TopGunn#22

The Twins have about SIX solid Catching prospects in their minor leagues. Lackey, Tait, Diaw, Tinney, Enrique Jimenez C/1B and Ricardo Olivar C/OF. Jimenez and Olivar are given other possible positions and you could add 1B to Tait as well. While I agree to some degree with tony&rodney's comment about the trade with the Phillies that brought us Tait and Abel, you have to remember that at the time, the Twins were bereft of catching talent in the minor leagues. The goal might have been Painter, but Abel and Tait was probably the best trade we made out of the entire fire sale. I've been suggesting that with the need for an MLB catcher so pressing for 2027, that the Twins consider trading one of their young minor league catchers in a deal that could bring a major league catcher who is stuck behind an All Star. I believe that some major league teams would consider giving an MLB catcher up to add a young, talented catching prospect. For example: If you're the Padres and you just promoted Ethan Salas and he's going to be your catcher for a long time, would they trade Luis Campusano? How about the Dodgers with Will Smith and Dalton Rushing? A trade of Ryan and Tait to the Dodgers could return Rushing, and a young blocked 1B like Ryan Ward, James Tibbs III or Easton Shelton. You should also be able to get a SP prospect in a deal like that. That kind of trade works for both teams. The Twins aren't necessarily giving up on Tait. They are leveraging a talented prospect for another one who plays a position of need. I believe Tinney will move ahead of Tait next season. Maybe the time has come to leverage Tait's value for talent in areas we need.

1. The Twins need a Catcher so Caratini can be the back up. They will have to trade for one since their catching rich pipeline in the minors is too young to impact the 2027 season. Maybe trade one of your minor league catching prospects in a package to get an MLB Catcher. 2. The Twins need a 1B. I'd show interest in Jake Bauers in FA. Lewis isn't cutting it and despite multiple chances I don't think he'll ever come close to replicating his 2023 half season and playoffs. If we don't go FA, use him in a deal to get a Catcher or a 1B. Clemens will play 2B until Marek Houston comes up and pushes Culpepper to 2B. Clemens could then be the power hitting Utilityman. There is no one ready in the minor leagues who could be counted on. 3. I would be trading Bailey Ober and maybe Joe Ryan for the right deal. I'm not sure how solid. Bradley, Lopez, Prielipp, Matthews, Abel, Rojas, Kremer. That's O.K. But if I trade Ryan, can I get a young, MLB ready pitcher like a Tolle to challenge for a spot in the rotation?? If so, someone like Matthews or Rojas could deepen the BP. Festa is also an unknown but could surprise. You could also say a bona fide Closer to solidify the back end, and I wouldn't argue with you too much. But they do already have Hoffman and Gomez who have closed games. Either way, adding a SP could lengthen the BP or signing a Closer like Bednar or Helsley could do the same thing by pushing everyone else down one rung.

Just bring back the Navy Blue pinstripes of the 1960's with Navy Blue lettering and numbers trimmed in red. I don't need a City Connect uniform. What I need and want is a return to a jersey that was clean and worked.

If I could be guaranteed the 2026 Ty France season in 2027, I'd have some interest. But I'm not confident we'd get THAT Ty France, and I agree, he's a 90% chance to be back with the Padres. They will find a way to come together. I still think 1B is much more of a priority than 2B. I'd rather look at FA Jake Bauers at 1B, make a trade for someone like Yandy Diaz if the Twins are O.K. with his diminished defense (his BAT hitting 3rd-4th-5th would be tremendous), or trade for a young guy blocked at the MLB level like Tibbs from the Dodgers. I'm convinced Marek Houston will be up SOONER rather than later. That makes 2B a short term problem. Cody Clemens can hold down 2B until Houston comes up and pushes Culpepper over to 2B. I'm NOT trading Brooks Lee just when it's starting to look like he's coming into his own and is an above average 3B. I'd have some interest in Graterol if it was a really cheap investment. He's never been able to stay healthy. On a Twins pitching staff, he'd fit right in. (I'd rather invest in someone with a track record of performance and health). If Okert has transformed himself, I'd take the cheaper of him or Minter. I'd prefer Minter, but I'm willing to consider either. As much as I like Arraez, I don't believe in the sudden defensive transformation and I think the 2B answer is coming soon. Plus, Clemens is fine for the first 2 months of the season and is the epitome of a power hitting Utility Man with multiple position effectiveness. Martin Perez has been a surprisingly effective pitcher as a #4 or #5. I'd prefer him over Ober and Kremer. Certainly a lot of what they COULD do is dependent on what they do with other assets like Ryan, Ober, Lewis, Larnach, Wallner etc... And I haven't even mentioned CATCHER ! Acquiring a Catcher to start for one year ahead of Caratini and get us closer to a Vahn Lackey debut is critical if we hope to contend in the tepid A.L. Central. Some of the above mentioned trade pieces need to be used to fill the short term need at Catcher. Certainly for at least all of 2027 and maybe the beginning of 2028.

