Riverbrian

It would be insane to think that players can't be traded if players develop as they should. It would be insane to not pick up a SS betting the farm on Culpepper and Houston who will not be breaking camp with the club in 2026. It would be insane to think that SS's can't play a different position if they have someone better. It would be insane to decide who is better right now.

It's delusional to think that I said punt SS. I said Punt Catcher. Find a Defensive Guy until you can start developing a catcher. Concentrate at finding offense at the other 8 positions. I want someone who will push Lee. Hopefully better than Lee.

Agreed... Who knows what they will do. I just have a hard time seeing massive lineup turnover and I certainly don't see any significant spending. I'm ok with that. As long as they work quickly and comprehensively to identify young talent so they got money to spend on decent additions when the time is right to add decent additions. I tend to focus on the hitting side of things but that doesn't mean that I don't understand the value of defense. I've said numerous times that the biggest needle moving stat of all the stats in the universe is the extra out or the out taken away by a fantastic catch. Each extra out greatly increases the chances of a crooked number and every out stolen out by a defender greatly decreases the chances of a crooked number. In my opinion... It's those crooked numbers that greatly increase or decrease your chances of putting up a W. So I'm not anti-defense... I get the importance of it. I just feel that the routine play tends to dominate the number of defensive chances for each player and I really really really don't trust zone ratings. Zone ratings seem to be the primary tool used to produce the defensive stats that we react to. The addition of a good young SS will hopefully improve the defense at a primary defensive position. Lee is a decent enough infielder but I think he is better moving around the infield still getting playing time... instead of being the primary SS every day where is range appears to be a little challenged. Punting the Catching Position to settle for defense should make catching defensively stable. Buxton is fantastic... Martin is improving in the OF... I'll even go as far to say that in September he looked damn good. I would still keep Martin's infield glove standing by because he can slide to 2B or 3B if Lewis or Keaschall gets hurt. If Martin can do that... if Lewis or Keaschall get hurt... they can call up one of the outfielders to replace them. Outman can play D, I don't know about Rodon but they played him in CF last year so I assume the Twins don't think he's a nightmare out there. I like the look of Keaschall at 2B... he booted some easy stuff and he made some tough plays. Just needs more reps for more consistency. Lewis is OK... needs to work on his throwing. This lineup is more athletic and shouldn't be station to station on the base paths. That leaves 1B and RF for defensive concerns... I'm OK with a couple of less athletic Bombers in the lineup. Providing that they hit bombs. The guy who has 5 tools is tough to find so I'll be OK with a missing tool here and there on the road to finding more 5 tool guys to join Buxton. The alternative is to bring aboard low dollar veteran players with missing tools to keep those wheels spining and getting nowhere.

Agreed... Just not OK with it for one more year. Sometimes you just got to go cold turkey. Trade for that young 1B to stop the merry go round. Ryan and Jeffers are the trade chips. If they can't trade for this 1B... then they have to convert one of the outfielders... don't know who but it wouldn't be the first time an OF was converted to 1B. Someone standing at the major league door. Go get me Kurtz and I'm good. LOL.

