TopGunn#22

I've been advocating an Ober for Vientos or an Ober for Jordan Lawler trade since the season ended. Ober still has solid value but should be moved for something useable to enhance the lineup. He shouldn't be blocking younger pitchers in the Twins rotation. If Ryan and Lopez open the season with the Twins, Ober should be long gone. I would have made a deal like this before signing Bell. Both the Mets and D-Backs have open spots in their rotations. Ober would appeal to both. Vientos has excellent power potential and is 26 years old. Guys like he and Lawler are in the proper age range for the Twins to build a contender around. I thought once the Mets let Alonso walk they wouldn't be interested in letting go of Vientos, and then they signed Jorge Polanco. Let's also put an end to this myth that by stationing a bad fielding 1B on top of the foul line a team solves the problem of the guy having no range. Where ever you try to HIDE a bad defensive player, you will open up gaping holes. Bell should be a full time DH who plays 10-20 games maximum at 1B in 2026. Having Bell and Vientos in the Twins lineup would provide 50+ HR potential. That would be a stark improvement from 2025. Acquiring Vientos would also open up a possible trade of Wallner, making the OF defense markedly better than having Larnach in LF and Wallner in RF. I would also not play Vientos at 3B. If Lewis were to get hurt, I'd rather promote Culpepper and move Lee to 3B. If Culpepper wasn't ready, I'd roll with Fitzgerald at SS and Lee at 3B.

I agree with DJL44, if that kind of arrangement could be made. I don't like that Walker is 35. I don't like that he struggled last season. But I DO like his defense, which is still very good. I like his power potential. I like being able to use Clemens in a utility role more than him as a lineup regular. I like anything that moves Julien out of consideration.

I was against this signing at first. He's such a bad defensive 1B that I just thought we'd blown it if we were intending to play him at 1B. However, anytime a team can add a switch-hitting player with power, well, I've got to consider that a positive. If he's the primary DH who sees very little time at 1B this could have a positive impact. And jmlease1 makes a good point that he's not really blocking anybody with current our roster construction. I'm starting to come around on this move a bit.

I think the raw "stuff" Abel has is superior to SWR. I feel the same when comparing SWR to Matthews and Bradley. But in the last month or so of the season, SWR seemed to turn a corner. My point in all this is that I would like to see Ober traded and open the door for the young guys. We may or may not compete this coming season. While I believe our chances to compete are linked to Buxton, Lopez and Ryan remaining Twins, even having a decent season out of Ober restricts the potential development of Bradley, Matthews, Abel and SWR. A trade of Ober for Jordan Lawler (D-Backs) or Colby Mayo (Orioles) or some similar type of position player opens up the rotation for these young guys to develop. For all the talk and speculation about Festa being in the bullpen I'm really surprised he wasn't mentioned in the article. Nick, he's constantly commented on as potentially being a key piece of the Twins BP in 2026. How could you not even mention him? Is there some kind of disconnect with "Twins Insiders" on Twins Daily and the regular guys who comment here on TD? We speculate Festa will start off in a high leverage role and maybe even ascend to the Closer spot. Are we missing something? Are we wrong in speculating that Festa could be a big part of the Twins BP in 2026? I still think they need to bring in a vet Closer, at least in the beginning of the season, but all of the best options are drying up. Maybe a one year, prove it deal for Kirby Yates? The Dodgers signed Edwin Diaz to a BIG contract. I doubt they are looking to bring Yates back. All of the names mentioned (Raya, Klein, Adams, Morris, even Prielipp) are in play. But ONE vet with Closing experience at least thru the month of June would make me feel better about the BP top to bottom.

I'm not sure Lopez straight up for Jarren Duran would be enough for Boston. Duran is the more consistent offensive player and better base stealer than Wilyer Abreu, but as good as fielder as Duran is, Abreu is elite. He won a Gold Glove in his first FULL season with the Red Sox last year. I would LOVE an Ober for Abreu deal with Boston-straight up. But with Boston already acquiring Sonny Gray, I think their looking for a Ryan or Lopez caliber of pitcher, not a guy like Ober who would slot in #4 or #5.

