tony&rodney

2028 seems reasonable. Anything early is pushing things.

The Twins are in a tough spot with Wallner. Bell is the DH. Now, Jeffers, Caratini, and Buxton can also take a day or two at DH. The time that the Twins can put Wallner in the outfield more than once per week has long since passed or they would have called him up. So tough call and they need to trade him to a team that can use a DH (ARI?/SDP?) asap. That is my take at least but I don't know anything so we shall see. Stuff happens. I agree it is interesting. I do hope Wallner gets another shot at MLB. I don't know him and don't judge his work habits or attitude. He just cannot play with a glove on his hand.

The article is correct that predictions are difficult. We can process some factors that brought the team to their current condition. In my opinion the greatest of these has been the shifting of players to different positions on the field. The eight players who defended on Opening Day represent the old. These guys were given every opportunity to hold their positions with their performances. There have been wholesale changes. Even a casual fan can see the dramatic difference in the field play of the current squad versus the April version. Those who are enamored with analytics can see the change in those numbers. A look: Ryan Jeffers went down and both Caratini and Jackson are better catchers. Jeffers is the better bat. I expect he will be traded unless there isn't a market to return anything decent. It looks like several teams want Jeffers but there isn't any reason to trade him for a player like Funderburk or Wallner. Brooks Lee has very little range as a shortstop. That was no secret. Luckily, Royce Lewis was floundering badly and needed a reset at AAA. Lee was moved to third base where he is adequate. Royce Lewis returned and is a far better first baseman than he was at third base. He needs to become a consistent batsman. Meanwhile shortstop has been improved. Kriedler is decent and Gray is better than Lee. Both are placeholders for Kaelen Culpepper who has been injured. We should expect him in August. Kody Clemens began to hit and moved Josh Bell to DH. Clemens plays a fair first base, which was quite an improvement over Bell. When Lewis returned, Clemens moved to right field. All of the players coursing through that corner were a vast improvement on the worst outfielder in baseball. Then when the Twins could no longer tolerate the hapless arm and generally poor defense of Luke Keaschall at second base, the Twins flipped Clemens to second base and Luke to the outfield. The slow response to a batted ball was a base hit against Keaschall in the infield, but a bit similar to Buxton, Keaschall can run the ball down in the outfield. Byron has continued to be a good centerfielder, just not among the best but still the man. Hopefully Byron can stay on the field and pick back up at the plate with a fantastic season. Trevor Larnach has had a good year and he will need to continue his hitting to hold his position. His glove, while improved, is still not up to a needed standard. I do believe the team can roster one below average glove that hits. The position side of the roster may get a boost with Kaelen Culpepper and Walker Jenkins. They will need a full three weeks of injury free good performances at AAA before they get the call though. In the meantime Roden and Kreidler are getting an opportunity. Derek Shelton and his staff have done a terrific job of shifting the pieces of the roster around to put a vastly improved product on the field with basically most of the same players. Considering the personalities and egos of athletes this is a very difficult task and the coaching staff has managed the challenges adroitly. Credit must also go to the players for buying in. The records of the 2025 and 2026 teams may be similar but this current group is so much more fun to watch and look to be improving. I'm really excited to see how everything unfolds through the remainder of the season, especially the next couple of weeks.

The Twins are feeling pretty solid about their catching situation. They seem to have some reasonable pieces in the outfield. Any trade of Joe Ryan would need to be for someone noteworthy. I'm hesitant to trade Ryan but willing if the return is a player with greater value than Walker Jenkins, preferably an infielder with a bat and a glove. The problem is in the return. I'm not seeing much worth even thinking about. Just recently, for example there was a Cubs rumor that I would completely disregard (Ryan for Matt Shaw, Kevin Alcantara, Brandon Birdsell, and Brett Bateman). I would rather add a Charlee Soto or Dasan Hill to Ryan if the return is a top prospect along the lines of Jesus Made, Leodalis De Vries, Franklin Arias, or Eli Willits. Those guys seem untouchable. Until I hear a name or names worth my time, I'm holding Ryan. It is definitely a predicament. Lastly, the next 16 games are, indeed, important to the Twins as an indication of compete level and direction.

Maybe because 25 people is enough for the roster.

Today is July 13 and other than that it seems early to guess at the next person up. Ask me on August 2 and I might have a stronger thought on what players fill the Twins roster. The next player to get an intro to MLB is largely dependent on injuries and the performance of those currently on the team. It also depends on the health and performance of the individuals in AAA. I do not believe 2027 is a part of the discussion or formula. There will be more clarity on who comes next in 16 games.

The minor leagues get a break this week. There are a few players having good years and some struggling. Marek Houston has been showing well, first for Cedar Rapids and then for Wichita. I'm pleased with his growth as a player but baseball is a difficult sport to rise through the systems. He is definitely worth following. I want to encourage people who are interested in the minor league players to watch the games via milb.com. I understand many simply do not have the time. The statistics, like video highlights, tell us more than nothing but not much because there may be a ton of deception in the stats. Patience is also necessary because many of the young players have normal deficits in their concentration levels as they grow into their jobs just like many of us did as young folks. Marek Houston is one to watch as he completes his year in Wichita and Brandon Winokur are two players on the Twins radar. There are others. I have not seen anyone who leaps off the screen this summer but there are a few who have shown real talent that should play at the highest level when they get the call. For now I believe the Twins are moving players at an appropriate speed.

