TopGunn#22

It's a good idea to move Mendez to 1B. We have plenty of LH hitting OF's ahead of him and a dearth of prospects at the position. Will he become Wes Parker at 1B?? Probably not, but a lack of footspeed doesn't ever bode well for an OF. I would love to see the Twins sign or trade for a major league caliber 1B. It's a gaping hole in their lineup and is screaming to be addressed. Mendez needs at least an entire season at St. Paul to get familiar with 1B and to demonstrate his bat can handle AAA pitching and is trending in the right direction. The only way I see Mendez in a Twins uniform in 2026 is if both Wallner and Larnach are traded and injuries decimate other options. It's quite possible these things happen, and Mendez STILL stays in St. Paul. As I said, I'd like to see the 21 year old put an entire season together in St. Paul learning a new position and refining his hitting.

Interesting headline, as I stated on Monday night after Rocco was fired (Twins Dismiss Manager...) that Falvey was in over his head. I have felt this way for several years but it's becoming more and more obvious the longer Falvey is in control and the more authority the Pohlad family gives him. The common theme in all of this is the mounting financial problems the Pohlad family has. The most public business they have is the ballclub. Decisions they make with the Twins are widely reported on. Decisions they make with other business enterprises are largely unknown, unless they are reported on in the "business section" of the publication you're reading. Many of us are probably familiar with the business practice of consolidating jobs to save money. Unless the person who was let go was completely incompetent, the usual outcome is that the person who was doing well at their primary job, starts to struggle a bit at the additional job they were assigned because it's new and they're not knowledgeable enough to positively impact the area that was suffering. Then, things start to slide in their primary job because there's just not enough time in a day to effectively do both. There was a reason 2 jobs existed in the first place. It may not be a matter of the Pohlad family "not caring" enough about the Twins at all. It's probably more likely that the brains of the Pohlad empire was Carl and when he passed away the incompetence of his "silver spoon" offspring just didn't have what it takes to run a business...or a Major League ballclub. Good business people hire good, competent and effective people. Bad business people hire poorly. The effects of poor hiring can be felt very quickly, but also sometimes takes years to be realized. The "Primary Pohlad" in charge since Carl stepped away has been a game of musical chairs through the years, with none of the progeny seeming to rise to the occasion. Twins fans have been sensing this Pohlad family incompetence for quite some time now. When good people LEAVE your organization and you PROMOTE incompetent people whose track record points to few successes and more failures, you are left with a leadership structure that leaves you convinced the people in charge are "In Over Their Heads."

In the last few years, Joe Ryan has taken his obvious talent to Driveline and further enhanced it, making himself an All Star pitcher. Imagine if Matthews, Bradley and Abel did the same thing? Having seen the raw "stuff" that Matthews, Bradley and Abel have, if command of that "stuff" can somehow become more consistent and/or determining that an ineffective pitch be dropped or a new pitch be added, there could be a break through for some or all of those pitchers next year. SWR opened my eyes at season's end. He may have turned a corner. You could counter that Tampa or Philly could have or should have already accomplished that with Bradley and Abel, and that would be a fair assessment. But the point is that ALL major league teams have players with talent/tools that they try to enhance and sometimes it works, sometimes it takes longer, and sometimes guys just never "get it." The "potential" for a pretty effective starting staff is there for the Twins. The "potential" for some BP arms to emerge is also there. I'm a big believer that to be in the BP shouldn't mean you're in purgatory forever. If a guy shows out there, he moves from being a 6th inning guy to a 7th inning guy, from a 7th inning guy to an 8th inning guy and so on. We've also seen a number of initially ineffective SP's flourish in the BP and actually make it back to being an effective SP. The Twins will need a veteran Closer for next season if they hope to compete. Teams that consistently blow leads in the 9th inning are doomed to have a poor season. The Twins have a LOT of talented arms in the mix for 2026. How these arms progress and are deployed is crucial. In the case of teams like the Brewers and Guardian Indians, they seem to have a knack at trading SP at the height of their value when they've become too expensive and either having arms in the minor leagues ready to promote or getting a younger, inexpensive arm back that is able to step in a mitigate the loss of an ace like Corbin Burnes (or both). There is a strong likelihood that one of Lopez or Ryan gets traded. Lopez is the most expensive at $22 million a season but his value is also at it's lowest in years. The Twins would be selling LOW. Ryan is the cheaper option, coming off an All Star season. The Twins would be selling HIGH on Ryan. They could get back something of far greater value with Ryan as opposed to Lopez. Both are 30-years old. Would the Twins rotation be stronger with Ryan, Lopez and Ober as the #1, #2 & #3 to begin the season and let the best men in spring training win the #4 & #5 spots? Probably. But the lineup and defense are sorely needing enhancement. Like the Brewers, the Twins could actually be a better team if Ryan was traded for a solid position player and a young pitcher stepped into Ryan's slot and came close to Ryan's production. That's where the Matthews, Bradley, Abel and SWR improvement is vital. Would the Twins sign Josh Naylor if Pablo was traded? Would that help the lineup? It sure would. Would the Twins trade Ryan to the Red Sox for Jarren Duran? Would that help the lineup and OF defense? It sure would. What if Ryan was traded for Wilyer Abreu (Gold Glove OF with power), Payton Tolle (young Red Sox LHP who would be added to the Bradley, Matthews, Abel list to replace Ryan) and Tristan Casas (young, power hitting 1B returning from a knee injury)? OF defense gets MUCH better. Abreu and Casas add power and depth to the lineup. Buxton repeats his year, Lewis and Keaschall perform to expectations and 2 of Matthews, Bradley, Abel, SWR and Payton Tolle show improvement and contribute in a positive way? I'm not buying the idea that the payroll is going to be cut to $70-$75 million. I think it will hover around $100 million. If the new "investors" have any say maybe even slightly higher. Even a team as down and out as the Twins right now should have a plan to compete in the always winnable A.L. Central.

