TopGunn#22

We've seen multiple scenarios about trading nearly every player on the Twins roster so far this winter. It is a sobering thought when the Dodgers can pay a utility guy MORE than what we're paying Byron Buxton, and we still act like Buxton's contract is a backbreaker for our current ownership. The Twins don't pay relief pitchers top dollar and they won't be paying a utility guy top dollar. Certainly not in 2026. Castro is the modern day version of Cesar Tovar. He plays enough to get regular player AB's but he plays all over the diamond. Castro will certainly NOT be with the Twins in 2026. And maybe Jhoan Duran won't be either. Would a Duran and Castro for Teel trade work with the Red Sox? Boston is moving on from Kenley Jansen. They got a solid year out of Connor Wong at catcher last year. Castro could be a very valuable piece for them. Would Duran and Castro be enough to pry "Catcher of the Future" Teel away ??

It's time. Since money is the primary consideration to the Twins, Keirsey should finally be given a real shot. I think the comparison to Austin Martin AB's-wise is a good one. Keirsey plays good defense, has the speed and athleticism the Twins desperately need and as Buxton's primary replacement fits as a LH hitter. It remains to be seen if Willi Castro remains on the Twins or gets traded. His value is at an all time high and at $6.2 million he's a tremendous bargain. Even for a team like the Twins, who throw nickels around like man hole covers his current contract is a bargain. If Castro is kept, he could be a LF platoon option with Larnach as well as an infield defender. Keirsey fits in that scenario. If Castro is not kept, it would depend on what the Twins got back back in the trade. But signing a vet like Jose Iglesias for $1.5 million to be your SS/2B/3B defender with good bat to ball skills would be needed to replace what Castro provided in the infield. Keirsey STILL fits in that scenario. Over the last 3 seasons, Keirsey has earned the right to be part of this discussion. When you factor in an injury and the lost Covid minor league season it's no wonder he's behind by a couple years. Another reason he deserves a shot is that the Twins have a solid "Plan B" in place with Emmanuel Rodriguez. I expect E-Rod to be up with the Twins by the All Star break. I don't expect him to break camp with the Twins because they have Wallner & Larnach standing in his way and I doubt the Twins want E-Rod as the 4th outfielder. When he gets called up it will be to play everyday...or nearly everyday. I do not understand the reluctance on the part of the Twins FO to give Keirsey a chance. He checks a lot of the boxes they need checking right now for the major league roster. Speed, defense, athleticism. The only real question with Keirsey is will he hit enough to stick. I'm afraid it may come down to something as arbitrary as how well he hits in spring training. It would be a real small sample size (SSS to us on TD). But if he hits well, it will help him a lot more than if he hits .200 in spring training.

I would think if he's looking at a one-year contract, Colorado may be a good spot to rebuild his value if he's willing to gamble on himself. He could always get spun off to a contender at deadline by the Rockies. His Spotrac and ESPN values seems high to me. He could make sense with the Yankees if Verdugo is gone (which he will be) and depending on what happens with Juan Soto. He's not a better option than Starling Marte for the Mets. San Diego and Houston don't seem like good fits. It seems like the Giants would stick with Yastrezmski. The Royals could be a fit. The way Max has clobbered Cleveland pitching in his career, the Guardians may sign him just so they don't have to face him. I can't see the Marlins being interested. And if I was Miami, for roughly the same money, I'd be more interested in Vasquez to handle my young pitching staff. Miami has the worst catching situation in MLB. If the money is near equal, I could see Miami being more interested in Vasquez in the right trade.

The other aspect of "one-tool specialists" is that they have to be "ELITE" with that one tool to be worthy of holding that roster spot. At least on a winning team. They can't be Very Good, or even just Good. They need to be ELITE. The quintessential "one tool player" the Twins have had in the last 10 years or so was Nelson Cruz. He couldn't play the field. All he could do was hit. But boy could he HIT. The Twins were Division Champs in 2019 and 2020 and Cruz was ELITE. I'm completely in the camp with Doc Bauer and chpettit19, I'd rather see the Twins go with one of their rookies than a below average vet. This is especially true if coming in "at budget" is more important than trying to win a World Series. Adding a vet like Chili Davis helped the Twins win the World Series. Would the Twins have won in 1991 if they had promoted their version of E-Rod instead of signing Chili? Probably not. But winning a World Series is obviously not a priority of the Pohlad family for 2025, so after 3 consecutive seasons of solid production in the minor leagues, maybe it IS time to give Keirsey and Helman a legitimate shot. You can consider Keirsey and Helman as "fringy" players. But guys like E-Rod and Keaschall are considered excellent prospects. BOTH have been mentioned as Rookie of the Year candidates. If the goal is not to win a World Series in 2025 (and it clearly is NOT) then it makes far more sense to go with one or both of E-Rod and Keaschall. It becomes more likely if one or both tear it up in spring training. If one or both struggle, it's an easy call to have them in St. Paul to marinate for a bit.

