tony&rodney

True, we are all getting older (Polanco too). I'm not 100% sure that the injuries are chronic. I also have two thoughts. One is that the Twins will keep Jorge and he starts most games because the team is trying to win. The second thought is that the Twins are able to bundle Polanco in a trade for a starting pitcher that improves their team. What I am sure of is that I do not know where Falvey and the brain trust stands.

No doubt Lewis still needs to improve at third base. He has the arm and should have the reactions too. It is worth remembering that he was primarily a third baseman in high school and only an occasional shortstop. A huge part of his maturation will be how he progresses on difficult breaking pitches. Royce needs a solid BB-K ratio.

Agree. I should have added that I don't really expect less than $150 million for reasons similar to chpettit19 as he stated above. I only wanted to state that the Twins should be good at a reduction too if that should somehow be necessary. Decisions about retention, who plays where, or trades are more the focus on improving the roster next year than building backwards with a budget.

I'm not a critic of the front office. I have been watching quite a few minor league games since retirement. I like the Twins prospects. The Twins had 10 different pitchers start games for their team this year. Bailey Ober made 26 starts and Louie Varland made 10 starts. These are the only two starting pitchers drafted and developed by the Twins who have made it to The Show. Sometimes it seems like people work overtime to discuss a pitching pipeline and make proclamations of praise for such a system. It would be great if there was a parade of players (pitchers) that march to Target Field. I'm happy with any means of acquiring good players (via FA, trades, or draft) and enjoy watching and following the prospects. I'm not sure where a pitching pipeline come in though. Just seems odd to me.

How do you come to that conclusion? I like pretty much everything about Brooks Lee, but a side by side comparison of Lee and Julien at Wichita and St. Paul is pretty close, all things considered. Perhaps Julien gains the slight nod based on AVG, OBP, SLG, and OPS. Also, Polanco is still better than either Julien or Lee (who has not played MLB), although Jorge is admittedly on a bit of a decline. I'm thinking Brooks Lee will be a strong regular in the major leagues, but he isn't there yet and the players above him are better at this time. Perhaps the Twins trade Polanco and'or Julien to clear a path for Ll. We shall see.

The Twins can afford to roster a payroll of $125 million next year. That should be sufficient to retain players needed to win the AL Central again next season. Additional money is always nice and a $155 million roster brings even more possibilities, but money shouldn't stop the Twins from having a very competitive team.

I wonder if Jair Camargo has a bit more of a market than most regular minor league free agents. There are teams hurting at catcher that would love to see what Camargo can do for them. While I have no idea, it seems like he could demand at least the minimum MLB salary ($740K) to sign a minor league deal with the Twins or any other team. So, yah, sign him.

Saw that earlier today. I guess it wasn't totally unexpected. Congratulations to Dick Bremer on a 40 year run in the booth. When he started, not every game was televised and radio was still more or less the voice of a team. Suffice to say that Bremer is identified closely with Twins baseball. He had a wonderful career.

Don't throw a pitch in the strike zone on the first pitch to Corey Seager.

Two great plays and it stays zero. How long can Pfaadt wear those glass slippers? He looks sharp again.

You bet.

Really like your list - short and to the point. I'm not too worried about Prielipp now because he will need time to recover and get back to just playing a little baseball. We should check back on Prielipp next August. In the upper minors (guys who played AA or AAA this year) I'm interested to see how David Festa does after a winter to adjust to what he experienced this past year. The ceiling for him looks good. Festa is still inexperienced but could be coming fast. I'm also ready to see what Austin Martin can do at the next level. There are a pile of other guys I'm planning to watch and follow next season. Among those I believe could take big steps are: Byron Chourio, Ben Ross, Tanner Hall, Luke Keaschall, C. J. Culpepper, and Cory Lewis. Of course we should be excited to see how Charlee Soto and Brandon Winokur manage in their first full year of pro ball. Finally, next year there will be eyes on two players who Twins fans hope can take a big leap forward: Marco Raya and Emmanuel Rodriguez. I'm hoping both reach and succeed in AAA next season after proving their dominance of AA.

I wonder if people on TD have strong opinions on who among either Julien or Lee is a better choice long term at second base. Is there room for both? Alex Kirilloff is at first base and Byron Buxton is a CF/DH. The Twins are unlikely to use Julien long term as a DH. Maybe a poll would be appropriate, maybe not. I'm not sure how folks come to putting those out.

