Seth Stohs

Image courtesy of © Jim Rassol-Imagn Images On Wednesday afternoon, the Minnesota Twins announced that they claimed utilityman Vidal Brujan from the Braves organization. To make room on their 40-man roster, the Twins Designated Mickey Gasper for assignment. In 2025, Vidal Brujan played 61 games in the big leagues. He got time with the Cubs, the Orioles, and then the Atlanta Braves. Prior to 2025, he spent three seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, and he played in 102 games for the Miami Marlins in 2024. In his big-league career, he has hit .199/.267/.276 (.543) with 26 doubles, two triples, and five home runs. He has some speed. He's stolen 16 bases, but he's been caught 15 times. His "value" comes from his ability to play all over the diamond. In the big leagues, he has played 84 games at second base, 41 games in right field, 56 games at shortstop, 36 games at third base, 17 games in center field, and 10 games in left field. He's played one game at first base (1/3 of an inning). He's also pitched 3 2/3 innings over four appearances. Brujan will turn 28 next month. The Twins acquired utilityman/catcher Mickey Gasper last offseason in a Christmas Eve trade from the Red Sox (for Jovani Moran). He went 0-for-18 with the Red Sox over 13 games late in the 2024 season. He spent the majority of the 2025 season with the Twins, though he played in just 45 games. He hit .158/.257/.232 (.488) with a double and two home runs. In 47 games with the Saints, he hit .285/.385/.531 (.915) with 14 doubles and 10 home runs. View full article

Him not going to Twins Fest likely has nothing to do with arbitration. They're so close, and teams go to arbitration all the time. This tells me that the likelihood of a trade is much higher. Some team just made it interesting enough to Falvey/Zoll...

He will only be at big-league spring training for a couple of weeks. I believe he will be the Twins minor league outfield coordinator... I have heard but haven't been able to verify that Mike Quade, who had been in the MILB OF Coordinator role since 2019 when he managed the Rochester Red Wings (Then the Twins AAA affiliate), is no longer in the organization. I don't know if he was let go, retired, or something in the middle. So that job was open. Will he be able to help Larnach/Wallner? He won't make them Gold Glovers, but what if he can get them a half-second better jump, that's worth it. He will be good for the guys like Alan Roden, Austin Martin, Walker Jenkins, Gabriel Gonzalez, etc.

There isn't an international draft. The Twins have made a bunch of hires over the past decade, and because they have been poached so many times, they've had to hire more.... As for the international scouting group, it's hard to know... but Fred Guerrero was let got a few years ago... Kevin Goldstein has taken over the international scouting group. They have several scouts in Venezuela and the Dominican. This week, they are expected to sign a guy from Colombia and one from Nicaragua. You'll also notice, they haven't signed anyone from Australia or Europe for a long time. Definitely seems to be a change. And, it makes sense.

On Friday afternoon, Major League Baseball announced that former Twins and Phillies outfielder Max Kepler has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for Epitrenbolone, a performance-enhancing substance. It is an item that violates MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Max Kepler will turn 33 years old in a little more than a month. He is currently a free agent looking for his next home. After signing with the Twins in 2009 out of Germany, he spent parts of the 2015-2024 seasons in a Twins uniform. Over those 10 seasons, he was worth 20.5 bWAR. In 1,072 games, he hit .237/.318/.429 (.746) with 205 doubles, 161 homers and 508 RBI. His best season came in 2019 when he hit .252/.336/.519 (.855) with 32 doubles and he led the Bomba Squad with 36 home runs. He was never able to replicate those numbers. He became a free agent for the first time last offseason. He signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Phillies. In 127 games, he hit .216/.300/.391 (.691) with 19 doubles and 18 home runs. Free agency just became more difficult for Kepler. Some team will sign him and not have to pay him for the first half of the season. He can come back for the final 82 games of the season, but because of the suspension, he will be unable to play in the playoffs should the team make it. Share your thoughts. View full rumor

I'm not worried about getting a top, top international prospect. There are several strategies. The primary two are 1.) spend a ton on one prospect and fill however else, or 2.) sign a bunch for between $400K and $1.5M. The Twins have done both over the years. So have other teams. I'd much prefer the Twins go with strategy #2. Even the top, top 16-year-olds international are a mixed bag of future success. In 2024, the Twins signed Santiago Leon ($1.7M), Carlos Taveras ($1.1M), Haritzon Castillo ($950K), Teilon Serrano ($850K), Santiago Castellanos ($850K), Jose Barrios ($425K), Joyner Perez ($400K), Jhomnardo Reyes ($335K), and Darwin Almanzar ($250K). Then they traded for Geromy Villoria (Phillies, Bader trade) who was signed a year ago for about $425K. In recent years, they've signed Ariel Castro ($2.4M), Hendry Chivilli ($2.1M), Carlos Silva ($1.1M), Miguel Sano ($3.15M), Amaurys Minier ($1.4M), Lewin Diaz ($1.4M), Max Kepler ($800K), Jorge Polanco ($725K), Huascar Ynoa ($800K).

