Seth Stohs

I'm sure we'll see some of that... Wallner will be in left, so Martin could be a platoon option over there.

How so? That's likely the spots they'll play the most, right?

Gilberto Celestino makes his triumphant return to Hammond Stadium today with the Pirates.

Yes, they played an exhibition game on Friday night, but this can be the first official spring training thread of the year. Louie Varland will make the start for the Twins. Royce is batting third. Julien batting fifth. No Correa yet. No Buxton yet (though Baldelli continues to say he'll be in the lineup soon). Presumably the starters will get two at-bats before players from the minor-league side get some PT. Hopefully we can find it on TV somewhere.

I noticed that too... Clichés are fun... That decision is well below his pay grade, but well above his job title.

I don't disagree, but who are the 'others theoretically ahead of him in the OF pecking order." Presumed starters: Wallner, Buxton, Kepler Bench options: Castro, Others (on 40-man): Larnach, Rodriguez, Martin, Kirilloff (primarily 1B but can play OF still) Others (not on 40-man): Helman, Keirsey, Prato. Helman, of course, also can play all four infield positions well too, so that's an added dimension. Right now, it seems as though the "battle" for the final spot is probably between Larnach, Martin and Miranda... But I think it's fair to suggest that Helman is in that conversation as well. I'd be very surprised if he makes the Opening Day roster (unless a few things happen - injury wise), but he's proving (two years ago and when healthy last year). They know what Helman can bring. He's just not going to pass by Martin or Rodriguez, but he's ahead of Keirsey because he's right-handed and certainly Prato too.

The goal is usually 2 out of 3, and this is 68%, so not too bad.

According to Forbes, the Twins had Revenues of $267 million in 2023... They say that the Twins had $172 million in "Player Expenses." (I'm not sure what the difference is between that and "Payroll" might be... Regardless, but that, the Twins should have been at about $133-140 million in 2023. They were at $152 million or so. They're down about $20 million in TV revenue in 2024... assume all else is equal, that's $247 million in revenues, which would put them at an expected payroll of $123-128 million. They're at $122ish million right now, and likely still looking for a right-handed bat in the $3-5 million range.

Check out our very own John Bonnes rocking Twins Daily swag on TV! They talk about the excitement of spring training, Byron Buxton, Chris Paddack, hair styles, and much more.

