Cody Schoenmann

Turn on Twins.TV or the Treasure Island Baseball Network (TIBN) radio feed during a Connor Prielipp-started Minnesota Twins baseball game, and you will quickly hear Cory Provus, Kris Attebery or one of the many talented analysts discuss how well Twins decision-makers are managing Prielipp’s innings this season. On the surface, the assumption that the front office and coaches are carefully monitoring the 25-year-old’s workload makes sense. The University of Alabama product threw only seven innings in his 2021 college campaign before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He then underwent internal brace surgery in 2023, delaying his first extended stint as a starting pitcher in Minnesota’s minor-league system until 2025. Splitting his 2025 campaign between Double- and Triple-A, the hard-throwing southpaw netted 82 2/3 innings pitched over 23 starts, signaling he could soon join the parent club’s starting rotation. That assumption became reality on April 22 of this year, when the former top prospect was recalled from Triple-A, joining the Twins' starting rotation. Despite a brief 15-day IL stint in mid-July, Prielipp has remained a fixture of Minnesota’s rotation since his promotion, starting every fifth or sixth day. You could argue his stint on the IL was more about maintenance than serious injury, and he's twice had his starts pushed back one game, lengthening the rotation. Those are small safeguards for a pitcher with big injury trouble in his recent past, though. Over 19 starts (functionally 20; Andrew Morris opened Prielipp’s last appearance), the lefty has averaged roughly 5 1/3 innings pitched per outing—a rate typical of an unrestricted starting pitcher. In fact, since April 22, Prielipp ranks third among Twins pitchers in innings with 104, trailing only Zebby Matthews (112) and Taj Bradley (126 2/3). Prielipp has thrown more innings than Joe Ryan (98 1/3) and Bailey Ober (87 1/3) during that stretch, though of course he's spent less time on the shelf than they have. Assessing Prielipp’s workload from a league perspective, the hard-throwing lefty ranks 34th in innings pitched among AL starting pitchers, tied with New York’s Gerrit Cole and ranking just ahead of Chicago’s Erick Fedde. Inserting NL starting pitchers, Prielipp ranks 63rd in innings pitched, tied with Cole and Milwaukee’s Dustin May. Does that read as a starting pitcher on an innings limit? Again, I don’t blame Twins broadcasters for assuming that Twins decision-makers were limiting Prielipp’s workload this season. He's had just one campaign resembling a full workload in the past three minor-league seasons. I’m sure they’re monitoring his innings and are in constant communication about how his left arm feels. Yet, to suggest his innings have been limited this season would be incorrect. Going forward, I beg Twins broadcasters (and fans) to resist the urge to suggest Prielipp is pitching under an innings limit. In fact, one could argue it would be more apt to refer to him as one of Minnesota's few workhorses.

When he was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on April 13, Dean Kremer joined the Baltimore Orioles starting rotation. Both the pitcher and his team hoped he would reestablish himself as the steady, above-average right-handed starting pitcher he was in 2025, before losing a rotation-spot battle to Zach Eflin in spring training. Initially, he (more or less) did so. The 30-year-old resembled his 2025 self in two April starts, generating a 4.09 ERA over 11 innings. Before he could get into a long-term rhythm, though, a quad strain landed him on the injured list. Kremer took a long time to heal from that injury. He was transferred to the 60-day IL, and didn't rejoin Baltimore’s rotation until July 1. He struggled upon that return, posting a hideous 7.56 ERA and an uninspiring 20% strikeout rate over 25 innings. He appeared to be at risk of being designated for assignment, since he no can no longer be optioned to the minors based on his service time. Instead, Baltimore traded him to the Minnesota Twins on July 31, for left-handed-hitting outfield prospect Jhomnardo Reyes. The veteran immediately slotted into Minnesota’s rotation, making his Twins debut on August 5. He performed well for his new club over his first two starts, with a 1.50 ERA, 2.33 FIP, and a 22% strikeout over 12 innings. Alas, he's quickly regressed to his early-season form over his past three starts, netting a 6.75 ERA, 5.47 FIP, and a 21.2% strikeout rate over 14 2/3 frames. Understandably, Twins Territory was immediately enamored with Kremer, a trade deadline acquisition who got off to a great start for the club. The organization’s pitching development staff also implemented meaningful changes to his arsenal, having him rely on his four-seamer