Mayo is certainly a bat I'd be willing to take a chance on. I have not heard that he's a bad defensive 1B. There is probably confusion with his 3B defense being subpar but his 1B defense being above average. I would also say that acquiring Bell does NOT preclude the Twins from also acquiring Mayo...in fact, it might enhance the acquisition of Bell if it makes Bell the full time DH. Bell AND Mayo would add some juice to the lineup. There is too much to like with Abel's stuff and I want to see how Festa adapts to a BP role. I'm hanging on to them. The obvious guy to trade is Ober. He's got a track record that would interest Baltimore as a reliable rotation piece anywhere from #2-#5. Remember, they traded away the promising Grayson Rodriguez for Taylor Ward. They need "several" SP. Plus, I don't want Ober limiting innings for Bradley, Abel, SWR or Matthews (and possibly Connor Prielipp). I like Ober to the D-Backs for Jordan Lawler more, but a trade of him to Baltimore for Colby Mayo is very similar. Moving a veteran pitcher with a track record of success (but some current questions) for a young position player with upside potential is a smart move for the Twins in their current roster configuration. Many teams have screaming rotation needs. The time to trade Ober is now.

Palace intrigue indeed !!! On the surface, after all the bloviating has been done, this "could" be a positive development. Many posters have made great points. 1. How hot is the seat Derrick Falvey is sitting on? I'm not sure I have a handle on how "close" or "far apart" Falvey's plan for this coming season (and anything since the end of the 2023 season) is to what Tom Pohlad's vision is. I've heard some strong words from Tom. But how aligned is he with Falvey? 2. It's been debated here on TD since the trade deadline selloff and this entire off season, that there are two clear directions for this franchise to take. Add on the fringes-keep the core together-compete in 2026. Or go for a full blown rebuild with 2027-2028 the goal for contention. Teams that intend to compete NOW don't use a Rule 5 pick on a solid catching prospect (Susac) who could have facilitated a trade of Ryan Jeffers before he walks with no roster enhancement, and then within minutes, make a trade for a 17 year old catcher, who could turn out to be a better catcher than Susac, but in 4-5 years. I don't think the Twins can do BOTH. Meaning compete in 2026 without harming an effective rebuild. The Falvey reign is replete with examples of head scratching moves. How does Tom Pohlad feel about those past seasons with Falvey in charge? I don't think the Twins will get as much for Ryan, Lopez, Ober, Jeffers at the deadline as they would this winter. If Bell is just a DH and the Twins truly want to get better defensively then a trade of Wallner, who has very good value, needs to happen as well. Tom Pohlad says he's a "Go Big or Go Home" kind of guy. The kind of trades tony&rodney laid out, and that I've suggested many times, would be doing just that.

Goodness, I'd be pushing the ZIPS projections as hard as I could for possible trades of Bailey Ober as well as Eddie Julien and James Outman as throw-ins. And to be giving Culpepper 510 AB's when he has yet to have a AAA at bat? I'd love to know how the "modeling" came up with that. Ober really should be traded. He's just standing in the way of a young pitcher, be it Bradley, Matthews, SWR or Mick Abel. Ober DOES have some value at a #4 or #5 with the potential to be a #3 if all goes well. But if the plan is to hang on to Ryan and Lopez, as well as Buxton, the asset to be marketed is Ober. The D-Backs are desperate for SP. They just brought back 37 year old Merrill Kelly while Zac Gallen won't be back. I'd love to trade Ober for Jordan Lawler and have an open SS competition in spring training with Lawler and Lee. Maybe the loser plays 2B and Keaschall turns the weakness of LF into a strength.

Fair enough. Especially the point about McMahon's defense at 3B. Not likely Lewis ever gets to that level.

