DocBauer

Exactly. He's only around based on his experience. But that experience means once in a while he's still useful. And he was today.

A last thought, SUPPOSEDLY the Bo Sox are a high K team with breaking stuff. Isn't Ober supposed to start Sunday? I'm thinking this is a solid chance for a sweep if the offense comes through. Ober's mix of sweepers and breaking pitches just might allow for a sweep.

The runner still has the opportunity to run through the play as I understand it, but not if the catcher has the ball in hand. And from what I've seen, Caratini had the ball in hand. But I will admit it was a sorta bang-bang close play. But almost ANY runner would be looking to slide and hope to be safe doing so, avoiding a tag. Contreas decided a collision with Caratini made more sense. Sorry, that's Contreas being an A-hole. I also have a real problem with him sliding in to 1B...usually a stupid move...and choosing to shove Clemens foot off the base. In review, ball to glove would have him safe anyway. But for whatever reason, he thought diving in to 1B instead of running through was smart...it NEVER is...and he was safe. Regardless, it was a BS play by him.

While he's just not the Rogers we all knew and loved, he was actually having a solid 2025 before his trade at the deadline. The wheels kind of fell off at that point for his season. I don't know how much he's got left, but I still like having him around for what might be his final year as a gut and guile experienced veteran. I'm betting he will be worth his $2M before the season is done. I probably trust him more than Banda, except Banda suddenly figured out his mechanics were wonky and he's suddenly looked much better. I'm still confused by Funderburk. He ended 2025 looking better than he has looked before. He began this season looking very solid. But he just wasn't the same after his brief leave. I'm speculating that he was distracted. No matter how they pitch this season, I have doubts about the future of Rogers and Banda both. But right now...even if he might eventually return to the rotation...Rojas is an absolute weapon for the bullpen. IF he stays there, the HOPE is Funderburk gets his focus back and will be part of the 2027 BP, otherwise the Twins will need to look for someone else. Thielbar lost it in his last season with the Twins. And then he "found it" with the Cubs. So there's a chance Rogers or Banda are still brought back for 2027. We still have a long season left to play. Are either, or both, of these guys on their final rodeo? IDK, but it wouldn't surprise me if one of them added a pitch, or just got "smarter" based on experience and have learned how to better do their job with diminishing velocity. But I actually love having Rogers around for this season based on experience. I have a "trust" factor that more times than not, he will get the job done.

Really, really good start for Bradley in his first game back. I knew they might restrict his IP in this one, but was a little surprised it was Rojas who came in. I thought it might be SWR since weather ruined his last experience, he was well rested, and I thought they might save Rojas for another game where he might actually start. But it turned out great. The obvious temptation is to return Rojas back to St Paul and let him continue his development as a SP. It seems logical. Neither he or Prielipp were SUPPOSESD to be up this soon. But the Twins have basically said: "Screw it! We're going to trust in and run with our young arms!" To me, that's a breath of FRESH AIR. Whether Rojas remains a high velocity late IP arm, or transitions back to the rotation at some point, I absolutely love trusting in the kid's STUFF and letting him get his experience at the ML level at this point. Regarding Morris, I have a lot of faith in him despite just not having control today. It happens, especially for a rookie in his new role. There will be bumps in the road for all of these young arms. While it didn't actually help, and Rogers was needed to finish the game off, I really liked Shelton giving Morris the one more batter to see if he could get out of it. No matter who've they've played, I believe this is 4 series wins out of 5 currently? That's pretty good, especially with the injuries they've had and almost ZERO production from a pair of veterans who were sent down. But even still, I'm a little disappointed. Even in winning 4 of the last 5 series, I think they let a couple games just slip through their fingers. They are "so close" to being .500 or above right now. Either that's a "how are they this close to .500" if you're a downer, OR, "Damn, a couple more hits and the May bullpen in April, they might be .500 or a game or two above". You pick your lane. Personally, I'm in lane #2 with the idea that losing Jeffers is BAD NEWS, but getting even average offense at 3B and RF currently means an upgrade that will help balance his loss to a point. I just wish there was the opportunity existed, when injuries happen, that the PRIMARY starting St Paul OF wasn't all on the IL. Even ONE of them might provide a spark. But this was a really nice win.

For those who aren't crazy about Brezinski, I have to wonder why? He's one of the best in the league at figuring out the cap, and I'm pretty sure he's involved way more than just pushing numbers around. If he wasn't, they would have just made Grigson the temporary GM. I like Teasley because he'd be coming from a well run organization that has drafted well, and as previously been pointed out, has been part of 2 different rebuilds. But I also like McKay from the Rams. They've been well run the past few years. Would he really be a "buddy" hire just because of the KOC connection? I don't believe the Wilf's accept that. But I DO THINK the head coach and the new GM having a previous, successful working relationship is a sound platform for his potential hire. We've seen previously what an acidic relationship between the GM and the head coach provides. Just me guessing, but Brezinski gets a raise, a promotion and new title such as head of operations, with more duties, and they hire McKay or Teasley as the actual GM. Kinda need to figure it out by June 1st. It's not like they can't function as is, but rumors still exist that Harry is coming back, and they need to add one of the veteran EDGE guys still out there to be the #3 rotation and depth guy. I think they're pretty much done at that point, but it might be easier to finish up the offseason with the new GM in place.

So noth Wallner and Lewis are down. Totally the right move for the team and for them and their future. While the bullpen has certainly cost a few game, virtually zero production from those two also has to have cost us 2 or 3 games as well. I liked bringing up Arcia at this time. It might be an illusion, but he's been doing very well at St Paul. He provides a decent glove and experience. Hopefully his bat can be at least ML average. Even that is better than what Lewis has been providing. And now Martin gets to play almost daily as well. Speaking of the bullpen, glad the Luis Garcia experience is behind us. While I don't know if Adams has a decent ML career ahead of him or not, I'd rather have him up ans go with the young arm. And Gomez, so far, has looked a possible find. We'll see. But again, better to have the younger arm with potential. I still like the idea of Kline up for 1-2 innings and cutting loose, preparing him for the future. But I don't think there's anyone I'm in a hurry to replace at the moment. While still average at best, the pen has sort of stabilized the past couple of weeks. And I think the full conversion of Morris and keepibg Rojas and letting him let it rip has also make a real difference.