The thing that I don't like about Casas is his injury history. Thus far he seems like the Red Sox version of Lewis on that front. We have had our fair share of that sort of thing between Buxton and Lewis. Otherwise... I don't typically care about stereotypical position players. However, at 1B... it's the one position where I'm looking for that big bomber stereotype. I think you need a couple of bombers on your roster. Cases would fill that role... if he can stay healthy. Putting a bomber at 1B... it allows you to try and become more athletic at other positions because you don't need to utilize more athletic requiring positions to fill that big bomber role. I like the idea of Wallner and Casas in the same lineup. If not Cases... someone like him. Who is that young big bomber 1B and who is that young SS I'd like to see the Twins add. This is where I have to trust the front office. I'm just hoping that the front office is looking for the same things that I am and the odds of that are slim. I would use Ryan and Jeffers as trade chips to fill those spots. I'd consider moving an OF'er for a decent reliever but I'd stay away from trading any of the NEXT group (Jenkins, Erod and GG). These guys don't have to be called up yet but soon and they will get that opportunity when the injuries start to come and they will come. First... we need to find out what the group with ticking clocks in front of them can be. We may be all sure that Jenkins, Erod and GG are going to out perform them so the temptation will be to just jump right now and move on from the current group. I don't want to toss potential just yet and I don't want to just remove players who are at least decent hitters who have some success at the major league level. So... I'm kind of OK rolling with Buxton, Larnach, Wallner, Martin and Outman to start the season and let them compete against each other. I'm giving Outman until June and that's it. If he hasn't fixed things by then... the team has to release him. Rodon... has options... he can report to St. Paul if all 5 are healthy coming out of spring training. Chances are... someone out of Buxton, Larnach, Wallner, Martin and Outman will not be healthy on opening day. After they compete with each other... winners and losers can be determined and the next group can start rolling in and compete with the winners. Injuries are going to provide opportunity for Jenkins, Erod and GG. If the Twins do it right... they could have a pretty solid idea where they stand in the OF for 2027 but they have to allow for the players to sort things out with performance on the field. That will require opportunity for all and honest to god competition. Infield... Keaschall, Lewis, Lee, the New Young IF who can play a decent SS and the New Young 1B that I seek is just fine for 2026. The last spot can go to Clemens and he can utility around. His power is nothing to sneeze at so I'm ok breaking camp with Kody and competing. However, if the team can land another young infielder in a trade beyond that SS and 1B that I seek. Clemens can be DFA'd. Right now... I'll settle for the two positions that I really really want. Catcher... Punt it. Think defense... Try to get lucky with the position until the farm starts to produce something/anything. Just don't spend any resources here. Sleep in the bed you made. Ryan and Jeffers are the players I would be willing to move and I would prioritize 1B and SS for those two trade resources. We don't have the trade chips to go big at catcher when other spots are needed. Starting Pitching... Lopez and Ober lead the the youngsters. SWR, Bradley, Abel and Matthews have a lot of potential. Let's get the journey started with them. Let them work through major league kinks if necessary. Festa could be considered for bullpen or starting pitching depth. We will have some guys that need to be placed on the 40 man to add to the depth. I'd hate to lose Ryan but the depth is pretty good without him. You have to trade Ryan now. Bullpen... This is the only place I'd spend free agent dollars. I'd look for that bounce back candidate and that candidate is Gavin Williams. Outbid everyone for him. Probably need to shop for a couple bullpen guys and convert a couple of young starters, Proelipp, Festa, Raya would be the candidates for bullpen work that come to mind. Other free agents? There is no sense talking about Naylor. Naylor is going to sign elsewhere. The Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Mariners, Rangers, Padres are going to be looking for a big 1B. Naylor is going to get paid. After Alonso and Bellinger who can play 1B. There is a drop to Naylor and then a huge drop after Naylor. O'Hearn may be the best option for those teams listed above. I doubt O'Hearn lands in Minnesota. Bichette isn't coming. Tucker isn't coming. Grisham isn't coming. Bregman and Saurez are not coming. Please... Please don't Josh Bell your way through this. The Twins have a clean slate... quit writing on it with Josh Bell and IKF. Other than the bullpen... I don't want any expiring contracts. No one year deals! I want to pour youth through the filter and let them tell you what you have. Then take what you found and plan for 2027 with new information. 2026 Game 7 lineup for the World Series: CF - Buxton 1B - Young Bomber 2B - Keaschall RF - Wallner 3B - Lewis or Lee DH - Larnach LF - Whoever shows they want it out of Martin, Outman, Rodon, Jenkins, Erod and GG. SS - Young unnamed SS or Lee C - Unnamed Punted Catcher

I wouldn't blame him. I'd want the chance to choose where I play and I'd probably want to be above a 50/50 playing time split. Now... If I'm the Twins. I'm not letting him reach that free agency in a Twins uniform. We need to get something for him. The only way this team can justify letting a player like Jeffers walk with nothing in return is if they THINK they are in contention. They might be able to see the possibility of playoffs but they can't FEEL LIKE they ARE IN CONTENTION. So... you move Jeffers. This team will have to reach contention with a punted catcher spot. Rortvedt and Pareda. If they wait for the deadline to see if they are in contention... Jeffers will lose significant value as a two month rental. He needs to be traded this off season. Also... If I'm the Twins... I'm not going to wait the entire off-season negotiating with his agent before he goes on the block. He goes on the block the very first day his agent doesn't sign an extension. Let the negotiation take place with rumors of trade. Jeffers needs to be a solid consideration for the teams that don't want to sign a 35 year old Realmuto or 36 year old Perez to a multi-year deal. There is a drop in quality after those two. Get in front of them signing somewhere. Red Sox, Rays, Rangers, Phillies and Padres are 5 teams that might be willing to trade desperation prices.

Apparently Not. I can't figure it out. I've only seen a couple of those winged buffalo in the wild. Their wings are much too large to produce those tiny wings they are selling. It's a mystery... It's a mystery.

