Chris Hove

Junior Caminero is one name I can remember who made some key adjustments. He went to a more closed stance and simplified his hand load to maximize power and bat speed.

I would love to see Lee break out, but without some tweaks to his approach and plate discipline, he will struggle against changeups and sliders low and away. Cut down the strikeouts and have a better pitch selection. He will always have a high chase %, but if he's more selective, that could also increase his slow bat speed and EV. The good thing for him is that Culpepper isn't quite ready to join the big league roster. I could see him putting a little pressure on Lee if he continues to struggle. Lee playing shortstop kind of scares me with his lack of arm strength and range, but if he wants at-bats, that's where the Twins might have to play him.

I agree with this list. I would also look at LF and sneak Allison in there just because he had a more extended stint. Either Mack or Allison is a good pick for me. Brings back some memories for sure.

Corey Koskie maybe?

Great article, Cody, and I 100% agree with your title. The bullpen is in complete shambles, with the Twins now having to convert some of their starters into bullpen roles and vice versa. I'm still not sure what the plan is moving forward, especially if Ryan and or Pablo get traded. It looks like this is what we will have come opening day.

It's fascinating that three of the top six prospects are from the International market. All three have hit Double-A by the age of 18. Hope the Twins can find a gem.

I personally liked Eeles. He can play middle infield. Despite his 5-foot-5 frame, he can hit the ball and has potential for more. 68 stolen bags in two years is also what the Twins want to do more of. In terms of potential, I think the twins gave up more. This team probably won't be good enough for the backup catcher to matter that much. Never hurts to have middle-infield depth, IMO. Could have signed anyone to fill the backup role and keep Eeles. I don't think the Twins really believed in him.

Sometimes I get the fill-ins from internal sources.

Ok, here's a long-term plan for you, if this makes sense. If you factor in the $38 million in guaranteed contracts, with 10 arbitration-eligible players, that leaves 28 spots to be filled by mostly pre-arbitration players making league minimum. So I would say those figures look to be pretty close.

I like Fundy more as a 7th-inning guy; he doesn't have the velocity and strikeout potential I like in a setup/closer role. I do think his sweeper to lefties is a very valuable asset.

Yep, understood. I viewed it as the Twins not wanting to pay him north of $820,000 next year if he has a good year this year.

I wanted Sabato at first and either Fedko or Gonzalez instead of DKJ or McCusker. I even did a story about Fedko back in August. They could lose Fedko from the Rule 5 Draft if not protected. A lot of decisions still. I agree with you about Jenkins as well.

https://www.si.com/mlb/twins/onsi/minnesota-twins-news/twins-projected-arbitration-salaries-2026-payroll-outlook https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/payroll/_/year/2026 https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/payroll/twins

Lopez and Ryan will be shopped if they aren't already.

I really liked Lawyerson —yes, small sample size and only a 3-pitch mix —but he threw his fastball and changeup at extremely effective rates. For a position of need, it seems mysterious that the Twins didn't keep him. I assume he wanted $20,000 more than the Twins wanted to give him, so they cut him loose.

I think, from what I'm hearing, $95 million is the absolute max this team wants to be at, with $80 million as a possible low. If the Twins see someone they really care about or are intrigued with, then they might do something splashy, but for now, don't count on them.

Always fun chatting and hanging out with you guys during the games. Gives me a different perspective of what everyone is thinking!!!

Dang I wanted to See Funderburk get out of it. He hasn't given up an ER in his last 15 appearances.

I just don't understand for how bad the White Sox are they have zero position players in the Top-100 higher than Double-A. Either they suck so bad it's unbelievable or they are just waiting to break out in the next couple years.

Let's see if Zebby can get back to striking guys out again. His 2 strike approach has been off the last two starts.

The outfield position as a whole really intrigues me. I would assume Wallner and Buxton as locks for next year. I think Larnach will be gone and Kiersey should be in the minors. You would then have Jenkins, Gonzalez, Fedko, Martin, E-Rod if he can stay healthy, and possibly McCusker for two spots. Can't remember Rodens contract but he could be in the mix too.