Thank You DJL44 !1 I read the outline on Austin Hays THREE TIMES and just couldn't see where they had listed his probable cost. I read your comment, went back and checked again...and there it was right at the top. I never cease to amaze myself... I still think Hays is worth looking into. While I agree that his $6.4 cost is dead even with Castro, and that I would rather have Castro of the two, I have no idea what the Twins current brain trust actually is planning. Actually, I've complained about the Twins seemingly never having a plan in past off seasons because they always seem to be so late to the dance with any moves. It's almost like they wait on purpose and let the market dictate to them, rather than identifying a player who could be a solution. Then, all that's left to them is dumpster diving. I would much rather move forward with some of their young talent. But sometimes you need a bridge to get that talent ready to make the jump. There ARE certain vet players that can be signed for affordable salaries that can be helpful. Santana was one last year. Michael Taylor the year before. But the Gallo, Shoemaker, Margot types of vets are far too often what we end up with. I'm looking forward to a new ownership group that takes owning a sports franchise more like how the Wilf's run the Vikings than how the Pohlad family has run the Twins.

No doubt Zimmerman was a great defensive catcher. But the bat was such a noodle it's hard to say he was the best "backup" catcher in Twins history. Eventually, backups need to become starters if they are any good at all. That's why Brian Harper is a great suggestion. He started at Laudner's backup and eventually beat him out. Sustained mediocrity or below average play shouldn't be celebrated. Mike Redmond is probably the closest to being that "all-time backup." He was never going to beat out a Hall of Famer like Mauer, but hitting .341 as the RH compliment to Joe was pretty good.

Was it just an oversight not to list what the potential cost of Hays would be? It's a pretty important factoid when your dealing with a "Pohlad right-sized budget." Certainly De La Cruz is out of any consideration. There is just nothing about him to get excited about. Certainly not at 4 million. Not even at $1 million. Hays and Carlson are a different story. Hays has the bat and prior to 2024 was a pretty good defensive LF. Depending on cost, he would be at the top of the list and I think the Twins should give him heavy consideration. Especially with Larnach already penciled in and E-Rod probably up by the All Star break, Hays is that RH OF bat the Twins have been looking for since they let Rooker get away. Carlson's defense alone makes him interesting, especially his ability to play a very good CF. He just can't hit. Could the Twins fix him? That's the $64 dollar question, because of the three, he's the best overall defensive OF and the most affordable (which is terribly important to the current ownership). If he could hit just enough, he makes sense as a 4th OF. Because I'd like to see Keirsey get a chance, I'd go for Hays (depending on what he would cost) because Keirsey would be Buxton's backup and Hays would cover LF/RF. Having a guy that can play INF and OF like Willi Castro makes it easier to end up having 2 OF on your bench with a backup catcher.