Everyone seems to want to talk about the Twins’ payroll. Wait! That’s not true. Is it? I can’t be the only one bored by the topic. Tonight, the Twins will take on the Minnesota Gophers in an exhibition game. On Saturday, they start their official spring schedule. Wouldn't we much rather talk about, read about, or listen to baseball topics? Disclaimer: It is perfectly fine to be a Twins fan who enjoys talking about topics like payroll. It is also perfectly fine to be a Twins fans who doesn't care about such things and wants to watch what should be a very exciting team get their season started. Image courtesy of William Parmeter On Tuesday, Twins owner Joe Pohlad told WCCO radio that the payroll would not increase significantly from its current state other than potentially in a small (inexpensive) move. Would ownership consider signing one of the big four free agents remaining (Bellinger, Chapman, Montgomery, Snell) for $30 million, even for one year? Plainly, Pohlad said, “No.” As expected, Twins Twitter went crazy in response to Pohlad’s candid comments and had many questions. Frankly, I’ve had to stay off of The social media company formerly called Twitter, or at least I muted the term “payroll” from my page. It’s boring. The team was honest about the TV and payroll situations going back to the GM meetings in November. There are no real surprises here. There isn’t new information. We learned that the Twins re-upped with Bally’s for one year and hope to negotiate with other MLB teams next offseason. Yup. Same topic, different day. Twins media gathered around Twins shortstop Carlos Correa on Wednesday in Fort Myers. Two offseasons ago, he and his new agent (at that time), Scott Boras, reached out to the Twins, which led to the two sides agreeing on a three-year, $105 million deal with opt-outs that we all knew he would take. Last offseason, we certainly recall the wildness of the Correa situation. When the Giants and Mets decided to fear Correa’s medical information, the Twins were able to swoop in and sign him to a six-year, $200 million deal that could reach $285 million over 10 years if various options are picked up. Is he disappointed that the Twins have been so public and honest about reducing their payroll? Fortunately, the veteran is media savvy and provided an excellent response. “I think with the team that we have right now, we can compete against anyone, and you know, whatever business stuff they're going to do upstairs, that's their business. They understand the business way more than most players do. And there's a reason why they're doing that, which is way above my pay grade. I'm just getting paid to play baseball, but I do know one thing, and it's that I trust in this group of players. I trust in the young talent that we have. I trust in our farm system, and I trust that the product that we're going to put on the field is prepared to go out there and compete against anyone.” Those are the words of an leader! And I agree with the veteran. And I think most of you agree. There’s no reason to believe that this roster can not only win the AL Central but win in the playoffs again, especially if they add at the trade deadline. Correa added, “So yeah, you always want to have guys with names and pedigrees and guys that have done it before, but at the same time, there’s a lot of young guys out there that can get the job done. And, we obviously trust them, the guys that we have in our farm system.” It took several years, but the work done and the money spent on player development over the past six or seven years is bearing fruit. More coaches. More technology. More coordinators. More video. More individualized plans. More velocity. We have seen successes with position players and pitchers in various roles. There are guys ready to move up, and I like the idea of trusting them. Anyway, here is a list of topics I would prefer to read about or listen to than payroll. Anything. Oh, you were looking for a longer list. Alright, here is a partial list of topics I would prefer to read about or listen to than talk of payroll. What kind of numbers can Royce Lewis produce if he can play in 150 games? (same question for Carlos Correa… and Byron Buxton… and Alex Kirilloff… and Trevor Larnach…) Is it just me, or is Bailey Ober incredibly underrated? Why aren’t we hearing anything about trying to lock him up for the next six or seven years? Will Edouard Julien get an opportunity to hit against more left-handed pitching to see if it’s something he can improve upon? It’s an area that he says he spent a lot of time on in the offseason. How excited can or should Twins fans be about the idea of Byron Buxton playing center field again in 2024? I’ve seen a couple of the Gypsy Rose Blanchard movies, her interviews in jail, and a couple of interviews since her release. I’m tired of it (but I would rather watch more of it than hear more discussion about the Twins payroll). How solid is the Twins roster (on paper) that former top 100 prospects like Trevor Larnach, Jose Miranda, and Josh Winder will likely start the season in St. Paul? Louie Varland and Jorge Alcala could start the season with the Saints. You had me at Pablo! Pablo Lopez is a preseason favorite for the American League Cy Young Award. Can he find another level and a little more consistency? What will the limitations be for Chris Paddack as he returns from his second Tommy John surgery? Seeing him come back in the bullpen last fall was exciting. Can he (or will he be allowed to) reach 150 innings? Listen to Vlad Putin talk about Russia’s history with Ukraine for an hour. Speaking of returning from Tommy John surgery, what can we expect from Matt Canterino in 2024? What can we hope for from Matt Canterino in 2024? Can he be a bullpen option in the playoffs (like Varland in 2023)? While they are unlikely to be on the Opening Day roster, it will be exciting to see how quickly David Festa and Brooks Lee get to the big leagues in 2024 and what role they will play for the Twins down the stretch. Listen to a presentation created for Rhodes Scholars about Real Analysis, Differential Equations, and other mathematical fundamentals. We saw what Carlos Correa can do when the games matter, but what kind of numbers is he capable of putting up playing on healthy feet? The back end of the Twins bullpen could be very good, with Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Caleb Thielbar, and Brock Stewart. They have added several veterans in an attempt to bolster the bullpen. How will Rocco Baldelli and Pete Maki utilize the bullpen in games, and how will Thad Levine and Derek Falvey utilize that depth and player options? Who will be the Brock Stewart of 2023 in 2024? Which player (hitter or pitcher) will come up as a relative unknown, maybe a minor-league signing, and become a key cog on the Twins roster? Can Brock Stewart 2024 be as reliable as healthy Brock Stewart 2023 was? If healthy, he can dominate. The same is true for Jorge Alcala and Josh Staumont. I’d rather read about or listen to shows that talk about the Minnesota Vikings constantly during the offseason than hear more on the Twins payroll situation. Which Max Kepler will we see in 2024? Last July, Twins fans had given up and were entirely ready to move on from the German outfielder. Then his bat came to life, and he hit so well in the final months of the season that not only was it an easy decision for the Twins to pick up his option, but Keith Law wrote that he could have got $20 million a year for several years in free agency had the Twins declined the option. Who is the Twins #4 catcher right now? Last year, Christian Vazquez and Ryan Jeffers stayed healthy all season. That’s unusual. In the offseason, the Twins added Jair Camargo to the 40-man roster. The burly backstop can rake and does a solid job behind the plate. But what if they need a fourth catcher? Would they go with a veteran with a handful of games in the big leagues like Brian O’Keefe, or would they jump directly to their top catching prospect Patrick Winkel? Maybe Chris Williams would finally get a chance. I think I’d rather take a course on colonoscopies. If it comes with labs... that's debatable. I’d rather have a conversation about what happens if Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie stay healthy and Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams progress rather than suffer from sophomore slumps. It’d be great to read more stories about the Twins players or that games start on Friday. I can’t wait to read spring training play-by-play on Twitter. I want to see more video from bullpens. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine’s contracts are allegedly up at the end of 2024. Since they joined the organization, the team hasn’t officially announced their extensions (though news came out after the 2019 season that the two had signed five-year extensions to keep them through 2024). Have the Twins extended them already? Should they? If they’re lame-duck leaders, what does that mean? Will Bobby Witt, Jr. be the top player in the AL Central this year? Earlier this month, the shortstop signed an 11-year, $288.7 million (with opt-outs starting at Year 7 and options that could make it a 14-year deal. In addition, the Royals signed #3/#4 starters such as Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo and traded for Kyle Wright. They bolstered their bullpen with Nick Anderson, Chris Stratton, and Will Smith (who has won three World Series championships in the past three years with three different teams). Have they added enough to compete with Cleveland and Detroit for second in the AL Central in 2024? I could probably keep going, but since it’s 2024, maybe I’ll limit my list of topics I’d much rather be reading about or listening to than the Twins payroll. Sure, payroll is a topic. It has been and it should be. We’ve learned long ago that while payroll is a factor, “Baseball Decisions” are way more important. More important. Do we have to talk about it every day? I like baseball. Let’s talk about baseball. Repeated Disclaimer: It is perfectly fine to be a Twins fan who enjoys talking about topics like payroll. It is also perfectly fine to be a Twins fans who doesn't care about such things and wants to watch what should be a very exciting team get their season started. View full article

