Cory Moen

If Mahle is healthy, I absolutely agree there! He can be a key piece if things work the right way. As for a RH bat, it would be a luxury, but I also don't think it's necessary. I like Profar as a player, but he is better against righties than lefties, so doesn't exactly fix this problem. I do love me some good positional flexibility though. As for a reliever, I think there are a couple guys out there but if they don't fall in love with any of them there are also a few internal options as well maybe? Who could be this year's Griffin Jax? Josh Winder, Jordan Balazovic, or even Matt Canterino are guys who pop out to me as potential moves to the bullpen because of performance or injuries. Not saying it's a perfect solution, but it's possible one of those guys end up putting together a productive year. I always find it fascinating to see what front offices do to metaphorically "put the cherry on top" of the offseason.

Good point. I like that they aren't expecting him to be a traditional 3 hitter or something. They know they signed a guy with low average and massive power and very good defense. If he can play good defense, as well as hit some HRs, he should be valuable. He doesn't need to be a .300/.400/.500 guy to be valuable, but boy would that be incredible if somehow that happened (it won't).

I would agree there. I think the big argument is that there would be some guys taking steps forward (Miranda, for example) as well as guys (hopefully) not being as injured (Buxton, Larnach, Kirilloff, Polanco to name a few). I think it's a combination of injuries as well as guys putting things together at the right time. I don't think the offense will be abysmal, but I also don't anticipate a 2019 level either. I think a solid offense that scores enough runs to give you a chance to win with a good/above average defense combined with a hopefully improved pitching staff will lead to more success. As you said, time will tell. I think Gallo fits into that as well. Could prove to be an incredible pick up, could be a decent but unspectaculr pick up, or could not be a great pick up and lose at bats toward the end of the year to young guys. I'm thankful they aren't depending on someone like him to be THE guy. They have plenty of depth and Gallo shouldn't be hitting near the top of the lineup, unless it's a really good matchup or something of that sort. I would suspect Gallo gets most of his ABs in the 5-8 hole in the lineup. But I could be totally wrong about that.

Love this concept! I think the goals are pretty realistic. I'm thinking Ryan even as a middle of the rotation guy is a very good spot for him. I think Mahle can clear that IP mark, as long as health is on his side. I'd love to collaborate further and do one for the whole pitching staff, or maybe even do one for hitters too!? Let me know!

I would bet most of you had a similar thought to me when you saw the Twins signed Joey Gallo to a 1 year, $11 million deal for 2023... That thought being "Max Kepler must be getting traded." While that hasn't materialized, a few other moves have that have led to the Twins holding onto Kepler as their starting Right Fielder, as of now. Max Kepler is still a productive player, and projects to have a solid enough year this year as well. ZiPs projects Kepler to have a slash line of .231/.320/.410, which is projected for a 2.3 fWAR. Not spectacular, but a solid regular nonetheless. As for Gallo, his skillset is different than Kepler's, which makes them both valuable, but in different ways. Gallo has significantly more power, but likely a much lower batting average. Sound familiar? Yes, similar to Miguel Sano. One key different in Gallo is that he is a gold-glove level player in the OF, which adds to his value much more than Sano ever had. Gallo's ZiPs projections are .194/.330/.426, which is good for a 2.9 fWAR. He is also projected for 25 HR and 60 RBI. Now let's compare Gallo and Sano, who many people are making comparisons to: In comparing Gallo to Sano, you may seem some similarities, such as a high strikeout rate. Gallo (37.3% K rate for his career), Sano (36.4% K rate for his career). Another similarity is the prodigious power both players have. Gallo has hit 38+ HR 3 times, which is what the Twins FO is hoping for going forward. As for Sano, he hit 30 HR one time, in 2021. The differences are the key to why Joey Gallo should be more valuable than Sano. Sano was not great defensively, accounting for -9 Defensive Runs saved at 1B over his career and -32 Defensive Runs Saved at 3B over his career. I'm going to ignore the horrible time he had in the OF in 2016 for the sake of this discussion. Meanwhile, Gallo has been worth a whopping 37 DRS in the outfield since 2019, which is good for 3rd in MLB, tied with Byron Buxton, and trailing Michael A. Taylor (Twins 4th OF) and Mookie Betts. Pretty darn good company, I would say. So let's look at a direct comparison to see if Gallo is similar to Sano, or if he is a different player using the 5-tools of a player. Skill Sano Gallo Contact I would say this is similar. Low batting average, high K% for both guys. Power X I’d give this to Gallo because of the more consistent power across multiple seasons. 3 seasons of 38+ HR and Sano only having one season at 30 HR. Speed X I’d give a slight edge to Gallo solely because he has 29 career SB versus Sano’s 5. Neither guy steals a ton of bases. Also – Joey Gallo’s average sprint speed is 27.1 and Sano’s is 26.7 so Gallo is slightly faster. Arm Sano had a very strong arm when he played at 3B, but at 1B, your arm isn’t shown off quite as much. Gallo has had some good years in OF assists, but it is hard to give the edge to one guy over the other when comparing this tool. Fielding X As discussed above, Gallo is a gold-glove winning fielder, and to put it simply, Sano is not. In using this to compare the two players, yes, there are absolutely similarities, but there are key differences that show Joey Gallo will be a much more valuable player to the Twins. This may be attributed to the position he plays, but I also think it will be contributed to his power and his glove more than anything. What do you all think? Is Joey Gallo another Miguel Sano, or will he prove to be a sneaky good pick-up for the Twins this year?