Agreed... 6 years only happens when you find that rookie of the year guy and extend him. I've been watching the Twins for quite some time and we haven't found that guy. Let's see if Luke Keaschall can be like that or will he go into a Royce Lewis type year long disappointment. You might get three decent years and that's OK. The train just needs to be kept a rollin all night long... With a heave and Ho. We need to be clever with extensions, we need to be proactive and move players approaching free agency for more coal for the train. Most importantly... they just got to keep em coming. Nothing needs to be timed perfectly. Just keep em coming. It will sort itself out. Many will say it can't be done. Milwaukee and Cleveland keep em coming. Then tack on the extra 40 million that Milwaukee and Cleveland won't spend.

I went to Buffalo Wild Wings the other night. Dropped 25 bucks for 20 wings. Uff Da and the wings were disappointingly small. There will not be efficiency through equilibrium in the wing market until we stop eating so many or we produce more Buffalo's and figure out what to do with the rest of the buffalo. .

I'm not so sure. It's been my experience that whenever there is a scarcity of something. The price goes up. There is a scarcity of catching.

A young 1B and SS is what I want. And a bunch of bullpen dudes. That is probably the extent of my wish list at the moment. Bring in a young SS to compete with Lee. Lee can then also compete with Lewis and Keachall or whoever this young 1B is. The fastest way back is to diversify... hedge your bets... invest in plural not singular. I think we should trade Ryan to acquire what we need if possible. His value will not go higher. It' time. It took me awhile to come to this conclusion but I've come to it. If we can't extend Jeffers... price and willingness to be extended are the big extension questions to be answered. If we can't. I think he should traded as well because I don't believe an expiring contact has any business on the 2026 roster so it's time to cash it in. Don't let him walk for nothing. And I think an OF'er could be moved but an OF'er doesn't have to be moved or cut. I will never give up on the dream of 5 outfielders on the same roster that can play and the competition that results in having 5 outfielders who can play. I'd also like to run through the guys who have immediate decisions due first before I simply move on to the next group... no matter how exciting that group is. Does Martin have anything? Does Rodon? Does the Twinsdaily favorite Outman have anything? I'd give Outman until June... No longer. He has this off-season to fix what needs to be fixed. I'd have to research it for long while to find any major league team that got through 162 games with 3 outfielders. It would take a while to find a team that got through 162 games with just 4 of them. Plenty of room for competition. Plenty of room for exposure... Plenty of options to move off of some and on to others. I'm not sure the Mariners would trade Ford for Erod. If they would... my question would be... what would other teams give up for Erod? Or would the Mariners give up Colt Emerson (No idea if Emerson is worth it or not) for Erod? It's tough to know... knowing what we know. It's fun though.

I always appreciate your posts... you are consistently worth paying attention to. We do agree in principle that the Twins needs to start committing to younger roster space pronto. But where the two of us veer off slightly is the willingness to trade for a young highly ranked catching prospect. I'm not willing to do that. If they can afford Ford (Pardon the Pun). I'd rather take massive amount of chips need to land Ford and spend it elsewhere. Some place that doesn't require the physical rest the catching position requires. The Mariners are not going to trade Ford because they have Raleigh. They can utilize Raleigh at DH and be covered at the catcher position completely. There will be no discount because Raleigh is hanging around. I'll use the Duran trade for an example. I like Abel... I think he is going to be worth something. I'm not complaining about Abel. I'm also praying that Tait develops and rises through the levels and ends up being worth it as a MLB player in 2027? 2028? I love that he is highly ranked because it says that a lot of people think he is special and believe in his continued development. However... I can't help but wonder did the Twins target or take the 19 year old Tait in Single A because of self inflicted need? Did they specifically target Tait because of this massive development hole behind the plate? Where other players available? We have other development holes outside of catcher and we don't have the player trade capital to address them all. In other words... Could they have gotten Miller or Crawford instead? Did we over pay for catching? No idea if either Miller or Crawford will work out but they are couple of athletes that will make the team more athletic. I have no idea if Miller or Crawford where non-starters in trade discussion with the Phillies. But... if the Phillies would have traded Miller or Crawford and the Twins chose Tait. Well... desperation leads to this sort of thing. Again no idea... if Miller or Crawford were on the table or not. I'd really like to be a fly on the wall when these discussions take place.

