JADBP

Say it ain’t so, Max!

Yeahhhh....thanks for the kind words. Obviously, you don't get it...everyone here is opinionating. Sorry to have offended!

Yeah all very manic! Or Maniac! Just how horribly BAD are the Twins really? There are some telling signs on the Twins MLB site today. Its really quite embarrassing! Fellow MLB Execs rate fellow organizations and staff on various metrics. The Twins only placed on the leaderboard in one of 24 categories: Most Underrated Farm System. Best five farm systems were LAD, SEA, DET, MIL AND PITT--garnering 80% of all votes. Twins were also among 9 teams that "received votes,"-- meaning they probably got a vote from Falvey. In fact, the Twins were among teams who received votes in four additional categories: Almost sarcastically, the Twins also "received vote(s)" in Best at Acquiring Prospects in Trades. Best at Developing Pitchers. Best at Finding an Developing Sleepers. Best Farm system Now when I say they received votes, they were like the honorable mention at the bottom of the page... Other than those few votes, the Twins did not place in ANY of these polls: Best Use of the Draft Best Use of the International Market Most Underrated Farm System Hoards Prospects Best at Developing Hitters (maybe we would place if there were a worst at developing hitters choice?) Other polls tried to predict prospects and organization talent Rookie of the Year, zero twins #1 Prospect --Walker Jenkins received 2.3% of the votes Best Pitching Prospect Zero Twins Best Defensive Prospect (16 players mentioned but zero Twins!) Most Underrated Prospect (29 players mentioned but zero Twins!) Who will be breakout prospect of the year? Too many to count but zero Twins Which pitching prospect is the best future closer? zzero! Who is the best Minor League prospect you’ve seen over the last decade ...still zero Who is the best amateur prospect you’ve seen over the last decade? Of course, Zer0 Best prospect Hit Tool zero Best prospect usable power zero Most Speed zero Best Fastball zero Best Secondary Pitch zero Best Pitchability zero "Also Received Votes" ALL IN ALL PRETTY EMBARRASSING FOR THE TWINS! To say they are a floundering organization is an understatement. One note: our MLB Central mates placed in many categories, particularly Detroit and Cleveland. Of all the draft picks that Falvey and team have made, only ONE made any of the lists here. I'd have to say, that's just an abject organizational failure. The Twins are GOING NOWHERE. So, don't get so excited about Taj or Culpepper, because the rest of the league's management doesn't see anything interesting here beyond Walker Jenkins. Compared to DET and CLE, we look really really bad! Sorry for the bad news!

Buxton should be much, much higher! If you are looking at who can drive success in the future, it has to be the relentlessly faithful Buxton. He is the heart and soul of the Twins team right now. And, he is the single most talented players on the team in every way. He's our only five tool player on the field. Even as he is aging, he brings it every night. He has to be #1. He's expensive because he's earned it.

I have high hopes that the new Coaches will get Lewis back on track. That is apparently a top priority for them. The OFers are a much different story...with three really good high end replacements nearly (but NOT) ready in AAA. Both Larnach and Wallner should feel the heat to product this season. Wallner could be a really good DH--great arm but poor glove. Larnach just never broke out to be the start that his draft pick suggested. I am guessing that the Twins will expose Larnach in ST to trades only after they have a handle on how long before we bring up Jenkins or Rodriguez.

Kind of reminds me of Bo Jackson (obviously Bo was special, in many, many ways). He had a degenerative hip injury that forced him out of Pro sports completely. Sounds like that Daniels might also have a long term hip issue. Sorry to hear! I still love watching "The Throw" by Bo!

This is just more total BOREDOM from Twins management. But, here's the deal--we keep drafting (in the first couple of rounds) all these "superb athletes" listed as SS's. How many of them have actually become good SS's? I have a problem not with the Twins being forced to sign Arcia to back up weak shortstops, I have a problem with the management/coaching staff not being able to turn ANY of them into top shortstops! When have we last had a top SS before the Correa debacle? I liked Escobar, but I'd have to say Greg Gagne! This is amazingly frustrating...how can we possibly be that bad--even with all these top prospects, we can't seem to get one good one out of the bunch!!! Lewis, Lee, Polanco, Nick Gordon, Will Holland, Marek Houston, DeBarge, WInokur, Danny Andrade (who has in our top prospect list for what...ten years now???) etc etc. So, here is my question: WHY DO YOU EXPECT DIFFERENT RESULTS WITH CULPEPPER? Don't bet on it!

