William Malone

James Anthony Happ was born on October 19, 1982 in Peru, Illinois. The Philadelphia Phillies selected him in round three of the 2004 MLB Draft. He made his Major League debut in 2010, and pitched four seasons for the Phillies. Happ helped Philadelphia win the 2008 World Series. They also won the National League pennant in 2009. He was traded to the Houston Astros as part of the Roy Oswalt deal at the 2010 deadline. This began his long career as a journeyman left handed starter. Happ played for the Astros (2010-12), Toronto Blue Jays (2012-14 and 2016-18), Seattle Mariners (2015), Pittsburgh Pirates (2015) and New York Yankees (2018-20). He was a 20 game winner for the Blue Jays in 2016. His lone career All-Star selection came in 2018, where Happ surprisingly earned the save. It was the only save of his professional career, including 120 minor league games. The Minnesota Twins singed Happ to a one year deal in 2021. He started out the season strong, posting a 1.91 ERA across his first five starts. He brought a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 23rd, and tossed another seven inning gem against the Cleveland Indians on April 28th. The latter being the first of three times he would defeat Cleveland in 2021. Happ wasn't as successful against the Chicago White Sox, getting tagged for 15 runs over a two start streak against them on May 12th and May 17th. This ballooned his ERA from 1.91 through five starts, to 5.35 through seven. Things calmed down after that, and Happ was consistently giving the Twins competitive starts through the end of June. He had a win-loss record of 5-6 with the club, but Minnesota was 10-9 in his 19 starts. Two rough starts against the Detroit Tigers in July, where Happ allowed 16 combined runs, pushed his ERA through those 19 starts up to 6.77. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals at the deadline for veteran pitcher John Gant and pitching prospect Evan Sisk. Happ was 5-2 with a 4.00 ERA in 11 starts for the Cardinals, helping St. Louis earn the final wild card spot. He retired after the season. View full player

I’ve gotten 51 games correct through the first 70! Hitting at a 73% clip!

Adalberto Mejía was born on June 20, 1993 in the Dominican Republic. The San Francisco Giants signed him as an international free agent in 2011. He was very successful in the minors. MLB Pipeline ranked Mejía as the Giants seventh best prospect entering 2016. They traded him to the Minnesota Twins for Eduardo Núñez at the deadline that summer. He made his Major League debut for the Twins on August 20, 2016. Mejía allowed two runs in 2.2 innings out of the bullpen, and was optioned back to Triple-A. A strong spring training helped Mejía earn a spot in the Twins rotation in 2017. He earned his first big league win on May 21st, tossing seven innings and allowing three runs against the Kansas City Royals. Mejía made 21 stats for the Twins that season, going 4-7 with a 4.50 ERA. Various injuries limited him to just four starts in 2018, but he was 2-0 with a 2.01 ERA when on the Major League mound for Minnesota. Rookie manager Rocco Baldelli put Mejía in the bullpen to start off 2019. He struggled in his new role, going 0-2 with an 8.80 ERA across 15.1 innings. The Twins designated him for assignment. Mejía had short stints with the Los Angeles Angels and St. Louis Cardinals in the second half of 2019. Mejía didn't pitch during the COVID shortened 2020 season, and he spent 2021 playing professionally in China. He didn't play for anyone between 2022 and 2024. Mejía decided to attempt a comeback with the Staten Island Ferry Hawks of the Atlantic League in 2025. View full player

Trevor Sean Hildenberger was born on December 15, 1990 in San Jose, California. The Minnesota Twins selected him in round 22 of the 2014 MLB Draft. He quickly became one of the most dominant relief pitchers in their farm system. Hildenberger had a 1.55 ERA with 17 saves in 2015, splitting the year between Class-A and High-A. He had a 0.75 ERA with 19 saves in 2016, splitting that season between High-A and Double-A. After beginning 2017 as a closer in Triple-A, the Twins called up Hildenberger in late June. He began his big league career with a streak of 7.1 shutout innings, before surrendering two runs in a relief outing against the Baltimore Orioles on July 9th. Hildenberger began to earn higher leverage reps as the year went along, especially after All-Star closer Brandon Kintzler was traded at the deadline. He became a key set-up man for new closer Matt Belisle during the final two months, and even earned his first career save on August 13th against the Detroit Tigers. Hildenberger went 3-3 with a 3.21 ERA as a rookie, striking out 9.4 opponents per nine innings. He had one save and 12 holds. Despite being deadline sellers, Minnesota rallied to earn the last playoff spot. Hildenberger allowed a run in 1.1 innings during their AL Wild Card Game loss against the New York Yankees. He came out of the gate strong in 2018, posting a 2.06 ERA and a 0.915 WHIP through his first 36 appearances. His overall stats in the second half took a hit in the second half, largely ballooned by a handful of disastrous outings. Hildenberger had two five run showings, and two more four run showings across his final 37 appearances. Those four bad outings produced over 40% of his earned runs, in just 5.5% of his 73 appearances during the 2018 campaign. He finished the season with seven saves, serving as a part time closer after veteran Fernando Rodney was traded at the deadline. The sidearm slinging righty had a strong start to 2019 as well, finishing April with a 1.93 ERA over 9.1 innings. He had 11 strikeouts, two wins, one save, and five holds. But things quickly turned. It wasn't just a small handful of bad outings like 2018. Hildenberger allowed runs in seven of his next nine appearances, and was sent down to Triple-A. He finished the season down there, and was removed from the 40-man roster in the off-season. Hildenberger signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox that winter. He spent the COVID shortened season at their alternate training site, but was never called on for big league action. The New York Mets signed him to a minor league deal the following off-season. Hildenberger was called up for a two appearance cup of coffee during the regular season. He spent 2022 and 2023 in the San Francisco Giants minor league system, but was limited to just 11 games between the two seasons due to various injuries and setbacks. View full player