According to his Twitter profile, the Twins have hired Ozney Guillen as a minor-league hitting coach. On his LinkedIn page, Guillen wrote, "I'm excited and grateful to share that I've accepted a position as a Minor League Hitting Coach with the Minnesota Twins organization. Thankful for the opportunity and for everyone who has supported and believed in me along the way. I'm looking forward to continuing to learn, grow, and help develop players at the next level. Ready to get to work." La Vida Baseball. That includes the administrators, the coordinators, and of course, the minor-league coaching and managing assignments. We don't know what level Guillen will be coaching, but Ozney's track record is pretty impressive. But let's go back a little bit. Ozney Guillen is the youngest of White Sox legend Ozzie Guillen's three sons. He just turned 34 years old this week. Most Twins fans remember Ozzie Guillen as the White Sox manager from 2004 through 2011. Over that stretch, he had a record of 678-617 (.524). His club finished second in the division twice, and they won the AL Central in 2005 and 2008. That 2005 team went 11-1 in the playoffs and became World Series champions. He led the White Sox to two 90-win seasons, but to four 88+ win seasons. And, of course, there was the time in 2006 when Ozzie Guillen said of the Twins, "All those piranhas - blooper here, blooper here, beat out a ground ball, hit a home run, they're up by four. They get up by four with that bullpen? See you at the national anthem tomorrow. When I sit down and look at the lineup, give me the New York Yankees. Give me those guys because they've got holes. You can pitch around them, you can pitch to them. These little guys? (Luis) Casillo and all of them? People worry about the catcher, what's his name, Mauer? Fine, yeah, a good hitter, but worry about the little guys, they're on base all the time." And at that time, there truly was a rivalry between the Twins and the White Sox. During that same stretch between 2004 and 2011, Ron Gardenhire led the Twins to four division titles and finished second one other time. He had a record of 682-616 (.525), and that's counting a 99-loss 2011 season. There were moments such as Torii Hunter slamming into Jamie Burke, a move that Guillen praised later that night. In Game 163 of the 2008 season, White Sox slugger Jim Thome homered in the 7th inning of what turned into a 1-0 ballgame that sent the White Sox to the playoffs. Then, while only an August walk-off, Twins slugger Jim Thome hit a monster home run off his former teammates to add to the Twins division lead. The Guillen-Gardenhire years were so fun. That was a true rivalry, but it was a rivalry based on respect. Guillen wasn't bashing the Twins hitters for being 'wimpy.' Instead, he was praising the team for battling every pitch, putting the ball in play, hustling on everything. Guys like Luis Castillo, Jason Bartlett, Nick Punto and Jason Tyner were unsung heroes on the 2006 team in which Justin Morneau won the MVP, Joe Mauer won his first batting title, Torii Hunter's 31 homers were second to Morneau's, and Michael Cuddyer's 109 RBI was behind only the Canadian MVP. Both teams usually had strong hitters, good overall hitters, strong starting pitching, and dominant bullpens. Both managers were fiery, and in the days before replay, they were guys whose players knew they had their backs. Those were the days! Then again, Guillen referred to the 99-loss 2011 Twins hitters as "sardines", and in 2021, he called the Twins "guppies." By the way, some of us that are my age and older are also likely to remember him as a really solid big-league shortstop over his 16-season career. He broke into the big leagues as a 21-year-old in 1985 and was named Rookie of the Year. He was a three-time All-Star and won a Gold Glove. He spent 13 seasons with the White Sox and then played with the Orioles, Braves and Rays over the final three seasons of his playing career (2000). Alright, let's get back to the Twins new player development hire, Ozney Guillen. Eldest son, Ozzie Jr., hosted a radio show in Chicago for four-plus seasons during his dad's managerial tenure. He also worked as a translator for the White Sox and was the team's Spanish Radio Broadcaster. He fulfilled the same role with the Chicago Bulls for a year. He has worked in the public sector for about the past 15 years. Middle son, Oney, has worked for a few companies since he finished college a dozen years ago. He spent some time playing baseball. He was the White Sox 36th round pick in 2007 out of North Park University in Chicago. He played that summer and in 2008. He played 17 games in Class A ball and actually got one game in for the Sox Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte. He went 1-for-3 with a double in the one game he played. Ozzie Jr and Oney had a baseball podcast/show called Being Guillen, or La Vida Baseball. Ozney is the son that, at least to this point, has made a career in baseball. He played his high school baseball at Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens, Florida, where he was a teammate of former Twins pitcher (and minor league outfielder too) Dereck Rodriguez. Ozney was the 22nd round pick of the White Sox in 2010. Instead of signing, he went to Miami-Dade College where he would have played with the likes of former Twins pitcher Jharel Cotton, long-time big-league catcher Victor Caratini, After his college eligibility ended, he took a tour around various independent baseball leagues. He spent 2014 and 2015 in the Frontier League. In 2016, he played for Sioux Falls in the American Association. In 2017 and 2018, he played in the Atlantic League. He also played briefly in the Canadian-American Association. He spent three winters playing in Venezuela for Tiburones de La Guaira. He spent a lot of time working with their Baseball Operations department, player development and even signing players. He returned to school, now at St. Thomas University in Miami where he earned his Bachelor of Business. Administration and Sports Administration. All the while, he has worked in a variety of roles and jobs in baseball. Since he stopped playing, he has been a minor-league manager, a hitting instructor, worked for a sports management agency, earned a degree, was an assistant coach in college, has been a manager and general manager in Colombia. Since last June, he has taken on new roles for the team in Colombia, joined Tigres de Aragua as a third base coach and Quality Control Coach. And, last month, he joined the Twins organization full time. He has a really solid resume, but he's also got relationships around the game, in affiliated ball, in independent leagues, and throughout central and South America. He is bilingual which is clearly helpful. It will be fun to see how the Twins utilize him within the organization since he's got such a variety of experiences in and around the game. View full rumor