more, while using his splitter as his go-to offspeed pitch. While these adjustments were sound and worked well over a two-game sample, though, command issues and a dearth of raw stuff have dragged Kremer back to the low level of simple competence to which he'd hewed in the past. Kremer’s greatest hindrance this season is his inability to limit walks. In Baltimore, he walked 7.2% of hitters, which is around league-average. Yet, he was getting hit hard and often, resulting in his aforementioned bloated metrics. With Minnesota, he's walked 10.3% of hitters—an untenable rate. The only starting pitchers who can sustain success in the majors while walking hitters over ten percent of the time are ones with elite stuff. (Think Dylan Cease or, to be more local if a bit less stringent, Taj Bradley.) Kremer, however, has zero plus pitches, despite sporting a six-pitch arsenal. With below-average stuff and a tendency to allow too many home runs (15 over 62 2/3 innings), it's no surprise that Kremer has been one of the worst starting pitchers with at least 60 innings pitched this season. I don’t fault Twins decision-makers for making the trade. The club was in dire need of starting pitching depth. Reyes is an 18-year-old lottery ticket sporting a 79 wRC+ with Baltimore’s Single-A affiliate. Still, if Kremer’s struggles continue over the last month of the season, the front office would be wise to non-tender Kremer this offseason, quickly cutting ties with the right-handed starter targeted one month ago. That would be a disappointing denouement for an acquisition the team hoped would help in 2027, too, but unless he shows more down the stretch, they could better spend the $7 million or more Kremer is likely to make if offered arbitration this fall.

In 6,721 defensive innings over his 11-season major-league career, Byron Buxton has only ever played center field. The last time he played a position other than center in affiliated ball was in 2014, when he notched 14 innings in right field at High-A. This development shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who follows the Twins—or baseball, for that matter. Buxton has long been a world-class athlete, with elite sprint speed and a feel for making late adjustments when needed. That athleticism resulted in him winning a Platinum Glove Award in 2017, when he was arguably the rangiest center fielder of the 2010s. Nine years later, however, the 32-year-old is no longer one of the sport’s best center fielders. That's no knock against Buxton; him still being one of the fastest players in baseball 11 seasons into his career is a remarkable feat. Despite maintaining that speed on the bases, though, Buxton has regressed in multiple defensive metrics over the past two seasons. He still makes all the routine plays, but he no longer takes away should-be hits. Of course, Buxton doesn’t have to be an elite defender to remain at center field. He's still playable there, with 3 Outs Above Average (OAA) over 193 attempts this season. Cracks are still forming beneath the surface, however. He’s remained elite at tracking balls hit in front of and behind him this season. However, his ability to reach balls on which he has to range far to his left or right has steadily regressed over the past couple of seasons, with 2026 as a low point. Moving toward third base, Buxton has generated 1 OAA. At the same time, he has manufactured 0 OAA moving toward first. His combined 1 OAA while moving laterally would be the lowest mark of his career (save his 2018 campaign, when he played only 28 games). Can you guess his second-worst season getting to balls hit laterally? Great job, valued reader! You’re correct. It was 2025. Buxton has steadily regressed in his ability to reach balls hit in the gap over the past two seasons, and at this point in his career, it's extremely likely that he'll continue to fade. Again, nobody is holding Buxton to the same standard as Pete Crow-Armstrong or Ceddanne Rafaela. Twins decision-makers would be more than justified in finishing the 2026 season with Buxton as the club’s primary center fielder; his regression doesn’t require immediate attention. Still, Minnesota would be wise to have a succession plan in place for 2027. Luckily, the organization’s top solution is knocking on the door of the majors in Triple-A: first-ranked prospect Walker Jenkins. I’m not advocating that Minnesota call up Jenkins right now. He's a 21-year-old enjoying his first extended success against Triple-A pitching. He is still a platoon liability against left-handed pitching, netting a .277 xwOBA over 80 plate appearances at Triple-A. He is undeniably at the parent club’s door, preparing to rush through, with intentions of immediately becoming one of Minnesota’s best position players. That time will come, but there’s