Good stuff, Cody! I've always been a Hendriks guy. Enjoyed having him on podcasts when he was in the minor leagues. Fun seeing his success as a reliever and the All Star games he has. Life often finds ways to put baseball back into proper perspective. This article is a good reminder of that as well. Thanks for being vulnerable and putting yourself out there!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11R1j_H0UTPucDjYxbNmAd-4Fzdmx2kHJINQKpEAtiLM/edit?usp=sharing Yes, I went through all of the Division I baseball rosters and found all of the players from Minnesota on the list. I think there are about 160 total. If my count it correct, there are 23 Minnesotans on the Gophers roster and 22 on the Tommies roster, which makes sense. There are 14 on the South Dakota State roster with 12 on the North Dakota State roster. The school with the next-most Minnesotans is Creighton with seven. Take a look. Did I miss anyone? Let's highlight solid performances by these players throughout the college seasons.

Things I've watched lately: - Netflix - iZombie, Big Mouth, Santa Clarita Diet, The Trust, Rael: The Alien Prophet, Fool Me Once , The Greatest Night in Pop is awesome! - Hulu - The Wonder Years (original), Letterkenny, Abbott Elementary, -You Tube TV - shows in my library (Quantum Leap (current and previous), Law & Order SVU, Finding Your Roots, Little House on the Prairie, Celebrity Jeopardy, Catfish, Help! I'm in a Secret Relationship, My daughter wants to watch any of the Gypsy Rose stuff. We've seen the movies, the interviews, everything.

I purpose? HA!!

Has anyone else watched "Dumb Money: The Game Stop Story"? It's actually a pretty good movie. Just came out on Netflix a few weeks ago. I mean, it's not like a cinematic work of art, but I thought it was good and kind of told the story such that someone like me could even understand. Also, Seth Rogen is in it...

On the New Heights podcast today, Travis Kelce said they had a coach who literally went through the Overtime rules every single day From the sounds of it, a lot of the 49ers weren't aware of the playoff rules. I rarely listen to postgame shows, but I happened to be flipping around... And Maurice Jones-Drew (I think he's on NFL Network) asked both Mahomes and Reid (separate interviews) about how nervous they were as the overtime clock was dropping down 6, 5, 4 seconds.... They both answered it nicely, like 'we new we had time for another play on that end, but we weren't nervous.' I don't know that they realized MJD clearly didn't know the OT rules either.

