jmlease1

I hate this idea. I hate everything about trading Joe Ryan, who is the kind of player you should be extending, not selling off. There should be plenty of payroll room for Ryan, and trading him to Boston or anywhere is a white flag of surrender and proof positive the Pohlads not only don't care about contending, but they also don't care if the team stinks or if anyone shows up to watch next season at all. Which might very well be the point. The fire sale might continue, pushing the payroll down to more like $75M as ownership utterly throws away another season in anticipation of a lockout in 2027. Yuck. It's a horrible result in so many ways for Twins fans. So it's probably what's going to happen. If it does, I just hope it's much more like the trade that brought Ryan here in the first place than say the one when we sent out Johan Santana.

Considering he's at 1.1 bWAR in a season where he's still not close to a full slate of games, I think 2+ bWAR is certainly still achievable even without returning to the all-star level hitting we saw prior to his knee exploding (again), especially with the defense looking stronger. A relatively modest improvement in his hitting and playing 120 games would get him there. But I do agree that counting on him to be a cornerstone with all-star upside is unrealistic. I'd love for it to happen, but until he actually shows he can be that kind of hitter again in a full season, planning for it sets you up for failure. But with the Twins struggling so much to even get 4-5 guys who can be 2+ bWAR players in the lineup, If Royce gets back there it'd make a real difference in raising the floor. After Buxton and Keaschall the next most likely players to put up a bWAR of 2 or better are Austin Martin (which does require some projection), Jeffers or Wallner (requiring a return to form, but at least they've done it in '23 & '24), or a group of rookies who haven't done anything at all yet (Jenkins, Rodriguez, Fedko, or Gonzalez all could do it...but that's asking a lot for rookies) Can't really bet on it from Roden, Lee (who I still think can be better, but I will admit to possibly fooling myself), Outman (blech), Larnach (if he's even here), or even Clemens (who in a career season at age 29 is still only a touch ahead of Royce). Boy the lineup really let the team down this season. probably why we're looking for hope inside of Royce.

It's definitely concerning how often Royce has been getting himself out the last 2 seasons. And even while finishing stronger this year, he's basically hacking at everything. he's got to find a more disciplined approach that keeps him from chasing, and start hammering fastballs again. But hopefully the fact that he looks like he's got his legs back under him can help improve his base at the plate. He's doing well in the field, showing off very good range, and now he's running the bases better too. An off-season without needing surgery did wonders for Buxton, maybe it makes a difference for Royce too. He's barely 26, but this is the healthiest season he's had since 2019 (aka, before the knee surgeries) and he's still not cracking 120 games. But if he can finish the season healthy, on a bit of an upswing, and a foundation to build on for next season...the talent is there.

A little bit of a bummer than Morris' last start was a dud, but it's the only bad outing he's had since coming back from injury in August, so he seems like he's on track. If the Twins hadn't added both Bradley & Abel, I think we would have seen Morris in MLB in 2025. As it is, I'd be very surprised if we don't see him at Target Field in 2026. Fine season for Fedko. First time he hasn't needed a second pass at a level in order to perform well, and that seems important for him. I think there's fair concerns about both his floor and ceiling in MLB, but can't ask for much more from his performance this season. You'd think he'd get a long look in spring training with all of the LH outfield bats we have. Looking forward to seeing where the prospect ranking end up, and the AFL reports (and any winter ball sightings) to get some minor league fixes. Hope springs eternal, and it begins with prospects.

I would say Raya, Adams, and Ohl for sure. Cory Lewis should probably start thinking about how he could do in relief. Twins have found some reclamation projects in free agency, but when they've spent more significant money it's frequently gone sideways to be sure. (It's not uncommon, considering how fungible so many relievers are) But Kintzler worked out, Coulombe certainly, Belisle was ok, and Fernando Rodney did the job. But Colome, Robles, Reed...none of them worked. They could supplement the bullpen in FA and get it back to functional, but the track record on FA relievers is spotty and they simply can't afford to give a guy $8M per and have him crap out.

