JD-TWINS

Not sure how Bean can disagree with your comments? Prielipp threw 83 innings last year, as you stated, and that was as what he describes as a “healthy starter”. He threw 7 innings in College in ‘21 & zero innings in ‘22. Then he bounced back to throw 6 2/3 in ‘23 and 23 1/3 in ‘24. He’s essentially the definition of a guy that needs to have innings monitored and be handled with kid gloves. I think he should be a reliever in ‘26 to monitor innings more easily/effectively and get most value, but I’m a fan and it doesn’t matter what I think. Whether a starter or a reliever or some combination, I cannot see any scenario that Prielipp throws more than 110-120 innings in ‘26.

70-80 mostly effective innings from the PEN, regardless of 7th/8th/9th innings, is a nice spot for him.

Don’t see too many guys go more than an inning at a time and be able to pitch 3X per week. 24 weeks x 3 outings per week is 72 innings of close to Max Effort each time. This, to me, seems to be a good maximum goal.

I see somebody in the analytics gang didn’t like Festa’s stuff/chances in the PEN…… a .118BA against first time through the line-up, over 206 AB’s, that works for me in ONE inning outings!

Career ERA for Littell is 3.88 …… Career ERA for Lopez is 3.81

To me, my opinion, Giolito is as fragile or more-so than Pablo after missing all of ‘24. His health history, from memory, isn’t great either. …….. I looked and prior to ‘24 he WAS pretty durable…….4.30 career ERA though. Zack Littell for 2 years at $18-$21M total is probably realistic. He threw 186 innings in ‘26. His career ERA is 3.88 ……… Pablo’s career ERA is 3.81. Not even remotely trying to say Littell is as effective as Lopez but facts are facts. ……..to me, he’s a better value than Giolito as the same money gets 2 years of Littell v. one of Giolito.

Johan Santana pitched in relief 25 - 11 - 13 - 27 games in his first 4 seasons………he started a handful of games in a couple seasons and 10 or so in the other two seasons. He shifted to “full time starter” while in his 5th season………he then finished 3rd twice and 5th once in Cy Young voting ……….. as well as Winning the Award twice. Starting out in the PEN is not a sentence for one’s entire career.

1.51 WHIP in ‘25. PEN to Starter: Crochet in past 2 years - Johann Santana did OK too after 2 1/2 yrs in the PEN. Career innings pitched Professionally since 2020 by year: 21 - 7.2 - zero - 6.2 - 23.1 - 82.2……….I can’t imagine how anyone doesn’t think his innings need to be monitored in ‘26? Seems easy to execute an innings plan, while contributing, from the PEN. Can’t run a professional sports franchise based on “fan opinions” about the upcoming season.

…….and oh what a Merry Christmas it would be!

Johan Santana pitched from PEN most of his first 3 seasons …… younger, but still was a reliever and won 2 Cy Young’s. Not comparing talent but many, many guys have started in relief roles and become viable starters eventually. He had a 1.51 WHIP in ‘25 …….. he’s not that obviously special. Let him try to contribute to the “competitiveness” the Club wants to pursue from the PEN in ‘26.

Probably because Zebby & Festa aren’t real rotation answers and Rojas is a year away…… that leaves Bradley & Abel …… & after Pablo left with Elbow Soreness yesterday…… Abel & Bradley may both be IN the rotation in 6 weeks.

Do not see that as an option???

Again, Outman was a flier - maybe he comes in and starts to look more like ROY candidate from 2023………..hasn’t happened. Depth for Buxton for days off. Roden tore up AAA for a couple years but didn’t show much in his time with Twins & hurt as well. Again, Rojas was the central figure in this trade with Toronto …… if Roden forces his way onto the roster, great! Mendez is 22 through the season and doesn’t really relate to one more year of Larnach. AA is highest level to date. Also, potential CF depth at some point. Jenkins is still on the young man’s development path. Gonzalez hits RH. Rodriguez has shown year after year that the Team can’t count on him being available due to multiple health issues. A relatively inexpensive “known” in Larnach trumps a bunch of maybes. He’ll DH 80% of his starts. Can always shift things during the season. EVERYONE is blocked until one beats somebody out with performance!

I know of Outman & Roden …… not sure who the 3rd OF guy “brought in” is? DFAing Outman and keeping Roden in AAA or as the LF while Larnach is the DH v. RH pitching is a solution that’s likely. If Rodriguez or Jenkins or Gonzalez hits their way onto the 26-man, great. Worrying about “blocking Roden &/or Outman” isn’t a real concern for the organization. Outman was a flier trade for the oft injured Brock Stewart…..he threw 3 1/3 for the Dodgers before he was done for the season. Roden was the SECOND piece in the trade with Toronto for Rojas! Larnach’s OPS (as a true platoon) was .771 in ‘24 …….. he had 15 HR’s in a strict platoon with 355 AB’s. Last year they tried “to expand his role” and he had 118 AB’s against lefties (24%) and it dropped his overall OPS to .727. When he goes back to a straight platoon in ‘26 his OPS will rebound. He had 17 HR’s in 503 AB’s in ‘26. Bell at 1B with Carstini at C and Clemens or Roden in LF with Larnach at DH is the probable set of lefties, w/Wallner v. RH pitching.