There is no doubt Marek Houston will challenge Bobby Witt Jr. for future Gold Gloves. Watching this kid play defense would be entertainment enough. But he's really looking like he could be a plus offensive player. I agree 200% with HerbieFan...don't try to add "more loft-more power" to his swing. If he hits .280 with an OPS of .750-.780 with the stolen bases and defense, he will be a tremendous addition to the big league club. I agree with the idea that he probably needs 45-60 days at St. Paul. BUT...let's see how he does in spring training. The Glove is ready to play NOW. If the Twins are really ready to dramatically improve the ballclub's defense, Houston will be the trigger to taking a BIG step. Having a SS capable guy like Culpepper at 2B with Lee at 3B is a rock solid infield. Add Jenkins and E-Rod to Buxton in the OF and that's a much better defensive team. Houston has been my favorite prospect since the Jenkins pick because I know how sub-par we have been at SS, especially defensively. His glove alone would be an immediate, tremendous upgrade. If his bat eventually gets to what I said above he will become many Twins fans favorite player.

I have been done with the Pohlad family for many years. I'm still a Twins fan. Watch games on TV all the time, but didn't go to any this year. Tom P. may be "saying the right things" now, but talk is cheap. Especially "Pohlad Talk." The bullpen annihilation last year and trading away of Dasan Hill THIS year when the team was obviously NOT a contender are what I've come to accept as just a badly run baseball franchise. I won't really be happy until they sell, and fans can turn the page. Much like Glen Taylor finally selling the Timberwolves and Red McCombs selling the Vikings. I never stopped being a fan of those teams either, but I'd reached the end of my patience with those ownerships, and I've reached that point with the Pohlad family. I'm supremely hopeful the roster reconstruction goes well this off season, but extremely pessimistic about WHEN baseball will actually begin. I'm also pessimistic about Tom and Zoll and their ability to make good moves. Note: I've read and re-read all the comments after the moderator said stop with the politics. I can't find anything written that was "political." I don't need to know what what said, but was the comment taken down?

Yeah, this is a pretty tepid list of those who were "risers" and guys like Raya have done little to merit attention as anything more than a fringe prospect. Maybe this is the result of seeing Jenkins, Culpepper, Keaschall, E-Rod, Prielipp, Matthews, and others transitioning to the big league club, but otherwise it doesn't appear anyone other than Marek Houston is making a strong case to break camp with the team or join by the All Star game. Guys like Wallner or Martin seem like trade candidates this off season as well. Other than Tait, where are all the other catching prospects? I have been operating under the assumption that they were progressing nicely. In the case of Tait, if your walk rate is trending in the right direction but your OBP is still just .281, it must have been a rather modest upward trend. He was supposed to have good power when we acquired him. 12 HR's isn't "bad" necessarily, but I thought he might blow past 15 this year, even getting to 19-20. If the Twins are going to acquire a catcher that can essentially be our #1 for 2027 and move Caratini to a backup role, I thought someone like Tait or one of the other young catchers not named Lackey or Tilly could be included in the deal. We're supposed to have a surplus of catching talent in the minors. Is Tait packaged with someone like Ober good enough to bring us a starting MLB catcher like the Padres Campusano, or CWS Edgar Quero, maybe Susac from the Giants? I still like Riley Quick's potential and would focus more on the fact that he returned from Tommy John and had a healthy season. 2027 there should be greater scrutiny of his raw numbers. His command should be the #1 priority. The "stuff" is pretty good.

Well laid out Nick, it's hard to argue with any of your conclusions. I had been mistakenly thinking we would actually trade Larnach but you're right, with Jenkins and E-Rod having arrived there is no need to even offer him arbitration and risk being stuck with him again. It's time to clear the table and go with younger players. Larnach will probably end up being a value singing for some team willing to invest $6-$6.3 million in a LH DH/LF with a little pop. There really are very few tough decisions here. I would keep Kremer because he can throw harder than 88 mph and move on from Ober. Ober DOES have some value, so offering them both and trading Ober is OK with me. I can envision seeing Lewis at 1B, but just have to believe they can find a much better option.

