Hunter McCall

Again though that's assuming he's an elite hitter. I also doubt he'll ever play much shortstop.

It sure gets thoughts provoking I agree! I appreciate your openness to understand that it should be on the table. As I mentioned, the return should be sizable. I will argue the Twins won the Rogers/Paddack AND PAGAN trade by a landslide. Pagan alone made that deal worthwhile. I'm excited to see what Paddack can do in 2024!

Again, I've said it from the beginning, I think Lee will be good, I just don't think he's some untouchable Hall of Fame prospect that the Twins shouldn't consider trading. I think it would be what's best for the Minnesota Twins at this moment to trade Brooks Lee for assets to help win right now.

Where would Spencer Steer and CES be playing? What position would either of them even threaten to overtake? Hard to compare the Twins situation to Baltimore's because they drafted several stars at the very top of the draft. It's not like the Twins would be trading away all their talent either considering over half their starting lineup is homegrown.

I don't know if Lee has ever been pegged as a future superstar. Future All star, maybe. I think you're overvaluing him in my opinion.

I threw Cabrera in here because he's controllable through 2028 and his baseball savant page is very red (outside of his BB%). If the Twins can get teams like Houston and Arizona (might have missed the boat on that one) to listen to trade offers then why not try? I doubt it, but the point is Lee gives them much more opportunity to land a sizable return.

It's not really fair to compare how long it took them to climb the minors considering Julien lost a professional year during the COVID year and was drafted at a younger age than Lee. I don't consider Lee a unicorn I guess.

The pitching staff as it sits isn't good enough to top what the 2023 team did, which should be the goal. This team is built to win now, but you have to help it do so. There's next to no chance that Lee wins the ROY in 2024. I think expectations on him from fans are way higher than they should be. He has potential to be a great player, but what has he shown that says he should be up with the Twins next year? In my opinion, it's time to take a leap of faith and put together a team that will compete to make a run in 2024.

I thought he took strides during the season. The question is can he continue to improve? You're right though!

For what it's worth, Severino just turned 24 while Brooks Lee turns 23 in February, so not a wild discrepancy in age there. I agree that Lee is the best of the prospects, but my point remains where does he play? Does he move positions? Do you banish Julien to the DH role for the rest of his career? What if Buxton needs to take the DH spot? Lee will not be better than Carlos Correa in the next year and there has been nothing to show any indication of that. Why not capitalize on his value right now and add someone that can take this team to the next level right now instead of waiting and hoping that Lee pans out?

I agree that Julien isn't good against lefties, but there are more, potentially better, platoon options the Twins can pair with Julien. For example, Yunior Severino is also a switch hitter who hit a minor league leading 35 home runs in 2023 and posted an .898 OPS. Austin Martin came on at the end of the season. Kyle Farmer and Jorge Polanco are still on the roster at the moment. Is Brooks Lee the most qualified to step into the lineup right now? I'd argue he's not.

To name a few: Logan Gilbert, Edward Cabrera (might not take Lee to get but good and controllable), Freddy Peralta. I would also trade him for Randy Arozarena if they can figure out the future payroll situation although he's still early in Arb so he's relatively cheap at the moment for how talented he is.

Luis Arraez would've been a starter too on the 2023 team yet they traded him for a position of need. Why not do the same thing here with Lee? Yes there's a chance he could be good someday but this team is ready to win now. He's not ready for the majors and his .732 triple A OPS shows that.

Why deal Lewis and Julien over Lee?

I appreciate your insight. I believe that the Twins should hold on to Julien over Lee. There's still time for him show improvement, but Lee just hasn't performed at a level that shows to me he will be a star at the plate in the majors. He's been solid, but just for comparison, Julien had a career minor league OPS of .924. As I stated Brooks Lee has yet to top .850 with any team he's been a part of. Julien also has an .840 OPS in the majors. My point being why dump the young guy who has proven he can hit at every level in favor of the guy who you drafted high so you hope he can hit?

The return would certainly have to be good to move him, I agree with you!