Ryan Daniels, the Twins 11th round pick in 2025 out of UConn, has decided to retire from the game of baseball. As @Jamie Cameron wrote at Limestone Pipeline, Daniels has a history of hip injuries and surgeries. Before joining the Huskies, Daniels was a four-year letterwinner in baseball at St. Paul Catholic in Bristol, Connecticut. He was twice named an All-State player. Upon graduation, he made a 44-mile drive from Bristol to Storrs. He made 25 starts and played in 42 games as a freshman in 2023. He hit .273/.401/.409 (.810) with eight doubles, two triples and a home run. He also had 16 steals in 17 attempts. In 2024, he was limited to just 20 games (18 starts) because he had season-ending hip surgery. He came back at full strength in 2025 and had an incredible season. He started 53 of the 54 games he played. He hit .365/.476/.744 (1.220) with 15 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs and 75 RBI. He was named the BIG EAST Player of the Year, first-team all-conference, and was named second-team All American by a few outlets. The Twins made him their 11th-round pick in July and signed him with a $150,000. Unfortunately, he played in two games for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and went on the Injured List with a hip injury. In mid-December, he made the decision to retire from baseball. Best wishes, Ryan, in whatever is next for you! View full rumor

I am not a fan of this trade, unless the plan is for Wagaman to be the platoon 1B with Clemens and Bell the full-time DH. I think Bragg is a future big leaguer for sure... but ultimately, he was an 18th round pick lottery ticket... But why give up a promising AA pitcher for a guy who was DFAd to make room for Esteury Ruiz? And, I get that Fitzgerald isn't a prospect as a 31-year-old, but he can play great defense. I'd rather have him as the backup IF than Kreidler. I just don't think this move does anything... It's like a move just to make a move.

On X/Twitter, Danny Gallagher describes himself as an Expos historian with 11 books about the franchise. On Friday morning, he posted a tweet about former Twins closer Jeff Reardon. The tweet shows a picture of the 70-year-old following the surgery. He's still got his signature beard. He has his blanket or robe on but his chest. You can see the large incision down the center of his chest and electrodes stuck in various places around his chest. I won't show that photo here as I would imagine not everyone would want to see it. (Gallagher notes in a subsequent tweet that the photo came from Reardon's Facebook page). Reardon spent three of his 16 major league seasons with the Minnesota Twins. He joined the team right before the start of the 1987 season. Six weeks into his Twins career, he had a 10.80 ERA. However, over the remainder of the season, he had a 3.03 ERA. Overall, he went 8-8 with a 4.48 ERA and 31 saves. He pitched in four World Series games that season and gave up no runs over 5 2/3 innings. In Game 7, Frank Viola gave up two runs in the second inning. That was it. He gave up two runs on six hits over eight innings. But when the Twins had a 4-2 lead over the Cardinals after eight innings Viola had thrown 95 pitches, and a case could be made for him to go out for the ninth. However, Tom Kelly later said that they were going to do what they did all year which was go to Reardon in that situation. Reardon got Tom Herr to fly out to centerfield. Curt Ford pinch hit and popped up to third base. And we all love seeing Willie McGee grounding to Gary Gaetti at third base. The Gold Glove winner threw across the diamond to Kent Hrbek. The Twins were World Champions. The image of Hrbek leaping into the air, and the bench racing out to the middle of the diamond where teammates embraced in celebration. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Reardon spent two more seasons with the Twins. In 1988, he was at his best and made an All-Star appearance. He went 2-4 with a 2.47 ERA and had 42 saves. In 1989, he went 5-4 with a 4.07 ERA and 31 saves. The Terminator, as he was affectionately nicknamed, made his big-league debut with the Mets in 1979. He was traded to the Expos during the shortened 1981 season. He was an All Star for Montreal in 1985 and 1986. In February of 1987, he came to the Twins with catcher Tom Nieto in exchange for LHPs Neal Heaton and Yorkis Perez, RHP Al Cardwood, and former first-round pick catcher Jeff Reed. Following the 1989 season, he became a free agent and signed a four-year contract with the Red Sox and made one All-Star appearance for Boston. In August of 1992, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves. Then things got weird for The Bearded One. In 1993, he signed with the Reds. In 1994, he signed with the New York Yankees. Both teams did not allow players to have beards, so Reardon shaved and was left with only his mustache. When he retired in 1994, Reardon was the All-Time leader with 367 Saves. Join us in wishing Jeff Reardon good health following his quadruple bypass surgery. © RVR Photos-Imagn Images (photo of Reardon) View full rumor