Can't agree that the deepening of the farm system is something that went right in a season gone off the rails, because a) it was part of a surrender flag, and 2) unclear the Twins actually made the right moves. None of Bradley, Abel, Rojas, Outman, or Roden have stepped in and looked impressive. (at this point it doesn't matter if Outman plays well in AAA) Tait and Mendez have shown promise, but they're also the furthest away. A healthy Buxton season, Keaschall looking great, Martin performing...all good. Ryan broke through with first half recognition, but has finished the season poorly, which has been an issue for him. Of course, the bigger issue is the Twins need a lot more than 6 things to go right to start turning the ship.

Andy MacPhail is 72, has been out of baseball since 2020, and his last stint as team president in Philly he presided over exactly zero winning seasons. Bringing him back is frankly exactly the sort of country club nostalgia play I'd expect from this ownership to try and play a magic show to hide the fact that they're awful at owning a baseball team and are cutting the payroll again.

Games like this are why you can't quit on Rodriguez. Healthy and locked it he looks like a star. Would be really fun to see him and Jenkins together in MLB. Nice to see him finishing the season strong. How do we keep him on the field and out of the training room? Rojas...better I guess? Still think the team blew it by dropping him in AAA immediately. Lot of arm talent, but still needs a lot of refinement. Looks at least a year away to me, and certainly should be behind a lot of other guys until he shows out better.

Sounds like you never saw the Ray Miller Experience. Listen, I'd let Rocco go after this season. A change is necessary. But ranking him last is laughable for a franchise that had Goryl, Gardner, and Miller in sequence.

Probably true. It also sounded important to Vazquez personally to come back and play to finish the season, so i'm not surprised the Twins would honor that. It's a relatively small thing, but it's all part of the "how do you treat veterans" bit for the franchise that starts to matter when you're trying to get a guy to sign with you. The Twins may have cheap, clueless ownership that doesn't give two craps about the fans, but the organization has a pretty good rep around the league for how we treat players. (despite the fans who keep insisting we drove Sonny Gray away...)

Manager of the Year is frequently given to the manager of the team that most overcomes expectations. YMMV on whether that's appropriate or not, but it's frequently the most defining characteristic. It's also how both Baldelli and Molitor won theirs. Interesting that Gardy was runner-up for so many seasons before winning it in his last season ever as a winning manager...

I think it's hilarious to see Molitor on this list. What did he actually do as a manager that made him good, other be Paul Molitor, Hall of Fame player? (I'd say that wore off pretty fast) He reportedly had some of the clubhouse conflicts that a lot of great players have when they try their hand at managing, caused by them not understanding how lesser players couldn't just do some of the things that came naturally to him. Molly did a terrible job running a bullpen (we all complained about it around here, and we were right). It may be that his age and level of interest in continuing to manage are what really kept him from another job, but it's also very likely that the rest of baseball saw him as a guy who didn't communicate well to today's player's in a managerial role and may have had the game pass him by. Sneaking into a WC in one season surrounded by 2 bad ones shouldn't get you on this list. Gene Mauch was superior (and better than Baldelli) and should be here, even if he was short timed...he was better than Molitor. Billy Martin was a genius (and an utterly self-destructive maniac and a$$hole; he can be both things) but one season ain't enough, even if it was kind of amazing what he did. Baldelli reminds me a bit of Gardy: when his players are healthy and play well, he looks good, and when they're not and don't every single thing that bothers you about him is magnified times 200. TK Mele Gardy Mauch Baldelli...I guess? (it's not a great or even that long of a list) Putting Rocco last is recency bias and/or showing how much you hate analytics or something. Because come on: Ray Miller. (and Bill Rigney and Billy Gardner were both really bad; look at how fast the Twins fell apart under Rigney, and they still had plenty of talent.)