There's no way ANY of the current coaching staff remains. And none of them have much of a leg to stand on warranting their continued employment. In yet another VERY confusing statement from Falvey, he says he'd like to help select the new coaching staff once the new manager is hired. I can understand "helping," but the insinuation was that he would do the picking. What potential Manager from outside the organization would accept THAT ?? The Twins have gone so far off the rails that it seems pretty obvious to me that the new Manager should come from OUTSIDE the Twins organization. Unbiased eyes need to assess and determine what kind of talent is needed to turn the Twins around. Sadly, I can't see Falvey allowing that as it would be an admission of failure on his part. I'd like to see someone like Skip Schumaker, but I'd be very surprised if the Rangers don't hire him. Bruce Bochy is a legend, I can't see him going anywhere but back to the Giants and Buster Posey. There may be some firings yet to come that will add to the potential pool of candidates. Talk of Tori Hunter, Nelson Cruz and Justin Morneau is nonsensical. None of them have ever even managed a Little league team as far as I know or even been a base coach. Having Hunter coaching our outfielders and/or Cruz being our primary hitting instructor would be just fine with me. I have a feeling it will be Toby Gardenhire which would be a huge non-starter for me. This last season the Saints weren't very good and I don't think Toby has won any minor league Championships. A promotion would be ridiculous. Rocco was the first major head on the chopping block. His entire staff shouldn't be far behind. I don't really have an idea how urgent the Twins timeline is to hire a new Manager. Will they address this before the post season ends? Or wait until the World Series is over?

The surprise is that the Pohlad family and Falvey decided to fire Rocco after "allegedly" extending his contract this spring. It would have been a shock if Rocco had been retained if a sale had been completed.

Nashvilletwin, Here are two big name signings that worked out for the teams that made them: The Dodgers signing Shohei Ohtani. Dodgers won the World Series last year. The Yankees signing Reggie Jackson in 1977 after Jackson played one season with the Orioles. Reggie was a key component of the Yankees winning back to back World Series over the Dodgers in 1977 & 1978. You could say the Twins signing Jack Morris in 1991 was a big name signing, but that would be a bit of a stretch. Black Jack was starting to fade as the Ace of the Detroit Tigers. The Pohlad's signing Morris was more of a bringing in of a hometown boy to get that warm fuzzy feeling for ticket sales. Andy McPhail ended up catching lightening in a bottle. Our frustration as Twins fans was manifested in the winter after winning in 1991 when the Pohlad's wouldn't pay Morris what he deserved after a good season and spectacular game #7. So the Blue Jays signed Morris and won the World Series in 1992. The Blue Jays followed that up by signing another St. Paul native in the off season prior to 1993...Paul Molitor. Molitor finished 2nd in MVP voting and was World Series MVP in leading the Blue Jays to a back to back World Series Championship accomplishment. Yes, often times signing big name FA fails spectacularly. But there are plenty of times it has succeeded spectacularly.