Upside, but lots of questions is why he went unclaimed. I hope he can get things to click this coming year, but I foresee a move to the bullpen being a real possibility at this point. Unfortunate injuries, no doubt.

What does signing Carlos Correa do to the Twins roster in 2023 and going forward? It's safe to say he improves the roster, as Carlos Correa is projected for 4.9 WAR according to his Steamer Projection for 2023. In comparison, Kyle Farmer is projected for 0.9 WAR by the same projection. This shows that Correa is a significant upgrade over not having him as the starting Shortstop in 2023. Now that we know that, what does the rest of the roster construction look like if Opening Day were tomorrow? Is there anyone that should make it that won't? Or that possibly, doesn't deserve it that will make it? Let us take a look... Catcher: Christian Vazquez Ryan Jeffers Vazquez will likely play 60-65% of the games behind the plate, and Jeffers will get most of his games versus lefties and the occasional righty. This catching duo should be a pretty solid group, as both catchers are good at framing, and Vazquez, in particular, is good at throwing out potential base stealers. Others on the 40 man roster: None - There are multiple catchers who will start the year at AAA who have major league experiences, including Chance Cisco and Tony Wolters. Infield: Alex Kirilloff - I am assuming Kirilloff will play first base due to the crowded corner OF mix. Jorge Polanco Carlos Correa Jose Miranda Luis Arraez Kyle Farmer I think this could end up being a very good infield. Correa is a proven commodity, as is Polanco at this point. The front office believes Miranda can play 3B every day, and there is no reason to believe that he cannot handle that right now. Kirilloff, when healthy, has shown that he has a world of potential. It's not just about putting it together. Arraez will play some 1B, as well as likely be the primary DH. Kyle Farmer has proven he can play multiple positions, and he may even possibly fill in versus left-handed pitchers in the corner outfield as well. Others on the 40 man roster: Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien Lewis is recovering from his second ACL surgery, but has shown flashes. He has potential to fill-in at 3B or in the outfield when he comes back. He will likely get at bats in AAA and if his recovery goes as planned, he will be on the roster come mid-summer. Julien is getting hype, much like Jose Miranda was a year ago. There are questions about his defensive home, but if he continues to hit, he will be in the lineup. Outfield: Joey Gallo Byron Buxton Max Kepler Nick Gordon Gilberto Celestino The starting OF as of right now from left to right, is likely Gallo, Buxton, and Kepler. Will Kepler get traded? Time will tell, but since he is still on the roster, he is the starting RF. The big question with this group is will Gallo and Kepler bounce back from disappointing years with the shift being banned, or will they continue to slide and turn into shells of their former selves. I have faith in both, but also understand that trading Kepler could be advantageous if it ends up improving the roster. Nick Gordon can also fill in at 2B and versatility is nice when injuries are inevitable over a 162 game season. I struggled with the last outfield spot, but it made more sense to add Celestino over the names below because he is a viable CF option if/when Buxton has to take a day or two off. Celestino showed struggles, but has also shown flashes of being productive. I'm on the fence on if I believe he can get past the proverbial "4th OF" tag, but even if he doesn't, he is a guy who can play all three OF positions, which is always helpful, and depth is important. Others on the 40 man roster: Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner Both have shown potential, but will likely start the year at AAA getting at bats. Larnach was injured last year so getting regular at bats will be a good thing for his development. I have more faith in Wallner as a long-term piece at this point between these two, but he will need to cut down on strikeouts if he wants to be anything more than an average corner OF. He has a cannon of an arm and he has shown that off, going back to his college days. (Note: I worked at Southern Miss when he was a student there and he was a ton of fun to watch in college). Starting Rotation: Sonny Gray Tyler Mahle Joe Ryan Bailey Ober Kenta Maeda I have decided to go with a six man rotation because multiple of these players have dealt with injuries, most prominently Kenta Maeda. I saw an idea recently of piggybacking Bailey Ober and Kenta Maeda to begin the season because they are both coming off injuries and will likely need a little extra time to get up to strength. I am very excited for Tyler Mahle to be healthy, because I believe he can be a front-line starter. Now don't come after me, I don't think he's a true ace (there are only a handful in the game, in my opinion) but I think he is a good enough SP to be in a playoff rotation, which is something that is important for a team with playoff aspirations. Sonny Gray dealt with some injuries but was pretty productive and will hopefully have another great year. Joe Ryan took a big step forward and looks to have cemented himself in the rotation for the next handful of years going forward as a mid-rotation option. Bullpen: Jhoan Duran Jorge Lopez Griffin Jax Caleb Thielbar Emilio Pagan Jovani Moran Jorge Alcala Trevor Megill I think this group has a ton of potential and the bullpen is in a much better place than they were one year ago. Duran proved he is a high-octane arm that can be a fireman, closer, or multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen. I think using him in the higher leverage situations is the smartest move, not necessarily in a traditional closer role. This bullpen has a decently high floor and with bounce backs from both Jorge Lopez and Emilio Pagan and Jorge Alcala being productive, this bullpen has the potential to be lethal and a strength of this roster. The possibility of adding one more bullpen arm is exciting because it makes the group potentially go from a good bullpen to a great one. Others on the 40 man roster: A.J. Alexy, Jordan Balazovic, Matt Canterino, Brent Headrick, Ronny Henriquez, Cole Sands, Louie Varland, Josh Winder, and Simeon Woods-Richardson This group has some depth, which is not something you have been able to say in the past. Alexy, Henriquz, Sands, Varland, Winder, and Woods-Richardson all have major league experience, at varying levels. I think the key to this group is that the depth can turn into a strength. I would guess all of the names on this list will pitch at some point in the big leagues this next year, so having depth and guys with varying levels of potential is exciting as a Twins fan. How many wins do you think this roster can get? Let me know in the comments below! My prediction would be 85-90 wins, with the potential of more.