The idea of adding a LH starting pitcher is a sound idea. I'm not sure who is available. Sale is a little too rich though. Freeland may benefit from escaping Coors Field but he has had more issues on the road. Finally, why would one think that Robbie Ray would opt out of his 2025-2026 payout of $50 million? He is unlikely to exceed that number as a free agent after 2024 when he will only have a partial year to establish himself. Ray has been a very good pitcher but his future is less certain than guys like Jordan Montgomery. I like the idea of a left-handed starter for a team to have a different look during a series, but right now the pickings are slim.

Prospects and discussion of them have been a lifeline of hope and anticipation for baseball franchises since the first "fair" amateur player draft in 1965. The Sporting News gave reports and printed statistics giving fans a glimpse of the minor leagues. Baseball America came along in 1981 to greatly enhance the coverage of prospects. The internet allowed our ability to follow prospects to explode with depth, video, and game action. The Twins have a strong minor league system as do the other MLB teams. It is interesting for me to follow the development of "our" future Twins as they enter and go through the rigors of minor league baseball. I love the interviews and features that Seth and others provide for Twins Daily readers. I follow the Twins prospects and a few other random guys more than any rational person should. What is irksome is how some people feel the need to denigrate past front office work with prospects. It just isn'y necessary. If you have followed baseball prospects since the days of Rick Monday, you know that prospects are fun and because baseball is incredibly competitive most signees never make it to the show. It's all relative as that crazy-haired man would say.

I cracked up when I read the comment because I thought that TD would tip over if Lewis was traded. I don't see it. Later in the Q & A, Polishuk backpedaled on making a guess what the Twins would do, hinting that he didn't want his box full from irate Twins fans. LOL.

Learning about the minor leagues largely depends (to some extent) on where one is in their life because it is time consuming. For example, before retirement I worked, coached, and also played mens baseball. There was never more than 6 hours for sleep and reading about baseball would be limited to an hour per day. Although I was a charter subscriber to Baseball America and read The Sporting News before that, one needed to parse out the time. Now, since the advent of the internet and especially since milb.com has been available, one can get even deeper on prospects. Getting to minor league games is always fun too. So, if you work full time (which meant never accessing anything personal such as baseball, news, or email during the work hours for me), it is hard to follow so many players and leagues. Retirement allows one to saturate in your projects. Also, it is easier if one only follows one sport. I do realize that many people actually spend a fair amount of time looking at the internet while at work but I'm not sure that is available to all or a choice for others. FWIW, I saw the listing on David Festa when he was drafted and was intrigued by his height and weight. The last two years i have tried to catch as many innings as possible when he pitches. The lists are fine but watching the players goes much farther. Or as the saying goes, it's all good.

General agreement on the two needs. While signing a pitcher via free agency would be sweet (not my money), a trade does seem more likely. Last night, Mark Polishuk (MLBTradeRumors) posited the notion that the Twins could trade Royce Lewis as opposed to Brooks Lee. Soto is clogging up every fans' mind right now. Nobody really knows if Preller is even open to the idea yet much less what the Padres want in return. They need pitching, outfield help, and salary relief. They did average 40,000+ for 81 games as far as attendance. It is unlikely to see a prospect laden return work. I think BTV is interesting. I get the idea of controlled time, etc., but we can put up dozens of ridiculous trades that show similar value. Is Griffin Jax really close in value to Juan Soto? If San Diego would trade Soto for Wallner plus several prospects in the #10-30 range, the Twins would have to think long and hard. Then again, is Wallner going to become the batter that showed in Wichita in 2022 and in St. Paul in 2023? What is the ceiling for Wallner? He seemed to have several holes in his swing and was initially clueless on breaking pitches. We saw some real growth by Wallner in closing those holes and improvement on recognition of off speed stuff. Wallner still has a ways to go before he becomes a middle of the order bat. Can he close the gap? How quickly? These are how Falvey, Preller, and others earn their pay.

I agree that the Twins could manage adding the money required to pay Juan Soto for one year. I also agree that discussions concerning Soto (across all teams) are almost certainly moot because the Padres believe they will win next year with him in the lineup. I don't believe that the Twins will trade any of their top prospects for Soto. If they have discussions they would be around one or two MLB players (likely one pitcher, which the Twins cannot really afford) and 3-5 prospects from guys ranked below the top ten. But as you say, a Soto deal is highly unlikely. Every team likes the idea of his bat though.