Only since others brought it up in a game thread: 1] The rotation for 2027, no trades, (the Twins don't have to trade Ryan, and I hope they don't), in no particular order, but sorta based on initial 2026 projections just for clarification sake, would be Lopez, Ryan, Ober, SWR, Bradley, Abel, Matthews, Prielipp, and the possibility of Rojas as a 9th option. That's pretty good depth even if Rojas moves to the pen, even on a temporary basis. Unfortunately, it gets a little weak after that as currently, the best SP options are in AA and below. Some of that could change over the rest of the season. But it means a SMART FO would find at least a couple solid veteran additions for St Paul for depth purposes. I choose to remove Festa due to current injury flux, and the OBVIOUS move to the bullpen when/if his shoulder is good again. We are just starting to see the FO FINALLY making some BP moves that make sense with Morris's conversion. Why not get Klein up to do the same? Orze has kinda surprised me. He might be OK. I still don't know if Sands could be GOOD, or mediocre. He's shown both. But I'd love to have him back and let him prove himself. Same with Laweryson who isn't special in any way, but damn if he doesn't figure out how to get guys out. Maybe I'm nuts, but I thought Funderburk FINALLY looked like a solid middle innings option before his child was born. Was his distracted? Maybe so. But previously, he seemed to carry over a solid end to 2025. HOPEFULLY Funderburk will come back and be focused and be the middle LF that he can be. As tempting as it might be to keep Rojas in the rotation, he's almost a clone of Prielipp in regard to early injuries and a lack of IP. He needs TIME as SP option. But he also might be a Santana or Liriano who might begin his career in the bullpen, but transition to the rotation in time. Or maybe he's just too damn good to never leave the bullpen. It's a nice problem to have. (*NOTE I'd look to trade for or sign a solid LHRP and keep Rojas as a SP option for 2027) It's been amazing how Bradley and Abel have grown. It's been amazing how Ober has suddenly become an 80's SP . I'm not sure I doubt him any longer. But there is SOMETHING wrong physically or mentally with SWR. He's always been solid. He even looked better than ever to end 2025 with his new splitter. SOMETHING is wrong mechanically or mentally. I HOPE some time in the BP will make a difference. I still think an "injury" makes more sense to allow a re-set at St Paul makes more sense.

I'll take a 5-4 homestand over a losing one, but I'm still disappointed they didn't win at least 6 games. They were seemingly a pitch or one key hit away from 6 wins, maybe even 7. Still, they played decent ball and came out with a winning record. But a few quick observations over today's game, and the homestand in general. 1] Ryan remains a STUD. The dream is to keep him around for a few more years. 2] I'm pleased the organization has finally decided to fully convert Morris to a 1 IP bullpen role and turn him loose. The idea of keeping him stretched out "in case one more injury to the rotation" is a fallacy. Were that to happen, the pen would be as bad as ever, if not even worse, so him being a SP suddenly doesn't do anything to alter the eventual results. Further, this helps rebuild the pen for 2027, if not the rest of 2026. IMO, they should do the same thing with Klein tomorrow. Even with his poor AAA ERA and HR numbers, the hits per 9 and BB aren't horrible, and the K's are still there. Even in his poor appearances for St Paul, he's seemed good for the first couple of innings. He's got an interesting repetoire, throws 95 consistently, and would undoubtedly hit 97-98 on a limited IP basis. GET HIM IN THE TWINS BULLPEN and get him transitioned for now, and the future. 3] I'm kinda wondering if part of the reason for Morris finally being turned in to a high leverage arm might be due to Rojas. The kid isn't really ready yet. He's by NO MEANS a finished product, but his stuff is just NASTY! Imagine how good he might be with a little better control and a better idea of what he's doing? I was disappointed they didn't send him out for the 5th inning the other day. I understand they wanted to give SWR 2-4 innings...the rain ruined that idea...but the kid was cruising after the first 2 innings. I would have given him the 5th. SIM could have still come in for the 6th and more. In fact, with the rain delay, it would have worked even better. 4] I know it's a SSS, but did the Twins finally pick up a talented young arm for the bullpen in Gomez they can work with? A good arm that's never been harnessed with some OK numbers, is it "right time, right place"? The Twins have found those rough diamonds many times over the years. Did they possibly find another one? 5] I'm not the biggest fan or believer in Clemens, but I think he's OK as a bench role player. But I believe he's the kind of player you're looking to replace with someone better. But I find it interesting that his best overall season was 2025 with the Twins, who gave him a lot of rope. Even still, he was VERY inconsistent. But he's SUDDENLY up to a .240 AVG and a .754 OPS. Not spectacular by any means. But if he could POSSIBLY maintain production close to that, with his versatility and solid defense, it really helps. I have doubts and hope. 6] I've just never been a fan of the Twins clinging on to Kreidler. Despite a great glove almost wherever you place him, he's just never proved he could hit his way out of a wet paper bag at the ML level. His AAA numbers have also been very average. And look, I'm still not a believer in his bat for obvious reasons. But his time in St Paul has produced the best MILB quad slash line he's ever had, and FAR above his overall numbers. And, of course, he's NEVER produced like this at the ML level. So regression is obvious. I'm still not a believer. But similar to the slightly older Clemens, isn't it interesting that his best MILB and ML numbers are with the Twins in his age 28yo season? While I expect at least SOME regression for Clemens, I expect a lot more regression for Kreidler. But even batting .200 with some pop, some speed, and great defense, he's much better than his previous .150-ish career ML AVG. previously. Hitting even .200 makes him an OK 13th man for now.

