DocBauer

Man, if Cholowsky's "down" season is enough to pass on, SIGN ME UP. The Dirty Sox might have a nice looking INF with other good looking INF prospects in their system, but it's kinda like looking at recent Twins articles where Lee is fitting in well at 3B and showing improvement with his bat, Keaschall's bat is really looking good, K-Pepper is ready to take over SS, but Houston might be ready to take over SS late 2027 or early 2028! How do we fit everyone in? Where does everyone play? SURELY the Twins don't need Cholowsky to add to the mix?! Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? The Sox have to do what they think is right. And if they think a dual threat catcher in Lackey is the way to go, so be it. If they think an arm like Flora can quickly front their rotation as a #2, then go for it. I just don't see it. But even IF that happens, why do I have a hard time seeing the Rays taking him? Is it their semi normal stance for younger talent to develop like an Emerson? Or someone like Bell who they're already in love with and can maybe save $ for someone else later? IMO it's at LEAST 75/25 the Dirty Sox go with Cholowsky. And that's being conservative. Now the Rays ALWAYS do their own thing, so it's 50/50, or 60/40 they would take Cholowsky instead of Emerson or Bell. So I guess there's a CHANCE Cholowsky ACTUALLY slips to #3. I just don't see it. The Sox have surprised us before, but I don't think they do this time. They draft Cholowsky. You ACTUALLY have too much INF talent? You move guys to the OF or you trade for what you need. I think the biggest question is WHAT IF the Rays ACTUALLY draft Bell and pass on Emerson? NOW there's a quandary! Do you take the best overall HS player in Emerson who has a tremendous HIT tool along with defense and solid speed and power potential, OR, do you take maybe the 2nd best BAT from college who can be a 2-way Catcher for your club in a couple of years? Isn't that an interesting choice? I don't know that isn't going to be the choice the Twins have to make. Rewind for a moment, I just don't think it's going to he a hard choice. The Sox WON'T be stupid, and they will grab Cholowsky. The Rays will recognize Emerson is as good, if not better, of a prospect as Bell. And the Twins will pause for about 5 seconds to regard Flora as a REALLY good pitching prospect, and then gather their senses, and remember that Lackey is not ONLY the next best BAT, but also a premium position player at catcher and they will race to the podium for their selection. BPA also meets team need at the same time. What more could the Twins wish for in this draft?

A lot to unpack here, so I'm going to TRY and be brief as is possible for ME in bullet points. 1] IF the Twins reach the playoffs, however it happens, that's more fun than not reaching the playoffs, regardless of the final record. But what I care about is establishing a CORE for 2027, and that's always been my #1 priority. I've always said this season was in 2 parts: A] Trying to be relevant and sit around .500 B] Letting the young arms and bats get established come the 2nd half. 1A] The news about Abel is frustrating and scary. Hoping and praying it's just a minor irritation that happens when cranking back up again and nothing worse. The proverbial "silver lining" to injuries is watching Bradley develop, Abel develop, Matthews develop, Prielipp develop, Morris make a nice initial transition to the BP, Rojas flashing as he kinda/sorta transitions to the BP and the surprise of Gomez. There may be others. 1B] It's not yet TOO LATE on June 22nd for the position players to debut and make a difference, or even get their feet wet. Rojas is ready, Jenkins is back at AAA, and Gonzalez is heating up. K-Pepper should have been brought up a week ago. He'll be up soon. There's still time for Rodriguez and Mendez to finish the season strong. I don't want NON 2027 and beyond position players to block the prospects. But injuries happen, the trade deadline approaches, and we have half a season to still make decisions and see debuts. 2] The LINEUP is producing relatively well, with some surprise offerings. But the defense has slowly improved as well. Kreidler is NOW starting to become the daily SS. And he should be. His bat is NOT THIS GOOD, but it might not be as bad as expected. His St Paul numbers were FAR better than his career MILB numbers. At 28yo, has he learned to not just STINK as a hitter? If he only hits .200 with some power and a little speed, with his defense and versatility, he's a ML player. If he can hit .230, he becomes even more valuable. My apologies to Gray, who's done OK and lived his dream, but he's probably down when K-Pepper is up. Is it my imagination, or have there been no video replays of "good plays" Keaschall has made lately in various blogs? My apologies if I've missed them. 3] Lewis has REALLY taken to 1B. I've been impressed. It's difficult to balance his first few really good games vs a couple poor recent games. SSSS is in play. But the past couple of games that we want to call "bad", the previous to demotion Royce would have swung at some very bad pitches, even flailed at them in embarrassing fashion. He didn't do that. So for NOW, I'm betting on an improved version who just had a couple bad games. 4] The CURRENT version of the bullpen, especially now that the Lawrence experiment is done, is not great. But it's a hell of a lot better than the pen we started with. Banda has really turned it around. Rogers is still OK sorta filling the Coulombe role last season. Orze isn't great by any means, but he's OK most days and might get better. But Morris continues to make a nice transition to the pen. While it's hard to fully trust Gomez at this point, even with some regression, he looks like a late inning keeper. They still need more, of course. One of the summers about Abel being out...again, hopefully it's just a small, normal issue like inflammation from ramping back up...as it puts Rojas back to a mid pen role again. How good might he be, even as a rookie pushed early, if he could just cut loose for 1 IP, 2 IP at the most? But right now, he's probably "stuck" in a long role to follow Paredes. That limits the pen in 2 ways. It limits Rojas, but might also keep Paredes as the best #8 man in the pen who might be that 2-3 IP every 2-3 days guy the pen needs without having to have different arms ride the rails every few days. I never saw that coming, but it might be a viable option. 5] Don't lose momentum on the homestand. You lost 2-1 in game one. Don't get blown out in games 2 and 3. Win ONE, PLEASE and let Colorado feel your wrath and take care of them. 6] We still have half a season left to see MORE of our young pitchers and maybe see MORE of them debut in different roles. We STILL have time to see a lot of the young bats, just PLEASE don't hold them back.