Eric, Your list of failed trades, successful trades, failed signings, successful signings, really highlighted what an abysmal track record Falvey has. I would add the spring training release of Jeff Hoffman to the list. I'm beginning to see why the Pohlad family is losing so much money in their other business ventures as well as their baseball team...they can't seem to recognize sub standard performance and act to correct it. They have an over inflated opinion of their own business acumen and as a result, are slow to react to sub-par hires because...they could never make a mistake by hiring the wrong people. I think I will agree with the assessment that 2026 is going to be a very bad year for the Twins, leading to a massive financial loss for the Pohlad family. They will finally see the light and determine a sale of the ballclub is imperative to salvaging the family empire. It would appear there is far more pain ahead for Twins fans before we can see our desire of new ownership taking place. The entire FO needs to be replaced. But there is no chance of this happening until the Pohlad family sells the team.

The fact that we as fans are even discussing whether the FO extended Rocco or not just shines a bright spotlight on how in over their heads our ownership and FO have been for a number of years. This is not something that should be speculated about. It's something the fanbase should know without ANY confusion. We need new ownership in the worst way. We may not get our wish in the near, or not too distant future. One thing is certain: The Pohlad family have been one of the most inept ownership groups I've ever seen in sports regarding Public Relations. It's clear they have no idea how to manage public opinion based on the people they've hired to execute it. We need a new FO for sure. Many of us on TD have shared our thoughts about what "moves" the Twins need to make to be competitive in the tepid A.L. Central. But very few of us (none of us??) has any confidence in Falvey having the ability to make the deals that could re-balance and enhance our roster. That's a very sad state to be left in as a fan. Finally, Rocco had to go. My frustrations with him have been well chronicled on TD. I do think he's a fine human being and I hope he can find employment soon. He may not be a manager right away, but maybe a step back for a couple of years as a bench coach or 3rd base coach will give him some time to unwind where he thought things went wrong. I don't see him as a "running game coordinator." It took him half a season to wake up to the rules changes. I'm glad he's no longer OUR Manager, but I still wish him well. It's to early to start speculating who the new manager could be. We have to see who is available first. I would prefer someone from OUTSIDE the current Twins organization. One ominous development is that Falvey is pledging to help our new manager choose his coaching staff. Good Grief ! I can't believe that statement by Falvey. He's admitting he would hire a manager who would look him in the eye and tell him in an interview "Gosh Mr. Falvey, I've really got no idea who I'd like to have on my coaching staff !! Did you help Rocco? Can you help me like you helped Rocco ?? Falvey really IS in way over his head.

Buxton is NOT getting traded. After that...all bets are off.

In the category of "Most Overly Dramatic Headline for a Season that was Going to Be Bad Anyway"... the Oscar goes to... Cody Christie !!! We're really going through some incredible gymnastics to try to zero in on one inning in a season where it was pretty clear ownership and the the front office did very little to make the team better in the off season, and the manager and his coaching staff were doing nothing to inspire confidence after the glow of the winning streak was left in the dust. Even the Russian judge gives Cody a "10" on that. Are we to believe that Chris Paddack was the key to a Twins post All Star Game pennant drive? But here the Twins sit in the A.L. Central. In a division seeing the Tigers stagger their way toward the finish line and Cleveland breathing down their necks, it seems no one other than Cleveland is capable of competing each season for the division title. For the Twins outlook to be this bleak in a division this weak just shines a spotlight on how badly the Pohlad's and Falvey have damaged this franchise. One inning didn't bring us to this point, causing the deadline fire sale. It's been building for years.

We need Doc Gast to kind of give us a review of the values of Twins players who could be involved in a trade (Lopez, Ryan, Ober, Wallner etc...) and the values of some interesting trade targets for the Twins. The Values change and fluctuate a lot so for someone who just visits the site but doesn't pay for the service I can't access the "Propose a Trade" tab. But I like to look at the various trades proposed and determine if it's fair, a good fit and possible. Doc Gast frequently posts trade ideas and they're always interesting.

