Cody Pirkl

The Sheriff is sticking on the Twins roster for the 2025 season, it seems, despite a winter of wondering whether he could get dealt elsewhere. Is this the season he puts it all together? Image courtesy of Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports Chris Paddack’s future with the Twins seemed in question at the end of last season. His year was cut short by a forearm injury, and his reasonable price tag was an appealing possible way for the Twins front office to shed some salary. Paddack has made it through the offseason, though, and is set to make the Twins roster when the team heads north. His time with the Twins has been uneventful and underwhelming so far, but there’s reason to believe Paddack can make an impact with the Twins in 2025. For a team that’s usually so cautious regarding injuries, the Twins’ usage of Paddack in 2024 was surprising. He had no restrictions coming into the season, despite missing most of 2023 while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. He showed plenty of upside at times, but looked to run out of gas on other occasions as his fastball velocity dipped. The average velocity of 93.3 mph on his fastball was the lowest of his career, and his year was cut short by a strained forearm from which he never made it back. Paddack being another year removed from Tommy John is the biggest reason to hope for a rebound. It often takes this long for pitchers to build back up entirely, and in Paddack’s case, it was his second go-round. While his 2024 season was inconsistent, he showed that he didn’t lose the raw talent in his arm. The Twins have a wealth of youthful depth pieces for the rotation, and there’s an argument to be made that someone like David Festa deserves a rotation spot from Day 1 over Paddack. However, Paddack is being paid $7.5 million and will be given every opportunity to hold a rotation spot. It’s a (potentially) mutually beneficial situation, as the Twins can get their money’s worth out of Paddack filling innings as even an average back-end starter, and Paddack can rebuild some value before hitting the free agent market for the first time in his career next winter. There’s a scenario where Paddack returns significant excess value on the Twins’ investment in him. Even last season, when his velocity was down and his typically dominant changeup underperformed, Paddack’s peripherals pointed to a deserved ERA in the mid-4s, even though it was closer to 5.00. Even without him building off last season, those would be respectable numbers for a back-end starting pitcher if he can throw even 130 innings. We’ve seen multiple occasions this offseason where back-end starters with similar numbers are getting $10-15 million. There’s also a scenario where Paddack becomes an option out of the Twins bullpen. The Twins' relief corps is likely full to begin this season, but the bullpen has no shortage of arms who may miss time with a legitimate injury or simply need a breather at points in the season. If Paddack struggles in the rotation, the Twins would certainly be incentivized to try him in the bullpen due to his salary, and 2023 gave them a glimpse of what he can be in short bursts. The number-one hope for Paddack in 2025 is, of course, health. We’ve seen the flashes of the talent he showed early in his career, and if he's able to take the mound regularly, Paddack is sure to contribute to the Twins’ pitching staff in some fashion. Do you believe in a Chris Paddack bounceback? Should Paddack be given a rotation spot to open the season, or should it be an open competition—or outright given to one of the younger options who shined down the stretch in 2024? Let us know below! View full article

The Twins spent a meager $1 million to bring in a new first-base candidate, on a non-guaranteed deal. It feels like the investment of playing time and faith will be greater than that, though. Should we be concerned about how the Twins are handling first base? Image courtesy of © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images The last time Ty France put up a strong offensive stat line for a first baseman was in 2022. When the Twins signed him to a minuscule, non-guaranteed deal this week, it made good sense. At 30 years old, France could have a bounce-back performance, and the Twins needed some competition for José Miranda at first base. Now that more information is coming out, it seems as though the Twins are enormous fans of France. That could be a problem. It sounds like France’s non-guaranteed deal was only classified that way as a formality. After France couldn’t find a job all offseason and 29 other teams declined to guarantee him a deal, the Twins see him as a near-everyday player. It’s great that the Twins have high hopes for France, but him being a perceived veteran option could turn out to be a problem, based on the track record of the Derek Falvey regime. At this point, it’s safe to say that the Twins value veteran status exceptionally highly. Having strong leadership and a wealth of experience is undoubtedly valuable, but the Twins have taken it a bit too far at times. It seems that every season, there are at least a few veterans who receive opportunities beyond what they’ve earned through their performance. These occasions often come at the expense of younger players with more hypothetical upside, or just wind up feeling like poor uses of roster spots. To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with giving France an opportunity. The problem is in the Twins' history of handling these types of players. There is little evidence of this regime being able to have a quick hook when it comes to poor-performing veterans. In France’s case, it sounds like he’s already been awarded a significant role with the team, despite being two full seasons removed from being an impact player. Miranda, admittedly, doesn't have a wealth of experience playing first base. Still, many defensive metrics indicate that France is a worse defender. The Twins must turn a new leaf and be well prepared to make a difficult decision if France isn’t right to begin the season. His experience and the team’s lack of a well-prepared alternative would make it difficult for them. Getting poor offensive and defensive output at first base for a significant chunk of the season would simply be too damaging to a roster that didn’t have the capital to make major additions elsewhere this winter. We do have to wonder, too, whether this amounts to an important schism between Baldelli and the front office. There's no way for an executive to more clearly send the message that a player is fungible than by signing them to a rare, uniquely low-ceiling and team-friendly contract. For Baldelli to signal an expectation of plugging in such a player every day creates some unavoidable cognitive dissonance. How much of this problem, over the years, has been about the front office—and how much has been Baldelli cleaving too tightly to veterans, perhaps using his own influence to fight off Falvey's efforts to move out non-producers? Is this a source of real or potential friction between the skipper and his bosses? Hopefully, France will have a resurgent season, and the Twins' belief in him will be justified. If that isn’t the case, the team needs to do what they’ve struggled to do in the past and not let their miscalculation cost them too significantly. Whether that comes down to the manager or the front office, however, is hard to discern—and that makes it hard to feel much confidence that they'll break their pattern if things go poorly. View full article

Trades have been part of the process for what it's worth. I can't help but wonder if the FO just thinks their ability to find diamonds in the rough is better than it actually is.