Roger... We need to have breakfast for lunch again sometime... I love your love for the Wisconsin players, and I don't blame you. I ranked Noah MIller #27 solely because of his defense. There just haven't been numbers so far offensively. That isn't to say that it won't develop and he won't continue to develop. I don't worry much about Florida State numbers. He had some decent stretches during the year, and I like the Brian Dinkelman generally kept him in the leadoff spot to keep getting him at bats. Definitely no reason to give up on him, and he's going to get every opportunity. The question becomes, if he continues to be a .210 hitter with an OPS around .600 three years from now, would an MLB team play him at shortstop for 140 games in a season and bat him ninth? He does a lot of things well, and no one questions his work ethic... but until there is some semblance of consistent, decent offense, I just can't move him too much higher. And I love watching highlights of him playing defense. As for Prielipp, I'll send out some feelers. I know he's been in Ft. Myers working out and running and participating in a lot, but I have not yet seen him pitch a bullpen or off a mound. I wish I had 24/7 access to video from there though. He very well might be.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Twins announced their 2024 Spring Training non-roster invitees. They identified 19 players who will join the 40 players on the Twins' 40-man roster in Fort Myers. Brooks Lee will participate in his second big-league spring training in as many years. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photos of Brooks Lee, David Festa, DaShawn Keirsey) Nineteen players signed to minor-league contracts for the 2024 season were invited to big-league spring training on Tuesday. Well, they were probably called weeks ago, but you know what I mean. They will have nine pitchers (8 right-handed), four extra catchers, four infielders, one outfielder and a utility player (though I would designate two of the infielders as utility players). Pitchers and catchers were to report today (February 13) with their first workout on Wednesday. Position players are set to report on Saturday with the first full-squad workout on Sunday. Here is a quick look at the players who received spring training invitations. At the end, I also wrote up little sections on several other players that the Twins signed to minor-league contracts this offseason but did not receive the formal invitation to big-league camp. You may see several of them during spring training games as well. Right-Handed Pitchers Ryan Jensen (26) - He was the first round pick of the Cubs in 2019 out of Fresno State. In 2023, he pitched in 14 Double-A games and 16 Triple-A games for the Cub. DFAd by the Cubs in early August, he was claimed by the Mariners. He pitched in 13 games for them over the final two months. In 64 1/3 innings, he had 78 strikeouts, but he also walked 54 batters. After season, he was DFAd and claimed by the Marlins. They tried to sneak him through waivers, but the Twins claimed him. The Twins then claimed Daniel Duarte and DFAd Jensen. This time, he cleared waivers and was outrighted to St. Paul. Jensen throws hard, mid 90s, and typically gets a lot of ground balls. As important, he has two options remaining if the Twins do put him back on their 40-man roster at some point. Matt Bowman (32) - a Princeton alum, Bowman was the 13th round pick of the Mets in 2012. He debuted as a 24-year-old in 2016 after being St. Louis’s . He pitched in 156 games out of the Cardinals bullpen over three seasons. In 2019, he pitched in 27 games for the Reds. In September 2020, he had Tommy John surgery. After the season, he signed a two-year minor-league deal with the Yankees, but he missed the 2021 and 2022 seasons rehabbing. He re-signed for one more minor-league seasons. He was called up in mid-September and pitched in three games. The Twins signed him in January. Jeff Brigham (31) - Brigham has been in pro ball since being drafted in 2014. He made his MLB debut with four starts for the Marlins in 2018. The following season, he pitched in 32 games for Miami and was 3-2 with a save and a 4.46 ERA. In 2020, he pitched in just one inning in one game. He didn't pitch in 2021, but he made 16 appearances for the Marlins in 2022. Last year, he pitched in 37 games for the Mets. He was 1-3 with a 5.26 ERA. In 37 2/3 innings, he had 52 strikeouts and 18 walks. Daniel Duarte (27) - The Twins claimed Daniel Duarte off of waivers, and less than two weeks later, he was DFAd to make room for Jay Jackson on the 40-man roster. However, Duarte cleared waivers and will remain in the organization, at least for now. The hard-throwing right-hander debuted in 2022 with three games for the Reds. In 2023, he went 3-0 with a save and a 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings. Duarte went unclaimed and was