If the Twins thought they would be contenders in 2025 and again in 2026, I think the answer to the question "do they think they will be contenders in 2027 is pretty obvious...they do. Are they legit contenders? No. But in the A.L. Central, everybody is a contender at some level. Yes, we failed to capitalize on the deal with the Red Sox, although many have said it wouldn't have been for BOTH Arias and Tolle. It would have been for one or the other with extra stuff included. That's how I see it at least. I don't think Boston would give up Arias, he's probably going to be their SS next season, but maybe Tolle would still be on the table? And yes, Ryan had another rough 2nd half, and his value has diminished somewhat, but it is still considerable. EVERY team in MLB would love to have a Joe Ryan in their rotation if they thought they had a legit chance at winning the World Series. We don't have that chance, which is why a trade of Ryan soon after the World Series ends or shortly after spring training ends (whenever that is) or even at the deadline is inevitable. I'd be open to finding out if Pablo Lopez is interested in a 2-year, affordable contract extension with incentives to protect the team long-term. I also would be open to trading him at the deadline if he's back to being "Pablo" for the right price. This team needs a starting Catcher, a 1B and some bullpen help. Those should be the focus of any trades. If Boston is willing to give up Tolle for Ryan I'd pull the trigger. They traded Connelly Early at this year's deadline didn't they? I don't go to Baseball Trade Values anymore. I won't pay for the site. But what if we offered Joe Ryan to the Padres for Catcher Luis Campusano and RP Adrian Morejon? Maybe throw in Larnach or Lewis if we need to. I have no idea how the values would line up. Maybe we include one of our expendable minor league catchers. Ty France is a free agent and Campusano is getting bumped by Ethan Salas. Larnach would help with a strong side OF/DH platoon. The Twins get a 28 year old catcher that would make Caratini a backup (like he should be) and a bona fide strong bullpen arm in Morejon. If Morejon is too big of an ask (and I understand why he could be) 35 year old Jason Adam is still pitching effectively and has some closing experience. Ask for Adam. The Twins then have fixed the catching hole for next season and added a dependable BP arm. Campusano and Morejon/Adam may seem too light for Joe Ryan (and maybe Larnach) but this trade fixes 2 huge problems roster-wise. Then sign Jake Bauers or Ty France for 1B and suddenly the roster looks much better. Teams like Milwaukee and Tampa Bay have shown you can trade useful assets and still remain competitive. Their FO has the guts and knowledge to make critical decisions like this. The Twins have not demonstrated this for years, but a trade of Joe Ryan, to leverage a better, more balanced roster needs to happen this off season. The Trade deadline will be the FINAL opportunity to accomplish that. But if something good comes along before then, they should consider it. They could lose a lot of leverage if they wait until the deadline.

I disagree that it had to be one of Marek Houston or Vahn Lackey since you didn't include either one of them and BOTH of them have to be on that list. One is a future Gold Glove, possibly Platinum Glove SS and the other is a potential All Star Catcher who has the potential to be a excellent hitter but already has some elite defensive traits. Morris looked good at times and not so good at other times. Emmanuel Rodriguez has to demonstrate a better ability to stay healthy to be included on this list. If he CAN stay healthy, he WILL be a core member going forward, but he hasn't done that yet so I'm replacing him and Morris with Houston and Lackey. Come next June, depending on how high our #1 draft pick ends up being, we could see another player added to the above list. Especially if they select a big, strong SP with elite velocity, pitch mix and command.

For me, it would be Keep Kremer and Trade Ober. But I'm also trading Joe Ryan this off season as well. Lopez, Bradley, Prielipp, Matthews, Kremer, Abel and Rojas is a good foundation for a rotation. I'd start Festa in the BP and work him in gradually. I'm not giving up on Festa as a SP. Just going slow with him to begin the season or maybe the entire season. It also depends a lot on what the Twins get back for Ryan. Do we add a solid position player/hitter? Or do we add a young pitcher or two? Maybe a veteran Closer? What do the Twins get in an Ober trade? What about Larnach, Lewis and Wallner? It may seem that we wouldn't get much back for any of them, but you never know until you start having conversations, and then someone might fall in your lap and surprise you.

