DocBauer

IF the transition works and Jax can become a solid mid rotation starter for a few seasons, good for him, as well as TB. But to even hint it was a mistake for the Twins to not make this move is disingenuous. The younger version of Jax was NOT a ML starter. But he was a hell of a reliever! And while the Twins didn't always have great seasons when he was in the pen, the rotation was largely OK with Lopez, Ryan, Ober, Sim, etc. Removing him from the BP would have depleted the pen depth, and probably lead to more losses with Jax in the rotation. Currently, the Twins are moving a possibly solid, back end rotation arm to a high leverage spot with Morris. It's not a dissimilar situation. But there is both need and opportunity to do so. And Morris gets to be a ML pitcher instead of being #7 or 8 in rotation depth. Rojas is sorta on the Santana, Liriano plan as a multi inning pen arm with rotation upside. Right now, he's making a real difference in the pen. Does he stay there? Maybe. If the control/command becomes good enough, he might end up back in the rotation again. But in the bullpen, we're talking a potential TOP setup man and potential closer. So it's never linear. I keep reading about projections that Bradley isn't SUPPOSED to be this good, and regression is coming. OK, maybe? How do you configure that? Regardless, even regression suggested still has him as a top of the rotation arm. So I will GLADLY accept what Jax meant to the Twins bullpen for a few years, wish him well, and be happy with a younger, even better arm, with more control.

A 5th round pick isn't exactly a low rounder, so I'm really surprised the Giants gave up on McDaniel after only 2 years. Now, he didn't perform all that great, but there's some power and a little speed there it looks like. Why didn't they give him a 3rd season to see if he could break out? He's off to a great start in the Twins organization, but at 23yo, he needs be up at AA around July to actually have a chance. Still, it's a nice story so far. I agree with others that it's just too early to sing the praises of Raya. I'm really happy that he's been throwing much, much better the past couple of weeks. And I still think there's a good arm there with some really good STUFF. Enough to make him a really good 1-2 inning reliever. But I just have to see greater consistency for another month before I can get excited. But it's still May. If we're seeing those kind of performances...as stated in the OP...on a more consistent basis through June, he's got a chance to debut in July or August at some point. He's still young enough to be a "prospect" as a pen arm, even if the prospect shine has been worn off overall. I sometimes wonder if he works too much outside the zone instead of trusting his stuff? Reyes sounds very exciting. He sure hasn't been slowed down with the trip stateside. And, it's fun to see a number of Latin kids at Ft Myers and the FCL Twins having really good seasons. Who do we give credit to if they do well since the Twins have changed over the operations in the International department only recently? I'm just being honest when I say that despite following the Twins MILB system dutifully, from Ft Myers down, it just becomes too difficult to follow so many young players. But Reyes is one of many that I read about in the TD write ups and checking box scores that offer future intrigue.

I can't deny your logic. It's sound and practical. My only argument would be are we sure KAM wasn't fully in charge and maybe didn't listen to his coaches enough? I have ZERO evidence to the contrary, I'm just asking. While I wouldn't have selected this past draft the same way, I can see a logic behind most of the picks. OT Caleb Tiernan in the 3rd round vs an OC is my biggest complaint/question mark. But maybe he was just too good and has too much potential to pass up? IDK. But that was a major head scratcher for me. But I will say this past draft really felt like OKC and Flores were in charge. I love some picks, I'm not sure about a few others, but I'd like to think they are a lot smarter than me, lol. I tend to agree with adding an outside source. It's also why I think Brezinski gets a bump in pay and a promotion. He's just too damn good at his job to not keep him around. But I can see reasons to go a different direction.

Sure seems the offense, or lack of, lost this game. But Matthews with ANOTHER solid start is VERY encouraging. We've been so wrapped up in watching Bradley, Abel, Prielipp, Morris, and Rojas that I think we haven't been paying close enough attention to the corner that Matthews seems to have turned. That's HUGE. Sim with a solid finish to the game is also a positive. I still think his future is in the rotation...he's just NOT the pitcher we've seen this season...whether it's with us or someone else. But today was obviously a good step forward by him. I just ALWAYS hate losing to the Dirty Sox more than almost anyone.