I have no idea if Falvey's back is against the wall or not. It probably should be but if it is... that job pressure is probably time sensitive in November 2025 and that ain't good. The front office and manager actually needs a little time to get the club in the right direction after an abrupt change in direction. Time sensitive job justification is just going to push them down the wrong path. They need to time to build via youth... if they lack the time to make that happen because of job pressure. It's just going to prolong the process because they will become reluctant to do what they really need to do to do it right and sustainable. If my back is against the wall. I'd want a manager that I personally knew and trusted. If I knew and trusted Shelton. I would make the same hire in similar circumstances. The last thing Falvey needs right now is a manager running counter to his survival. The last thing Shelton needs his direct supervisor being replaced by someone that he doesn't know and trust and then searching for his next manager job because the replacement has a guy that he knows and trusts. Derek doesn't want to be looking for a third manager job because there is a strong chance that it ain't coming. I don't fault Falvey for this hire. Shelton will get my 100% support until he starts playing one year contracts instead of getting major league experience to young players who will be part of the future. At that point... I'm looking at Falvey because he is the one who hired him.

If they trade Jeffers. I'd be OK with Vazquez for a low dollar contract as we PUNT THE POSITION. Someone like the Dodgers with 40 man pressure just might spit out a Rortvedt type consideration. I'd rather we do that as we PUNT THE POSITION. IF they don't trade Jeffers. DO NOT SPEND A DIME ON CATCHING. Someone like Pareda would be the best.

I think Ryan has to be traded. I think Pablo should stay and lead the rest of the young rotation arms. Jeffers needs to be dealt this off-season. The club should try and Rortvedt (For Example) it's way through 2026. There is no reason for an expiring contract to be on the 2026 club unless you know that the players value will rise from April to the Trade Deadline. I don't know how anyone would know that. Unless they can extend Jeffers for a significant yet reasonable contract. I would seriously talk extension with him. Tack on a couple of years to keep him in Minnesota until 2029 and that's as far as I would be willing to pump money into the catching position. Just to keep one of our guys around. Takes two to tango. No idea what Jeffers is thinking right now but he will certainly draw interest from other clubs if allowed to reach free agency unless he suffers an career threatening injury or has a Christian Vazquez type year at the plate. He will draw interest if he is on the trade market... teams will over pay for the position. The Twins simply are not in position to let anyone of value walk and get nothing in return. This may mean completely depleting the catching department for 2026 and beyond. If that's what it means... That's what it means.

Yes they can and it's actually a necessity that they do both. Actually... they need to take advantage of all 3 primary methods of staffing a roster. Trades being the third. If you fail or struggle in one the three facets... you have to compensate with the other two methods. Due to budget... Free Agency was already compromised to a degree and will be compromised in the future. Development and Trades will need to pick up that slack and as you accurately point out. We have no 1B, No SS and I'll say we have also failed in CF. To make things worse... Catching is perhaps the worst failure of all. We have only produced Jeffers and he is gone next year... If not this off-season if the Twins want to cash in. When you have all of these development holes. Your limited budget must be spread around to acquire lesser free agents... 4 million here... 4 million there... 7 million here and 10 million there. Instead of taking that combined 25 million or whatever it is and plugging one hole maybe two with a needle mover. Our budget dictates that the Twins must prioritize development so they can afford decent free agents. We must develop or die as we stand here in the emergency room looking at all of the machines, tubes and nurses attending to our club. EDIT... I see that you posted almost the same thing earlier.

When it comes to the dynamic between Ownership and the Front Office... I have no idea. I don't know who to blame but... it's the people who hire the people so ultimately it's the Pohlads but specifically why it's the Pohlads... I have no idea. I just have suspicions resulted from roster decision actions over the years. That's why I'd like the answer to that specific question. Why did the Front office think that money wasn't going to be a problem in the future? Payroll was climbing upward steadily. When you are not developing or you don't trust your development. You got to keep going back to free agency in the face of rising salaries on your current roster. It is going to climb to over the line without development to keep the payroll in check. Even the Red Sox reach the point where the money runs out. When they do.... they fire a World Series winning GM like Dombroski because they end up in a position where the only answer for improvement is to spend more money and they don't have it anymore. The Yankees run out of money. Any team not the Dodgers or Mets will run out of the money. Based on actions... It is my opinion that the front office thought they could keep increasing payroll. I want to know why they thought that. There is nothing in the history of the Minnesota Twins that should suggest that they can keep raising payroll upward... even if Joe Pohlad is the one who suggested it.