There is no way, in any rational sense that Royce Lewis, as of TODAY would have roughly the same trade value as a Ryan McMahon NYCTK. While McMahon has shown more on his resume at this point, he's currently on a 6-year, $70 million dollar contract in which the Yanks owe him $16 million for 2026 and $16 million for 2027. Lewis is under team control thru the 2028 season was paid just $1.625 million last season. Yes, I'll acknowledge that if Lewis struggles for another couple of years, his value will tank. But just using the model of BBTV as a comparison, Lewis has a value of 19.4. Prior to being traded to the Yankees Ryan McMahon had a NEGATIVE value. A. NEGATIVE. VALUE. Sometimes I agree with you, and sometimes I don't. This is one I don't. I think you typed that comment as a flippant remark, but didn't fully consider what you were saying. I appreciate that Nick Nelson put this piece out there because it appears the Twins FO is banking on a big season from Lewis. Other than Buxton staying healthy (because if he's healthy, he WILL produce), Lewis busting out with an entire season of 2023 2nd half and playoffs could actually make the Twins viable competitors for a Division Title or Wild Card. I think there is a LOT of hope on TD that Twins fans will see the GOOD Royce Lewis in 2026. Realistically, we know the chances are slimmer than better we will. But without the GOOD Royce Lewis, the Twins have no chance. NYCTK, here is something that I agree with you about, and it's probably not a popular position on TD. I think NOT trading Ryan, Buxton and Jeffers is a mistake. Maybe at the deadline they still will, but I'm not sure they wouldn't get value now then at the break. I could support an all-in rebuild more than an attempt to "compete" in 2026.

We here in Minnesota have an over-appreciation of what Arraez brings to the table. Pointing out that the Luis Arraez who played for the Twins, or won a batting title in his first year with the Marlins, hitting .354 with an OB% approaching .400, but is not the same guy, is SPOT ON. When he was a Twin, he would consistently grind out AB's and take walks, which helped his OB%. He doesn't do that anymore. As just a pure offensive measure, Josh Bell will be much better hitting in the 6-hole than Arraez would have been. We've over-glamourized what he once was. He's a shell of what he once was.

Cody and NashvilleTwin have really shined a spotlight on what a poor signing this was. Others have as well. He's a "functional" hitter, but nothing special. He was the #37th rated 1B in Major League Baseball last year, and his defense is so atrocious you'll have to see it, to believe it. Lewis, Lee and Keaschall cannot be excited about this trade. They paid $7 million dollars for a bad option. There were better options available for the same or a little more. If Bell has to DH a lot, the player I see most negatively affected is Matt Wallner. We've learned that the "meandering moose" is NOT a very good OF despite having a good arm. A majority of those on TD were envisioning him as a DH in 2026. Josh Bell kills that dream. Larnach is certainly going to be traded after this signing and I would suggest that Wallner's promise and current value (20.5 BBTV) could bring back something good to a weak area of the roster. Had they signed someone who could field a lick at 1B, Wallner might have been in a better situation. Instead, if the Twins are going to give Wallner any decent number of AB's they will be forced to start Bell at 1B with Wallner at DH. Did I say that Lewis, Lee and Keaschall are less then thrilled about this signing? The best thing about Josh Bell is that he's durable and he hits RH pitching pretty well. Unfortunately, other than durability, Left Handed Power is what Wallner was supposed to supply...as the DH.

Josh Bell is not "fine" at 1B. He's been a severely poor fielder at 1B his entire career. His only real value is as a switch hitting bat at DH. The Twins would be better off with Clemens or even Julien "fielding" at 1B. Josh Bell is THAT BAD. Nathaniel Lowe at maybe a couple million dollars more would have been a clear roster upgrade. Miguel Andujar would have been "slightly" better at 1B and would have made more consistent contact. This is the FO's FIRST move of the off season and they made a $7 million mistake. The Twins will be lucky to get anybody to show any interest in acquiring Bell at the trade deadline.