The Twins have made a series of moves in the last few weeks, but each has been an incremental improvement on existing depth. The front office remains more interested in setting the floor of the roster than pursuing upside. Is that the right choice? Image courtesy of © Katie Stratman-Imagn Images The Twins signed Ty France to a one-year big-league deal on Wednesday, and he’ll likely see quite a bit of time at first base to begin the season. France may have experience at first base, but he doesn't offer any more defensive competence, athleticism, or offensive upside than Jose Miranda, who was already on the roster. It’s another late-offseason addition by the front office, meant to fill out the roster's margins. Is this the process they should have used this winter? The Twins front office has repeatedly demonstrated a compulsion to set a floor at each key place on their roster in recent seasons. With a lineup of players bound to miss some time, fill-ins must be ready, should they be needed. Valuable players on the margins of the roster are a nice bonus. It’s a good process, in theory, but we’ve seen these types of moves make very little difference most years, and in 2024, they arguably did more harm than good. The Twins' class of 2024 floor joists was forgettable. Anthony DeSclefani, brought in to eat a few innings at the back end of the rotation, never threw a pitch. Manuel Margot, brought in to back up Byron Buxton in center field, had a nightmarish season while also playing semi-regularly, due to injuries. Kyle Farmer, whose option was picked up to back up Carlos Correa, wasn’t trusted at shortstop when he was needed and had a disastrous season at the plate. When it came time for the “floor players” to contribute to the team, they weren’t up to the task. This winter, the team lost everyday right fielder Max Kepler and first baseman Carlos Santana, who had sometimes helped carry the lineup. With a roster still consisting of several players who are likely to miss some time, the roster looks pretty scary when projecting what it may look like if they do. Players brought in to “raise the floor” of the roster typically come with a low floor (and low ceiling) themselves, which can be seen in all three Twins signings so far. Danny Coulombe is a 35-year-old soft-tossing lefty with the upside of becoming a secondary setup man. Harrison Bader’s upside is based almost solely on his defensive value, as it’s hard to plan on more than league-average offense at this point in his career. It’s been two years since Ty France has put up offensive stat lines that are acceptable for a primary first baseman. In small, well-crafted roles, these guys can be positive contributors, but the odds are that they will either be forced into larger, less well-crafted roles than expected or fall short of even their modest projected production. We don’t know the dynamics of the free-agent market, or even how the suddenly fluid payroll situation has evolved over the offseason. However, it’s still fair to wonder whether the money spent this winter could have been more effectively allocated elsewhere. Does this trio make the Twins a better team than, say, combining all of that money for Paul Goldschmidt and relying on internal options for backup outfield help and hoping to fall sideways into a left-handed reliever? Time is the only way to say for certain, but the Twins' current front office has shown us through the years that their ability to find impact in the lower tiers of free agency is extremely inconsistent. We should, at least, be happy with the Twins' surprising ability to make additions so far this winter. That being said, the bitter taste of 2024 is still fresh. With the payroll situation, it’s likely a waste to ask for more, but it would be hard to blame fans for asking for something different. Should the Twins have aimed for quality over quantity this offseason? View full article

The Twins made another signing on Wednesday, and their payroll is well above what many would expect it to be as spring training nears. Has a surprising team emerged as a target to shed salary? Image courtesy of © D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images It’s hard to imagine a world where the Twins stand pat with their roster after signing Harrison Bader on Wednesday, as they’re nearing $20 million over what ownership’s preferred payroll seemed to be. Even if they have a bit more than we previously believed in terms of flexibility, they need to trim somewhere. Meanwhile, the Miami Marlins have a minuscule payroll, and may want to add to their rotation. Is there a fit? Before things fell through, the Twins reportedly talked with the Padres to shed some salary by moving Christian Vázquez’s contract. After making several additions to the major-league roster recently, they may have to revisit their options to shed salary. The Vázquez ship has likely sailed, and now it may be time to look at options with Chris Paddack. Paddack had a disappointing season in 2024, his first full one after his second Tommy John surgery. Still, the