tony&rodney

The money completely defeats any comparison. Whether we watch a Dodger drafted stalwart, Clayton Kershaw ($5M for 30 innings), or a guy they acquired via trade,Tyler Glasnow ($32M and injured) cheer on their teammates the money is double for the Dodgers. Congratulations to the Dodgers. I think the Twins could be aggressive towards building a better team. However, there aren't really any lessons to learn from the Dodgers that are not already known. What has Falvey learned in the last seven years that he can apply this offseason?

Twins Daily covered Vazquez pretty much already. It is fine to trade Vazquez (or Jeffers for that matter), but first the Twins need to acquire a catcher or two via trades. Several trades have already been completed and it is time for the Twins to get active.

If all you are doing is looking at numbers you are missing the game. I first used analytics (fairly complex) about 40 years ago, but I also watch and see with my eyes. I don't think you have seen Emmanuel Rodriguez play. Last summer I was at a game at Target Field and Kyle Farmer (universally well-liked guy) was playing second base. The Twins were playing Cleveland. Farmer reminded me of a guy I played men's baseball with about 30 years ago who had been released from his MLB team and joined a local team about 18 months later; skilled but very much diminished in actions and speed. Age is undefeated and if analytics isn't picking up when someone has lost a step or three, an experienced objective eye will not lie. We are never going to agree that all veterans are better and that younger players must wait their turn. If Rodriguez is ready, put him in. That is what Spring Training is for, especially when a team needs a jolt as badly as the Twins do next season.

Not really surprised by this announcement. Alex looked very unhappy whenever he played, except for when he did something like hit a home run. Contrast that with someone smiling and laughing in the dugout and generally trying to keep ahead of the mental part of the game. Baseball is a very difficult sport to play and dealing with failure is more common in baseball than it is in most things in life. Kirilloff made some money, he is set. Now he needs to just get on with whatever he want to do, living and working where he chooses.

Anyone who has not seen a player actually play the game on numerous occasions has almost no credibility to discuss their fielding. Stratomatic is fun as are all types of statistics, but they do not tell you as much as what occurs on the field.

Have you seen Emmanuel play? Once? Veterans often have a jump on younger players because of experience and thus one gets a player like Carlos Santana and his fine defense at the age of 38. However, a young player can also play defense, witness Andruw Jones when he came on the scene for Atlanta. Emmanuel Rodriguez is a very good defensive centerfielder (not as good as Jones). He gets great jumps, has good speed, and has a strong accurate throwing arm. All of these I can say I have seen while watching him play the last two years. Scouts and writers who travel around watching minor league players for a living have nothing but extreme positive platitudes for Emmanuel as a defensive player. Your comment cannot be supported by a single scout, writer, or objective viewer. One can criticize the strikeouts and too patient approach EmRod displays as a hitter and be worried about the array of injuries, but there has yet to be a reason to suspect the glove.

AK has one option remaining. Does it matter though? Maybe. My guess is that there has already been a divorce.

Agree that when EmRod gets the call he plays. We don't have to worry about him being used as a DH because he would immediately become the Twins best defensive outfielder.

This is more or less where I am with Duran and also several other Twins players/prospects. My main objective for 2025 is for an improved defensive team. I like Casas but his defense is not that hot, plus I wonder if Duran could be used to sway another team to give up something for our closer. Would Arizona trade Jordan Lawler for Duran plus someone like Topa? I'm also curious to know if Boston would part with Kyle Teel for a return that gives the Red Sox a starting pitcher? I'll be the first to admit that some of my thoughts may be shaky, either asking for players who rate highly for other teams and/or proposing moving accomplished/promising members of the Twins roster. Falvey needs to make some deals this offseason because he sure didn't move the needle last offseason. I don't believe the Twins can just roll it back with the roster as is.

At the end of the year I felt that going into the offseason the Twins needed to improve their defense as the #1 goal. Because of the sluggishness of the roster overall, it also seems like trades will be the best manner to accomplish the goal. It is time for Falvey to wake up.