I assume that Larnach will come off of the list at some point. If not, then I think Kreidler and Julien would be at risk. Hope all is well with you, Roger!

Image courtesy of © Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images The baseball offseason lasts forever, especially for those of us who look out our windows in Minnesota with a Blizzard on the other side of the window. The Twins season ended before October, so it has been nearly two months since we have watched them play. The Twins haven’t been terribly active this offseason, adding just one free agent to a big-league contract. The team did make a Rule 5 draft pick, catcher Daniel Susac, but subsequently traded him before the draft was even completed. They have added a few pitchers as minor-league free agents. But as the calendar soon changes from 2025 to 2026, the Minnesota Twins still have work to do to complete their 2026 spring training roster. And while Derek Falvey has been known to make moves, even significant moves, well into spring training, time will move quickly over the next two months. By next week, the dorms at the Twins complex in Fort Myers will start filling up. Minor Leaguers will start arriving to prepare for their seasons. Some big leaguers will be in Fort Myers, but they will really start amping up the intensity of their workouts. Pitchers will start doing more throwing, and more throwing with purpose now. Twins Fest will take place in one month, and because of the WBC, spring training starts early, in mid-February. With that, if the season was to start today, what might the roster look like? The Catchers (2): Ryan Jeffers, Alex Jackson. There was some thought that the Twins would attempt to trade Jeffers at the trade deadline, and then possibly this offseason. Technically it could still happen, but I would hope not. Jeffers is solid behind the plate. He won’t be winning a Gold Glove, but he does a nice job working with pitchers, calling a game. He also spent most of 2025 hitting in the top half of the Twins lineup. Jackson came to the Twins in November in exchange for infielder Payton Eeles. The sixth-overall pick in the 2014 draft hasn’t hit much in his career, but he can provide a little power from time to time. His defense is what has kept him employed with a variety of teams over the years. Catcher Depth 40-Man Roster: Johnny Pereda, Mickey Gasper Triple-A: Noah Cardenas, Patrick Winkel Double-A: Ricardo Olivar, Andrew Cossetti, Nate Baez, Khadim Diaw (#20 Prospect) High-A: Eduardo Tait (#3 Prospect), Poncho Ruiz, Daniel Pena, Luis Hernandez Low-A: Enrique Jimenez, Irvin Nunez, Ryan Sprock, Ian Daugherty, FCL/Extended Spring Training: Ricardo Pena, Carlos Silva, Miguel Caraballo. The Twins have clearly made catching a priority this offseason. They lost veteran Christian Vazquez and traded for veteran Alex Jackson. Gasper showed again in 2025 that he is a terrific Triple-A hitter who is fine as a team’s third or fourth backstop. Pereda joined the Twins organization late in the season and got to spend some time in the big leagues. He looks the part of a AAAA catcher. I am fine with him being the #2 guy if needed. The exciting “prospects” are a lot of the recently acquired players. Eduardo Tait came to the team in the Jhoan Duran deal. Enrique Jimenez came from Detroit in the Chris Paddack deal. When the Twins took Daniel Susac in the Rule 5 draft, they traded him immediately to the Giants for Miguel Caraballo. All three are high ceiling, low floor types with plenty of development in front of them. But they are exciting. I believe the Twins would be confident calling up Cardenas and Winkel as needed just because they are strong defensively. Khadim Diaw is very exciting as an athlete. He is a solid catcher, but he can also play center field. Likewise, Olivar is a decent backstop who can also play left field in a pinch. The Infielders (7): Josh Bell, Kody Clemens, Luke Keaschall, Brooks Lee, Royce Lewis, Ryan Kreidler, Edouard Julien (Out of Options) The Twins added veteran slugger Josh Bell to the roster, and likely to the middle of their lineup, recently. He will get some time at first base, but it’s just as likely that Clemens will get just as much time there. Frankly, I wouldn’t mind the Twins giving Keaschall some time there. After a solid, though injury-plagued rookie campaign, Keaschall certainly would like to stay on the field as much as possible. Getting him time at first base in the right matchup could allow Julien to get some playing time. Out of options, he had newcomer Kreidler will need to make the roster first and then let Derek Shelton figure out how he wants to get them into games. While both former top picks struggled much during the 2025 season, I’d put them both in the lineup almost every day and hope that the talent that made them first-rounders shined through and they put up numbers to impress. I include Kreidler because he is out of options. I much prefer Ryan Fitzgerald in a utility role because he is terrific defensively no matter where he is put in the infield. Infielder Depth 40-Man Roster: Ryan Fitzgerald, Triple-A: Aaron Sabato, Ben Ross, Tanner Schobel, Kaelen Culpepper (#2 Prospect), Jake Rucker Double-A: Nate Baez, Kyle DeBarge (#16 Prospect), Brandon Winokur (#12 Prospect), Danny De Andrade, Andy