invited to Twins big-league spring training. Ronny Henriquez (23) - Look at that again. Ronny Henriquez is still just 23 years old. The Twins acquired him in the Mitch Garver trade before the 2022 season. He pitched 11 2/3 innings over three relief appearances for the Twins that season. He missed much of the first half of the 2023 season with injury and ended the season going 5-3 with a 5.68 ERA in 57 innings out of the Saints bullpen. He had 49 strikeouts, but also had 36 walks. He was non-tendered after the season, but the Twins re-signed him quickly to a minor-league deal. In his 18 games and (24 ⅓ innings), he was 1-0 with a 4.44 ERA. He had 17 strikeouts to go with 12 walks. Jordan Balazovic (25) - The Twins fifth-round pick in the 2016 MLB draft has certainly had his fair shares of ups and downs. Jordan Balazovic made his MLB debut last season with the Twins and got 65 days of service time. Just last week, he was DFAd so that the Twins could claim Zack Weiss. However, he cleared waivers and will remain in the Twins organization with a spring invitation. Keith Law was one of the first to put him on the prospect map and did so very early in his career. In 2021, he went 5-4 with a 3.62 ERA at Double-A Wichita with just over a strikeout per inning. However, in 21 starts for St. Paul in 2022, he was 0-7 with a 7.39 ERA. He began that season with an oblique injury. He began the 2023 season on the IL with a wired-shut mouth after an altercation at a Ft. Myers establishment the night before big-league camp began. He made three starts and was quickly moved to the bullpen. Now off of the 40-man roster, he can relax and get ready for spring training and a long season. Just 25, he’s going to get more opportunities. Randy Dobnak (29) - The first player that made us all aware of the United Shores Professional Baseball League. Dobnak jumped into the spotlight in 2019 when he came up and went 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in nine games (5 starts). He had 23 strikeouts and got a ton of ground balls. In 2020s short season, Dobnak got off to a great start but struggled a big late in the year. Overall, he was 6-4 with a 4.05 ERA. Before the season, he agreed to a five-year, $9.25 million with options that could have kept him in the organization through 2028. However, early in that 2021 season, Dobnak injured his finger and really struggled with command and became quite hittable. He rehabbed it for a long time, and that didn’t really help. He finally needed to have surgery. In 2023 in St. Paul, he made 26 starts and five relief appearances. He was 5-9 with a 5.13 ERA over 126 1/3 innings. That is likely where he will start the 2024 season, but it would be another great story if he got called up to the Twins again. (Correction... Dobnak did not have an surgeries on his finger.) David Festa (23) - Festa was the Twins 13th round pick in 2021 out of Seton Hall. Since joining the Twins organization, he has added about five mph to his fastball and is now a guy with three potentially plus big league pitches (fastball, slider and changeup). In 2022, he played at both A-ball levels and combined to go 9-4 with a 2.43 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 103 2/3 innings. He began 2023 in Wichita and went 3-3 with a 4.39 ERA. In 80 innings, he had 104 strikeouts with 33 walks. He ended the season with three starts at St. Paul. He represented the Twins organization in the Futures Game. He is the Twins Daily #6 prospect. There is a good chance that he debuts during the 2024 season. Left-Handed Pitchers Jovani Moran (26) - Moran was the Twins seventh round pick in 2015 out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico. He’s always had a tremendous changeup, but he fought injuries early in his career. He debuted with the Twins late in the 2021 season. In 2022, he worked had 54 strikeouts and just 18 walks over 40 2/3 innings in 31 appearances for the Twins. In 2023, he had 48 strikeouts and 27 walks in 42 1/3 innings over 43 Twins games. Lots of strikeouts, but also throwing strikes is crucial for him. He was optioned late in the season and soon after went on the IL. After the season, he had Tommy John surgery and the Twins non-tendered him. However, they locked him in on a two-year minor-league contract right away. So, he won’t pitch in 2023, but he could still hang out at big-league spring training. Catchers Chris Williams (27) - After starring at Clemson, the Twins made Williams their eighth round pick in 2018. Since signing, he has continually shown big power, but that is especially true the last two seasons. Between Wichita and St. Paul in 2022, he hit .246 with 21 doubles, 28 homers and 89 RBI. Last year, in 95 Saints games, he hit .236 with 13 doubles and 21 home runs. While he has played more first base in pro ball, he has caught more than 20 games each of the past four seasons. Patrick Winkel (24) - Patrick