DocBauer

I haven't had time to really sit down and address this OP. But here goes, quickly for once, lol. He looked a little better in his couple bullpen appearances. I would have liked to see him get a few more chances. I'm not in breaking rules. But I can see bending them once in a while. This 2026 version is nothing Ike the SWR we've seen in the past. Not even close. I simply can't believe they couldn't have gone with the "tired arm" sydrom and allowed him to clear his mind for a couple of weeks, and then get some rehab in St Paul. It's flirting ML "law" a bit, but we've seen it done before, and not just by the Twins. At 25yo but questionable upside, it will be interesting if someone is desperate enough to grab him off waivers, or send someone the Twins way to bypass the waiver wire and snag him. If he clears waivers, or gets released again, I'd like the Twins to find a way at that point to place him in AAA.

A couple interesting OTA notes. Elijah Williams, UDFA in 2025, was running with the #1 unit. He was actually a rookie INVITE and not a normal UDFA signing out of Morgan State. When you look at his college production, and his athletic performance at a college invite, you have to wonder why this kid wasn't a late round selection, or a priority FA signing. He impressed the hell out of me in the 2025 preseason, so to me he's a LOCK to make the roster unless he suddenly regresses. This kid is an amazing athlete with the STUFF to be a good player. I'm not sure how I feel about the next report. Ingram-Dawkins has supposedly slimmed down for year 2 to be an EDGE option. Not sure how I feel about that. He was drafted as an ATHLETE and TWEENER. I trust Flores in his choices. He's usually right. But I really saw Dawkins as an athletic, disruptive force that just needed a little time to develop. What do I know? Maybe singing a couple DL options for depth was a potence of Flores' projecting Dawkins in the role of the 3rd EDGE player. I'm just not sure I see that. Maybe I'm wrong. But I still see a FA EDGE signing to complete the offseason.

I still don't dislike Rogers on the team as a veteran reliever who's BTDT. And he hasn't been terrible in his probable Swang Song, but that was a brutal loss. The pen was pretty good otherwise. The offense went to sleep again. Hopefully we can rebound and take the next 2 and finish with a solid road trip. Despite massive injuries to the pitching staff, overall, the young depth has come through and been exciting. I keep waiting and hoping the team can reach and stay around .500 and we can FINALLY see K-Pepper, Rodriguez, Roden, and Jenkins, possibly Gonzalez and Mendez as well. No offense to the guys playing now, but we've already seen the future with the young arms...though some of them have already had injury stints...but WHEN do we get to see the talented young prospects get an opportunity? The injuries are MADDENING! This was SUPPOSED to be a team that MIGHT contend if they could just hang around for the first couple of months, waiting for bullpen help and a collection of AAA talent waiting in the wings. Instead, we have a decimated rotation that has really surprised. And the bullpen has SLOWLY gotten better. And I don't want to diminish Buxton or Jeffers, or improvement from Lee, and Martin, and Larnach. Even Clemens has surprised a bit. But the offense is really shallow right now. But what do you do when 2 of your top prospects are injured. Plus another player that isn't far removed from rookie status that is also injured. I keep waiting for the 2nd half of the season, which I've always spoken of. I've always believed the Twins were going to have to halves of a season. The first one was hopefully being in contention and at least sitting around .500 at worst. MAYBE, considering TP's comments the Twins might be buyers. (Cough). But at least they wouldn't be SELLERS. What we NEED is our young arms to be healthy, bullpen AND rotation. And then we need our young top prospect OF to be healthy. I mean, it's NUTS that the ENTIRE primary AAA OF of Roden, Jenkins, and Rodriguez are ALL hurt! Mendez has been amazing since his promotion and Gonzalez has gotten hit since a bad start. But WTH is with a curse of top prospects getting hurt? You don't even have to squint to see a really good, and really fun 2027 Twins to follow, IF, we can just be reasonably healthy for the next few months.