This is the part where I eat crow. I DON'T think having faith in Wallner coming in to 2026 was misguided. He's been a quality producer, had what we hoped was a fine offseason, and had a good ST. And then the wheels came off. Has he just lost the ability to hit a FB? Numbers say he has. Or did the Twins trusting him to play every day, facing a plethora of LHP early, totally mess up his approach? Meanwhile, Larnach, being shielded against LHP, has gotten off to one of the best seasons of his career as BATTER, but the power has been absent. And I, and many others, never thought he should have been brought back. The GOOD NEWS is Larnach is performing against RHP, and Martin is continuing what he did the final 2 months of 2025. But let's give Martin a little additional credit. While he didn't make the opening day roster in '25, he raked at St Paul before an injury robbed him off time that might have seen an earlier promotion. So Kudos to him! He was ready in '25, and now gets a chance to play daily. I still don't understand him in RF and the slower and stronger arm of Larnach in LF, but the Twins just believe Larnach is more comfortable in LF. Considering he's looked better in the field than I think I've ever seen him, don't fix what ain't broke I guess. Kreidler was brought up to replace Wallner. That choice is somewhat questionable. While I expect NOTHING from Kreidler offensively, I do expect good defense wherever he plays. But it IS curious that SSS at St Paul and with the Twins in SSS, he's been more productive than he's ever shown before. Of *NOTE, of course, Roden, Rodriguez, and Jenkins are all currently out due to injury. And Gonzalez is struggling. Why not Fedko or Arcia instead of Kreidler? A valid question. But they would require a 40 man move that the Twins aren't ready to make currently, right or wrong. Again, right or wrong, Kreidler provides quality defense wherever they play him, and hope for the best offensively. He can even still cover Larnach against LHP for now. But what's next? Because I don't think moves are done. 1] Lewis is either sent down with one of his options, or he gets an IL and rehab to protect his ego. I've been a faithful believer in Lewis the past couple of years because there's just too much talent in his body, even if his body has had to make adjustments. He's still only 27yo. I STILL think there is something there worth working with. But he needs a MAJOR re-set somehow. Sorry about his ego. This might be my 2nd round of crow and asking for a recipe that might be palatable. 2] K-Pepper is probably not ready just yet. MAYBE the Twins are OK with removing Lewis and playing Kreidler at SS and moving Lee to 3B. Or MAYBE they just say; "the hell with it. K-Pepper was going to be promoted at some time this season, let's just add him to the 40 man now and see what we have". EITHER WAY, it's a gut punch to Lee and Lewis. Should we care? Lee's defense has looked much better lately, but he's not a ML SS. His BAT has started to look like the hitter we sorta expected. [NEVER understood all the disappointment after only 1.5 seasons of MLB service time] I'd HOPE Lee is fine being the every day 3B in this scenario. His hands and arm are good enough. But I'm to the point where I say, "screw with development", let the kid play and grow at the ML level, and get him ready for 2027 and improve the defense right now, and potentially the lineup. IF and WHEN Lewis gets his BAT RIGHT, he can play both 3B and 1B. Despite all the injuries that have unfortunately affected him, at some point he has to overcome those...or not. Tremendously sorry to state the obvious. 3] I WANT to address the OF. But I just can't currently due to injury. Get back to me in a couple of weeks. At least Martin is a good story. 4] The rotation has been surprisingly solid even with the injury to Lopez. We have the enjoyment of watching Bradley, Abel, Prielipp and even Matthews take step forwards. This is exciting stuff! 5] The bullpen has cost a decent Twins team how many games so far? I'd wager 4-6 more wins with a decent, not great, bullpen. And Morris lost the game tonight, Friday, against the Brewers. It happens. But I'm TIRED of of being overly cautious about injuries to the rotation. I'd let Morris and Klein just be 1 IP high velocity options. I'd LOVE Festa and Lewis later in the season getting ready for 2027. I'd also be happy to have a more focused Funderburk as an option. Wallner's demotion is a start. What comes next and why?

Slightly off topic, but what's frustrating to me is as poor as the ownership/FO handled any bullpen rebuild, vast numbers of injuries have affected the various options that might have helped the bullpen this season. We've "survived" the painful loss of Lopez with the emergence of Bradley, whon are also hurt but hopefully back soon. But it has given Prielipp an earlier than expected shot at MLB and he's showing some good early results. And after a rough ST and early AAA begining, Matthews really settled down, was pitching well for St Paul, and looked really good in his '26 debut the other night. Sims needs an IL stint and rehab assignment to try and get "right", but that can't happen until Bradley, or Abel, or both get healthy again. So the cupboard is bare right now if anything else happens. That's why they are reluctant to move Morris to a short stint arm just in case they have to move him back to the rotation again. A healthy Festa might have already been moved to the pen, where it seems he belongs. But he's ALSO been hurt, so that further messes with bullpen options. Maybe I'm grasping at something that isn't there, but I believe previous MILB pitcher of the year Cory Lewis might just be a very good pen option. He's got a mix of pitches being a starter. If he could throw maximum for 1-2 innings only, crank his FB up to even 94-95, mix in a 2nd or 3rd offering here oe there, and then throw that crazy knuckelball of his, I think he has the potential to be a really good middle relief arm, provided his control is even average. But he ALSO has been hurt the entire season so far. I don't believe Raya or CJ are ready yet by any means. In fact, I don't believe Raya will be ready until about August. CJ could/should be ready before that. I think Klein is ready now, if they just use him as a 1+ IP power arm. I think the same thing is true for Morris, if you get beyond the "we might need him" fear factor of additional injuries. BUT, if someone else goes down, what the hell would the Twins be playing for anyway if that happens? We've already gone 8 deep in SP so far. What's more important, rebuilding the bullpen for the remainder of 2026 and the future "in case" someone else gets hurt? Or assuming we get Bradley and Abel back soon and we can FINALLY address the bullpen better internally? We can debate all day long whether a team sitting around 4-5 games below .500...who were once above. 500 a few weeks ago...should or shouldn't keep or Trade Ryan at the deadline. And I'm NOT going to debate that here in this OP. But just for a moment, contemplate the rotation for 2027 as is right now: Lopez, Ryan, Ober, SWR, Bradley, Abel, Prielipp, and Matthews. That's 8 leaving Morris and Rojas out of the equation. Based on his 3 previous seasons, not so far in 2026, SWR has been a really solid, reliable #4 rotation option. If he can get "right" for the rest of the season, get back to what he was, he's still a solid option for OUR rotation, but also a decent trade chip for another team in real need for a cheap 25yo rotation piece that still has upside. My point is that the 8 deep doesn't include Morris OR Rojas, OR Festa, much less Klein or CJ. So maybe we just accept ONE MORE INJURY could wreck what's still been a solid rotation. MAYBE we recognize that the rotation is going to be full again in a couple of weeks, we've already begun a couple roster moves and there will be others, and we just ACCEPT that any more SP injuries just wreck the season anyway. So Morris gets to try and be the next Jax/Varland. Klein gets the opportunity to be the next Jax/Varland. CJ, a couple months from now, gets the opportunity to be the next Jax/Varland. A healthy Festa FINALLY gets a chance to be the next Jax/Varland. Rojas gets the opportunity to be the next Rogers/Perkins, OR, the next Santana/Liriano. We're so engaged about the tremendous amount of talent sitting at AAA right now that is part of our future, SOON. And we're so EXCITED...rightfully so...by the development of Bradley, Abel, Prielipp, and Matthews in the rotation. But as horrible...average-ish on good days...as the bullpen has been, have we spent enough time considering the 2nd half bullpen could be a lot different than the first 1/4 season bullpen?