I agree with you on Miranda. He's an utter mess. have to wonder if the back & shoulder problems have simply made it impossible for him to generate the kind of swing that used to work for him even with his lack of patience. And I really wonder if even an offseason of rest and strengthening can fix it. He had 2 seasons where he put up an OPS+ of 112 or better. Outman (whom I don't like for the Twins) at least still crushed AAA pitching again when he got sent back down after crashing out. Miranda actually had a better overall track record as a hitter (Outman had one good season and hasn't hit in MLB since; Miranda had two solid ones as a hitter spaced out over 3 seasons) so his utter implosion in AAA is sort of wild. It's a bummer, and I have no idea whether he can get it together. I'd say Julien and Outman have at least somewhat confirmed they're probably Quad A guys. Outman might be able to add enough on D and run into some homers, but the floor is low, the ceiling isn't high any longer and I'd say neither should be with the Twins in 2026. (and I was a big Julien guy. I was wrong. He's too easily exploited at the plate.)

Yes. He's been awful. He looks nothing like the player who destroyed the minors a few years ago and had success in MLB in 2 separate seasons. I was trying to understand the "unpleasant thoughts about the organization" comment, which read like he was somehow faulting the Twins for his struggles. And possibly the implication that you felt like this was another thing the Twins had screwed up.

does he have unpleasant thoughts about the organization? Or are we projecting something on a player who has really struggled over a year now. I mean, you're sort of suggesting he's tanking on purpose because of a beef with the Twins, and if that's true than I'd like to see some evidence beyond bad body language and poor effort. Twins gave him chances this season and he stunk. I'm not really sure why he would or should be mad at the club. They've been giving him AAA opportunities to get himself back up, and he's been blowing it there too. I mean, maybe they should have sent him home for the year with a "go get your mind and body right" message, but I have trouble faulting the Twins for how they've handled Miranda. (I can fault them for many other things, don't need to throw this on the fire)

need more caffeine today. you are correct, of course. boy those splits are rough, though.

Keaschall started off so hot that it was inevitable that the league would catch up to him at least somewhat. I do think this article has nailed it: how does Keaschall adjust to the adjustment, and can he do that without losing some of the things that have made him special so far. Avoiding a significant sophomore slump, which neither Julien or Miranda did, would be huge for the Twins. The Julien comp only works on a positional and "hot rookie season/sophomore slump" angle, because as hitters the approach is very different. With the kind of aggression and plate coverage we've seen, Miranda is a better comp, but Keaschall still draws a lot more walks than Miranda ever did; the only way for Jose to get up near a .400 OBP was to hit .340. (I've also wondered if Miranda's true downfall is related to injury; he's simply not been the same hitter since missing time in July of 2024; Keaschall's success post significant injury feels like a positive sign for him) It's a really good analysis. You have to think that surrounding him with better/more consistent hitting would help too, giving him some protection. I'd like to see him hitting leadoff or 2nd in the order next season. The other thing to look for is improvement vs LHP. He's struggled like so many LH hitters. I'd say he's got the skill set to make himself into a harder out that's able to hold his own better than many LH sluggers, but going to competent from truly dreadful would make a difference for him too. It's a small sample for sure, but he's absolutely sucked against LHP.

Rodriguez had a messed up season. Bunch of injuries, none of them major. Power production is way down, but the patience and eye for the strike zone remained intact. He's finishing the season...ok? Not great (again, where did all the power go?) but could be worse. Would winter ball help him by getting some more game ABs in, or does he just need a quiet offseason and opportunity to go to Spring Training healthy? Gonzalez really does deserve consideration for minor league hitter of the year. He's done great at all three levels he played at, and while I'd like to see him show a little more patience at the plate again, the contact skills are shining and he's hitting the ball with authority. He's not some slap hitter and can punish mistakes. I hope the Twins give him a real chance to win a job in 2026. It's exciting to think about him paired with Jenkins, and a 5-man OF of Buxton, Jenkins, GG, Martin, and (eventually) Rodriguez could be a a really strong and flexible OF that hits, runs, and defends.

Not great timing on this one. But Bradley has shown an ability to chew up innings that could make him impactful in the back of the rotation. He's got to find a way to draw back on the homers in big situations and be less hittable. Maybe the Twins can finish cleaning up his delivery and get him some consistency, but there's a fair bit of work to do. Seeing him walk a guy at the bottom of the order and them give up the bomb as the lineup turned over is exactly the sort of sequence that will have him flaming out as a starter. The stuff is good, but it's unclear if he'll be able to master it enough.

