1985Fan

If they go the trade route to fill 1B, how about Coby Mayo? The Orioles have the Polar Bear locked in for a while, so Mayo could be expendable. They need SP badly. Maybe Ryan for Mayo would work. He’s not shown superstar numbers, but he’s young and has upside. Im ok if they stay internal for 1B. Give Lewis another two months as a last chance. If he doesn’t hit, then be done with him and go with Clemons and Sabato to see how that looks. I think they should see what Sabato can do before moving on. They need some RH power in the lineup with Jeffers on his way out.

Twins 2026 drafted pitchers after catchers Lackey and Tinney, in total 12 pitchers. Further, four of the 2026 pitchers drafted are in the top 25 Twins prospects list. Next year, Riley Quick, #7 ranked Twins prospect, will probably start at AA and I expect will move to AAA. I think there is enough pitching for 2027 with Abel, Prielipp, Matthews, and Bradley. Those young guys to go with Lopez and Kremer should be enough for next year. Rojas and Gallagher should be in AAA at the start of the year, ready to step up. Quick could be at AAA in the second half. Not counting on Ryan or Ober as both should be traded. Festa is also a question mark that can’t be counted on. I think there is enough pitching for next year, and if the current guys keep developing and getting better, the future is bright.

Thats it. Good recall.

Wrong good sir… That is a Groucho Marx quote from his tv show that I cant recall the name of now.

I’m not into projecting numbers and/or results. Not surprised at his struggles on both offense and defense; that’s to be expected. Huge adjustment for prospects when they hit the big leagues. Witness Cooper Pratt for the Brewers. I think the biggest attribute KC and other players have is their mentality. They need the ability to weather the hard times while maintaining confidence, while also able to humbly admit they need to learn and accept help. Some young players haven’t faced a lot of failure, so they don’t handle it well. We’ll see how KC does next season.

Be careful what you wish for. New owner spending big money doesn’t always translate to a well run, winning organization. Lots of examples like Arte Moreno buying the Angels from Gene Autry. They had just won their only WS and Moreno took that org from that high to where they are today. He spent a lot of money though. How about Steve Cohen with the Mets? Great job there, and he spends lots of money as well. The local example of the Wilfs is laughable. They’re no closer to the SB now than when they bought the team. And we the taxpayers gave them a billion dollar stadium that costs a fortune for tickets. I’ve worked with and for companies bought out by investment firms. Not once did I see or experience improvements. It’s usually followed by cost cutting and major changes to extract a quick profit from the business, to the detriment of the customers and employees. Truthfully, every owner has to make money from their investment or at least not lose money. All the talk about the greedy Pohlads is the truth for every other baseball owner. New owners won’t change that. I’ll duck for cover now for all the expected rocks thrown my way 😁

If an alternative approach is to add a 2B and move Clemons to 1B, then maybe look at Volpe from NYY. He’s fallen out of the lineup but still has talent. He looked great against the Twins at TF recently, so he can play, just not at the high expectations Yankee management and fans had when he was primary SS. He might be cheap to get in a trade since he’s fallen out of favor in NY. If they go 2B and move Clemons to 1B, don’t shut out moving KC to 2B when Houston arrives. Something to keep in mind….

I’d like to see some spend on the BP. Matthews, Rojas, and others should be used as SP until that door is completely closed. Adding one or two BP arms via FA would be helpful, instead of spending prospect capital. Spending big on guys like Bednar or Morejohn is premature, so maybe Minter and Abreu are more reasonable.

You might be right, but why not try him out to know for sure? It’s not like the Twins are knocking on the door of the WS next year. Before using assets on 1B, make sure they’re not sitting on an improvement.

If they’re going to make a 1B trade, look at NYY. They have a bit of a logjam at 1B when Judge is healthy. Garcia might be odd man out, even though they just traded for him. He’s young at 26, so he could fit Twins timeline for contending. Bush from Cubs would be a good add as well, but the cost would probably be very high. Not sure how that would look. Im also ok with staying the course with Lewis at 1B to start the season. Give him another two months before pulling the plug on him. Then give Sabato a chance for a month to see if he can stick. If not, fall back to Clemons for the rest of the year.