I'm only guessing here, but I think Bowman's exclusion is due to age and I believe the OP was slanting more towards younger arms. But I think you bring up a valid point. Garcia is 39yo and is having a poor season. On the other hand, he wasn't awful in 2025. But the 34yo Bowman MIGHT help beyond this season. And while he's somewhat of a soft thrower, I believe, maybe he's perfect as a 2 IP arm in the middle innings so Morris can focus on shorter stints?

I agree with the list above. Klein has been bitten by the HR bug this season and that's always a bad thing. But he seems to usually get through 1-2 innings before things unravel. So with velocity, decent secondary options, and a good K history, why is he still in this weird 4 inning role that doesn't help anyone? CJ has had some injuries that have slowed him, and it's my understanding that he sometimes has a difficult time maintaining velocity after multiple innings. So I think the move to the pen was destined. He could really excel there. I don't really expect much from Raya, but we've always heard the same thing; when his control is on, his stuff can be nasty. He's still in transition mode. But if he can get that 1 inning mentality to "click", he's still got a chance. I would love to see Morris being able to throw 1 inning at a time, and get Festa back in the second half for the same. Then you add Klein, CJ, Sands, Orze, Lawyerson, and the recently added Acton and Gomez, and you at least have the numbers to work with to find 5 or 6 out of around 10 that might work out. I really don't like the idea of taking Rojas out of the rotation, but his stuff could play up really well in the pen. At least there is a path that I could see working, instead of recycling a bunch of 35yo plus waiver options.

This is kinda simple. SIMS has to have an injury. Maybe he has the proverbial "tired arm" injury. But he needs an IL and rehab stint because this is NOT the SWR we've known before.

Please understand I have been one of the most devoted fans of Royce. He's had 2 massive injuries to his knee. His body is different. He's worked with trusted therapists to avoid the soft tissue injuries. He worked with reputed hitting coaches to rework his swing with his different body. And I'm still struggling with belief that an athletic player that he still IS that there's not SOMETHING still uncapped to make him a legitimate ML ballplayer that can HIT to a decent AVG and POP 20-30 HR and be a difference maker. But despite his athletic talent and hopefull projection at such a young age, I'm really concerned that his body has just betrayed him. And it pains me to say this beyond measure. I just can't believe a 27yo athletic ballplayer with his talent and love for the game could just be DONE. But we have all seen it happen before, unfortunately. It doesn't make sense, and I don't like it. But we've also all seen baseball miracles, and I don't mean movies, where a ballplayer SUDDENLY figures it somehow. NOT saying Lewis is Nelson Cruz, but Cruz is an example of someone who didn't figure it out until he was about 28yo. Is there hope for Lewis? Yes. Again, he's still only 27yo and very athletic. But where is the magic formula to get in to his head and body to make an adjustment? How much time does he get? This is killing me to say this, but he needs to be sent down with one of his remaining options to get his head and his swing right. It's the right decision for him, and his future, and for the future of the Twins. I hope for the best for Royce, but the reality is he's been really bad at the plate for over a year now. IF we want the BEST Twins team, and a BETTER INF going forward, we have to consider some options we didn't think about before 2026 began. I KNOW I will get crazy pushback, but maybe it's time to take chances for the future. MAYBE Lewis isn't part of the future? Maybe he's a 1B option? MAYBE Culpepper at 2B, Lee at 3B, and Ross or Kreidler at SS. Kreidler is just a journeyman utility player. But from everything I've ever heard and read, Ross is a quality glove wherever he plays, and is supposedly a quality ML caliber SS. And he's on a HOT STEEK for getting his BAT RIGHT. Ross might be a temporary fit until Houston is ready. and then becomes a potential UTILITY player of value, or not. But Lewis suddenly figures **** out and starts to HIT and produce, or I can see an avenue where we can just go with younger players that might be unproven, but offer potential that Lewis, unfortunately, hasn't done.