Lol, it's funny when people act like the Twins will get $30M to spend on payroll. The only way they're getting more than a few bucks to spend in the offseason is if they deal players like Lopez, Ryan, and/or Jeffers...at which point it might not matter if they make a real investment in free agency. Beyond that, why would anyone believe the Pohlads would actually let the front office replace all the spending they cut when the opportunity to generate a bigger profit looms? They should be able to spend $20-30M in FA even keeping Lopez & Ryan, but the smart money says they absolutely won't. Never trust a Pohald when it comes to payroll.

Well, Lopez & Ryan should be in the rotation in 2026; it's only because we have the Pohlads in ownership and the fear they're going to mandate a payroll around $80-85M that it's a likely scenario that Pablo & Joe will be sent elsewhere. (Ober has wobbled this season a lot, but based on his track record prior you have to presume he's still in the rotation) Even if you accept the Pohlad leak that they were losing $30M this season on a $140M payroll (and why anyone should accept a Pohlad leak on financials is beyond me), and you presume that they'll be losing more attendance next season (hard to believe anything else after the payroll whack, the trading away of so many players, and the continued presence of the most tone-deaf owners in sports)...they still should be able to sustain a payroll north of $100M, which is plenty doable even keeping Lopez & Ryan. It should be all doable even with some rebuilding. But expecting that from the Pohlads seems absurd, which is why so many of us expect Pablo & Joe to be traded (bringing the commitments down to like $62M) and then for the tone-deaf owners to try and sell everyone on them "creating" $20-25M in payroll room that fans are supposed to be happy about...while still cutting payroll and ensuring ownership profits come in before the inevitable and owner-driven lockout for 2027. And if Pablo & Joe go, there's plenty of room for SWR in the rotation. If not, it gets tighter, but I'd have to put him above Festa (out for at least the start of next season and possibly all of it), Matthews (struggling with consistency with only 1 really good outing in a month...against CWS), Bradley (maybe more upside, but has consistency questions), Abel (still needs work to command his pitches), or Morris (hasn't pitched in MLB yet). The floor is pretty good with SWR at least. That profiles pretty well for the back end of the rotation.

Nice game from GG. Twins have to be feeling good about his season has turned out, moving all the way from cedar Rapids to Saint Paul in one season and not doing it on scholarship. Quite good results at 21. There's still some things to work on (be great if he could tick that OBP back up, and show more improvement in the OF), but he's looking like a guy that could really pay out on the Polanco trade. I suspect that he won't get much of a shot to win a job out of spring training, but having his RH bat waiting in AAA when the inevitable OF injury comes along does add to the depth. Fedko also looking to finish strong. I still don't really know what the Twins think of him as a prospect? But I like the fact that he's gotten some time at 1B this season. He's been scrabbling for the last month after a hot run in Saint Paul, so finishing on an upswing is probably fairly important for him. I think the floor and ceiling are higher on GG than Fedko, but at 25 (and showing some ability to play 1B) he might get a look from the MLB club first. Sorting through the young/younger OF for the Twins next season will be an interesting one. Between Martin, Roden, Jenkins, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, and Fedko will they feel confident enough to move on from Larnach (who stumbled in July, but has been productive since) and/or Wallner (who is having a down season) in the OF? Martin might fit best as a 4th OF, but his CF defense isn't good (he's done well in LF though). Jury is very out on Roden, both offensively and defensively, but I'd bet real money that this management crew will give him every chance to land a job. But there's still room to move a guy to be a primary DH (and maybe ask either Larnach or Wallner to work with a 1B glove in the offseason) Interesting questions. Hope Jenkins, Rodriguez, Fedko and Gonzalez make it as hard as possible through their performance.