Doc Gast...don't forget about Ron Perranoski. He was the stellar Closer the Twins had on their back to back Western Division Titles in 1969 & 1970. :)

I think Festa spends the next season in the pen just to allow the Twins to really monitor him and manage his usage. There's no way Festa is the closer next season. He's got no experience in the role and he's got to focus on being healthy. But I think by season's end, if he maintains his health, he "could" become the next Griffin Jax. They absolutely need to bring in a vet. Devin Williams would be an excellent target. He's got something to prove after this lost season with the Yanks. Ryan Helsley would be another excellent target. He also has something to prove after his miserable stint as a set-up man with the Mets. Another guy who was lights out in 2024 with the Rangers is Kirby Yates. He's been a fish out of water as a set up man for the Dodgers. Almost every time a "Closer" is acquired at the deadline to be a "set up" man, it doesn't go well. Each of these guys are going to see their "value" significantly depressed. They will be motivated to regain a Closer role and rebuild their value. We should target one of these guys, make an "affordable" signing and give them a new lease on life. The entire BP needs a major makeover. The only guys I think are locks to be in it next year right now are sands and Funderburk (who has been VERY GOOD the last month). But the Twins need a CLOSER. And he isn't on the roster or in the system at this time.

With all due respect to Sabermetrics and esoteric statistics of all sorts, it's like a lot of guys posting on TD never played baseball, or just don't remember how really difficult it is to drive in runs. I read all of the books Bill James wrote in the 80's. Fascinating, interesting stuff. I just disagree about RBI. It's not that EASY to drive in runs. Opportunity plays a HUGE role in it. But when a guy steps into the batters box with a chance to drive in a run, the pitcher always bears down and works the hitter as hard as they can. Driving in runs is NOT hot garbage. It's time to move on from both Wallner and Larnach. The Twins have a plethora of younger, more athletic options who are going to be on the Twins roster sooner, rather than later. Larnach is too expensive to be nothing more than an average player for the Twins. MAYBE some other team will be willing to take him off the Twins hands. Sometimes "average" is what a team is looking for. Lord Knows we, as Twins fans are familiar enough with THAT mindset. Wallner on the other hand could be a very interesting player to a number of teams. Because MLB has glamorized stats like OPS Wallner's value, even after this year's "less than good season" is still pretty strong. The last time I saw a "value" for Matt Wallner on BBTV it was 29.5. In comparison, the White Sox 2 young Catchers have the following values: Kyle Teel 24.8 Edgar Quero 17.1. I would trade Matt Wallner to the White Sox for either of them straight up. Would the White Sox be interested in a 27 year old below average OF with a cannon for an arm that clobbers RH pitching? The White Sox can afford to deal one of their young Catchers to get a "potential" 30-40 HR bat. I'd at least want the Twins to have a conversation. Wallner is NOT a cornerstone. He's NOT a part of the Twins future. As soon as Walker Jenkins, E-Rod and Gabe Gonzalez hit the big leagues, Wallner is gone. He's NOT a 1B. The White Sox aren't especially well stocked with Outfielders. Let's have a conversation this off-season.

I will agree with those who say it's at a minimum "encouraging" to see him running better and with confidence. When he was barely jogging to first base after hitting infield grounders I wondered why they even had him out there. If you can't play the game to the fullest, are you hurting the team? Or if there is nobody close to you in talent, are you doing what you can for the team by playing through it? That's always a hard question to answer and I believe it's different for every player. He had bulked up too much and it was messing with his entire body. Guys don't have to be body builders to be good baseball players. He is just 26 years old. He could still become a cornerstone player. He could be off the team in 2 years. He does swing at everything. A sweeper down and away is his kryptonite. On the Twins right now I would listen on a trade for any player except Walker Jenkins. The Twins don't have an untouchable like Anthony Edwards or Justin Jefferson. But to trade Royce Lewis would be selling low. He needs a healthy off season and a fresh start coming into spring training. I'm not going to get my hopes up too high, but I'm cautiously optimistic for Lewis regarding 2026. It could very well decide whether he's here in 2027, or elsewhere. Good health, especially with his lower body, should help him find a better "base" as many have already mentioned and it could be a huge benefit for him going forward. Having better plate discipline is the next step. He will probably never be the superstar we all envisioned after his tremendous playoff performance in 2023, but he could become a solid middle of the order bat for future Twins teams.

