JADBP

Wow...first Lopez, now Ober. We are down to one proven SP. Ober never was as high mph guy at any point in his career. So, moving to the bullpen isn't going to miraculously unlock his high end and he suddenly starts throwing 99 mph. He's got a near-perfect pitching body, long levers, long legs, great extension... I don't get it. Maki has been fantastic at unlocking speed out of our pitchers. Just what is Ober doing wrong? There must be something wrong with his delivery that holds back his ultimate speed. If he is out there firing 89 mph fastballs, he is going to be eaten alive, no matter how good his slider is!

Go grab Jhoan Duran and you have a solid bullpen.....just sayin..... Sorry, I couldn't resist

There are some really interesting twists to this analysis. Twins top draft pics, for the last 4 years, have been: 2022: Brooks Lee, SS 2023: Walker Jenkins, OF 2024: Kaleen Culpepper, SS 2025: Marek Houston, SS And, in 2026, it is almost a lock that the Twins will draft another college SS with the 3rd pick. Most mock drafts taking Justin Lebron, another SS! He has Scouting grades of: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 60. In fact, he might go 2nd in the draft. OK, so we only get to put one SS on the field at a time. Lee is undoubtedly going to be pushed out but he's likely at 2B, 1B or Utility. Kaleen would be next on the hot seat until Marek, by far the best fielder of the lot coming but seemingly the poorest hitter of the bunch. If the Twins do draft Justin Lebron, he would displace them all, but he's probably at least 2-3 years away. If he improves his hit tool, he is a legit 5-tool player at SS. So, given this abundance of SS, WHEN DO WE START MOVING THEM to other positions? Maybe see how KC does at 2B? Or Marek? Keaschall might have a lock on 2B now, but he is probably better at 1B or in the OF (which is even more crowded!). I doubt that any of these guys will displace Royce if he remembers how to hit for average and power. I just don't see how all of these pieces fit together. We draft some some highly graded players but then what happens? Royce forgets how to hit. Larnach and Wallner forget hot to hit and field (or maybe they were never that good in the first place?). Lee seems to forget everything. So, while this roster construction is a confused mess, both IF and OF, there seems to be one key missing element: what do the Twins do with these top draft choices between draft day and their first day in the biggs? There seems to be a huge deficit in training, education, conditioning, coaching, etc. We just can't seem to turn elite draft pics into stars. I contend our last success was Buxton and probably Joe Ryan. As a small market team, it is critically important that we maximize the contributions from these top draft picks. What are the Twins so consistently bad at this? I sure hope the new management improves this critical failure.

Interesting, intriguing post. But, yeah, Twins NEED to make a trade or two now to unlock access to these budding stars; Jenkins, Emma and Gonzales. Starting the season with both Wallner and Larnach is just plain insane. There are so many other "replacement level" OFers on the team right now, they will lose nothing by trading them and hopefully gain two much needed results: another good RP (in the trade) and a runway for Jenkins, Emma and Gonzales to advance to the bigs. The Twins just seem stuck proving they were NOT wrong in drafting Wallner and Larnach. This is a childish reason to keep running them out there when they are in critical positions and are not even repacement level. Right now, sure, it's only ST, but Larnach leads the team with 11 K's (38% of ABs, batting .207) with Wallner just behind him with 10 K;s (36%) while batting .250. Emma is batting .421 and Gaby is at .500--the two highest averages on the Team. What is wrong with the coaches/management that they can't see the problem here? Trade Larnach and Wallner already! They had their many chances to prove who they are. MOVE ON! You blew these 1st round picks...let it go already.

My only worry about trading him now is that the next team helps him figure out hitting and he becomes the next Big Papi.

Yeah....you have to sign a 3-year contract knowing that at least one of them will be lost to injury.

Actually I have to lay a fair amount of the blame here on Falvey. Bad drafting, bad trades and definitely bad player development (particularly in the area of physical conditioning). The Twins focused on HRs in drafting despite their claim to select the “best athlete available.” Many on the list follow that pattern. But power is 20% of the skill set. If your only skill is power, then you are useless, except in the Twins RF. Larnach is not even 50 on any of the 5 skills. Why are these players still here? Simple: the Twins drafted them highly (poorly) and they just can’t stop believing they will suddenly turn into Ohtani. Sometimes it’s a long road (Buxton-but he was always a give tool player) and sometimes they come up and are great on day one (Olivia. Puckett. Hrbek). And the other problem: bad, or really bad player development! Development means working with the player to optimize their talents. Maybe it means switching to a new position. Or adding 20 lbs. or learning conditioning and repetition. Or training in the film room. Whatever. The Twins have not invested here. They have actually DEINVESTED in training. They inanely think that playing Moneyball will mean they can skip all that training expense. Just teach them to hit it over the wall and we will win the WS!

