LA Vikes Fan

I don't disagree with you because of the last caveat - won't be with the team post July. There is a lot of speculation here about trading Lopez, Ryan, etc, in the off season. I think that's unlikely for the baseball reason that starting pitching is more valuable in trade at the deadline, and the business reason that the team needs something to sell tickets early. I think they wait until mid-season and, if the team isn't contending, major fire sale. Ober, on the other hand, I could see being traded if he can get us anything decent but that may be unlikely. Frankly, we're stuck with him unless we're willing to take a low minors prospect or mediocre reliever. By the way, I would take that roster, subtract Larnach, and add Laweryson and Ohl to two of the RH MR slots. Larnach's replacement is in the organization; we just don't know if it's Fedko for the RH bat and 1B flexibility, or if both Outman and Roden make the team. The younger guys like Gonzalez, Jenkins, or Emma, will start off in AAA for development and service time reasons, not up until mid-June at least unless there are injuries.

Agree. Funderburk is a lock for the 2026 bullpen, might even get closing opportunities if we can get another LH like Coulombe in the off season. What about Cody Laweryson? Small sample size for sure (5 app, 7.2, IP, 1.17 ERA, 0.53 WHIP), but he looked the part of a competent reliever, maybe even a late inning guy. That's a major step up for a guy who aa 27 year old afterthought going into this year. Also, Ohl's stats weren't great because of a couple of blow ups early, but he looked like a real potential bullpen option the last month.

This seems the most likely. Start him out as the AAA 1B and se if he can play the position. That may leave us with Clemens as the Opening Day 1B, which sucks, but has the best chance of working out in the long run. I'd like to see them also give Fedko a shot at 1B. Well, what I'd really like is for Naylor to be signed but at the $15m plus a year that Sportrac thinks he's worth, I don't see that happening. Same for Ryan O'Hearn at $11M plus.

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm with you with a couple exceptions. The Twins are desperate for BP help so I think they either pick up Topa's option or negotiate a contract with him for 2 years at a lower AAV. $2M is probably less than he's worth on the open market. I suspect that Vasquez may be back because of a lack of alternatives if he'll take the right number and I don't think that's such a bad thing. I also see Hatch and maybe Tonkin getting MiLB contracts with an invite to ST to try to make the team for the same reason. Larnach is the hard one. I think they'd like to trade him for a BP piece, but I don't think he gets that unless we attach a 10-20 prospect type. I also think he might sign a lower value deal than he'd get in arbitration if he can play 1B. Other than that, I think he's non-tendered and gone. He just isn't worth the roughly $4M he's predicted to get in arbitration.

Talk about a lose/lose trade - Stewart lasted 3.2 innings in LA, went on the IL, and is now having off season shoulder debridement surgery. His 37.2 IP in 2025 is the most he's pitched since 2017. C'mon guys, we know Stewart - 25-30 innings and his arm falls off. I live in LA and the word here is that the Dodgers got fleeced because they're desperate for BP help and Outman can return to his 2023 form. Both fan bases are smoking crack IMHO. I'll bet neither one is on a 40-man roster come December and it wouldn't surprise me if both go back to their old teams. Hey, we traded a breaking down reliever for a guy trying to reclaim lost form. Didn't work. Worth a shot.

I agree with some of this, but I just don't understand the idea that some seem to have here that you have to draft a pitcher for them to be part of a "pitching pipeline". Pitchers you acquire are just as much a part of any pipeline as pitchers you draft. This is baseball, not football. Players move around constantly far before they are ready for the Bigs, and identifying players that you can acquire by trading guys you drafted or acquired in other trades is just as much a part of your pipeline as players you've had since the draft. That's how Cleveland does it, that's how Tampa does it, that's how good teams acquire talent. I agree that Falvey has not been great in many ways but this FO gets the credit for adding Lopez, Ryan, Bradley, SWR, Abel, Rojas, etc. to our pipeline. To be fair, acquiring legitimate #1 and #2 starters for a one tool player whose one tool has fallen off and half of season of Nelson Cruz' dotage, and then signing Lopez for what is turning out to be an under market deal, is pretty impressive. I'm not thrilled with some of the more recent acquisitions but I will be proven wrong if the last month or two of SWR is real (acquired with next year's starting LF for a now high salaried guy who is #3 or #4 starter), Bradley becomes a solid #3/#4 starter (acquired for an older late inning reliever on the way down), and guys like Abel and Rojas pan out. I have lots of reasons not to like the Falvey front office but the idea that he hasn't improved the "pitching pipeline" just isn't fair. He has and pretty dramatically. Now if only they could identify hitting talent better, bail on guys who aren't improving, and get in some coaches who can teach fundamentals, we might have something.