I haven't totally given up on Cossetti as a backup catcher who can also play some 1B and bring some power. But his initial production at AA hit a wall. It was better in 2025. Recently his bat has taken off. At his age, I don't have a problem with him going to AAA. After all, Cardenas has been a bit bummer with his bat this season. But I'd wait 2-3 more weeks to make sure this isn't just a hit streak and he can maintain his production. But I'd really like to know how his game calling and defense are doing. Tait will be 20yo in a matter.of days. Still very, very young. But there's more to being a catcher than his bat. He still needs to refine his defense. And similar to Cossetti, is he just on a hit streak? Or can he maintain his offense another 2-3 weeks? I'd like to see a few more BB, while maintaining what his bat has been doing. If that happens, I have no problem with a mid July promotion. That would allow even more time behind the plate for Jiminez. But if his OVERALL game at ONLY 20yo means he needs more time at A+, I'm OK with that too. CJ Culpepper reminds me a bit of Jax in that I believe he's still using the majority of his 6 offerings, mixing them between LH and RH batters. Can anyone clarify that? He's got good velocity and seems to maintain it better in a couple of IP vs 5 IP. Now, Jax continued to hone and add pitches as he went along. CJ seems to be throwing harder and still mixing in his repertoire. I have no problem with that as long as those other offerings are WORKING and 1 or 2 aren't needing to be eliminated or tweaked to something else. I think CJ will get a shot some time in the 2nd half. While not finished products to BANK on for 2027 and beyond, I think he and Morris and could provide some solid 7th-9th inning power and good K results. Mix them in with Banda and Rojas, the BASE for a solid bullpen is starting to take shape. (MAN would I like a healthy Festa before the season is done getting some pen time)! Don't look now, but we might see Raya sometime in the 2nd half as well. I've still got some doubts, but since the end of May/first of June he's been really, really good. Is the light starting to turn on? I also think Winokur is ready, or just about ready for a promotion as well. He's really responded since a really poor start. I think Houston was ready for his promotion. I still wonder if Rosario begining the year at AA due to the initial AAA logjam didn't do a number on his head? Regardless, he's fully reestablished himself again and is ready for his promotion as well. Awesome to see Jenkins back at St Paul. Now the question is much time is enough time to get back in a good groove? He was really heating up before his injury. HOWEVER, I believe Roden is next in line for the Twins. And he should be. He should have broken camp with the Twins over Outman, and I think everyone OTHER than the Twins recognized this. I'm sure he will need a couple weeks to get in a good flow, but his first couple games back have been excellent. The problem is, currently, the position portion of the Twins roster FINALLY has some good balance to it. It's even better if Fedko gets a legitimate shot to play...not exclusively against LHP...and shows he has a CHANCE to be a solid RH 4th/5th OF. But you aren't going to just replace Larnach, Clemens, or Bell right now. I don't want non 2027 and beyond players to block anyone. And the deadline may change some things. Injuries also provide opportunities. But for the next few weeks, it looks like Roden and Jenkins just need to keep hitting and waiting.

If anyone had Paredes on their Twins bingo card for the season, you should go out and buy a lottery ticket immediately. It's not that he's throwing great, but he's been surprisingly solid so far. I'll take 5 IP, 6H, and only 2 runs all day long from a guy who wasn't arguably ever supposed to pitch for the Twins at any point in 2026. Part of me wonders if he isn't securing a position in the bullpen as an 8th man who can give you 2-3 innings every 2 to 3 days in the future? Tremendous road trip. I hope we can surprise the Rodgers with some home cooking to keep the team on a roll.

I didn't want Kreidler on this team because he simply projected as literally one of the worst hitters in all of MLB. I was fine keeping him as depth, but I was also fine simply cutting him to add someone else. There's just no way he's as good of a hitter as he's been in his short time with the Twins. But while also a relatively SSS, what I noticed...before he was brought up...was that he was having a season in AAA far superior to his career MILB numbers. That gave me some hope that maybe something had changed in his approach or swing that might indicate actual improvement. Has he? IDK. But so far it sure looks like he has potentially raised his floor as a hitter. The glove is clearly superior to any other SS they've played this season. So he clearly should be the primary SS for the time being. I agree that Gray might be a nice LH hitting utility option off the bench. And nothing says he can't play SS a a day or two a week, but that should be about it in regard to SS. Unfortunately for him, K-Pepper will be up soon...should have been already...and someone else will be going down. And that's probably Gray.

There are 5 players that I'm fully intrigued by and OK if the Twins draft any of. The obvious 3 of Cholowsky, Emerson, and Vahn Lackey. But I also really like Flora and prep SS Lombard. Lombard comes from a baseball family. His father is a very well respected coach with the Tigers, and his older brother is a top prospect with the Yankees. By all reports he's a LEGIT SS with hands, range, and a big arm. He's also got BIG power potential. I believe he runs fairly well, but I'm not sure about top speed. There are some questions about his contact/hit tool, but if he answers that, he could make teams who pass on him look silly. He's AT LEAST a top 10 pick. Flora is a very, very good looking pitcher. #1 in this draft. But he's not Skenes. But he seems to have a solid floor, and a really good ceiling. Could the Sox or Rays make a move in one of the first 2 spots? I wouldn't be disappointed if the Twins grabbed him at all! But I think he's #4 for a reason. And that reason is the talent of the top 3 is just so damn good. It starts with the Dirty Sox doesn't it? They've pulled surprises before. I can see a scenario where they really believe in Flora as a front line pitcher that could ready in 2 years. I can also see them falling in love with Vahn Lackey as their catcher of the future that might also be ready within 2 years. But I just don't see how they could pass on Cholowsky. Other than average speed, he's the complete package of defense and offense. He probably debuts in 2028. Some say he could ready late in 2027. His production slipped a little this season compared to 2025, but COME ON! The guy absolutely RAKED. I just don't understand how they could pass, but again, they're known for draft day surprises. Emerson just FITS with the Rays MO of young LH bats with talent. And this kid screams a junior version of Bobby Witt Jr. A junior junior, lol. The fit seems almost too perfect for them. BUT, they DID draft a similar player in Bell previously. And Bell is still considered a top 10 talent. The Rays are known to have a great scouting department. Are they still in love with Bell? Or do they see Emerson as perhaps a better version? Unless the Twins surprise us with Flora or Lombard, both great potential selections, this SHOULD be easy. They pick whoever is "left" between the top 3. "Left" is very much tongue in cheek. In a world of baseball gods that tend to smile and laugh when Twins top prospects ALWAYS seem to have to endure at least one season of bad injury...why did they ever pick the Twins to be the brunt of their joke anyway...the Dirty Sox would pull out ANOTHER surprise and grab Flora or Vahn Lacky at #1. The Rays would then snag Emerson or Bell because the FIT their profile. The reason I say this is not because there's a SMALL chance this happens, but because a kid with a name like Cholowsky should be a Twin. LOL. But seriously, the Twins simply can't lose here. ANY of the top 3 probably gives them an immediate top 100 prospect. While it's 3 and not 5, this is similar to 2023 where we got Jenkins. I'm still assuming the first 2 picks go chalk. It just makes sense. So I'm still betting on Vahn Lackey as the Twins selection. But I'm fine with ANY of the top 3. Considering I can't believe the Sox would pass on Cholowsky, my hunch is Emerson or the rumored Bell is #2. I'd really like Vahn Lackey because I think he offers fulfillment on 2 levels. 1] He's the second best college bat available behind Cholowsky 2] He plays an important defensive position that the Twins are currently short on. (Our catching prospects are recently promoted to AA, or sitting at A+) If the Sox and Rays want to give Cholowsky to us gift wrapped, I won't complain a bit. The ONLY SILLY complaint I could POSSIBLY have with Emerson is he'd be a good 3yrs away from his debut. And I'm subject to instant gratification like most of us. But with K-Pepper ready, and Houston looking so very good, should any of us care if Wit Jr junior is our pick and takes 3yrs or so to reach MLB? We just shouldn't.