Always enjoy this lists, this early in the season or not. So Prielipp and Tait swapped spots. Not a big deal, and does make some sense with Prielipp off to a solid ML start, no pun intended. But Tait is performing very well in A+ this season. He keeps this up, hopefully continues to improve, he might be a 20yo at AA next year! Regarding the mass of prospects at St Paul, though a couple are currently MIA, I have no worries and TONS of optimism. Rodriguez has been raking, even if his K's have been higher than desired. I really wonder if we would have had a Waller/Rodriguez "flip" by now if Emma hadn't banged himself up again. Jenkins was really starting to heat up, so his injury was very bad timing. (*NOTE: ALL ballparks should have PADDING across the OF! We have netting to protect the fans but we can't have universal padding to protect the players? Completely unacceptable!) While Gonzalez's slow start has been surprising considering his 2025 and his ST production, he's STILL barreling up the ball with 4 Dbls and 8 HR. I have no doubt he's going to start hitting. Mendez off to a good start isn't surprising. I still think there's some decent power about ready to rise to the surface. But let's give K-Pepper a little more attention. He's 23yo, in his 2nd full professional season, and is more than holding his own a little over a month on his AAA debut. If you are someone who is disappointed at a quad slash line of .252/ .337/ .463/ .800 with 7 Dbls, 8 HR, and 7-0 on SB on May 13th I can't imagine what you were expecting a little over a month in to his AAA debut. So let's talk about Houston for a moment as well. The question surrounding his bat, when drafted, wasn't a decent eye or contact principles. The question was a surge in power, and could he sustain it. (BTW, he's NOT a small man at 6' 3" and 205lbs). And a lot of his HR surge took place at his home park, which is a bit of a bandbox. There was worry that he got off to a fast start at Ft Myers, and then sort of tanked in a promotion to CR. I wasn't concerned. I've seen this before for a player in his 1st full professional season. K-Pepper kinda did the same thing. So far so good in 2026. His quad slash line is .283/ .351/ .408/ .759 with 4 Dbls, 1 Trip/ 3 HR/ and 8-1 in SB. To me, this is very encouraging. While his college numbers of almost 1-1 in regard to BB vs K was outstanding, that's pretty tough to duplicate at the professional level. He's roughly 3-1 so far this season. Not bad. He possesses actual HIT ability, with a decent eye, solid bat control, some speed, and reportedly runs the bases well. OH, he's also got a glove that is ML ready NOW. I believe he's got 30 Dbls and double digit HR power in him, to go along with double digit SB ability. Again, he's not a small man. And I think he's going to HIT decently. But let's be fully honest here. If he ONLY hits around .250 with an OB% of .315, produces 30-ish Dbls, a few Trips, and 8-10 HR and 15-ish SB with his defense he's not only a REGULAR, but a DAMN GOOD ONE. I think he's got the potential to be a little better than that. Not great, but a little better. That might make him an All Star at some point, FWIW. Quick looks AMAZING. I've stated many times the Twins might have gotten a steal here. While his leverage would almost disappear if he went back to school for a final year, he also might have thrown so well that he'd be a top 10-15 pick. It sounds like his recent pull from a game was a blister, or a cramp issue, and nothing serious. I'd be surprised if he wasn't in AA to finish the season. Can we pause for a moment regarding Ellwanger? In his SSSS before his IL stint, he was everything Quick has been. Does anyone have ANY IDEA what's going on with him currently? Players rise and fall on these lists all the time. But I'm a little miffed that Rojas dropped at all. In ST he flashed what he might be with tremendous stuff. Even in his very brief Twins debut...not overwhelming...he still FLASHED the arm the Twins are so excited about. I'm not sure how many realize he's very similar to Prielipp in regard to injuries limiting his MILB IP and production to this point. But similar to SWR when acquired, the Jays seem to be almost over aggressive when promoting arms. He was at AAA when the Twins got him. Now, it's on THEM to have decided to KEEP him at AAA instead of rewinding and maybe move him down to AA. But if you've watched him, you can see the STUFF. I absolutely DON'T want to disrupt his growth and progression. And our FO and coaching staff is OBVIOUSLY not the same, but for a team DESPERATE to build a bullpen, it's not hard to consider letting Rojas be part of the pen now, as Santana and Liriano did previously, and then move back to the rotation later. Someone moves up, someone moves down. It's kinda funny that Gallagher moves up, deservedly so, and Winokur moves down just as he gets on a hot streak, lol. (Yes, I understand some of the articles are prepared days in advance). Just to cap things off, I've got a few observations outside the top 20. MERCEDES just got his promotion to CR after DESTROYING A- at Ft Myers. This kid is a potential 5 tool international signing who only SEEMS to have been around forever. He's ONLY 21yo and looks like he just might be figuring it out. AMICK is a reasonable age 23yo in his 2nd full MILB season. In 2025 it looked like he could HIT and have a good OB%, but he lost his power. He went to the AFL, and to say he was horrendous would almost be a compliment. Personally, I really wondered if there was something wrong with him, or did the Twins just totally blow his selection in the draft. I still have questions about Amick. I never saw him going to AA after such a horrible AFL. And his current quad slash line of .246/ .333/ .518/ .851 with 4 Dbls, and 9 HR doesn't get me overly excited. BUT, I feel like I'm watching a player actually making real time adjustments where he's learning a balance between power, contact. and potential OB ability. I'm not overly optimistic, but I think there is a solid MLB player there in a couple of seasons. My only other comment is it's really hard to follow EVERY LEVEL of the system. Even more so these days where the DSL and the FCL just sort of just transition to the FSL. And it's gotten difficult to follow all the kids at Ft Myers these days. But there's more than a few 19-20yo kids at Ft Myers that MIGHT prove the Twins are headed in the right direction in regard to the International market.