Starting pitching is always the foundation for a winning ball club. There are many factors at play here not the least of which are what's best for Jax and what's best for the Twins. And they do not have to be mutually exclusive. I think Jax is a bulldog, and he will probably succeed with a transition to the rotation. This article primarily focuses on all the negative aspects of Jax joining the rotation, and while there ARE risks, with his stuff and pitch mix, he could be pretty darn good as a SP. His work ethic influences me to think he will be a pretty good #4 SP. Maybe good enough to be a #3. I think what I would do is have a meeting with Jax in which I would discuss a WIDE range of possible outcomes. One of which would be what if Duran was traded and you became the primary closer? I'm not anxious to trade Duran. But Jax is more consistent and could thrive as our closer. And Duran is probably the best trade piece to acquire a young "Catcher of the Future." Both the Red Sox and the Dodgers have a huge need for a closer and a young catcher (Teel-Red Sox, Rushing-Dodgers) who could be available. The Red Sox got a solid year out of Connor Wong behind the plate but I think Teel would be harder to get than Rushing from the Dodgers. The Dodgers have 3 top rated catchers in their farm system, each of whom are very close to becoming major leaguers. Each of those guys is blocked by All Star Will Smith and Austin Barnes, a backup catcher the Dodgers like a lot and who pitchers love to throw to. If Duran were used in a trade to bring one of them back, that would allow the Twins to trade either Vasquez or Jeffers, saving money that could be deployed to areas of need while adding offense to our catching platoon. If the Twins have no plan or desire to trade Duran, moving Jax to the rotation allows the Twins to dangle a young SP like SWR in a trade. The Orioles, Red Sox and Dodgers all need SP. The Dodgers just signed Blake Snell and if they also have the inside track to sign Roki Sasaki they wouldn't need SWR. But the Orioles and Red Sox have acute rotation needs and a young SP like SWR could bring back something pretty special. For teams like the Red Sox and Orioles, depending on how FA works out, a package of SWR AND Paddack could be very attractive. Finally, if Lugo and Lopez are any indication of what Jax could do in the rotation, imagine how good the #4 spot in our rotation would look with Jax holding it down. Finally, I don't like the idea of Festa being thought of as needing more time at St. Paul. I liked what I saw last year and I would like to see him as the #5 rotation piece. I just don't like the idea of a team that thinks they should be contending going with 2 or 3 2nd year pitchers in their rotation. I think Matthews could use a little more time in St. Paul. I like Festa's stuff. I think SWR will never have a higher off season value. All that adds up to moving SWR in a trade that brings something very good back and putting somebody with bigger upside at the #4 spot in our rotation, allowing Festa to grow as our #5. That #4 guy could be Jax. Or Jax could be our closer. Our we shock the world and sign someone to be our #4 SP, leave Duran and Jax in the pen, trade SWR for something nice and put Festa in as #5. Any of those scenarios work for me.

Arraez is a good example in this discussion. Ultimately, I think he's at his best hitting for a higher average. Why mess up his swing trying to add 5 or 6 HR's. Still, he doesn't run well and has no defensive position where he's outstanding. He is what he is. He's Matty Alou without the ability to play CF at an above average level. Matty Alou was a good MLB player.

I agree to a point that the Twins obsession with POWER is sometimes not helpful to our developing young hitters. Austin Martin is the best example I can come up with. His game is not power. Yet the Twins have continually tinkered with his swing to add more. I think Martin's game is hitting .285 and getting on base. and stealing/running the bases. He'd be much more valuable with a profile like that as opposed to reaching 10-12 HR's. For someone like Walker Jenkins. I just think the power will come. I like tony&rodney's comparison of Joe Mauer. Except for one 28 HR season, the power was never there for Mauer. But he had "acceptable" power. And power, to me, is extra base hits. Not necessarily exclusively HR's. I think everything is there for Jenkins to be special. Sure, coax a little more power into that swing. But as he grows into his body, a lot of that power is just going to emerge anyway.

I tend to believe that those who can play...can play. I think chpettit19 made a great comparison with Chourio and Merrill. They struggled initially but the teams stuck with them. The kids figured it out. The Brewers knew Robin Yount was a player. They let him struggle for his first two years (he was 19 when he debuted) and then he turned the corner. The thing about E-Rod is that he's a pretty good outfielder. And for at least 2-3 years can be expected to supply good defense in CF, which comes in handy if Buxton has to miss any length of time. If E-Rod earns a roster spot in spring training, let him break camp with the club.

I'm not sure I quite understand the idea that Lewis wants to play SS. He struggled with 3B last year as a result of leg issues, a hip flexor issue, and his arm strength had issues. He used to have a cannon and that was certainly not the case in 2024. There has been talk of moving him to 2B, shorter throw, less athleticism needed in the era of JUST. HIT. HR's. Heck, he's even been mentioned as a possible 1B or LF (where arm strength is nice, but not required). I agree with the idea that if Castro is dealt to open up some budget space and to bring back talent where the Twins could shore up perceived weaknesses, that a guy who can at least adequately handle SS is the primary replacement player. This is why I believe two, low cost options should be considered (if the Twins do not go with an internal option). Cody already mentioned Ahmed Rosario, the former Guardian, Dodger and a couple other teams. He's branched out to playing some OF now, so I don't know if that is an indication that he's fallen a long way at SS or that he's needed to play more positions than SS (2B, 3B, OF)to make himself more attractive to other teams. The Dodgers have needed a SS ever since they let Cory Seager go and Rosario conceivably could have claimed that job. But he didn't. He's not a bad option considering that he makes consistent contact and has much better speed than Farmer. But I wonder if he could do the job for 2-months if Correa had an issue. The other low cost alternative would be Jose Iglesias. He will be 35 this coming season and he's always been known as a very slick gloveman. He came up as a SS and is also solid at 2B and 3B. He has become a very consistent bat to ball guy. Doesn't run much anymore but can take the extra base as a baserunner. He's not a HR guy but since 2019 he's had just one season with an OPS less than .700. In fact his career OPS is .710. He can hit you a double far more regularly than Donovan Solano and he can actually play very good defense. Spotrac has Iglesias at $1.5 million for 2025. If the Twins move on from Castro and his $6.3 million they can certainly afford that. He could be a one year bridge to give one last chance to Julien or one more year bridge to guys like Keaschall and Helman.