He was really the only logical option for the 3 day fill in. He looked like he belonged in his first and only game appearance. He didn't come up swinging at everything, which is sort of the book on him. Instead, he was surprisingly disciplined and worked the count. I know the Twins are trying to win every game, but I was disappointed he only got in to one game out of three. He needs to keep working on his defense in the OF, but ALSO at 1B. He will be up again, and probably before the season is done. But he certainly didn't look out of place. And even for 1 game in 3 days, he can say he reached MLB.

If there is a silver lining here, it's that he played a healthy couple weeks in Winter Ball, and was OK after finishing 2025 healthy. He was healthy through ST, and the start of this season. THIS injury was simply due to a stupid play by sliding in to 1B. Not a knee, or an oblique, or anything else. Again, IF you want to look for a silver lining. If I'm understanding his recovery time, he should be back sometime in July. So he's still got time to play this season and maybe even make his debut. (Which is wanted and needed). I agree with the OP that sometimes guys just grow out of an early "injury label" and we'll hope that is the case here. Going forward, should he have a different base running glove? Should they immediately tape his thumb when he reaches 1B? Hey, I'm not kidding here! Sizemore keeps a role of athletic tape in his pocket and while batting gloves are coming off, he just wraps tape around Emma's hand to keep the thumb tucked in. Would only take a couple seconds! The talent is undeniable. And he's still very young. So even if it takes a season or two for his full talent to be on display, he can still get OB, provide power, speed, and quality defense. I am FRUSTRATED as hell, but I am NOT in panic mode

First things first: Lewis is WAY too good for AAA. But it's NOT about yanking AAA pitching for HR. He has been guessing on pitches, seemingly deciding to swing no mattwr what before the pitch is even thrown, hardly ever working the count, and he has opened up his hitting zone to be 8-10" outside, and all the way up to eye level. Assuming there isn't a vision issue, he has ZERO plan at the plate, and has lost any conception of a personal hitting zone. When he BB more...and did have one yesterday...and starts to lace some hard hit singles and some doubles, he'll be on the right track. But I think he needs a good 4 weeks at AAA. And I'm sorry, I've been a believer and defender, but he needs to take ownership over his own career. I understand frustration, but NOBODY is out to get him or wants to see him fail. The Twins and the fans WANT him to succeed. The coaches are only trying to HELP him. Shelton has gone out of his way before the season to embrace him and his potential and importance. His mindset is not only about a better approach, it's also an acceptance he owns his own career. On to the rest! AAA: Langenberg has maybe been pushed a little hard this season, possibly Gallagher as well, but I don't mind doing so. They're probably both back end SP with an upside of a #3. But that's a valuable arm if it comes to pass. BOTH are still adjusting to the AAA level. What I care about is how they are throwing in July and August, not now. And for goodness sake, Fedko is obviously behind 5 other OF bats. But that doesn't mean a late blooming season in 2025 and tremendous production since the calender turned to May should be completely ignored. Maybe there's something we don't see or know about that questions his ability to hit ML pitching. But he hits, has power, runs well, and can help at 4 spots. The kid deserves an honest look at some point, with someone, even if is not the Twins. AA: Cory Lewis hasn't had a lot go right for him the past 1 1/3 seasons. But I'm happy to see him healthy and back on the mound. I think his future is in the bullpen for 1-2 IP, throwing as hard as he can, mixing in a couple different pitches here and there, and using that crazy knuckleball to freeze hitters. But right now, it's just about getting his command back. A+: (Note: the box score link is to a different game). So Quick is human huh? Who woulda thunk it? He's going to be fine. It's still his rookie profession season. I still wouldn't be surprised to see him in AA for August. Winokur got off to a bad start, and his numbers reflect that. But he's been really good the last 3 weeks or so. I think we should be watching him more closely. Houston might not be tearing the cover off the ball, but he's been very solid across his entire quad slash line so far in 2026, and is showing POP exists in his bat. And he's also running well. He doesn't have to have an amazing bat to be a really good ML SS. I'd be surprised if he doesn't reach AA come July. Garrett Horn, when acquired, was labeled as an "indirect" replacement for Coulombe. Despite being a starter in 2025...across 3 different levels in what was his professional rookie season...his IP was limited. His BB per were way too high, but the HITS per 9 were good, and he averaged 12 K's per 9. Glad to have him back on the mound again. This might be the rare example of a recently drafted prospect going straight to the pen to be developed. Although, the Rangers did draft him relatively high in the 6th round. A-: Colton Smith didn't have a crazy good career at Georgia, but he did have high K numbers. The Twins saw potential and grabbed him in the 12th round in last year's draft. So far he's off to a great start. Just nice to see Enrique Jimenez back playing again. He was a nice surprise after coming over from Detroit last season at the deadline. Hope he stays healthy for the remainder of the season and finishes strong.