Without repeating my rant from another post concerning players that might be traded, I'm sick of all the discussion of "having" to move good players that we've developed. (I understand that goes back to ownership). And the whole playoff idea is fun. Regardless of final record, who would be upset to see the Twins play a few more games in the post season? Do I think this is an actual contending team? Not at all. But IF they were in the playoffs and not sitting at home, I'd watch, cross my fingers, and see if they could sneak in a couple of wins. What I care about is finishing the season better than it began. (Excluding the first couple of weeks which were also fun BTW). IMO, the Twins have a fairly short list of what they SHOULD do. 1] Tom and the FO need to step up to the plate and reach to Jeffers and Ryan about extensions. So close to FA, I doubt Jeffers would sign up, and no question Boras will advise him not to. But what if Jeffers would actually LIKE to stay a Twin? IDK, maybe 4yrs and $60M? Maybe front load the first couple of years a bit considering how low the payroll sits currently? Ryan, OTOH, is still 1 1/2 seasons away from FA status. While he's been a great performer and great teammate, maybe he's not interested. But again, what if he LIKES being a Twin and would like to stay one? And financial security is a good thing. Again, IDK what it would take. Does 4yrs and $100M at least get the conversion started? Maybe 4 and $115? And once again, with such a low current payroll, maybe you front load the deal? Remember, Lopez only has one more year on his deal. That may or may not affect the final number the Twins would be comfortable with. I'm just saying, you are REALLY running the organization poorly if you don't make an honest attempt to reach out and test the waters. Time for TP to put his $ where his mouth is. If the answers are no, despite an honest effort, then you might have to consider moving BOTH. 2] Cross your fingers and hope all of Rodriguez...still out for a while I know...Jenkins, Roden, Rojas, Sands, and Festa can get/remain healthy and get them ALL involved ASAP and begin the roster turn over for the future. Additionally, K-Pepper has only a mild injury and should be full go again very soon. Mendez is a scary good looking hitter, and Rodriguez has been getting really hot after a bitterly cold start. I think CJ Culpepper has a shot to be really good in the pen. And is Raya FINALLY starting to put it together? His last few weeks have looked pretty impressive. 3] Even IF SOMEHOW Jeffers and Ryan DID accept extensions, there are players that are just not part of the future. Does Larnach really have a future beyond this season with the Twins? I seriously doubt it. Bell is following his career MO and heating up. There's probably a market for both for a playoff bound team that could use another bat. Would the return be of any great value? Probably not. But could either maybe bring back a AA or recent AAA promoted live arm destined for a pen? Possibly. Rogers probably wants to go out as a Twin. But it would be a nice reward if he could finish his career...just speculating he's about ready to retire...in the playoffs and have a shot at a ring. He probably only brings back an A flyer, but that's OK. Banda maybe, even though he's still under control. That makes him a nice "keeper" but might also increase his trade value. I rambled, but I think the point is made. You need to make room for the young talent, and you might get a surprise or two in any return. 4] I don't believe the Twins should be buyers in the classic sense. They're just not going to bring in a big name that could somehow push them over the top. This really IS a transition season, and it was always going to be one. (Unfortunately, some injuries have slowed that transition). But is there a live arm or two in another organization that sits at AA or AAA or even on the 26 man of another organization that is blocked, or struggling somewhat, or is just begining a bullpen transition? Think Varland just before he broke out in the Twins bullpen. THAT could be an example of being a "buyer" at the deadline, in addition to whatever the likes of Bell, Larnach, etc might bring back. THAT should be the checklist. In a baseball fantasy world, ownership would STEP UP as promised and make solid offers to Jeffers and Ryan and we can STOP with all this "Twins are sellers" nonsense and get back to our regularly scheduled program. But they can still move some small pieces, and maybe make a small move or two for a couple young arms. Unfortunately, step #1 probably doesn't happen. Or if they attempt it, they probably end up low balling and the result is the same. But one more time, you don't KNOW unless you make an HONEST effort. So while I don't believe the Twins are "buyers" other than some potential, smaller deals, they might end up as both sellers AND buyers based on moving the BIG TWO, and some additional smaller deals. We can only hope the return is really, really good. But one last time, I'm sick and disheartend that we're even talking about 2 very good and very important players that we have developed simply due to financial restraints that just seem bizarre to me.

Just want to ad that CJ Culpepper has been looking pretty good at AAA with his conversation to the pen so far. And while Rojas might still end up in the rotation at some point, he's looking more and more like an amazing BP arm. And I still believe if the Twins would just make Klein a 1-2 IP option, he might surprise.

