BillyBallLives

I understand your take full well, and expect these guys to be moved. Yet, it takes 25+ solid players to build a championship team. I'm thinking "Al Newman" types...87-91 teams. Also, there is a slight difference between "building" and "building around". In other words, these are strong support players, (especially Castro,) not guys you "build" around. I hope that helps what I'm trying to say. But...yes....Twins will most likely trade all three.

Good to remind us Falvey haters of this better trades. I forgot about this one too. On top of that. Twins resigned him as a FA for the next year and has his best year as a pro in 2019.

I just looked. 5.32 to 1.83 Bull pens numbers can be misleading. It's how do they perform in high stakes situations. Allowing inherited runners to score is the best way to tell. A reliever can enter a game with a 6-1 lead, give up 4 runs and get credited with a HOLD.

There are only three ways to build an MLB roster: Draft and develop Trade Free agent signings That’s it. That’s the entire blueprint. The problem? The Twins are struggling in all three areas. Draft and develop: The farm system hasn’t produced enough league-minimum, impact players — the kind of cheap talent that gives you payroll flexibility. Compare that to what the Brewers or Tigers are rolling out, and the gap is glaring. Trade: Too many lopsided deals, and the ones that do work out feel more like accidents than vision. The Joe Ryan trade was a win. But how many others can we really say that about? Free agents: When you’re a mid-market team, you can’t miss on the big contracts. Yet they’ve done just that — Josh Donaldson flopped, and now Correa’s $200 million deal is handcuffing the roster. Yes, there are bright spots in each category. But the problem is, in a franchise with such little margin for error, one big mistake in any area cancels out progress in the others.

Let check on the last one....Alcala OUCH. From an 8.88 ERA in Minnesota to a 0.96 in Boston. Sure, the Red Sox have only used him in low-leverage mop-up roles — wisely — but if he keeps dealing like this when the pressure’s on? Then yeah, the question becomes very real: what were the Twins thinking? And to make it sting even more — look who they replaced him with. Joey Wentz had a 4.15 ERA in Pittsburgh. In Minnesota? Try 15.75. The Twins essentially gave away a 0.96 ERA arm and replaced him with a guy getting torched to the tune of 15.75. Still an un-tested sample size, but the numbers are definitely sloping the wrong way. Either there’s something in the water here… or this coaching staff has a serious development problem.

That’s a great point — I’ve honestly never thought about it that way. The hidden cost of a weak farm system isn’t just in wins — it’s in wasted payroll flexibility. When you’re not getting production from league-minimum guys, you’re forced to fill holes with overpriced free agents or risky bounce-back bets. Meanwhile, teams like the Brewers and Tigers are churning out cheap, serviceable talent, which gives them $40–50 million of wiggle room the Twins just don’t have.

You might be right — but shouldn’t we expect ownership and Falvey to be on the same page? You don’t greenlight a $200 million contract and then yank the payroll rug out from under the front office. Did anyone even think through what Correa’s deal would do to the broader payroll picture? Because if they did, it sure doesn’t look like it. It’s like buying a Corvette and parking it in the street because you can’t afford the garage. Now, if C4 starts hitting again — and he could — Falvey might end up looking like a genius. I’ll give him that. Being a GM isn’t easy, especially in Minnesota, where there’s no room for error. But this one’s on both the front office and ownership. They chose splash over strategy — and now they’re paying for it.

If all three of these players get moved at the deadline, I won’t be surprised. Disappointed? Absolutely. A forward-thinking front office would find a way to build around these guys — not ship them off because they boxed themselves in financially.

Agreed... The Twins have painted themselves into a corner — and the brushstroke that did it was the Carlos Correa contract. You’d think they’d have learned after the Josh Donaldson ploy went over like a lead balloon. Falvey managed to Houdini his way out of that deal, but there’s no slipping the cuffs on C4. And now we’re watching the fallout: fans are wondering if Joe Ryan — one of the few younger, cost-controlled arms with upside — might be on the block. Why? Because the Correa contract is clogging the payroll like a drain full of hair. They’re not spending more, so to improve, they may have to trade from their already thin rotation. I’m not an anti-Correa guy. He’s good for the team. It wasn’t his fault the Twins were foolish enough to pay him $200 million over six years on an aging player two other teams passed on. The problem is, the Twins are a franchise that can’t miss on a big contract without massive repercussions — and this one already has ripple effects, to the point of trading away a potential ace in his prime !?

Griffin Jax-ed it up...but Bader bails him out.

Sad....I didn't believe you at first....but it's true! 14 year contract on top of it....ouch. Finally, a name that reflects our odds of winning the Cup.

If and when the Twins trade Vasqy.....Throw Cardenas into the fire and let's see what we've got. Cardenas already checks several boxes: Production at AA and AAA ( 4 HRs in 30 AB .200 average) Defense that pitchers trust. IQ and leadership. If the Twins are thin at catcher and he’s the best available option, giving him a look , that would tell you a lot. Worst-case? He gets exposed, learns, and heads back down. Best-case? You found a cost-controlled #2 or even future #1. There's only one way to find out.

Tigers started their rebuild in 2017. Q #1 Are you ready for 5-7 years of pain before seeing the fruit, and even that's not guaranteed? If yes..... Q #2 Do you trust Falvey and Rocco to pull it off?