As Sonny Gray moves on to St. Louis, the Twins are left searching for ways to fill the void at the top of their starting rotation. Does it make sense to package one of their most coveted prospects for a controllable starter? Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports When the Twins drafted Brooks Lee in 2022, the scouting report showed an incredible ability to put the bat on the baseball. With decent pop and an insanely low strikeout rate, the Cal Poly shortstop worked his way into being a borderline top-5 prospect in the draft. That's why fans were rightfully excited when the Twins were able to scoop him with the 8th pick. Lee immediately entered MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospect list, and currently sits as the 18th overall prospect in the entire league. The hype around Lee is as high as it’s been, as fans get ready for him to make his way to the MLB roster. Already traveling through all minor-league levels and finishing 2023 with the St. Paul Saints, Lee appears close to making his MLB debut. Would it make sense to capitalize on Lee’s value and cash in on their current infield depth by trading Lee for an arm to replace Sonny Gray? The Twins have a logjam of infielders either at the major-league level or close to making their debut. Currently either on the MLB roster or carrying a 2024 ETA, according to MLB.com, the Twins have Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, Jorge Polanco, Willi Castro, Kyle Farmer, Lee, Yunior Severino, Austin Martin, and Jose Salas (unlikely to debut, but meets these criteria). As we saw in the 2023 offseason when the Twins traded Luis Arraez to the Marlins for Pablo Lopez, they are not afraid to capitalize on their depth to fill an area of need. The area of need again this year is a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. So, what’s the case for moving Lee? The first reason is that Lee is unlikely to play shortstop in MLB. The most likely path for Lee is at either third base or second base. The Twins currently have two young studs (in Lewis and Julien) holding down those spots for the foreseeable future. If Lee were to stick around, the Twins would likely find ways to make it work, but it would eventually force one of them to either move off their spot or DH regularly. You can never have too many quality bats, but it could get crowded quickly with the other names listed fighting for playing time. Another reason to consider packaging Lee is that, of the players listed above, Lee holds the most value. He’s also relatively unproven. While Lewis and Julien have shown to be impactful bats at the highest level, Lee hasn't exactly dominated in the minors. He spent his last 38 games in Triple A and posted a .732 OPS. He has also yet to post an OPS above .850 with any team in his young professional career. Lee hasn’t been bad, but he hasn’t lit the world on fire. He's shown himself to be a solid hitter, a potential everyday big-leaguer, but I’m not sure he possesses the star power that some think he does. Maybe the Twins should strike while the iron is hot and capitalize on his high prospect ranking to solidify their rotation. I think Lee will be a very good baseball player at the highest level. However, when you mix his current value with the Twins’ need for a top-of-the-rotation starter, it makes sense to consider packaging him for a guy who can help the already-solid roster take the next step. Just to take one example, Astros southpaw Framber Valdez is becoming the subject of some trade speculation this week. When trading prospects, you risk watching them become stars on another team, but there’s also a risk in holding them and watching them not pan out while their value depreciates. Could the next Pablo López be just one Brooks Lee away? What are your thoughts? Should the Twins consider packaging Brooks Lee for starting pitching help? Let me know. Go, Twins! View full article

I agree, I still wouldn't deal him for rentals, but I am open to moving him if the price is right.

Thank you for getting the point! There will soon come a day (if no trades are made and no one is moved) where the Twins will have Royce Lewis, Ed Julian, Carlos Correa, Alex Kirilloff, one more year of Jorge Polanco, Brooks Lee, Yunior Severino, Austin Martin, Jose Salas, and anyone that could emerge as a candidate for playing time (I only included guys with a 2024 ETA according to MLB.com). The three guys I included in the article are all rental arms, but they're the three best arms on the market (One could make an argument against Bieber after his poor 2023). There are many other names to consider. My point being as you stated, not all of these guys will be able to play for the Twins. Why not use that wealth of depth to make a trade? This article explored going all in on a rental ace. There's other avenues to explore, but if the Twins are going to make a significant trade to replace Sonny Gray, dipping into this pool makes the most sense. I'm even open to trading Brooks Lee. I know he's gatekept by many fans but I don't really understand why. I think he'll be a solid big leaguer but I think people's expectations are way higher for him than they should be. He won't play shortstop, which limits his value a little bit. He's likely to play 3B or 2B. Also, he hasn't lit the minor leagues on fire like I think a lot of people insinuate he has. He had a .732 OPS in AAA and has been just solid at the other levels. Again, I think he'll be a solid major leaguer but if the Twins can get top of the line return for him I'm all in.

