MTV

I see some senses of why they signed him, he plays good defense and has more versatility than other LH hitters, he can be a backup CF/1B if we need him to be. Along with that, he is as comparable to Matt Wallner as it gets, and can be a placeholder/backup if Larnach and Kirilloff get injured. Plus if they can regain his pre-all star 2021 form he could be a serious trade chip come the deadline

Trade for both Devers and Sale. Have the Red Sox eat a portion of Sale’s Salary, plus you shouldn’t need to send a top-tier trade package that way. Devers slots in at 3rd for a year and you hope Sale Rebounds while still having money for either Swanson/Rodon

Pivot heavily towards the pitching staff. it’s why the team failed in 2023. Duran-Lopez-Thielbar-Alcala-Jax-Moran is a good combo, add another high-end guy in there and that’s a very good bullpen. As for the Rotation, Maeda should be Long-Relief, Ryan/Mahle/Ober should be the 3/4/5, go get an Ace and a #2. Use Sonny Gray, Luis Arraez, Max Kepler and Emilio Pagan as trade chips for high-end starters, Arraez to Miami for Lopez seems like a good deal. You don’t necessarily NEED to trade Gray, but he’ll offer the best return from any of our starters (I’m not moving Ryan/Ober or Prospects) and I’d prefer Rodon/Lopez as a 1/2 in the rotation to Gray and someone else. Also I think you have to either Sign Dansby or Trade for Willy Adames, both play a good SS and provide power and run support. That’s something I saw with Correa: he put up good numbers because he’d walk/single with 2 outs and we would do anything about it. Swanson/Adames offer more boom and RBI potential than Correa, even though they have weaker peripherals. This team overall needs more POP and Less contact, it’s why the Bomba Squad was so good in 2019, and why Arraez is an okay trade piece. Plus, All 5 of Lee/Lewis/E. Rod/Martin/Julien keep a high average or OBP, and can be the future 1/2 spots in the lineup.

I’m…lost. Idk where the Twins move from this, you needed a high-end SS to bat 3rd in your lineup, and they swung and missed on Correa, Bogaerts and Turner. To be fair, the deals they sign were seemingly ludicrous, and I don’t blame the FO for not spending $280m+ on a single player (especially for those years oh my god). This team is gonna need leadership, and an Injury-Prone Buxton ain’t gonna do it. Now the question just sinks in: where now?

For me, it’s not about finding a team that will take him, but rather what team will put up a strong return. I tried a couple fits, but I found the White Sox as the best option. They need a lefty outfielder with good defense, and have a surplus of solid relievers. So my idea was Max Kepler to the White Sox for Reynaldo Lopez: Lopez is a bad starter turned high-end reliever, and will only cost the twins $3 million for a year of control. He fits the trade simulation too.

I think he was the best get from the FA class, the Twins get his age 32-34 seasons at a reasonable price. I think this will be similar to the Jason Castro signing a few years back, a strong Veteran catcher with passable offense and strong defense and leadership. Great move by the FO.

The Total sat at 39, Vazquez signing didn’t force anyone out.

Offense: Kirilloff, Larnach, Miranda. Hopefully Paparesta keeps these 3 on the field all year, because when healthy they can create a serious 4-6 in the batting order. If Miranda chases less and plays more like his June-August self he could be a offensive machine. Pitching: Ober, Varland, Moran. Ober and Varland look like seriously good starters for the future, just limit the long-ball for Ober and give some experience to Varland this year. Moran quietly was a very good reliever last year and should be another factor in our bullpen. I also really hope Celestino can be a league-average hitter and run better, we need him to step-up as Buck’s backup.

Him and SWR are exactly why I’m not concerned with starting pitcher depth this off-season.

I think Arraez peaked this year, but will still be good for the next few years. His hit tool strikeout/walk ratio will likely stick with him for a while. However, his defense is shaky, his main 3 positions (1B, 2B, DH) are filled by younger players with better defense, more control, and higher ceilings (Miranda, Kirilloff, Polanco), and his knees are weak from injuries. He will likely bat .300 and still be a tough out but won’t get much better. With players like Edouard Julien, Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee on their way up this seems like a good time to send him off. Trade him in a package to Miami for Pablo Lopez and Joey Wendle, Lopez gets you an Ace (who is harder to find/pay than Arraez) and Joey Wendle, the player most similar to Arraez (lefty utility infielder who hits for average, tough out) while Wendle can fill the hole at 3B and provide good defense on the left side of the infield, where the twins need more depth. This also allows Kirilloff and Miranda to hold down 1st more confidently and there not be a log jam at the position, and opens room for future prospects.

Ronny Henriquez should be a depth option, he’s a good piece but shouldn’t be looked at to start opening day. Last year was proof this team needs a serious amount of depth, and Henriquez could easily provide in that position. I think he’ll get his shot in 2023, just not immediately, and that’s okay.

To be fair, Dickey wasn’t successful in the majors until almost a decade after his debut.