Lugo, Jose Salas, Jorel Ortega, Miguel Briceno, High-A: Billy Amick, Dameury Pena, Rayne Doncon, Marek Houston (#11 Prospect), JP Smith, Shai Robinson, Jay Thomason, Harry Genth, Low-A: Jayson Bass, Bruin Agbayani, Bryan Acuna, Quentin Young (#17 Prospect), Ramiro Domingues, Ryan Daniels, Yilber Herrera, Ryan Sprock. FCL/Extended Spring Training: Victor Leal, Santiago Leon, Daiber De Los Santos Certainly Kaelen Culpepper, the top pick in the 2024 draft, is the name to watch early in the season. He had a very strong season between High-A and Double-A in 2025 and could be ready for the big leagues sometime in 2026. I’m sure the Twins hope that he gives them some difficult decisions to make. Fellow former first-round pick Aaron Sabato has done alright in his time with the Saints, and he has shown good power. I could see him debuting if needed. I believe Ben Ross can play defense in the big leagues, anywhere in the infield, and maybe a little outfield too. High draft picks like DeBarge and Winokur showed promise in 2025, but they’re likely at least a year out. 2026 top pick Marek Houston is known more for defense at shortstop as well. I don’t expect him to advance as quickly as Culpepper, but that will depend on if he hits. And at the lower levels, there are some very intriguing, talented player including 2025 prep picks Bruin Agbayani and Quentin Young. The Outfielders (5): Trevor Larnach, Byron Buxton, Austin Martin, James Outman (out of options), Matt Wallner. This group is certainly up for grabs. Byron Buxton is the lone true “Given” in the group. He is coming off of a season in which he generally stayed healthy and put up terrific numbers, earning his first career Silver Slugger Award. Wallner should be a given too. He struggled, striking out a ton, and getting on base less than 30% of the time. However, he is a power threat in the lineup who can turn a game around on any pitch. Defensively, he’s decent out in right field and has one of baseball’s strongest outfield arms. Larnach is another former top pick who had a relatively disappointing 2025 season. Some were surprised that the Twins tendered him a contract in November, but that was an easy decision. He is perfectly adequate, can get on runs offensively, and he hits around 20 homers each season. He could still be traded. He struggles defensively (more in left than in right field, at least in my mind’s eye). He likely DHs when Bell is in the field. Austin Martin was hurt and in St. Paul most of the year. But when he finally got an opportunity late in the season, he took advantage. He got on base. He ran. He looked solid defensively in left field. And finally, I went with James Outman as a fifth outfielder, and again, primarily because he is out of options. He looked so good in his first seasons with the Dodgers, hitting a lot of homers. He’s put up big Triple-A numbers, but he really struggled to make contact in the big leagues, Alan Roden is certainly a candidate for a spot on the roster. In addition, Clemens can play in the outfield as needed. Outfield Depth 40-Man Roster: Emmanuel Rodriguez (#4 Prospect). Alan Roden, Gabriel Gonzalez (#9 Prospect), Hendry Mendez Triple-A: Walker Jenkins (#1 Prospect), Kyler Fedko (#18 Prospect), Kala’i Rosario, Double-A: Garrett Spain (MILB Rule 5), Caden Kendle, Ricardo Olivar, Maddux Houghton, Brandon Winokur, Jose Salas, Kyle Hess, High-A: Jacob McCombs, Yasser Mercedes, Jaime Ferrer, Miguel Briceno, Low-A: Jayson Bass, Byron Chourio, Eduardo Beltre, Yandro Hernandez, FCL/Extended Spring Training: Luis Fragoza, Yovanny Duran, Carlos Tavares, Murphy Hernandez, Jhomnardo Reyes There are certainly intriguing players that are nearly ready for the big leagues in the Twins outfield. Emmanuel Rodriguez has fought injuries and missed a lot of time the last two seasons, but when healthy, he splashes potential. Gabriel Gonzalez had a breakout season, impressing with his bat at the three highest levels, and all while still being just 20 years old. Roden appeared in some Top 100 lists. He came to the organization in the trade with the Blue Jays. Mendez is also intriguing. He’s a big, long, strong kid who needs to work on driving the ball for more power, but he has a fantastic approach at the plate. He came to the Twins in the Harrison Bader deal. Not on the 40-man roster but potentially closing in on the big leagues are Kyler Fedko and Kala’i Rosario. Both provided power and speed in 2025. But clearly the top prospect in the organization remains Walker Jenkins, the Twins top pick in 2023. Despite missing a little time early in the season, Jenkins reached Triple-A for about a month at the end of the season and held his own. Questions to Consider 1) How would you fill out the 26-man roster if you had to today? (Since we just looked at hitters today, assume that 13 hitters and 13 pitchers will be on the roster. Tomorrow, I’ll give my thoughts on the opening day pitching staff.) 2) When looking at the offense only, what do you think could be considered “positions of strength?” In other words, if the Twins are talking trade, which positions could the Twins feel OK about trading from? 3) Then, what are the Twins positions of need? What do they need at the big-league level? What positions could they use more MLB-ready depth at? View full article

Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images It is always interesting to see how Minnesota Twins fans react to Minnesotans who play for the Twins. The best example of this just might be Joe Mauer. He was such a great athlete at Cretin-Derham Hall. He was named Mr. Baseball and Mr. Football as a senior. He was all-state in basketball. He signed to play quarterback at Florida State, but then his hometown Minnesota Twins made him the #1 overall pick in the 2001 MLB Draft. He signed, debuted in less than three years and embarked on a career that made him a first-ballot Hall of Fame catcher. Along the way, and with the advent of social media (specifically Twitter), there was a vocal minority who seemed to believe he could do no right. The Twins signed St. Paul native Dave Winfield late in his career, and he notched his 3,000th career hit in a Twins uniform. Paul Molitor, also from St. Paul, came to the Twins and spent the final three seasons of his big-league career as the team's Designated Hitter. Minnesotans of a certain age will never forget Game 7 of the 1991 World Series and the job that St. Paul's Jack Morris did in shutting out the Atlanta Braves for 10 innings. Each spent time late in their Hall of Fame careers with their hometown team. Twins fans also loved when they brought back New Ulm native Terry Steinbach. Another former Gopher and Twins first-round pick is Glen Perkins, a native of Stillwater. Caleb Thielbar went from a tremendous human-interest story when the Randolph native signed and then debuted with the Twins and became a reliable southpaw in the bullpen. Then, he became an even more interesting story when he was called out of retirement by the Twins to come back in 2020. He made the team and remained with the Twins through the 2024 season. The final example I'll mention is Louis Varland. Born in St. Paul, he went from North High school to Concordia University, in St. Paul. Three years later, the Twins drafted him in the 15th round in 2019. He was fantastic in the lower levels of the minor leagues in 2021, and in the upper levels in 2022. After getting time as a starter, Varland moved to the bullpen full time in 2025. He was hitting 100 mph, and becoming a reliable, high-leverage option for Rocco Baldelli. But then at the trade deadline, with four more years of team control, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. He set a record for most appearances in a single playoff run. Twins fans were understandably irate about the trade, and not just because of the remaining service time and a great reliever being lost. Even with getting a couple of players with solid potential, Minnesota fans hurt for Varland who wasn't afraid to tell people how much he loved getting to play in his own backyard. Maybe to appease the Minnesota fans of Minnesotans, the Twins added right-hander John Klein to their 40-man roster. He graduated from Osseo High School in 2020, went to Iowa Central Community College and then signed with the Twins in August of 2022. He ended the 2025 season with the Saints and will head to Fort Myers for big league spring training in February. There are several pitchers who grew up in Minnesota that I would be excited for if the Twins brought them in on a minor-league deal. How about lefty reliever Lucas Gilbreath, a former Gopher. How about Minnesota State-Mankato alumni RHP Dalton Roach and LHP Brody Rodning. The southpaw played with Simeon Woods Richardson and Austin Martin in the Blue Jays organization. In any case, if the player discussed below signed and reached the big leagues with the Twins, it would be a great story. And there's never anything wrong with a good story. However, I also feel like there could be a role for him on a big-league roster at some point in 2026. RHP Sam Carlson The Burnsville native was a heavily discussed name here at Twins Daily throughout the spring of 2017. Reports early in the year had him being selected sometime in the late first round or in the second round. We posted several Q&As and interviews with him during his high school senior. When the draft came in June, he was not taken in the first round. However, reports told us that he and his representatives began getting calls from teams late in the first round. Carlson made it known that he was looking for a certain signing bonus to keep him from going to college. Did the Twins call him and try to get him to sign for maybe $1.5 million? We may never know for certain, but I believe they did, or they should have. Either way, he didn't settle and signed for $2 million with the Mariners after they made him their second-round pick. That summer, Carlson pitched in two games for the Mariners Arizona League team. He threw 21 pitches and looked good. He was the Mariners #3 prospect at that time. Unfortunately, he didn't pitch in 2018. Instead, he had Tommy John surgery. The recovery was rough, and he missed the entire 2019 season as well. Like other minor leaguers, Covid meant that he didn't pitch in games in 2020 either. He returned to the mound in 2021 at Low A Modesto. He made 19 starts and reached 100 innings. He was 6-4 with a 4.77 ERA, but he impressively had 112 strikeouts. He stayed in Modesto in 2022. He made 11 starts and five relief appearances. He had 60 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings. He moved up to High-A Everett in 2023 and made the transition to the bullpen. He pitched in 39 games and made just one start. In 48 innings, he had 60 strikeouts. At season's end, he became a six-year minor league free agent. Early in the offseason, he signed a minor-league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. They had him pitch at Double-A Biloxi. In 44 games and 48 1/3 innings, he posted a 4.25 ERA and had 51 strikeouts. He again became a free agent. Last offseason, he quickly was signed to a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers and spent the season in the Triple-A Oklahoma City bullpen. He worked in a career-high 45 games and posted a 4.22. He had 78 strikeouts (11.8 K/9), but he also walked 36 batters (5.4 BB/9). It was uncharacteristic as Carlson had never walked more than 4.0 batters per nine innings. Carlson is no longer a top prospect. He will spend the full 2026 season at 27 years old. He typically throws four pitches, a four-seam fastball, a sinker, a cutter, and a slider. In 2025, he threw his cutter about 45% of the time. He threw his sjnker about 30% of the time. It was an average of 93.3%, and it appears to that he topped out at 95 mph. He threw a slider that averaged about 80 mph. He threw just six percent four-seam fastballs. So what role could Carlson play in the Twins organization? Carlson is intriguing as a one-inning guy (at least primarily). After years of injury, Carlson has remained healthy the past three years. First and foremost, he can be a veteran pitcher in the Saints bullpen. While he doesn't have the big velocity, I am intrigued by his pitch mix, and I'd love to see him work with Pete Maki, Jonas Lovin, Nat Ballenberg, and the rest of Twins pitcher development staff to see what they can do with him. If the Twins were to sign Sam Carlson to a minor-league contract, there will be that segment of Twins fandom that will mock the moves, sarcastically regurgitating phrases like, "Cheep Polands," or "We're going to the 'ship!" However, both pitchers can certainly fill a role with the Saints in 2026, and there could potentially be a big-league role that each could fill. And that's the goal with most minor league signings. Depth for the big-league club waiting 10-miles away in St. Paul. And hey, it's Christmas... There's nothing wrong with a feel-good story! View full article