My answer is YES. IMO, his ERA is a bit misleading. Not only is he a rookie, but he's been bounced about as a middle guy and a late guy and a situation guy. A couple of his early appearances, he looked really good for a couple of innings, and then gaved up runs in his 3rd inning. I really didn't understand him being the "starter" in a BP game a week ago. He didn't do well. (I forget which game it was, sorry). But it robbed the Twins of having him available in that game, and the next. Couldn't SOMEONE else have been that designated starter? ERA is often a misnomer in regard to actual production. Some of his runs allowed are due to those early appearances where he was stretched. Moriss is NOT a finished product as a rookie. Do we actually expect him to be so? Sorry for a bad memory, but he was brought in earlier than I expected for the last Cardinals game, or was it against the Rangers? And then I realized he was brought in to face the heart of the lineup. So Shelton has decided he's the FIREMAN in the bullpen currently. He reminds me a lot of Jax. He still has a repertoire of a SP. And that's not a bad thing. We often talk about a RP honing their repertoire down to only 2 pitches, 3 max. But Jax was so good not only due to velocity increases, but he kept playing with other offerings. If you recall, even Duran played around and developed different offerings. I think we need to dismess Morris's ERA, and concentrate on his development this season. There will be speed bumps here and there, but he's starting to develop in to a legitimate back end of the pen arm. It takes time. But he's looking more and more like an arm we can trust.

A great SWEEP. The defense was solid, the offense produced, and for the most part, the pitching was excellent overall. But I'm on board with everyone else in regard to Lawrence. I GET he throws hard and has an odd delivery that is interesting. But he's been an implosion every time he's appeard so far. MAYBE they see a "fix" that they are working on to develop under developed potential. But so far, the experiment looks AWFUL. I really want a healthy Sands back to see if he can recover anything close to his 2024 production, though he wasn't exactly a disaster in 2025. And I can't wait to see Rojas back. While it's super intriguing to think of him as a SP with more development time, he reminds me a lot of Santana and Liriano as a POWERFUL arm who MIGHT transition back to the rotation at some point. Or he might just be the next Perkins. But this experiment with Lawrence should be brief. IDK if most of this season is about kids getting their opportunities and experiments in the bullpen. You WON with Gomez. Please don't play too long with an arm this crazy. Either fix it, or let it go. 4 wins in a row is awesome. DON'T stop putting the pedal to the floor. Make this a solid road trip PLEASE! A 5-4 road trip would be very good. Could we steal a game in Arizona and go 2-1 and then 1-2 against the Dodgers? That would be a hell of a nice road trip.

Before I go any further, I just need to first say that I really don't like having really good players that we've developed, or had a hand in raising their bar, and then not keeping them. Guys get hurt, some don't turn out, and not everyone will necessarily succeed on the same time line. But I just LOVE a 2027 rotation that includes the following: Ryan, Lopez, Bradley, Abel, Prielipp and Matthews. And while he's no longer a #3, Ober might just continue to pitch "old school" and be relatively successful as a #4 or #5. I really like a potential INF in 2027 of Lee, K-Pepper, Keaschall, and Lewis. Clemens figures in to the INF AND the OF. Just need to figure out the best UTILITY option between Kreidler...who has looked SO improved as a hitter...Gray, and maybe Ben Ross in St Paul at some point. The 2027 OF is a bit of a projectable mess right now due to injuries, BUT, Buxton is a constant. Martin seems to have proven he should face LHP and only occasionally RHP. But he has value. (There's a SLIGHT chance Fedko gets a real opportunity to show what he can do and supplants Martin, or joins him as a RH option). But here we go: Roden, Rodriguez...out of options...Jenkins, Mendez, and Gonzalez. 2 of those guys are TOP 100 players, 2 are probably TOP 150 players...or Gonzalez was after his 2025 season...and the 5th SHOULD have broken camp with the Twins instead of Outman after a great ST, and continued to prove that mistake after a great start to the season in St Paul. The bullpen still needs some work, but it's STARTING to round in to at least a better unit. A couple more internal transitions, maybe a couple adds through FA or trades, we might have a pretty solid unit. While a WC chance and a hopeful season of .500 or slightly better is fun, I'm more concerned about 2027. And I see all the names I've listed, and I keep wondering, why are we so focused on trading away vs keeping good ballplayers rather than keeping them? I really like the potential I see for 2027, even if everything doesn't "click" all at once. My apologies for a bit of a rant, but it's a rant that comes from my heart AND my head. As to the trade options.... JEFFERS: The time to resign him is probably come and gone. As a rule, Boras simply won't allow a player to NOT test the FA market. BUT, his recent track record has slipped some in recent seasons. And Jeffers is a highly intelligent GROWN MAN who has the right to make his own decisions. He's only recently turned 29yo. Considering how big and strong he is, I'd bet he's got a solid 3-4yrs still left in him as a solid catcher. The Twins absolutely should make him a decent offer to see if he's interested in remaining a Twin. Possibly front loaded a bit to allow for ageing purposes. Maybe he really wants that? But if not, a trade to the Yankees, as rumored, does make sense. He's NOT a rental for them. They can EASILY offer him a nice deal to stay with the team. RYAN: He never stated he wanted to be traded last deadline. He only said it was interesting and kind of exciting to hear about the rumors. That's it! He's been just as good of a pitcher and teammate as he's always been. Like Jeffers, the Twins should ABSOLUTELY talk to him about an extension. Considering the current low payroll, maybe he also can be front loaded a bit on a 4yr deal of, IDK, maybe $125M? Just spitballing a bit here. If we are anywhere close, keep negotiating. If we're way out of the ballpark...no pun intended...then YES...you probably need to move him for what should be a really good haul, provided Zole can make a really good deal. After that, it's a mixed bag. BELL: Teams are always looking for a big BAT to help down the stretch and in the playoffs. If Bell keeps up his career MO and continues to rake in June and July, I can easily see a team moving an interesting AA arm with potential for him. LARNACH: He's actually really improved his defense this year. And he's got a good enough arm for RF as well. So he's not exclusively a DH. And a lot of playoff bound teams are looking for a solid LH BAT to add to their roster. I don't think he brings a lot back though considering his power decline. But he's shown better contact and OB skills this season. And he isn't expensive. Moving him opens up a spot for Roden, Jenkins, Rodriguez, etc. So while the return might be an A level prospect with some upside, moving him might be addition via subtraction to simply make room for Roden first, Jenkins second, Rodriguez third, all based on injury recovery timeliness. ROGERS: He came to the Twins pretty cheap because he wanted to come "home" for what MIGHT be his final season. He's actually been pretty solid in the "Coulombe" role this year. I think he only brings back an A player with some potential. Is that enough to move him? Maybe. He can always be resigned for 2027 on a cheap deal. And maybe moving him to a playoff team is a reward for his Twins career. But he's just not going to bring much back. BANDA: He's still under control. But the Twins might be too cheap to keep him through arbitration. He started OK, really stunk, and has since has rebounded strong. I'm interested in keeping him for 2027 as a replacement for the Rogers/Coulombe role in middle innings. My gut tells me Rojas is about ready to be a dominate late inning LH option. But like Rogers, there might be a market, but is the return worth moving him? CLEMENS and GOMEZ: So Gomez has bounced around like a pinball in his career. But the Twins have unlocked something in him to FINALLY unlock some potential. He's only 26yo, cheap, and controlled for the next few seasons. Isn't that they've been looking for? He's PROBABLY best as a number 2-3-4 in a REALLY GOOD bullpen. And his future is in doubt. It's always the same for an arm that SUDDENLY figured it out. Questions remain. But it would be RIDICULOUS for the Twins to unlock the potential of a 26yo BP arm and move him. He STAYS IMO. Regarding Clemens, I will state what I've said before, Isn't it interesting that his best ML seasons have been with the Twins the best 1 1/3 seasons? Personal development and right time, right place, right opportunity? We've seen it before across MLB over the years. Is this just a career year for him that will never be repeated again? Or, again, right time and place and opportunity? Even with a dip in production going forward, and even with the multiple young LH bats ready or near ready, I believe Clemens brings more value keeping him than trying to move him for an A level prospect. His glove is solid wherever he plays, and he's got power. IDK how long his roster spot is secure with the young talent coming up, but right now, he's a pretty nice player to have on your bench. So I see ZERO reason to move him unless someone offers a crazy deal. Our ownership and FO is a mess right now, unless they prove otherwise. I'd much rather they target Jeffers and Ryan for extensions vs making trades of them. TP talks about going BIG or going home. But does TP ACTUALLY LOOK at what's on hand, and what's sitting at AAA and give a damn? I have my doubts. If he was SERIOUS, he'd understand what the Twins HAVE, and he'd be looking to keep as much as is possible.