If, as the company line is now, the Twins actually DID want to "build around their core stars" there would be no consideration of a $95-$110 million dollar payroll. The payroll would be in the $135-$140 range. A competent Closer would have been signed (let's just say Ryan Helsley as an example). A clear upgrade at 1B would already have taken place. Another solid BP option would have been added as well. And a solid veteran bat would have been added in an outfield with questions everywhere other than Buxton. Instead, they drafted a Catcher in the Rule 5 (Susac) and immediately traded him to the S.F. Giants for a 17 year old Catcher. That is clearly what a rebuilding team does...trades an asset that could help them now for a future asset that could help in, say, 4 years. This team lost over 90 games last year with Buxton having a career year and Joe Ryan having his best season. There are a lot of smart guys on TD and I don't think any of us expect the Twins to compete for the division this year or even challenge for a Wild Card spot. The A.L. East is loading up for war. It's quite possible 2 of the Wild Cards come from there, in addition to the division winner. The other teams in the A.L. Central (not counting the White Sox) have already made moves to strengthen their teams. For a team that says their going to build around their "stars" the Twins haven't even gotten off the starting blocks yet. If they truly WERE going to compete, they'd have been aggressive and secured a couple of valued assets already. Instead, it's business as usual, waiting for the dust of activity to settle and then scrounging in what's left in the bargain bins. The Twins ownership and FO has always left fans frustrated by this kind of behavior, or "strategy" if you could call it that. They would be better off just being honest and informing the fans that a rebuild is coming. Buxton is 32. He is fragile. He's coming off a career year. He's willing to waive his no-trade clause. He won't be around in 2027 or 2028 when the young talent begins to settle in. Ryan and Lopez are 30 year old pitchers, who while talented, probably aren't going to shine with a poor defensive, 90-loss team. Trading them now, during this off season would bring more talent than at the deadline, when the risk of injury or less than stellar stats would hurt value. Ober is still a decent asset but should be moved to allow young pitchers a chance to find their footing. An Ober (20.4 value) to the D-backs for Jordan Lawler (19.4 value) is just the type of trade this team should have already made. Lawler could play SS, 2B, 3B and even CF. He'd be a perfect young player to take a chance on, who, with regular AB's could take a big step. He's stuck behind a couple of All Stars in Marte and Perdomo. Attendance was the lowest in years last year. The ownership is despised. The FO not trusted and reviled. The roster is that of a 90-loss team. When the Twins get off to a slow start things will get worse (if you can believe they will get worse) quickly. When the eventual selloff happens as the Twins are trying to hold the White Sox off from falling into last place, the fans will get even more angry. A rebuild, with fresh faces and a modicum of hope for the future could get them through 2026. But with the current "hopium" the team is selling now, and with a projected payroll or $95-$110 million, there isn't any "real" plan to build around their core. It's just lip service.

I think Mountcastle could bounce back. He's a reliable glove at 1B which is also a plus. Guys on TD who think Wallner or Larnach can just pick up a 1B glove, take a few throws and field a couple grounders and be good to go just don't understand the intricacies of playing the position. Teams put guys that don't move well, don't cover much territory well at 1B. But infielders KNOW how valuable a GOOD 1B is. The player the Orioles have that I really like is Jordan Westburg. He's young (26) can play a good 2B or 3B. He hits, and he hits with power. My trade with Baltimore would be Jordan Westburg 50.2, Mountcastle -3.4 (that's a negative value) and either CF Enrique Bradfield 9.3 (24 y/0) or 22 year old Catcher Caden Bodine (MLB RTA 2028) Total 56.1 For Joe Ryan 52.5. I still like signing Nathaniel Lowe for $5-$6 million, I think it's a value with upside. But if the Twins FO doesn't like that, then the above deal works for me. The Orioles are desperate for SP and Ryan would be their Ace. They SHOULD overpay to some degree. The Twins add a starting 1B (Mountcastle) a starting 2B (Westburg) and a near future CF (Bradfield) or a future Catcher (the switch hitting Bodine). Westburg hits #2 thru #5 for years to come. Keaschall can settle in as the LF with 2B/1B flexibility. Bradfield or Bodine adds a quality prospect. I'm still not sure the Twins aren't going to unload one or two SP's. My order of preference for what the talent they could bring to the Twins is Ober (20.4) Ryan 52.5 and then Lopez 16.5 (I think Lopez is far too low so I wouldn't trade him unless I was blown away). If I can bring back a 1-2 year starting 1B, a young hitter/good fielder who becomes part of my core lineup for the next 10 years, and a solid CF or C prospect for Ryan, I make that deal. It would be the same kind of deal I'd make with the A's in a Ryan trade for a young, good hitting position player like 24 year old Tyler Soderstrom. A young, ascending hitter/fielder for a 30 year old All Star SP.