Snitker, Bochy and Melvin are either too old for this stuff or too good to have to deal with it, really both. We aren't getting a guy like that. They want to win now a because their careers are or almost are over. Ideally, we want a guy who has some experience, can work with younger players, has a longer term career timeline, and has a long term vision. Hyde is a good thought for that. So are Derek Shelton and Skip Schumaker. That's the kind of guy we should be looking for IMHO.

I think you cannot promote from within when the team has underperformed for the last 2 years. I also think someone with no experience is a huge mistake. You can't teach younger players if you are learning on the job. I disagree that the team is a complete impediment for any experienced manager, but I do think it limits the pool to younger guys who are looking for that second chance rather than older cream of the crop types. By the way, that's not so bad because most managers and coaches do better the second time around because of their previous experience. I think they are going to try to hire a manager who got hyped in his first job but got fired there or someone coming back into the game after a hiatus. My money is on Derek Shelton, Brad Hyde, and Skip Schumaker, in that order. Shelton is familiar to Falvey, was bench coach when the team was good in 2018 and 19, and really had little to work with in Pittsburg. Hyde was the flavor of the month managing Baltimore and probably should have been retained there. I think he's be the best choice but has no ties to MN and the Texas and SF jobs are open. Schumaker would be a good choice IMHO but he's the kind of guy SF would try to hire. Joe Maddon would be fun but he and Falvey would not be a good match so I don't see it happening.

Couldn't agree more, Markdumont25. You have to separate Falvey from Baldelli, from ownership. You can want all 3 to be fired or sell the team but you still have to look at them individually. Baldelli isn't being blamed for mistakes by or the fault of others while doing a great job on his own. That's what a scapegoat is. He hasn't gotten the team to a record equivalent to its talent level the last 2 years, the minimum standard for a manager, much less elevated the team above its talent level. He not only didn't get performance out of most of his players, his in game management was mediocre, he didn't change tactics to fit his personnel until the end, and his teams didn't get better over time. I absolutely think Falvey/Levine/Zoll deserve some blame too but that doesn't excuse the team's on field performance. I've been one of Baldelli's defenders here until this season, and I think he is a good guy who might be a better manager in his next managing job a few years hence, but he didn't do a good job these last 2 years. It was time for him to go. I do agree Cody that this firing and the lack of a sale changes the narrative a little. Now it's not a "start over with a whole new slate", it's "we can compete wiht the right changes and the right voice". Falvey and Zoll have to know that they're next if the team stumbles out of the gate is rapidly sinking by June and July like this year. Maybe that means Lopez and Ryan stay because without them, this is a 65-70 win team. Is it an 80-85 win team with them? Probably not although a girl can dream that a new voice in the clubhouse will have a big impact. It will be very interesting to see how that new voice is. My money is on Shelton, Brandon Hyde, or Skip Schumaker, in that order.

Good job getting this out before Rocco got fired today. Be honest, did you have inside information?

I don't think Falvey will get fired so I'm hoping he will get out of baseball operations and be ST. Peter running the business. I don't know that Zoll will be better but at least he's different.

I live in LA and you are soooo right.

Agreed. I've been a Rocco defender but this is the right move. Look, a a manger's job is to at least win at the talent level of the players he's given. It would be great to elevate that level, but the minimum is to meet that level. Rocco didn't meet that standard last year and he didn't through July of this year. Add to that, his sweet spot is managing a veteran team not managing a team of developing younger players. I like the guy and felt like he got a raw deal from ownership, but he just get the most of what he was given and he's the wrong guy for where this team is headed. It was time.

I think you have all of these right. I would write Laweryson's name on the 26 man in the BP in pen, at least to start the season. Guys with a 1.17 ERA and 0.52 WHIP get a shot, even if the stats are in an incredibly small sample size of 7.2 innings. I expect Roden to get a spot out of ST if he performs there and probably as the starting RF/backup CF with Wallner as the DH and Larnach gone. Roden tore up AAA the last 2 years and now is his shot before Jenkins, Gonzalez, and Emma get theirs. Ohl probably gets a BP spot unless they bring in 3 or more BP guys and/or convert starters. More likely, Ohl is in the bullpen on Opening Day. I also kind of like Hatch. He started off great and then collapsed so I wouldn't be surprised if he was left of the 40 man and gets a MiLB contract with an invite to ST to compete for a BP spot.

