tony&rodney

That is a legitimate question. It mostly comes down to stuff. A major determination of whether to add someone to the 40 person roster is whether it seems likely that another team might poach them in the Rule 5 draft. Those chosen are almost always big arms. We can't know how other teams view Klein. He doesn't seem to fit the profile of arms taken in the recent past. The Twins took a guy last year and gave him quite a bit of run before returning him to the Phillies. It comes down to choices. How many open spots will there be for players on the edge of protecting or leaving off the list? I see your reasoning about his talent relative to the others expected to be protected but I also see the argument that PatfFund (did I get that correct) put forth. I watch a ton of minor league games and only saw Klein a couple of times, which wasn't enough to make a decision either way.

This is about where I reside, always hopeful but very discouraged by the total lack of vision the last three years. I have no idea what the POBO is up to and believe all people can change. A verdict on his rain (pun intended) can be withheld until April. The concern is that our POBO has skated on the players from the previous front office and he has limited ability to perceive the nuances of baseball or adequately judge talent. We should have some sort of an answer in six months. I'm going to be hopeful.

Yes. The franchise is in a dark place. Those were just my guesses ($90-115M). I will not be surprised by any number below $90M, even $60M although that seems unlikely. I guess $60-70M might be as likely as $135-145M. Pablo Lopez is really good but it is hard to see a team out there giving up what is required to acquire him. I believe he stays.

This seems like a reasonable position. The Twins best players are probably only Buxton, Ryan, and Lopez. A reasonable response though is to ask .... Where did Jhoan Duran fit among the Twins best players? In sum, a clear direction for the team isn't exactly clear at this point but there have been signals. We wait.

When Ober is right he is a very effective starting pitcher. My expectation is that he returns to his form prior to the hip injury. There is definitely much that is uncertain: velocity, command, and his ability to throw all of his pitches. There are bound to be a few teams wondering if Ober can be acquired. I don't have that knowledge but starting pitching is always in demand. There must also be some good athletes who, similarly, have not performed to expectations for their clubs that may be available. I have no information or guesses on the legitimacy of any guesses, but can throw out one such thought. Jordan Lawler was a highly rated prospect who has been injured frequently and fared very poorly in a couple of attempts for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Arizona is flush with infield prospects and in need of pitching. Again, I have no idea how Arizona evaluates either Lawler or Ober, but a change of scenery might be good for both players. A key question would be how each team views Lawler. Because Lawler has more years of control it might be necessary to include a guy like Jose Olivares, an exciting pitching prospect, along with Ober to acquire Lawler. This is just an example. If Bailey Ober can be the Twins #3 starting pitcher I'm fine with him in that role. The idea of trading him is merely my thoughts that all avenues must be explored for improving the roster. An obvious question in return would be why ask about Lawler? He is a gamble. His value might be low and Diamondback fans (perhaps their front office too) may stress at the idea of selling low. My sense is that the Twins need a few gambles this offseason. I would attempt to widen a transaction by asking about the injured Justin Martinez. It is possible these ideas are laughable but the conversations seeking potential acquisitions needs to take place. I don't think the Twins need to trade Bailey Ober. I believe he can return to form. All considerations need to be on the table though.

The July moves signified a rebuild in my view. Maybe I'm wrong. We all seem desperately guessing and hoping our team can escape a year long replay of the August-September win, loss record but without the running game; a return to station to station baseball with poor defenders.

The development years started right after the July trades. It will continue in the next two years. The CBA will be a big item a year from now but no way there are more than April games lost. Owners love money and the vast majority of teams make money. The Twins need position players. They might be able to acquire a couple of arms but they won't be top twenty prospects. Ryan could certainly return a very good position prospect. We have seen the importance of great pitching in the current playoffs. It would be irresponsible to not make every player available this offseason. A few trades (3-5) are needed to change the makeup of the roster, specifically on the position player side.

$90-115M for the 26 person roster, with room for a couple of free agent pitchers and perhaps one higher paid bat.

I hardly pay attention to the manager and don't watch their pressers. I wonder when was the last time a manager went all direct in a press briefing? I watch the players. Falvey puts the roster together. I'm hoping the changes bring players I want to watch and that the players currently in the organization who are on the 26 person roster perform, playing exciting baseball. I won't be watching the manager.

This. The roster will be responsible for 98% of wins and losses. I remain hopeful for positive changes to the roster.

Never met Shelton, no reason to dislike him. Easy to understand the frustration of those who want someone from outside the organization. the Twins have Falvey handling all business and baseball actions. While I wasn't really enamored with his hire in 2016, it seemed reasonable to remain neutral because we don't know what goes on behind the curtain. The last 2 years the curtain was pulled back though. If Falvey doesn't figure out a couple of things this winter, he MUST go. However, there is no evidence that any Pohlad pays attention to baseball. I do think they look at the financial information but lacking business acumen the family seems lost owning a baseball team. They like Falvey and he is probably likable. Friends and family are not always good business partners.

The manager won't make any difference if Falvey has decided that the current roster now has the leadership to win. The last two years the Twins rolled it back with nearly the same roster. Will it happen again? Dave Roberts, Tom Kelly in his prime, and Shelton all have the same odds if Falvey says the roster is good .... let's go. The hope is for change on the field. I wish Shelton good luck.

