TopGunn#22

A trade with the Red Sox that brings the Twins Sonny Gray and Aroldis Chapman may be an unreachable dream. But it's also one that requires a 3rd team as the Twins surplus of LH hitting OF (Larnach, Wallner, E-Rod etc...) needed to make a deal, doesn't align with Boston exclusively. Maybe Houston is that 3rd team. Part of the proposed deal would send Ryan Jeffers and Dasan Hill to the Red Sox. Larnach could be sent to Houston. It would probably require a lot more but... I don't do anything with Baseball Trade Values anymore. If someone does (Doc Bauer??) maybe a suggested 3 team trade with Boston and Houston could be presented for conversation.

BINGO !! Was just thinking the same thing before I got to end and saw your comment "soyour." If Pohlad REALLY wants to go BIG or GO HOME, the trade should be for Chapman and Sonny Gray. That would be taking on a LOT of payroll. But isn't that the definition of "GO BIG or GO HOME??" Ryan Jeffers would headline. (enough talk about extending him, Boras would NOT allow it). Then you have to piece things together from there. Dasan Hill makes since (would hate to give him up but we're going BIG here). Boston already has too many OF's so Larnach and E-Rod don't work. Walker Jenkins is off the table. The NBA does three team trades all the time. This might be a prime example of a 3rd team being needed to put together a deal for Chapman and Gray. Chapman is the Closer for the rest of this season and next year. Gray has a $30 million option with a $10 million buyout. But he has a full no-trade clause. To get out of Boston, I think he'd waive it. Pick up the $30 million dollar option for 2027 and you have a rotation of Ryan, Gray, Pablo, Taj Bradley and whoever the best man for the #5 spot is (I'll say Abel vs Zebby). THAT'S one heck of a Starting Rotation with Chapman closing games out. With Jenkins, Culpepper, Roden and others a part of the 2027 lineup I think the outlook for Baseball in Minnesota changes dramatically for the better. A sale of the team in the off season would be the cherry on top.

I disagree Jacksson. If a player is deemed to be "healthy" he should be able to, and expected, to do all the things he normally would. Go from 1st to 3rd on a single. Score from 1st base on a double. Range far to track down a deep line drive to the fence. Dive to make a play. And yes, even steal a base. You can't "play" the game with "limitations."

It's well past time to get Alan Roden up and in the lineup. Put him at the top and when healthy, slide Buxton to #3. I'm as anxious as anyone to see Walker Jenkins up, but I think Roden has earned this promotion and a solid chance to show what he can do. Come the trade deadline we could see Larnach, Martin, Wallner and a host of other OF that don't factor into the long range plan. I think if the Twins can acquire some promising BP arms and maybe a SP candidate by moving position players, then replacing those position players with the next wave of incoming talent: Jenkins, Roden, Culpepper etc...they could have an even stronger team to compete in the 2nd half of the season.

The Twins should have traded Wallner this off season before his value cratered even further. The power is tantalizing, but despite the fleeting week here or there of production, the droughts are so consistent and so long (Sahara Desert-Like) that it's just time the close the book. At best, he's a throw-in for some other teams disappointment/throw-in. There are just far too many LH hitting OF who can at least play defense stacking up ahead of him. Wallner has certainly been shown more than enough patience to this point point. But 40-man roster spots are precious.

There is no question that Marek Houston is the SS of the future. There's nothing wrong with having Culpepper at 2B and Lee at 3B. That's a pretty solid defensive IF. Lewis, Mendez, Gabe Gonzalez, Sabato...? at 1B. Buxton in LF, Walker Jenkins in CF and Keaschall/E-Rod in RF (Roden?). Let's imagine we draft Vahn Lackey...He and Tait at C (maybe even some Tait at 1B). That's a pretty good young core with Buxton the All-Star veteran. But in Baseball, pitching separates the decent from the GOOD teams. Will we have Joe Ryan for the future? If not, what kind of players/prospects does he return? What does Ryan Jeffers return? Larnach? Is Clemens kept as a Utilityman or is he traded? Can they get more than a bag of baseballs for Matt Wallner? I can't see them keeping Josh Bell. But Marek Houston as our SS sometime in 2027 seems VERY LIKELY.