Winkel was the Twins ninth-round pick in 2021 out of the University of Connecticut. He played 21 games for the Mighty Mussels that summer. Even though he missed time early in the season with injury, he was pushed to High-A Cedar Rapids for the 2022 season. In 54 games, he hit .254 with nine doubles and six homers. He moved up to Double-A Wichita in 2023, and in 88 games, he hit .266/.362/.424 with 16 doubles and 10 homers. Winkel is considered very strong behind the plate as well. Alex Isola (25) - In 2023, Alex Isola made 49 starts at first base and just 13 starts behind the plate. He has basically been moved to first base, in part to keep his bat in the lineup most days, but with the need for lots of bullpen catchers in spring training, I would add Isola. In 110 games at Wichita last year, he hit .279/.366/.480 (.846) with 22 doubles and 20 home runs. Brian O'Keefe (30) - O'Keefe is new to the organization. Going way back, he was the seventh round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals out of St. Joseph's (alma mater of Andrew Cossetti). He made his MLB debut with two games for the 2022 Seattle Mariners. He went 1-for-3 with a walk. In 2023, he got into eight games for the M's. He went 2-for-19 (.105), but both hits were doubles!! Infielders Brooks Lee (23) - Brooks Lee is preparing for his second full minor-league season by heading to his second straight big-league spring training. The eighth overall pick in the 2022 draft was the Twins Minor League Player of the Year in 2023. In 87 games for Wichita, he hit .292/.365/.476 (.841) with 31 doubles and 11 homers. He moved up to Triple-A St. Paul and in 38 games hit .237/.304/.428 (.731) with eight doubles, three triples, and five home runs. He played mostly shortstop, but it’s likely he’ll start playing all over the infield starting this spring. Aaron Sabato (24) - Sabato was the Twins top pick (27th overall) in 2020 out of North Carolina. While he hasn’t hit for average and he has struck out a ton, Sabato has shown his power when he has been healthy. Unfortunately, he missed time each of the past two seasons with wrist injuries. In 2023, he hit .221/.329/.430 with 19 doubles and 12 homers in 77 games. He played 18 games in the Arizona Fall League and hit .215 with three doubles and seven home runs (tied with Kala’i Rosario for league lead). Outfielders DaShawn Keirsey (26) - Drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 draft out of Utah, DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. has been healthy the last two seasons and shown what kind of player he can be. There was a lot of concern that the Twins might lose the athletic outfielder in the Rule 5 draft. He began the 2023 season with 91 games in Wichita. He hit .305/.363/.488 with 17 doubles, five triples, and 13 home runs. He moved up to Saint Paul and hit .264/.375/.364 with a double, three triples, and two home runs in 39 games. In total, he had 39 stolen bases in 44 attempts. Keirsey also plays tremendous outfield defense. He can play all three outfield positions, but he is legitimately the fastest player in the Twins organization and profiles well in center field. Utility Players Niko Goodrum (31) - The Twins drafted Niko Goodrum out of high school in Georgia in the second round of the 2010 draft. He slowly worked his way up the organizational ladder until September of 2017 when he was called up to the Twins. He had one hit in 18 plate appearances. After the season, he was DFAd. He signed with the Detroit Tigers and got the chance to play all over the diamond. In 131 games, he hit .245 with 29 doubles and 16 home runs. In 2019, he was their regular shortstop and hit .248 with 27 doubles and 12 homers in 112 games. He struggled and hit just .184 in the Covid-shortened 2020 season and hit .214 in 2021. He played in 15 games for the 2022 Astros. In 2023, he began the season with the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate before getting the opportunity to play in Korea for a couple of months. The Twins signed him early in the offseason, and the assumption is that he’ll play all over the field. Michael Helman (27) - Helman had a real breakout season in 2022. In 135 games, he hit .258/.337/.432 with 23 doubles, three triples and 20 home runs. He also was 40-for-45 in steal attempts. He earned an opportunity to go to big-league spring training. Unfortunately, he was hurt throughout camp. He got into some game with the Saints early in the season before he dislocated a shoulder and had to miss a couple more months. There’s little doubt he would have debuted at some point in 2023 if not for the injuries. Helman can play all three outfield spots well, and he can play all four infield spots. He even started out his college career as a catcher. Anthony Prato (25) - In 2019, Anthony Prato was the Twins seventh round pick out of UConn. His breakout came in 2022 at Cedar Rapids and carried over to his time with Wichita. 