TopGunn#22

Vasquez is certainly a guy who has paid his dues. He could be a sneaky good candidate. I have to admit, I don't have ANY idea what kind of Manager he would be since he's managed in the Red Sox minor leagues. But I know Boston has had some pretty good talent ascend to the big leagues in recent years, and he's probably managed each of those guys in the minors as well as coached them with the Red Sox. I like that he's been a base coach. Billy Martin was a base coach long before he got a chance to manage. I like that he's been Alex Cora's 2nd in command in Boston the last couple of years. Boston plays a "power game" in the friendly confines of Fenway Park, but still lets some of their guys steal bases (Story, Duran, Rafaela). Maybe Vasquez has something to do with that, He would also be a tremendous resource if the Twins were to zero in on a Joe Ryan to Boston trade. Vasquez would have extensive knowledge of the Red Sox tiers of talent and would be very insightful in adding "diamonds in the rough" if the trade was to expand to players beyond just Joe Ryan.

Frank Howard at 6:7 and supposedly 255 pounds might be a good comparison to Wallner, although Wallner will never come close to being half the hitter "Hondo" was. Howard was the N.L. Rookie of the Year" in 1960 for the Dodgers. He played thru the 1964 season with L.A. before they traded him to the Senators for Claude Osteen. Howard primarily played RF (he also had a very good arm) a little LF and once in a Blue Moon would get a game at 1B. In fact, Howard only played 4 games in 1960 and 7 games in 1961 for the Dodgers at 1B. He played exclusively in the OF, again primarily RF for the Dodgers in 1962-1964. Upon the trade to the Senators, Howard didn't play ANY games at 1B until 1967, and that was only 4. He never played more than 70 games at 1B, which he did in 1972. By that time, "Hondo" was still 6:7 but he had to be somewhere between 280-300 pounds. He was never a good 1B. But until 1973 he had to play SOMEWHERE to get his bat in the lineup. I'm not sure Wallner could ever learn the position well enough to be described as anything other than a "butcher" at 1B. Anyone who saw the stellar backhand pickup Freddie Freeman made in the 9th inning to close out the Phillies, or saw Kent Hrbek operate at the position knows you play with fire if you minimize it's defensive importance. Harmon Killebrew was never a Gold Glove winner, but his athleticism allowed him to be a competent 1B and 3B after he transitioned from the outfield. I don't think anything close to Killebrew could be expected of Wallner. I still maintain that Wallner should be used as trade bait to get a young catcher. I'm not a believer in his magnificent OPS. But I believe other teams would be intrigued. I'd trade Wallner (22.50 BBTV) and Larnach (1.3) 23.8 total to the White Sox, straight up for Kyle Teel 24.8. Or Wallner for Edgar Quero (14.6) and Jordan Leasure (7.8) 22.4 total. (Leasure would be a competent BP arm who could potentially be a Closer). The Twins could throw money at Josh Naylor for 1B. That might be to rich despite all the savings already realized with the deadline fire sale. They could trade for a 1B. Tristan Casas as a Red Sox throw in for Joe Ryan (Casas should be ready for spring training) or even Tampa Bay's Yandy Diaz (4.7 BBTV). A trade of Andrew Morris could come close to getting it done. Diaz is under contract for $12 million in 2026 and has a club option for 2027. He's a solid RH bat who would fit nicely in the #5 or #6 spot in the lineup. So I'm not looking for the FO to get creative and try to turn Wallner or Larnach into a 1B. That ship has sailed. What I'm looking for out of the FO is the creativity to solve the position long term (Tristan Casas trade or a Josh Naylor signing) or shorter term with a Yandy Diaz type for 2 years. I don't want to see Clemens, Julien or Ty France types. I could live with a Royce Lewis/Luke Keaschall at 1B if trades were made that filled their other positions.