going rate for a back-end starting pitcher in this landscape is much higher than the $7.25 million he’s owed. A bounce-back season could also be in the cards; we often see such things two years out from Tommy John. The Twins' rotation depth may make Paddack the easiest option to save some money on, and one team could be a fit. The Miami Marlins could be looking to add to their rotation. With a pitching staff decimated by injuries in recent seasons, they may simply be looking to add innings to make it through the season. In a marketplace where Alex Cobb and Matthew Boyd each get roughly $15 million per year, though, simply going out and signing a free agent may be more of an expense than the Marlins would like, considering they plan to finish in last place. They may, instead, turn to the trade market. In Paddack, the Marlins can get a rotation candidate to eat at least a few innings. He's shown substantial upside at times in his career, when healthy. Not only could he be acquired cheaply, but they would also have the ability to trade him at the deadline if he returns to form. The Fish would welcome a modest addition to their payroll, considering the MLB Players Association has begun to complain about the payrolls of teams like the Oakland A’s in years past. The Marlins currently project a payroll of just over $43 million, according to Spotrac, and are also already on the union's radar as potential violators of rules about how teams must use proceeds from competitive-balance tax payouts and revenue-sharing receipts. Will dumping Paddack’s salary make the Twins a better team? Not unless you expect arms like David Festa or Zebby Matthews to be better rotation fillers than Paddack. Unfortunately, it’s possible that the additions of Danny Coulombe and Harrison Bader always relied on the Twins' shedding salary. It’s a good bet to say a money-saving tactic is on the horizon. It's also perfectly plausible that both Festa and Matthews will be better than Paddack in 2025, even if that says as much about Paddack as about the young hurlers. Could the Twins and Marlins link again on a low-wattage, salary-dumping trade? Should the Twins even be prioritizing such a move? Let us know below! View full article

The Twins have added very little to their bullpen again this winter and, in the last week, have watched division rivals make some potential impact additions to their relief corps. Are the Twins treating the bullpen the right way? Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-Imagn Images All three of the other competitors have made impact additions to their bullpens in the last few days after each finishing above the Twins in the 2024 standings. The Twins rarely add relief pitching and certainly weren’t expected to do so this winter with a limited payroll. As the former basement dwellers of the AL Central improve their bullpens, are the Twins justified in standing pat? The Royals and Tigers have built up to the point the Twins have been at for years now as hopeful division contenders. Unlike the Twins, both teams have taken some swings at free against over the last year or so and have begun adding to their bullpens after strong finishes to 2024. The Guardians have made a rare investment in their bullpen as well. It’s easy to feel like the Twins are being passed by, but there’s a case to be made that the bullpen isn’t the place for these AL Central teams to invest. The American League Central has long been among the lowest-spending divisions in baseball, and that hasn’t changed in recent years. For as much as Twins fans bemoan their limited spending, Minnesota leads the division in payroll. All five teams want to spend as little as possible while being competitive. This reality compels all of the front offices to prioritize where they want to spend strictly. The Twins have made their beliefs about the bullpen well known, while it looks like some of their competitors have a different mindset. The Twins may be taking it to the extreme, but it’s easy to argue that bullpen investments are some of the riskiest in baseball. Elite relievers collapse all the time for seemingly no reason, and impact arms always emerge out of nowhere. The Twins have seen plenty of this from Addison Reed and Jorge Lopez bottoming out immediately upon their acquisition. They also have success stories like those of Griffin Jax and Brock Stewart. Acquisitions are always fun and exciting, and Cleveland, Detroit, and Kansas City fans should be pleased with their signings of Paul Sewald, Tommy Kahnle, and Carlos Estévez, respectively. Each can be an impact addition, and the difference between a playoff berth and watching the playoffs on television come October. There’s also a scenario where any of them significantly disappoint for different reasons, mainly because of the position they play. The argument could be made that that money could have been better spent elsewhere for teams that still have a lot of variance and somewhat limited payroll. Signing relievers is not inherently bad, and an addition to the Twins bullpen would most certainly be welcome. The rest of the competitors are doing things right after making the playoffs last season. That said, the Twins still project to have one of the best bullpens in all of baseball for 2025, with Jhoan Duran as their highest-paid arm at just over $4m. In a perfect world, the Twins have the payroll space to make bullpen additions without concern. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world, and it’s easy to argue that the front office having the bullpen at the bottom rung of the spending ladder is the right move. Certainly, nobody is expected to look at division rivals spending on bullpen help and think, “What a foolish move to spend money on relievers,” but it is worth considering whether the Twins are justified in the lack of doing the same given the foundation they already have, their payroll restraints, and the volatility of the position. Should the Twins be trying to keep up with the bullpen spending of teams like the Royals and Tigers? Is their philosophy on relief arms justified? Let us know below! View full article

After a quiet offseason, the Twins have been linked to a high-end starting pitcher in trade talks with the Padres. While such an addition would always be welcome, it’s worth questioning whether this is how the team should potentially spend resources. Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images On Thursday night, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported that not only were the Twins in talks with the Padres about Christian Vázquez but that they also had an interest in Dylan Cease, who was acquired by San Diego last spring and has one year of team control remaining. The news injected life into a dormant fanbase who watched their team collapse down the stretch in 2024 and hasn’t had a single rumor to get excited about to this point in the offseason. After pondering the logistics of such a deal, one could conclude that while exciting, making a significant splash in the rotation doesn’t seem like the move for the current Twins roster. The Twins rotation isn’t technically set currently, but it doesn’t lack reasonable options. Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober form a formidable trio at the top, with a mix of Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa, and Chris Paddack likely in contention for the final two spots. St. Paul isn’t lacking in depth for the stretch run of 2025 either, as several top prospects await opportunity, including Marco Raya, Andrew Morris, and Zebby Matthews, who debuted at the end of 2024. Starting pitching may be the strength of this roster, and while you can never have enough of it, the Twins are set up as well as they have been in years. Meanwhile, the rest of the Twins roster is riddled with question marks. The bullpen fell apart in 2024, and plenty of the concerns we saw during that period remain, with no additions expected to be made. The lineup lost Carlos Santana who turned out to be one of their best hitters, and was painfully unproductive for the last month and a half of last season. Several holes remain on the positional depth chart, including first base and a right-handed hitter to at least platoon with Larnach and Wallner in the outfield. Many young players, such as Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis, lost some shine as their struggles ran parallel to those of the entire roster in the last month and a half of the season. It seems like a lot could go wrong on the position player side and sink the team’s chances in 2025, and it’s hard to envision all those holes being covered by adding a starting pitcher. The Twins only have so many bullets to use this offseason, and many likely come in the form of prospect capital given the payroll limitations. While it’s easy to argue that dangling prospects in trade to supplement the MLB roster would be wise, it would still have to be for the right deal. An addition of a pitcher, even one of Cease's pedigree, could be seen as odd, given what the rest of the roster looks like. The cost of doing business would surely be astronomical. Investing in the rotation would make a difference, but investing in an impact position player would significantly impact the team’s chances. Perhaps a deal exists where it makes perfect sense for the Twins to acquire a high-end starting pitcher like Dylan Cease, and it’s certainly understandable for the Twins to at least check-in. That being said, it’s hard to argue that such a deal should be a priority after watching how last season ended and what the current roster looks like. Should the Twins be looking to make significant additions to the rotation? Should they be spending their minimal capital elsewhere? Let us know below! View full article

Certainly fair! I'll admit to being more focused on the bat as that's the skill that made him a top prospect. He's a solid all around catcher by all accounts. There isn't much question that he'd be able to catch in the Major Leagues, but he lacks any particular skills that would stand out if not for his offense.