a strong chance it won’t be until 2027. Whenever Jenkins does get his contract selected from Triple-A St. Paul, the Twins should make him their primary center fielder, moving Buxton to the corner outfield. Jenkins has played center field in most of his appearances at Triple-A, with 370 innings at the position. He's been solid, with no errors and good range. Right now, Buxton is probably as good or better in center than Jenkins is. However, by this time next year, that won't be true. What separates Jenkins from Buxton now is the top prospect’s elite arm value, an area in which Buxton has declined more obviously and sharply. Buxton sports a -1 Arm Value over 168 advancement attempts in 2026, placing him in the bottom third of the league. Runners have been able to take extra bases on him, a trend that has become significantly worse since 2024, when Buxton was toward the top of the league. Jenkins, however, has one of the best arms in the minors. Whether Buxton moves to left or right field is largely inconsequential. Right field is higher on the defensive spectrum, with clubs often placing stronger-armed fielders there in order to reduce a runner’s likelihood of advancing from first to third on a single or tagging up from second to third on a flyout to right. Buxton is probably better-suited to left, particularly given that left-center is deeper than right-center at Target Field. One way or another, though, it's time to start making a succession plan—which, in this case, is also a relocation plan.

Demoted to Triple-A St. Paul for the second time this season on June 2, a struggling Kody Funderburk rejoined the Saints, having posted a lousy 5.65 FIP and a -7.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio (meaning he was walking batters considerably more often than striking them out). The 29-year-old struggled with St. Paul, netting a 5.14 ERA, 4.10 FIP, and a lackluster 19.4% strikeout rate over seven innings pitched from June 5 to 21. Funderburk has often battled control issues, but at times this season, he's also run into barrels. After falling behind in counts, he was unable to sneak fastballs past hitters, and was hit hard, as well as giving out free passes. df6014ad-c6159a9d-3311a408-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Necessity brought Funderburk back to the bigs relatively quickly, though. The team's dearth of relief depth and Funderburk having a place on the 40-man roster positioned him for a promotion on June 24, upon which he looked to regain his post-2025 trade deadline form. Down the stretch of last season, he generated a 0.75 ERA, 2.30 FIP, and a 28% strikeout rate over 24 innings. “I know I was flying off a lot of stuff mechanically, causing some misses east-to-west.” Funderburk said, noting that Twins bullpen coach LaTroy Hawkins worked extensively with him upon his latest return. “We kind of just got back to staying closed, keeping my head on the target, and I was able to keep my torso closed just a split second longer, and everything timed up better.” Since June 26, the left-handed reliever has regained his dominant form, producing a 2.18 ERA, 2.36 FIP, and a 27.7% strikeout rate over 20 2/3 innings pitched. bGJ3R0JfWGw0TUFRPT1fQUFsVkFsZFhVQWNBRFFZREJRQUhBQWNBQUFNRVZnTUFWbFlOVXdNTUJWVmNVUVVE.mp4 “So, I think mechanically, like, that was a big adjustment for me and [Hawkins] and I got the work done. And, I mean, our catchers kill it with game-planning, and once I feel like I'm involved and can execute, it’s putting all my trust in them,” he said. Funderburk regaining his dominant form couldn’t have come at a better time, given the club’s lone high-leverage left-handed throwing reliever (Anthony Banda) was transferred to the 60-day IL with a left lat strain on July 11, ending his 2026 campaign. Minnesota’s front office traded for southpaw A.J. Minter on July 31, effectively replacing Banda’s production as a high-leverage, late-inning lefty. Still, Funderburk’s ascension has provided Minnesota with two trustworthy lefties ahead of veteran Taylor Rogers. “It’s just baseball; there’s ebbs and flows. That’s part of it, too—like, you go through stretches where you’re not quite yourself," he mused. "I think the better players are able to figure out what they’re doing wrong faster, and they nip it in the bud, and they’re able to get back on track.” Funderburk has always been an east-to-west pitcher, as mentioned above. He lives or dies by his sinker-cutter combination, which he throws a combined 68% of the time. His inability to throw his fastball variants in the zone earlier in the season was the primary reason he couldn't suppress walks and limit runs. However, by tightening his mechanics, Funderburk has regained plus form, becoming a high-leverage, left-handed-throwing bullpen anchor alongside Minter.