I've been a hipeful believer of Royce, and even a defender of him, for the past couple of seasons. I really thought the "better" version of him in the 2nd half of 2025...basically a league average hitter...and OBVIOUS better health with the way he was running the bases, combined with his offseason work with a quality, private hitting coach would see him turn a corner this season. Instead, he's almost gotten worse. IDK, but I still think it's a mental adjustment he's not making. The move of Lee to 3B isn't window dressing. He has the potential to be a solid 3B, and the bat continues to slowly improve. SS is now wide open for K-Pepper in 2-4 weeks to come up and take it over. Now, no disrespect to KP, but it's entirely possible he's the best SS for NOW, and I'm NOT saying he can't be a solid ML SS, but by 2028, we might need to make room for Houston, who is an amazing defender. But let's jump off that bridge when we get there. I'm torn on Keaschall at 2B. I've seen a few bad plays, and read about some more. But I've also watched him make some really good plays as well. He has more than enough athleticism to play the position. His arm isn’t great...will probably getter stronger and better...but I really appreciate the Twins patience with him. You don't have to have a great arm to play 2B, just an accurate one really. IMO, it's just about CONSISTENCY in making plays. An entire season of playing 2B, we might have an at least average defensive 2B come 2027. The Twins believe in his overall potential. That's why they are being so patient with him. (I hope they do the same with the young OF's as soon as they are ready to go). I don't think Keaschall fits in the OF, unless he becomes a super utility player. And if his offense actually hits his ceiling, I would be fine if he became a 1B. But he just fits so nicely at 2B if he can get the glove work down. Only slightly off topic, I'm REALLY intrigued by the sudden development of Ben Ross. A small school athlete with a great glove, speed, and some POP in his bat. He might be the next Castro, but with even better defense. Probably never a starter, but a potential Super Utility option for the INF that might be better than Kreidler, Gray, and Arcia. I only bring him up due to further depth options in the INF going forward. So what do we do with Royce Lewis? To be clear, and agreement with most posters, it's NOT about him raking at the AAA level. It's about a SOUND swing and SOUND approach at the plate. His HR at St Paul don't impress me. He's WAY too talented for AAA. I think the Twins are looking for a SOLID approach and a SOLID swing and a BETTER personal "swing zone". When we see BB from good AB. When we see solid, hard hit singles and doubles, we might actually be seeing REAL improvement. So the question of "what to do with Royce Lewis" is really about when and IF he gets his head/bat figured out. I don't think Lee at 3B is temporary, provided his bat doesn't suddenly regress, while it's currently on an upswing. K-Pepper is the next SS, possibly in 2-4 weeks. He settles the left side of the INF offensively and defensively. We've already covered patience with Keaschall at 2B. We're talking NOW, and not 2028 when Houston might be ready, just to be clear. So again, IF and WHEN Lewis figures out how to HIT again, IMO, the answer is obvious. He should be moved to 1B, with the ability to also play some 3B. When his head is right, he's not a bad 3B. That increases roster flexibility due to injury or days off. He has the athleticism to be a VERY good 1B with a powerful and productive bat. If he thinks that's some sort of downgrade in his career, let him sit down with Mauer and Morneau and let them explain how important a great 1B means to the team. Clemens is a decent player who has enjoyed his best production as a Twin. He's not just a throw away player. But come on, if Lewis ACTUALLY got his sh*t together, he would be the best all around 1B the Twins have had in YEARS. And maybe he should take pride in that! But that is all WHEN and IF Lewis figures it out.

Hopefully it's nothing to be concerned about in regard to both Abel and Rojas. Maybe they can both be back sometime in June? Really really love what these two young arms have been showing. Crossing my fingers. The recalls make sense. I keep saying this, but I haven't given up on Funderburk yet. He looked really good late in '25, and while his control wasn't the best to begin this season, he seemed to get the job done most of the time. But then he just wasn't the same after his leave. Hopefully he gets in a good groove. I think his stuff plays Not worried that Lawyerson's rehab appearance didn't look good. A lot of the times it's just about getting put there on the mound, throw your pitches, try something you maybe wouldn't normally do, but just get the work in and throw everything in your arsenal. Lawyerson is kind of interesting in that he doesn't throw especially hard, and doesn't seem to have a singular pitch that's dominant, he just "pitches" and gets guys out.