Justin Case Haley was born on June 16, 1991 in Sacramento, California. The Boston Red Sox selected him in round six of the 2012 MLB Draft. He was acquired by the Minnesota Twins as a Rule-5 Draft choice. Haley was on the Opening Day roster in 2017. He made his Major League debut on April 5th, pitching a shutout ninth inning to finish off a 9-1 win over the Kansas City Royals. Haley earned his first career save on April 13th, allowing one run and striking out six over 3.1 innings to close out an 11-5 blowout victory against the Detroit Tigers. Minnesota placed him on the disabled list in late May with shoulder tightness. He embarked on a minor league rehab assignment in July. The Twins chose to not activate him when the rehab assignment ended, and Haley was returned to the Red Sox organization under Rule-5 conditions. He finished 2017 in the Boston farm system, reemerging at the big league level for a four game cup of coffee in 2018. The Red Sox removed him from their 40-man roster in the off-season. Haley spent 2019 pitching in Korea. He retired after the season, and became a firefighter. As of 2022, he was working for the West Newbury Fire Department in Massachusetts. View full player

Hello, fellow humans! My name is William Malone IV. Son of William Malone III. And I come with great news! The two time World Series champion Minnesota Twins won a baseball game last night against the one time World Series champion Texas Rangers. How did they win it? Rangers manager Bruce Bochy likely "punted" the game. This is something Twins manager Rocco Baldelli often does, and there are some fans who get angry whenever it happens. But last night shows that other managers do it too. Even guys like Bochy, who have a reserved spot in Cooperstown. Minnesota was leading 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth last night. Former top prospect Jack Leiter surrendered a lead-off double to Byron Buxton, and was lifted at just 87 pitches. On paper, it's a very crucial moment of the game. The Twins have a (very fast) runner on second with nobody out. 2-3-4 in the order is coming up. Texas is trailing by a run, but the game can quickly slip away. So who does Bochy turn to out of the bullpen? Jacob Latz! Your classic Quad-A left handed reliever. The Rangers version of Kody Funerburk. He made his Major League debut in 2021, but has only accumulated 64 big league appearances in that time frame. In that same stretch of time, Latz has pitched in 102 minor league games. And that was while spending 2022 primarily as a starter in the minor leagues, which kind of caps the amount of appearances you can make. Putting Latz in that spot last night went exactly how the common Twins fan would expect Funderburk to do in a similar situation. The Twins very quickly expanded their lead to 6-2, and the game was pretty much over right there. Jhoan Duran and all the top relievers were rested after a day off on Monday and blowout loss on Tuesday. Bruce Bochy punted that game. He decided in the fifth inning that his better arms would be saved for a later date, and he just handed Minnesota an easy victory. Yes, Baldelli will punt games going forward. But don't think too much of it. Every manager does it. Even Hall of Fame managers like Bochy. And he's managing a Rangers team that, honestly, really needs to win games. Every game is important to the Twins, but that might go double for Texas. They're 32-36 right now. And it's an old(ish) roster too. A window might be closing pretty soon for the 2023 World Series champions. If they can't be a playoff team now, maybe it'll be awhile before they're back. The pitching staff has Jack Leiter. But look at everyone else. Patrick Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi are 35. Jacob de Grom is 37. Their two best relievers are 33 and 34. Offensive centerpieces Corey Seager and Marcus Semien are not getting any younger either. They got their ring, so it's all worth it. Not hating. You'd trade the fall off in later years for a ring every single time. But that fall off might be here, and Bruce Bochy is out here punting some games, possibly helping close the window even quicker.

