tony&rodney

Rankings will come out again this winter. Right now, post trades, Fangraphs has the Twins at #9 and MLB has the Twins at #3. By the winter things will change. I watch way too much minor league baseball. I would agree the Twins are a consensus Top 10 in MLB for prospects. I do like several players in the Twins system quite a bit. I will start by saying that I liked Keaschall last year because he plays hard and takes what is given. Next, I will say that both K. Culpepper and Walker Jenkins have looked really good this year. Jenkins is hitting the ball hard on a consistent basis and is a really tough out because he takes his walks and is difficult to strike out. In today's game, Jenkins roped a single off of the rehabbing Michael Lorenzen, went to second base on a wild pitch, and then deked the MLB experienced pitcher into an ill-fated pickoff. When the throw went into centerfield Jenkins never broke stride and scored from second base on the error. I could easily see both of these players opening for the Twins in 2026. Lastly, Brandon Winokur. Perhaps you have noticed how many times I have promoted Winokur in the last two years. His athleticism is off the charts. I know I have received push back but Winokur can play either centerfield or shortstop and do it well. The jumps, first step, quickness, speed, the arm, and the fluidity are all there. He has, as you say, improved his K-rate and is steadily improving at the plate. If he can hit .250 and OPS .750, he will make a mark for the Twins. I think he will need two more years still. Winokur plays really hard too. Winokur fills the stat sheet with extra bases and stolen bases. Yah, I'm big on him. Worth noting that a number of players have found better stat lines in AA/AAA. The K-rate is big for him.

This is going to be very strange for me, because it is my first defense of Rocco Baldelli ever, but I'm not thinking we can blame the manager for some really bad blunders by several players today. I'm handling the crap plays from guys who hustle better than a couple of guys who just seem to cruise.

Tonkin, Fitzgerald, and ... Keaschall - What a breath of fresh air. Just compete, compete, compete.

Brooks Lee doesn't look good today at shortstop versus KC. I'm not sure he projects but we will need to be patient.

Yes. I have been writing about Lewis and his struggle often. Naturally I want to see the Royce Lewis that was athletic from 2023. There have been a very few brief tantalizing glimpses of that guy, not many. We have no idea what is wrong. Is it physical? Get him 100% healthy. Does he need a reset? Send him to Ft. Myers. He just looks so painful, whether it is bending to field, throwing, running, or swinging the bat. He actually is doing ok in the field but the general information from watching Lewis is that something is wrong.

Interesting take. We are just throwing ideas into the wind. Did anyone have the Twins moving all those players at the deadline? So I find it mildly interesting to read all of these suggestions. I do think it is fair to criticize anyone but those with different thoughts should then propose their own ideas. My response to the above list: Ryan and Jeffers are ripe for being moved in trades. Obviously, the Twins need catchers and dealing Jeffers requires additions from elsewhere. Ober and Lopez are unlikely to get dealt unless a good offer unexpectedly is brought forth or the Pohlads push the idea, which I doubt. The Twins are unlikely to extend anyone until the ownership issue is settled. Will they sell? Remember, it was going to be completed before the 2025 season began. It will happen, maybe soon, but it might be in 2027 just as likely. Lewis needs to get healthy or he will have trouble holding down a roster spot. He looks weak again. What is wrong? I don't know but all of us can see that his legs occasionally are unstable and he cannot run. That shouldn't play at the highest level. No team in baseball would offer him an extension. Boras would advise him to sign virtually any legitimate multi-year deal at this time. I need some explanation of how anyone on the current roster compares remotely to either of Polanco or Kepler. We don't have that production from anyone other than Buck who is already signed. The CBA will be a factor in decisions, particularly for mid and below market clubs. Money talks.

Even me, I am a little surprised at how slow Brooks Lee is. He is almost as fast as Ryan Jeffers and Trevor Larnach and he is slower than Carlos Correa. Only Christian Vazquez is slower. Does that push Lee to third base next year? Don't know but we shall see.

I was merely responding to Peter's apparent plan. I wasn't judging him. I just find it interesting to see what other people think. What is your plan?

2014. Don't count Covid year. If the team is not sold, it seems very plausible. There is a very weak collection of free agents this winter. Combine that with one or more potential trades and the payroll drops pretty fast. Cleveland and Tampa Bay are both competitive with payrolls below $100M and Milwaukee currently has the best record in baseball at less than $115M.

You are planning on a full rebuild. That is one plan.

Like the optimism.

Amazing to see Lewis included in discussions as a part of the Twins infield. If you triple his stats from right now (61 games) you get .... pretty much an empty spot in the lineup. There have been a few flashes now and then but the jogging down the line and collapsing legs on swings are not pretty sites. I sure hope the guy heals some day because what we see from Lewis these days is a player who belongs on the IL. After trading away 40% of the roster it seems like the Twins should make an attempt to forge a new identity where every batter runs out, at full speed, every batted ball whether that is a one hopper to the pitcher or a pop up. If a player cannot run, put them on the IL and call up someone who can run. Kaelen Culpepper may or may not be ready for a starting gig next season but I hope it is a fair competition for the job in Spring Training. As of today the only Twins who should enter next season as projected starters (provided they are still on the team) are Jeffers and Buxton. Perhaps the next 7 weeks will see a couple of others make their mark and deserve inclusion along with those two guys.

Look over the list of free agents that can be signed for the 2026 season. Correa's contract released a bit over $20M ($32-11.33 Twins pay). Who are you going to sign? Who will sign? Does anyone believe the roster payroll will be above $100M?

Is Mickey Gasper going to catch today? What am I missing about his hidden talents? Why is he on the roster? An inquiring mind wants to know.