Without collusion the only player added would have been Pags. Whether we like it or not, owners and their front office tools control the rosters. Money. The next CBA may disappoint many people. There are not 16 teams losing money. Quite the contrary, most teams are making moola. Convincing owners to give up their cash cows and simultaneously watch their franchise values dip while lose money also sounds much more difficult than the Twins winning the World Series in 2026. I doubt a lockout extends into May. It would be far easier to coerce the wealthy clubs to share the revenues not being shared at this time. That might be difficult too.

Not to be a downer, but has everyone forgotten that MLB front offices were deep in collusion during both Twins runs in 1987 and 1991. Players like Andre Dawson, Jack Morris, and many others weren't even offered contracts until late in the offseason when numerous players agreed to sign well below market contracts. The owners admitted guilt and paid billions in fines. Are we waiting for help again? Aggressive moves, success from several prospects, and lucky drafts could make the Twins back to relevance in as soon as 2-4 years.

Beat all of the odds. That is the hope. How? Tough to answer. The odds of the current roster somehow all reaching their peaks in the next few years or collectively rising seems like very long odds considering their past performances. Almost as difficult, some would say more impossible, would be the rise of the current prospects. This is the dilemma for the front office. They put together the roster, proclaimed its excellence, and watched it crash. Now the finances are tight and their prospect hauls are pushing for an opportunity. Will Falvey just roll it back again? The July trades seemed like Part ! of a process. Part II would seem to be supplementing the current prospect pool with additional players through trades in hopes of returning to a competitive squad by 2027-2028. It kind of depends on how one views the talent. However, we cannot know how or what Falvey thinks and if we use his past behaviors as predictable the Twins roster is set right now more or less. Either way, it is going to be a few years before the Twins are able to return to relevance. This off season, like all past ones, will provide opportunities.

If Jeffers is not traded, which I am not predicting, 2026 will be his last year with the Twins. In addition to $10M the Twins also pay Correa's $1.33M signing bonus each of the next 3 years according to Fangraphs and numerous other sites. It is a small number but one to account for when adding numbers to remain as low as possible.

We have to hope that the Twins aren't going to just dump any player making above minimum MLB salary without a no trade clause. The concept of low or high value may have some run but the job of the front office is to find out which clubs have an interest in any Twins player and discuss scenarios where a mutually beneficial deal is completed. From my perspective many discussions and explorations should take place. These would seem to be in the form of asking teams what needs they have or ideas are possible. We just don't know how another team looks at a specific Twin. Perhaps there are multiple teams that actually see Ober, Jeffer, Lewis, Wallner, or others as desired assets to improve their team and are willing to discuss trades. We will have to wait and hope for the best. It sure seemed like there was a ton of interest in Duran, Jax, and Varland as well as others during the late July time period. The sheer number of trades was surprising to me. I wondered about how the Twins front office targeted players as much as I wondered about the supposed offers which were not chosen. In the end we are guessing while being either hopeful or disappointed at whatever takes place.

Team building through trades is the topic and that is exactly what I think needs to occur in order to balance a roster that lacks sufficient athleticism and talent.

It would be very weird to see the Twins stand still this winter after the trades in late July. I'm expecting a minimum of 3 trades. It is possible to add Thielbar and/or Coulombe on $3M deals each but I doubt the relievers are up for it. Does anyone expect the Twins to fork over more than $10M for a relief pitcher?

The Twins could have a dozen open spots on the 40 person, but no. Read PatPfund above for exact reason.

Well, that is the level we saw the last two months; it's the floor.

If the moves are over the Twins are looking at 55-75 wins next season. 75 wins if everything goes really well. The current talent was pretty much on display in August and September.

At some point the Twins will need to make decisions. If the choice is to roll it back with the current roster in a similar fashion to the past two years as some people propose (third time is the charm ads), I will be worried. It is impossible to know. Brock has put out the roster build ideas the past few years but last year there was less enthusiasm and much cynicism toward various proposals. I believe it is important to remember we are just goofing around with our opinions and should avoid getting too exasperated by whatever is suggested or what plays out in the end. The four innings from Will Klein (a player the Dodgers picked up in a minor league trade after Klein was DFA'ed by Seattle) to shut down Toronto last night reminds us of how to fill out a Bingo card. Who had Will Klein? My guess is that Larnach remains if Wallner is traded because I don't believe Larnach has demand at his salary. Maybe someone offers a minor league relief pitcher. I have no ideas there. There should be some interest and demand from the other players you mentioned. Ober might be on Arizona's list. Wallner might have a fan in Pittsburgh or even Kansas City. Maybe Seattle would wonder about Lewis. I have no idea about who would have an interest in Lee. The Twins will need to balance their plans, needs, wants, and what some other teams thinks is doable. I think these things are a few weeks off. I do believe the club should act quicker this year than in the past.

Larnach's fate is tied to Wallner's. What is the plan Mr. Falvey?

There are bound to be a spectrum of suggestions and guesses about the 2026 player roster and payroll. One thing that is almost certain or what I believe is that none of us will successfully name the final product. Who feels like they have an idea of what Falvey plans? I have no idea what the POBO values. My best guess for payroll ranges from $100-110M. I won't be surprised by a number higher, stretching as high as $120M. I also will not be surprised by a lower number, diving as low as $70M. My guess includes one free agent at $25M and another at around $5M. The final roster composition is much more important than the dollars. We won't be reaching the spending levels of Seattle much less Toronto. We will be looking towards Cleveland and Milwaukee territories or lower.