Signed by the Minnesota Twins to a minor-league contract in late February 2023, Jeff Hoffman pitched five innings in spring training before exercising his opt-out after being reassigned to minor-league camp. The hard-throwing righty quickly signed a minor-league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, pitching nine innings for their Triple-A affiliate before having his contract selected in early May 2023. The 30-year-old Hoffman immediately excelled with Philadelphia, netting a 2.41 ERA, 2.57 FIP, and a 33.2% strikeout rate over 52 1/3 innings pitched in 2023. He pitched at a similarly elite rate with Philadelphia in 2024, earning his first All-Star nod, before signing a three-year, $33 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays before the 2025 regular season. The veteran reliever struggled with Toronto last season, manufacturing a 4.37 ERA and 4.90 FIP over 68 innings pitched. However, he netted 33 saves (23 more than his prior career-high) while maintaining an elite strikeout rate. Despite losing his closer role to now-elite reliever Louis Varland, Hoffman looked like the Philadelphia version of himself with Toronto this season, posting a 3.94 ERA, 2.49 FIP, and a 34.9% strikeout rate (the fifth-highest strikeout rate among relievers) over 48 innings pitched. Hoffman generating swing-and-miss at an elite rate is why Twins decision-makers sought him out. “When we went out to acquire for our bullpen, we wanted to acquire specific things: swing and miss or the ability to miss bats later in games and leverage was something that’s important to us,” stated manager Derek Shelton. “He’s at what, 80 punch outs in 49 innings? Like, we did not have that in our bullpen. That is the thing that has been the most impressive and the thing we needed.” Hoffman shared a similar assessment. “I’ve pretty much led the AL in K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings pitched) all year.” Hoffman correctly proclaimed before noting his early-season struggles with the Blue Jays. “I think we got a little fastball-heavy in Toronto, both last year and this year…It seemed like every ball that was put in play was a hit, like, no matter how hard or how soft. There just wasn’t any, like, let up on that. So, it was like, all right, how do we limit the ball being put in play? And that was to throw the slider as much as possible and let the other two pitches complement that one.” Hoffman’s intuition was correct. Since the beginning of May (roughly the time when he started throwing his slider more), the hard-tossing has netted a 2.89 ERA, 2.37 FIP, and an elite 32.5% strikeout rate over 37 1/3 innings pitched, accumulating one of his strongest stretches with Toronto. Hoffman is the best version of himself when relying heavily on his slider. It’s what turned his career around, becoming one of baseball’s best relievers with Philadelphia, and inking an eight-figure, multi-year contract with Toronto. Interestingly, Hoffman considers Minnesota to be the organization that sparked his mid-career renaissance in 2023. “I kind of had an empty space in my arsenal that I needed to put the final puzzle piece in, um, because I was going out there with, like, a bad breaking pitch that didn’t tunnel with my fastball or splitter.” Then, Twins coaches suggested he throw his slider more. Hoffman added over six miles per hour of average velocity (81.2 MPH to 87.8 MPH) to the pitch from 2022 to 2023 while spiking his usage rate from 24% to 48%. “I needed something to kind of cover that empty space over there, so being able to add velocity to the slider (was) everything I needed out of the pitch. So, you know, when my feel is good with that pitch, then everything seems to fall into place.” Everything fell into place for Hoffman soon after departing Minnesota in late March 2023, turning into one of the most efficient swing-and-miss relievers in baseball. The 34-year-old again appears to be finding light at the end of the tunnel—guided by his elite slider. This time, however, the Twins have the opportunity to reap the benefits of Hoffman’s adjusted arsenal, instead of watching him thrive elsewhere.