Buxton—Keep, try to use him as much as possible Celestino—start in the minors, he has options and his bat/baserunning skills need tweaking Contreras—either option or release, he doesn’t look good enough at the majors to be on the 40-man Garlick—either trade or start in the minors, he should be a depth option or a small piece for a return Gordon—looks like the Utility Player for 2023, start him on the bench opening day Kepler—Trade off, his contract is too much and there are too many in-house options. Kirilloff—use sort of as a utility, bounce him between left, right and first Larnach—trade; he’s got a lot of potential but Kirilloff and Wallner look better, and Larnach looks somewhat obsolete. You could get a serious return if you shipped him off. Wallner—keep, but start in AAA. Having 2 serious Minor-league options in Wallner and Celestino will seriously help this team stay successful, and if you don’t have as many injuries trade off someone. To Recap: Majors: Buxton, Gordon, Kirilloff Trade: Garlick, Kepler, Larnach Minors: Wallner, Celestino, Contreras this leaves holes to fill, but this front office seems capable of filling holes correctly.

I think the Twins will get an Ace this off-season, but I think it’s gonna be Via trade rather than by signing a Top-End Free Agent. Tyler Glasnow, Shane Bieber, Pablo Lopez and Chris Sale all look like they could head to Minnesota, and I think we have the ability if we trade some major league talent. This team already has a strong 5-man: Gray, Ryan, Mahle, Ober, Maeda while Winder, SWR and Varland all look Major-League capable. All this rotation needs is a cherry on top…and to be healthy.

Use Opt-outs, differed money and Incentives to bring him in. $32, $32, $32, $32, $32, $30 Player Option w/ $5m Buyout, $30, $25m Player Option w/ $5m Buyout, $20, $21. Differed 5yr/$40m to 2036-2040, taken off of back-half of contract. $3m MVP Escalator Incentive, $1m Incentive for Gold Glove, $100k Incentive for a Post-season series MVP. That’s a 10yr/$326m Contract with Incentives to boot. I think 326 is a perfect number for Correa because he beats Seager’s contract.

I really want Abreu in the Minnesota Lineup, but I don’t see it happening without trading away a different 1B. Arraez is most likely to be traded but he shouldn’t in the slightest, Miranda could be the next Abreu and Kirilloff looks the most fit for First if his Wrist heals up. Chase after Xander Bogaerts, he’s got an Impressive RBI count and his offensive production has stayed consistent for 5 years now, and fills a position where you need an everyday guy for at least a year.

Yes, there will be a solid reliance on Maeda, Mahle and Ober. But I doubt all 3 of these pitchers will be as injured as last year, plus Louie Varland and SWR are major-league ready if any of that group underperforms. Get an Ace who can Pitch 200 Innings and that’s all you need for starters.

This is a big issue that hasn’t really been talked about, as it stands the Twins don’t have a ton of impact bats, especially RBI hitters. Here’s how the lineup looks as of right now: (btw I guarantee we trade Kepler, so im not counting him) 1. Buxton, CF 2. Arraez, 1B 3. - 4. Miranda, DH 5. Polanco, 2B 6. Kirilloff, LF 7. Larnach, RF 8. - 9. Jeffers, C Bench: 1. Gordon, Farmer, Garlick, Backup Catcher to be named (Celestino and Wallner are in the minors) Larnach and Kirilloff could be huge but aren’t proven and while I think Miranda will be very good I don’t think he’ll hit 30 Home Runs and Drive in 100 RBIs this year, so an Improvement as a 4th batter would be nice. To be fair, I would like them to get a very good pitching staff and rock-solid bullpen before this and deal with impact bats at the deadline, but power hitters would still be nice. The twins had awful Slugging %’s last year, let’s improve on that.

I would be all for an Arraez extension, he’s a great top of the lineup hitter. My real question is whether he stays at first, which seemed to work in 2022, or if Miranda or Kirilloff (hopefully the latter) replaced him as a mainstay at a position. If I were the Twins, I would see another year of these 3 to see if he gets an extension at all. Along with that, Arraez’s high-average bat is very valuable, but if Lewis, Lee and Martin all come out as High-average/OBP options then he becomes more expendable in that regard as well.

7 Starters, 6 on the opening day rotation barring injury. Varland and Woods-Richardson wait in the ranks, along with Balazovic if he can rebound. I think that list should be enough for 2023, at least until the all-star break. I would like to see them sign Rodon or trade for an Ace, probably using Ober or Winder in a package.

Farmer will likely be a utility infielder in 2023, he’ll mash lefties but will likely need to show he’s worth a pay raise for 2024 if the Twins want to hold him until free Agency.

It doesn’t really make sense for either side, but I see a $2 million minor league deal possibly being sent to Sano. If we were as injured as last year he wouldn’t be a bad depth option.

Kyle Farmer is the Infield version of Kyle Garlick. Look at his splits vs. Pitchers, he posted a .611 OPS vs. Righties and a .948 OPS against Lefties In 2022. Now the Twins need to chase someone who crushes Righties at Third/Short and you’ve got a serious Platoon option at those positions.

