bjorks

Many reports have stated Emerson has the highest ceiling, Witt'esqe as mentioned. Would Burress (other), sign for less and/or who are they targeting with their next pick they think they're gonna have to overpay? It would be very interesting if Roch doesn't go 1:1. I think Tampa really wants Emerson, but they need a stopgap to Flewelling. But to get someone like Roch takes some luck and Minnesota sports teams other than the '26 Wild aren't allowed to have luck, but Vahn is a nice consolation price.

I'll preface by saying I love players like Clemens, the guy on your favorite team you want to cheer for and see do well. Also, I grew up in rural MN, but live in Scottsdale. I grew up believing plenty of the girls I grew up with were at a minimum 8s and then I got to Scottsdale and those 8s were (maybe) 4s. Clemens is a MN 8 due to the lack of options and overall mediocracy of the team.

Some of the comments are biased partly because Varland is having another solid year and he's a hometown kid. But consider the following; 1) Prior to deadline, Rojas was #3 pitching prospect behind Yesavage and many had him #2 with Tiedemann coming of TJ. He was on the borderline of most of the Top 100 lists from last summer; 2) He pitched at 4 levels in 25 and the Twins are the ones who have put this pitch count (>60) on him. Point being he's been up-and-down with his control, but he's also consistently been younger than the batters he's facing in the minors. He was fast tracked through the minors; 3) In the Twins case last year, you trade relievers for starters (with potential/helium) 10-out-10. Is anyone crying about trading Jax anymore for arguably our best SP for the first 1/4 of the season? Nobody wants to give Rojas a chance to adjust to a new team/city/league (minors and majors). The Varland/France trade is what it is, but saying the trade was bad or he's unproven to be a starter is short sighted thinking.

Jose Miran-duh

As a fan, the problem is this is not fantasy baseball. Pitchers/Agents have to agree to make the move from a starter to a reliever and once someone has (reverse) shifted from reliever to starter there isn't very many willing to make that change back to the pen - (I always liked Littell), but he's not making the move to the pen when there's (arguably) 29 other teams who would pay for him to eat up innings as a 4/5. I doubt Raya and his agent are thrilled his (maybe) only path to the bigs is as a career reliever and I would bet Tom Pohlad's salary Prielipp and his agent want to move to the pen without assurances he gets a crack post lockout to prove he can start. Same goes for Festa/SIM/Mathews/Abel/Bradley. Bailey Ober's agent would demand a trade if they asked him to go to the pen with the exception it was a short term "thing" and even then. IMHO there's a lot of teams who would role with SIM as a #5. As a #4 I don't like him, but between Mathews/Abel/Bradley one of those needs to show up (not putting Festa in there due to injury) and prove they can be a CONSISTENT #4. We'll have to wait and see how much trust DS has in SIM getting through the lineup more than 3x's, but would anyone be opposed to using Prielipp/Abel as an opener every 5th day and letting them go 2-3-4, especially if they're going to limit them (potentially) in St. Paul anyway? I'd rather have a blowup inning early with a chance to claw back then a bullpen that gives it up with 3 outs or less to comeback. SIM has proven he's a slightly better than average 4-5 inning guy. Maybe the closer role can be fixed with an opener of more than an inning.

Whatever happened to the narrative Matthew’s throws too many strikes or is too much in the zone?

Mickey Gasper right now...

Forearm strain…doesn’t that typically lead to TJ? If so, Lopez is no longer an asset to trade

We’ve all reached levels of delusion based on some of the ideas floated around. Keaschall and Ryan are the only guys I’d consider to extend and one is probably out the door. The problem as some have said about Ober is if he doesn’t bounce back, who are you bidding against when he’s in his mid 30s and his numbers are similar to Kyle Hendricks? Extending Royce when he has proved he can play even 50% of a season? Extend Jeffers? Come on people… the truth is if the reports the Pohlad’s have a significant cash flow problem are true and they won’t spend any more “family money” signing extensions isn’t going to happen and I doubt any potential new owner (unless they’re going to keep Falvey) is going to want the outgoing FO to spend money on guys they (or new FO) even want.

If they were going to go all in, this is maybe my favorite move. Rojas is/could be an exceptional #2 or a dominant reliever. He has rocketed up their system and there’s room still. I would guess his profile at this age is much better than what Mr. Varland’s was. Rodan could be a slightly better version of the best version of Jake Cave we hardly knew ye… I have visions of Varland and France storming into Falvey’s office and saying “F-it, we want out, too!” And threatening to kick his a$$ if he left them here. I think Rojas has a higher ceiling/floor than Abel. #Preposterous

The Twins got 2 of the “consensus” top 5 prospects traded in the deal w/KMcD having Tuh-eeet #2. The market shifted when Cubs, Dodgers, Res Sox didn’t become huge buyers. inwonder with Abel’s delivery of a kick change could work? Abel works up in the zone and that seems to be the thing Falvey/Maki/Rocxo believe in. Hopefully the next (cough cough) group does as well. But 98 up in the zone works well and that’s what he does.

Probably directly related to how much $ the Twins kick in. You’re probably not getting a Top 100 guy, but Walked Janek (strong defensive catcher at high A) and Anderson Brito (A+ at age 21) is probably a high octane back of the bullpen arm would be a nice start if they have to pay $30MM to $45MM on his salary.

If the expectation was the Twins would carry 50%’ish of the salary, the Twins are saving anything and not getting a ton back if they don’t carry a % of it.

What players in return are teams getting that are impact MLB ready? I don’t know very many respected evaluatirs who have/had Tait outside the Top 100 or not a Top catching prospect. Some fans want a rebuild and you don’t do that by simply trading MLB talent for MLB talent, it’s about future talent. I get you can’t make everyone happy, but Ryan wasn’t expected to be this good and here we are. I’d expect a similar package for Jax and would do it again if the return was similar. Top 100 prospects (or close to) rarely get moved at the deadline and the Twins got 2. Abel was in the 90s at the beginning of the summer.

I don’t understand the hate around the Duran trade. I think when the media says the asking price is 2 high (top 100) prospects dans think we’re getting #1 and #2. i would’ve preferred Painter, but I’d also like to be 6’ tall. Tait’s bat could be 30+ hrs and while I don’t expect him to be the next Cal Raleigh he’s a Top 5 catching prospect in all the minors and could be Top 3 depending on how you feel some others. Abel could be an Ober level pitcher, which any team would take. The Twins arguably got the 2 highest or 2 of the top 4 prospects so far through all trades. Some of our “fan demands” are outrageous. It feels like some of us wouldn’t be happy if Bader went to the Yankees for Judge SU.