Agreed. I hope we keep Pablo, Ryan, and Ober for next year. There's no reason to trade Ryan or Ober. They are vastly underpaid because they haven't reached free agency. I would only trade Ryan for a cost-controlled middle of the order bat like Jarren Duran, and I just don't see that happening. Ober has no value after this year. I see Buxton, Jeffers, Pablo, Ryan, Ober, Sands, Topa, Lee, Lewis, and one of Wallner or Larnach returning on the veteran side. I could really see Vasquez back as the #2 catcher; the starters sure looked a lot better the last week when he and Jeffers were back. I agree that Fitzgerald may make sense as the 25th/26th man utility IF. We don't have anybody else and why go out and pay for a IKF type. I'd love to see them get Castro back as a UTL to give us a dependable backup for Lewis, Keaschall and a 5th/6th OF. He stunk in Chicago and I think he may want back to MN where he played better and might be willing to come back for less than the $6M everyone thought he would get in arbitration. Is Clemens the 1B? I could see him there in a position share with Kyler Fedko. There's plenty of room for the younger guys like Martin, Roden, Laweryson, Ohl, and Fedko to start out with, and room for Jenkins, Culpeper and Gonzalez when they're ready. Let's lean into a youth movement and take our lumps early, not add in mediocre vets in the hope of squeezing out 3-4 more wins.

You may be right, but I hope not. I'm not sure the catching situation is the litmus test given that Preda is a 29 year old career minor leaguer who will be 30 in April. Choosing him would be akin to choosing to play Outman and Fitzgerald a lot with the idea that they would be big contributors next year. The main reason we haven't promoted a young catcher is we don't have one ready to promote. You absolutely right about the off season. The team will have failed if we sign a bunch of Ty France or IKF types to play a lot. If we're going youth, go youth wherever you can while keeping a few vets to build around. Keep Buxton, Pablo, Ryan, Ober, Jeffers, Sands, and (probably) Topa, and then add 1 or 2 veteran relievers. Go young everywhere else you can. Promote Roden and play him and Martin most every day until they show they can't cut it. Martin's .282/.374/.365(.739) slash line in his first real taste of starting in MLB, along with his improving defense, sure makes it look like he can be one of the top 4 OFs on a good team. Give Roden the same shot - the man hit .321/.423/.556 in AAA in 2025, after having an .916 OPS in AAA in 2024, and he can play a passable CF behind Buxton so we don't have to keep guys we know can't hit like Kiersey and Outman as more than AAA depth. Promote Jenkins and Gonzalez early; they've earned it, especially Gonzalez. Give Fedko a real shot in ST to win the RH hitting 1B/OF job and play him with Clemens at 1B (Clemens only because we don't have anyone else unless Wallner or LArnach moves to 1B). If you're going to keep vets like Outman and Fitzgerald, they ride the bench until someone at AAA is ready like Eeles, Culpeper, Jenkins or Gonzalez, and then they are gone. Let's lean into rebuilding with youth and creating a new core. Let's not go half-assed about it. I do think Catcher may be the one exception after watching the starting pitching dramatically improve the second Vasquez and Jeffers came back. It may just be that we were playing scrub lineups or teams that didn't care he last week, but you have to notice that Vasquez comes back and we get 6 quality starts in row with him behind the plate for 4 of them, including Ryan and Matthews' best starts in a month. Coincidence? Timing? Maybe, but it may be that he has that effect on pitchers. I've read that Ryan really likes pitching to him; might be an incentive for Ryan to stick around with a good attitude. I expect Vasquez back next year on a one-year deal, and that he and Jeffers will be the catching tandem again in 2026. I just hope Vasquez can hit .210 with an over .600 OPS. Hell, at .225 with a .650 OPS he's a solid backup.

I agree. While I get and somewhat share the angst over the lineup, that ain’t the reason we’ve stunk since August 1. The bullpen has been awful. I didn’t do research but it’s my sense that with an above average bullpen, we’d be a roughly .500 team since the break. That’s why the BP construction is important. If we can get back to a good bullpen, and Pablo pitches all year, we have a decent team. Add 1 or 2 hitters through guys like Jenkins or Roden taking off or even full season improved hitting from Lewis, Martin ( just make next year look like September for him), or even Wallner or Lee, and you have an interesting team. But nothing kills a team faster than a bad bullpen and that has to be fixed for this team to have any kind of a chance.