Renfroe is the perfect low-risk high-reward pick. People will complain about his defense but Garlick’s isn’t much better, plus Wallner is going to be up early in the year and will make up for Renfroe’s defense. He can be an impact bat batting 4/5/6 and for around $10-11 million on a one year deal that sounds good, he also won’t cost much to trade for

Move #1: Non-Tender Emilio Pagan and Waiver Mark Contreras this clears up space on the 40-man roster, Pagan isn’t consistent enough and Contreras is awful with the bat, but I could see him returning. 40-man Total: 38 Move #2: Trade Max Kepler to the Kansas City Royals for Adalberto Mondesi and Luca Tresh The Royals need more outfielders and like high-quality defense, which they will find in Kepler. With Bobby Witt, Nicky Lopez and Nick Pratto covering second, third, and Short Mondesi becomes expendable, and fills a backup infielder role in Minnesota. Tresh is a Catching Prospect who ended his year in AA, and is KC’s 15th ranked prospect. He adds at least one top 30 Catcher to the Twin’s Farm System. 40-Man total: 38 Move #3: Sign C Christian Vasquez to a 2-year, $14 million deal ($6.5, $6.5, $7m Club Option w/ $1m buyout) Vasquez provides veteran leadership and a serviceable bat to Platoon with Jeffers for the next 2-3 years. 40-Man Total: 39 Move #4: Trade Trevor Larnach, Josh Winder and Steven Cruz to the Tampa Bay Rays for Tyler Glasnow and Nick Bitsko yes, this does look exactly like the Chris Archer Trade. I think Glasnow is a different case however, as when he’s healthy he could be in contention for a Cy Young award easily, look at 2019 and 2021. His $30m Guaranteed over the next 2 years makes his contract shaky, but manageable. It also is why I threw Nick Bitsko in, so it’s not all just Glasnow. Larnach and Winder have potential but are inconsistent and injury-prone, while Cruz can throw 100 with control issues. A work in progress that Tampa is okay with taking on. 40-Man Total: 38 Move #5: Trade Kyle Garlick, Edouard Julien, Tanner Schobel and Brayan Medina to the San Francisco Giants for Tyler Rogers, Austin Slater and Sean Hjelle. Might take a bit to explain this one. Slater is actually my main target for this one, providing above-average offense and an ability to capably play all 3 outfield spots. Rogers is key for my next move, and adds more quality to the bullpen at a low price. Hjelle I just like, he’s a Minnesota Native and the Twins have fixed taller players before (Ober). As for the return, San Fran loves platoons and needs a righty in the outfield, Garlick is the perfect fit. Julien becomes their 2B of the future, while Schobel and Medina they need to figure out (This is the deal I’m most shaky on for the return). 40-Man Total: 39 Move #6: Sign Taylor Rogers to a 3-year, $24 million deal ($7, $8, $8, $9m Club Option w/ $1m Buyout) The Twins could always use bullpen help, and Rogers would be a welcome addition to help shut down the 8th/9th. 40-Man Total: 40 Move #7: Twins Acquire Hunter Renfroe and James Wood for Jordan Balazovic and Trevor Megill. Renfore replaces both Kepler and Garlick, providing Lefty-Mashing from the middle of the lineup for a season before Wallner gets called up. Balazovic and Megill will likely become great with the Brewers somehow, but that’s alright. 40-Man Total: 39 Final Move: Sign SS Xander Bogaerts to a 7-year, $200 Million deal ($25, $30, $30, $30, $30, $28, $27) The Twins get their High-end Shortstop and 3rd Batter, Bogaerts holds down Short for 2 years and then transfers to Second Eventually. 40-Man Total: 40 Minor move elsewhere: Sign Zack Collins to a 1-year, $700 thousand minor league deal Other Notes: Jovani Moran, Gilberto Celestino, and Zack Collins all begin season at Saint Paul, all on $700k Salaries, raising the total to $139.5m. C: Christian Vasquez ($6.50M) 1B: Luis Arraez ($4.63M) 2B: Jorge Polanco ($7.50M) 3B: Gio Urshela ($8.67M) SS: Xander Bogaerts ($25.00M) LF: Alex Kirilloff ($0.70M) CF: Byron Buxton ($15.00M) RF: Hunter Renfroe ($10.80M) DH: Jose Miranda ($0.70M) 4th OF: Austin Slater ($2.70M) Utility: Adalberto Mondesi ($3.00M) Utility: Nick Gordon ($0.70M) Backup C: Ryan Jeffers ($0.70M) SP1: Tyler Glasnow ($5.35M) SP2: Sonny Gray ($12.70M) SP3: Joe Ryan ($0.70M) SP4: Tyler Mahle ($7.18M) SP5: Bailey Ober ($0.70M) RP: Jhoan Duran ($0.70M) RP: Jorge Lopez ($3.10M) RP: Griffin Jax ($0.70M) RP: Jorge Alcala ($0.80M) RP: Caleb Thielbar ($2.25M) RP: Taylor Rogers ($7.00M) RP: Tyler Rogers ($2.00M) RP: Kenta Maeda ($3.12M) Payroll is 5.07% under budget