Winokur was at shortstop today with Houston at second base. This may drive a few people crazy but these guys are taking a ton of ground balls at different positions, which allows them to be prepared with experiences to fill in wherever they fit and are needed. FWIW, Winokur is still slow to fill in the holes in his bat but continues to also progress, just at a slow rate. The tall fellow has to figure out his hit tool still to add to his strong defense, rocket arm, excellent wheels, and good power skills.

Well, this is what parity looks like. Right. Right now there are 28 teams winning between 40-60% of the time. Only the Dodgers and Brewers are above 60%. If Colorado loses they drop below .400. That is about as close to even as leagues gets. Teams across baseball are scrapping for wins and there are a ton of close games almost every day. One big hit and the Twins win. The competition is tight. Get em tomorrow.

Perhaps I am alone on an island but I don't see major changes to the salary system until the owners resolve the entire revenue sharing issue and the loopholes they created more than a decade ago. I'm expecting much blustering, a brief lockout, and April baseball in 2027 without caps or floors. Perhaps the whole CBA gets delayed a year or two with a short term agreement. A season without games would ruin baseball. I know the owners have to understand the stakes. Baseball would not recover as quickly as it did last time there was a major lockout. That was a long time ago and it took years for the game to come back. There are many more options in play in 2026 than existed in 1994. The Twins need to make decisions based on their analysis of the system and roster needs in conjunction with how they feel about both this season and the next. I don't believe that a lockout is a player in their decisions.

I don't live in Minneapolis or St. Paul. I have been to Target Field a ton of times. I'm sorry for those who have had a bad experience of some sort in Minneapolis and i hope to never experience what apparently some have seen or suffered. The entire George Floyd episode was unfortunate on so many levels, especially for GF. There is a pretty cool George Floyd Memorial. I'm not sure if it still exists. It was the #1 visited site for a year plus in Minnesota. All that said, I find the vibe around the North Loop quite enjoyable from friendliness to easy access to fantastic bars and restaurants. I'm really old but can still walk and have enjoyed just cruising around those neighborhoods to stretch my legs before arriving early for a game and like a little bite to eat and a cold one (only one) before heading back to my lair. I usually go alone because that is the way I like it but occasionally go with others and actually went to one game this year with my spouse. She liked the North Loop too. So, again, I'm sorry some people feel negativity towards Minneapolis but I have not experienced the downside and the people I know love living in the city. The lakes, the neighborhoods, and colorful yards are wonderful in the summer. I will say I do not like winter. Winter is for Mexico.

Many people can agree with the "multiple young star" return idea. However .... Who are those young stars? In the last year I have proposed trades for Franklin Arias (last July) and Leodalis De Vries or Max Clark (last winter). Those were never likely to occur. I'm not seeing any proposals that pique my interest thus far. At this time, the Twins may want to see where the team is on August 2 before making a decision. There may be ongoing discussions about a contract extension as well. I'm keeping an open mind. There has been quite a bit of discussion about the strength of the farm system, especially last year. It might be time to push some players forward. Kaelen Culpepper and Walker Jenkins could fill positions. The starting pitching has navigated through some challenges but is still managing to give the club solid starts. The main issue remains the bullpen. The biggest question is whether Ryan Jeffers and a few prospects can be traded for good relief pitchers. The speculation keeps building but the deadline could be quiet too.

The Brewers are cruising this year but if they are to roll in the playoffs they will need to add or risk having their winning record as the highlight of their year. It is a good mark and one to be proud of but at some point the Brewers will need to have the pieces to get back to the World Series. Is that going to be in a few years with Lara and Made? Meanwhile the Twins are left with top prospects often injured and failing to take the next step. Injuries are an unfortunate reality of athletics. Where are the Twins in their plans to be competitive? If one makes a list of needs to boost the Minnesota roster, one thing seems to stand out for me. The club is in need of a legitimate star player. In my opinion the recent steps to move a number of players around defensively have decreased the holes in the infield and outfield. The offense has been scoring runs at a fair clip too. The 2026 Twins are much more interesting than the last couple of years. Still, there are clear holes, with the bullpen being an obvious issue. Can a couple of prospects fill the void? The decision with Joe Ryan is a difficult one. He is going to get a big contract if he gets to free agency and will require a chunk of the payroll to sign to an extension. I see what the Rays, Guardians, and Brewers have done with their players but find their success as noteworthy but not necessarily the model that the Twins can follow. In some cases it was the follow -up transactions that created value for the Brewers (Contreras and Harrison). Is that something that can be replicated? My take on trading Joe Ryan has not changed at all since last July. If the Twins can manage to acquire a major prospect (Franklin Arias, Leodalis, De Vries, Jesus Made types), do it. It may be possible to find a deal for multiple players but I haven't seen anything I'm finding decent. The next option is to sign Joe Ryan. Third, the team waits until the offseason. A pile of pretty good maybe's doesn't hold any interest for me.