The Dodgers cut a former top prospect catcher last week. With the Twins potentially parting ways with a catcher at some point this offseason, should they take a flier? Image courtesy of © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The Dodgers signed infielder Hyeseong Kim on Friday. To make room on their 40-man roster, they designated former top catching prospect Diego Cartaya for assignment, after a few rough seasons. Still just 22 years old, Cartaya will undoubtedly get a shot with another organization. With plenty of question marks at the catcher position, should the Twins be the ones to give him a chance? As recently as 2023, Cartaya ranked atop the Dodgers' prospects list and was in the upper portion of the global top 100 prospects. His 2024 season could be considered a bounce-back season, which speaks to how poor his 2023 season was, considering he slashed .221/.323/.363 between Double-A and Triple-A even in 2024. So why would a competing team like the Twins consider taking a flier? Cartaya’s former status as a top prospect was well-earned. In 2022, he slashed .254/.389/.503 with 22 homers, to build on an already-impressive résumé. His slash line was 39% better than the league average in that season, made all the more impressive because he did it at catcher, where any offensive contribution is a bonus. Cartaya simply hasn’t hit the last two seasons. Perhaps the duties of an everyday catcher became too much to maintain his offense as he rose through the minor leagues. It’s possible the book got out on him, and opposing pitchers found his weaknesses. Despite his poor performance, though, seeing the Dodgers cut bait on a 22-year-old former top prospect at a premium position was shocking. The decision was made easier for Los Angeles by being replaced at the top of the prospect rankings by fellow catcher Dalton Rushing. Even so, only for the league's most talent-laden team would Cartaya have been considered DFA fodder. Now, 29 other teams have a chance to let Cartaya reestablish himself. The Twins have plenty of catching depth at the moment, between Ryan Jeffers, Christian Vázquez, and Jair Camargo. However, it’s probably safe to say that group isn’t strong enough to keep the team from bringing in competition. With payroll restrictions in place, a salary dump of Vázquez is also a possibility this winter. Cartaya’s profile is not entirely dissimilar to Camargo’s, which is another question mark about acquiring him. Both are at risk of striking out too much, but carry enough pop in their bats to make them stand out offensively. It’s worth noting that despite the poor offensive performance from the two MLB catchers in 2024, Camargo got minimal opportunities—despite being on the 40 man roster. It’s possible the Twins saw Camargo as more of an emergency backup, in which case they would certainly be open to making an addition. Cartaya also has an option remaining, making the stakes much lower. If the Twins feel Cartaya would benefit from working with the hitting coaches in their organization, they could put it to the test in St. Paul, rather than guaranteeing him an Opening Day roster spot. If Vázquez is dealt away for salary relief, perhaps the Twins would trust Camargo more as the backup catcher in MLB, while they try to help Cartaya to a rebound season in Triple-A. Acquiring Cartaya would be such a low-risk, high-reward move that it makes too much sense for the Twins not to at least put in a waiver claim. In all likelihood, several teams ahead of them on the waiver priority will be thinking the same way, making a trade the likeliest scenario if they did acquire him. Even in that case, the cost would likely be a low-level prospect, making the possibility very real if the Twins decide to give Cartaya a shot. Should the Twins make a low-risk, high-reward bet on a former top-prospect catcher? If so, should they go the extra mile and try to trade for him, rather than leave it up to the waiver priority? Let us know below! View full article

Image courtesy of © David Frerker-Imagn Images, Kirby Lee-Imagn Image, Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The Twins have done very little to address their significant holes in the bullpen. The hope was that they would be able to bring in at least one proven relief arm from the high end of free agency. As we head into the new year, it appears unlikely that they will do so, as options are becoming scarce. It looks like they’re going to wait out the market once again and continue seeing just how little a team can value relief pitchers while still trying to compete. Luckily, the remaining free-agent pool is not without options capable of putting up elite seasons in the bullpen. Evan Phillips Phillips was a legitimate high-end reliever before Tommy John surgery cut his season short in May. At 31 years old, Phillips may not be quite ready to start the season, but he may match up well at the top of the Twins bullpen hierarchy as he looks to prove to the league that he’s healthy and deserving of a bigger deal in 2027. When last healthy in 2024, Phillips was solid, posting a 3.62 ERA in just under 55 innings. However, he was flat-out dominant during the 2022-2023 seasons, striking out around 30% of hitters and posting a sub-2.00 ERA across 124 innings in the Dodgers' bullpen. His velocity had dipped just a touch before injury, which begs the question as to whether he can once again average above 96 mph on the fastball now that the elbow is fixed. Evan Phillips would be a proven name to lead the Twins' bullpen, as he is inarguably better than any of their other options if healthy. His health will be the main question. At this point, we have no reason to believe there are any unforeseen concerns heading into 2026. If he’s willing to take a prove-it deal, Phillips and the Twins would be an excellent match for a mutually beneficial 2026 season. Seranthony Dominguez Though far from consistent in his career, Seranthony Dominguez has the big-time stuff the Twins bullpen is lacking, and 2025 was something of a breakout. The fact that he’s still available says the league may be skeptical. This may lead to a prime opportunity for the Twins to take a