Lewis has also played 2nd and 3rd base. Lee isn’t going to play every day. Sabato can get a few AB’s as DH . There are more than four OF on the roster. I don’t know how they deal with that logjam other than trades to clean up the roster.

I don’t think the Twins are going to be serious contenders next year, so hanging onto and giving Royce more time to show he belongs is not a terrible decision. He should get a little more time than other players due to his 1/1 draft status. By June, if Lewis hasn’t improved significantly at the plate, that’s the end of the line. They should also give Sabato some real playing time next year to see if his AAA season was legitimate.

I’m not angry at TP or the family for past mistakes. I don’t blame them for past trades made/not made, FA signings, and FA missed. Those specific decisions are the POBO/GM. It would be great if the payroll was Dodger level or near that, but that is not required to field a winning team. Twins had the highest payroll in the ALC for several seasons under Falvey and were not competitive vs. Cleveland or Detroit. That’s on Falvey. The draft and player development under Falvey is what created the current roster, good and bad. TP made the right decision in letting him go. I’m willing to give him and Zoll some time to prove that they can turn the team into a contender. I doubt they’ll go from 70 wins to championship in one deadline or one offseason. You can’t turn the titanic on a dime. I understand the frustration of several seasons of watching this team collapse down the stretch. I’m frustrated as well. They improved to 77 wins this year. Yes, that’s an improvement. They have the young kids here with more near ready to step up. I’m optimistic for the future and the outlook this year is much better than last year. If you’re still angry at TP for making the decision to go for it this year and make trades at the deadline, I understand that position. Fans can criticize Zoll for specific moves and be frustrated with Pohlads, but I don’t understand how fans can be angry when he says he’s going to increase payroll. If he doesn’t and it’s just hollow talk, then be angry. I’ll wait to see what happens this offseason before judging TP or Zoll.

It was an interesting year of baseball. Too few highlights and too many lowlights. But enough positive happenings to make for an optimistic outlook for next season. Top prospects are here, the SP looks strong (if most are healthy next spring), defense is improved from beginning of season, they found a couple of arms for the BP, and Lee and Keaschall had decent years to give them something to build on. They should stick with the youth movement next year by giving some more MiLB guys an audition. They improved their record a few wins and seemed poised to make further progress next year. Looking forward to next spring and an interesting offseason.

I think Ober pitched himself out of next year’s rotation with his start last night. Time to move on. Trade him for whatever you can get.

2027 is too early to start filling holes on the roster. Instead, they need to spend next year letting the young guys develop, evaluating the pitchers they do have, and getting more prospects up to the big leagues. Let the young guys play a full season to determine what their strengths and weaknesses are. There are plenty of other young guys that are at AAA that could make debuts next year. Mendez, GG, Olivar, Raya, and even Gallagher could be promoted to see what they have to offer. There are several guys at AA that should be AAA next season, could be ready to step up as well. They started the youth movement this year, let’s keep it going. Once they know who is part of their core, then start making additions and subtractions to roster, possibly as early as the 2027 trade deadline.

What’s the worry here? If Buxton isn’t ready at the start of the season, you’ve got Jenkins or Rodriguez to play CF until he’s proven ready to go. Twins weren’t supposed to be contenders next year anyway, right? Next year is waiting for Houston and Lackey to be promoted and have the dream team getting ready for championship in 2028 and beyond. Fans get to see all the prized prospects play everyday. When Buck comes back, they can assess what the plan is for him that is best for the team and the player.

The minor league pitching cupboard being bare is probably why the 2026 Twins draft class was heavy on pitchers and light on position players. Twelve of the twenty draft picks were pitchers. I suspect we’ll see many of the pitchers drafted in 2026 move up the MiLB levels next year. Already four pitchers from 2026 draft picks in the Twins top 30 prospect list.