I can agree that it's far too early to judge this trade. However, to echo a couple of thoughts that I have agreed with from the announcement of the trade: 1. We had 5 more years of control of Varland. Once the Twins committed to trading Duran and Jax, Varland was the obvious choice to take over as Closer. At the time of the trade, Varland had a 2.02 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in 49 innings with the Twins. He had clearly turned a corner and at 27 years old, at least to me, did NOT project to be a 3.50-4.00 ERA relief pitcher for at least the next couple years. I'll admit he has exceeded my expectations so far in 2026 and he will certainly regress "somewhat." But in terms of roster construction he was the clear candidate to take over, There also appears to have never been a plan to add a legit Closer. This is the root of my frustration with Pohlad ownership and every subsequent front office since Andy McPhail. There just doesn't ever seem to be a plan that is aggressively pursued. The Twins hang back and dumpster dive. 2. While Rojas still has the potential to turn into a decent if not good SP (Santana, Liriano and even back to Tom Hall are decent examples) the perceived strength of the Twins was SP, at least until Pablo Lopez, Mick Abel and Bailey Ober went down. We gutted our BP and had no obvious Closer other than Varland. Alan Roden could be a decent MLB player, but the plan after this trade should have been trading Matt Wallner AND Trevor Larnach to better balance the talent on our roster and open a path for Walker Jenkins and E-Rod. Trading Wallner and Larnach could have provided the Twins with a pitcher or 2 who would have been better BP options for the Twins. Shockingly, both are still in the Twins system. This is not a "hindsight is 20-10" for me. I actually embraced most of the Twins "burning down the bullpen" trades last year. But I never liked this one, especially the rushed nature of it, coming about 2 minutes before midnight.

I'd like to see Lackey. The SS's are very intriguing, but with Houston and Culpepper in the system and a probably trade of Ryan Jeffers to the Yankees, I'd like to see Lackey. I think he could be a fast-track candidate to the MLB roster. We still have Tait and Jimenez progressing as well Dhiaw, but I think Lackey could be an All Star for us. I'm curious who the Twins could be looking at for rounds #2-#5 as well as any supplemental picks.

Griffin Jax is showing that he IS capable of being a 5 inning SP with decent effectiveness. However, if he hadn't been so bad as the Closer to begin the year for Tampa he might have held on to THAT job. He's a quality MLB pitcher in my opinion. There have certainly been some bright spots despite the losing record (and yes, the BP is just as bad as we all expected it to be. What would our record be had we hung onto Luis Varland to be our Coser and did not have Rojas & Roden)? Buxton has been outstanding. Clemens could bring something nice back if a contending team wants a Utility guy who slugs. Ryan Kreidler has been better than advertised. Trevor Larnach is having a decent year hitting and moving him seems a certainty as well. But these moves probably won't bring anything that moves the needle much. But there are 3 big pieces who COULD bring back a lot. Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan and Ryan Jeffers. Buxton is probably not being traded, although the Braves would probably give up a ton for him. But keeping Buxton makes sense. Ryan Jeffers being traded to the Yankees for a nice return seems inevitable. I'd like to see a deeper dive on the Yankees prospects that could be part of a deal. A couple nice arms would be exciting. The biggest question is what the Twins will do with Joe Ryan. He's our #1 SP, an All Star and should bring back a King's Ransom once Tarik Skubal gets traded. If this trade gets done, I would expect it to be completed LATE into the trade deadline. Once the Twins calibrate what they received in the Jeffers, Larnach and Clemens trades (and maybe Josh Bell, Taylor Rogers etc...) they can zero in on what they desire in a Joe Ryan package. But this is a monumental decision. With a Strike/Lockout looming for 2027, as well as a possible salary cap and floor, and either Labor Peace or World War III, the entire competitive landscape of MLB could/will be changing. I've been pretty bullish on trading Joe Ryan since last winter, but I'm not fully convinced a trade has to happen at this point. It's exciting to consider what talent we could see in return, but it's also fun to envision a SP rotation for 2027 with Ryan, Lopez, Bradley, Abel, Matthews, Prielipp and Rojas. (and whatever arms the trades brought in). There will be a LOT of new faces for 2027: Walker Jenkins, Culpepper, E-Rod, Gabe Gonzalez, and maybe Vahn Lackey after the All Star break. Personally, I like to see the Twins challenge Marek Houston. The Glove is potentially a future Platinum. If he hits just enough, he's the SS and Culpepper plays 2B. And do we pick a Catcher or a SS in the draft? What will our BP look like? Will the Twins spend the money to bring in an actual Closer? If so, how would they build the BP to lead up to that Closer. There is always a chance to compete in the tepid A.L. Central. The Tigers will be without Skubal for 2027. Cleveland will be competitive but still have huge shortcomings. The Royals will still have Bobby Witt Jr. but questionable pitching (especially if Cole Ragans continues to fight injuries). The team on the rise to me is the White Sox. Their young pitchers are gaining experience and have flashed talent. They will also add the #1 player in the draft. Could it be Roch Cholowsky and if so, how quick is he called up? Last trade deadline was kind of a shock to the system. This trade deadline it's certain Jeffers, Larnach, Clemens and several others will be moved. With Byron Buxton staying put, what will be the decision on Joe Ryan? If they are NOT going to trade him, then sign him to a rich extension NOW. If that's NOT the plan, then a Joe Ryan trade needs to be made and a solid MLB player in addition to good prospects needs to be the plan.