I'm really hoping this is the last "Lee is a disappointment" OP we ever have to read again. And frankly, I'm TIRED of these OP's about him. Once again, when drafted, he was considered a marginal ML SS who would probably move to 2B or 3B. He's already proven, even with offseason work, he's only an OK ML SS. And that's OK considering his defensive ability. His recent move to 3B is PERFECT considering his tools. He has just enough quickness....not enough for SS...to react to balls hit his way. He has good hands, a good transition of glove to hand to make throws. His arm is average, but his throws are accurate. Despite being a limited athlete, he seems to have the ability to make off balance throws. And that's important. In regards to his BAT, I'm still confused about frustration. ONE MORE TIME, he missed ROOKIE status in 2025 by 22 AB in 2024, but SOMEHOW he's supposed to be a finished product already. Is it possible he's still growing as a HITTER? Or was he SUPPOSED to be a polished HITTER with 1.25 seasons of ML time under his belt? He's showing more power than initially expected, but is SLOWLY showing the contact bat, AVERAGE hitting bat expected. He's just NOT hitting as expected, but in year 2 of regular ML time, we're STARTING to see a viable ML BAT. Confidence and experience makes a difference. Currently, he's accepting his role at 3B, and he should. Lee is on an uptick, and that shouldn't be ignored. The original HIT and OB prospectis might be proven wrong. But a decent AVG with a solid OB, and decent power can't be ignored