2023 was a tale of two seasons for Prato. He began with 43 games in Wichita. He hit .171 with five extra base hits. He had a .553 OPS. Almost inexplicably, he was promoted to St. Paul. In 72 Triple-A games, he hit .302/.452/.539 (.990) with 23 doubles, a triple, and 10 home runs. Yes, a .990 OPS! He can play all three infield positions and the corners in the outfield. Which of these players have a chance at an Opening Day roster spot? Which might we see at some point during the season? Other Minor-League Signings this offseason that did not receive a spring training invitation. Beau Burrows (27) - Beau Burrows is Back! Yes, that Beau Burrows, the former first round pick of the Tigers who pitched in five games for the 2021 Twins. Yes, the Beau Burrows who gave up 15 hits (5 Home Runs) and eight walks over 9 1/3 innings with the Twins. What has he been up to since then? In 2022, he went 8-6 with a 7.18 ERA with the Dodgers Triple-A club in Oklahoma City. In 2023, he pitched in 36 games (10 starts) for Gwinnett, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. He went 3-5 with a 5.67 ERA in 73 innings. A.J. Alexy (25) - AJ Alexy debuted with the Rangers as a 23-year-old in 2021. He went 3-1 in five games (4 starts). He pitched in four more games for the Rangers in 2022 but posted an 11.57 ERA in seven innings. Since then, he was DFAd and claimed by the Nationals. When the Nationals DFAd him a few weeks later, the Twins sent a DSL player to the Nationals to add Alexy. Three weeks later, the Twins DFAd Alexy, and he was claimed by the White Sox. He posted a 12.00 ERA in 16 games for Triple-A Charlotte before they released him. He ended his season with an 11.81 ERA in six games in the independent Atlantic League. The Twins still like his arm and signed him to a minor-league deal in mid-December. Hobie Harris (30) - Hobie Harris was drafted in the 31st round of the 2015 draft by the Yankees out of the University of Pittsburgh. He remained in the Yankees organization through the 2019 season, though he topped out at Double-A. He was the Rule 5 pick by the Blue Jays after that season. He didn’t pitch in 2020. He spent the 2021 season in the Toronto organization. In 2022, he posted a 2.04 ERA in 53 games with the Brewers Triple-A affiliate in Nashville. Last offseason, he signed with the Nationals and as a 29-year-old, he made the opening day roster. Jared Solomon (26) - Solomon was the Reds 11th round draft pick in 2017 out of Lackawanna College in Pennsylvania. In 2016, he had pitched in five games for the Randy Dobnak-led Alderson-Broaddus Battlers. He was added to the Reds’ 40-man roster after the 2020 season. Unfortunately, he missed the 2021 season following Tommy John surgery. He made his debut in May of 2022, and posted a 10.80 ERA over 8 1/3 innings over nine appearances. He was non-tendered, but he stayed with the Reds on a minor-league deal in 2023. However, he posted a 10.29 ERA over 26 relief appearances and 28 innings. He had 28 walks and 22 strikeouts. So, the Twins pitching development staff must see something of interest. Joe Gunkel (32) - Gunkel has had a long and winding road in baseball that has brought him to the Twins this spring. Originally the Red Sox 18th round pick in 2013 out of West Chester University in Pennsylvania. He spent time with the Sox, Orioles, Dodgers, and Marlins organizations. Following the 2019 season, he signed to play for Hanshin in Japan. In 2023, he pitched for Fukuoka Softbank. A strike thrower, he had just 12 walks and 66 strikeouts in 96 total innings pitched. Caleb Boushley (30) - Born in Hortonville, Wisconsin, Boushley went to UW-La Crosse. In 2017, he was the 33rd round pick of the Padres. Following the 2021 season, the Brewers claimed him off of waivers. In 2022, he went 12-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 25 starts at Triple-A Nashville. Things didn’t go as well in 2023. He made 26 starts and three relief appearances. He was 9-8 with a 5.11 ERA in 135 2/3 innings. However, Boushley received his first big-league promotion for the final series of the season. In a game against the Cubs, he came into the game with two outs in the eighth inning. He got that final out, and worked two more innings. He gave up just one run on one hit in 2 1/3 innings. He struck out five batters and was credited with the Win. No surprise to anyone that he was DFAd after the season but what a story. What a memory! He signed a minor-league deal with the Twins last month. Agustin Ruiz (24) - The Twins recently signed outfielder Agustin Ruiz on a minor-league deal. After spending over six years in the Padres organization, he spent 2023 with Binghamton, the Double-A affiliate of the Mets. In 105 games, he hit .203/.300/.401 with 15 doubles, two triples, and 18 home runs. There are a couple in this group that could be interesting as well. View full article