T&R, I can't begin to explain HOW BBTV comes up with their ultimate ratings for players. I know a lot of it is based on how much a player is being paid. One thing I do not agree with about their "formula" is that if a player is highly paid, but also performs at a high level, they don't seem to get any credit for being GOOD or GREAT. Now if you have a guy like Kris Bryant, who was a former MVP but has been hurt multiple times each SEASON ever since, well he's just a Black Hole of Negative Value. I get that. I'm not sure how any pitcher could be valued higher than Tarik Skubal regardless of what he's being paid now and what his expected mega contract will eventually yield. But somehow, on the verge of winning his 2nd straight A.L. Cy Young, Skubal's value went from 68.6 to 62.6 and finally now, seems to have bottomed out at 51.6 (did they SEE his 13 strikeout performance over 6 innings the other night???). ?? I kind of "get" the reduction of value for Lewis. He can't live on his 2023 2nd half and post season forever. At some point he's got to stay healthy and put up a 25 HR 90 RBI season. If he does that, his value will soar like an eagle. I've pretty much focused on a Ryan trade to the Red sox because I like some of their players and prospects and they seem to be a team that needs to unload an OF and som prospects to get the SP they need. But here's an idea for a trade with the Mets. Mets get: Joe Ryan 47.0 Brooks Lee 20.6 Total: 67.6 Twins get: Nolan McLean SP 21.6 (24 y/o) Jett Williams SS 23.1 (21 y/o) Mark Vientos 3B/DH 11.6 25 y/o and Jonah Tong SP 22 y/o 12.6. Total 68.6. The Mets may be loath to give up a young fireballer like McLean who was very impressive late this season, but he's the centerpiece along with Jett Williams. Ryan at 47.0 straight up for McLean 21.6 and Williams 23.1 (Total: 44.7) would be acceptable to me, but I'd like to add Vientos, a 25 year old 3B/DH who I wonder if he could play 1B. He hit 27 HR's in 2024 with an OPS of .837. This last season he slumped to 17 HR's and an OPS of .702. But I'm intrigued what he could provide to the Twins lineup. If the Mets wouldn't give up Tong I could take a different player. Giving up Lee doesn't bother me because Jett Williams is ready at 21 years old, he's just blocked by Francisco Lindor. With Culpepper and Marek Houston on the horizon, Lee wouldn't be the Twins SS for long anyway. He can slot in at 3B or 2B for the Mets.

Indeed, there is only ONE Bobby Witt Jr. But Roch could be a very reasonable facsimile. If the Twins end up with the #1 pick and Cholowski has another dominant college season, the Twins simply MUST select him. I could see Roch moving through the system quickly. If Culpepper and Houston keep improving and showing promise, Roch is still the pick. I could see Culpepper joining the Twins by June 1st of next year. Marek Houston is then promoted to St. Paul in a corresponding move, imagine what the Twins infield could look like in 2027. To me, Houston is the key in this. His glove is that of a future Gold Glover. If he's able to hit .280 with a .360-.370 OBP and hit with enough extra base power to OPS at .750-.770 (throw in 15ish SB's) he would project to be a solid SS. Then project Roch to Bobby Witt Jr. "Lite." He could find himself at 3B with Culpepper at 2B. What an INFIELD !! The question there would be who plays 1B. Depending on the moves (or lack thereof) this off season, there's a chance Keaschall ends up at 1B or LF. That could be the best Twins infield for hitting and fielding since Gaetti, Gagne, Knoblauch and Hrbek. If Marek Houston falls short of the above offensive projection, he would still make an outstanding Utility player with a stellar glove and good base running skills. Roch is the SS and Culpepper goes to 3rd with Keaschall remaining at 2B. It still projects to be a pretty good IF, both offensively and defensively.