MAYBE Walker Jenkins should keep his #1 status. But with the way Marek Houston has hit the ball, and with a Platinum Gold Glove at SS in his his future, He's #2 for me right now. It's time to move him up a level and challenge him. We might really have something here.

This is one of the most intriguing MLB drafts in years! I agree, there are similarities with 2023 when there were 5 good prospects and we were picking 5th. I also wonder why Daniel Jackson from Georgia isn't getting more love. To me, the top 5 are the "Big Three" with Flora and Jackson. In some ways for the Twins, it's almost a relief to be picking 3rd. It's not like they have the first overall pick and all the pressure is on them to make it count. I also just can't see the White Sox picking Lackey with Teel and Quero already on the big club. The White Sox are now playing Montgomery at 3B, Meidroth at 2B and Luis Acuna at SS. Acuna just doesn't seem to be anything special. I know the White Sox have made some surprising draft decisions in the past, but for me, Cholowsky is the obvious choice. Tampa Bay at #2 is where it really gets interesting. Any of Emerson, Lackey or Flora makes sense and I think the draft turns on who they pick. If they pick Flora, the Twins will have a HUGE decision to make. With a couple of solid catching prospects in the minors (who will probably each ne promoted one level this summer) it would be hard to pass on Colt Emerson. Bobby Witt Jr. comparisons aside, even as a high school prospect, Emerson's upside is insane. As infatuated as I am with Marek Houston, I could see a future where Lewis is traded. Possibly even Brooks Lee is traded. The infield could see Culpepper at 3B, Houston at SS and Emerson at 2B. Maybe Keaschall at 1B and an OF of Buxton, Jenkins and E-Rod with Tait the #1 catcher. But most likely, I see Vahn Lackey as our Catcher, Tait as a backup C and primary 1B. Culpepper 3B, Houston SS and Lee 2B with an outfield of Buxton, Jenkins and E-Rod/Gabe Gonzalez. The chance that Roch Cholowsky somehow falls to us is small but it does exist. Most likely I see either Colt Emerson or Vahn Lackey as a Twin. Joe Mauer spent 3 years in the minors as a high school draft pick at #1 overall. I could see Lackey as the Twins #1 catcher in 2028. I don't see the Twins competing at all this year. But the type of player we could get in this draft ( let's say Lackey) and with the ETA for Walker Jenkins coming soon, I wonder if the Twins try to extend Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton rather than trade them. Things could change depending on the market for either. Maybe the Twins acquire as many electric arms as they can if one or both are traded. But I see the Twins coming out of this draft with a cornerstone type of player.

Nicely summarized Cody. Great Work ! Thank You for remembering a "Baseball Lifer" who for me as a kid, was always a guy I felt confident would nail down that Twins win out of the bullpen. His sidearm delivery was often duplicated in the late innings of backyard Whiffle Ball and "Tenney Ball" (Baseball with a Tennis Ball) games.