There can be no doubt that Brooks Lee is an exciting prospect. From the advantages of receiving superior guidance from his father at an early age to the quality of competition in a California high school to his career at Cal Poly, Lee has more experience than most minor league players. He may still have some skills to polish and refine further but he was fun to watch and follow via milb.com. Lee has a decent glove and projects as an extra base hitting ballplayer. The conundrum for the Twins is that they currently have three talented players who look ticketed for second base: Polanco, Julien, and Lee. The Twins also have a couple of guys who could be adequate backups in roles as utility infielders. This is a positive situation. The three main guys all need regular playing time and despite promise or future value, Polanco is still the best of the lot. While Julien can fit in as a DH at times, it is probably best that he continue his development as a fielder. The Twins may see an arrangement where Polanco and Julien get regular playing time and at bats, but when Brooks Lee pushes forward some hard decisions will need to occur. Falvey and the brains who sit at the table have some interesting conversations to wade through in the next month or so if the Twins are to make an attempt to strengthen their team via trades. I think a move of an infielder now may be a more difficult call than the decision to trade a batting champion last offseason. Brooks Lee has shown he is nearly ready to make the jump to MLB. A promotion may be a half a year away because management will want him to prove he is ready and not just hand Brooks a position. How the Twins approach their infield wealth of talent will be watched closely in the next few months. I believe a trade will happen.

Merrill Kelly shut down the Rangers on Saturday night. He usually throws his fastball around 91-92 and topped out at 94. Ryan hangs out in the same neighborhood, topping out at 95-96 on the rare occasion. MLB hitters punish 100 mph down the middle. The ability to keep batters off stride and the ball off the barrel by moving it around the zone is more important than velocity. We see this with Louie Varland, who I believe will be a really good starting pitcher with a little more command of his pitches. While velocity can be a nice addition, Joe Ryan will be successful as long as he locates his pitches.

Your sentiment is shared by others. There are some things to consider though. Championships, World Series appearances, division titles, and even wild card entries into the playoffs are never guaranteed. Ask San Diego. Handing positions off to young players can be tough. Ask Kansas City. Arizona took a 84 win team to the World Series and Texas met them there after dispatching Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and Houston. The two teams in the series have a blend of veterans and young players. Tommy Pham, Evan Longoria, and our old buddy Grossman are all still contributing to their teams. Baseball is a business and management doesn't hold guys back very long who belong in the lineup. If the Twins have some players who deserve to play they will get their opportunity. This past season the team had quite a bit of depth, which filled in nicely when some guys went down with injuries or did not perform. I think people worry too much about the younger players getting a chance. Polanco is still clearly better than the other second basemen in the system as is Kepler better than the other outfielders. Now if the Twins can improve the quality of their team by trading some players, which may or may not include veterans, then Falvey should complete some deals. The Lopez-Arraez trade is an example of moving a young guy to fill a need and Ryan-Cruz trade is an example of moving a veteran. Experience is a good thing to have and the prospects always get their shot. When it is time the young fellows push their way up. We shall see what Falvey thinks soon enough.

Soto is a thing worth a phone call. The money, the one year and done, and his defense are problematic but why not just get in the conversation. Every team wonders how Soto would look in their colors. I can't see the others as being Twins but crazy stuff happens and putting the list together is worth a thread.

Brooks Lee sounds like he has some fans ticketing him for a regular job some time next year for Minnesota. Does that mean that the Twins are going to trade possibly both Polanco or Julien? Or does that mean Jorge and Eduouard become utility players with an occasional stint at DH? Trade one and the other becomes a utility player? Those choices would surprise me. I think Lee has a ways to go before he reaches either Polanco or Julien status. However, I have no idea how the Twins see second base. This does mean that there are options for the Twins, which is a good thing. One thing seems pretty predictable - the Twins should have no problem playing a strong player at second.

We should assume that Polanco has his option picked up. Both Kepler and Polanco would jump to the head of all free agent position players if their options were declined. Can anyone think of any reason not to pick up their very affordable options. The only reason this could happen is if the roster budget is going to be close to $100 million. There will be a full pile of guys looking for MLB jobs at second base, so there is a chance to make a trade or two. That makes sense. It also makes sense to listen to what other teams want and keep the lines of communication open.