I'm not interested in any of the 3 mentioned in the article. Two of them (Bell and Hoskins) are practically unplayable at 1B and would probably be below average DH's. Colby Mayo is intriguing. He's 24 years old and 6:4 230 pounds. A big, strong RH power hitting 1B (in theory). But the price point for a player with Nate Lowe's track record (and glove) is just a better move. The Orioles are desperate for SP and for the life of me, I can't understand the need to trade a promising, young SP like Grayson Rodriguez for Taylor Ward. If I was to trade with the Orioles, after I signed Nathanial Lowe to play 1B, the player I covet is Jordan Westburg. He's young and talented, can play 2B or 3B, hits and hits with power. His hitting and defensive flexibility allows the Twins to consider Keaschall in LF to begin the year. A trade of Joe Ryan 52.5 and Mickey Gaspar 7.9 and Henry Mendez 8.6 (Total: 69.0) for Westburg 50.2 Catcher Caden Bodine 9.3, and CF prospect Enrique Bradfield 9.3 (Total: 68.8) could work. Ryan is 30 years old and would bring a premium. Westburg is just 26 years old, Bradfield 24, and Bodine is just 22 and was Baltimore's #1 pick (#30 1C) out of Coastal Carolina. He's an excellent Catcher with a below average throwing arm but an exceptionally quick release who, as a switch hitter, has elite contact skills but needs to add more power. His MLB ETA is 2028. Westburg is cost controlled for several years and would fit in with the core the Twins should want to build going forward. With all the young pitching we have, this is the type of trade for an All Star caliber pitcher like Ryan the Twins should consider. By the way, in reviewing some of the trades on BBTV I saw that Taj Bradley is now valued at 43.1. Considering Griffin Jax was valued at 24 or 25 at the trade deadline, despite my disappointment in seeing Jax traded, I have to salute Falvey/Zoll and company on that trade. That's significantly more value coming back, beyond just the SP valued more than a RP.

I'm not going to criticize the article because it's the beginning of winter and we've got MONTHS to talk about stuff just like this. That said, I appreciate whoever included the Baseball Trade Values numbers for Abrams and Lewis. I always qualify this by saying it's not the be all, end all for value measurement, but at least it's SOMETHING that isn't as random as trading baseball cards on the front porch on a steamy summer day. Abrams has accomplished a lot more than Lewis in their short careers. First, he's stayed healthy. Second, he's hit more HR's and stolen more bases by a wide margin. Both have questions about their defense but the potential to improve. Maybe Abrams IS being shopped by the Nat's. Maybe they'd just give him away (but I doubt it). But a trade with the Twins and Nat's just isn't a good fit right now. The Twins need at least half of 2026 to see if Brooks Lee is up to the task of "starting MLB SS". By then, they should have an idea if Culpepper is ready to make the jump or not. Marek Houston needs this year to demonstrate offensive improvement. We didn't win the draft lottery so Roch Cholowsky isn't in the mix. But the Twins have Lee and some potential solid SS candidates either in 2026 or 2027. It's just too early to give up on Lee. And this is kind of make or break for Lewis this season. Is he a part of the future? Or will he be traded for a bag of baseballs at the conclusion of 2026? I think the Twins need to make several trades this off season to re-balance the roster and open pathways for younger, talented players to ascend to the majors. While I enjoyed reading the article and everybody's comments and opinions, this trade scenario is probably not going to happen.

