MapleGroveTwinsFan

You love to talk about Bell's RBI, and he was pretty amazing in his 173 PA with Runners in scoring position. But you never seem to talk about his other 344 plate appearances were he was terrible. (.214/.285/.355/.640) Next year which Bell do you think is more likely to show up? The Twins the last three years have brought in vets at a reasonable price, slightly above average to play 1B/DH, and while the players have worked out pretty well, it hasn't translated to Twins doing well. This article is about spending, and if that is how the Twins continue to spend, the results are likely to continue the status quo. Others have said it better than me, but draft/trade and develop and fill in. No need to fill in before the other two have happened. You know kind of like the last little run, and the early 2000's.

Not disagreeing with you, just pointing out that doesn't work if said catcher cough, cough Vazquez is surrounded by other guys that can't hit.

Brad Radke did this with pretty decent success (he did give up his share of homers as well)

Oliva was a DH from 1973 to 1976 (and he was awful in 1976) and compares well to what Bell was last year. OPS+ of 109, 109, 103, WAR of .7, .4, .5. and the Twins went 81 -81, 82 - 80 -1, 76-83 and missed the playoffs every year, In case you forgot the Twins went 77-85 last year and missed the playoffs. Bell would be a good guy to bring back if they Twins knew what they had in Erod, but they don't because they sent him to the minors to start the season last year and then got hurt and now he is out of options. You don't send your best prospect they have had in years (Jenkins) to the minors for a 34 year old DH. Buxton when healthy is way better player than Bell, and Keashall is a young cheap player that is also better than Bell. Clemens is a better hitter and fielder than Bell. So to keep Bell you have to sit a better player than him, how does that make sense? You mentioned in a different post imagine if the Twins would still have some of the relief pitchers they let go, they let them go because they weren't performing and where out of options or where traded for players the Twins thought would be better. (That is how the 40 man works in baseball) I would guess if the Twins were to trade Erod so there was a spot for Bell and in a year or two he become really good, you and others would say imagine if we still had him and forget the reason they had to trade him was because they kept Bell. Those are the tough choices teams have to make and teams all over the league have guys that would have looked good keeping but had a choice to make. For example the Twins sent Megill to the Brewers which opened up a spot for Brock Stewart in 2023, Stewart pitched in 28 games with an ERA of 0.65 and a WAR of 1.6 and the Twins won their first playoff game and series in decades. Ronny Henriquez was DFA's because he was out of options and the Twins signed Harrison Bader and Danny Coulombe. Cano (28) was traded in the Jorge Lopez trade at the deadline. Headrick was DFA's because he was terrible in 23 and 24 and the Twins signed vets like Bader and Ty France. like or agree with those moves, that is how the 40 man and options work.

How would that even have been possible with a 40 man roster without losing all the other guys that needed to be on the roster?

Except he is nothing like Rooker, Rooker was given chances because of his power (and on a terrible team). I absoletly believe he will get plate appearances in 2027 (I have never said cut him) because it is unlikely that guys don't get hurt. My point has always been he is the perfect type of guy for organizational depth, cheap, has options, and has experience, not the type of player that you hand a starting job to and say lets see how this goes. (which looks like what you are saying as well)

Since the trade he has played 48 games at St. Paul with OPS of .853 (not all that impressive for a 26 year old and lower than Jenkins, Erod, Rosario, Fedko, Kreidler, Wallner, Sabato, Morissette and barely above Culpepper) and 44 with for the Twins. In 2025 he played 55 games in the majors with an OPS of .556, His first 39 at bats this year, .494 OPS, then went on to go 2 for 13. Sure his last 9 games of the year were good (but see my previous post on that two games that really helped that) And this is the type of player they should have given more of a chance? People love to talk about the Twins injuries, but he played a total of 87 games last year and 85 this year. The Twins have sucked the last three years and people are saying guys like him need more of a chance, it is guys like him playing that contribute to suck!