Good to see. Put Lewis on the IL, 60 day to make room and let Sabato play 1B. They need a RH power bat in the lineup. Interesting to hear Lewis shoulder is still a problem. Might explain his slump.

I read a lot of pessimism about the future of the organization. I understand that opinion after the end of a frustrating season. Another collapse down the stretch, poor defense, offensive slumps, bullpen collapses, and some poor starting pitching outings makes the future look bleak. I look at the roster now compared to the beginning of the year, and I see optimism for next year and beyond. The three top prospects are here and should be starters from day one next year. Buxton should be healthy at the start of the year and be able to resume his production. If he isn’t healthy or productive, there are guys on the roster now that can assume CF role and play good defense. I would like to see Jeffers signed to three year deal to fill the hole at catcher until prospects are ready to step in. The rotation has good arms that have shown flashes of excellence. The BP is not completely barren, compared to the start of the season. I think Banda is back next year to join Hoffman, Gomez, and Morris. Funderburk could also step into a low leverage reliever. Houston, Winokour, and maybe Quick could be at AAA to start the year and be ready for 2028, if all goes well. I don’t see a need for a complete rebuild. The reshaping of the roster has already begun, no need to go scorched earth now. The three top prospects clock is now ticking, if they start a rebuild now, it may stretch into 3-4 years of development time. Instead, I see a nice blend of young guys with a few veterans to help them along the way. They’re not ready to compete for WS title next year, but if all goes well, maybe postseason isn’t out of reach next year, and they’re hitting their stride in 2028.

Lewis’s struggles with the low and away pitches is the hole in his swing. Thats been true for a lot of MLB hitters, including guys like Tori Hunter, who I watched flail away at low and away sliders his entire Twins career. To be fair, last night’s Angels pitcher was nasty with the changeup that no one was hitting. He made all the Twins hitters look foolish. Lewis looks like he’s trying to pull everything which makes him vulnerable to low and away pitches. Twins aren’t alone and are like many teams that have adopted the Driveline philosophy of teaching every hitter to pull and lift for power. The problem with that approach is it should be paired with a situational awareness that adjusts for two strikes, or going with the pitch if that’s where they’re pitching you, or just needing to put the ball in play. I personally think the issue with Lewis and other twins hitters is a hitting coach not solely focused on analytics. Twins need a hitting coach that understands the mental side of hitting, not just the mechanical part. I think they need a lead/head hitting coach that has a MLB track record that players like Lewis respect and will listen to. Someone that has been through the battle and understands the approach needed for different situations and how to adjust to what pitchers are doing to hitters. Pairing a Don Mattingly type coach with an analytical coach might be the way to unlock Lewis and many more Twins.

Give Sabato a chance. What have they got to lose? If he doesn’t cut it, then move on. First base has been a hole since forever. They’ve been plugging the hole with one year deals with limited success. They might get lucky with Sabato.

Is there someone on the roster or knocking on the door in the minors that is blocked by Lewis? I’d vote for Sabato getting a chance, but apparently Twins don’t have any confidence in his game. I’m done watching Caratini at 1B. I don’t think Twins are going to go out and sign a FA 1B next year, so I don’t have a problem giving AB’s to Lewis. He’s very good defensively, which should be the focus for this team.

Definitely give Martin the rest of the year off. He’s not big league hitter. I don’t think he plays the outfield well either. Larnach is hurt, wrist sprain it sounded like. They should put him on the IL. I say play Lewis everyday. Need to know if he is part of the plan or not.

Great game by Matthews. Kreidler giveth and he taketh away. Can’t defend getting picked off 2nd base! Too many missed opportunities during the regulation nine innings. Jeffers looking at strike three with two runners in scoring position in the seventh. I can forgive ERod striking out looking with runners on, but Jeffers is a veteran. They had lots of chances to add on runs during regulation and couldn’t do it. Should have had a three or four run lead going into the ninth instead of just two.