LA Vikes Fan, I am the guy that posted the possible trade of Ryan to the Red Sox for Wilyer Abreu, Payton Tolle and Tristan Casas. Nick's article is exactly where I've stood on the issue of Ryan or Lopez being traded. To me, they are very similar in ability. Look at their career stats and you can see how similar. Ryan is better when it comes to WHIP, Lopez has a longer track record of success. They will both turn 30 years old within 3 months of each other during the 2026 season. Generally, it's not good to have multiple pitchers over the age of 35 pulling down big bucks in your starting rotation. Especially if you're a team that has always operated under a "budget." The Twins are looking at Lopez, Ryan and Ober all will be 30-31 years old during the 2026 season. The Twins would probably prefer to have only one "anchor" of their rotation who they are paying $20+ million a season to going forward. That is why they are stock piling young arms to go with their homegrown pitchers like Matthews, SWR, Festa, as well as up and coming arms like Prielipp and Dasam Hill. The Twins can and should get a significant haul for a pitcher like Ryan. They would be selling high. Ober is a different story. They would be selling low and I'm uneasy about his decrease in velocity. He was never a hard thrower, but an extra 2-3 mph makes a big difference for him. Ryan's BBTV is 47.0. Lopez is at 7.3. They are the same age and have the same relative ability. The situation SCREAMS trade Joe. Hang on to Pablo. The last value I saw for Pablo was just under 20 but I'm sure that's fallen a long way. My plan would be to keep Pablo, trade Ryan this off season and trade Ober at the deadline, especially if he's rebuilt his value. Matthews, SWR, Bradley, Abel, Prielipp, Dasan Hill...there's plenty of guys who could step in for Ober mid season. Someone has suggested they'd rather have Marcelo Meyer, a polished 21 y/o SS in a one-for-one trade with the Red Sox instead of my proposed trade. I could get on board with that. But Meyer has a value of 51.2. Ryan has a value of 47.0. Maybe the Twins throw in Andrew Morris, maybe they hold fast for a one-for-one deal. Even with Culpepper and Marek Houston on the way, Meyer would be a solid return. And he could probably push Lee to a Utility role right out of spring training. That move would fill SS for the foreseeable future if the Red Sox want to stick with Trevor Story for 2026 or move Ceddane Rafaela or Kristian Campbell to SS. But if the Red Sox see Meyer as their starting SS for 2026 they won't budge. The BEST thing for the Twins was Boston's early ouster at the hands of the hated Yankees. They clearly NEED Joe Ryan. I like my trade better because the Red Sox can afford to give up Wilyer Abreu when they still have Duran, Anthony and Ceddane Rafaela as well as good old Rob Refsnyder. They are getting Ryan, so they can easily give up #2 prospect LHP Payton Tolle. And I think it's vital to the Twins to ask for Tristan Casas as a throw in. Boston needs to win NOW. They probably won't have the patience to wait for Casas to get healthy and instead will sign someone like Josh Naylor. Not a bad signing for Fenway Park. That is the kind of trade that replaces Joe Ryan with another young, high potential arm to take his spot in the Twins rotation. It fills a corner OF spot with a Gold Glover with power and it fills the 1B/DH spot with another power hitter. Getting Meyer would be great, but he only fills one hole, and we have 2 guys coming who could do that. Pablo Lopez can't get the Twins anything near what Joe Ryan can, but he can pitch to a 2026 outcome that would be very close if not better than what Joe Ryan could do. By 2027, the Twins will either be extending Pablo if they need to, or moving him aside to let the next wave of young pitchers take over at a fraction of the cost. Oataknam, I agree with your premise that a good team starts with good pitchers and solid depth. But I'm old enough to remember a couple trades where a team acquired a solid young pitcher for a hitter where it worked out pretty good for the team acquiring the hitter. (Yes, I'm cherry-picking). Here's one: The Baltimore Orioles, following the 1965 season had a LOT of young pitchers either on their roster already or on the way. They had just finished 3rd in the A.L. behind the Twins and White Sox. They needed a thumper. So they convinced the Reds to take a promising 26 year old SP named Milt Pappas for a fading 29 year old Superstar named Frank Robinson. The rest is history. I'm not saying Wilyer Abreu is going to win the Triple Crown after joining the Twins, but he and Casas could provide "thump" and lengthen the lineup. Trading Joe Ryan gives the Twins a chance to fill some massive holes with a quality player or two. Trading Pablo Lopez will not do that.

When Funderburk initially came up he looked pretty good. Then the league established a "book" on him and he (or the Twins coaching staff) seemed to be slow in countering. Late this season he seemed to really turn a corner. Throwing strikes at a higher clip is always helpful for a pitcher. Matthews, Bradley and Abel could become MUCH better if they can achieve better command and throw strikes consistently. We saw evidence of that in each of their last starts. Hopefully, the Twins will make some trades to get some better OF. I'm not convinced Brooks Lee is an every day SS. I'm not sure Culpepper is a BETTER SS but he's certainly more athletic. I think Marek Houston is a future Gold Glove winner at SS if his offense allows him to play in the major leagues. Once the Twins field a better defensive team, their starters and relievers across the board will perform better. It's tough to field a good defensive team when over 50% of your fielders profile as DH's. Even with Funderburk, I'd like to see the Twins bring back either Thielbar or Coulombe. Having more than ONE reliable Lefty in the pen should be a goal.

JADBP, Baseball is a team game with very specific and measurable individual statistics. Every inning of every game players are competing to prove they deserve more AB's, more innings pitched, "I'm a better defensive player, put ME in at the end of the game for defense," I'm faster and have better base running instincts, put ME in to pinch run." This doesn't mean you are wishing bad things toward your teammates. It's just part of the competitive nature of every athlete. I was always a good teammate. But I wanted to PLAY. It's what drove me to work harder, make improvements. Wanting to play doesn't make someone a bad teammate. Everything should be EARNED. A player who is batting 9th should be happy they are in the lineup, but should also strive to move UP in the order. And to do that, they have to EARN IT.