The Minnesota Twins entered Sunday afternoon’s matinee matchup against the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers with intentions of handing them their first home series loss since late June against the Chicago Cubs. While they fell short of that goal, Sunday’s get-away game held sentimental value for two young Twins. “Yeah, it’s going to be fun. Connor (Prielipp) and I were talking about it. It’s great,” Alan Roden told reporters Sunday morning. Roden was born in Middleton, Wisconsin, graduating from high school there before committing to play baseball at Creighton University in 2018. “(I was a fan of) Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun growing up. I was talking about the ‘08 season earlier. It was a lot of fun, you know, watching baseball as a kid. Fast forward a couple years, Eric Thames comes to mind—Chris Carter and Jesús Aguilar, too.” Sunday’s starting pitcher for Minnesota, Connor Prielipp, grew up less than two hours from Roden in Tomah, Wisconsin. “I actually faced Connor in high school. I think it was called regionals, it’s like playoffs. Tomah beat us. I did get a hit off him though. Make sure you tell him that.” remarked a smirking Roden. One season after beating Roden’s Middleton club in regionals, Prielipp won 2019 Gatorade Wisconsin Baseball Player of the Year Award, before committing to the University of Alabama. “I would guess (Connor is excited). You know, coming back and pitching close to his to hometown… I would imagine, you know, there’s gonna be some excitement for Connor,” said manager Derek Shelton. Despite surrendering a leadoff home run to Jackson Chourio, Prielipp kept pace with impending NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob Misiorowski, netting seven strikeouts and three earned runs over five innings pitched. Roden grounded out and struck out in two plate appearances against the best starting pitcher in baseball, an outcome one would be hard-pressed to critique much. We can’t all possess world-beating, left-handed swings like Brooks Lee and Kody Clemens. “It was awesome. Being a lifelong Brewers fan, it awesome to say I finally pitched here,” said Prielipp during his postgame interview. “But at the end of the day, I was ready to pitch.” Jake Bauers hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the tenth inning, propelling Milwaukee to a one-run victory over Minnesota. Despite the bitter ending, however, this will be a day to remember for the two Wisconsinites.

Activated off the 7-day Triple-A IL on July 24 from a left hip strain that sidelined him for over two weeks, Minnesota Twins third-ranked prospect Kaelen Culpepper struggled upon rejoining St. Paul’s lineup, hitting .179/.207/.214 with a 2 wRC+ over 28 plate appearances. Minnesota's top pick in the 2024 draft quickly changed course, however, hitting .412/.474/.706 with a 199 wRC+ over his next 21 plate appearances, putting together one of the best three-game stretches of his 2026 campaign. In response, the Minnesota Twins purchased Culpepper’s contract from Triple-A on August 7, with him making his major league debut against Milwaukee that night. Culpepper was in the shower when he realized something was going down. “Our clubby told me to go into (Brian Dinkelman’s) office, and I walked in, and all staff was in there; coordinators were in there. I kind of knew what was going on. He broke the news to me. I got pretty emotional. I started crying and stuff.” His sentimental state continued as he entered Minnesota’s dugout. “(I) felt welcomed, for sure. Everyone’s focused, of course, but so many congratulations. I feel very comfortable. The last couple of hours were very hectic, you know what I mean? I’m just excited to get the first at-bat out of the way for sure.” The 23-year-old popped out to Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers in his first at-bat. However, manager Derek Shelton is confident about Culpepper’s ability to contribute at a high level at the plate. “He’s definitely made strides (at the plate). There’s still gonna be room for improvement at the major league level, but I think all the challenges we’ve thrown at (Kaelen) organizationally this year, he’s done a really nice job…there’s bat speed there. There’s an ability to impact the baseball.” Shelton was quickly proven right, as Culpepper homered off Milwaukee left-handed starting pitcher Shane Drohan in his second major league at-bat, with the ball traveling 390 feet at 100.2 MPH off the bat: Culpepper homering in his major league debut is indicative of the offensive potential the right-handed bat has demonstrated since Minnesota drafted him 21st overall in the 2024 MLB Amateur Draft. He hit 20 home runs between High- and Double-A in 2025, sporting a near-elite average exit velocity and barrel rate at both levels. He maintained an elite average exit velocity and barrel rate at Triple-A while refining his approach and swing decisions against advanced pitching. Culpepper has all the tools necessary to become one of Minnesota’s most productive hitters immediately. Shelton is also optimistic about Culpepper in the field. “I think right now (he’s) just going to be playing shortstop. I mean, I think with our club, we’ve got to know that you can play multiple positions. He’s played second and third in St. Paul. But I think right now in the short term, it would just be short. But, I mean, hell, we’ve watched guys go to positions that I don’t—I mean, if you would have told me Alex Jackson was going to start two games at first base a month ago, I would have told you that you were crazy.” Regardless of where the consensus Top 100 prospect plays, Shelton believes he will play a meaningful role in Minnesota’s ability to return to the postseason for the first time since 2023. “He’s very ready…he’s become a better defender. I mean, this is a kid that has some tools. It’s why he’s so highly touted. He’s back healthy, he’s playing well, so we felt it was the right time to bring him to the big leagues.”

