LastOnePicked

Cody ... this is silly. I'm guessing you know it's silly, too. Stability is not a value in and of itself. An old rudderless, oarless rowboat that bobs around in stagnant water is technically "stable" - but it's not going to get you anywhere nor is it going to bring you any joy. This is a losing, failing organization in desperate need of a leadership overhaul. Stability is the last thing this team - or any Twins fan - needs right now.

Yeah, the trade deadline activity made this outcome very clear, so I'm not surprised. Frustrated, but not surprised, Don't believe a single word in that letter - they're going to run this thing at minimum salaries for the foreseeable and milk it for revenue sharing money. Despicable. There is no pathway ahead now for winning. Rebuild or no rebuild, the Pohlads aren't smart enough to put the right people in place to produce a winner. Even if somehow they luck into a nucleus of a championship team, they'll dismantle it at just the wrong time. There is no hope. We're now officially the Pittsburgh Pirates of the American League. Yet another sad day for Twins baseball.

Oof. The blown-up Twins are a lot more fun that the pre-deadline Twins. A lot.

It's stunning to me that, generally speaking, Twins territory doesn't get this. I'm certainly not saying everything that's gone wrong is his fault, but there's no clear reason why he should still be managing this team. Perhaps its a fear of change, or perhaps 2019 just solidified some idea of him as being the right guy here, I don't know. He seems like an A+ guy, sure, but his tenure here is a C- at best.

There is no hope for '26, no. They just unloaded a bullpen that takes 2-3 years to build. They have no truly elite players at any position. The new owner would have to bring in a free agent class the likes of which this organization has never seen. There will be no contention in 2026, so there's no reason to insert the usual qualifiers. The goal, from my perspective, is to develop top-tier talent over the next two years, paving the way for highly competitive baseball starting in 2028.

Oh, you haven't heard? Twins just petitioned to extend the trade deadline. Apparently, they traded him this morning to the Savannah Bananas for a promising catcher.

Good thoughts. If I were a billionaire, I'd make it my business to have the state fall in love with my team. I'd bring in the top coaching staff, the top baseball development minds. I'd make it clear that a title run is coming as soon as humanly possible. I'd make a Target Field experience unforgettable. It's also possible that I'd go from a billionaire a millionaire within just a few years, too.

I'm still stumped by all of this, because I'd think it would be a much more attractive prospect to buy a fringy .500 team, replace the manager and a little dead weight and then bolster the roster for a World Series run, than it would be to buy a team that is absolutely gutted in terms of payroll and fan/player morale. Which is why I still think a sale is unlikely, unless the new buyer has no intentions of coming in and being competitive - and has already made that clear to the Pohlads. As usual, no matter how it's sliced, Twins fans pay the price for the organization's lack of vision and direction.

I don't know. Each flashed some legitimate ability to succeed at the big-league level. I'm guessing another organization could have unlocked more. The Twins are just too good at getting less production out of more potential.

This is why it would have been really, really nice to see what a change in managers could have potentially done for these guys. Maybe nothing. But maybe something. Baseball is just such an emotional game, and nobody seems to be able to help players like Miranda, Lewis and Julien adjust. Or even to distract them from their jitters. It might even have been helpful to have a manager that young players were afraid to disappoint, But we'll never know, because it will still be Rocco as these guys chase the last of their dreams in the Twins organization. Remind me again - why is he still managing the club after the fire sale?

"I remember the Twins facing Urena when he was with the White Sox in 2023 and thinking it must feel rotten to have to watch Urena pitch for your team. Well karma giveth and taketh away," FINALLY! WE KNOW WHO TO BLAME FOR ALL OF THIS! Thanks a LOT, Hans! Great write-up, by the way. The humor peppered in there is appreciated.

All good points, but I can't help but wonder if 5 inches hadn't made the difference between him being traded or staying. If that loud, long out in Dodger Stadium had instead gone over the wall tied the game, and if the Twins would have taken that crucial series, I can imagine a momentum shift big enough to see him as a part of a 2026 quick retool and a 2027 team comeback. Nah, nevermind. This team didn't have the gas.

