tony&rodney

Cabrera didn't bother me because the team was lost already. He has some decent stuff but is not consistent. He is not reliable. Genesis is an easy non tender but a minor league offer that includes a ST invite seems fair. I'm not sure how many more teams will bite on Cabrera for a 40 person roster spot. He is gambling if he passes on any offer, even a minor league one.

That's the dream. I'm still hoping for Jeferson Quero (MIL) and/or Harry Ford (SEA). Heck get both of them and have Vazquez serve as their mentor. Ford can be used on the odd occasion in the outfield.

A Kyler Fedko/Hendry Mendez experience would be a better idea than adding another slow declining body like Hoskins. I, too, doubt the Twins add any substantial free agent. I put a link to all free agents out yesterday. It is a pile mostly made up of declining players whose skills are questionable at best. There are names like J.T. Realmuto, Alonso, Naylor, Torres, Polanco, Bichette, Story, Bregman, Bellinger, and Tucker. That is about it. Is there anyone who thinks the Twins will sign any of the above players? The rest of the crowd are just earning your 24'-25' team records over and over again. The rebuild was begun in July. We didn't anticipate or ask for it, but it happened. Now, it is time to complete the rebuild. Anything short of a commitment to revamping the roster will only draw out the misery of 90 loss seasons.

Bellinger will get 3-5+ years and the price will start at $25M. I can't remember where I saw it but there was a guess he gets 5/$150M. Bellinger is really good in the field, hits tons of extra base hits, can run, and can hit left-handed pitchers too. His versatility is attractive. I would like Bellinger as our first baseman, but settle for Naylor or Alonso too. Does anyone think the Twins will fork out a nine figure deal? What is the free agent spending ceiling?

Ryan is a fun pitcher to watch. My guess is most fans want Ryan to return next year. Me too. The money is not important with Ryan. The Twins lack talent though, needing improvement/help everywhere but wherever Byron Buxton plays. Perhaps I'm mistaken but I see all conversation surrounding trades as finding paths to balance the roster. A slow, defensively challenged team that also struggles to hit needs changes to occur. We have seen what happens with the current roster in August and September. I believe the Twins need to consider everything. The challenge is to find a team needing one of our corner outfielders or other guys. What is the return? Gamble trades are worth the chance. Not every trade will work but several should occur. We should expect the bar to be high for Ryan. Can management pull off solid trades? I sure hope so, and if the Twins can retain Ryan and Lopez ..... even better. Still, I'm looking for about four trades. The post is about payroll. I see it below $90M if nothing changes but I could easily see a $110M roster. That is about $22M above the current list.

I'm holding out hope for a few fantastic trades. If nothing is done Brooks Lee is what we have at shortstop. Oh well. He could still improve.

The Twins could lose 90 games again, but they could be a fun team to watch. That depends on the moves made this offseason. They will be a major league team though. There is quite a difference. I do not expect a significant lockout in 2027. Worst case, MLB loses April. The sides will come to an agreement. Depending on the trades made this winter, the Twins could be pretty good in 2027.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/08/2025-26-mlb-free-agents.html The above link will take you to those players expected to be available as free agents. Whenever I hear about adding middle of the order bats (much less two or three) and also adding 2-3 good relief pitchers, I wonder who exactly are people talking about. Who would sign with the Twins? Are the Twins going to shift their financial practices? I remember the cry to add Jordan Montgomery and Rhys Hoskins a couple of years ago, which seemed so far off for improving the team. I begged for several trades instead, but alas a couple of those guys will now be released and one other might get one last shot. When Bonnes puts down the money spent with a grade and the expected outcome, I'm confused. The Twins have been leading the ALC in money spent. If money is such a great predictor, where are those ALC crowns the last two years. I agree that teams paying above $200M for 26 person payroll have a higher correlation to winning over time, but it takes talent and good management to win. I wish someone would put out a list of bats and arms that can be realistically signed as a proposal. Until such time the Twins must gather all information possible to complete some trades. The results should have the potential to vastly improve the club's fortunes. The next year or two are bound to be rough but with the right combination of players the team could at least be interesting.