The only honest answer that Falvey can give is... I don't know. Fans will not tolerate... I don't know... for an answer. Fans will continue tearing him a part. Falvey is therefore put in an impossible position when he is asked the question before he could possibly know the answer. Let's say he intends on trading Ryan but doesn't get the value he is seeking. Ryan stays and he told everybody including Ryan that he intends on trading him when prematurely asked the question. I see no good coming out of that. Let's say he intends on keeping Ryan but gets blown away by an offer. Fans will tear him a part for that. With that said. The Twins need to trade Ryan whose value will not get any higher than it is right now. You have to trade him this off-season and hopefully acquire a young 1B in return. If not... the Twins should spend the off-season converting an OF'er to 1B. I won't offer names for suggestions. If not... Go with Julien or Sabato or Fedko or me and live with the results. I'm sick of paying for the same mistake over and over again. One year rentals can make sense at times. They no longer make sense when we are in the 7th year of plug and play. They no longer make sense when Ty France is not only rostered but playing EVERY DAY!. Whey Ty France is playing every day after he signed for a million bucks non-guaranteed because nobody else wanted to pay him 1.5 million. You are no longer eating nutritious meals. You are drinking Soda to stay alive because nothing is coming out of the tap. You are not going to win drinking Mountain Dew instead of water. DIG A DAMN WELL.

OK... Let's not use the 6 year old Baldelli. And let's use 2025 data since that is the Baldelli we knew. But since we are being specific. Baldelli will use 2025 data for his sensibility but making decisions based on the 1987 performance data. To answer your question. Game 7 is typically all hands on deck... every pitcher can rest tomorrow. I think once Ohtani was pulled in the third inning and with the game close throughout. Nearly every manager in the world would have turned to Yamamoto because every path would have led to him. Of course this would be dependent on Yamamoto telling his pitching coach, Manager that I'm good to go. However... I don't believe Rocco leaves him in for 2 plus innings. I think Sasaki comes out for the 10th and 11th if Rocco was the manager.

I remember exactly where I was. I was at a friends house. I remember I was standing not sitting. There was no way I could sit. When the ball left the bat... I knew. You watch enough baseball... you know when it leaves the bat. My arms immediately started doing exactly what Hrbek's arms were doing as he rounded first but I was doing it before Kent even dropped the bat so I was doing it first. This will sound overly dramatic but I honestly felt a connection... at a different level. I remember high fiving my friend so hard that his German Shepherd started growling at me.

To answer the question posed in the title. If they have a choice... umm... no... they ain't coming. It would take paying more money and we shouldn't be paying more money at this juncture. Or should I say... we won't be paying more money at this juncture. Those will little choice... They'll come. Jorgenswest did a great job laying out the possible exceptions. Someone trying to get back into closing. Someone like Devin Williams or Ryan Helsley could try to rebound as a closer with a team like Minnesota. Middle Relievers could graduate to set up roles with the Twins. If I'm a player with something to prove. I'd love to join the Twins. The other guys... the ones who proved it... the ones most of Twinsdaily wants. They ain't coming.

Good Article Nick and it's a good question You are a smooth writer. I always read your stuff. Don't always agree but you know your stuff. You threw a lot of tomatoes at the front office and I think it's quite possible that... well... this is probably of their doing so it tends to get a little La Tomatina toward them. However... There is one thought that I can't shake. One answer that I'd like to know (will probably never know) before I toss that tomato. Why did Falvey and Lavine think that the money would be there? Nearly every move they made since 2017 strongly suggested that Falvey and Lavine thought the money would be there. Yeah... they sold on the down years as everyone should but nearly everything they did suggested that they thought the money would be there... and it largely was. The money went away with the FSN debacle. With a snap of the fingers... the money was gone and they stood there with a team constructed without a similar sized escape hatch. Why did Falvey and Lavine think that the money would be there as they talked about sustainability and drove payroll upward?

The Dodgers and the Blue Jays would absolutely care if they had to sign the free agents that we do. The Twins will never be in this neighborhood. It's a gated community with 24/7 security wearing suit and ties at 3AM. We shouldn't spend a second of time thinking about payroll right now. The Twins are not going to get Dodgers and Blue Jays type free agents. And even so... Like a dog chasing a car. In the current context of this team. ... we wouldn't know what to do with one if we somehow caught one. 😉

This post should be tattoo'd on the right hand of every member of Twinsdaily so we all can refer to it while typing. Perfect Post that just nails it.

For fun... it would be interesting to put together a perfect redraft since 2017, Not just catchers but all players drafted after Twins selection. What would the Twins look like today if they perfectly nailed every single draft. BTW... If Ohtani would have been draft eligible instead of an IFA. He would have been a Twin. I think he declared his intention prior to the 2017 draft. We had the first pick that year,