Long ago, pacing in front of a green, rectangular chalkboard, author Kurt Vonnegut traveled around the country, lecturing audiences on the shape of a story. In his lectures, Vonnegut would profess that stories have “very simple shapes; ones that computers can understand.” He would draw out a “GI axis” (”G” meaning good fortune; I meaning “Ill fortune”). He would then draw out the “BE axis.” Naturally, “B” stood for beginning and “E” for end. The first type of story is titled “Man in a Hole.” It needn’t be about a man nor a hole, but somebody gets into trouble and then gets out of it. Another popular story shape was “Boy Meets Girl.” Mind you, it needn’t be about a boy or a girl. Somebody, on a day like any other day, comes across something wonderful. It is their lucky day! Then **** hits the fan. But somehow, someway, they get their life together again. Finally, the most popular story begins closer to the “I” on the GI axis: Vonnegut talks about a young girl whose mother dies. Her father then immediately remarries to a terrible battleaxe with two mean daughters. There’s a party at the palace one night. She doesn’t get to go. Instead, she is forced to help her sisters get ready for it. But she does not let that bother her. She is a stout-hearted little girl with maximum grief due to the death of her mother. Suddenly, a fairy godmother gets her dressed; she goes to the party; and a prince falls in love with her. The clock strikes 12; she loses everything; the shoe fits, and she becomes off-scale happy for eternity. Rags to riches—a soaring (though undulating) climb from "I" to "G" as we progress from "B" to "E". Vonnegut notes the infinite despair of Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis,” before noting that the rise and fall of these stories is artificial—pretending we know more about life than we do. Delving into “Hamlet.” Vonnegut describes the William Shakespeare classic, continually remarking that the events that occur in the story are neither good nor bad—they happen. We are so seldom told the truth in stories, but in “Hamlet,” Shakespeare tells us: we don’t know enough about life to know what the good news is and what the bad news is, and we respond to that. We pretend to know what the good news is and what the bad news is all the time. All we really do is echo the feelings of those around us. This sentiment is especially true when it comes to MLB’s trade deadline. Remember when the Twins front office traded for Tyler Mahle, Jorge López, and Michael Fulmer before the 2022 deadline? Immediately, those who followed the club deemed them deadline winners, acquiring a frontline starting pitcher and two high-leverage relievers. Less than two months later, they were deadline losers, with Mahle on the IL with a shoulder injury, Lòpez imploding in nearly every appearance, and Fulmer’s addition quickly becoming irrelevant as the club fell out of playoff contention. Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand were set to become stars with the Cincinnati Reds, making that deadline even more excruciating a misstep. Then, they didn’t. Yennier Cano was going to be one of the best late-innings relievers, with Cade Povich looking like a soon-to-be number two starter in Baltimore’s formidable starting rotation. Then, they didn’t. The Twins also should have just kept Sawyer Gipson-Long, who was bound to become a young, cost-controlled fixture in Detroit’s rotation for seasons to come—until he didn’t. We were but echoing the feelings of those around us. In 2023, the Twins' inactivity at the deadline was the nail in the coffin of their playoff aspirations—until it wasn’t. Despite not adding a single player at the deadline, Minnesota won the AL Central, ending its 18-game postseason losing streak and winning its first series in 19 years. We pretend to know what the good and bad news is, and we respond to that. The organization buying during this season’s deadline appears to be a good thing. It is a clear, welcome shift from the bleak passivity Minnesota’s ownership and front office has demonstrated since the end of the 2023 postseason. Still, we don’t know enough about the Twins to know what the good news is and what the bad news is, but we