I'll buy. I've heard Mikulski Bog Lake is worth every penny.

This. I want a rebuild, but part of a rebuild means putting these younger players into a position to be future contributors. I would love to see the Twins play .500 ball the rest of the way. And I think they need a new manager to instill some better habits. I'd also be pretty furious if I were a team that played my games against the pre-deadline Twins, where my chances of winning were about 50% - then to watch my competition get to play their games against the post-deadline Twins, where their chances of winning may be as high as 70%. It damages the integrity of a more balanced MLB schedule.

Tell me how the post Trade Deadline is going without telling me how the post Trade Deadline is going ...

In the aggregate, no. In fact, their spending is back to mid-90's Metrodome-era, relative to the league. They made a couple of splashes for a few years (which had been promised as a part of being gifted Target Field), and were never even in the top five spenders in the AL. Not once. They should have done more with what they had when they spent, yes. But I'm not going to applaud a legacy of below league-average spending.

I'm gonna click "Like" for your thoughtful breakdown of the plan. Not because I like the plan.

Nailed it. I don't think there's any other logical conclusion.

I struggle to understand how trading away effective, team-controlled relievers who have - and probably will - outperform their contracts helps facilitate a sale. It's like buying a business known for it's very effective, low-cost staff and then having the previous owner fire them all before the sale is final. This benefits your new business how exactly? These moves convinced me this team isn't going to be sold.

This was a chilling read. The level of deception and dysfunction it suggests with this club is really something. First of all, Falvey told the press this was a "retool." That suggests that they have - and may target - talent to keep them in the mix in '26. Now, in private, he's telling Correa it's a "rebuild" and that they aren't even going to try and win for the duration of his contract. Now, I never believed this was a "retool," but words matter. So does integrity. Apparently, Correa (a guy you pay) is more deserving of the truth than the fans (the people who pay you). Second of all, the Twins did Correa a favor and helped him save face. His stock had dropped tremendously after the "failed" physicals during his free agent offseason. The Twins stepped in as if none of that mattered. What's wrong with repaying that favor by offering mentoring and guidance to all the young guys Correa said had so much promise? Every player in that clubhouse deserves to go somewhere where they have a chance to win and their kids can watch them go out there in the playoffs and perform. I can't imagine what Buxton, Lopez, Ryan, Lewis, Jeffers, etc, etc. are thinking when they hear that Falvey made a special apology to Correa for dashing his Twins playoff dreams. By the way, Correa did plenty to dash Twins playoff dreams, too. If you're Correa, don't you say something like, "Look, this isn't working. Let's try and swing me over to third. I look forward to helping these guys get better quickly. I'd like to coach someday, so this is a good challenge for me. Plus, if we get new ownership, maybe we can right this thing pretty quickly. Let's win here like we planned." Which brings me to this inescapable conclusion: the Pohlads ain't selling. How would Falvey possibly know which "direction we are going"? You'd think he'd say something like, "Look, with the impending sale of the club, things are uncertain. We're going to have to be okay with that uncertainty." But no, Falvey seems to know exactly where all this headed. And how would he know that unless he knows what we don't know? I firmly believe that this fire sale will be followed by 3-5 years where the Pohlads milk revenue sharing to recoup their "losses." I really hope I'm wrong. These quotes suggest I'm not.

I meant to post this on YouTube, but your "Tears Tiers" about the trades yesterday was perfect, Tom. A+.

Good luck. This is one thick noggin, ideal for the work. If they sold human mallets at Dior, that's where you'd find me. That's where the rich shop for such luxuries, I hear.

Hmm. I think there might have been at least a few days following the 2023 season where the organization wasn't driven by fan passion. This letter is a joke. Just like the organization. And, again, I'm still in favor of rebuilding. It's the "how" that makes all the difference. This garbage ain't it.

They did, yes. But too many of those trades were the equivalent of torching the lumberyard next door, too. This team did not get substantially better for 2028-29 yesterday. That's why I'm not happy.

I know there's still a Blewett out there. Go get him. One can only hope they can find guys named Poppout, Bust and Hazbin, too. Get to know 'em!