Joseph Rodger Roa was born on October 11, 1971 in Southfield, Michigan. The Atlanta Braves selected him in round 18 of the 1989 MLB Draft. He was traded two times as a prospect, and made his Major League debut for the Cleveland Indians in 1995. Roa only made two career appearances for the Indians. He was 2-5 with a 5.21 ERA for the San Francisco Giants in 1997, making three starts and 25 relief appearances. Roa pitched exclusively in the minors from 1998 through 2001, pitching in three different organizations. He was 4-4 with a 4.04 ERA with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2002, making 11 starts and three relief appearances. Roa had short big league stints for the Phillies, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies in 2003. The Minnesota Twins signed him to a one year deal in 2004. Roa made a career high 48 appearances, all out of the bullpen. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire often turned to the 32-year old journeyman in long relief, asking him to cover 70.0 innings in those outings. He was 2-3 with a 4.50 ERA. His ERA was ballooned a bit by a bad September, where he allowed nine earned runs in 5.1 innings. Minnesota left him off their ALDS roster, when extra off days on the schedule allow teams to push their fifth starter back into a long relief role. He spent 2005 in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system, and then retired. As of 2018, Roa is living in Michigan with his wife three children. View full player

Craig Andrew Breslow was born on August 8, 1980 in New Haven, Connecticut. The Milwaukee Brewers selected him in round 26 out of Yale University in the 2002 MLB Draft. He had a 7.19 ERA at the High-A level in 2004, and was released. Breslow was accepted into NYU Medical School, and was ready to give up baseball. His courses at NYU were set to begin in the fall of 2005, so Breslow signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres in an effort to give baseball one last shot. To the surprise of many, he had a breakout season and earned a Major League call-up by July. San Diego removed Breslow from their 40-man in the off-season. He signed with the Boston Red Sox, pitching 13 games for them in 2006. Breslow spent the entire 2007 season in the minors. Some late season injuries forced the Red Sox to include Breslow on their ALDS roster that fall, but he did not pitch in the series. Breslow was not on the roster in ensuing playoff rounds. Boston won the World Series, and Breslow received his first World Series ring. Breslow signed a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians in 2008, making their Opening Day roster. They designated him for assignment after just seven appearances. He was claimed by the Minnesota Twins. His partial season in Minnesota proved to be a breakout campaign. Breslow opened up his Twins tenure with 10.2 consecutive scoreless innings, striking out 11 opponents. He picked up his first career save on August 29th against the Oakland Athletics, and then dominated the month of September. Breslow allowed just seven base runners and zero runs across nine innings during the final month of the regular season, but Minnesota wound up losing in an AL Central Tiebreaker Game against the Chicago White Sox. He had a 1.63 ERA over 38.2 innings for the Twins that year, posting a 0.983 WHIP. Minnesota brought him back in 2009, but he struggled with control out of the gate. While opponents hit just .211 against him in a 14.1 inning sample, Breslow walked 11 hitters. The Twins designated him for assignment in May, and he was claimed by the Oakland Athletics. His season turned around in Oakland, and Breslow continued to pitch for them through 2011. He went back to the Red Sox in 2012, and played four more seasons in Boston. Breslow won his second World Series in 2013. He was 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in ten appearances that October. Breslow pitched for the Miami Marlins in 2016, and signed back with the Twins in 2017. His second tour of duty in Minnesota wasn't as successful. The 36-year old lefty went 1-1 with a 5.23 ERA in 30 appearances. They designated him for assignment in July. He finished the year in Cleveland, and spent 2018 in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league system. The Chicago Cubs hired Breslow to be their Director of Strategic Initiatives for Baseball Operations in 2019. Boston hired him as their Chief Baseball Officer, the highest position in their front office, in 2023. View full player