respond to that. The acquisitions of A.J. Minter and Dean Kremer were nice, floor-raising moves. The club could still add what is perceived to be a dramatic, tide-shifting starting pitcher like Reid Detmers or Casey Mize, or a reliever like Luke Weaver or Adrián Morejón. No matter what Minnesota does, it won’t be in the shape of a “Man in the Hole”, a “Boy Meets Girl” story, “Cinderella,” or “The Metamorphosis.” Instead, it will be a flat line like “Hamlet”: a series of transactions in which we don’t know if they will be good or bad. So, this deadline, I beg you not to echo the feelings of those around you, pretending to know what the good news is and what the bad news is. Instead, I ask you to acknowledge that we don’t know enough about trades to know what the good news is and what the bad news is, and respond to that appropriately. Imagine yourself moving along Vonnegut's chalkboard, and remember that while you're going from "B" to "E" inexorably, whether you're moving toward "G" or "I" at any given time is essentially impossible to know. Later, you can step back and see the whole chalkboard, and then we can all see the shape of the story. For now, we're just flecks of chalk.

The Twins got their read on reliever Jack Anderson the hard way. On April 14 he worked three innings against them, struck out four, and gave up a run over 11 batters. On July 11, five days after Boston cut him loose, they claimed him. Twelve days after that, he had his first career save. They're hoping that upward trend continues. The Twins bullpen has been better than average in July, with solid performances from Kody Funderburk (0.2 fWAR), Taylor Rogers (0.2), Yoendrys Gómez (0.2), Travis Adams (0.2), Andrew Morris (0.2), and Tommy Nance (0.1). These six relievers have done solid work suppressing runs, tying New York (AL) and Baltimore for the seventh-best relief unit this month. However, these six relievers aren’t the sole contributors to the unit’s successful month. Newcomer Jack Anderson has also contributed toward the club’s favorable ranking this month, netting 0.2 fWAR over 4 1/3 innings pitched. Bouncing between Detroit’s, Boston’s, and Minnesota’s Triple-A affiliates since 2024, Anderson received his first major league opportunity with the Red Sox in mid-April, posting a 3.38 ERA and 3.99 FIP over eight innings pitched, including the aforementioned three-inning relief appearance against the Twins. Designated for assignment by Boston on July 6, the right-handed reliever joined the organization he excelled against. The 26-year-old joined Minnesota’s bullpen two weeks later, earning his first career save in only his second appearance with the club. Five days later, Twins decision-makers optioned him to Triple-A St. Paul before promoting him two days later when Cole Sands was placed on the 15-day IL with a right elbow strain. Despite jumping between Triple-A and the parent club, Anderson has excelled with the Twins, netting a 0.00 ERA, 1.04 FIP, and 37.5% strikeout rate over 16 batters faced. The right-hander has heavily relied on his offspeed and breaking pitches since joining Minnesota, throwing his splitter and slider a combined 50% of the time, while throwing his sweeper 23.2%. The reason for this is that his splitter, slider, and sweeper are all firmly plus pitches, generating high whiff and chase rates. He hasn’t abandoned his four-seamer by any means, throwing it at a 26.8% rate. Still, with it sitting at 92.1 MPH while sporting a below-average movement profile, he has been wise to use his fastball far less than most right-handed relievers. Functionally, Anderson has been what Twins decision-makers hoped Eric Orze would be: a soft-tossing righty who dominates hitters of either handedness with his splitter, while attacking righties with his slider and sweeper. Again, Anderson could be back in Triple-A by the end of the week or if/when Minnesota acquires a reliever. (Or relievers? Plz, Jeremy Zoll?). Yet, given his dominant performance since joining Minnesota and the still unstable nature of Minnesota’s bullpen after Gómez, Morris, and Nance, Anderson could continue to earn high-leverage appearances, joining Gómez as a diamond-in-the-rough reliever acquired on the margins.