Please Twins, just promote him already. He's earned the chance to see how he does at another level. You could also make a case that they could just skip AA and move him right up to St. Paul. The kid has mastered A ball. Challenge him.

It's essential that Jeffers be traded and I think it will be to the Yankees, As a Scott Boras client, once Jeffers got to this season without a contract extension, he was never coming back. The fact that he's having his best season ever is a gift. It's time to leverage his value when it's at its highest. The acute need at Catcher by the Yankees brings it all together. And those that have suggested adding Lewis to the deal to shoot for a higher return are spot on. Lewis appears to have finally achieved a heartbeat, and as a result his value is climbing. There's no doubt at all that the Twins should be sellers at the deadline. Bring on the youth movement. It's time to start re-balancing this roster with an influx of young talent like 1982 and look forward. The trade deadline will also come AFTER the MLB draft, so that should also help when determining which Yankee prospects we target, as well as other teams prospects with the other trades that are sure to come.

Even if we end up with Roch, Houston's glove makes him the better SS. Roch could play 3B and you'd have Lee and Culpepper at 2B.. Keachall in LF would be fine with me. But this is a GREAT problem to have. I think we actually end up with Vann Lackey at #3 and are rock solid at Catcher in the future. Houston should be moved to AA (SOON). It's clear he's mastered this level, maybe ahead of the Twins original timeline but he's earned it. I'd probably have him finish this season at AA and if he's earned it, he could begin 2027 at St. Paul.

You really should have included Morneau in some way, shape or form. He WAS the A.L. MVP. It's kind of like writing an article about the 1969 Twins and highlighting Oliva, Carew and Jim Perry but failing to mention Harmon Killebrew. Still, I appreciate the article. It's always nice to take a trip down Memory Lane, recalling the players that made Twins teams so fun to watch and root for.

I would love it if Hill was pitching better. But while I do have some degree of worry about his lack of control/command at this stage of his career, I'm not anywhere near giving up on him. I still think he's our future Ace. I agree with bean5302. I'm more worried about Hunter Townsend, the Cedar Rapids pitching coach. He's got a sports car in his garage but he can't find the keys. There is more pressure on him to fix Dasan Hill's control issues than anybody.

This is a tremendously INTERESTING development. Honestly, I'd be happy with ANY of Roch, Lackey or Grady Emerson. Still, I would also be shocked if the White Sox, who already have Teel and Quero as solid young catchers, passed on the standout SS's and took Lackey. I'm prepared for Lackey to be our choice and would still like it. But I'd be running to the podium if Roch Cholowsky was sitting there. I also fully expect to see Culpepper promoted sometime this season and be our SS at the end of 2026. And yet, I expect to see Culpepper shifted to 3B when Marek Houston keeps hitting and becomes our full-time SS sometime in 2027. So where does this leave a guy like Cholowsky? A guy that has been compared to Bobby Witt Jr? And if Cholowsky has been compared to Bobby Witt Jr. then how can Brooks Lee's lack of athleticism even compare? This MLB draft should be pretty interesting.

This is a good topic and worthy of discussion. The Twins are NOT contending this year. They are probably not quite ready to contend in 2027 and how much "baseball" will we miss with the Lockout/Strike? It's a great idea to trade Cody Clemons for the best return you can. The 2 NL West teams suggested are prime candidates. I'll admit, Cody Clemons has exceeded all expectations I ever had. I think he's a solid ballplayer. He's a reliable glove in a number of positions, usually better than the primary player at the position. But it is probably time to see what teams are willing to give up to get him. Especially if it's a hard throwing RP with closing potential.

This Cy Young vote was one that, if you could go back and change it, you should. It's kind of how I feel about the 1966 Cy Young when they only awarded ONE across all of MLB and it rightfully went to Sandy Koufax in his incredible final season. But Jim Kaat won 25 for the Twins that year and should have been the A.L. Cy Young. Would an extra Cy Young Award have helped Santana? Certainly. It's hard to ignore THREE of them. Johan would have been the A.L.'s version of Koufax in the 1960's. Would one Cy Young have helped Kaat get in sooner? Quite possibly. But it was also kind of fitting he went in the same year Tony-O did. My wife and I were there for that and it was tremendous to see the former teammates go in together. Cy Young Awards are probably very impactful in getting HOF votes. But Juan Marichal never won one, and he got in. As fat as Santana vs Colon that year, it is what it is and there's no changing it. Maybe Johan eventually gets in like Tony Oliva did, through a veterans committee.