Tough break to get the problem (blister) on his middle finger last night. Prielipp looked really good and had the best velocity of his career with a wicked slider as well. Hopefully Connor is back on the mound on either the 23rd or 24th of July.

The Twins should not give Ryan Jeffers away. We should be able to agree on that statement. Strange article. Mentions a few players that seemingly should be traded: Larnach, Clemens, Bell, and then gets to Jeffers, the focus of the article. Why those three? There has been zero interest in Larnach for a year now. Is there now? Why Clemens? He plays decent defense and is under team control/ is inexpensive. Kody is a valuable player to the Twins, as a starter and also as a utility player. There is little chance he returns equal value. Why Bell? Teams have not been trading for Bell recently and he is not bringing back anything. Caratini and Jackson are under team control. Jeffers will be a free agent. He is the one player the Twins need to trade. If the Twins want to bid for his services this winter, fine. There isn't going to be a QO extended and Jeffers will not sign this close to free agency.

People will hold their opinions whatever, but Tom Pohlad has shown more interest in baseball than any other Pohlad since his grandma. That is clearly a good thing imo.

Ok, that makes sense as one way to look at it. I can live with using some of the prospects already within the system. My thoughts on acquiring Sonny Gray are more related to how he allows the team to bring in a mentor for the young pitchers at the same time as he allows for a shift of someone to the bullpen where help is needed. We don't know what will become of Dasan Hill. He is all over the place right now. When I watch him pitch I see a guy who is totally inexperienced and struggling to repeat any pitches for much duration, but also an arm that throws unhittable pitches. Soto has been out too much to get much of a feel for. So, both Hill and Soto could be really good. The idea was to more or less match the Chase Petty transaction. In the end I'm ok with a few gambles. It isn't just to win now but to bring in someone to help our young pitchers. Bradley, Prielipp, Matthews, Rojas, Abel, and others are a fair base of a staff going forward. No such thing as too much pitching. I do think Ryan Jeffers, Trevor Larnach, and Matt Wallner could be moved although Larnach has looked decent this year. I'm not trading Jeffers just to trade him but losing Jackson might be a mistake. It will be interesting to see which direction the Twins take this year. I was very frustrated by the lack of moves after the 2023, 2024, and 2025 seasons.

Roden made a couple of nice plays in the outfield. They were catches that should be made but he looked comfortable and competent in right field, which has not always been true of every Twins outfielder. Roden did not look so good in the outfield on some occasions for the Saints this year although his reputation is as a fair defender. Thus I was pleased with the glove and naturally happy for Roden that he got the big walk-off base hit.

Sizemore was one of my favorite players to watch on opposing teams. He always played the game the way a manager wants to see it played - make the right plays every time, be a tough plate appearance, and run with efficiency. What a bonus that Sizemore is willing and capable as a coach because that isn't a given with former stars. Coaching is a humble job. The Twins got lucky bringing Sizemore to the club.

You might be on to something here. Either way, it doesn't make any difference for me. When I watch the games (usually have a minor league game on the laptop with Twins on big screen) I'm tuned into the players and situations within the game, from wondering about pitch choice to fielder positioning and a batter's approach. Most of the time the sound is off. As a side note it helps to pay attention because the people who input the count and outs and who is batting are often incorrect in minor league games. If a different format with talking heads brings in fans that seems like a positive. I was mildly amused by Plouffe last night when I had the sound on.

Detmers or Soriano will cost a couple of top prospects for sure. As much as these two are good pitchers, I'm not sure they are a need or what the Twins should be looking at right now. What do people think about a reboot of the Sonny Gray trade? This time is would be Dasan Hill or Charlee Soto going to Boston. What would it take to acquire Gray?

Happy club.

No.

#3 - bullpen. #2 - bullpen. #1 - bullpen. I'm not sure what teams are willing to give up a good relief pitcher. Maybe San Diego or Pittsburgh. Perhaps Wallner returns something useful or Jeffers a bigger piece. One outside shot would be to offer Dasan Hill for Sonny Gray. Gray pushes Rojas to pen duty. I'm holding off until the end of the month unless a really good deal falls in my lap if I am the Twins.

No way to be correct on draft picks. A few writers have suggested (and it was mentioned in a comment here on TD) that Emerson is the best high school pick since Bobby Witt Jr. There is no way Emerson turns out as good simply because he isn't as fast or have as big an arm. There is also the fact that Konnor Griffin was the #9 pick in 2024 and is doing well with Pittsburgh this season (currently out with an injury). Griffin had a spectacular first full season of pro ball in 2025 that ranks with the best ever from first year players. I'm hoping the Twins take BPA and have good luck with the development process, but will not expect the #3 pick this year to play as a regular until 2028 or later. There are a number of picks that will be really good, so the draft is exciting.