Weeks before spring training concluded and the Minnesota Twins flew from sunny Fort Myers to Baltimore to begin their 162-game regular season campaign, I published an article on utility player Ryan Kreidler, stating the 28-year-old had been MLB’s worst hitter over the past six seasons. Though harsh, the claim was valid—Kreidler’s career wRC+ of 11 made him the worst-performing hitter (766 out of 766) with at least 200 plate appearances from 2020 through 2025. Still, optimism remained that the former Detroit Tiger could contribute for Minnesota this season, particularly given his defensive flexibility. Luckily, that has been the outcome so far. Kreidler has hit .244/.301/.419 with five home runs and a 99 wRC+ over 173 plate appearances, meaning that he's been essentially average. Nobody in Twins Territory is complaining about an 88-point improvement from his career average, especially given his plus glove and arm at one of the position’s highest on the defensive spectrum: shortstop. What is concerning about Kreidler's performance, however, is how stark a decline he has undergone in recent weeks, lending credence to the idea that he might be reverting to one of the league’s most ineffective hitters. From April 11 to June 30, the right-handed bat hit .287/.357/.505 with a 140 wRC+ over 112 plate appearances. Hitting the ball hard and rarely striking out, Kreidler had underlying metrics that supported his offensive breakout, sporting a .334 xwOBA during that stretch. Since July 1, however, the first-time Twin has plummeted down to earth. Before a major breakthrough (or was it a burp?) on Sunday in which he collected three extra-base hits, he was hitting an atrocious .127/.158/.164 with a -17 wRC+ over 57 plate appearances this month. His ability to drive the ball evaporated in the heat of the summer; yesterday's outburst more than doubled his total of extra-base hits this month. His underlying metrics match his struggles, too. He did nothing but hit the ball hard and in the air on Sunday, but in the 50 plate appearances before that game, his xwOBA was a paltry .208. No one who follows the Twins expected Kreidler to continue hitting like a star. Still, how quickly he descended into being the Tigers' version of himself is alarming, illustrating how unsustainable success is for fringe major-leaguers. Kreidler is still a serviceable rotational piece, considering he’s Minnesota’s best defensive option at shortstop while also possessing the ability to play all three outfield positions, third base, and second. But the Twins would be wise to move quickly to minimize his plate appearances. Luckily, one of their top prospects is the closest he’s ever been to making his major-league debut. On Friday, St. Paul activated Kaelen Culpepper from the reserve list, with the organization’s third-ranked prospect returning to the Triple-A lineup. The 23-year-old shortstop had knocked on the parent club’s door earlier this season, sporting a 117 wRC+ over 303 plate appearances with the Saints. Unfortunately, however, injuries have delayed the top prospect’s major league debut. Yet, with Kreidler’s struggles, Tristan Gray’s recent demotion to Triple-A, and Brooks Lee’s full-time transition to third base, nothing stands in the way of Culpepper taking over as the Twins' primary starting shortstop as the club seeks its first postseason appearance since 2023. Kreidler can still stake his claim anew, while Culpepper gets up to speed. His bat speed had sagged and his swing had flattened out this month, but he's still a fundamentally different hitter than he was before. Maybe he's survived a round of adjustments and a bout of understandable fatigue, as he navigates the first thing anywhere close to a full big-league season he's ever experienced. He has a bit of time to show that Sunday was more than a blip. Failing that, though, the countdown to Culpepper's arrival is on. The team even has one more week to entertain and pursue possible upgrades at shortstop in the trade market. In that way, the timing of this regression is fortuitous, even beyond Culpepper's convalescence. If Kreidler is back after that great game, the Twins are in business. If his warts are showing and his time is up, they've gotten the red flags early enough to scour the market for a low-cost boost at his position. Either way, a top prospect looms as an internal solution. Things could be much worse.