Yeah....that didn't work out well because Twins development process sucks big time! I hate to say this, but the time is right to start the rebuild process....I just don't know if we have the right coaches, up and down the MLB and affiliate teams. I can't say because we recently replaced many of them, but the track record over the last few years SUCKED. Maybe with the exception of pitching....we did OK there, not great, but at least OK. In position players, we sucked!

I couldn't agree more...why do we have to play musical chairs with positions? I have to believe that you want a player to take ownership and pride in their position. The way that Buxton does. Sure, he might move to RF or LF someday. But for now, he OWNS CF and no one dare come into his house. We want players with that mentality. So who else on the current Twins team has that mentality? I am sure Wallner and Larnach feel like they are on the hot seat--one bad slump away from being Wally Pipped by Emma or any of the above mentioned upcoming kids. No one at 1B!! I might have said Keaschall at 2nd but the team is yanking that away from him. Not at SS. Royce is going to be very very good to great some day, but not today and I am sure he is still not confident at 3B. Maybe the only one is Ryan Jeffers, but C's rarely play every day. That's pretty pathetic. But then seems like Shelton doesn't believe in giving a player a position to excel at...he'd rather have players who don't excel at several positions. When was the last time you saw a player who excelled at 3-4 different positions and could switch around at a moments notice? THey are out there (Cesar Tovar was the ultimate example) but are damn rare! 0.1%'ers!

I am pretty sure Ryan will never agree to a long term deal with the Twins.... Pablo, maybe.

Right....imagine him coming up and hitting a whopping .329/.395/.513, 38 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 8 SB All of the national media would be jumping up and down. Of course, he won't do this, because the pitching is sooo much better in MLB. But even if he hit .300/350/450 he would be a hero on the Twins team! How many batters hit 300 last year? 8 qualified MLBers total, and zero on the Twins(though Keaschall and Perada did so on shortened seasons. So AVG still means a lot. Can Emma improve the HR rate? Maybe/maybe not. But he might be expected to to hold down a corner outfield position. If he pushes out Larnach or Wallner, I am certainly not gonna cry.

Technically, no, but it kind of feels like a demotion. I think the Twins have done it and they certainly have had players repeat MiLB levels, particularly are very early stages. Once you get to AA or AAA, I don' t see them going backwards much. Either you belong there or you're out. If you get as far as AA and are completely overmatched, the team usually politely gives up on the player rather than taking him back to A-ball. I agree on Roden--he looks ok--but with Buxton locked in and Emma, Jenkins and Gabby just a step away, I'd say Roden is a 1 or 2 year placeholder. We have Larnach, Martin and Wallner holding down the outfield now. The Twins have also talked about using Keaschall and Clemmons in the OF. So, how does Roden (and Outman) fit into this group? You don't need two-three backup outfielders on the team. I just don't see the how he fits on the team--especially long term (that is after this year!). He has two MiLB options left so he could be stuffed in St. Paul as backup for injuries (again, blocking Emma). But, was this the thought process that Falvey had when he traded a superb, highly valued RP/SP with years of controlled (low) cost ahead of him? He traded a highly rated young MLB pitcher--a slightly above average, 2-pitch RP and a OFer who really doesn't fit on the team? Sure you never have enough pitching, but you definitely can have too many outfielders!

"Minnesota’s blend of veteran leadership and emerging talent gives the club a realistic path to the top of the standings. . . . ' Really? Do you mean Levine, Falvey or Rocco? Ohhh...I get it...the ALL-NEW leadership! But....they are not necessarily "veteran" either....Zoll has just one year on the job and Shelton was a manager for a few years for the Pirates. Now, he averaged 66.5 wins a season, before they fired him mid-season last year. I guess that is a veteran. OK.'' I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist...this is an all new Twins management structure, from Ownership to GM and Mgr. Many of the coaches and staff have been dismissed. I'd say there are great veterans on the staff in many areas, but it is a new team. That said, I can't see any of these fantastic bold predictions happening. Maybe Buxton, but that is still an injury away from happening.

You are right, but I think this was just Toronto again manipulating Falvey. The jammed him up to AAA in advance of the trade deadline to make him appear to be more advanced in this development. Another case of Falvey getting snookered in a trade. The whole Louis Varland trade was a disaster and now we hope that Rojas can recover somewhat and at least become a 3/4 (like SWR) or an above average RP. But, he probably needs at least another full year of development to reach his potential. Or, as Bean5302 said, maybe his stuff doesn't play and he flames out completely. Meanwhile, Varland was the Toronto go-to RP throughout the playoffs and WS. WHEW...that's a lot to live up to!

You literally made me burst out laughing! Thanks!!

You might be right, but I’d say right now if anyone breaks through it would be Emma. But it will probably take an injury or trading Wallner or Larnach to get him on the team. On the other hand, I suspect if Wallner keeps hitting like this he will be sent down to AAA shortly.