I can agree that against RH pitchers Larnach might be our 3rd best hitter on "some" days. But I've got to believe that if the Dodgers are willing to pay a 38 year old relief pitcher $14 million dollars for this past season NOT to be their closer (Kirby Yates) there have to be about a dozen teams who would look at $5 million for a "serviceable" LH hitter against RH pitchers (which make up about 70-75% of ALL pitchers) as an acceptable cost. I realize that a decision whether to go to arbitration with Larnach must be made by the end of November, but I'm not sure I'd offer him arbitration before I would make the biggest move of the Twins off season...trading SP Joe Ryan. And I don't see a move like that happening until early-mid December. I think Joe Ryan was pretty miffed about the whole trade deadline ordeal. But I also think his value has never been higher. Trading Ryan gives the Twins a great chance to re-shape the roster with some players that could fill some big holes. Boston Gets: Joe Ryan BBTV of 47.0 Twins Get: Wilyer Abreu 33.0 Gold Glove RF with power. 26 years old. Payton Tolle 13.9 20 year old LH Starting Pitcher, Triston Casas 0.0 1B/DH 25 years old. TOTAL Value: 46.9 By acquiring the 26 year old Abreu the Twins have no need for either Larnach or Wallner. In fact, acquiring Abreu frees the Twins up to trade Wallner for a young, major league Catcher. Wallner's BBTV of 28.5 may or may not have fallen a bit. But his value all by itself is higher than that of Kyle Teel 24.8, Edgar Quero 14.6 (both Chicago White Sox) and Harry Ford 19.1 Seattle Mariners. This value is rather old but I haven't seen his name pop up on BBTV for awhile. That 19.1 value surely hasn't increased as Ford had just 8 plate appearances in the major leagues this year. But he's 21 years old, believed to be MLB ready and is blocked by Cal Raleigh. I have to believe that the White Sox and Mariners would be intrigued with the undisputed "KING of OPS" Matt Wallner. These 2 trades would set the Twins up with the following lineup and rotation: I'll start with the lowest rated Catcher of the above three, Edgar Quero even though Teel and Ford are distinct possibilities. C Edgar Quero 1B Tristan Casas 2B Luke Keaschall SS Brooks Lee (to start the year) 3B Royce Lewis RF Wilyer Abreu CF Byron Buxton LF Larnach? Austin Martin? Roden? Walker Jenkins? Your DH/1B would be a rotating position, or you could make a deal for a RH bat like 1B Yandy Diaz who is only valued at 4.7. The Twins could add his solid RH bat at a cost easy to bear. That lineup has power, but makes contact far more consistently than any lineup in recent Twins history. With the exception of Larnach (if he's still around) there is no obvious "platoon" candidate. The Rotation: Lopez, Ober, SWR, Bradley, Matthews, Abel, Tolle. There are 7 arms as primary competitors. The BP remains a mess with only Sands, Funderburk and ?? as probable locks. Festa must prove himself healthy before being considered for any role. I believe if the trades I've listed above can be completed, and they are not outrageous possibilities, a bona vide Closer needs to be signed. I nominate Ryan Helsley or Devin Williams. It may only be for a one year deal for them to rebuild their value. If the Twins are in contention they could hold onto that Closer or deal him at the deadline. There are a LOT of young players with promise in the Twins farm system. Maybe only Walker Jenkins is a true potential star. There is major league talent there. Some of that talent needs to matriculate to the Twins in 2026/2027. But players like Abreu, Quero, Casas, Tolle and a Yandy Diaz type would inject a better brand of baseball along side Buxton and Keaschall. Better defense, more consistent contact. The young SP's will have ups and downs. The BP, even with a veteran Closer with something to prove will have ups and downs. But in the A.L. Central, if there are more Ups than Downs, the Twins could very well compete.

I’ll also agree that some kind of suggestion as to what was acquired with all those trades was obviously needed in the article. Just a guess on my part: from Boston for Ryan: OF Wilyer Aubreu, LH SP Payton Tolle and 1B Tristan Casas, recovering from his knee injury. From Tampa Bay for Jeffers, 1B Yandy Diaz. This is close to a net negative in salary but fills the need for a solid RH bat to play 1B/DH with Casas in the mix. I don’t have a handle on who we would get from the Mets, maybe 3B Mark Vientos as major league talent or unknown to me minor league talent. I do whatever it takes to get either young catcher from the White Sox. Wallner’s BBTV is currently greater than either of them. Let the White Sox take advantage of the tremendous OPS that Wallner could bring to their lineup. So if we added the players I’ve mentioned, we would have Quero catching, a tandem of Diaz and Casas at 1B/DH and Wilyer Abreu in RF (Gold Glove winner-tremendous upgrade from Wallner). Finally, you’ve added Mark Vientos and his power hitting at 3B. He replaces Lewis if he’s traded to the Angels for…whatever. The trade of Ryan gets the Twins the foundation for the future and the other trades fill in around that.

All this indicates to me is that Arraez doesn't have a lot of leverage to get a salary much more than $5-$7 million a year. He's elite in making contact. The Twins could use that type of bat as opposed to "OPS God" Matt Wallner, a bona fide rally killer. Arraez has well known warts. There are certainly better options for 1B but if I could get him at 3 years $5 million a year I just might do it.

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.