Why not? At least in the short term, he throws hard, has a solid K history, and is still only 26yo. He's exactly the kind of "claim" they should be grabbing. (*I understand they actually sent cash in order to jump the waiver wire*) They might make an adjustment to where he stands on the mound, maybe tweak his arm angle, and maybe refine one of his "bad' pitches, or teach him a new one next offseason and suddenly they have a 7th inning, high velocity, good K arm that's only 27yo. Or he may totally wash out and be gone in a couple 2-3 months. But I'd rather give arms like his an opportunity instead of more 36-39yo veterans who have almost ZERO chance of helping the team in the future. No don't get me wrong, an older veteran who has the ability to produce one more solid season under the sun can add some depth and experience to a rebuilding pen. But you DON'T rebuild a bullpen where 50% of your arms are those aged veterans. Unfortunately, injuries have had a rather major influence on the pen rebuild. It begins with losing Lopez for the season. That's been a HUGE loss to be sure, but it happens to other teams as well. But it has had a trickle down affect, as have other injuries and setbacks to the rotation. Bradley has largely mitigated the loss of Lopez, though OF COURSE you'd rather have BOTH of them in the rotation. Abel has really impressed thus far! But now HE has had an injury setback. (Of course, so has Bradley for the moment). It APPEARS neither has a MAJOR injury, and will be back, the question remains how long each will be out. And let's not forget that Prielipp hasn't looked out of place, or rushed, even though he kinda was. There's the possibility Festa would have remained a SP in the short term for depth. But his future is in the bullpen as a high leverage, power arm. But now we're just hoping he's 100% and ready to go by the 2nd half of this season. Morris could be another Jax, a guy who throws 94-96 and can touch 97 with a full bag of additional offerings. Throw him only 1 or 1+ innings and he would probably sit 96-97 and hit 98, maybe even 99 once in a while. And like Jax, he would have a former starters repertoire of 2 or 3 additional pitches, maybe even 4, where he can keep both LH and RH hitters off balance. But instead, so far, they are reluctant to do so as they might have to place him in the rotation at some point. So a full conversion hasn't taken place yet. Let's also examine the 24yo Klein for a moment. So far in 2026, at AAA, he's allowing a hit per, OK-ish BB per numbers, and his usual K+ per 9. But his ERA is AWFUL due to being bitten by the HR ball. And maybe he's not quite ready yet for ML duty. And maybe I'm completely wrong, but when I read the MILB reports, it always seems that he threw well in his first couple of innings...on his 4 every 4 day program...before allowing runs AFTER those first couple of innings. And IF what I THINK I've been watching is factual, then isn't he getting a chance to throw maximum effort of high 90's, with a starter's repertoire, for 1 or 1+ innings as a POTENTIAL late inning arm at the ML level instead of the 39yo Garcia? No insult meant to Garcia, but he won't be pitching for the Twins...maybe no-one...in 2027. And maybe I'm stretching too far here, but one time Twins MILB pitcher of the year Cory Lewis fell on some hard times at St Paul. A couple minor injuries didn't help. But he's also a very unique arm. If he could just throw 93-95 for 1-2 innings, mix in a couple additional off speed/breaking offerings and then throw that weird/nasty/crazy Knuckleball of his, he could be a valuable 6-7th inning offering from the pen. Alas, he is ALSO hurt. And much like Festa, we're just waiting to see how far out his recovery really is. And I'm actually sorry to go here as I'm just really not sure if he has real potential or not, but is it at all possible a healthy Adams MIGHT have actually learned a few things in his 2025 debut and MIGHT be the 8th man who could eat 2-3 IP every few days to better allow the few decent arms available in the pen to have an extra day off? But, of course, he also was hurt to begin the season. I was actually kinda impressed by what saw out of Acton. He's nothing special, but I think he's got the "guts" and decent enough stuff to maybe be a middle man. But of course, he's also hurt right now. At 27yo, he's still got a chance. Sands has shown the potential to be a setup man, or at least a good middle man. He hasn't shown or proven yet what he might be. But OF COURSE, HE'S also injured right now. Cody Lawyerson, a later round draftee, has ALWAYS performed as an organizational player, but despite results, always seems to slip by Management's attention because he doesn't throw 98 out of the pen. He gets a shot late in 2025 and looks OK. SHOULD have been brought up DAY ONE after the "Red Room" trade deadline, but our FO has BLINDERS at times for non top 20 prospects. They let him go. The Angels let him go. The Twins pick him up and he continues to do what he's always done, just get guys out! And after a great ST and a solid start to 2026 what happens? He ALSO gets hurt. The mismanagement of Ownership and the FO simply can't be denied or ignored. And I refuse to excuse them for their mismanagement of any sort of bullpen rebuild. BUT...with no apologies given...it's really not hard to see where a plan to convert arms to the pen has been deflated by injury followed by injury, followed by injury that has affected that plan. There is a real crux here. The Twins are not a great team. But they have potential to be a good team. The defense has been a little better, but isn't great. The offense is OK, with some flashes. It could be better. The rotation has been surprisingly solid despite losing Lopez, Bradley and Abel taking steps, Prielipp defying a too early call up, Ober doing a Greg Maddux impersonation, and SWR being the the only bump in the road. He's just NOT THIS BAD. He's been very solid, and GREAT to end 2025. We really need him to find himself again, and SOON. Apologies and congratulations for those still reading, but this IS reality. Despite all the injuries, we're also seeing TOMORROW with our rotation. We've seen an OK offense while waiting for parts of our future lineup struggle with some minor injuries, or slow starts to 2026. But we're also only about 1/3 of the way through. Any DECENT BP probably has us .500 if not a couple of games above. But the Twins CAN change that. MAKE the Morris conversion to the pen and forget him possibly needed in the rotation. I KNOW the FO is "scared" about the rotation, but Matthews is looking good. Abel and Bradley shouldn't be out long. SIM is just too damn good to be this bad. And MAYBE you just keep Rojas up for now. I DON'T want to rob the organization of a quality LHSP with the stuff he has. But Santana and Lirano were a couple of the most outstanding LHSP the Twins ever had. IF the intention for 2026 is to compete...while also HOPEFULLY making room for prospects and the future...then maybe accepting Rojas in the pen for now, making Morris a 1 IP guy, getting Klein up here, and YES, giving a shot to a 26yo like Gomez to see to see if you got something.