They are two of the greatest Twins of all time in the roles that they held. It's hard to get a close comparison to a current HOF player and another who is hoping to get it, but hasn't cleared that final hurdle. The comparison of Koufax to Santana is uncommonly close. Koufax had FOUR no-hitters. Santana only one. Koufax put up tremendous strikeout numbers. A then MLB record of 382 in 1965 and over 300 in 1963 and 1966 as well. And that was in an era when striking out was frowned upon. Players actually choked up to increase their chances of making contact. But the decade of dominance each had is very comparable. The comparison of Kirby Puckett not having the "counting" numbers (much like Tony-O) but the acknowledgement of their overall accomplishments eventually led to Kirby and Tony-O's induction. It took waaaaay too long for Oliva, but he DID make it. For those reasons I think Santana eventually gets in. And he SHOULD be in. Nathan has a good case to make, especially when you give weight to his all time best save percentage. But Billy Wagner has better overall numbers (saves, ERA, WHIP) so it's almost like Wagner needs to get in before Nathan has a chance. Nathan was the greatest closer in the history of the Twins in a decade where the team won a lot of division titles and made the playoffs, but where they had one playoff victory and never made it to the World Series. That didn't matter to Joe Mauer, but Mauer was truly a no-doubter, going in on his first ballot. I think more catchers should be in the HOF. A great example is Bill Freehan. He was the premier catcher in the American League when I was a kid growing up. He was named an All-Star ELEVEN TIMES! That's the most All Star selections for a player to have who ISN'T in the HOF. Freehan should be in there. For the same reason, I have no problem with closers being elected to the Hall. Closers are like field goal kickers in football. If you don't have a good one, your chances of succeeding suffer. If you have a great one, you can go a long way. Wagner is REALLY CLOSE to getting in. If he makes it, I like Nathan's chances even if it takes several years for him to get there.

Well, that explains all the "Thumbs Down" from Schmoeman5 !! (typing that with a SMILE on my face). :) I've been frequently frustrated by Rocco's reluctance to let the LH hitters hit against a LHP (especially a relief pitcher) early in the game. I'm talking 5th inning or sooner. There were times Rocco removed a LH hitter before he even got an AB !! But at present, and in the not too distant future, we are going to become VERY Left-Handed with our OF bats. And it doesn't help to have the lone RH bat (Buxton) hurt so often. I believe a trade of one of them to help acquire something else the roster needs while at the same time possibly adding a RH bat that would possibly start in LF would be good for both the player (to move to a team that will give them a chance to hit against LH pitching) and the Twins, if something significant came back in the trade. Wallner, Larnach, E-Rod, Walker Jenkins, Keirsey. That's a bit of a log jam. Maybe Wallner or Larnach COULD become a 1B. That might be a way to keep both going forward.

I guess I'll 2nd that motion for Austin Hayes as a very affordable RH hitting corner OF. I'd be looking to make bigger moves by trading some expensive contracts and a few decent prospects. But you're not going to find many options that could work out at a cheaper price than Austin Hayes.