I have not watched Walker Jenkins enough times to get a feel for him. I agree that his chances to reach MLB next season are remote. He does seem to have a good idea of the strike zone and keeps his swing on line. The opportunity for Jenkins to do well at AA will determine his availability for 2026. Emmanuel will need to show some of his skills in Spring Training and prove that his swing decisions and focus are ready. Agree that he going to get a chance to prove himself. It is hard to know where Luke Keaschall fits on the roster. He sure looked confident and talented last season. Keaschall has a dynamic swing and his athleticism should play at second base. If the Twins stand pat with Brooks Lee and Julien, they will get an opportunity to turn the page on their 2024 seasons. If they slip, Keaschall would be a good choice. I still can't help but wonder whether Payton Eeles has the skills to stick with the Twins. I haven't seen him enough to have a strong sense of his talents. The numbers at AAA were impressive.

Thing is .... nobody needs to read the articles if they are not inclined. It took me 30 seconds to read the article and I was not harmed. Virtually every article on the internet is click bait, the nature of the beast. I think you guys easily understand that as well as me. Twins Daily has managed to collect (must be a better term) a host of writers pushing out content to Twins/baseball fans. It is pretty decent to have a site to go to that has stuff. Anyone who wants to put together something can write an article and submit it for publishing on this site or have their own blog. The offseason is painfully long and Falvey slept all last winter which made for thin discussion. Let us hope this offseason goes better.

No dilemma, Duran gets paid. Every player can be traded. The Twins need talent, specifically for defense. Falvey needs to find some transactions to upgrade the team. Duran has been victimized by less than stellar defense, so he would agree. Who gets traded is the work of DK.

While I totally agree that Emmanuel Rodriguez has a fair number of warts, specifically staying on the field and his high strikeout rates, there is very little resemblance between Julien and EmRod other than that both have a good eye at the plate. Emmanuel punishes the ball in a way Julien never has. One has fair speed and the other has good speed. One struggles to find a position defensively, while the other has a terrific arm and is a plus defender. Julien is an infielder, Rodriguez is an outfielder. While I'm aware that Emmanuel needs to prove his place to claim a position with the Twins and an improved focus concerning swing decisions should help, there isn't a reason to compare one guy with high K-rates to another when their talent levels and potential are so different.

Emmanuel has his weaknesses. Injuries and high K rates are a problem as noted by Nick. If healthy and focused, EmRod is ready right now. The fact that he hits from the left side is irrelevant because he doesn't have a weakness versus LH pitching. The Twins need some players who can play defense and Rodriguez is a very good outfielder. I doubt Buxton will volunteer to move off of centerfield. Providing that Emmanuel shows himself ready in Spring Training, the Twins have their new left fielder. Larnach can be the DH.

Anyone paying attention to Payton Eeles?

How many plate appearances have you seen in the last two years of McCusker? I have only seen him about 50+ times, so super small sample. The improvement and adaptation has been nothing short of impressive. McCusker is athletic as well. There isn't anyone in the organization who hits the ball harder. He finished last season in St. Paul and was really good. Of the players who have appeared at AA or AAA, McCusker is in the top five among Twins prospects. Repetitions and experience are still needed but nobody should ignore Carson McCusker. https://zonecoverage.com/2024/mn-twins-news/carson-mccuskers-2024-season-is-defying-everyones-expectations/

The 40 person has room. Blewett, Desclafani, Dobnak, Thielbar, Tonkin, Farmer, Santana, Helman, Margot, and Kepler all come off the roster. There are questions about Kirilloff, Keirsey Jr., Severino, Duarte, and Canterino to name others. That gives the Twins plenty of room. Of the names above, I may keep Canterino, Kirilloff, and Keirsey Jr., but that might not be what Falvey thinks. Kirilloff has likely suited up for the last time as a Twin, if I had to bet. However, I don't bet .... often.