Image courtesy of © Jonah Hinebaugh/The News-Press/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Kyler Fedko grew up in Gibsonia, Penn., approximately 15 minutes outside of Pittsburgh. He was winning National awards at the early age of 12, when he won the MLB Pitch, Hit, and Run contest at the All-Star Game in Kansas City, and was fortunate enough to hang out in the dugout with guys like Clayton Kershaw. He attended a small private school called Vincentian, where he would go on to play for three years alongside his brother Christian and win two state titles. One incredible thing to take away from Kyler's senior season is that, playing in the small-school Class 1A of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, he only made three outs, and one of those was a sacrifice fly. In addition to playing high-school baseball with Christian, Kyler had the opportunity to play college baseball alongside him at the University of Connecticut. They both had different paths in high school, as different schools had recruited each. Once Christian committed to play for the Huskies, though, he instantly went to the coaches and staff to recruit his brother Kyler. Kyler had always been interested, but once he knew it was a clear path to UConn, he didn't think twice about playing with his brother. "The biggest influence possible. If he didn't commit there, I probably would not have ended up going there, honestly," Fedko said. "He was a huge influencing factor of where I went to school, for sure." While at UConn, Kyler garnered multiple awards and recognitions. He was Big East Player of the Year, First Team All-Big East, and Big East Most Outstanding Player. He also played with several other players with whom he later became teammates on the Saints, including Anthony Prato and Patrick Winkel, who was his roommate in college. By the end of his 2021 season, Fedko was on the road to the bigs. The Minnesota Twins drafted him in the 12th round. "I honestly thought I was gonna go to the Red Sox, the round before that," he recalled. "And then I didn't, and then I heard nothing, and then, hey: selected by the Twins." He moved through the farm system quickly, making his most notable stops in 2024 and 2025 at Double-A Wichita. His 2024 season wasn't what he had hoped for, but fast-forward one year to 2025, and he put together the best year of his career. In 88 games with Wichita, he led the Texas League in home runs, RBIs, runs and OPS, and was top-five in stolen bases. So what does he credit his success to? Kyler will tell you it wasn't a swing change; it was about trusting the process—and his relationship with God, which he says was "probably the biggest reason for my turnaround." "This was probably an offseason where I swung the least amount I've ever swung in my career," he said. "I don't know how much of a spiritual guy you are, but I've really tapped into that side of life. Follower of Jesus, so I really put that at the forefront of my life, and pursued that, honestly, more than I pursued baseball." Putting baseball second and his belief in God first has not only helped him have the best season of his career, but it has also gotten him one step closer to the big leagues. He said "that pressure [to succeed] is kind of completely taken off my shoulders," in the wake of his change of priorities and perspective. He loved the "nasty" Wichita lineup, which was loaded with top talent. He also loved going to the ballpark knowing that pitchers had to deal with so many tough batters in the Wind Surge lineup. Batting anywhere from first to sixth in the lineup, it didn't matter to Fedko; the only thing that mattered was going out and playing with his teammates every day and getting better. After the trade deadline, he was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul, where the hits continued. In 26 games, he's batting .305/.378/.543, with 13 extra-base hits and seven stolen bases. He had a five-hit game against Round Rock and has managed to reach base safely in 21 of his 26 contests. An interesting adjustment he pointed out in our interview was the use of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) System at the Triple-A level, compared to the Double-A level. "It's precise. I love it," he said. "When you go up to the box and you know that the zone is gonna be the zone, and if someone misses a call and you don't challenge it, it's on you, it's awesome. You just know that nothing out of the ordinary's gonna happen." He knows his path is already written, and feels free to focus on what's within his purview. "You have to control what you can," Fedko said. "There will be hills to climb, good games, and bad games. You have to forget about it and move on to the next one". It's been a huge year for the young outfielder, both on and off the field. He's drawing close to the majors, and his mindset might be as important as anything he's doing differently when he takes the bat off his shoulder. View full article

I think the Twins are trying to break their own record for most pitches thrown in a nine inning game.

Cardenas has some serious defensive issues going on. Better than Gasper??? I understand the disappointment though.