If the FO was serious they should have extended Jeffers last off-season. I can't see them doing it now at the price. Just too "un-Pohlad like." The best case scenario is he hits just enough in the time he comes off the IL before the trade deadline that the Twins can extort a pretty good deal for him. As to next season, I'm fine with bringing in someone like Stephenson or Heim if the price is right. In 2028, the Twins will probably have Lackey and Tait. That may be the best catching tandem they've had since 2006-Mauer & Redmond. 2027 will probably be a fractured season anyway and one the Twins don't contend in either, although with a healthy Lopez and if the young SP's continue to improve, good pitching is the ultimate equalizer. Just look what the White Sox young pitching has done for them to date. Another thought for 2027: We've been getting a BARGAIN for Byron Buxton up to this point. Once the Lockout/Strike is resolved and if there is indeed a cap and floor, I'd like to see Byron Buxton get a brand new deal that pays him something like $90 million for 3 seasons. He's earned it.

Culpepper and Houston just keep hitting. That's encouraging. Gotta get Jenkins and E-Rod healthy.

I would just add that the reason I don't think the Twins had much interest in SWR in the BP is that he doesn't have anything dominating in his pitch arsenal. Most BP pitchers throw mid to upper 90's or have a tremendous spin rate on a breaking pitch. Everything in SWR's arsenal was pretty mediocre.

This HAD to happen. SWR has been horrible. You just can't keep giving guys chance after chance and get the same way below average result. I can't believe Chris Paddack is still pitching. Why is Outman still on the MLB roster much less the 40-man? There is no upside to SWR if he is exclusively a SP. The fact that our BP is in the sorry state it is and the Twins don't even consider him an option is telling. As to the 2 "open spots" on the 40-man roster. The Twins don't seem to be in a hurry to fill them. Maybe some future trades may require a couple additional spots on the 40 man.

I think the owners made a shrewd move in the Public Relations War by getting this out there this early. It is most certainly going to get more ugly. But this is an excellent piece by Cody that points out a number of things that should be viewed as a positive to Twins fans. And this should also be looked upon favorably by other fan bases. Here are a couple of examples: The Guardian-Indians absolutely need to pair Jose Ramirez with another STAR caliber player. The Royals absolutely need to retain Bobby Witt Jr. The Tigers should absolutely be able to retain back to back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. The Pirates should be able to build around Skenes, Griffin and Bubba Chandler. The Devil is in the Details, but I'm fairly certain any agreement with a cap and floor would need to be phased in over 3 or so. You can't take a wrecking ball to the situation and just expect immediate and total compliance. But, for as dead set as the MLBPA is against a cap and floor, how loyal would their rank and file be if you could maintain paying the superstars big money (like the NFL does with QB's or the NBA does with "Max Contracts) while raising the minimum MLB salary as well as some higher level minor league salary structures. If fans in Pittsburgh could have a sense that Skenes and Griffin could (and would) be long term cornerstones of their franchise, I think that's GOOD for baseball. If miserly owners like the Pohlad's would be terrified at a $175 million dollar salary FLOOR and this would "motivate" them to sell SOONER rather than LATER, I think 90% of Twins Daily would be in favor. Baseball needs a new financial structure. I wouldn't expect it to be a magic pill that fixes everything, but I would appreciate small market teams being able to keep their star studded core together longer, much like the Big Red Machine or Pittsburg Pirates of the 1970's did. The Dodgers will always be the Dodgers, but maybe they get back to the 5 consecutive Rookies of the Year (1992-1996) or the 4 consecutive (1979-1982) instead of buying every All Star they can get their hands on. The Yankees will always be the Yankees. But a Twins team that rewards Buxton with an extension, does the same to Joe Ryan (and probably Pablo) and spends to bring a true Closer on board to build a bullpen around, while getting ready to welcome Walker Jenkins, E-Rod, Culpepper and Houston to the ballclub in the near future is a team I can get excited about.