Lots of good comments and good logic from a number of different ideas, opinions and viewpoints. of all of them I've read so far, I think I agree with bunsen82 the most. I'm not campaigning for the Twins to trade either Ryan or Lopez. But I think one or them is going to be traded. I'm all for moving on from guys like Wallner and Larnach. We've got young guys coming for our OF and maybe someone comes in a trade. I agree that Bradley is closer than Abel. But Abel is kind of like Zebby Matthews. Both have really good STUFF, but they keep getting shelled in the big leagues. Command and control is the biggest issue for both. An off season of study, work and refinement could make a big difference for each. In many respects, I think the Twins have plenty of prospects. If I traded Ryan, I'd want to get a major league player for him. Like Jarren Duran from the Red Sox. Boston has a crowded OF. If they want Ryan, it's going to cost them Duran. Tolle and Garcia are nowhere near the value of Joe Ryan. I also think that this off season there will be a LOT of teams that will be interested in Joe Ryan. Why not get an old fashioned bidding war going. We acquired 2 nice catching prospects at the trade deadline, but each of them is at least 2-3 years from being a Twin. The Twins need a young, major league catcher to pair with Jeffers (or if Jeffers is traded). If it takes moving Matt Wallner in a package I'm ready to talk. It's hard as a fan to see 40% of your major league roster moved at the deadline and to see a once formidable bullpen gutted. It will not be an easy fix for 2026. Some bold moves still need to be made and I wish I had even an ounce of faith Derek Falvey deliver. I wish I wasn't convinced that Rocco would just sour any talent we brought in. And I'm fully convicted that Twins fans will probably have a bored indifference to a ballclub owned by the Pohlad family. I hope we have another mild winter. Because I think it's going to be a harsh winter for Twins fans.

Hindsight is always 20-10. Like an Eagle. Yes, it was questionable, but it's hard when the player is pushing to get out there. To me, the silver lining is that there is no way the Twins should trade him this winter. His value, due to his injury filled season and his contract puts his value far below what it really is. If I was a pitching needy team, I'd be working on an angle to trade for Pablo rather than Joe Ryan. Ryan's value is at an all time high. Lopez is at about the lowest he's ever been. If both were healthy and effective next season, their stat lines would be remarkably similar. They will both be 30 years old. If the Twins FO feels they simply MUST trade Lopez or Ryan then Joe Ryan is the guy to deal. He would bring back so much more. Ryan's BBTV is around 53 to 58 right now. Lopez is at 12.8. That's about equal to Bailey Ober. The primary consideration here is salary. But all things considered, Pablo's $22 million dollar salary for 2026 and 2027 is actually a bargain. Would you rather have Pablo Lopez starting game #1 of a playoff series or Baily Ober?? Would letting Pablo pitch 2 more games have added a significant bump in value if the Twins were really considering trading him this winter? Probably not. So the 2nd guessing sending him out there to pitch a meaningless game is understandable.

I checked in from time to time. I was watching college football primarily while I was getting my various chores done so I could be a coach potato and watch NFL football all day today. Everytime I popped over, nothing good was happening for the Twins.