While $6.2 million might seem high for the penurious Pohlad's, it would be quite reasonable for over half of the teams in MLB. As I've said before, I would be reluctant to trade Willi, but if he's part of a deal that brings me back a "Catcher of the Future" like Teel or Rushing, I make that trade and sign someone like Jose Iglesias for $1.5 million (Spotrac estimation) to be my backup at SS/2B/3B--great glove and a hitter that makes contact. Keirsey becomes my 4th OF. I improve the IF and OF defense with those two and with a Teel or Rushing on the major league roster out of spring training, I can make a trade involving either Jeffers or Vasquez. If I trade Jeffers, I get a pretty nice return, but I'm still stuck with Vasquez and his $10 million dollar salary for 2025, and that's a no-go for the rest of the roster construction. I find a way to deal Vasquez, even if it's for virtually nothing just to move that $10 million and roll with Jeffers & Teel/Rushing. And as bad as Miami's catching position is, I think Vasquez has value to them and if you included Julien and Marco Raya and took back Sandy Alcantara and his $17 million dollar 2025 contract, you'd have a deal and one heck of a starting rotation.

Mateo would be an upgrade defensively at SS & 2B when compared to Castro but at $3.3 million, if an upgrade defensively is what you're looking for, why not just sign Jose Iglesias for $1.5 million? And Iglesias, even though he has no power, has very good bat to ball skills. Mateo's base stealing talent would also be wasted with Rocco as well. Rocco's teams just don't consider stealing bases important, even with the recent rules changes. Soto wouldn't be a bad arm to take a chance on. But this Twins FO doesn't pay $4.5 million for relief pitchers. Caleb Ferguson is a competent LH who spotrac says could be signed for $1.5 million. THAT's more in line with the ceiling our FO would go to sign a RP. I would really NOT rather trade Willi Castro. But if he's needed in a deal to help bring in a young catcher like Rushing or Teel I would do that and sign Iglesias or give Luke Keaschall a chance. I'd prefer to have Keaschall spend one more season a AA and AAA and have Iglesias as a one-year bridge. So while I appreciate the suggested Orioles Matthew, once you pointed out what the cost would be, I think there are better options for a hyper-cost-conscious team like the Twins.

tony&rodney, do you have to be a Caretaker to get your roster plan posted? Mine was called "Shake Things Up" but I'm not seeing anything listed. Has yours been posted? I'd like to see how your trade differed with mine so I could compare. Even if you gave a little more than I did, I'd be on board with your Alcantara trade as well. I think a rotation of Alcantara, Lopez, Ryan, Ober and Festa would be the best the Twins would have in a long time. To have that rotation in place for 2025, 2026 & 2027 before Alcantara's and Lopez's deals come to an end would be sound payroll strategy. My plan had Luzardo as the target, but some of the pushback on Luzardo is good reasoning and with Alcantara's $17 million dollar 2025 salary vs Luzardo's $8.6 million, I think you could get Miami to take the entire $10 million of Vasquez if you attached the proper prospect capital to the deal. Alcantara is clearly the better pitcher and has only had the one Tommy John in his history which he appears on track to recover from in time for spring training. If you could somehow get Teel or Rushing without having to give up Duran it would be even better. I just don't see a deal without Duran getting either of those guys with the glaring need for a closer both in L.A. and Boston.