Samuel Babson Fuld was born on November 20, 1981 in Durham, New Hampshire. The Chicago Cubs selected him in round ten of the 2004 MLB Draft. He reached the Majors in 2007, and played sparingly for the Cubs through 2010. They traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays after the 2010 season. Fuld began to get more regular playing time with the Rays, appearing in 267 games over three seasons there. This is compared to just 98 games over a four year span in Chicago. Tampa Bay made the playoffs in 2011 and 2013, losing in the ALDS both times. He signed with the Oakland Athletics ahead of the 2014 campaign, but was designated for assignment after just seven games. The Minnesota Twins claimed him on waivers. He opened his Twins tenure with a five game hitting streak, including three multi-hit games. Fuld quickly displaced a struggling Aaron Hicks as the everyday center fielder. He missed the end of May and early June with a concussion, but continued to play well once back on the field. His .374 on-base percentage was leading the Twins in late July, and general manager Terry Ryan decided to cash in on his waiver gem by selling Fuld at the deadline. The team they sold him to was the same team who designated him for assignment back in April; the Athletics. Minnesota traded Fuld back to Oakland for 27-year old left handed starter Tommy Milone on July 31. 2014. Milone was still under team control though the 2016 season. Fuld struggled after retiring to the Athletics, slashing .210/.275/.312 during the year's final two months. He was hitting .417 for Oakland during spring training in 2016, but a rotator cuff injury ended his season just days before the regular season was set to begin. The injury wound up ending his career as well. Fuld was named the "information coordinator" for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017. His job was to serve as an analytics liaison between the front office and dugout. He interviewed for open managerial positions with at least five clubs over the next several seasons, but wasn't able to land any jobs. This included an interview with the Twins after Paul Molitor was fired in 2018, but the job went to Rocco Baldelli. The Phillies promoted Fuld to general manager in 2020, working under President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowksi. He stepped down in 2024 to pursue a Masters of Business Administration at the University of Pennsylvania. Fuld will be named the Phillies president of business operations upon his graduation, which is expected to occur in 2026. View full player

Aaron Marshall Thompson was born on February 28, 1987 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Florida Marlins selected him 22nd overall in the 2005 MLB Draft. He often struggled while coming up through the minors, and spent time in three different organizations before finally debuting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011. Thompson allowed six runs over 7.2 innings as a rookie. They removed him from the 40-man roster during the off-season. He was signed to a minor league deal by the Minnesota Twins on December 15, 2011. Thompson was 3-8 with a 5.83 ERA for the New Britain Rock Cats (AA) in 2012, making 13 starts and nine relief appearances. Minnesota made him a full time reliever in 2013. He split the year between Double-A and Triple-A, posting a 2.76 ERA with nine saves. Thompson continued to pitch well at the Triple-A level in 2014, earning a big league opportunity when the rosters expanded in September. He pitched 7.1 innings over seven appearances, and six of those outings were scoreless. The Cleveland Indians were able to score two runs against him on September 21st. Thompson broke camp with the Twins in 2015, and was included on their Opening Day roster. He got off to a strong start, and rookie manager Paul Molitor even trusted him in some high leverage spots. Thompson had a 2.18 ERA with six holds over his first 18 appearances, allowing just 16 base runners over 20.2 innings. His first Major League win came on June 4th against the Boston Red Sox, but Thompson slowed down a bit after that. He allowed runs in three of his next four appearances. Later in the month, Thompson allowed four runs without getting an out during a June 21st outing against the Chicago Cubs. Minnesota opted him back to Triple-A in early July, and he finished out the season there. They released him towards the end of spring training in 2016. Thompson never pitched in the Majors again, but continued to play professionally through 2017. View full player

Good trade that just didn't work out. And it doesn't look like they gave up too much. Steer had a great rookie year in 2023, but he wasn't great last year and has been even worse so far this year. And CES has never really hit at all in the bigs. And somebody had to get traded. If Twins never moved those guys, it takes up 40-man spots that were eventually taken by Julien or Austin Martin or Miranda. Would've lost them "for nothing" if you clog up the roster and don't have room for them. Those guys have their flaws too. But that's all part of the "no prospect guarantees anything" deal.

There's a few where you can make a good faith argument, but "sample size" kind of pushed it back. 2006 Liriano is one of them. 2010 Thome. Both 2019 Sano and 2021 Donaldson at third as well. Few others here and there.