gamble. Dominguez had a few dominant seasons with the Phillies at the start of his career, then spent 2025 with the Orioles and later with the World Series runner-up Blue Jays. He posted a 3.16 ERA overall across 62 innings, with the second-best strikeout rate of his career. He developed a devastating splitter, which posted a near-50 % whiff rate, along with a dominant slider to match, as well as his usual high-90s fastball. It’s easy to see how Dominguez could dominate at the back end of games. The primary concern is the control, as his 13.8% walk rate was borderline untenable. It’s worth noting that this was the worst rate of his career, and was really the only red flag in his profile. Perhaps teams are wary of him for this reason, but for a team in need of upside, Dominguez is a terrific fit. The longer he stays available, the more likely their price points will match. Jose Leclerc Falling into a similar bucket to Evan Phillips, Lecerc suffered a lat strain early in the 2025 season, which required surgery. As a result, teams haven’t been quick to sign him despite his career stretches of success and strong raw stuff. For this reason, he’s another potential high-end reliever who could benefit from a one-year prove-it deal at the top of a needy bullpen. Leclerc has a solid 3.34 ERA across 370 innings with an exceptional 30.8% strikeout rate. Walks are the big concern for him, and at times, they have kept him out of the closer role with the Rangers. With a mid to high-90s fastball and a dominant slider, he’s shown the ability to overcome the walks, making him another option to likely slot in at the very top of the Twins’ bullpen depth chart. Teams are unlikely to overpay for Leclerc, given concerns about his control and his significant injury last season. Unlike Phillips, he also lacks a sustained stretch of high-end production at the MLB level. That being said, the Twins can’t be too picky. His stuff is good enough to make him a worthwhile gamble, and if he continues to hang around on the market, the Twins would be wise to check in. It’s easy to get panicked watching the high-end relief options fly off the board, but it’s important to note that there are plenty of legitimately good relievers still on the market. The Twins are still in need of at least two additions to the group, but time remains on their side. Do any of the listed options interest you? Are there any other free agent relievers you feel could be legitimately dominant options for 2026? Let us know below! View full article

As one might expect following a historic collapse, several Twins players have big question marks heading into 2025. A few names will likely give the Twins front office a headache as they project how to move forward. Image courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The Twins don’t have an easy task this offseason as they try to return to contention under a strict budget. Making matters more difficult are several of their players whose futures are particularly murky. These players have shown tremendous upside, but it's also clear that at their worst, they don't even belong in the big leagues. Here are three players on the roster who find themselves in no man’s land headed into 2025. Edouard Julien Julien burst onto the scene as a rookie and looked like a potentially elite piece of the next great Twins team. Pairing plate discipline with power, Julien showed flashes of being one of the best-hitting second basemen in all of baseball through his first 400 plate appearances. Then it all fell apart. Julien never found his footing in 2024. His disciplined plate approach became his biggest weakness, as opposing pitchers discovered they could fill the strike zone while the bat remained on Julien’s shoulder. At times, Julien appeared more interested in walking than doing damage at the plate. He led the league in strikeouts looking, despite spending much of the season in St. Paul. He slashed an untenable .199/.292/.323, which was 20% below league average. Even his defense seemed to regress down the stretch, as he seemed to take his tough at-bats into the field with him. As one would expect following such a disappointing season, Julien has no guaranteed starting spot in 2025. Given the Twins’ glut of options in the infield, they’ll likely prioritize other players at second base, such as Brooks Lee or Royce Lewis. Julien may be shifted to first base out of necessity, where the bar to clear to be a helpful hitter will be much higher. His career will sink or swim with his offensive contributions, and in 2025, he’ll have to work his way back into the Twins' long-term plans. José Miranda The 2024 campaign was a strong bounceback season for Miranda, who suffered through an injury-riddled 2023 season. His final slash line of .284/.322/.441 was a pleasant surprise, but how he got there left plenty of questions for the Twins to ask moving forward. Miranda has always been a streaky hitter, and his resurgent season was a tale of two halves. His .888 OPS in the first half of the season was a big reason the Twins were in the thick of the division race. Unfortunately, his .543 OPS in the second half was a big reason they fell out of it. Miranda had back problems flare up partway through the season, and it felt like he was never the same upon his return. Like Julien, Miranda’s primary position in 2025 may be first base. His first-half performance would be more than adequate for the position, but the Twins may be concerned with the likelihood of those numbers sustaining themselves over a full season of regular playing time. Due to his plate approach and injury history, the team likely can’t rely on Miranda as a regular impact contributor. Miranda is a good bet to come up with some big performances in 2025, but it felt like he came up short of earning a place in the everyday lineup moving forward, and now his defensive fit will be a question mark, as well. Jorge Alcalá Like Miranda, Alcalá’s total body of work in 2024 has to be considered an enormous success. After years of injury, he threw 58 innings with a 3.24 ERA and supporting peripherals. He also fell apart down the stretch, leaving plenty of question marks heading into 