I agree that I would start with Ober and Larnach. Ober (20.4 value) for a young catcher makes sense. The White Sox and Brewers could use a SP that would settle in #3-#5 and each have young catchers they could afford to deal. Edgar Quero CWS (17.8) or the Brewers Jefferson Quero (20.8) match up value wise. Failing on the catcher front, I'd also be enthused to see the Twins trade Ober to the Diamondbacks for SS/3B/2B Jordan Lawler (19.4). The D-Backs are losing Zac Gallen and have a big need for a veteran SP. I'd love to see Brooks Lee get some real competition at SS and Lawler could provide that. Yes we still have Culpepper and Houston, and the hope of Roch Chowlosky, but Lawler is versatile and has tremendous potential. He's scalded AAA pitching but struggled against MLB pitching in a SSS. With all the young pitching we have, the time to trade Ober is now, while he still has decent value. With the possibility of Buxton getting traded, I'd like to inquire with the Phillies about their on the verge of MLB CF Crawford in a deal for Jeffers. I still think getting Susac in the Rule 5 and Williams could be our catching tandem in 2026. (if we don't get one of the above named catchers from CWS or Brewers).

Jeffers is not going to be a member of any future twins team after the 2026 season. I just don't see the current ownership and FO signing him to a 3-year contract extension prior to opening day, 2026. And certainly, his agent (Scott Boras) wants to see Jeffers hit FA. I could see selecting Susac in the Rule 5 draft and having Susac and Jackson as the catching tandem with Pereda and Cardenas providing minor league depth. If the Twins want to realize any benefit with Jeffers, they need to trade him during the Winter Meetings or shortly after. Odds are overwhelmingly stacked AGAINST the Twins contending in 2026. Jeffers is a luxury that the Twins, under the current leadership cannot afford.

This has been fleshed out on a couple other articles but the premise makes perfect sense. What are the realistic expectations for this Twins team if they essentially keep Ryan, Buxton, Lopez and Jeffers and add around the fringes with bargain basement players (who just happen to be a little bit better than the ones they currently have? A third place finish at best probably. Ahead of the White Sox and one other A.L. Central team. And what will the outlook be with this Twins team once they start playing games sometime in 2027? Probably not good. The idea of a total housecleaning and rebuild is starting to make more sense to me as the days go by. It's not that I WANT it. it's more that I just kind of feel that's the way the wind is blowing. Once Buxton said he'd be willing to waive his no-trade clause, that probably has to shove the front office's thinking in that direction. There would be quite an impressive haul of near major league ready prospects if the Twins traded Buxton, Ryan, Lopez, Jeffers, Ober, Wallner and Larnach. Bring on the kids !!

I'm with you Doc Bauer. Andujar is a worthwhile discussion. The Twins, as constructed now are pretty LHH centric. Andujar is a pretty solid bat. He makes consistent contact, doesn't strike out a lot and has a little pop. Maybe he's overcome his injury issues since he debuted with the Yankees. He's best suited to be a DH but the fact that he can play a little 1B is a nice little option. Actually, the suggestion of signing Nathaniel Lowe is also a good idea. At this point, I'm in favor of any move that gives the Twins a better bat at 1B with someone who has played the position with confidence for a few years.