No offense - this is to everyone who feels the “$$ spent” on Larnach are recklessly spent. The recklessness is an organization that has gotten So So So cheap that their fanbase thinks there is some ceiling or constraint on spending - for some reason other than the OWNERSHIP BEING CHEAP. Larnach makes less than $5M and the total Salary spend is somewhere around $108M for the year. His salary is almost free on 65% of the rosters in the game. $108M spend in ‘26 after spending $155M in 2023 is an embarrassing twist……….$122M in ‘21 & $136M in ‘22. The spending on Larnach not taking place “so the organization could use it elsewhere” because they can’t spend any more, is, or should be, sickening to the fanbase.

Get ready: Lee & Bell, as switch hitters, will be in the Line-up 80% of the time together.

Will Emma be healthy for more than 35 days at a time? ………..if he is great! Outman & Roden & Clemens are not the answer and at $108M for ‘26, how much more does the “Team need to save”? People keep saying the organization shouldn’t have “spent” on Larnach - come on - in real terms across the game, he’s almost free. I like Larnach’s bat v. RH pitching until someone forces him off the roster.

RISP in April - June - August, v. RHP who do you prefer at the plate? ……….. Outman - Roden - Larnach That’s why he was tendered.

Why do guys, that age over years at SS and lose mobility, get moved to 3B routinely? How many times do guys at 3B range 5 steps to their right (ever) and then pick up the ball to make the throw? ……… off a bad plant leg? Distance of throw and quickness needed, once one has the ball, are not nearly as difficult from 2B. Carlos Correa - lost mobility ……now at 3B. Royce Lewis - knee surgeries - lost mobility…… now at 3B.

Agreed on Houston by ‘27 ……. outside sources have suggested the Twins eat the offensive downside in ‘26 and roll him out immediately for his glove.

Not happening after 2 knee reconstructions.

ROTATION is above average and certainly able to help them compete. IMO …… Abel, Morris, Rojas are depth guys behind Bradley in the 5th spot. PEN has 3 guys back that are all reasonable contributors in Topa - Funderburk - Sands ……., Orze offsets loss of Stewart and Rogers offsets loss of Coulombe. Klein - Adams - Raya - Prielipp - Festa - Matthews are all guys that can be involved with filling the last 3 spots. They got 3-4 dumpster FA signings that may net them one reasonable PEN option - at least a few weeks of “OK” at some point in the year? Nobody was going to be pursued to replace Lewis at 3B ………. Lee SHOULD be the Utility guy on the dirt with a better defensive SS option every day, disappointing development for sure. Nobody was going to be pursued to replace Keaschall at 2B ………. Bell at 1B is a shot in the arm offensively and not a huge step back with glove - significant drop off defensively but still an overall plus at the position. Larnach is a solid LH platoon option at DH for 70% of games that are v. RH pitching. Caratini/Jeffers are RH platoon options at DH. Caratini replacing Vazquez is an improvement and coupled with Jeffers, the Catching unit is solid. OF wasn’t going to be an area of adding players v. FA or trades ….. considering Wallner should be capable of some comeback upswing at the plate…….. Buxton is not getting displaced …….. Martin/Clemens/Larnach/Outman/Roden are all in the LF potential mix. Jenkins - Gonzalez - Rodriguez ALL potentially being ready at some point in ‘26 solidified the ZERO interest in pursuing any OF help. A thought: Sign Zack Littell for $18M for 2 years to anchor the 3-4 spot in rotation. ……… trade some combination of existing pitching & and offensive prospect to Nationals for C.J. Abram’s………..OR move up #1 Draft Pick, M. Houston, at SS to lean into his defense and not worry about his .195 BA …… gains some premium defense and no FA signings needed (no $ spent) and current prospects are kept in tact.

Through 50 starts in ‘24/‘25 combined, Woods Richardson is 12-9 (over his age 23/24 seasons - averaging 122 innings/yr.) with a WAR of 2.0 & 2.2 respectively. His blended ERA in those 2 seasons is essentially 4.10………..that equates to 2.43 runs in a 5 1/3 inning outing. I do not understand the continual lack of respect he gets for his proven upside?

Agreed - I thought the “dominant” description was a real stretch! Maybe, “talented with upside”? Monitored innings - able to pitch at full effort - able to contribute in The Show……. are all big positives for Prielipp in the PEN in ‘26.

I’m absolutely shocked that Matt is hurt again!! Seriously, his rate of availability has to be around 10% over his time connected with the organization. Discussing him going forward as a contributor is like hoping Santana comes out of retirement to pitch. Done with Matt…….understood, nothing he can control, have to feel for him, but he’s not helping the club!