Image courtesy of John Bonnes, Twins Daily/DiamondCentric Daniel Susac, we hardly knew ye! Every year, baseball fans from every organization get excited for the Rule 5 draft, excited about the opportunity to add a young player or fearing the possibility of losing prospects that we have grown to like to other organizations. So, how did the 2025 Rule 5 draft affect the Twins? The Twins had the #4 selection in the draft and had released Carson McCusker to make room on the 40-man roster in order to be eligible to make a pick. The top pick went to the Colorado Rockies. Last year the Chicago White Sox had the top pick and used the top pick and used it to take right-hander Shane Smith from the Brewers. He became an All Star as a rookie. With the top pick in 2025’s Rule 5 draft, the Rockies selected 6-8, 300+ pound right-hander RJ Petit from the Tigers. The White Sox picked second and took Jedixson Paez from the Red Sox The Washington Nationals picked third and chose Griff McGarry from the Phillies. With the fourth pick, the Twins selected catcher Daniel Susac from the Athletics organization. He was the first-round pick (19th overall) of the A's in 2022 out of the University of Arizona. Can he stick with the Twins? The Twins do need competition behind Alex Jackson for the job of Ryan Jeffers' backup. Susac spent the 2025 season at Triple-A Las Vegas where in 97 games, he hit .275/.349/.483 (.832) with 19 doubles and 18 home runs. Oh, but then as often happens in the Rule 5 draft, moments after the selection, the Twins traded Susac to the San Francisco Giants. The Giants front office, led by Buster Posey, reached out to the Twins and the two sides came together on a deal. Miguel Caraballo signed with the Giants last January out of Venezuela for $172,500. In 41 DSL games, he hit .264/.432/.442 (.874) with four doubles, two triples and five home runs. He also was 8-for-10 in stolen base attempts. He got on base the hard way, hit by 11 pitches, but he's got some idea of the strike zone with 28 walks to go with 38 strikeouts. He's very young. In fact, had he been born one week later, he would not have been eligible to be signed until this coming January. He's 6-0, 190 pounds, and built really strong for such a young age. He is a switch-hitter. He has a strong arm but is obviously still developing behind the plate. At the trade deadline, the Twins added Eduardo Tait and Enrique Jimenez, both teenage backstops. It is clearly indicative of a Twins need in the organization. Regarding the maneuvering of the day, General Manager Jeremy Zoll noted, "We looked at all the available guys, worked through some different options, had some really good conversations on how it might all fit together. As we evaluated different opportunities, the ability to make a trade here and acquire someone you know at the lower levels that we think could really grow into something felt like a more appealing opportunity," The other side of the Rule 5 draft is the possibility of losing players to other organizations. The last time the Twins lost a player in the major-league portion of the Rule 5 draft was in 2020 when they lost both RHP Tyler Wells (Orioles) and outfielder Akil Baddoo (Tigers). The Twins lost no one in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft, despite our concerns. In the first round of the minor league Rule 5, the Twins selected RHP Sam Ryan from the Angels organization. The 27-year-old has missed quite a bit of time in his career with injury. In 2025, he pitched in 44 games (2 starts) between High-A and Double-A. Combined, he went 3-6 with a 4.20 ERA. In 70 2/3 innings, he had 76 strikeouts and 33 walks. He pitched in the independent Frontier League in 2024. Before that, he spent five seasons with the Blue Jays organization. The Angels had signed him to a multi-year development deal. In the second round, the Twins took outfielder Garrett Spain from the Brewers roster. A 25-year-old, he was the 15th round pick of the Blue Jays in 2021 from Austin Peay State. He joined the Brewers organization in 2025. In 120 games for Double-A Biloxi, he hit .207/.282/.377 (.659) with 17 doubles, four triples and 16 home runs. He finished the season with 11 games for Triple-A Nashville, he hit just .162 (.472) with two doubles. In the second round, the New York Mets selected LHP Aaron Rozek, a LHP from Burnsville, Minnesota. He pitched at Minnesota State in Mankato. He joined the Twins out of the independent leagues in 2021. He's spent the past two seasons splitting time between the Wind Surge and the Saints. In the third round of the minor-league Rule 5, the Twins lost RHP John Stankiewicz to the Tigers organization. The 27-year-old from Fordham also split the last two seasons between the Wind Surge and Saints. Summary: Well, for our annual Rule 5 scare and concerns, there were just 13 players taken in the MLB Rule 5 and 55 players taken in the MILB Rule 5. The Twins lost no one in the MLB portion of the draft. They pitched Daniel Susac, a former first-round pick with a full season in Triple-A, for a 17-year-old catcher from the Dominican Summer League. They took a pitcher and an outfielder in the minor-league portion, and they lost two pitchers who spent time in the Twins upper levels in 2025. One other note, and it's really just more of a question. I do believe that the Twins organization is fairly strong in terms of high-level prospects, especially following the trade deadline. However, as much as I think there are a lot of players who could be big leaguers, the Twins haven't lost a lot of players in recent Rule 5 drafts. In comparison, the Brewers lost a bunch of players in the minor-league Rule 5 draft including Twins pick Spain and Minnesota native Nate Peterson. Does the lack of Rule 5 picks lost in both the MLB and MILB portions of the Rule 5 draft mean that the Twins don't have as much depth as we think? Or, is it just that they do a really good job of player evaluation and have a good idea of which guys truly have to be protected. The MLB roster has 40 members. The Triple-A roster can have up to 36 on it, and I believe they should be at 34 after this afternoon. That's a lot of players protected, and there are a ton of players that aren't eligible for either draft. My sense is it doesn't indicate anything to be concerned about, but it is notable and worth asking. Now we just need lots of comments about how we worry so much every year and ultimately, it's pretty uneventful. View full article