2025. Alcalá averaged 98 miles per hour on his fastball in 2024 and still had his wicked slider. It’s possible his inning count just wore him down in his first entire season in years, but his 9.90 ERA in August was a significant factor in the Twins' collapse. Alcalá’s implosion against the Texas Rangers on Aug. 18 is often referred to as the tipping point of the season, and he tumbled down the bullpen hierarchy amidst several more poor outings down the stretch. Making matters more complicated is that the Twins do not appear to be believers in Alcalá. If their questionable usage of him for years before wasn’t enough, they demoted him in September to claim Cole Irvin off waivers. They used Irvin in high-leverage spots in what was likely the twilight of his MLB career, instead of sticking with Alcalá. He returned to throw just under 10 innings in September and allowed only two runs. Hopefully, his strong finish to the season is a sign of another solid season in 2025. Still, knowing what to expect from him is hard, especially given his shaky standing in the organization. The Twins might have a more manageable offseason if they had a better idea of what these three players can contribute in 2025. Are there any other players on the roster that fit this description? Let us know below! View full article

The Cubs have spent the offseason shuffling their roster. Have they positioned themselves as the perfect landing spot for Willi Castro, should the Twins decide to ship him out this winter? Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Willi Castro is a uniquely valuable player and has been vital to the Twins roster for the last two years. Unfortunately, due to budgetary constraints, he’s one of the many players who could be on the move this winter. If they dump his contract, the Chicago Cubs appear to be a perfect fit for the Twins' super-utility man. Chicago just traded Cody Bellinger to the Yankees in what was essentially a salary dump, after he opted back into his contract. Now, they're in reinvestment mode, and they have some new positional needs. Castro can fill the same role for the Cubs as he has for the Twins. Chicago doesn’t have an everyday slot to pencil him into, but they have several positions he can help fill. Top prospect Matt Shaw is now expected to fill third base to begin the season, and Castro can either delay his call-up or fill in as needed. He can be injury insurance at second and shortstop for Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson, respectively. Bellinger’s departure also opens up playing time in center field, whenever Pete Crow-Armstrong is injured, in need of a break, or a bad matchup against an opposing lefty. Castro would still be able to play nearly every day and provide the Cubs with a stopgap at several positions as needed. The veteran is set to make roughly $6.2 million in 2025, according to MLB Trade Rumors. This would be considered a significant bargain on the open market for a player with Castro’s skill set, but the small amount makes all the difference for a Twins team with a strict, self-imposed payroll limit under which they need to duck. If the team is this strapped for cash, they could capitalize on the excess value of Castro at this price and rely on their youth at the positions he had previously filled. With several versatile players (such as Brooks Lee and Austin Martin) on the roster, the team may see Castro as a candidate to be shipped out. What kind of deal can the Twins get for their super-utility man? A good baseline return for the Twins is someone like right-handed slugger Alexander Canario. The 24-year-old outfielder made a 15-game debut in 2024 and slashed .280/.357/.440. He may not be a candidate to fill in at center field, and strikeouts are a significant concern, but Canario would fit into the Twins' roster nicely, as a right-handed bat with significant thump. In 2022, he hit 37 homers between three levels of the minor leagues, and after an injury-riddled 2023, he hit another 18 in 64 games at Triple-A. Canario is out of options and would have to make the Twins roster on Opening Day, but he appears as ready for MLB action as ever. Also, he’s slashing .298/.388/.561 in the Dominican Winter League this offseason. While Canario is a low-floor player to get in return for Castro, he would fit the Twins' predilection for platoons in the outfield corners and carry plenty of upside. The Twins would also likely ask for another lower-level prospect in return, but Canario seems like an appropriate headliner in a deal that involves dumping Castro’s contract. If the Twins could convert a minor-league signee now on the doorstep of free agency into a player with six years of team control and another lottery ticket to bolster their farm system, it would count as a major win. Would a low-floor, high-ceiling player like Canario be a strong enough headliner to ship out Willi Castro? Should the Twins try to get more, or not consider trading Castro at all? Let us know below! View full article

As the Twins navigate a difficult payroll situation, shedding salary remains an unfortunate offseason priority. Could the Sacramento Athletics become a surprising option for the Twins to pass off some salary? Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The Athletics are reportedly in a polar opposite position to the Twins this offseason. They risk a player union complaint if they don’t add enough payroll. While they could spend this money on free agents (as they recently did with Luis Severino), they also become a target for teams like the Twins to talk to on the trade market. Chris Paddack, in particular, seems like a name that could be involved in a win-win deal. For the Twins, it would be dealing from the strength of their roster. They’re in a good spot with the rotation, between Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, younger arms such as David Festa and Zebby Matthews, and the top prospects waiting in St. Paul. After an up-and-down season, it’s unlikely Paddack will claim a rotation spot on Opening Day. Dealing him in the offseason would save $7.5 million and allow Paddack to remain a starter, which he certainly wants. From the