In full confession, I haven't seen his last few starts. But I paid attention in his early starts to that curve, even if he didn't throw it a ton. The command was inconsistent, but the pitch looked really nice otherwise. I guess you'd say I could recognize the shape of the pitch. It looked like it could be a real weapon with a little more command. It appears he's found that command.

Glad to hear it. St Paul could use some bodies and it never hurts to have extra depth.

Kreidler is the current Castro-ish option simply because he's got a good glove and so far, has produced better offensive numbers at AAA and at the ML level that he's never done previously. But if we're really looking at the next Castro, it's Ben Ross. He's almost a clone of a prospect that took time to figure out how to HIT later in his career, and has POP in his bat, good speed on the base paths, and probably has an even better glove than Castro had.

Is it OK to first state that I appreciate the OP even if I don't 100% agree? And is it also OK that I believe the next month, and the months beyond that, might change the perception of what the OP states? Let's just deal with the Elephant first which is Ryan. There are legitimate reasons to trade Ryan for what should be a NICE haul. BUT, it's also a catch 22 dilemma. We've seen some wonderful debuts of arms earlier than expected, and they've done well. We've even got a few surprises. UNFORTUNATELY, we haven't seen a number of TOP prospects ready to debut yet. And that throws off the player profile projection to help set up 2027. So is it better to keep Ryan and form a great rotation betting on those top prospects ready to debut that could change the future? Maybe let him go with a QO with a future pick and enjoy another season? Or, as I've seen mentioned, maybe the Twins should reach out to his "people" and see if he's interested in an extension. Remember TP has talked about adding to the payroll. Ryan would be a great place to start. But for argument sake, let's say Ryan is moved. If I had to bet on a SP working hard on a recovery from TJ, I'd rather have Lopez than about anyone else. Bradley looked so good before his injury. He's been OK since, but not the same. But he's STILL only 25yo. There's a lot of room still for experience and STUFF to be what we saw early this season. Abel has all the talent in the world. And DAMN didn't he look ready after 1 bad game. He's going to have to build back up, but the arm talent is wonderful, and easy to dream on. Let's be honest, none of us expected Prielipp to be up so soon. And I understand he needs to have his IP monitored and controlled. But he's also flashed his potential. We should be so encouraged. Everyone wants to pick on Matthews because he wasn't a stud from day one. And some of his command is not as advertised. And questions about him are legit. He's not THERE yet. But he's showing improvement. I really like the way he threw Tuesday. He was almost always ahead of the hitters. And I saw breaking pitches that looked really nice. I'd love to that curve ball being used more. Do we trust the new version of Ober? Even with lost velocity, he's so smart, and has such great command he was still pitching great until his injury. But he's got to be the #5 starter currently doesn't he? Rojas resembles a new version of Santana and Liriano. Maybe he sticks eventually as a SP, but for NOW, he's been an amazing 2-4 option. Honestly, considering his MILB career, we might not want to dismiss Parades as an 8th man in the pen. FESTA, just getting real, is an 8th or 9th arm waiting IF he can get healthy. I think his arm and potential is real. So I'd be patient with him. The dividends could be excellent. The rotation, IMO, looks solid if Ryan is moved. But it's a hell of a lot better if the Twins offer him an extension that makes sense. If not, I guess you get the most you can for him. The 2027 rotation STILL has a lot of potential. But depth might be an issue. But I'm starting to believe the team might be SLOWLY building a better BP.