Agreed wholeheartedly! I think the 6 year deal with the vesting options/team options was a great move! I'm very excited about the deal!

Agreed that I think it's a good deal! The front-loaded aspect of it is great, imo! Here's to hoping he's a part of the next team that wins a playoff game!

Per Reports, the Twins have signed Carlos Correa to a 6 year, $200 million deal. The deal includes vesting options. 502 plate appearances in year 6 - $25 million dollars for year 7. Total value can increase to $245 million if an 8th year happens. This is per Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic and Jeff Passan of ESPN. Reminder - This is pending a physical. What do people think?

I've always liked Balazovic, but this is his year to either put up or shut up. Love the list though! One thing I think about Julien is where is his defensive home? 2B is kind of deep, so he could be a DH, but that limits how much a guy ends up being worth. As for Martin and Lee, both are exciting for different reasons. I hope Martin can continue what he did in the AFL. Lee, even if he doesn't stick at SS can be a valuable guy regardless. I think the September prediction is about right, barring staying healthy and such.

First, I want to start out by saying thank you for reading. This is my first attempt at writing here and I hope you all enjoy this topic. I’m going to break down 5 possible trade targets for the Twins to upgrade the rotation. Some are better than others, but that means what you give up changes for them. I am sticking to what the front office could realistically do, so I am not going to bring up a guy like Max Scherzer or Shohei Ohtani (even though I would love for him to be a Twin). As you will see, I focused on guys with some team control because I feel this would be a better move long term than trading for a guy who only has 1 year left on his deal. I will also not include Pablo Lopez or other Marlins starters because they has been thoroughly discussed at this point as well. 1. Cole Irvin - Oakland Athletics 2022 Stats: 9-13, 3.98 ERA, 30 GS, 181.0 IP, 128 K, 2.1 WAR First off, Cole Irvin is controlled through 2025, so that makes him appealing, especially with other rotation pieces such as Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, and Tyler Mahle all being free agents after the 2023 season. The A’s are a team who often trade guys once they become arbitration eligible, which leads to reduced payrolls. Irvin is not a strikeout pitcher, with only a 16.8% K rate for his career, but he does induce ground balls at a decent rate of 37.0%. Irvin is at his best when he is avoiding hard contact, which he does a pretty decent job of throughout his career. Based on this, he is in the mold of a Twins team of yesteryear when they preached the “pitch to contact” method, which fans might not love. Irvin is not a clear-cut #1 starter, but he does elevate the rotation to another level. Irvin also stayed healthy and threw for 181 innings, which is a huge plus, especially with injury question marks up and down the current Twins rotation. Because of the team control, I think the Twins would have to give up a decent amount, but potentially have the players in the system that the A’s could be interested in. 2. Mitch Keller - Pittsburgh Pirates 2022 Stats: 5-12, 3.91 ERA, 31 G, 29 GS, 159.0 IP, 138 K, 2.0 WAR For whatever reason, I have always been fond of Mitch Keller. Keller did not have a lot of wins this past year, but one has to remember that he was on a struggling Pittsburgh team, so wins aren’t exactly a great thing to base on if a guy is a good fit. Keller did move to the bullpen toward the end of the year, which is interesting, but he also adjusted his pitch mix when he did this. It appears this was more of a move for him to work on a few things, than it was a more permanent move, but time will tell. Keller’s career 44.2% groundball rate is something that is intriguing to me, and it was as high as 49.1% this past year. Keller is controlled through 2026, so the amount the Twins would have to give up to get him would be substantial, so that may make it difficult to make a trade possible. Pittsburgh is not at a spot where competing now is not realistic, so they may be looking to get guys who will be more helpful to help them compete in a few years. Also - Keller will be playing his age 27 season in 2023, so there may be another level that Pete Maki and co. can unlock going forward. 