tony&rodney

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.

Can the Twins find a starter on the market for $10 million? What is the limit or possibility of the Twins going big on a starting free agent pitcher? I like the idea of adding a good RH left fielder. I believe Gurriel Jr. is the best on the market. There is a decided lack of good outfielders available in free agency this year. It might be tough to improve on what we currently have in the system. I'm open to all ideas though. Most of the trade ideas I goof around with ( a second here and there) are a little unrealistic or seem impracticable.

You have two things going on here. I don't see the relationship. The Twins are not going to get back very much in return for Kepler alone. He has one year left on his contract. On the other hand, if the Twins did not pick up his contract and Max becomes a free agent ... well, then Kepler jumps to the front of the line as the best free agent outfielder. A team that has too many excellent outfielders would not be interested in adding another, but any team needing a solid fielding, good base running, athletic guy who is coming off a season where he had an OPS of .816 with an OPS+ of 121 is going to be very actively interested. We can all agree that Kepler was frustrating in 2022 and the first half of 2023, but it would be stubborn to ignore his talent and production along with the potential for future production from Max. Kepler could possibly be dealt in a package that includes a couple of good prospects for a needed pitcher.

Taylor may be in more demand now than he was previously, thus his price tag may be higher. I'm not sure what the market holds for Taylor. I don't believe he can expect a multi-year contract but it is hard to predict. Taylor strikes out a ton, has a low OBP, and won't hit for a high average. His defense and ability for a quick strike via the long ball and stolen base are positive additions to the good defense. I don't have a feel for his market but $8 million may be a fair number. Will the Twins look at that number and bring Taylor back for insurance? We have seen how critical strong defense is to shutting down an offense during the playoffs with some long runs to record outs by excellent centerfielders. Falvey sees this too.

This year the Twins used the safety squeeze a few times. The difference between Arizona and Minnesota from my vantage point is that all of the D Backs have clearly spent time working on bunting, whereas the Minnesota team has more than a few players who look totally out of it when they attempted to bunt. Players can become accomplished at bunting by putting 5 minutes per day (six days a week) into the practice. I'm not an advocate for frequent bunting but there are times when it is the best method of scoring runs and putting pressure on an opponent. The skill of bunting simply needs to be an available tool.

Damn. I thought the same thing when I saw that. It got to me thinking about the Marlins or Mariners. I'm not sure I am ready to part with Max, but the idea of improving the team is always there. I'm guessing if Kepler is traded it is straight up for a reliever (unlikely) or as one of several players in a larger deal. The Dodgers and Padres? Hmmm.

I guess the D Backs know how to turn a close game into a whooping without grand slams. On to Phoenix. I guess I'll take the dock out tomorrow.

I should add that I believed that Royce Lewis might be a very good outfielder too. I did not think he looked very good at shortstop. That was two years ago before his second ACL injury. I was excited to see what he could do as a centerfielder. Alas. Last season after his injury and again early this past season there were several comments made by his agent (Scott Boras) about the best use for Lewis defensively. Boras commented that Royce is going to be a superstar playing "on the dirt". I took note. It seemed firm when we began to hear Baldelli and Falvey talk.

I wonder if Castro benefitted from the cliche change of scenery. There were times when Willi took wild hacks but he was pretty disciplined whenever runners were on base. The defense was really a plus and his base running too. Castro is athletic and has a host of skills, which should allow him to repeat as a solid performer. He has gained some experience and a little extra in the next contract should also be a motivator.