This! I think it's a mistake to say Keaschall has had enough time for his arm to heal from TJ. Maybe, maybe not. He also had a broken arm in 2025 after about 20 games. Has he had enough time to recover arm strength from BOTH injuries? Again, maybe, and maybe not. I've seen him.make some bad plays. But I've also seen some really good plays from him as well. No video clips of those available? And I tend to agree with @jmlease1that at times it looks like he's thinking more than reacting at times. You know can fix that? Repetition and experience. You know what can also help compensate for an average or even poor arm? Just being more fluid in every thing you do, improve the glove to hand transition...something Lee does very well for example...and get rid of the ball quicker. I don't want to open up a can of worms, but in 2024 Julien actually improved his defense from poor to solid/average simply through experience and hard work. Now, his bat AND his defense later went in to the tank, but he DID show real improvement. Keaschall is a better athlete. Lineup wise, he's just a better "fit" at 2B. Plus, currently, while not everyone will work out as hoped for or dreamed on, the OF/DH is looking like Buxton, Jenkins, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Mendez, and Roden plus an eventual winner between Martin and Fedko. (That's not a shot at Martin, but he doesn't appear to be a daily player. Fedko MIGHT end up being the better player in the same role). So is there really room for Keaschall in the OF? Could he be a similar player to Marwin Gonzalez as a Twin, more or less, where he plays daily at 2B/1B/LF/DH? Maybe. That wouldn't stink. He could be an offense first player who can play almost daily but move around. Sort of a "6th man" in baseball terms. FWIW, I've ALWAYS viewed 2026 as a transition season where the team could be anywhere from a 75-85 win team depending on injuries, and if a few things went right. But at SOME POINT, we were going to see K-Pepper in the INF, and a combination of ALL of the OF candidates I mentioned. Well, the pitchers have debuted early than expected, and 3 of the OF got hurt, one struggled early but is starting to heat up, and one began the season at AA. And now there MIGHT be a potential battle between Martin and Fedko as to who is the best 4th-5th RH OF who can do a little bit of everything, and at least be a solid RH bat against LHP. Don't kid yourself here. No insult given to Martin, but Fedko is slightly younger, has more power, and Martin seems to have proved he's a 4th or 5th OF, not a full time starter. It's possible, given half a chance, that the slightly younger and more powerful Fedko might be the better option. I digress only to point out that the OF might be too crowded for Keaschall to be a full time OF. So again, MAYBE he's a "decent" glove at 3 spots...could he MAYBE be a CF option as well?...who can still play daily if his offense continues to improve. I think he's a consimate #1 hitter who's just settling in to his potential. Or have we forgotten that he was brought up early in 2025 simply because injuries decimated the INF and not because he was tearing up AAA? Do we all remember that? Do we also remember he wasn't allowed to play 2B in ST as he was still recovering from his TJ surgery? He ONLY started playing 2B when he joined the St Paul ST. Do we remember that? Again, his debut with the Twins was AWESOME and offered real hope and potential for the future before his arm was broken and he missed multiple months. Let's rewind just a little further. Drafted in 2023, he actually played around the field at multiple positions for 31 games. That's somewhat unusual, but he performed very well. Come 2024, the Twins knew he was going to need TJ surgery. But they calculated he couldn't hurt his arm more by being allowed to play and HIT, so he was allowed to play 1B/LF/DH, and then shut down so he could have surgery. That brings us back, full circle, to being nursed back in to playing 2B for the first time in well over a year to begin 2025, before an early promotion, and THEN a broken arm. So with respect, I have to ask again, has he REALLY had time to build his arm back again? Are his 2B really supposed to be so honed at this point that we shouldn't expect some growing pains? Look, I WANT better defense throught the lineup. But like it or not, hopeful for a 85 win team vs a 75 win team, this was always going to be a transition season. I've seen too many young players being labeled as poor defensively before they turned out to be solid, if not better. It's a long list, and I'm not going to go there. Keaschall "fits" at 2B. He's got the talent to be OK there at least. He needs to play there daily, not be messed with, and let the instincts start to take hold. When he reacts more than thinking, there will be improvement. When he's not thinking too much, experience and hard work should make the glove to hand execution to throwing should also improve. And MAYBE, his arm gets even a tiny bit stronger the further removed he is from TJ and a broken arm. For HIS future, and the Twins future, he needs to play 2B ALL SEASON to gain experience and confidence to improve. What else are we REALLY playing for in 2026 but trying to improve and get ready for 2027 and beyond? For NOW, I think any idea of AAA or moving Keaschall anywhere is just a fools exercise. His DEVELOPMENT is what's most important. So let's just drop any more articles about the negative, focus on the positive, let the kid play, and let's give the kid a chance to improve and develop.

So the changes keep coming. I'm really excited about Teasley. He seems to have a "football" mindset and a good knowledge of how to draft and build a team. He certainly had to learn a lot with Seattle and had to have had a hand in how they run things. A lot of talk about Frank Smith as assistant head coach and his work as run game coordinator. But am I the only one who's really excited about Keith Carter as the OL coach? I keep reading how he's working the OL really hard on technique, but earning praise from the players and everyone else for the work he's doing. Also, I still have a bunch Smith is coming back. Rookie SAFETY Jakobe Johnson has even said a few things about Harry that indicate he might be coming back. And I hope that's true. But I'm not sure the SAFETY position collapses without him. I'm a little confused about Dawkins seeing time at EDGE. Is this just Flores playing around? He looked pretty good as a developmental rookie in limited action in 2025, with some real potential. But is he really a contender for the #3 EDGE next season? I'm thinking this is just Flores experimenting. I still think the #1 priority left is a FA EDGE to be the #3. And there are a number of possibilities that shouldn't cost a fortune. I'm not sure how much it matters if Flores likes the guys on hand. And there is some potential there. A PROVEN #3 could make a major difference for the defense.