I really have no clue if Adams has a future in the Twins pen or not. But how many times previously have we seen a failed starter, even some who weren't top prospects, change their repertoire and sequencing with a pen transition and look like a completely different arm? Did anyone really see Jax having the kind of success he did? I'm just glad to finally see some young arms get their shot to see if there's something there for now, and the future. Over the next couple of months we will, hopefully, see Klein and a healthy Lewis and Festa get their opportunity. But right now, it's Adams' time.

They have been playing much better ball. And it's no coincidence, IMO, that it's followed changes/shuffles in the roster/lineup. But quality pitching has also been a major reason. With Lopez out and Ober never regaining his velocity, I was getting worried even before the season began. Tell me honestly if you saw Bradley, and Abel being this good, Matthews settling in, and Prielipp and Rojas coming up this early and being this good? (Or Ober adapting to amazingly)? Is the pen improvement an illusion? Perhaps. But it wouldn't take much to improve what was probably the worst bullpen in MLB in April. Morris, Gomez, and Rojas might have something to do with that. Love giving the younger arms a real opportunity. Also, Orze hasn't been bad, and Banda has really turned things around after looking like a potential DFA candidate. I like the move of Lee to 3B. It makes sense for now, and the future. If and when Lewis gets his game together, you can worry later how all the pieces fit together. Really appreciating the way Kreidler plays the game. There's just no way his bat is suddenly even close to being this good. But if he could consistently hit around the .200 mark he's a viable, useful role player. Kreidler and Arcian up were the right moves at this time. But it's also disappointing that while the young arms have been getting their opportunities, the same isn't true on the position player side. Mostly due to injuries of course. I hope the team can keep things rolling the way they have the last couple of weeks. But losing Jeffers is a really, really big blow.

I struggle every time one of these posts are made. Polanco was terrible for Seattle, then good for a season, and has been a terrible signing so far for the Mets so far. So to me, Gonzalez is a "yet to be determined". And all I care about is what he does with the Twins. Despite a tremendous 2025 season that had him reach AAA with success, he's had a slow start to 2026, despite an impressive ST. But he's been getting hotter lately after a slow start. And he's earned a 3 day callup based on potential. He looked competent in his 1st game. I'm really hoping he gets a chance in game 3. Why not? I am ABSOLUTELY STUNNED by how tremendous all the young and rookie pitchers have done. Imagine the same a month or two from now when Gonzalez isn't the only position player, healthy, ready to debut. Despite injuries that have delayed debuts, I remain EXCITED for the 2nd half of the season with Rosario and Rodriguez and Jenkins in the OF. Gonzalez is just starting to heat up. Mendez seems to be a LF Gonzalez, great BAT, just waiting for more power to come through. The Twins offense doesn't suck, but it's inconsistent. It's just WRONG to say the offense is better without Lewis and Wallner. But that is reality. And Gonzalez has a chance to make a difference down the road, but in 3 games. But he shouldn't be dismissed. He EARNED his 3 day ML debut not just BECAUSE of being on the 40 man, but because he's worthy and been on a hot streak recently. We'll see him again, and Mendez, who looks like a pure hitter similar to Arraez, but with more power. In fact, BOTH of Gonzalez and Mendez are similar contact and good AVG hitters with budding power potential. Whether or not either is a STARTER or a solid bench player and 1B/DH is TBD. but the BAT potential might lag behind Rodriguez and Jenkins, and even Roden, but the potential to be a quality ML player is there. My point is there is ENOUGH talent for the Twins to be really good even with washouts. But DAMN I want to see what a healthy Twins could be the next few years!

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.