GNess

I like that the Twins might be thinking out of the box, but extending a player in A ball is too far from the box!

The Brewers also deal prospects for proven players such as Yelich and Contreras. Simply put, the Brewers FO is just better at their jobs and the Twins' FO.

I wonder if the day will come. for the Twins in which reclamation projects, bargain bin specials, and recent under performing players are not their top targets in the off season.

Evaluating talent (scouting) and developing talent are two different skill sets. So it is not a surprise that there is a disconnect. Part of effective evaluating is doing all you can to assess the drive and work ethic to improve. Not all prospects are equally coachable - something that the team could demand, but it's easier to coach the eager and willing! (I don't want to judge character from afar, but I suspect. a number of Twins prospects were/are a challenge to coach.) The Twins spotty record at developing talent is a reflection of inconsistent and ineffective instruction and creating a forward thinking culture of improvement throughout the organization.

Roden doesn't appear to be better than the 4 outfielders that are ahead of him. Buxton, Jenkins, Keaschall and Rodriguez. (Perhaps Gonzalez and Martin as well?.) This leaves him in a tough spot for playing time/ AB's to. prove he should be higher in the Twins OF pecking order. Spring training success would certainly help his cause. But a surplus of players is not a bad thing for the Twins - they don't have too many positional surpluses so to speak on the roster as things stand. How might the Twins benefit? Trade or insurance policy/depth or Roden elevates his game to the point he has earned more AB's.

Since here on TD there is awareness of Gonzalez's underlying metrics are cause for concern, but somehow other MLB teams aren't aware of this and will value him enough to trade for him?

Agreed. Quality young pitchers rising in the system seems to be lacking.

The question to tender or non tender Ober seems secondary. Do the Twins have enough SP quality to contend? Likely not, consider Lopez and Ryan at the top of the rotation. Both have major qiuestion marks - Lopez coming off another surgery and Ryan yet another disappointing second half. Bradley seems set as the # 3 without any significant addition or movement on Lopez or Ryan. The 4 / 5 Spots would be held down by Kremer and Matthews/Prielipp/Rojas. Thst's a surplus of two SP. The Twins need to add a dependable starter that raises the level of the overall rotation if possible. Having Ober in the rotation doesn''t move the needle much in either direction, But if Ober cracks the top 5 on opening day - it means a number of other pitchers likely failed. ( e.g. Matthews, Prielipp, Rojas, Kremer)

8 of the top 10 in mlb payroll qualified for the post season in 2026

8 of the top 10 in MLB payroll qualified for the 2026 post season.

Given the Twins SP depth despite being unproven trading Ryan seems to make sense. It is unknown if Ryan would be willing to sign with the Twins on a fair market contract. (Depth = Lopez, Bradley, Prielipp, Kremer, Ober, Matthews, Rojas, Abel etc.) If he isn't going to sign an extension then trading him makes sense. Yes, he is coming off yet another poor second half, but there is no way to rehabilitate that feature because he has to be traded by the deadline in 2027. Seems. pretty straight forward needs to be done.

While I don't agree that a culture of scarcity will likely remain dominant for the Twins as many seem to insist to be the case expecting the Twins to outbid the Yankees for Bednar seems even from an optimistic viewpoint a bridge too far.

The Twins FO and ownership are naturally going to attempt to put their best foot forward when engaging with the press and/or community because they are promoting their business. I understand their posturing in this manner. The reality is the third wildcard and division championship typically require 88+ wins to earn a berth in the playoffs.. So the simple truth is the Twins are about 12+ wins away from a postseason type record in 2027 - assuming there is a full season. The best path to that level of improvement in the short term is to identify a core group of players, and add to that with winning games as the focal point rather than just filling spots. Certainly, this is not tough to grasp and it will require some strategic spending and perhaps a key trade or two to accomplish. Pohlad says the Twins will spend in pursuit of qualifying for the playoffs. A. What else is he supposed to say? B. What choice do they have at this point of declining trust in the franchise?

Given that Jenkins was playing in actual MLB games at 21 speak to his obvious potential and talent. I suspect he has also worked really hard to reach this point. My take is he will spend the off season further developing his game and during Spring Training he will earn his spot on the opening day roster/lineup as a result.

Seems like the 20+ homerun power with a touch of speed earns praise and promotion despite averages like the .203 and ..226 which one would see as potential concerns