Mai.K

I’m waiting for the call-ups of E-Rodriguez and Rojas, but knowing the Twins, it’ll probably be Gray + Woo-Suk Go getting called up instead…....

I mean, seriously, what are they even doing? Unless Jeffers or Caratini is injured, what the hell is the point of this ridiculous three-day stint?

It may be a bit too extreme in some ways, but I agree with the overall point of the post. I just hope players like Ross and Sabato get at least a few opportunities before they end up going to another team.

I still believe Ross is not a minor league free agent yet, but there’s no doubt that he is Rule 5 eligible. With the kind of AAA numbers he put up this year, I think he’s absolutely the type of player who could get selected in the Rule 5 Draft by another team as a versatile backup who can play shortstop and center field — which basically means he can play anywhere except pitcher and catcher. Are we really going to use Kreidler again next year? What about Gray? Probably not. If that’s the case, I think it might be a good idea to give Ross a chance in the majors right now and see what he can do. Kreidler has options remaining, and there’s already an open spot on the 40-man roster. Isn’t this a good opportunity to give Ross a shot?

I still haven't given up on Canterino.

I know Sabato will become a minor league free agent after the season, but I'd really like to see a prospect we developed get the chance to wear a Twins uniform in the majors. I think he's done enough this year to at least deserve an opportunity.

I'm pretty happy with the two bullpen arms we added at the deadline. Kremer... I don't know. Looking at him again, I'm still pretty skeptical.

We've gone from having a thin catching corps to being loaded at catcher in just one year.

What has everyone forgotten about Canterino? What's he up to these days? Yeah, I know. It's been four years since Canterino last pitched in an official game. After re-signing with the team on a two-year deal last year, he has just about three months left on that contract, yet I haven't heard a single rumor about him throwing again. When he was healthy, he was clearly an elite pitcher. If he can make it back, I think he could finally make his MLB debut and maybe even become a significant contributor to the team.

Funderburk and Raya have been called up. I'm really looking forward to Raya's debut.

By the 6th inning, his fastball was down to 92 mph, but after Freeman's homer and with his pitch count already over 100, he dug deep and was still reaching 95 mph on his fastball. That was really impressive to see. 108 pitches... We may have lost the game, but it was a memorable outing.

Wow, thank you for the thoughtful and detailed response. I've been a member of this site since its early days, but because of the language barrier, I've usually just read the great posts here rather than replying to them. I've always been a little afraid to write responses in English, so I'm glad I decided to comment this time. I always find the first point especially interesting because it highlights a different philosophy from Asian baseball. In Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, baseball culture tends to value pitchers far more than hitters. When I look at our prospect rankings, I don't see many pitchers near the top. Beyond Joe Ryan, it feels like we're lacking a pitcher who can realistically lead the rotation in the near future. That's why I found myself hoping we might take the top pitcher available in this draft. No matter who we select, I trust the organization to choose a good player and make the best decision possible. Still, I have to admit that my preference leans a little toward pitching. Thanks again.

Is there any chance we could draft a starting pitcher like Jackson Flora? I agree with the general philosophy that you should take the best player available regardless of position. However, if the difference between the players at, say, No. 3 and No. 4 on the draft board is relatively small, I wonder whether it makes sense to take organizational needs into account. And if there's one position this organization desperately needs, it's probably starting pitching. I live on the other side of the world, so I've never seen any of these prospects play in person. All I can do is read scouting reports, so I'm not really in a position to evaluate them myself. But if given the choice, I'd rather come away with a potential starting pitcher than another catcher or shortstop. Looking at recent drafts, many of the college starters taken near the top have reached the majors within two years: 2022: Cade Horton 2023: Rhett Lowder (and of course, Paul Skenes goes without saying) 2024: Chase Burns I'm not particularly confident that our pitching staff is going to be in great shape by 2028, which is why I keep wondering whether taking a starting pitcher in this draft might be the right move. Sorry for my poor English, but I hope my point comes across.

AAA prospect Ben Ross is viewed by FanGraphs as a utility player with above-average shortstop defense. Because of that, I think he could potentially become this generation's version of Nick Punto or Willi Castro. Regardless of whether Culpepper gets called up, how about giving Ross a chance? Honestly, it's strange that the team already has nine pure outfielders on the 40-man roster as it is... and that's not even counting Clemens and Kreidler.

We won't see Wallner again unless Bell gets injured or traded.