I think that’s at least starting to happen. I expect Keaschall, Lee, Martin, and Roden to all be in the bigs most of next year. Fedko, Ohl, Adams, and Matthews all have a real chance to do the same and I expect Jenkins and Culpeper to be up by July. Rodriguez and Gonzalez also have a shot. I wish we had more particularly at SS and C.

By the way, Brock Stewart is undergoing season ending shoulder debridement surgery. I think he’s pitched 4 innings for the Dodgers. Kind of explains why we don’t get much for him. More importantly, it now seems unlikely that he’ll be on the 40 man there so he might be available for next year.

Love the aggression and I think it helps the hitter too by distracting the pitcher and changing pitch sequencing to slow down the running game. I know we're still losing a lot but we all know why that is - one of the worst bullpens in baseball since the trade deadline. Amazingly enough when the bullpen performs well we win more. his aggressive style is the only way we can generate enough offense so I hope it continues into 2026.

I hear the chorus of "Pohlad won't spend the money to pay a real closer/quality reliever". That may be correct. I went to Sportrac to see what they project as the "value" of some guys on a new contract. I then limited it to guys under $8M so no Ryan Helsley ($13.3M), Kenley Jansen ($13.4M), or even Emilio Pagan ($12.1M!). By the way, they have Paddack listed as a reliever at $10.4M. What do you think the odds are that the Twins would pay these annual "values" on a 2 or 3 year deal: Devin Williams - $6.25M Phil Maton - $6.95M Matt Strahm - $6.1M Jake Junis - $3.9M Taylor Rogers - $3.5M (his brother Tyler is $11.5M) Danny Coulombe - $4.3M Justin Topa - $3.9M (makes that $2M option an easy call if that's right). They don't include players that are pre-arb or subject to arbitration, so no mention of Stewart. Two conclusions. First, tough pricing for those of us shopping in the bargain aisle although older guys like Coulombe or Rogers might be available for less on a one year deal. Second, a "real" reliever that would could make into a closer is going to be $6-8M minimum. I say we add one decent reliever, plus Danny Coulombe if we can get him. I would investigate Williams, Maton, and Rogers, but I don't think we will get them because of the price and their desire to play for a contender at this stage of their careers unless Williams is willing to take a 1 year pillow deal to rebuild his value. I'd love to see us trade Larnach for a decent middle inning reliever, or even add a real 10-20 prospect with him to get a good late inning arm. Other than that, it's all internal. Topa stays for $2M, and he plus Sands and any acquisitions are the veterans. Funderburk stays, and I think Laweryson has shown enough to get a spot unless he tanks in ST. I would absolutely put Festa in the BP to start the season given his shoulder issues. After that its a battle between Ohl, Adams, Hatch, a failed starter like Raya, whoever loses the 4/5 starter battle between SWR, Bradley, and Matthews, and whoever we can sign or pick up. My guess is Topa, Sands, Funderburk, Laweryson, FA/trade acquisition (Stewart or Stewart like guy), Coulombe, Ohl, and Festa are the opening day BP. IF we don't get 2 external guys whoever loses the battle to get the 4 and 5 starting spots is next. If we do, that goes goes to AAA to start the season. Adams is next to fill things out.

I like the idea of 2 of Williams, Maton, Coulombe, and Stewart. Williams or Maton can close if we can get one of them, We need 2 FA bullpen pieces and I like those 4 the best . . . in our price range.

I think Fedko has played a little 1B. Fangraphs says 13 games in AA and 7 games in AAA out of what looks like about 140 games in the field. Not a lot, but some. I think he should really work on playing some 1B in the off season. He has a better shot to make the team as part of a 1B platoon with Clemens in 2026 and as the 5th OF than just as an OF, unless the Twins spring for a vet to man 1B next year.