1. You are assuming it is Shelton's decision to make. Might not be.... 2. Erod has been playing lights out in ST. And Wallner has been playing LIGHTS OFF. Even if this keeps up, I am not sure he makes the team. I want him to make the team, but they might have to trade Wallner or Larnach. 3. The one thing that the Twins have always done is hang on to their first round draft picks, no matter how bad they are. Can they ever come to grips that there is more downside to holding on to Wallner than there is upside to trading him? Right now, he is blocking at least Emma and maybe Jenkins. The Twins are better off with either one honing their skills on the MLB roster. Both Wallner and Larnach will never be as good as Jenkins or Emma.

...it will be difficult not to further question their decision-making at last year’s trade deadline. BEST SINGLE LINE in the entire article! Falvey "targeting Roden" (or Outman) at the deadline trades was inane, brain-dead thinking. Who in their right mind would target Roden/Outman when thinking about the team's future construction? You have three top OFers in AAA and 2 will certainly be in MLB this year. You are trading away highly desirable, top tier RP talent to get a 1/2 season placeholder? What was the plan? What possible thinking process went on here? The only thought process that makes any sense at all is Falvey got wrapped up in the moment, thinking everyone is on the table (well, almost, not Buxton) and just lost his mind snapping off trades with wild abandon and not thinking it through. I still believe that other teams took advantage of his brain lapse.

At this rate....and I know it is very early....but Wallner is headed for AAAA and Rodriguez could take his spot away...for a very long time! Wallner's stats last year were abysmal...I wouldn't mind the swapout. I'd rather start giving ERod and Jenkins time on the field than keep a .202 hitter in RF!

Years and years...starting out at age 16! He is still 22 years old. There is nothing make or break about this. If he is still learning at the end of the year, the Twins will just lock him in at a low ball salary level. Sure, there is plenty of natural talent, and yeah, more learning to do at age 22. Jeez, give him a break already. Twins traded Julien at nearly age 26.

Geez...we did sign Correa...TWICE!

There is a lot to unpack here. Its a really tough decision and I am sure that Tom will have the final call. But here some added considerations: 1. If they go the Trade Ryan route, then Tom has to stand up in front of the fans and say, clearly and honestly, "I am sorry, the injury has halved our front line pitching and we now find our path to contention severely hampered. So, we are changing our plans accordingly..." That's a tough pill to swallow, but go big might mean going big in a couple of years. 2. This might be a good time to recognize that the damage that was done by years of poor drafting (Kirilloff, Larnach, Cavaco, Sabato) or trades (Steer, the whole Mahle trade, Rogers, Pressley, Polanco, etc) and FA signings (Correa (FA signing), Correa (FA signing again), Correa (traded)...) or even letting them go for nothing (Rooker). I can go on and on but the former management left a massive mess and it will take some time to break out of it. Maybe 2-3 years. No reason to try to contend while you are cleaning the house. 3. Ryan's value will only decline from here on in. If we received, in return, a great 1B or SP prospect and a lotto ticket or two, then we win. This is the long term vision approach--to say that over the next 5-10 years he will bring a certain level of value to the team. That value is maximized with a top 1B prospect, or SS or maybe SP. 4. Ryan has been unhappy since last year. And we just keep making him unhappier (arb futzing). Its highly unlikely that he would sign a long term contract with the Twins because he has a brain--he's gonna go to Free Agency and then the Twins are priced out. So, if they hang on to him, they have him for two years max. I say trade him before his value craters...sadly, like my fave SP, Pablo.

Nope. At some point, you just have to accept reality that is about to smack you in the face like a 2ft snowfall followed by days of temperatures preceded by a minus sign. I've already checked out this season. Canceled my MLB.tv subscription. Definitely not going to ST. And, I def won't be found at Target Field. By the way, don't expect Lopez to be the last injury of the season. And expect more sell-offs on August 3rd. Its gonna be a long, losing summer at 1 Twins Way. The Twins will be lucky to win 70 games. Sure, some of the young kids It will take some years to turn this around. We can dream about miracles, but then that freezing reality smacks you across the face.

Outman is just about the weakest asset they could have traded Stewart for. Not even a hope of an MLB player. Totally blocked from the MLB roster. At least they could have returned a lottery ticket, not a AAA player that will never advance.

Right on! They are trying to succeed and they are the new Sheriffs so its their turn to fly or die. While I expect an interesting season, I've cancelled my MLB.tv subscription because my team (the Twins) and not likely to surprise anyone. That said, I am giving Tom and Zoll a chance to succeed. I am encouraged by Tom calling everyone. That is a good sign...that he is willing to listen and learn and bounce ideas around to learn how MLB management works. Right off, he is not acting like the smartest guy in the room (like former mgmt did). I think Tom is going to do far better than Joe. But, I'm not sure how much he can learn in just 1 season.