It certainly does look like the "pitching pipeline" is flowing. And as a result, with some gaping holes in the Twins current roster, some of that pipeline should be used to get that "Catcher of the Future", a 1B, a RH hitting OF with some pop etc... Paddack is an excellent trade chip. I'm not sure where BBTV has his value pegged but at $7.5 million with his past success and now entering his 2nd season after Tommy John surgery, he's probably JUST what the Red Sox, Orioles, Dodgers etc...would be interested in. Especially if a decent prospect was added in a deal, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the acquiring team to pick up all $7.5 million. The Red Sox and Orioles only have about 2 SP's penciled in for their rotation at this time. If the Twins are aggressive and dangle Paddack, SWR, and some other minor league arms they could make a bid for a Teel or a Westburg. The Orioles especially are overflowing with prospects and can't possibly find playing time for everyone. And they are desperate for arms. Somebody is going to make a trade with them and acquire a good young player. It may as well be the Twins. I'm still intrigued at what Jax could become as a SP, especially after seeing what Seth Lugo and Reynaldo Lopez accomplished last year. However, if Duran is made available in a trade (possibly to the Dodgers in a deal to bring back MLB ready catching prospect Dalton Rushing) then Jax becomes the closer and any experiment with rotation consideration ends. SWR, Festa, Matthews, Morris, Lewis, Raya, Adams, Nowlin. These 8 are already in the major leagues or at AAA in St. Paul. Add Dobnak as a perennial St. Paul arm until his contract ends and you've got an abundance of arms. Add to that the depth we have in the lower minors and the time is right to trade a couple of these guys to improve the major league roster. The Twins aren't going to want to have THREE 2nd year SP's in their 2025 rotation (SWR, Festa, Matthews). I'd trade SWR while his value is highest. I'd probably hang onto Festa (who I think is SP #5 in 2025) and Matthews and Morris. But the other arms and some in the lower minors I'd be exploring potential deals to improve the big league club. We tend to load up on pitchers in the draft after we select a couple hitters. We can trade from this surplus and keep adding to it. One trade I'd be interested in pursuing would be with the Marlins. Their catching situation is horrible. I offer Vasquez, Julien and Gabe Gonzalez for former Cy Young winner coming back from Tommy John surgery, Sandy Alcantara. He looks to be ready to start the season and he would probably emerge as our #1 SP. In 2022, he signed a 5 year, $56 million dollar contract with the Marlins. He's set to earn $17 million in 2025, so with all the young arms Miami has and their huge need at catcher they may be willing to move his $17 million dollar salary and take on all $10 million of Vasquez while adding a couple young bats. Alcantara has a club option in 2027 and then is set to be a FA in 2028. That's 3 years the Twins would have control of his age 29, 30 and 31 year old seasons. If I move Vasquez and Paddack in separate deals that $17.5 million makes the Alcantara acquisition a wash. Include Willi Castro $6.3 million and/or Jhoan Duran ($3.70) in a deal to get a Rushing or Teel at league minimum and the Twins are money ahead. The end result is that you could have a rotation of Alcantara, Lopez, Ryan, Ober and Festa for the next 3 years with a "Catcher of the Future" and Griffin Jax closing. And somewhere in that 3 year window you would be adding E-Rod and Walker Jenkins to the lineup. If I'm a buyer considering purchasing the Twins, I'm VERY HAPPY with that future outlook. And that should make the greedy Pohlad family very happy as well. There is a lot of potential for the Twins FO to make lemonade out of lemons this off season. And I believe the new look front office is auditioning for their jobs with new ownership on the horizon. A little here and a little there on the fringes isn't going to change much and put the Twins back on the path of division dominance and playoff success. It will take a detailed plan, with several contingencies should a move or two fall through. But the potential is there to make effective and long term adjustments.

Cody Christie has just posted an article about two trade scenarios to acquire Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins. Trade #1 Was Royce Lewis for Luzardo, a catching prospect named Joe Mack and an IF prospect named Gage Miller. While I would love to add Jesus Luzardo to our rotation, I don't know enough about Mack and Miller to part with Royce Lewis. Trade #2 was Larnach for Luzardo even up. In my Twins off season plan that I THINK I posted (even though I am not a Premium Member) I had proposed a trade of Larnach, Vasquez and Top Ten OF prospect Gabe Gonzalez for Luzardo. I mention this because Miami's catchers had the following OPS in 2024: Fortes .577 and Pereda at .481. Miami has, without a doubt, the WORST catching situation in MLB. They have had interest in Vasquez and they NEED him. They have a young staff who could benefit from having a vet like Vasquez. And in this trade I expected the Marlins would pay all $10 million for Vasquez.