OK, so the Twins simply aren't the Yankees or the Dodgers. But even if you exclude the Washington Senators history, they've been to 3 WS and won 2. They've produced a fair amount of HOF players, and even had a few who played only briefly for them. And they have a laundry list of really great players who weren't quite HOF caliber, but who were still special in their time. But honestly, when healthy, have the Twins EVER had a more dynamic player?? While still really good in CF, he was a Platinum Glove winner who could have deserved a GG most seasons. His career SB numbers percentage wise is at the top of All Time lists. Yes, his contract has been one of the best moves the Twins ever made, even if it didn't look good the first couple of years. The tragic irony is had he been more healthy earlier in his career, he might have never been resigned by the team. Imagine what he might have done in his career if he had avoided some of those injuries. Medical science is amazing these days. But I am DUMBFOUNDED that SOMEONE wasn't smart enough to just say: "Hey, why don't we remove this little plica and see if that helps?" He might have gained an additional 2years, at least, of better health to display his amazing talent. While being 32yo is still a YOUNG man, it's older for a professional athlete. And yet, the last couple of seasons, we're seeing Buxton at his very best. Again, imagine him this healthy 3-4-5 years ago? He's still a quality CF, still one of the fastest and best base runners and SB champions in the game. And his towering HR provide awe inspiring moments. The bad news is how amazing he could have been. The good news is we're seeing at least a glimpse of that by STILL being one of the best players of the game in his early 30's. And I think there's a real chance he's got another few years left to be this kind of player, even if he slows down a little, or moves to a corner spot, or even becomes a primary DH. He is an ELITE athlete, even if he's 10-20% less than what he was in his 20's, when healthy. And what's even more impressive is him as a person. Ask him about a bit hit or a major defensive play, you will get a short and humble answer. As him about the performance of a teammate, and he will effuse at length. And talk about loyalty? He wants to be a Twin for life. And while we can bash the ownership all we want, they do have a reputation for treating their players and their families well. Buxton is a class act. And I want him to be a Twin for life. HOPEFULLY, that means he's so healthy and good he earns ANOTHER contract as a productive corner OF/DH that carries over until he's 35-36-37. Yeah, I'm being carried away a little bit. But could he be the next Cruz if he stays healthy? Is it that inconceivable? Contract value or not, if you are a Twins fan, or even just a baseball fan, you should be rolling in delight for what watching a healthy Buxton brings to the experience these days. I keep reflecting on Monday's game where they were celebrating Plouffe's birthday in the box. And then Buxton comes to the plate and hits ANOTHER towering HR shot! What a great moment! Whether he's done in a couple of years, or beats father time and gets another contract to be the next Cruz, I really want this wonderful player and person to ONLY wear a Twins jersey for his ENTIRE career. BUT, if things don't turn around, and he says he wants to finish with Atlanta, or another team, for a final shot at a WS, I won't begrudge him. Instead, I would root for HIM and whatever team that might be. I just hope that never happens. Watching him is a JOY! And I want to witness as many of those joyful moments as I can. And I want to see his last game played, whenever that is, still wearing a Twins jersey.

Really excited to see Diaw moved up. Houston should right behind him. While Diaw probably has a lot to still learn behind the plate, his athleticism and BAT are really exciting. Hopefully he develops a little more power, but he doesn't have to be a power hitter to be a really good offensive catcher. And he also seems to always have a good OB% as well. Here's hoping he stays healthy the rest of the season and is ready for AAA in 2027.

I know this is kind of a throw away topic, but I was initially confused when I turned on the Twins game Sunday and didn't recognize the play by play voice. I even thought I had the Rangers announcers for a moment. It's my understanding that with Atteberry out on a break, Provus asked to cover the radio broadcast with old friend Gladden. So MLB broadcaster Greg Caserta is taking Cory's spot briefly. While I LOVE Cory's, i just wanted to say that I thought Caserta was very good. He was very professional and fun to listen to. And despite being under the MLB umbrella, he sort of "played up" fandom for the Twins a bit, as if he was a normal team broadcaster. I wouldn't mind him being a future fill in for games in the future.

Should we be surprised at the improvement Houston has made? In college he was known as a solid contact, good eye, balanced BB/K hitter. The biggest question was how much pop/power he was going to have. How much of his HR splash in his last season at Wake was legitimate? He's not a small guy at all at 6' 3" and 205lbs. So I can see him developing double digit HR power at some point. But I'm more concerned with just HITTING and legging out 30 Dbls and the occasional Trip or 2 or 6. His current OB% is .68 points higher than his AVG. That's not bad. I'm very pleased his K% has dropped so significantly. And he's hitting has been excellent. He's shown enough XB power so far to offer a little danger to pitchers. But I would like to see his OB% climb a little higher. I think there was a little knee jerk reaction to his BAT after his poor performance at A+ after his promotion there at the end of 2025. SO FAR, I think he's done a good job easing those concerns. As far as a possible INF crunch, I hope it happens. The players involved in any "crunch" are all 1st or 2nd round picks. So it would a good problem to have, and not an improbable situation to be sure. However, invariably, SOMEONE doesn't turn out, or gets injured, or traded, or in Lewis's case, maybe becomes a FA in 2 more years. But it would be a nice problem to have for sure. **I suspect the OF is going to be a much bigger potential "crunch" begining in 2027...which might also affect DH and maybe even 1B...but that's a different discussion for a different day. As to Keaschall playing 1B, I'm not crazy about it, but I can see some logic behind it. (I think 2B is his best home given some more development time). But IF you had Houston at SS with decent hitting, a little POP, and good speed, Lee and K-Pepper providing solid bats, possibly 20 HR power each, and addition speed from KC, it wouldn't be crazy to have a non power hitter at 1B. I am ABSOLUTELY NOT comparing them as players, but Rod Carew transitioned to 1B and was a career #1 or #2 hitter. If you have offense and power at multiple positions, that's what really matters at the end of the day. While they all had SOME power, through the 80's and early 90's, there were a number of solid 1B like Hernandez, Grace, and Joyner that were more AVG and OB and Dbls power hitters rather than being thumpers. Doug Mientkiewicz was a very similar type of player at 1B. And in very recent times, the Twins had a batting champion in Arraez playing 1B and contributing to the offense, even though he had very limited power. All I'm saying/pointing out is there are many ways to build a lineup. 30 years ago, most SS and CF were defense only. And if you had one with power, they were the exception, not the rule. Obviously, that dynamic has really changed over the years. Some might have forgotten...or don't want to admit...that hard work turned Julien from a poor 2B to an average 2B for 2024. The fact that his bat and defense BOTH tanked in 2025 doesn't excuse the fact that he actually DID improve. Keaschall is far more athletic than Julien. His offense is a work in progress, but he's been pretty solid after a bad April. And I still think 2B is his best position. And I still have him penciled there for the next few years unless he just doesn't improve. But is it OK to give him some time to adjust, learn and grow, and hopefully see his arm improve it's strength a little more? If his total offensive package continues to improve...and he's at least trending that way...with a solid AVG, quality OB%, at least some XB power, and good speed and base running, there's no logical reason why he can't, potentially, be the future 1B. There's a TON of offensive potential over the rest of the INF, and the OF, and even DH simply based on so many TOP prospects just waiting to break through at AAA. So it would OK if a leadoff hitter was sitting at 1B. I just prefer him at 2B and think he will really improve as this season carries on, and going in to 2027.