They certainly need a complete house cleaning, starting with ownership. They've gotten their "mystery investors" to infuse $400 million dollars into the operation. They cut payroll drastically yet again at the deadline. Are we to believe that none of the $30 million saved by trading Correa and others will be spent on improving the roster? This is as sad a situation as Twins fans have ever been in. The original owner, Calvin Griffith was notorious for not spending money. But we always gave him credit for paying the guys he obviously had to: Killebrew, Carew and Oliva. What began the ultimate death spiral for Calvin's ownership was trading away Blyleven, letting top notch hitters walk for nothing like Lyman Bostock and Larry Hisle and ultimately ticking Rod Carew off to the point he had to trade him with no leverage to the Angels and got almost nothing back in return. Yesterday's doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Guardians where the Twins failed to score a run just highlighted the futility. I wonder what the Twins forecast for season ticket sales is for next year? Or what their projection for overall attendance will be? Even at their lowest point, the Timberwolves never had it as tough as this current triumvirate of ownership, front office and manager/coaching staff. Things changed for the better for the Vikings after the Wilf brothers took over. Things had started to turn better for the T-Wolves and Glen Taylor tried his best to weasel out of his sale, but finally, bumbling Glen was sent packing. It's painfully obvious the Twins need new ownership, a new philosophy, a different approach to building a baseball team. The Pohlad's are clutching the Twins like their hanging from a cliff. How bad does it have to get before they finally realize they've worn out there welcome. In a different post, I suggested a guy like Torey Luvullo would be an interesting manager to pursue if the D-Backs decided to make a change. He had them in the World Series just a couple of years ago and he had some really heavyweight teams to overcome. The Dodgers, Braves, Mets, Phillies, Brewers. But I'm not sure if he's on thin ice in Arizona or not. But I just can't see much changing with a new manager and a new front office, until the Pohlad's are eliminated from the equation. Change needs to start from the top. New ownership is needed to bring a new vision to the Twins. New owners need to make the decisions on front office and managerial hires.

tony&rodney, I agree 100% the Twins will not get value for Pablo, probably due to his contract vs. trading Joe Ryan. Both pitchers will be 30 years old in 2026. We have Pablo signed thru 2027. Ryan just looks like a lost soul after the trade deadline trauma. I would trade Ryan to get someone like Duran and mix in some additional players on each side to see if I could plug a couple of holes. For example, how about Ryan, Kendry Rojas, Kody Clemens and Wallner for Duran, Payton Tolle, Tristan Casas and Franklin Arias. Twins give up 97.5 in value. Red Sox give up 96.7. Red Sox get Ryan. They get a power hitting OF/DH in Wallner who replaces Duran. Power and defensive versatility in Clemens (obvious fan favorite) and a young LHP to replace Tolle with Rojas. Twins get a solid, All Star OF in Duran who is excellent defensively in LF & CF. The Twins also get a young LH starting pitcher with good potential to compete for a rotation spot. They have a potential 1B/DH once he's healthy in Casas and an athletic 18 year old SS in Arias. Tolle gives the Twins yet another talented young SP candidate (21 y/o) who's already up with Boston and pitching. That allows even more flexibility to dangle a young SP to a team for a young catcher.

It's early for an article like this...but it's really not. This season is cooked and it wasn't a good meal. We're just running out the string hoping desert saves the day. IE: we see glimpses of hope with Buxton completing the healthiest season of his career, Keaschall continues to impress, Lewis finishes strong, and the young pitchers show improvement. The current state of our BP is horrible. In the A.L. Central, you're never really completely out of contention. Nick is right that a LOT has to go right for the Twins to even contend for a Wild Card spot. But remember 1991. Both the Twins and Braves came out of nowhere from last place divisional finishes to play a thrilling 7 game World Series. In baseball, crazy things happen. Where Nick is maybe a little too hopeful is that the Twins will keep both Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez. I just think that, as disappointing as it would be to trade one of them, a trade of one of them is highly likely. A trade of BOTH of them would be throwing in the towel no matter what the return was. Any trades invloving Ryan/Lopez must bring back a good, solid, major league position player. Prospects can be throw-ins, but a position player who would slot in #1-#5 in the Twins lineup next year is essential. I posited in an earlier post that adding Josh Naylor and Jarren Duran to our lineup could be just the catalyst to make it deadly. We can hope the Pohlad's will still sell before spring training next year. Probably not going to happen. We can hope that an entirely new FO is installed before the Winter Meetings in December. Also probably not going to happen. We can hope that Rocco Baldelli and his entire coaching staff is replaced. This is at least possible, even though he's been "extended." He could be the fall guy ownership and the FO hopes takes the heat off them. It won't. Twins fans know better, but I think Twins decision makers could consider it. The Twins had young talent that was going thru the crucible of failure to eventually become good. But those young players didn't really "get there" until Tom Kelly came on board. So who could the next Twins manager be? I have no idea, other than to say please don't promote from within. We need fresh ideas. I would suggest that someone like Torey Lovullo, if the D-Backs choose to make a change would be an interesting guy. The D-Backs were in the World Series just 2 years ago and lost to the Rangers. Not only did his D-Backs compete with the Dodgers admirably, but they overcame other juggernauts like Philly, the Mets, Padres and Braves. I doubt Arizona will move on from Lovullo, but if they did, I'd be interested.