Coming off a successful 2023 season and showing plenty of hope for the future, could the Twins push all the chips to the middle of the table and swing a trade for an ace this offseason? Image courtesy of Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports After a successful 2023 season, the Twins have plenty to be optimistic about going forward. The emergence of talented rookies such as Edouard Julien, Matt Wallner, and Royce Lewis has given the Twins valuable flexibility and depth. On a team that doesn’t have many glaring holes heading into the offseason, the Twins could package some of that depth prospect capital to fill the team’s most significant needs: a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. The Twins’ infield is crowded and will only get more crowded in 2024. With Carlos Correa, Jorge Polanco, Alex Kirilloff, Royce Lewis, and Edouard Julien all set to return, and top prospects like Brooks Lee, Austin Martin, and Yunior Severino all pushing to potentially debut in 2024, the Twins face an excellent problem of too many mouths to feed in the infield. With some big-name starting pitchers rumored to be on the trade market, could the Twins swing a deal like last offseason when they added Pablo Lopez for Luis Arraez? Although the offseason is just beginning, three star starting pitchers have already been rumored to be available on the trade market. Tampa Bay’s Tyler Glasnow, Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes, and Cleveland’s Shane Bieber are all entering the last year of team control and are set to become free agents in 2025. All three teams mentioned above have been reluctant to sign star players to big extensions, and many believe the same will hold true when it comes to Glasnow, Burnes, and Bieber. From the Twins’ standpoint, trading for one of these guys makes sense for three reasons: The players are likely available. They would fill a need. The Twins have the trade capital and flexibility to get a deal done. With stars like Correa, Buxton, and Lopez all on long-term deals and young stars beginning to make waves, the Twins have shown an ability to win right now. So why not add another horse to the stable and go all in in 2024? To get a deal done, just like the Arraez deal, the Twins will likely have to part with some names that will disappoint some fans. Jorge Polanco would make a lot of sense to part with in a trade for a starting pitcher because he is a quality major league bat that will draw interest from other teams, and the Twins have more than enough bodies to replace his production. On top of Polanco, the Twins must part with some minor league talent. They have plenty of assets in the high minors that could be used to sweeten the deal. Burnes will likely come with the highest price tag, as he has shown to be a consistent ace who has been able to stay healthy and pitch nearly 200 innings yearly. Glasnow and Bieber may come at a reduced price as they have both struggled with injury lately, and Bieber struggled to find success of any kind in 2023. While more trade targets may emerge before the dust settles, the market is already starting to reveal itself. The Twins can capitalize on the depth they have accumulated at both the major league and minor league levels and acquire a top-tier arm. There’s a chance it may be a one-year rental if they cannot pull off an extension as they did with Pablo Lopez, but the thought of adding one of those arms to the Twins’ starting rotation is certainly intriguing. What are your thoughts? Should the Twins go all in on a trade for 2024 or explore other avenues to fill out their rotation? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Go, Twins! View full article

The reason Giolito is so intriguing to me is because of the situation he's coming from. How many of those White Sox players that were once thought to be stars showed significant regression during the downfall? Is Giolito a victim to a toxic work environment? Does he just need to be in a functional organization to get back to the Giolito of old? I'm not sure, but I sure would like to find out. A 29-year-old once top prospect turned Cy Young candidate on a discount deal? I'm all in on testing the waters.

I doubt the Twins will do this because of the PR nightmare that would follow. I know he seemingly cleared his name but there will still be plenty of people who will be outraged by signing him and maybe rightfully so. Bauer seems to be a pretty bad person by most accounts. This is one I think I'd stay away from if I was the Twins.

There are some really good lefties on the market! Snell would be the flashiest choice and I would love it.