I'm not sure how to take that, but... HA! If that's the number, and I'm sure it's somewhere around that, they're down about $15M in revenue, so about $7.5 million in payroll... But until Friday, they didn't know what that number would be. If it had been like $20 million, that would have been like $20 million drop in payroll. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the Twins make 2-3 moves yet over the next 3-5 days.

The Twins are generally between 18-22 in revenues and between 16-22 in payroll. Other than that, payroll is what it is.

I do like the strategy of claiming big arms or guys with something to work on, and then claim more and DFA guys and hope that a few get through waivers and can stick in the organization. I do think Balazovic will be claimed, but we'll see.

Today, we step into the Top five in our Twins Daily prospect rankings, with a look at a pitcher whom Twins fans are likely to see pitching crucial innings in the second half of 2024. David Festa is our choice for the Twins' No. 5 prospect. Find out what makes him so exciting for fans and scouts alike. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge This is a hard-throwing starting pitcher with three pitches that may already be league-average or better. Provided he has a healthy and encouraging spring, he will also start the season with the Saints, just one call away from The Show. David Festa Age: 23 (DOB: 3/8/00) 2023 Stats (AA/AAA): 92 ⅓ IP, 4.19 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 11.6 K/9, 4.1 BB/9. ETA: 2024 2023 Ranking: 13 National Top 100 Rankings BA: NR | MLB: NR | ATH: NR | BP: NR One of the more exciting developments in the Minnesota Twins organization over the past half-dozen years is the player development department’s ability to boost velocity; add or subtract a pitch; and develop legitimate pitching prospects from Day 2 and Day 3 of the MLB Draft into ones with value commensurate to a typical Day 1 pick. Bailey Ober and Louie Varland are Day 3 pitchers who will be essential cogs in the Twins' pitching staff in 2024. Kody Funderburk, Brent Headrick, and Josh Winder should add depth to the bullpen. Fellow Top 30 Twins prospects like Cory Lewis, C.J. Culpepper, Zebby Matthews, Andrew Morris, and Pierson Ohl also fit that mold. In 2024, we should start seeing another example of great scouting and player development work. David Festa was the Twins' 13th-round pick in 2021, out of Seton Hall University. When drafted, he was working in the low 90s with his fastball. His pitch profile is much different today. What's to Like When you see Festa, especially on a mound, you see what scouts would like. Festa stands 6-foot-6, and he’s lean, not yet touching 200 pounds. He has long arms and gets really good extension. After sitting in the low 90s in college, Festa consistently sits 95-96 mph and touches 97-99 with his fastball. He also has a slider that he throws in the upper 80s, which can make right-handed batters look silly. An outstanding changeup that darts down and away from a left-handed batter rounds out his repertoire. So, that’s three MLB-quality pitches when he’s on, which is pretty exciting. In the Twins Player Development tweet below, check out his seven strikeouts. Against right-handers, they came with the slider. Against left-handers, you can really see how good his changeup can be. He was the Twins representative at the Futures Game last summer. He worked a scoreless inning. He got Justin Crawford and Jackson Merrill out. Victor Scott hit a single off of a 96.8 mph fastball. With two outs, Brewers top prospect Jackson Chourio came to the plate. He struck him out on three straight sliders between 88.4 and 89.6 mph. He threw nine fastballs that sat between 95.8 and 97.6. He threw six changeups between 87.7 mph and 89.5 mph. He threw four sliders. What's Left to Work On A quick look at his statistics shows that, after walking just 3.0 batters per nine innings between two levels in 2022, Festa walked 4.1 batters per nine innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023. Likely, that’s a case of the hitters in the upper levels not expanding the strike zone. Also, he had nine walks in 12 1/3 innings at Triple-A, but remember, they played with the electronic strike zone, which did not call a high strike. Other than control and command, it’s just about cleaning things up and gaining more consistency with each of his pitches. It’d be nice to make his slider a little more sharp or his changeup a bit more deceptive. And, if he were to be able to establish a fourth pitch (maybe a slower curveball in the low 80s with depth?). It doesn't have to even be a great pitch, just something for the batter to keep in the back of his mind. What's Next Assuming health, Festa will receive an invitation to big-league spring training. There, he will get a chance to work with Pete Maki and Luis Ramírez, while continuing to work with Saints pitching coach Peter Larson. With just over a dozen innings under his belt with St. Paul, Festa should begin the 2024 season with the Saints. He should continue to make starts and build up strength and stamina. While the odds of him making the Twins Opening Day roster are probably slim and none, the chance for him to be the first or second starter called up when they need an injury replacement or a spot starter is good. There is a very good chance that Festa will debut for the Twins in 2024. It’s a matter of continuing to progress and then getting an opportunity. A specific goal should be working more innings and building up his pitch and innings count. Assuming the Twins are competing for a division title again in 2024, Festa could be brought up as a late-inning, potentially dominant one or two-inning reliever (like Varland did in September 2023). What do you think of David Festa and his future? What excites you most about his potential, and what are your biggest concerns? Join the discussion and comment below. View full article