The fact that Kirilloff is an easy add to the 40 person roster should tell all of us that the Twins need to complete some trades to add a couple of players. AK might be an add on in a trade. If $1.8 million is too much to keep Kirilloff, the budget is really tight. It is much more likely that whatever occurred between Alex and Baldelli/Falvey last summer has already sealed his fate and he will not be back. Sometimes players need a change of scenery to find their way.

These are interesting ideas. I like the general idea for some change. In general teams are very reluctant to trade starting pitchers unless they believe there is sufficient depth to cover the loss. The problem with trading Correa or Buxton is that only a large market team would work and the return would be quite disappointing. Boston has their eyes on starting pitching in any deal. The bottom line is that we don't exactly know how the league values the Twins players and that includes Falvey. So all ideas are worth an examination. I would expect Falvey to be very active because his rope is really short. Soon enough we shall find out. I hope we are not disappointed like we were last offseason.

These three need to earn their way on to the roster, for sure. However, I do believe these three are more well rounded baseball players than the group you mention and their athleticism should allow them to make adjustments better as well.

I wonder if everyone is still overlooking Payton Eeles, which has been the case for that guy. For those who have watched him, I'm curious about him as a prospect who can play 2B for the Twins. Eeles is one player who I have only seen a couple of times and so I don't have much of a feel for his future. Considering how successful Eeles was at multiple levels last season, especially at AAA, it seems odd that he hasn't drawn much attention.

Seems like these three have bright futures. I get the idea that the odds are against prospects but feel these players are balanced for the most part in their game. Jenkins just needs to stay healthy and play. His physical tools will allow him to react and adjust to the improved pitching at AA and AAA. I have been impressed that he plays within himself and doesn't force a swing. 2026 is almost surely when Walker Jenkins will become a Twin. Luke Keaschall is someone who has bloomed in the last few years. His athleticism should play at several positions but he will need a ton of repetitions to be a plus defender. I think he will be a good defensive player within a year or two. The bat is really quick though which may push him to MLB this season. It is hard to predict how Keaschall performs coming off of surgery, but I am high on his talent and future. Then there is Emmanuel. EmRod will be controversial for many because he has missed a pile of games in his career thus far due to various injuries and he strike out quite a bit. Pitchers see a hole at the top of the zone and Rodriguez will often help a pitcher out by taking pitches right down the middle. MLB does not have either the ABS system or a challenge system for calling pitches, which further cuts into EmRod's ability to discern balls from strikes. Despite these issues, my take is that Emmanuel is ready to plug into the Twins lineup right now. He will be a handful for pitchers and he plays outstanding defense in addition to being a good base runner. Rodriguez will strike out but it is time for the Twins to plug in a guy who can energize the team. Lastly, while other teams have likely sought each of these players in potential trades, I don't see a team out there that will send back the type of player(s) the Twins would require to offset the loss of talent from any of Jenkins, Rodriguez, or Keaschall. I would be interested to read any ideas that others may have regarding trades. Because each of these three possess athleticism and the skills to be excellent on each side of the game I see them as superior to many previous Twins prospects. I'm keeping them.

Andrew Morris may be a real interesting option should the Twins need to go beyond the starting five (Lopez, Ryan, Ober, Festa, Woods Richardson) and Matthews or Paddack (if not traded). He looked tricky, the hitters had poor swings as if they could not recognize what was coming. His unusual delivery combined with some decent stuff and solid command makes him a fair option to call from AAA. Raya looks like he still needs innings and repetitions to harness his repertoire. Perhaps he lands in the bullpen in August and later. Prielipp is a wild card. Yes, his stuff ushers him toward a starting pitcher role but that "stuff" also could have a purpose in the pen. He will be handled carefully in his outings from inning to inning and with a maximum inning count as well. It may be that some of those innings are pitching for the Twins if he shows the command and control more consistently than last summer.

Duran should be on some other team's mind. What is his value? A fair deal helps both teams.