Tyler Blinn Duffey was born on December 27, 1990 in Houston, Texas. The Minnesota Twins selected him in round five of the 2012 Draft. He had been a relief pitcher at Rice University, sharing the closer role with 2012 Twins second round pick JT Chargois. Minnesota converted Duffey to a starter in the minors, and he reached the Majors in 2015. Duffey got shelled in his Major League debut, allowing six runs over two innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 5th. Things quckly got better, and Duffey was arguably the Twins best starting pitcher of the final two months of the 2015 season. He tossed six shutout innings against the Cleveland Indians in his second career start, striking out seven. Duffey followed that up with 7.2 innings of two run ball the Baltimore Orioles. He finished his rookie year with a 5-1 record and a 3.10 ERA over ten starts. His only loss was the disastrous debut against Toronto. Many players on the Twins had a disappointing season in 2016, and Duffey was no exception. His nine wins led the team, but he still finished with a 6.43 ERA over 26 starts. They moved him to the bullpen in 2017, where he posted a 4.94 ERA over 56 appearances. Duffey jumped up and down between Triple-A and the Majors in 2018, struggling with a 7.20 ERA in 25.0 big league innings that summer. He began the 2019 campaign in Triple-A, but was called up in mid-April. Duffey was initially handed low leverage long relief roles, but he started to earn the trust of Twins rookie manager Rocco Baldelli as the year went along. He finished June with a 2.42 ERA through 22 appearances, but Minnesota was either trailing or ahead by at least five at the time of his entrance in 18 of those games. Duffey began to see action in higher leverage situations during the second half, and finished 2019 with 16 holds and a 2.50 ERA. His WHIP was 1.002 and he struck out more than 12 hitters per nine innings. Minnesota had the league's fourth best bullpen ERA during the COVID shortened 2020 season, and Duffey was a huge part of it. He recorded a 1.88 ERA and a 0.792 WHIP across 22 appearances. His 2021 season wasn't as strong, but he still produced a 3.18 ERA in a career high 64 appearances. Between 2019 and 2021, he was 9-5 with 2.69 ERA and a 1.063 WHIP. Duffey had three saves and struck out 10.9 hitters per nine innings during that span. Things began to unravel for Duffey in 2022. He was designated for assignment on August 5th with an ERA of 4.91 and just 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings. Duffey pitched for the Chicago Cubs in 2023 and the Kansas City Royals in 2024. He spent most of those seasons in Triple-A, but had brief big league stints in each of them. As of 2025, he is pitching professionally in Mexico. View full player

Glenn David Williams was born on July 18, 1977 in Australia. The Atlanta Braves signed him as an international free agent in 1993. He reached Double-A, but was released in 2000. Williams was signed to a minor league deal by the Toronto Blue Jays. He played four full seasons in Triple-A with the Toronto organization, but never reached the Majors. The Minnesota Twins signed him to a minor league deal, and Williams finally got the big league call-up in 2005. He played 13 games for the Twins, and had a hit in every single one of them. Williams was 17-for-40 (.425) in the big leagues, legging out one double and driving in two runs. These were his only 13 games in the Majors. He spent all of 2006 and 2007 with the Rochester Red Wings. Williams went back to Australia after retiring, and began coaching in their professional league. He transitioned to executive roles, and was named the league's CEO and commissioner in 2021. As of 2025, he still holds that job. View full player

Bret Robert Boone was born on April 6, 1969 in El Cajon, California. The Minnesota Twins drafted him in the 28th round out of high school, but he did not sign and chose to attend the University of Southern California. Boone was a fifth round pick of the Seattle Mariners in 1990, and made his Major League debut for them in 1992. They traded him to the Cincinnati Reds ahead of the 1994 season. He became the everyday second baseman in Cincinnati, earning his first Gold Glove and All-Star appearance in 1998. The Atlanta Braves acquired him in a trade in the off-season, and he helped them reach the World Series in 1999. Boone was 20-for-54 (.370) with five RBI that October, but Atlanta was swept by the New York Yankees in the fall classic. After spending 2000 with the San Diego Padres, he returned to Seattle in 2001. Boone made the All-Star team two more times during his second stint with the Mariners. He also won three more Gold Gloves, and two Silver Sluggers. His 141 RBI in 2001 led the American League, helping him to a third place MVP finish. Seattle designated him for assignment midway through the 2005 campaign. Boone was hitting just .221 through 74 games at the age of 36, and had been worth -16 defensive runs saved at second base. The Minnesota Twins took a flier on the struggling veteran, acquiring him on July 11th. He went 0-for-8 in his first two starts for the club, but then rattled off a six game hitting streak. His first RBI with the Twins was a run scoring single against Bartolo Colón of the Los Angeles Angels. This put the finishing touches on a five run fourth inning, and Minnesota wound up winning the game 5-4. Boone had a two RBI game against the Detroit Tigers on July 21st, with each RBI coming on a separate single. He went 2-for-19 after his six game hitting streak, and was released by the Twins. Boone finished his short Minnesota tenure with a .187 average and three RBI over 14 games. The New York Mets signed him to a minor league deal during the off-season, but he retired in the middle of spring training. Boone came out of retirement to sign a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals in 2008. He went 12-for-46 (.261) in 13 games at the Triple-A level. Boone was a third generation Major League player. His grandfather, Ray, and father, Bob, both had long post-playing careers in the scouting and coaching ranks. His brother, Aaron, has done the same. But Bret Boone stayed mostly out of baseball in retirement, until getting hired as the Texas Rangers hitting coach in 2025. He was a mid-season replacement, after the Rangers fired Donnie Eckler in early May of the 2025 season. View full player