I had hoped the Twins brass would chat with McCusker and have him get ground balls and throws at first base, just to develop. He had two options left. There is still 35 HR potential with opportunity. However, can't blame McCusker for wanting to make some money. He's reached the MLB, a huge goal. Now he needs to make some money. Sure, he can make $780K with the Twins if he's in the big leagues all season, but if he's in the minors, he'd probably "only" make up to $200K... He can got to Asia and presumably get $1million guaranteed.

It'll be interesting to see what happens. I find it interesting that MLBs investigation showed that he didn't gamble. I don't think that was ever the concern. It was never about him making some money. It was just about tipping pitches.

Reports came out on Wednesday that the Twins have the inside track on signing Dominican shortstop Angel Ozuna for around $500,000 when the 2026 international signing period begins on January 15, 2026. Normally this wouldn't be huge news. Last year the Twins signed several high-profile international free agents for more than $500,000. But this situation is different than others, and it will be interesting to follow over the coming months. Shortstop Angel Ozuna was expected to be one of the top international signings in the Class of 2027, when he turned 16. The Yankees were believed to have an agreement with Ozuna, a product of Los Bauti Baseball Academy, to a signing bonus of at least $5 million. However, last year it came out that he had falsified his age and got busted for it. He was three years older than he was claiming. Instead of being a 13-year-old dominating other 13- and 14-year-olds, he was actually a 16-year-old dominating 13-year-olds. He should have been a part of the 2024 international signing class, but with this new information, Ozuna was suspended for one year. However, it is now being reported, also by Wilber Sanchez, that he has a pre-arranged deal with the Twins to sign for around $500,000. What does that mean? Once Ozuna serves his time, he can be signed. However, since he is signing as an 18-year-old rather than a top 16-year-old, he isn't going to get the $5 million. But, he is still a very talented player, he's just not as young as believed. And there is the whole concern about a person who was willing to falsify his age. View full rumor