Right...but remember the goal of the Pohlads is to make money. This trade doesn't confuse me as much as spending $7 million on Bell. He locks up 10% of the payroll to do what? Both field and hit poorly? Don't we have enough of these unplayable players already (Gasper, Larnach, Julien, etc)? I keep saying this: Joe painted this team into a horrific corner. They have only two choices: 1. The can either go big--get the payroll up and field a contending team. 2. Or, the alternative--go full on rebuild. Dump all the salaries, trade Buxton, etc, and bring up all the kids. The problem is the make money goal don't allow either of these paths. The Twins have been bleeding losses and the banks are pissy, so they can't run out and spend big bucks to fill the stadium and excite the fan base. Nor can they go full on rebuild because the fans will abandon the team completely, and for years to come--which will run up huge losses. So what can they do? Just exactly what Falvey is indelicately trying to do...thread the needle with just enough signings/trades to build some hope. BUT HOW will this make money for the Pohlad family ? It won't because its not enough to contend. Its that simple. Sadly, every other team in the Central Div has already figured this out. I am sure they are laughing at Falvey's flailing away with these nonsense acquisitions! THEY are spending money wisely to make their teams better. We are just signing more 1/2 tool players.

One would think that Pete Maki would have already noticed this. Or one of the many other P coaches. But interesting comments...and should be fixable. I thought the easy solution was to throw the Slider less.

Y ah but Ryan is unhappy. I don’t see him signing an extension with the Twins. Even at $120 mill

Geez, this is just sickennng!

With the players/MLB strike/lockout coming up in 2027, it is highly likely that few players will have trade much value at next summer’s trade deadline. I think the only trades will be for players on long term contracts or rookies/prospects with a long runway of salary control. Who is gonna trade for Lopez or Ryan if they expect to sit out.2027? Not many takers! so next summer will be really weird. I hate to say tear down, but if you do not expect to extend Lopez and Ryan, then the best plan might be to trade one of them. Ryan has a ton of value, especially to a rich team that figures they can extend him. the downside of this approach is that you probably lose Buxton. Either he demands and gets a trade or he sits down on the job (like so many did after the 2025 trade deadline). Losing him hurts even more because he is elite and he’s such a great guy. But he can only tolerate so much from mgmt. I wouldn’t blame him.

Right on! And more to the point, SHELTON needs that Wiley old pro on the bench to help him too! It’s not that he’s a rookie. It’s just that he needs that extra voice to whisper in his ear once in a while. Like “steal some bases…” Even super coach Joe Torre still had Zimmer and he loved his advice. That was Rocco’s key problem: he thought he was smarter than the other coaches so he didn’t listen. And he just kept doing the same failing plays over and over, like T3 said!

Right on! I say FIRE FALVEY!!! But the problem is he can NOT! At least not right now. At this moment he needs Falvey to put together some sort of team. There isn’t really time right now to go through the hiring process. And still sign, trade, draft, and plan, etc. so he’s stuck with Falvey for now, prob most of the season. On the other hand, if he stays stuck with Falvey, he bakes in another year of the same-o same-o BS plans from Falvey that Falveys been running out there for the last 7-8 yrs. Falvey ain’t gonna change his stripes. So Tom is Double-secret-stuck!!! I believe Tom believes he’s a take charge kind of boss. Let’s see if he really is. Let’s see how he handles Double-Secret-Stuck!

OMG, that’s precious! I can just imagine everyone looking at each other asking “Where’s Joe?!!!???!?! “. Joe is gonna be in Singapore or anyplace other than Dad’s house!!!