Lot of reasons to feel good about Hill right now. I'm sure he'll start back in Cedar Rapids in 2026 and that's fine, but he's done quite well in his first professional season reaching High A at 19 (doesn't turn 20 until Christmas!) He'll need to cut down the walks, but the stuff plays. He didn't give up a single hit this season to a player younger than him (only 15 PAs, and he walked way too many of those dudes, but it's still a fun stat). If he can chop that BB/9 down to a more manageable 3-3.5 in 2026 he'll be on a fast track. Sure would be nice to have a high-level LHP prospect for the rotation. Mendez has done a great job since coming over. He's a legit 21 who is doing very well in AA. It'll be very interesting to see how fast he gets pushed to AAA; there could both be room and competition. He may be another one of those guys that simply needed better health to shine? The contact skills look very good and he can do enough damage that he'll punish pitchers who give him a "get over" pitch. Not sure where his ceiling is, but like where he's heading. I'm less enamored of Urbina, like most here. 23 is not young for High A, and needing to repeat a level 3 times isn't good. He's finishing the season well, but his overall 2025 hasn't been particularly good. The numbers have improved across the board, but a lot of that is because of how terrible he was in 2024 and 2023. He's basically the same age as Kala'i Rosario (Urbina is in fact older by a few months) and there's a fair bit of (reasonable) doubt on Rosario, and he's been much more productive and sitting a level higher. I wish him luck, but he'll appear on zero prospect lists for the Twins, even if you go down 40 names. Hard to argue he deserves more.

It's not that hard to forecast a quick return to contention, but it presumes the franchise won't have the knees cut out from under it again by ownership. There's a reason that many are predicting Lopez & Ryan get dealt in the offseason, and anyone who has been following the team certainly fears it. And if that happens, the rotation will be in the same position as the lineup: potential is there, but many question marks remain. With the bullpen needing a full-on rebuild, arguments for a quick return to contention are hard to swallow when there are likely real questions about the lineup, the defense, the rotation, and the bullpen. That's...too many questions. Just looking at the lineup, I do think they should be looking at the potential of Larnach or Wallner to play 1B; neither are good defenders in the OF and the offseason is the right time to ask a player to learn a new position. The best hitting prospects in the high minors for the Twins right now are all in the OF, and you still have Roden lurking. (while I'm unimpressed with him so far, giving up on him this quickly is likely a mistake, no matter how tempted I am) But absent injury and a clean sweep in the dugout and front office, they won't get the opportunity absent injury if Larnach, Wallner, and Martin are all on the roster with Roden if a position move isn't made and/or a trade/non-tender. We've seen enough to feel confident that they'll manipulate service time (Jenkins), use injury excuses (Rodriguez), and "need" to hold on to depth (Gonzalez) to keep the prospects in AAA to start the season...and once the season starts they'll stick with vets even if they go past their sell date on production. Kody Clemens isn't a bad guy by all accounts: he works hard, hustles, and happily plays wherever he's asked. But I agree with the basic premise here that someone like Clemens can't be a regular if you expect to be any good. We need both a higher ceiling and a higher floor. Adding a right-handed bat with some thump to play 1B/DH shouldn't be that hard, or even that expensive, but I have zero confidence that ownership will authorize sufficient payroll. Beyond that, since I expect ownership to mandate trading Lopez & Ryan (and the front office to cover for them and pretend it's a "baseball move"), I would bet this front office would be much more likely to spend what little salary space they'll claw out of this on a retread veteran starter to try and patch the hole they've created, and go dumpster-diving for 1B again, while hunting the waiver wire for relievers while they churn the in-house starters who can't make the leap into the bullpen. There's a path back, including having a solid lineup, but it requires an ownership that cares about the on-field product and the fans, and we don't have that. After missing the playoffs like this in 4 of the last 5, we should be looking at significant changes in all levels: front office, manager/coaching staff, roster. Seems highly unlikely with this ownership, which sadly we are stuck with for a while longer. Too many holes right now and not enough money or will to fix them, IMHO.

Of course it's in a lost season that the Twins put together one of their absolute best games against the hated Yankees. But props to SWR who threw a gem. I'm still a fan of his and it's nice to see him maybe finishing the season strong after an unpleasant bout with a parasite. Offense even got something done against a tough LHP. There's enough players on this roster that should be fighting for jobs or even their MLB careers that there shouldn't be much quit here, but still nice to see in the dregs of a miserable season.