A’s perspective, Paddack is the exact kind of addition they should be trying to make. Their MLB club has plenty of room in their rotation, and their farm system lacks any immediate impact starting pitching. While Paddack has his question marks regarding injury, one could argue that he still carries a fair bit of upside another year removed from Tommy John surgery. While the A’s may not care about Paddack winning them games every fifth day, he becomes a valuable potential trade chip for them once again at the deadline if he’s able to stay on the field. The Twins likely won’t ask for much in return for taking Paddack’s money off their books, and the A’s could quickly recoup whatever they gave up (and then some) if they flip Paddack to another contender amid a strong season. If Paddack doesn’t pan out, they’ve at least added $7.5 million to their payroll to help shield themselves from the ire of the players' union. In an ideal world, the Twins let Paddack’s contract play out, given the upside argument one could make. His 2025 salary will likely prove to be a bargain by the time the free-agent market plays out, but the Twins are in a spot where potentially getting a deal doesn’t matter, because the front office doesn’t have the money to make needed upgrades elsewhere. Paddack wouldn’t bring the same trade return as somebody like Joe Ryan or Bailey Ober, but trading him would leave less of a hole in the roster while shedding more money. It also stands to reason that Paddack’s trade return, while likely to be uninspiring, would bring more than that of a trade of someone like Christian Vázquez who may even require prospects on the back end to convince another team to pay that money. The list of teams willing to take on money this winter will likely be short, with several clubs similarly dealing with changes in broadcast revenues. The A’s have emerged as a prime target to dump some money, and the Twins should check in on doing so. Do you agree? View full article

The Dodgers signed freshly acquired utilityman Tommy Edman to a surprising contract extension over the holiday weekend. Should the Twins learn from this deal when considering the path forward with Willi Castro? Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Willi Castro and Tommy Edman may not be identical players stylistically, but they’re both super-utility types who can be extremely valuable in the right role and circumstance. The Dodgers showed how valuable they believe such a player to be when they signed Tommy Edman to a 5-year, $74-million contract. With the Twins in a financial bind, they may find themselves looking at this deal and determining that their team MVP last season is even more valuable than we thought. Edman has had an up-and-down career, with a peak 2022 season in which he posted a .725 OPS to go along with the elite up-the-middle defense he’s consistently shown. In the two years since, he’s failed to reach those heights again, including a 2024 season in which even the defense disappointed—albeit in limited time, without a set position, and coming off a pair of major injuries. Still, the Dodgers see Edman’s skillset as one they want on their roster (with World Series aspirations) for the next five years. While Willi Castro lacks the high-end glove to hold up consistently at positions like center field and shortstop, he can fill in as needed and move around pretty much everywhere in the field. While he could likely settle into a few positions and provide plus defense, his ability to be available elsewhere is one of his strengths. Castro has shown more upside offensively, as his .750 OPS in 2023 and .717 OPS in 2024 were each 8% above the league average in those seasons. He also brings the same ability to switch-hit that Edman does. One could argue that Castro has a slight offensive edge over Edman, while Edman holds a significant defensive advantage. Castro likely wouldn’t attract the same deal on the open market today as Edman, especially considering the Dodgers had reportedly been trying to trade for him for years, but this deal suggests that Castro’s skillset may be valued more highly league-wide than we thought. There’s an arms race among the teams like the Dodgers and Mets, who are ready to make a statement with their payrolls. These teams will surely fill out the core of their rosters with high-end players like Juan Soto and Blake Snell. No addition appears to be off-limits for several teams this winter. Intelligent organizations understand that depth on their roster will become as valuable as the big names. As we saw with the Dodgers when they acquired and extended Edman, these teams understand how valuable a player like Castro can be. The Dodgers gave up former top-100 prospect Miguel Vargas and two young, far-off prospects for Edman and Michael Kopech in a three-team deal. While Castro has just the 2025 season left under contract, Edman was in the midst of one of the lower-end offensive seasons of his career when acquired. It’s fair to wonder whether a team such as the Blue Jays, Red Sox, or Mets would be willing to give up some pieces that have a shot to contribute in 2025 at some point. Shedding Castro’s estimated $6.8 million contract would also offer the Twins some financial flexibility to add at other positions, which is a consideration of this offseason. The Twins, of course, have seen the value in Castro’s skillset firsthand. While it can be argued that his potential value on the trade market just increased, it doesn’t change how much of an impact he can have on a 2025 Twins roster hoping to get back to the playoffs. For a team with so many players who miss chunks of time every season, Castro has been valuable beyond measure the last two seasons. An exciting wave of youth is still arriving over the next year, but it would be fair of the Twins to decide that a super-utility player such as Castro is more of a luxury than a need on this roster. Does Tommy Edman’s price mean the Twins should be more open to trading Willi Castro? Should they be checking in with the big-budget teams who can’t buy such a skillset on the open market? Should Castro be completely off-limits? Let us know below! View full article