A 3B coach will always be remembered for bad sends. They seldom get credit for good sends. And I'm not going to BANG on previous 3B coaches. That's too easy. But I will say this the BEST breakdown of the 3B coaching I have EVER read. KUDOS to you. If Borrego screws up, of course, he will get blasted more for mistakes than good calls. It's the nature of the game. But more than I have ever really reflected on the job of a 3B coach, he really needs to not only understand the speed of the runner, and where the ball was hit, but the 3B coach needs to understand the arm of the OF, did he get turned around, was there a weird bounce, or no bounce. I applaud you for a great OP. Some things that should be obvious but aren't always obvious were presented succinctly.

Jennings is a very nice WR. He's had a solid career thus far and been a quality producer. But he's never had a season that determined he was EVER going to be a #1. He's had ONE season that looked like a legitimate #2, and one season that "teased" at being a #2. So he is really a high quality #3 who is about as perfect a fit as the Vikes could find anywhere. This is a GREAT signing! Is he some sort of jerk for being too aggressive? I just don't know enough beyond the one big incident and rumors. I know NFL DB HATE being blocked to their back, or out of bounds. It pisses them off. DB jaw just as much as WR do. What I do know is the Vikings are generally very careful about bringing in quality people to the organization. I doubt Jennings would have been targeted if he was a jerk. I repeat this is a GREAT signing for 2026. It also allows the team to work through the roster like Felton, CAN he take a step forward, or was he a blown selection? Price is an ELECTRIFYING return man, but is also a WR from a 2024 Indiana team that went to the playoffs. Can they harness that talent to also be a useful wideout? That's part of the reason he was signed for initially. But there's a collection of rostered WR and UDFA to work through in camp. A couple of them offer interesting size/speed talent that is interesting. We might find a progressive steal in that group, or Felton and Price just blow the competition away. Either way we have a 3 headed monster at WR for 2026. Maybe even a 4 headed monster if they turn Hockenson loose now instead of using so much as a blocker. The draft class is signed except for Golday, which should happen soon. Come June 1st, 3 weeks away, the Vikes also get another $12.5M to spend on FA due to the NFL rules. The team also has the ability to re-work O'Neill's contract for bonus $ and additional years. Why wouldn't you for a 31yo Pro Bowl OT? Am I the only one who respects Harry's private lifestyle but is confused by a lack of announcement that he's done? He's always been a TREMENDOUS competitor! While not quite the player he once was, once he got ramped up in 2025, he was still really good! IMO, he's been watching the signings, the draft, and the Flores return saga. While he doesn't need or necessarily want fanfare, I think he's primed for ONE MORE SEASON, to go out ON TOP for a FULL SEASON. But I don't think he's looking or expecting some huge deal for a potentially final season. The CAP to the offseason would be the Vikings signing someone like Clowney. He would seem to be on borrowed time, but he had another really good season last year. And there's a couple other options available as well. But all the defense needs is a #3 EDGE guy to rotate in and provide solid play. And even then, Harry isn't going to demand some huge deal. The roster isn't perfect, but it's damn good, especially with the addition of Jennings, the draft, FA so far, and an EDGE like Clowney for 1yr. Harry coming back for ONE MORE year really caps it off. Adding a #3 EDGE is the ONLY thing missing roster wise. And they have the $ to do that. They can survive well enough with talent on hand and Flores in charge of the defense. But wouldn't we all just LOVE to see Harry play a full season one last time?

I think Gray sounds like a viable candidate. I love former scouts sitting in the GM chair. Provided, or course, that they were actually GOOD scouts. I don't think he's a "ROONEY RULE" candidate. The Vikings have been at the forefront in the NFL in regard to black coaches, head coaches, and even president of operations. I was kinda hoping for Patton coming back. And I'd be looking really hard at someone in the Philadelphia FO. *Recent rumor is Brazinski won't be the actual GM, but will get a different promotion to something similar to head of football operations.

The UDFA RB situation the past couple of years is a head scratcher, totally agree. I think Scott was fairly impressive at times last year and should be RB #4 this coming season. But considering Jones's age and the fact he won't be back in '27, and I believe Mason will also be a FA, though he could be re-signed, really makes me question of drafting Williams a couple years ago and then choosing not to look for a potential steal runner in UDFA. I don't get it. Opinions seem to vary on Jurgens. I don't see him as a starter, but I think he's shown some potential in his first 2yrs. I don't think he's someone on his way out. In regard to Gerhardt, I really have no clue if he's got potential or not. But the fact that he was one of the 30 invited visitors, and they passed on everyone in a good CENTER class gives me pause. There must be SOMETHING they see in him that they like. I'm actually higher on Lemieux from Dartmouth more than the other two. A former OT with a year on the practice squad and 10lbs more of mass and muscle, I think he might be a surprise. But it sure looks like Brandel is the guy at CENTER for 2026. I'm not sure that's a bad thing.

I was really disappointed they couldn't find a better RB UDFA option. I mean, RB have dropped in value the past decades and many quality runners can be found latter on. But Owens was the best we could do? COME ON! I would be extatic if Thomas and Thomas were both as good as they appear to be potentially. Flores has a keen eye and loves his SAFETYS. I'm going to disagree with you a bit on Gerhardt. And I shouldn't do so because I really like Lemieux as a STEAL who will add 10lbs of muscle on the PS, further adapt to CENTER, and do a "Birk" and take over the position. But I just have this "itch" in my brain that says the staff sees something in Gerhardt that the rest of don't. is he another Sullivan? It would be amazing if they were right.