I think 2025 is a good opportunity to shake things up. I'm willing to trade to not only move a significant amount of payroll off the team, but to include some highly ranked minor league pieces to entice other teams with deeper pockets to accept ALL the salary we're sending out. TRADE: Duran, Castro and Paddack along with $3.5 million in International Pool money to the Dodgers for catcher Dalton Rushing and oft injured RHP Dustin May. TRADE: Vasquez, Larnach and Top Ten OF prospect Gabe Gonzalez to Marlins for LH SP Jesus Luzardo. Luzardo is signed for 2025 at $8.6 million but we would have him for two more years at arbitration salaries. TRADE: SWR, Alcala and Marco Raya to Baltimore for 3B/1B Jordan Westburg. SIGN: Tyler O'Neill 2-years $14 million per. Amed Rosario IF/OF 1 year $2 million and IF Jose Iglesias 1 year $1.5 million. I'm essentially removing about $30 million in salary and adding about the same back, just reallocating it across the roster. The team beefs up it's already formidable rotation without moving Jax. Jax becomes the primary closer with Duran moving on to the Dodgers. He can handle it. He's more consistent. We add a Gold Glove caliber, 30 HR thumper in LF who hits RH. This solidifies the OF of Buxton, O'Neill and Wallner with Keirsey as the 4th OF until E-Rod and Walker Jenkins are ready. Royce Lewis and Jordan Westburg become the Twins corner infielders for a decade. It doesn't matter to me which position each plays. The Twins will figure this out. We also add a couple of veteran glove men who at the plate make consistent contact and have some speed. Each of Rosario and Iglesias are signed for one year while guys like Keaschall and Eeles and Helman prove they are ready or not. Each also gives us a veteran at SS/2B/3B to support Westburg, Correa and Brooks Lee. Rushing will back up Jeffers but also get some time at DH and maybe even 1B to get him more AB's. All reports say Rushing's bat is ready for MLB. Let's get him AB's. IF...and it's a big if, the trades make sense and they open up a FA signing like O'Neill, the Twins are primed to be competitive with a lineup and rotation like that, and a BP that could be pretty darn good, all while waiting for the next wave of hitters (E-Rod, Walker Jenkins, Keaschall) and pitchers (Matthews, Morris, Soto) to make their way to the big leagues. It should also help the Pohlad family maximize their selling price and leave the new ownership group with a sense they made a good purchase. C: Ryan Jeffers ($4.70M) 1B: Jose Mirands ($0.80M) 2B: Brooks Lee ($0.80M) 3B: Royce Lewis ($2.30M) SS: Carlos Correa ($36.00M) LF: Trevor Larnach ($2.10M) CF: Byron Buxton ($15.00M) RF: Matt Wallner ($0.80M) DH: Edouard Julien ($0.80M) 4th OF: Austin Martin ($0.80M) Utility: Willi Castro ($6.20M) Utility: DaShawn Keirsey ($0.80M) Backup C: Christian Vazquez ($10.00M) NA: Dead Money Here ($0.00M) SP1: Pablo Lopez ($21.50M) SP2: Joe Ryan ($3.80M) SP3: Bailey Ober ($4.30M) SP4: Chris Paddack ($7.50M) SP5: Simeon Woods Richardson ($0.80M) RP: Jhoan Duran ($3.70M) RP: Brock Stewart ($0.80M) RP: Griffin Jax ($2.60M) RP: Jorge Alcala ($1.50M) RP: Cole Sands ($0.80M) RP: Justin Topa ($1.30M) RP: Louie Varland ($0.80M) RP: Kody Funderburk ($0.80M) NA: Dead Money Here ($0.00M) Payroll is 0.99% over budget

I think 2025 is a good opportunity to shake things up. I'm willing to trade to not only move a significant amount of payroll off the team, but to include some highly ranked minor league pieces to entice other teams with deeper pockets to accept ALL the salary we're sending out. TRADE: Duran, Castro and Paddack along with $3.5 million in International Pool money to the Dodgers for catcher Dalton Rushing and oft injured RHP Dustin May. TRADE: Vasquez, Larnach and Top Ten OF prospect Gabe Gonzalez to Marlins for LH SP Jesus Luzardo. Luzardo is signed for 2025 at $8.6 million but we would have him for two more years at arbitration salaries. TRADE: SWR, Alcala and Marco Raya to Baltimore for 3B/1B Jordan Westburg. SIGN: Tyler O'Neill 2-years $14 million per. Amed Rosario IF/OF 1 year $2 million and IF Jose Iglesias 1 year $1.5 million. I'm essentially removing about $30 million in salary and adding about the same back, just reallocating it across the roster. The team beefs up it's already formidable rotation without moving Jax. Jax becomes the primary closer with Duran moving on to the Dodgers. He can handle it. He's more consistent. We add a Gold Glove caliber, 30 HR thumper in LF who hits RH. This solidifies the OF of Buxton, O'Neill and Wallner with Keirsey as the 4th OF until E-Rod and Walker Jenkins are ready. Royce Lewis and Jordan Westburg become the Twins corner infielders for a decade. It doesn't matter to me which position each plays. The Twins will figure this out. We also add a couple of veteran glove men who at the plate make consistent contact and have some speed. Each of Rosario and Iglesias are signed for one year while guys like Keaschall and Eeles and Helman prove they are ready or not. Each also gives us a veteran at SS/2B/3B to support Westburg, Correa and Brooks Lee. Rushing will back up Jeffers but also get some time at DH and maybe even 1B to get him more AB's. All reports say Rushing's bat is ready for MLB. Let's get him AB's. IF...and it's a big if, the trades make sense and they open up a FA signing like O'Neill, the Twins are primed to be competitive with a lineup and rotation like that, and a BP that could be pretty darn good, all while waiting for the next wave of hitters (E-Rod, Walker Jenkins, Keaschall) and pitchers (Matthews, Morris, Soto) to make their way to the big leagues. It should also help the Pohlad family maximize their selling price and leave the new ownership group with a sense they made a good purchase. C: Ryan Jeffers ($4.70M) 1B: Royce Lewis ($2.30M) 2B: Brooks Lee ($0.80M) 3B: Jordan Westburg ($0.80M) SS: Carlos Correa ($36.00M) LF: Tyler O'Neill ($14.00M) CF: Byron Buxton ($15.00M) RF: Matt Wallner ($0.80M) DH: Jose Miranda ($0.80M) 4th OF: DaShawn Keirsey ($0.80M) Utility: Amed Rosario ($2.00M) Utility: Jose Iglesias ($1.5M) Backup C: Dalton Rushing ($0.80M) NA: Dead Money Here ($0.00M) SP1: Pablo Lopez ($21.50M) SP2: Joe Ryan ($3.80M) SP3: Bailey Ober ($4.30M) SP4: Jesus Luzardo ($8.60M) SP5: David Festa ($0.80M) RP: Caleb Ferguson ($1.5M) RP: Brock Stewart ($0.80M) RP: Griffin Jax ($2.60M) RP: Connor Prielipp ($0.80M) RP: Cole Sands ($0.80M) RP: Dustin May ($2.1M) RP: Louie Varland ($0.80M) RP: Kody Funderburk ($0.80M) NA: Dead Money Here ($0.00M) Payroll is 0.38% under budget