When Byron Buxton let it slip that he's open to being traded it really shifted what the post season plan should be. On one hand, we add at the fringes and try to run it back for a team that looked horrible in August and September. On the other hand, a complete tear down and dive into a full rebuild seems more likely now. It's going to be hard to sell fans on the idea that the Twins are an actual contender in the A.L. Central with one of Ryan or Lopez being traded and Cody Clemens/Eddie Julien at 1B, and with tons of other question marks around the diamond. So with the idea TD has put out, that the Mets have interest in Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton and possibly even Pablo Lopez, let's create a trade scenario that gives them everything they need and hastens the Twins rebuild. As MGX said, the Twins need to set the price for Ryan (and Buxton and Lopez for that matter) to every team that inquires. Falvey should realize he's holding all the cards. How bad do the Mets want to win in 2026 and for a sustainable window beyond? Mets Get: Ryan 52.7 Lopez 16.5 and Buxton 19.0 Zebby Matthews 17.8 Total Value: 106 Twins Get: Nolan Mclean 40.5 Jonah Tong 25.3 Mark Vientos 19.8 Jett Williams 20.3 Total: 105.9 It's a fair trade on the paper of BBTV. Not the be all/end all of trade value but at least some kind of measuring stick. The Mets would have a starting staff of Ryan, Lopez, Manaea, Senga, David Peterson and Clay Holmes with Buxton starting in CF. Batey steps in for Vientos at 3B. The Twins rotation would consist of McLean, SWR, Bradley, Ober, Tong, Abel, Prielipp. The Twins lose Buxton's glove and bat in CF but gain a 26 year old power bat in Vientos who could play 1B/3B/DH, along with Jett Williams, who can either push Brooks Lee for SS or possibly battle E-Rod or Jenkins for CF by mid-June/July 1st. The Mets have a mandate to win NOW. This trade sets them up with proven veterans who can put them over the top in an extremely competitive N.L. East with the Braves and Phillies, and a super competitive National League with the Dodgers ever lurking. If the Mets want to compete, and get the bitter taste out of their mouths from last season's collapse, they need to be BOLD. The Twins shave a lot of payroll. Maybe $40 million. That's a drop in the bucket to the Mets. Maybe this allows the Twins to sign a real closer and shore up some other areas. And as long as the full rebuild has begun, look to deal Larnach, Ober, Wallner and Jeffers. Get that young, MLB ready catcher (Edgar Quero, Harry Ford). Let the youth movement begin. Let fans grow into the youth and make 2026 a "finding our footing" season. Whatever becomes of the 2027 season, guys like Walker Jenkins, K. Culpepper, E-Rod, Prielipp, Raya and Gabe Gonzalez will either already have been up in 2026, or would certainly be knocking on the door in 2027...whenever baseball starts playing games that year that count. I could get a little excited about a kick start to a rebuild like that.

I think it does make more sense to split the national revenue, primarily media money evenly in 30 equal shares, and let the teams keep all their LOCAL revenue. I'm not sure why that wasn't the business model from the beginning. That "national" revenue is LEAGUE revenue. What the Twins, Dodgers, Pirates, Yankees, Royals and Mets are able to generate LOCALLY should 100% be theirs. So I agree with that idea DJL44, but Hambino makes a good point about certain teams that just don't spend. I'm not saying the NBA is perfect because their system is REALLY complicated, but similar to "Bird Rights" I'd like to see teams that have stars like Skubal, Skenes and Bobby Witt Jr. have a fighting chance to retain their stars. Hambino talks about the need to establish a "floor" and I think that's more important than imposing some kind of "cap." We will never have to worry about the Twins exceeding any kind of cap. But a floor of $120-$130 million would prevent teams like the Twins and others from choosing not to be competitive. The Twins have a gaping hole at 1B. I'm not saying this would make Pete Alonso a Twin. But a trade for someone like Yandy Diaz would or could become more possible. The fact that a Minnesota team like the T-Wolves CAN exceed the regular cap and bump up against the 1st or even the 2nd apron shows that a team from Minnesota CAN spend at that level in some kind of different arrangement than MLB. The fact that we as Twins fans have never seen the Twins even come close to a T-Wolves spend level in comparison is an MLB business model failing. You can't just blame the Pohlad's because Glen Taylor was just as bad an owner as them.

Good points Hambino. I don't know what the best solution would be? Does the NBA employ a salary floor?

Yes, I am of an age to have graduated college right around the time Ronald Reagan took office. This isn't so much a disagreement about how "baseball economics" should be as much as a philosophical political discussion of capitalism vs. communism. I will say that it's fascinating to see how the current democratic party, which has embraced the communist model, has completely lost the middle class, which the Republican party now owns. So it's safe to say you and I will never be on the same page. This is not the forum to debate the pros or cons of either system so I will respect the general tenor of TD by refraining to comment further. I am a retired middle class guy who's 3 children, middle class as well, all own their own homes and are realizing the American Dream as their families grow. Communism would cap their earning potential, which I don't want and they don't want. It would also severely limit their freedom. From America's inception, we were based on Judeo-Christian principles and free market capitalism. It's the best system the world has ever employed.