So you agree not an active roster player. But he isn't Larnach, Larnach is a legit major league players against right handed pitching, and Roden is a huge question mark. Larnach is an excellent option for a team looking for a platoon in a corner out fielder and DH (not something the Twins need right now), Roden is organizational depth. He is closer to Martin than Larnach.

He played in 32 games last year with 94 PA, I think it is pretty hard to say look how well the 26 year old played when going into the his last 5 games (against LAA, SFG, Tex) his slash line was .254/.333./.313/.647, and had zero stolen bases and 1 homer for the year) and his homer was off Peralta who pitched 1 2/3 innings gave up 5 runs and had an ERA of 6.20 last year. Two of his five doubles came off of Cam Sanders (who?, a guy traded for cash considerations from a team that finished over .500) You take away those two games and his slash line moves to .239/.333/.281/.615. Now I realize you can't take those away, but it I am not sure how you look at those numbers and say hey look how well he played. last year. I am not saying cut him with options remaining, but a serious team doesn't have plan for him on their active roster to start the season, Too many players have a good or better end to the season doing it against terrible teams and their minor league players, and people say looks how good this guy is. Alcalata and Wallner to some extent are examples of this. They get exposed when they actually play against major league talent.

Can't disagree with selling old and expensive players, but I would disagree with keeping young and cheap players that they don't think will improve and offensively are just league average, which you have said he isn't likely to improve, and thinking that somehow makes the team better? I think Lewis won't improve, so if I was running the Twins he wouldn't be anywhere near the team. The Twins have done of wonderful job of missing the boat on trading players when they had value, so even if they think like you do, they wouldn't trade him anyway.

your responses make little to no sense. If you agree with me that he is likely to get better (in his prime years) then we are are on the same page of plugging him in at 3rd and look to improve other places, if you agree with the other person saying he has maxed out and the Twins already have gotten the best of him but still think that helps the Twins in a better way than trading him at his peak? (You know like they haven't done with anybody else) If you don't think a 26 year old switch hitting, close to gold glove third basemen that is controlled wouldn't be a great trade piece to a couple of teams out there?

Is it trying to win, when you have a player that you think "defense is basically as good as it can get at 3B, given his athletic ability. He’s maxed out. His statcast batting metrics are all blue except for striking out and they’re basically the same as they were in 2025 and 2024, which means he was a little lucky in 2026 and is due for regression more like his career line of .242/.289/.390. His strength is making contact and putting the ball in play. His weakness is doing damage on pitches in the zone. " and you holding onto that player? I think he can and will improve so I wouldn't be trading him, but if I thought like you do, I probably would try to package him with Ryan to team looking to upgrade at 3rd and starting pitching. Maybe the Yankees, Seattle, Philly, or the Padres/Blue Jays who could move him to second) the two of those should return some pretty nice pieces and use the money saved from Ryan and the money Tom P says they want to spend on a pitcher or three.

I wasn't the said who said he wasn't going to improve (I don't think you did either), but if the Twins think he won't improve, possibly stagnant or even worse yet not be as good, then you trade that type of player while he is at the top of the trade value. Holding onto a league average player for stability isn't improving the team. I would add I think Lee would have as much if not more trade value, being a former 1st round pick that has improved every year and former top prospect and won't be a free agent until 2031.

Because if he is at his peak, why hold onto a guy you think will get no better, Max trade value? The Brewers traded 26 year old Caleb Durbin who was 3rd in ROY last year for Harrison and Hamilton Durbin who is great defensively but average offensively.

He was tied for 5th among all Major League third basemen with a +6 OAA, 4th in DRS, and 9th in Fielding Run Value, and if he only played 3B he would rank in the top few in the american league in dWAR. So yes he isn't likely to improve much if at all at defensive, but how much could he? He had 52 extra base hits with a .428 SLG, the top ten for qualified 3B, there is some chance he could improve there. His biggest issue is his .300, if he can improve on that, and just stay the stay on the other things he is almost an all star type player. His OPS+ has went from 64 to 81 to 102, he isn't likely to have to jump 17 points again, but even a jump of 10 with his defense and he is more than a solid everyday major league player, and maybe that is what you meant when he can't improve.