Kelly is #1 for sure. You can't be the manager on our only 2 World Series Championship teams and not be. Billy Martin, in his one glorious season is #2. Billy also lost his two playoff games against the Orioles to finish with a zero percent winning percentage, but that team may have been the most exciting team the Twins ever had. They were beaten in the post season by an Orioles team that for 1969, 1970 and 1891 put together a pretty fantastic 3 year record. Sam Mele is #3. He took the Twins to a World Series, and some top 3 finishes in the American League. Gardy gets #4. He won a lot of division titles but his post season legacy knocks him down. Paul Molitor gets #5 for me ahead of Gene Mauch. I wish Molly had gotten more of a chance. I agree that Rocco is a fine person. But post 2019 he's been very frustrating. His magic lasted just enough to get us a playoff game in the Covid shorted season, but what magic he had is no more.

It's gotta be frustrating to write an article that on the surface seems very logical and well researched, only to see the subject (Taj Bradley in this case) get absolutely blown up not 3 hours later. However, I understand the "gist" of the piece. Bradley, Matthews, Abel and I'll include SWR and FESTA all have a certain degree of potential that is quite intriguing. Of the bunch, SWR has the least raw "stuff" and I've been trying to trade him for what seems forever. But his performance against the Yankees was the best I've ever seen him pitch. I've always thought SWR struggled to get past the 4th inning. I may have to reassess my thoughts on that. Bradley, Matthews, Abel, and Festa all have big fastballs and capable stuff. But none of them seem to be able to consistently throw strikes or effectively locate. That is what's separating each of these guys from being a solid major league pitcher vs a guy that makes you tear your hair out. The continued ineffectiveness of Matthews is probably what frustrates me the most. He had a reputation coming up thru the minors as having pinpoint control. His walk to strikeout ratio was outstanding. Home plate is the same size. It's the same 60 feet, 6 inches from the pitching rubber in the majors as it is in the minors. And for these last couple years he's been up in the big leagues, Zebby Matthews can't locate consistently at all. I know facing Aaron Judge is NOT like facing your typical AA or AAA hitter. But often times, pitchers are at their best when they pitch their game, to their strengths, locate the ball effectively and attack the hitter...no matter who it is. I'm willing to see these guys take some lumps now and then. Frank Viola struggled badly his first couple of years, but once he consistently started commanding his pitchers he went from bad to good, good to very good and very good to a Cy Young Award. My frustration is that these young pitchers (with the exception of SWR's last game) just aren't showing the kind of progress they should. I'd love to see each of these guys spend a month in the Dominican Winter League further refining their pitches and command. I don't think any of them are at a critical innings limitation point. Maybe Maki should be spending a week with each of them sometime this winter. Guys with "stuff" like Bradley, Matthews, and Abel shouldn't be getting shelled on a consistent basis. They have to start showing major league improvement, especially with how good they look at St. Paul (Mick Abel). The key to the Twins in many respects lies with how these 5 pitchers develop over this winter to 2026. Yes, Prielipp and Dasan Hill and others are coming in the future. But Bradley, Matthews, SWR, Abel and Festa, whether starting or closing games need to start actually producing positive results.