Anyone want to play a round of Imagine IF? Just having some fun y'all. I'll show myself to the door. ----- Setting: Late July 2025. Target Field. Some private meeting space. The Minnesota Twins have just dropped four straight. Fan morale is low. Media is circling like vultures. A decision must be made: Buy or Sell? --- [Joe Pohlad – Owner]: Alright. Enough dilly-dallying. I need to know—are we buying or selling at the deadline? [Derek Falvey – President of Baseball Operations]: That depends. Do you mean “buy” like spend actual money, or “buy” like... pick up another DFA guy with a 6.40 ERA and call it a reclamation project? [Rocco Baldelli – Manager] (rubbing his temples): Can we define “deadline” first? Because our bullpen expired in May. [Joe Pohlad]: Okay, funny. But let’s be real. We’re .500 again. Half our lineup is hitting under .220, the bullpen’s in flames, and attendance is down 12%. Fans are calling us “mid.” What are we doing? [Falvey]: Look. If we squint really hard, we’re technically still in the Wild Card race. [Rocco]: So is a squirrel trying to cross I-94. Doesn’t mean he’s gonna make it. [Joe] (ignoring Rocco): Alright, Derek—what are our trade options? [Falvey]: Well, we could move France. Or maybe Castro. Get some prospects. Blow it up. Reset the window. Or... [Rocco] (cutting in): Or we could finally do what every playoff team does—get a solid reliever, another starter, and a legit bat. Not some guy in Triple-A with 20 big-league at-bats and a .191 average. [Falvey]: We have a starter. He’s just… in Double-A right now. He throws 102. Probably needs another year. [Joe]: So… you’re saying we’re sellers? [Falvey]: No, I’m saying we’re wait-and-see-ers. Maybe lean “buy-lite.” [Rocco]: We “buy-lite” every year. It’s like trying to plug a leaky dam with chewing gum. [Joe]: Guys. I just greenlit new sponsorships. We can’t tank right now. The “Cherry Berry 9th-Inning Freeze” promo depends on late-game excitement. [Rocco]: There is no late-game excitement. Our ninth innings are like funerals. [Falvey] (flipping through papers): Okay… what if we traded a mid-tier prospect for a middle reliever with a 3.90 ERA and called it “aggressive”? [Joe]: You’re just describing Dylan Floro again. [Rocco]: If we’re selling, be honest. If we’re buying, buy. Just don’t call standing still “strategy.” [Falvey] (sighing): Alright. We’ll do what we always do. Trade a struggling starter for a reliever who used to be good… and pray it’s 2022 again. [Joe]: Perfect. Let’s announce we’re “committed to winning” while doing nothing. [Rocco]: You want me to say that in the press conference? [Joe]: No. Just say we “believe in the guys in this room.” [Falvey]: That’s our deadline move. Belief. --- [End Scene] Meanwhile, Jorge Alcalá strikes out the side for the Red Sox. And Twins Twitter implodes. 💥

Pohlad's think of the Twins as the best Triple-A team in the majors. Baseball is not in their blood. They only bleed green.

I say "Go Rocco, and take Carlos with you". :)

Never say quit right? Look at the 1914 Boston Braves. The 1914 Boston Braves pulled off one of the greatest turnarounds in baseball history. They were dead last on July 4th, 15 games under .500. But they caught fire, surged all the way to first place by Labor Day, and then swept the powerhouse Philadelphia A's in the World Series—a team that had won 3 of the last 4 titles. Twins fans, here is your dose of hope: Never say never. Even a lifeless, underperforming team can turn legendary if they get hot at the right time. What do you all think? Either I'm "on something" or "on to something?"

"Over 26 innings pitched, Gillispie ran up an 8.65 ERA, 5.69 FIP, and a 23-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio." At least Connor will have no problem making friends in the Twins organization. He'll fit in with the rest of them quite well.

Plenty of successful pitchers have had rocky early years before figuring it out. Blake Snell Lucas Giolito Carlos Rodón Tyler Glasnow Kevin Gausman The key is whether the system fosters adjustments and resilience. So far, that’s still a question. The bigger concern? Outside of Ryan and Duran, the Twins don’t seem to be producing many impact arms. There’s depth, but not dominance. And if pitching was Falvey’s supposed strength, we should be seeing more top-tier results by now.

Totally agree—name one legit championship team in the last 20 years that didn’t have a shortstop who could either hit, lead, or at least change a game defensively. You can’t. It’s a cornerstone position. The Twins getting Carlos Correa looked like a splash… but ended up a belly flop. His contract is a giant anchor: 6 years, $200 million (signed in Jan 2023) Has opt-outs removed, full no-trade clause, and he's already showing durability issues Still owed $125M+ through 2028 And the bat? OPS under .700, trending the wrong way At this point, C4 isn’t even close to “clutch” or “core.” More like: C4= Costly. Cold. Clogged. Correa. Honestly, it will be beyond lucky if a team does take that contract.

I’m starting to think Falvey’s operating under the “Cricket Wireless GM Plan”—limited minutes, no data, and every trade call drops after 30 seconds. Either that or the Pohlad family slapped a child lock on the trade phone after the Mahle deal. “Sorry, Derek, you’ve used up your annual ‘let’s trade three prospects for a pitcher with elbow tightness’ quota.”

It’s hard to argue with Matthew’s take. When an offense is this flat, with no consistent spark, it makes complete sense to give the most productive bat in Triple-A a serious look. Gasper isn’t just hot—he’s shown sustained success at that level. That should at least earn another chance. Do I think he’s a long-term MLB guy? Probably not. But given the Twins' current options, why not go with the one actually producing?

This tracks only Sacrifice Hits....but an indication none the less. Rocco is locked in.....no doubt about that. https://www.teamrankings.com/mlb/stat/sacrifice-hits-per-game

Many good comments in the thread...let me summarize with four words. Baldelli Ball = Boring Baseball

Very good points. This one in particular. The stark contrast between the Phils and Dodger is just off the charts....but lets wait until September on the arms in Philly. That will be a sure tell.