I honestly thought he was done after 2024 and was a little surprise he was kept in the system. I figured it must be for depth purposes at Wichita. And then, of course, he goes out and looks like an entirely different ballplayer. The one thing I noticed about his MILB career as that his OB% was always significantly higher than his AVG. It generally sat 70 to 100 points higher each season. So while that guarantees nothing in regard to future success, I think it does offer up some belief that his bat may play at the ML level.

Nope. This is where the Twins should have followed the Brewers way of doing things. (Also similar to the Guardians and Rays). A healthy Winter League and a strong ST should have had Rodriguez in RF to begin the season. And the Twins should have followed the way the Brewers handled Chourio, live with what you got and give him time. And Roden should have been in LF splitting time with Martin. OK, sliding doors scenario. But do either Rodriguez or Roden get hurt if on the ML roster? Who the hell knows. But while I actually like Bell...and he's heating up now...it SHOULD have been a season in the OF with Rodriguez and Roden with Martin fitting in, and no Larnach, and probably Wallner as the DH. Tell me I'm wrong? Wallner has struggled and been sent down to prove he's a ML player, which has surprised the hell out of me. And Larnach is STILL a barely above ML average hitter. Again, tell me I'm wrong? The OF, especially for a limited payroll team and TONS of talent sitting at AAA waiting to be the NEXT WAVE of a competitive team, should have been Buxton, Rodriguez, Roden, and Martin to begin the season. Wallner would be the 5th OF and primary DH. Fedko, recently given a shot, and Jenkins, Gonzalez, and Mendez were the next in line. Tell me that doesn't make more sense than the way the current roster was built?

Unfortunately, Rosario was pushed back to AA ball, same as Mendez, due to a "crunch" at AAA that I don't necessarily agree with. Just as a reminder, his TREMENDOUS 2025 season SHOULD have been his SECOND MVP season. But he lost out to an older journeyman player. I have no idea if bad luck, fighting an injury, or being pissed off made Rosario start the season slow. But he has really been cranking up his game and it's about time he gets a AAA promotion. ***IF the Twins had just gone the logical route and trusted in their TOP prospects, Roden and Gonzalez would have been with the team and Rosario would already be at St Paul. I was a bit surprised when I saw Sprock playing catcher. As a former 3B, you have to think the arm is there. His bat offers some potential and some power potential. As a 2025 draftee, he did play 23 games last season and did OK. He's hitting hitting even better this season as a still 21yo. While he's still splitting time, which is normal, they must think he's got real potential behind the plate. We'll see. He's at least off to a decent start with the bat at least. And then comes Diaw. Look, I wouldn't DARE to compare him to Mauer! But athletically, and base HITTING ability, he's as close as we've drafted in years! First off, Mauer was an AMAZING catcher. Diaw is not, and has a lot to learn behind the plate. But he's a good enough athlete to play CF on his days off. Doesn't that kind of athlete intrigue you behind the plate? And his BAT is similar to Mauer, or maybe Harper considering he's RH. I have no doubt he still has a lot to learn being a CATCHER first and foremost. And that's where I'd like him to spend the majority of his time. His biggest obstacle is just staying healthy. I have no idea how much HR or XB power he might grow in to. But he can flat out HIT. I think he's a prospect that is being ignored by many. I think he's about ready for AA in regard to his BAT. Not yet 23yo, but close, I think he's ready. Now, how much time it takes him to refine his catching skills is a different story. He's certainly not a part of 2027. And if it takes him another year, year and a half, or two years, I think many are sleeping on a potentially quality bat with at least some power, and maybe underated as to the Twins "future" catcher.

Good, bad, right or wrong, Lewis appears to be an emotional player. For whatever reason, he really lost all confidence. He seems to allow bad streaks to affect him. The confidence lessens, and suddenly he's frustrated and things snowball. Now, I think some mechanical issues were also probably part of his poor performance and frustration as well, it wasn't all "bad luck" or a mental approach issue. Going going not only provided him a mental reset, but also a mechanical one. There's little doubt he's on a hot streak and will come down to earth a bit. But I think most of us can agree that the talent is still there to be a good player. His body has changed, and there have been injuries that have affected him, but talent doesn't just disappear, even with some physical changes. (I.e. he's not as nimble or fast as he was as a young prospect, but he's grown bigger and stronger). **FWIW, a small consideration concerning his future, last season and this season, currently, he's been as healthy as he's ever been at the ML level. Is that a key/clue to his future performance? I DON'T want to get hyperbolic here, but even with some natural regression from Lewis, I have to ask: "is it possible the INF is starting to take shape"? Seriously. Lee seems much better at 3B. While his BAT still isn't where anyone wants it, and he's been streaky, he's still shown improvement. Lewis is settling in as a 1B, can also cover 3B and 2B if needed. And while it's really easy to dismiss what Clemens has been doing, the truth is his 2 best ML seasons have been with the Twins in 2025, and even better in 2026. Again, I don't want to give in to hyperbole, but is it POSSIBLE he's a late bloomer who REALLY took a next step due to not only late development but also opportunity?? SOMETIME SOON K-Pepper is going to be brought up to play SS. Not saying he's going to be a STUD from DAY ONE, but he's a TOP 50 prospect for a reason. He STABALISES SS offensively and defensively. I'm not going in to another debate about Keaschall still developing and needing time to see how he develops, but the offense has started to come around. So WHEN K-Pepper is up, we've got the still young and improving Lee at 3B, KC at SS, Keaschall at 2B, and 1B covered by Clemens and Lewis, BOTH who have the ability to also play other positions. Kreidler has SURPRISED with his bat so far, and Gray has come through in big moments. But perhaps Kreidler's glove and versatility makes him the right choice to keep when KC comes up? It's not inconceivable that the best option for super utility INF for 2027 might just be the emergence of Ross, currently at AAA. He might be the best version of Kreidler and Gray combined. But he's still got some things to prove. But if Lewis has indeed turned a corner...maybe finally understanding he HAS the talent, but it's up to HIM to be positive and OWN his future...we really might be looking at a semi COMPLETE INF going forward really soon. OBVIOUSLY, K-Pepper isn't here YET. But don't you have to be kinda excited about Lee, K-Pepper, Keaschall, Lewis and Clemens and Kreidler/Gray/Ross completing this INF?