While I would love to see a quality FA pickup to play 1B, I just don't see it happening. I don't think the Twins want to overpay and I think any FA will require an overpay to come to MN after this last year. I think we will see a couple of FA signings over the winter for the bullpen, a trade of Larnach maybe with an A ball type for for a BP piece and that will be it. I also think they will wait until the deadline to shop Lopez, Ryan, or Ober both to maximize first half attendance and to maximize prospect return. They only get traded in the offseason if they can fetch an already ready/established MLB bat and I just don't see any of them getting that level of return, so I don't see that coming together. In other words, a very quiet off season again. With those assumptions, here's my prediction: OF - Buxton, Martin, Wallner, backed up by 2 of Outman, Fedko, Roden, and Emma. They got Outman because they want a "true" CF as a backup so he has a leg up. Fedko and Roden before Jenkins and Gonzalez because of age - Fedko and Roden are both 26 next year and Fedko is a RH hitter who can play 1B. Roden because he tore up AAA already and he's 26 in March, so it's now or never. They can get another year of control over Emma (age 22), Jenkins (age 20) and Gonzalez (age 21) by waiting 6 weeks and they need to see what the other 2 can do, so that's got to be the order. I would love to see them DFA Outman and make him AAA depth and keep both Roden and Fedko. I think Wallner stays in the OF although I would at least see if he can play 1B. My goal would be Roden (he's the backup CF) and Fedko as the backup OFs so I'm going to go with them. IF - Lewis, Lee, Keaschall, Clemens, and 2 of Sabato, Fitzgerald, Julien, or a FA like IKF, Luis Rengifo or even Willie Castro so they have a backup SS. Clemens gets the first shot at 1B in a semi-platoon with Fedko in the hope he can raise his BA to .240-.260 from .220 and his OBP from .280 to 300-.320 and still hit 20-25 HRs. He's an average stop gap if he can. I am intrigued with Castro returning since he has really stunk in Chicago (.175/.252/.247(.499)) so he won't be expensive and may actually want to come back to where he was better. My best guess is one would be Fitzgerald so we have a real backup SS and he is hitting .222/.317/.472 (.789), better lately but in a very small sample size. Lee is the SS until someone else like Culpeper or Houston is ready. I'm going with Castro at around $3-4m as the other since Fedko can play 1B and Castro can also play in the OF, and he can run so he fits the new stolen base philosophy. C- Jeffers and Vasquez back for $2-3m in a 65/35 split. The pitchers like Vasquez and it's a way to keep guys like Ryan a little happier while they are still around. Pereda in AAA as the depth. Nothing changes until one of the young guys is ready in 2027 (if we're lucky), Rotation - No real changes at the front 4 - Lopez, Ryan, Ober and SWR, who's earned it with this run in the last quarter of the season. Preview of the bullpen, either Matthews or Bradley goes there, I say Bradley with Matthews as the 5th starter. Bradley, Abel, and Rojas all get starts during the year. Bullpen - Sands, Topa (exercise cheapish $2m option), Funderburk, Laweryson, Adams, Ohl, LH RP acquired for Larnach or Danny Coulombe, Bradley. Sands starts out as the closer, Bradley is a piggyback6th starter type behind SWR and Matthews mostly to stay somewhat stretched out. The BP will be a work in progress for most of the year. I expect Trent Baker, Andrew Morris, Mike Peredes, and Anthony Misiewiesz to all get shots during the year. I think they will keep Prielipp and Raya in the AAA rotation to start with. Gone and off the 40 man or on an MiLB contract - Miranda, Julien, Keirsey, Cabrera, Hatch, Tonkin. Outman (maybe). There you have it. A team from what we now have with a really 2 additions - Willie Castro and either Coulombe or someone we get in a trade of Larnach. Roster out of ST: OF (5) - Buxton, Martin, Wallner, Roden. Fedko. IF (6) - Lewis, Lee, Keaschall, Clemens, Castro, Fitzgerald, with Fedko also seeing time at 1B. C (2) - Jeffers. Vasquez. Rotation (5) - Lopez, Ryan, Ober, SWR, Matthews. BP (8) - Sands, Bradley, Topa, Funderburk, Laweryson, Adams, Ohl, Coulombe or guy we get trading Larnach. Batting Order - Martin (LF), Keaschall (2B), Buxton (CF), Jeffers (C), Wallner (RF), Lewis (3B), Clemens/Fedko (1B), Lee (SS), Roden/Fedko/Castro/Vasquez/Fitzgerald (DH or playing for someone else who is the DH). Payroll -Total is $95-100M, $90M plus the two additions in Castro and either Coulombe or the guy we get for Larnach. This includes the $10m we are paying Houston to take Correa. Record - If the starting pitching stays healthy and productive and the bullpen is average or better, around .500, 77-83 wins. If the rotation or bullpen collapses, 70-75 wins. If the starting pitching is better than average and the bullpen hoslds up, AND we find 2 more 110+ OPS hitters on offense from Roden, Fedko, Lee, and Clemens, or 2 of Lewis, Kesachall, and Martin are 125 OPS+ or better hitters and become true middle of the order bats, 84-89 wins. Good times.

I don't like this but I wouldn't be surprised if it happens. Jeffers the primary catcher in a 65/35 with Vasquez catching the 35, and Jeffers the DH 15-20% of the time.