I'm at the point where I am just DONE with blasting ownership BLOWING the entire offseason with incompetence. I am NOW only focused on 2026. The "good news" is that Gomez is still only 26yo...not a 33yo PLUS...and actually has a pretty solid MILB set of numbers. His MILB numbers indicate too many BB per 9, but good HITS per 9 and good K per 9. When you're scrambling, you look for positives. Over the years, including current leadership, they HAVE found a few arms here and there that either provided quality pen production for a few years, or even a single season. MAYBE the Twins unlock something in the 26yo Gomez, or maybe he's gone in a couple weeks. I think I'd rather take a shot on a 26yo who MIGHT have found the right team, at the right time, and maybe something "clicks" vs another 39yo has been. What really FRUSTRATES me is woulda-coulda-shoulda. The injury to Lopez has actually been mitigated by Bradley. And Abel has shown he's ready to advance. HOPEFULLY he's back relatively soon. Prielipp has looked surprisingly ready, though I expect a few clunkers along the way. SIM is WAY BETTER than what we've seen so far. But there is a "trickle down" affect to injuries that has hurt an already questionable bullpen. Imagine a BP where a healthy, and experienced, Festa is cranking 99mph FB with his other pitches. MAYBE Lewis is shoving 94mph, tossing a few breaking pitches, and then freezing batters with that CRAZY Knuckleball ball for 1-2 innings. How about Morris NOT still being stretched out "just in case" but being allowed to throw MAX for 1 IP? And the same with the newly promoted Klein? I could be wrong, but when I read the MILB reports, look at his numbers, it sure seems like he's good for 1-2 IP before he gives up runs. The K numbers are still good. And while I still have questions about what a healthy Adams might do at the ML level, MAYBE he learned a thing or two in his rookie debut in 2025 where he could MAYBE be a 1-3 middle man who doesn't stink. Lopez's injury didn't destroy the rotation, thankfully. But injuries to Festa, maybe Lewis and Adams, changed the possible complection of the bullpen. I understand not wanting to convert Morris to a high velocity late inning arm right now based on "we might need him" in the rotation. The same might be said in regard to Klein. But at what point do you just realize the Twins would be above .500 and leading the ALC if the pen wasn't the worst in all of MLB? I don't think Morris couldn't be a solid #4 or #5 rotation option. The potential is there. But he and Klein have "Jax" potential. By that I mean they can crank a FB in the high 90's, but also have another 2-3-4 offerings to confuse batters. So what's more important NOW? We hold on to rotational depth for a season that is a work in progress? Or we just say "the hell with it" and stop playing games. I'm ready to let Morris and Klein just cut loose. I'm OK with Gomez as I've stated because he's got a decent arm. Why not? But STOP ignoring the arms on hand! Free them and let them throw the hardest and the best they can!

I see real merit for the 4 IP every 4 days in MILB for several reasons: 1] A drafted pitcher very rarely debuts until the following season, instead they work on the side with instructors in Ft Myers. So there is a natural build up to begin the next season, their 1st professional debuts. 2] It makes sense for a pitcher coming off injury the previous season to again, ramp up. 3] It does allow more arms to get in multiple innings of work to develop their offerings. 4] It's a good way to take those arms that might not seem to project as ML SP, but have some interesting qualities, to work on their "stuff" beyond some immediate shift to the bullpen where they only get, usually, 2 innings to throw. More time to develop their repetoire is a good thing. And you might occasionally get a surprise development where you want to give them a legitimate shot at being a SP. But while I see real merit to the 4 & 4, there's also a major pitfall if this goes beyond the parameters listed above. The most important one being, how does a SP develop the ability to throw 5-6 innings at the ML level if his arm has been trained to throw 4 IP at a time? I recognize that a TOP PROSPECT would probably not be subject to the 4 & 4 beyond their introduction to pro ball, or building up post injury, but let's just say Quick was used in this way this season, and maybe next. (I doubt he would, but I'm using him for reference sake). So now he's ready for a ML debut, fast tracked due to talent and production, to debut late 2027 or early 2028. His arm and experience facing lineups is only geared to 4 IP per turn. And NOW you want 5 or 6 IP from him at the ML level? An exaggeration for sure, but I think the point has been made. It should be adapted ONLY for the reasons I've listed above. At the ML level, it's not uncommon for a rookie arm to be nursed a bit early. The Twins did this sort of thing with Ober and SWR initially. They're kinda-sorta doing it with Prielipp currently. But unless roster sizes change...which I want, but that's a completely different discussion...it ONLY works for a team that just doesn't have a 5th SP, for example. Instead of the "opener"...which has largely died as an experiment...a team might have a 4 IP option and a piggy back that also isn't fully trusted to be a mainstay to follow. That COULD be a way to mitigate that hole in the rotation, leaving 7 pen arms to still take over additional, more regular, innings. But what if that designated SP, or his piggyback, just have a bad day and blow up? Then you're right back to any NORMAL staff that occasionally has a bad performance day. And you've accomplished nothing. It's still an interesting idea to pursue at the ML level if your 1 starter short to try. Maybe it works 75-80 % of the time and you get good results. But I just don't see a ML practically of the idea. But again, it could be a really good way to build up a SP his first couple of seasons. And it's a good way to build up a "questionable" arm that could either surprise, or simply gain more IP to just refine his offerings for a middle inning pen role, or an eventual late innings role. But I see little practically for the majority of quality arms within the system, and VERY limited opportunity to be employed at the ML level.

In a season of disappointment, SIM ranks at the top IMO. I've never thought he would be a top 1-2, but I thought he had a chance to be a #3 based on youth, and the way his splitter worked so well the second half of 2025. I mean, that splitter was WOW. But SUDDENLY that AMAZING splitter is gone. Why? Is it an injury problem we don't know about? Or is it a mechanical or mental issue? The "normal" SWR is a solid back end SP that is FINE. But he found that splitter last season that made him a better than average SP. He really doesn't have enough STUFF to be anything in the BP other than to be an innings eater. But not only is not that his role, but it dismisses his potential as a SP. So where is the guidance? It's mechanical or mental or both. You just can't have improvement and a great pitch and just lose it. It's up to Maki and SIM to figure it out. And they'd better do so soon.