What might be interesting to people is to see the financial numbers for ALCentral teams for 2026. Fangraphs estimated payroll and estimated luxury tax payroll: Twins: $72.4M $91M Royals: $88.2M. $124.2M White Sox: $41.3M. $61.3M Tigers: $50.7M. $71.2M Guardians: $60.7M. $81.4M Those who are interested could look up the average age of the teams, MLB experience, and other factors such as talent level which all help determine level of success. People will come to their own conclusions. Detroit is in the driver's seat at this time. The Twins have a minor league system that is ranked favorably. The one note consistent across rankings is that the Twins have fewer high end prospects but more prospects who could eventually reach MLB. In other words, a somewhat conflicting report on the viability of leaning on the farm to produce what is needed going forward. Ultimately, teams need talent to compete. After that talent puts a team in contention, the financial wherewithal is needed to hold the most valuable players. I believe the Twins need to make a push for talent this winter which requires trades. The original article suggests spending will bring success. Yes, spending is correlated to success in many cases. The problem is in identifying and successfully adding players. When I see suggestions to add Rhys Hoskins and Jordan Montgomery, for example, I cringe. Who are the guys who will sign with the Twins? Finally, the history of the Pohlad ownership doesn't portend spending $160M. Is that even a consideration? Let's fix the talent on the roster first.

I'm more concerned about the talent on the roster and the style of play from the team. A plan that continues to lean on home runs for offense, going one base at a time doesn't score enough runs A group of players who work hard but struggle to be slightly below average or worse at fielding their position allows to many base hits that should be outs and stresses the pitching staff. As such, there needs to be changes in the 13 players who comprise the position player side of the roster. The changes we saw after August 15 seemed more like Baldelli than a new team approach.

That's in the past. It does not matter. Great game.

Great baseball being played and big moments taking place. Jorge Polanco has always been tough when it mattered. Two home runs against the best pitcher in the American League is an amazing day. Make me smile - I'm happy for Polanco.

While I remain hopeful for the next few years, that hope is not based on the current collection of players but in a potential for 4-7 trades and/or signings to change the course of the team. When someone suggests all the pieces are in place now, that sounds exactly like the rhetoric from the last two years.

I'm not sure we can come too close to guessing the outfield for next year. So much depends on what direction the Twins decide to take. It is possible to trade Buxton with his permission. It seems too early to understand if Falvey will, once again, stand still in the offseason or choose to continue the rebuild started in July. If nothing changes, then the Twins move along with Martin, Buxton, and Wallner. I think Larnach hit reasonable well and folks already know that Wallner can hit some home runs. Unless there is a guarantee that neither will ever play more time in the field than Kyle Schwarber has the last two years, the Twins should find a team that would be excited to acquire Larnach or Wallner. I'm fine with letting one of them serve as a DH. So much depends on whether the Twins decide to trade Joe Ryan. My hope is that the Twins choose better defenders for the outfield once they choose a direction on Ryan, Buxton, Lopez, and Jeffers. Youth will be served at some point. Jenkins, Gonzalez, Fedko, and Rodriguez all have some skills and some weaknesses to go along with their inexperience, but they want to show themsleves at their best in MLB soon. How soon? I think they are all are about as ready as the guys who played the corners this year.

Woods Richardson has 51 starts in the last two years. He has improved in increments to become a legit MLB starting pitcher. Where he fits in a rotation will be determined in 2026. Sim and Taj Bradley have one more year before arbitration. Simeon will be counted on to continue in 2026 what he showed in September of this year. Austin Martin played really well down the stretch and he will find opportunities again next year. Martin's playing time will be related to how he shows early to some extent, and more importantly, to the type of team the Twins decide to put on the field. Kody Clemens showed he can hit and play in numerous positions. His spot on a team will be dependent on where the Twins are headed in 2026. Clemens might fit as a 13th position player.

Many of the comments are specific and actually somewhat analytical. It is doubtful that many of us agree on too many things. We are exchanging thoughts and ideas. Plus ..... you do know that you have written several comments that are merely whining about what you call whining. Right? If you don't like a comment, that is perfectly fine. Just state your objection and offer a separate thought or solution. The topic - "Derek Falvey is in over his head". Do you agree or disagree and why?

Luke Keaschall plays hard. We still don't really know what we have with him but the hope is that he can hit and play an average second base. The others have spots because there isn't anyone to push them aside yet. Maybe Lewis becomes something. It's getting late though. Lee is a decent utility player and Clemens might get more time, against all odds. The roster needs help and the infield is porous. However, there may be reasonable help on the way via trades, the minor leagues, free agency, or the draft. Patience is needed.

I'm assuming you also will liquidate all assets of any individuals elsewhere in the country that exceed a figure, say your $100M per year. I'm not opposed to limits on wealth, whether it is property, stocks, or other means. Might be best to keep it reasonable, say maximum of $10 million total. It also might be difficult to accomplish because humans don't share.