3. Drew Rasmussen - Tampa Bay Rays 2022 Stats: 11-7, 2.84 ERA, 28 GS, 146. IP, 125 K, 2.9 WAR Rasmussen is controlled through 2027, so the price to acquire him would be exorbitant. He may not even be available, but I don’t think it would hurt to ask. Rasmussen is the one guy on this list that is a very clear upgrade to the rotation, but that also comes with the highest potential trade price as well. I included him on this list because Tampa Bay always seems to do some things outside the box while continuing to stay competitive. Rasmussen is not a high strikeout guy, with a career 8.3 K/9, but he does have a career 47.5% groundball rate, which is intriguing. He’ll only be in his age-27 season so there very well could be some upside still as well. 4. Jeffery Springs - Tampa Bay Rays 2022 Stats: 9-5, 2.46 ERA, 33 G, 25 GS, 135.1 IP, 144 K, 3.6 WAR Springs is the guy on this list that I may be most excited about, solely because he is a higher strikeout guy, with a career 10.1 K/9 rate. As I mentioned about Rasmussen, Tampa Bay historically has traded guys you may think would not be available. Springs is controlled through 2025, so his price will start to go up going forward, so it may be a time for a team with a higher payroll than the Rays to attempt to acquire a guy like Springs. Springs will be playing in his age-30 season in 2023 so there may be less upside with him compared to other guys on this list, but he is is a clear step above some of the other guys as well. Will Falvine team up with the Rays to pull off a trade that could benefit both clubs? I’d love if they did, but I have doubts that a trade of this magnitude will happen. 5. Austin Gomber - Colorado Rockies 2022 Stats: 5-7, 5.56 ERA, 33 G, 17 GS, 124.2 IP, 95 K, 0.3 WAR Okay, those stats are not intriguing in the slightest bit, I understand that. The Rockies would be trading him at a low value, which is something the Twins could capitalize on if they feel they can get him back to his 2021 levels, or maybe even improve on that. Gomber will be playing his age-29 season in 2023 as well. Is there upside here? I am by no means an expert in pitching development, but prior to 2022, Gomber did show he could be a productive mid-back end of the rotation starter, which is valuable to every team (4.53 ERA in 2021). Gomber is not a high strikeout guy, so he uses soft-contact to get outs. His hard-hit rate went up in 2022, which would need to improve and come back down for him to be a productive starter going forward. His BABIP went way up this year, which one could argue is the reason he struggled to the level he did. One thing I keep coming back to is that I think Gomber is a great change of scenery candidate and moving away from Coors Field could benefit him, like it has a few other pitchers in the past. Looking at all of the guys on this list, which player do you feel is most realistic, or who would you want them to acquire, if the price was right? Also - if there is another topic you’d like me to write on, I’d be happy to discuss that as well!

Bolstering the bullpen stands out the most to me. I would love a reunion with Fulmer, or similar type guy. As for trading Kepler, I think its a foregone conclusion that it will occur, but what will they acquire is the big question. I agree they will have to package him. I like the idea of taking on another contract to potentially lessen the prospect capital, whether that be for Lopez, or another pitcher. Great topic! Look forward to reading more!

Pablo Lopez is great and I love him, but going all-in on him is something I am hesitant on. He would absolutely upgrade the rotation, but it all depends on what they give up. I'm all for trying something different or outside the box but I don't think selling the farm for him is the correct move either. I could be swayed either way honestly.