To me, this is the biggest positive impact Shelton has made with the Twins. Rocco never really prioritized defense. His team set a single season HR record in his first season with the team. He managed like that was all he needed from that point forward. He wasn't aggressive stealing bases and trying to plug Miguel Sano "where ever" 3B/1B/RF without any consideration about how defensively challenged he was were Rocco's hallmarks. I 100% agree moving Lee to 3B was the catalyst to get things right defensively. Lee just did NOT have the range and athleticism needed to play SS in the major leagues. But he's been rock solid at 3B. I like Culpepper, but he's nothing but a placeholder at SS. Once Marek Houston is called up there is ABSOLUTELY no question he moves right in at SS no matter how well Culpepper has played. Playing Culpepper at 2B will benefit HIM and the Twins. But Houston is a SPECIAL glove at SS. And with ZERO innings being played in the OF by Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach and the addition of young, athletic guys like Jenkins and E-Rod the OF defense will improve by leaps and bounds. The Twins finally have guys in Jenkins and E-Rod who can fill in for Buxton in CF when he's DH'ing or hurt where we won't fall off a cliff with ability in CF. Minus Buxton in CF you just can't imagine how poor our OF defense has been. And the future with Vahn Lackey eventually moving in as the full time Catcher really completes the transition from a plodding, athletically challenged defense to a future top 10 MLB defense. I do agree that an upgrade from Caratini is needed for 2027. Caratini is a good backup Catcher but NOT a starter. I've mentioned a couple of Catchers in other posts the Twins could look into that could be our primary for 2027 and effectively transition to a lesser role once Vahn Lackey is ready to make the jump. I wish I had more confidence in Zoll and the Pohlad family, but I don't. A sale needs to happen and a complete reset of our FO done. But the pieces are there for a solid foundation of a good team in the not too distant future. The Twins of the early 80's had a similar potential and they capitalized on it. Let's see where this group can take us.

LA Vikes Fan, I like the methodical way you laid your plan out and ideas. I would also include Abreu (if acquired) in the possible Closer role. He failed miserably for Houston when Hader was injured early this season, but his raw stuff is excellent. I would love it if the Astros and the Twins could revisit that trade this off season. I think Abreu just got off to a rough start, and he's capable of throwing 80 innings out of the pen. I have a little different outlook on Catcher and 2B. While I really like Xavier Edwards and agree that we could probably get him from the Marlins for Zebby even up, I still like Zebby's potential too much and I believe Marek Houston is going to be up no later than June 1st. His glove alone is so good, that I could even see him break camp as the starting SS with Culpepper moving to 2B to open the season. Catcher on the other hand is a much more pressing need. Caratini is sub-par but at least a somewhat capable veteran. Jackson will never hit like he did this year. He's primed for major offensive regression. What we essentially have are 2 backups. All our catching depth resides in the minor leagues right now and is about a year and a half to 2 years from being a factor. That's why I disagree with Mike Sixel (no offense Mike, I just disagree) on the priorities between 2B and Catcher. Clemens can hold down 2B until Houston pushes Culpepper over. We desperately need someone who can be better than below average at catcher for 2027. Edgar Quero (CWS) and Endy Rodriquez (Pirates) are 2 I would check on. Daniel Susac from the Giants could be a throw in for a Joe Ryan trade. Catcher is an acute issue in the short term. It's also why I suggested the possibility of trading trading one of our minor league Catchers for someone who could help us in 2027 and still be around to become Lackey's backup. I don't think the Dodgers trade Rushing. He's Will Smith's backup and can also spell Freeman at 1B. But I love your trade idea of Lewis for Grayson Rodriguez. The raw stuff is tantalizing, Gray-Rod just needs to stay healthy. Acquiring him would allow the Twins to move Joe Ryan. It would all be speculation until it happens, but Ryan still has enough value to bring a nice piece or 2 back. The 3 young guys buried behind MLB stars who are 1B would be a good starting point for Ryan, but even if the Twins didn't target those guys, we agree that Cody Clemens at 1B works. 25 HR and 80 RBI are very possible for him. A rotation of Lopez, Bradley, Gray-Rod, Prielipp, Abel, and Zebby and a BP that has Hoffman and Abreu along with Morris, Minter, Banda, Funderburk and Sands has talent. Our lineup would be depending on a LOT of young guys who may be hot and cold throughout the year. But our defense would be much better with Lee, Houston, Culpepper and Clemens in the infield and E-Rod, Buxton, Jenkins and Keaschall in the OF. Just not having Larnach and Wallner makes the OF "D" better. I'd have Keaschall taking hundreds of fly balls in LF. He's a good enough athlete that he could become average. His throwing makes LF the only logical spot to put him. But his bat will always play.