The big question of course is would the Pohlad's actually spend anywhere from $20-$30 from the payroll they cut at the deadline. They could cut even more with a trade of Pablo, but the return would be much smaller than what they could get for Joe Ryan. I'm in complete agreement with "hitterscount" that of all the guys who were listed, Naylor is who I would sign. Not only would you get 1B solved but you'd put a consistently GOOD hitter in the middle of your lineup. Naylor might not be a Gold Glove candidate, but he's not a butcher either. A signing like Naylor for $10-$12 million for 3 years or so would be an impact signing on the positive side. None of the other other guys really interest me. Rather than Pressly, who clearly looks cooked, I'd make a play for a closer who was traded at the deadline but put in a set-up role and has struggled. My #1 target would be Former Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley. He's been a lights-out closer for the Cards 2022-2024. Even this year before being traded he had 21 saves and an ERA of 3.00. Since going to the Mets he's been horrible. But I think he's wired to be a closer, not a set-up man. Helsley's current contract pays him $8.2 million. Other options should be out there: Devin Williams, Camilo Doval, Kirby Yates. ALL of them have fallen on hard times. Williams and Yates were outstanding in 2024. Both 1B and Closer are primary needs. At least we have Ryan Jeffers returning (if he's not traded) so finding a Catcher is actually slightly behind 1B and Closer in importance. 2025 could be Tarik Skubal's final year in Detroit. He's a FA after the 2026 season. How likely is it for the Tigers to sign him to a massive, long-term deal with a strike/lockout looming for 2027? The Tigers could get an absolute haul for him, but as Twins fans well know after the Johan Santana trade, you're not guaranteed equal or greater value coming back. Without the best pitcher in the American League the Tigers don't look so invincible. Under that possibility, a Twins team with Naylor at 1B and Helsley closing games out could actually be quite competitive in the A.L. Central. Imagine if the Twins traded Joe Ryan to the red Sox in a package that featured outfielder Jaren Duran headlining the return? Ryan is going to arbitration. Duran has a 2026 club option with Boston that will pay him $8 million. That would practically be a wash for what Ryan will get. Maybe even save the Pohlad's a couple million. With no other trades or FA signings, your lineup would be: Buxton CF, Jarren Duran LF Luke Keaschall 2B Josh Naylor 1B Royce Lewis 3B Ryan Jeffers C Brooks Lee SS. Missing is a RF and a DH. Imagine is Buxton stays healthy, Keaschall keeps doing what he's doing, and Royce Lewis stays healthy and hits 30 HR...and you're adding Duran and Naylor to that lineup. I could have plugged Wallner and Larnach in there but I think they'll both be traded and by May Walker Jenkins in playing RF. That's a lineup that Twins fans could get excited about. Assuming that trade is made for a soon to be 30-year old Joe Ryan. The rotation would be: Pablo, Ober, Taj Bradley, SWR and Zebby/Abel. LOT'S of uncertainty but potential. Bullpen: Closer is Helsley. Sands/Festa/Funderburk handle innings 6 thru 8. LOT'S of uncertainty after that. Maybe Adams, Prielipp, Raya and others fill in. Maybe some scrap heap vets from the dumpster. But that's what ownership/FO determined was the way to go when they gutted the BP. To get Naylor $11 million and Helsley $8 million brins thru $19 million. Duran and stuff for Ryan and stuff is nearly a net zero. Maybe the Twins save $2 million. I wouldn't throw any money at 38 year old Starting Pitchers to fill my #3 spot in the rotation. I'd roll with the young guys.

I would have a better sense what our direction would be if the trade deadline had made more sense tony&rodney. The Varland trade still confounds me in that they would have still had a Closer for the rest of 2025 and a potential Closer or certainly a set-up man for 2026. Instead we added yet another LH hitting OF (Roden-who is now injured) and a LHP with some promise (Rojas-who is in the minors). There just didn't seem a plan for that and it literally happened minutes before the deadline. It was almost like Falvey had been tying one on at a bar and decided two more shots for the road was a great idea. I think there would be considerably more optimism if the team had been sold, the Pohlad's were gone, Falvey would be gone, as well as Rocco and his staff, immediately upon the end of the season. But with the same people in charge it's hard to have a feeling of anticipation of better things ahead. I've complained for years here on TD that I never thought Falvey and Levine actually had an off season plan other than nibbling at leftover table scraps after the best talent had been signed or traded for. The only deals I actually liked were getting Nelson Cruz, trading Nellie when it was clear he was done (and getting Ryan) and trading Petty for Sonny Gray. I guess I still think they can acquire a young, talented catcher. A closer on the downside that could bounce back like Helsley, Doval or Yates, a 1B like Naylor or Yandy Diaz and a solid major league OF like (but not necessarily) Jaren Duran if they trade Ryan. And if those fantasies come true, the young pitchers like Zebby, Bradley, Abel and Festa have to be healthy and pitching well, not to mention having prime Lopez and Ober. That's a tall order of "Hopeium" but I'd rather stay positive than be negative.