastic measures. Image courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports The Twins had lofty goals of establishing a sea of roster depth heading into 2023 and were successful in doing so. They’ve held onto struggling veterans all season, sometimes at the expense of younger, better players to ensure they avoid a repeat of the 2022 collapse. The marathon is ending, and as they finish the home stretch of the regular season and approach the postseason, it’s time for a change in philosophy. Along with the misfortune of the Twins potentially losing their starting shortstop and third baseman, comes a bit of good fortune in regard to who can qualify for a postseason roster. Any player in the organization can be deemed eligible for postseason play as long as they were in the organization as of September 1 and are replacing an injured player. This includes legitimate prospects who are big parts of the Twins' future, such as Brooks Lee. One could argue that Brooks Lee has had something of a down season relative to his debut in 2022. That does include an .841 OPS in Double-A, even if his .708 OPS with St. Paul leaves much to be desired. So why should Lee get the call when it appears he has work left to do with the Saints? If the Twins are without Carlos Correa for the playoffs, very much still an if at this point, this likely pushes Kyle Farmer into a full-time role at shortstop. While Farmer has certainly been a solid contributor to the Twins this season, he’s far from a player you want starting every day, especially in the postseason. Farmer’s .708 OPS is a slight improvement on his 2022 numbers, but there are several things to consider before handing him the keys to a starting job when it matters most. He’s always been a lefty masher, and while that wasn’t quite true to the same degree this year, he was still nearly 20% above league average against southpaws. He’s a valuable piece to be able to pull off the bench in a big spot, especially now that Jordan Luplow is likely out of the picture. Farmer has also posted a .687 OPS against righties this season, a number that suggests tough times ahead when the Twins are facing an opposing team’s best pitchers, many of which will be right-handed. There are going to be games where Christian Vázquez and Kyle Farmer are paired together at the bottom of the order, likely making the trip through the bottom of the lineup a cakewalk for opposing pitchers. So why should we expect Brooks Lee to do any better? For as much as it looks like Lee has to prove in the minor leagues, nearly all of this has to do with hitting left-handed pitching. Lee has posted a .607 OPS against left-handed pitchers, and an .866 against righties. It sets up a perfect situation where he could be lifted for Farmer later in games should a big spot arise with a left-handed reliever coming in. It seems like a tall task, but if anyone is up to it, why wouldn’t it be top prospect Brooks Lee? For anyone thinking “The Twins would never do this”, they found themselves in a similar situation in 2020 when Josh Donaldson and Byron Buxton weren’t able to play in the three-game playoff. Alex Kirilloff made his MLB debut in the postseason having not played above Double-A, and not having played organized ball at all that year due to the pandemic shutdown. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and in this case, the Twins still have a week plus to call Lee up and get his feet wet in an MLB atmosphere. It may seem like a panic response, but Kyle Farmer as the Twins potential everyday postseason shortstop just isn’t a good scenario. Likely to contribute nothing offensively against what will likely be right-handed heavy pitching staffs, the downside is as low as it gets, and the upside is extremely limited. That’s not to say Brooks Lee’s floor is any higher, but at least he has the potential of a top prospect and a track record of mashing southpaws. The potential for him to meaningfully impact a postseason contest should outweigh what will likely be a zero offensively paired with merely capable defense from Kyle Farmer. Hopefully, it’s all a non-factor, and Carlos Correa is ready to return come October. It doesn’t hurt to plan for a worst-case scenario though. Brooks Lee is a legitimate piece of the Twins future, and even if he comes up for this stretch and begins next season back in the minors for a bit, it’s hard to imagine the experience hurting him. The Twins have spent much of the season conceding to veterans and their experience. Now that the playoffs near, the possibility of Brooks Lee’s talent shining and impacting a postseason game should outweigh the veteran status and perceived “safety” of someone like Kyle Farmer. Do you agree? View full article