You've hit the 3 biggest areas of need, but I would differ with the order of importance. #1 Catcher. Caratini will be back. Jeffers won't. Although by making him a QO we should at least get draft compensation. The Twins need to approach Caratini as their back-up Catcher, but finding a full time starter won't be easy. The Twins are in a tough spot here. Nobody they acquire will stand in the way of Vahn Lackey, who might make it up sometime in 2028, maybe opening day 2029. But they need a guy who could start ahead of Caratini. Here are some trade possibilities: Pirates: Endy Rodriquez-26 years old or Henry Davis-29. Rodriquez has talent, but can't stay healthy, Davis was a one time top prospect, but is 29 and hasn't fulfilled the promise he once held. The starter is Rafael Flores, so one of the 2 could be available. White Sox: Teel is the starter. They also have Jake Rogers and Joey Bart. That leaves the once promising 23 year old Edgar Quero who also just can't seem to stay healthy. He's currently #4 on the depth chart. He's young, but might be the best defensive catcher that could be had. Brewers: William Contreras is the starter. 33 year old Gary Sanchez and 26 year old former Guardian-Indian Bo Naylor are the potential targets. Padres: Luis Campusano is the starter but young phenom Ethan Salas will be their starter next year. #3 Catcher is former KC Royal Freddy Fermin. Campusano and Fermin are potential targets. Nationals: Keibert Ruiz is the starter. He's backed up by 22 year old Harry Ford. The potential target is 28 year old Drew Millas. Giants: The Giants #3 Catcher is former Rule 5 guy Daniel Susac who the Twins could have picked. He's 25 years old and would be a good pickup. Guys like Edgar Quero and Endy Rodriguez are interesting, but their youth could potentially block Vahn Lackey's future backup, and we have a LOT of minor league talent to consider on that timeline. In addition to Lackey the Twins have Tait, Diaw, Jimenez, Olivar and Tinny. Most every MLB team would be interested in one of these young catchers. What type of pitching prospect could one of them return if we decided to trade one" Since the Twins are only looking for a 2027 starter if we expect Lackey to progress quickly and Tait is also a consideration, a reunion with Gary Sanchez might make sense. The 25 year old Daniel Susac or the 28 year old Drew Millas probably fit the timeline better. There ARE opportunities to make a deal to bring in a catcher that is better than Caratini. The next priority is 1B. Is there a young 1B buried in someone's system who is blocked by a bona fide major league star? Xavier Isaac from Tampa Bay, Keaton Anthony in the Phillies organization and James Tibbs from the Dodgers could all make sense. Tibbs is 23 and stuck behind Freddie Freeman. The Dodgers also have Dalton Rushing C/1B/OF making Tibbs a strong candidate. Tibbs (bats L) hit .287 with 30 HR, 107 RBI and a .941 OPS at AAA Oklahoma City this year. Isaac (bats L) has elite power and is buried behind Jonathon Arranda, Yandy Diaz and even C/1B Liam Hicks. Keaton Anthony (bats R) is 25 years old and has hit at every level after being undrafted out of Iowa in 2023. He's buried behind Bryce Harper. I have no idea what it would take to trade for one of these guys but if the Twins are willing to move on from Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Royce Lewis, Trevor Larnach, maybe one of our young catchers, we should be able to target one of these guys and make a deal. We could spend money and sign Jake Bauers as well although I think he will have a lot of interest this winter. All 3 of the young, minor league 1B could flop, but they are worth going after since we have no one who is an obvious minor league option for 2027. I would rank the BP last of the 3 main areas because I think we have the nucleus of a decent BP and we are starting from a spot FAR AHEAD of where we began this year. Hoffman is a potential Closer or 8th inning guy. Gomez did well until he ran out of gas. He's still a decent 7th inning arm. Some young guys showed some promise and if Banda is under contract for 2027 he is a bounce back candidate. I think Zebby should be in the rotation for 2027 but if he loses his spot in a spring training competition put him in the BP to start the year. Same with Abel. David Festa and Matt Canterino are pipe dreams but I'm not ready to give up on them. Marco Raya could emerge. But I would spend some money on a bona fide Closer. Maybe a Ryan Helsley. Having an arm like that pushes talented arms like Hoffman and Gomez down a notch and deepens the BP. There is some reason for optimism for 2027. There is young talent starting to matriculate to the big league roster. The team is getting younger and more athletic. I say keep the pipeline open and look to bring more on board while moving on from some familiar faces. Even if we embrace a complete rebuild, the bar is low enough in the A.L. Central that we might just surprise like this year's White Sox.

PDX, if Ober could throw a knuckleball it would probably be a different story altogether. Can you imagine how successful a knuckleball pitcher would be in this day and age with hitters being so focused on effectively hitting high velocity pitches? It makes me wonder why teams haven't pursued this path for some velocity challenged pitchers in their organizations. Cody has made a great case for why Ober needs to be traded to a team desperate to find a "semi-dependable" back-end #5 SP. There is indeed value in that, it's just that the Twins should be focused on getting innings for young pitchers like Zebby, Prielipp, Abel and Rojas, NOT someone like Ober.