A few teams are relatively close and could use a Joe Ryan in their starting rotation, especially come playoff time. San Francisco, Detroit, Boston, St. Louis, Chicago come to mind quickly. A couple of fair questions emerge. Will the Twins have any chance at contending in the next two years? Will a team trade a significant prospect or package of players for Ryan this winter? To give the thought some consideration, flip the script and consider what prospects or package of players the Twins could use to acquire Tarik Skubal if the Twins were in the same or similar position as the Tigers are now, but in a reversal the Tigers were needy for talent such as the current Twins squad.

Ok. What ideas do you have in mind? Just for refresher, the Twins needs: C, 1B, SS, LF, RF, and several (4) bullpen pitchers to start. I'm fine with whatever moves makes the team much better to watch.

The Twins were healthier than most teams in 2025. The current Jeffers, Clemens, Keaschall, Lewis, Lee, Martin, Buxton, Wallner, Larnach lineup seems unlikely to win more than 75 games if all goes well, but could also be painful to watch. The decision to trade multiple people in July would portend more moves are coming in November and forward. The Twins could benefit from upgrades. The budget is not known but it will not / should not surprise anyone if the number is near $90M including the $11M to Carlos Correa. Last offseason there was almost no interest in Brock's/ Twins Daily's roster build. People who did respond were grumpy about suggestions. Was that a harbinger of no hope for the future? I'm positive my thoughts and suggestions were totally meaningless but a distraction nonetheless from a world bent on replaying the 1930s. We all know our roster builds are far off, but the failure to hope seems dire. Was John Bonnes publishing a list with no moves a mistake or a prediction? I was a little surprised that all of the writers, tech folk, and owners of this site failed to participate with rosters, but I expect the idea is now dead. As merely fans it seemed like hope and searching for answers with our wild guesses maintained a flicker of hope. So, sure, I hope Hendry Mendez progresses in some manner. He isn't a fit on my roster ...... yet. But, you never know.

Why am I not enthused when people suggest adding additional slow, defensively challenged DH's to a team full of them? It is tough to pitch if one must strike out everyone because the defense is unstable.

The Twins are a mess. This is not in dispute. The real curiosity is how the person who designed and was responsible for the latest "Total System Failure" manages to get another go at putting together a roster. However, these are things well beyond the control of fans which makes it all the more infuriating. The Pohlads are who they are and protests will all be in vain. I protested Carl Pohlad buying the team in 1984 because I favored others. What's done is done and any sale may be years away. The debt we hear about is just corporate talk unless the books are opened for an independent accountant to verify. Why would a private company allow that? That too is in the past. The Twins have just finished a 9 year stretch where their payrolls eclipsed their ALC competitors and vastly exceeded their neighbors in Milwaukee. We should not expect a similar trend in the 2026-2035 timeframe. The fate of the team's fortunes will depend on Falvey changing his views on baseball. Lastly, it seems impossible that either Pablo Lopez or Joe Ryan would be around much longer. Ryan may have big value. We cannot know how other team view his future. If you had a young team in need of another top starting pitcher would you trade your top prospect for Ryan? Flip it - If the Twins needed Tarik Skubal to win, is Walker Jenkins alone or even plus another player too high a price? More or less, the Twins need to find out if Ryan and all others have values to bring future value to the roster. 2026 is going to be tough. It might as well be be with guys who have a future. No matter, we are left being fans of a troubled franchise.

Got to have him so Gladden can be tortured saying his name. Great spelling for sure. I watched him pitch a couple of times this summer. He looked good. Smaller guy but has stuff.

There are so many choices and opportunities will be available. Nobody knows what teams will be willing to part with talent and so all of our guesses are equally valid/invalid. I'm wondering about JJ Wetherholt (Cardinals), Max Clark (Tigers), Brody Hopkins (Rays), Harry Ford & Jurrangelo Cijntje (Mariners), Jeferson Quero (Brewers), Jared Jones (Pirates), and Jordan Lawler (Diamondbacks). Oh, and I want all of them. I do like some of the other players people have mentioned like: Jaxon Wiggins & Kevin Alcantara (Cubs), Ben Rice & Austin Wells (Yankees), and some Red Sox guys (Ceddanne Rafaela, Payton Tolle, Marcelo Mayer, Franklin Arias, and Jarren Duran. It might be difficult to acquire established players. Hopefully the Twins complete 4-7 trades to avoid 100+ losses in 2026, but more importantly to add needed talent to the team. Of course this will cost us fans some of our dear players.