I don't disagree at all Nick, there is tremendous potential for this Twins BP, especially if they brought in a Caleb Ferguson ($1.8 million projected on Spotrac) or a similarly priced LH with similar effectiveness (like CoasterProductions mentioned with Garrett Cleavinger of the Rays). And some of those arms you mentioned still in the minors (while also NOT mentioning Matt Canterino) could potentially work out quite well. But there are a LOT of questions. Is now the BEST time to trade Duran? Especially if he can help bring back a Catcher of the Future--Rushing?. If Griffin Jax is given a shot at the rotation and the Twins hit the Jackpot with him, they still need someone to fill his role. Stewart has the stuff as would someone like Canterino, but you can't count on them health-wise. There is a lot of potential for the Twins to have a very good BP. There is also a LOT of volatility there as well. Some guys may work out. Some guys may not make it out of spring training (Stewart/Canterino) and others are a coin flip how good they could be (Varland, Funderburk, Moran, Topa). I'd feel better if the Twins made an early move for a Ferguson or Cleavinger just to help stabilize the situation.

I liked the plan in general and appreciate the time and effort that it took to pull it together. I'm not so keen on taking on Campusano or Wandy-Rod. I'm more of the opinion it's time to use some of the depth we have in the minors to make a few trades. The point of arms piling up in St. Paul is a good one. Move a few in a Vasquez or Paddack deal to get the trade partner to accept the entire salary of each. With Vasquez and Paddack it isn't really what we get back, it's trimming the $17.5 million to be able to invest it elsewhere on the roster. I agree with tony&rodney in his consistent stance of needing to get better defensively and more athletic. Amed Rosario is a good example. He's a 29 y/o vet who can play SS/2B as well as OF. He doesn't hit with a lot of power but he makes contact consistently. He can run and steal you some bases. At $2 million he could have a place on our roster. For a cheaper than Tyler O'Neill $14-$15 million dollar contract for a RH bat in the corner OF Tommy Pham and Adam Duval make sense at about $2-$3 million per year. Spotrac has Duval at $1.8 million. I'd still like to swing for the fences in a deal for a young catcher. Rushing or Teel. Without using BBTV it's even harder to come up with what might be considered a reasonable trade offer but I'll try to do that when I take a swing at the roster plan.

I don't think Moran is much of a risk. I can't imagine anyone adding him with the "hope" that he will be ready for spring training. I think teams want more certainty. I'm with DJL44, I'm really more interested in who the Twins might have an interest in now that all the names are out there. I'm not knowledgeable enough to know who would be someone to go after. Maybe TD will have a quick follow up with a list of 5 players who could be interesting targets. If there are any interesting catchers I would think that's a no-brainer. Or possibly a 1B.