The expiration of the CBA definitely complicates any discussion of long term contracts, especially for teams watching their money. I would be flabbergasted if the MLBPA didn't hold firm on time on control being maintained if not reduced, meaning even if the season (2027) is cancelled those who were due for free agency become free agents. I doubt there is much room for discussion on that issue. Joe Ryan can demand some pretty high numbers if he exits this season healthy and with his current ERA through these next 7 weeks. Any extension would be well above $100M. That becomes a quandary for the Minnesota team, which makes him a prime trade commodity whether we want it or not. If Ryan can complete 2025 on a roll his value will be at peak levels. Would I like Ryan on the 2026 Twins? Yes. Do I expect a trade this winter? Yes. Do I understand anything that the front office does? No.

Ok. Thanks for the explanation. Royce - 2.4 WAR in 2023 Edouard - 2.6 WAR in 2023 I'm just not seeing it with Royce. I'm waiting for some athleticism to return. Julien is mostly done, but Lewis I'm not sold on at all. Appreciate your response.

Ok. Do you extend that same offer to Edouard Julien? Jose Miranda? Julien was arguably better than Lewis in 2023 as you know. Many on Twins Daily have suggested that Royce Lewis is currently at such a low value, similar to Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach, that he cannot be traded until he rebuilds some value. I have never argued that line. BTV had Royce at a 74 in November of 2023 and a 13.9 in June of 2025, not that I place any worth in the site but merely to trace a number and some support for those who say his value has sunk too low to trade. I'm willing to hear an argument for Lewis, but I cannot see one myself.

I'm wondering how you arrived at this idea? More specifically, how does a long term contract make sense for Royce Lewis? I'm just curious how anyone would explain this decision.

Wish Buxton would be in centerfield tonight. I'm expecting Ober to be good.

Hard for me to see how anyone who is not a billionaire sides with the owners .... but still it happens. Harper knows that his signing bonus money that included an MLB contract was done away with in subsequent years. He also knows that his team, the Philadelphia Phillies, pay out handsome salaries to compete while also doing well financially at the same time as several franchises have low payrolls but turn losses. I'm going to guess that Harper is thinking of all players when he speaks down to Manfred. Full disclosure on my part - Manfred is a clown. All that above aside and easily ignored completely (please do), what are the odds that the owners are going to adopt a 50% lowest to highest payroll much less a 90% figure? Fangraphs has the Marlins at $69M and the Dodgers at $396M. Uh, that means Miami pays about 17+% of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Meanwhile the Dodgers are locked into payrolls well above $200M for the next half decade and we could reasonably expect nothing less than $300M for their base. If one thinks 50% is doable this means about half of the franchises need to substantially increase their payroll. MLB is a mess because they have operated with a group of owners who direct a commissioner to rule in the interest of a few with scant notice and no apparent interest in the long term health of the game much less any reasonable legacy. So the owners want a cap. Ok. What will that look like? The players counter with a minimum. What does that look like? 90%? Say the players go as low as 70%, which would be incredibly generous given the comparisons to other sports leagues. The Dodgers sit at $396M. This means that 26 clubs would currently be in violation of reaching 70% of the ceiling in payroll. Naturally, then, this comes back to revenue sharing in some form and what are the chances that MLB opens the books. Ownership of a team is restricted to those accepted by the current owners. Just a reminder that Carl Pohlad was the only one of the 4 or 5 groups attempting to buy the Twins in 1984 that was accepted. The only path forward without a lengthy strike is for honest revenue sharing, which then could mean both floors and ceilings. Does anyone else wonder how the owners will manage that conversation? There was a relevant article published last January concerning this topic that you may have read. It is worth a read. Owners are very good at manipulating others and selling through many channels to the public. Does the MLB Revenue-Sharing Model Require Adaptation? By Jake McKibbin January 30

The Minnesota Twins and Carlos Correa marriage is over. Correa didn't work in the final analysis. The money gets attention but it wasn't really a factor. Correa played well .... at times, but also suffered various injuries. The position players on the team didn't exactly pick up the slack. Stuff happens. It sure seems like a pile of people want to see Carlos Correa as a negative and there are quite a few articles and comments that make him the scapegoat for the Twins performance. I just don't believe that is necessary. While Carlos may have produced less than what I may have expected, he isn't responsible for which players filled out the remaining 25 slots on the team or the performance of other players.

This article was expected given the Roman Anthony news. The Twins are in a different world than Boston though, and other teams as well. The sale of the team will slow down any decisions related to money. If Bailey Ober finishes this year on a strong note, we should expect that he is traded. Nobody should be surprised if one, some, or all of Lopez, Ryan, Ober, Jeffers, Lewis, Wallner, and Larnach are moved this coming off season. If you were playing really well and a year or two from free agency, would you sign a team friendly deal with Minnesota? I don't see any long term contracts being signed in the near future. The sale of the team is a factor.

Well, there is still the $11+M per year for the next 3 years to pay. Either way, Correa is now history. The club may not sell before the CBA is completed and this may drag into 2027. We just have zero idea how the sale of the team will go down. Drop the price to $1B and perhaps it sells quickly. The Twins are not going to spend the $20M per year saved on players. It is folly to expect a $135M payroll in 2026. Look for something closer to $90M. Yes, the team needs a new owner and management. It doesn't seem imminent. Patience is our only resource as fans.

Brooks Lee will play shortstop about 6 times per week through the rest of the year. We likely need to keep an open mind (says the guy who wanted to trade him for Jeferson Quero last November and I would still do that deal). Next season I'm hoping that Kaelen Culpepper is the shortstop.

You are off topic. What do you think about Gabriel Gonzalez? Do you think he is the hitting prospect the Twins have been looking for from the right handed batter's box?