He DID use the words accountability and communications… Time will tell

I fully agree. That’s why I expect Falvey is on the short leash—about to be snapped off. As he said, Something’s Gotta Give. .

Buxton is elite Ryan is elite. and we gave at least 3 guys in minors who rate as elite.

Damn! That’s a good question. Think of Spanky (from the gang) jumping up and down waving his hands wildly and screaming with that squeaky voice “Pick me! Pick ME!” the old man said OK, but DO NOT SCREW THIS UP! Then he did!

Very very interesting comments. Yes, the Twin’s way is broken. I think someone in the family has finally stood up at the Pohlad thanksgiving table and shouted and screamed until he finally got through….”you keep trying the same ******** over and over and you just keep failing!” He finally got through to the uncles. But what does this mean? Bad people or bad process? It’s BOTH! So he’s gotta take the time to figure out who the bad apples are and cull them and bring in new people with new processes. My guess is that he already has an idea of who to replace. I doubt they would dump Shelton but the FO is likely on the super high burner…

I’m just soooo glad to see Joey gone! now Falvey….

I don't dislike the signing...we HAD to do something to get some thump out of 1B. We will never get that out of Clemens or Keaschall and I am pretty sure that Julien will never be back, unless he rides in on a pink Unicorn. Here is an interesting question: Bell is not the long term answer, so who do we start training in on 1B so he can take over in a couple of years? We keep drafting highly rated SS's (Lewis, Lee, Culpepper, Houston, Winokur, Young, and likely another SS in 2026 draft, and don't forget Noah Miller, Cavaco, Austin Martin, Will Holland, etc) on the basis that they are such good athletes that we can move them anywhere on the field. But we never do! So, if we have all of these great athletes, which of them would you move to 1B? Honestly, I think the only one that really fits at 1B/3B is Lewis--he has the bat/power skills. But, we just spent a couple of years trying to teach him 3B now, so let's not mess with that....anyone else? Emma or Gabriel? They have hit tool, but might be too useful in the OF (I am looking forward to an OF of Emma, Gabby and Jenkins). Larnach and Wallner...and maybe only Wallner??? Could he convert to a good 1B man? The no-speed plays, but the K's do not. Sabato has been in AAA for five years now, and for good reason. So, it seems like we need to draft or trade for a long term 1Bman and use guys like Bell/Clemens/Keaschall until he is ready. We are stuck with Bell. Could we come up with a package for any one of these guys?? We have ZERO future at 1B as it stands right now (other than, uhhhh.....Sabato, not gonna happen).

Love the comment. I am not surprised by Popkins, though I wanted him out too. I regret my earlier comments. As a retired businessman and executive, I can say this; A leaders fundamental job is to: 1) set goals, expectations, and directions for the enterprise 2) Communicate/teach/coach and support those who will implement #1 above. 3) Get the hell out of the way. some might add strategic analysis but that is usually done at lower levels. Upper management finalizes by choosing direction (#1). The Twins are a tough case as a mid-market franchise with limited income, massive (unsustainable) debt, and disinterested or distracted ownership. So the owners decide to cash out…until they realize that the franchise is worth less than they thought (again, massive debt). So, the franchise leadership tries a bunch of stuff. Better players? Sure, let’s get some (but they are expensive). That didn’t work. Dang, then let’s tear it down and start over. Again, the fans exploded! Oops Let’s try something else, Let’s Swap coaches! Still no love, Target Field is gonna be empty! Hey—just kidding—no rebuild. We have a strong base of good players. Maybe Twins OWNERSHIP and MANAGEMENT needs to be replaced! They can’t get out of their own way! I get the feeling that Falvey commands everyone how they should do their jobs. I hate that. If true, it has been a horrible failure

Royce can be fine if he learns to close up his batting holes.

Sorry to say, GOOD BYE AND GOOD RIDDANCE. I don’t see LAD forcing Ohtani to play all over the infield or subbing him out in the 4th inning when an LHP enters the game. When they do, then I will know that Rocco is actually having an influence on the team. Otherwise, this is probably just a mercy hire—his best buddy is a top guy there.