It's a real catch 22 for the Twins and TP isn't it? TP says he expects the team to compete. One third of the season gone, the team actually is doing so, despite injuries and warts, due to the nature of the AL this season. TP says the Twins WOULD have spent more $ before the season if he had been in charge earlier. Valdez was the only quality FA still available that could make a difference so they at least gave it a shot with him. TP says adding to the payroll WILL happen when it makes sense. Well, keeping Ryan makes sense in that regard. (Not to mention Jeffers, but I digress. THREE options are available. (And I'm avoiding a lost 2027 season because it hasn't happened yet and might not happen. We've BTDT before). 1] Just give up on the season due to losing Jeffers and losing so much development and potential ML experience this season for Rodriguez, Jenkins, and Roden. Hope the fans understand and don't further scream: "cheap Pohlads" while there is a CHANCE for a winning season/playoff birth to keep the fans engaged. Also, who knows if we actually get to see K-Pepper, Rodriguez, Jenkins, Gonzalez, and Mendez the 2nd half, providing a boost to the team. 2] Wait and hope for that boost in the 2nd half and hold on to Ryan to front the rotation, keep building the bullpen, and we might have a half way decent season. Especially considering Lopez is back in 2027, and VERY unlikely to be moved. Decide in the offseason to trade Ryan. Might the return be less? Yes, but how much? As I recall, the Brewers still did OK trading...was it Burns?...with only 1 year of control left. 3] Ride it out. ENJOY having one of the best 1-2 punches in Twins history with Lopez and Ryan, allow a little extra time here in '26 and all of 2027 for the young bats sitting at St Paul, and considering how low the payroll will be in 2027...barring a couple small signings in this case...they can afford to offer Lopez and/or Ryan the QO and hope at least one takes it. Both, MAYBE, could. Regardless, you have them for all of 2027 and then get 1 or 2 extra high draft picks if they move on. I know many of you have personal beliefs what they should do. I honestly don't know as I see really sound reasons to move Ryan at the deadline, or wait until the offseason, or ride it out for BOTH Lopez and Ryan. My gut reaction is ONE of them will be extended, probably Lopez due to mitigating factors such as coming off a lost season. Even still, I personally see logic in All THREE scenarios regarding Ryan that make sense. @Dmankind of stole my thunder a bit regarding the roster with a great post. I am NOT going to tell you that every prospect is going to turn out, or be a STUD, but let us pause for just a moment to examine what MIGHT be happening over the remainder of 2026 and what MIGHT be projected for 2027. It's going to be long, but honest. I hope you care enough to follow along. I think these are honest thoughts to consider. 2027 ROTATION, (as of today, in no particular order): Lopez, Ryan, Ober, Bradley, Abel, Matthews, Prielipp, and possibly a return to form for SWR. (Once again, SOMETHING is amiss. This ISN'T the same pitcher we've seen the last couple of years AT ALL). For now, I'm leaving Rojas off the table as I'm still not sure if he's a legitimate rotation option, or on the Santana/Liriano train as bullpen stud who MIGHT move back to the rotation. That doesn't include any other prospects developing the rest of 2026, but it's a HELL of a great rotation with OUTSTANDING depth to work with. 2027 BULLPEN: So far so good with Morris being a ROOKIE pressed in to high leverage situations, and showing potential. So far so good with the 26yo Gomez getting a new start as a RP. Is Rojas a bullpen arm or not? So far he's really helped. HAS Adams turned a corner considering better recent performances? Maybe. Orze has been better than I expected. Can Sands come back and start to throw even close to his 2024 self? The talent is there. No clue if the suddenly improved Banda comes back in 2027. IMO, IF Festa comes back this season, he's a reliever no question. He's got the potential to be one of the best arms there. I still like Klein being let loose. Can Funderburk return to his late season 2025, and early 2026 before he seemed distracted by his time off? I'm betting CJ Culpepper just needs a little time to adjust to the pen before he's ready. 2027 OF: (injuries slowing prospects is a caveat) It's entirely possible that Larnach is gone, despite maybe his best season. His HR are way down, but he's the most complete hitter he's ever been. But he might be gone for obvious reasons. It's a disappointingly possibility that Wallner might also be moved. He doesn't cost much, so there's a solid chance he sticks around as the LF DH, and occasional OF. But MAYBE someone will offer up something decent for him considering his OB and power potential? But when FINALLY HEALTHY...can the Twins endure so much baseball gods cruelty...Roden, Rodriguez, and Jenkins still have the 2nd half of this season to "get right" and get ready and make their debut along with Buxton and Martin as a quality and dangerous future OF. And while they are seeing some time at 1B...and should continue to do so...Gonzalez and Mendez are hitting machines that are also about ready to need a spot on the ML roster. For believers and non believers, IMO, Outman should be gone tomorrow and replaced with Fedko. IS Fedko a ML ballplayer? I have no idea. And I DON'T want him to come up and sit on the damn bench! You ONLY have 13 position players! Two of them are catchers. There is PLENTY of room to give a shot to a late blooming 26yo who RAKED in 2025, and has continued to RAKE here in 2026. PLEASE don't try to tell me the current roster is so good and so deep that he can't play almost daily. You drafted the kid, you stuck with the kid when he was mediocre, and he's still here as a late development option. He's got power, OB ability, solid speed, and can help at 4 spots. Does it matter if he's not a stud prospect? No. Does it matter if an actual, extended opportunity to PLAY over Outman and THREE utility players...with the 3 top LF hitting AAA OF out due to injury...and he ends up proving he's NOT a ML player hurt anything? Absolutely not. But he DESERVES a CHANCE to show what he can do. A SMART FO would just accept the offense needs some help, and here is a kid we drafted, stuck with, and he's been COOKING for 2yrs. Let's give him a REAL SHOT to see if we've got AT LEAST, another quality 4th OF. What in the hell do the Twins have to lose at this point? They've been playing 12 and 1/2 men for 2 seasons now. That's RIDICULOUS! Rwmove Outman, promote Fedko, give him an HONEST chance to play and see if you've got something! It SUCKS that Roden, Rodriguez, and Jenkins are all out. They are losing development time and potential ML time. All the more reason to promote Fedko over Outman, and STOP playing a 12 and a 1/2 player roster. But we can't deny 2/3 of the season where we might see out best OF prospects healthy and ready to go the 2nd half of the season. INF: The move of Lee to 3B is the correct one. I think he can thrive there. I understand Keaschall is struggling at 2B, but Ive also seen some good plays. I love the fact that they believe in him and are sticking with him. A year from now, I expect him to be a competent 2B. Anything more is TBD. But you just don't give up on a young player with that much athletic ability too soon. By mid June, July 1st at latest, K-Pepper is going to be up. He just needed some time to cook. His bat is almost ready, and his defense is solid, if not spectacular. Houston might be ready 2028 and move K-Pepper to another spot. And as mentioned previously, the Twins have a handful of OK utility players in Kreidler, Gray, and Arcia on hand. But MAYBE Ross is a better utility option than all of them. The kid is almost 26yo, but we're looking at his ability to be a really good utility player, not a stud prospect. With ALL of this AAA collection of talent...the injuries not withstanding...HONESTLY, what does trading Ryan this deadline provide? And I'm honestly asking. I've rambled for a reason. Our beloved Twins have been scrappy as hell and have debuted, or improved, on the rotation, and even the bullpen. The pen is still a work in progress, but it's still been way better than it was in April. Hopefully, more options are forthcoming over the next month or so. Losing Jeffers is a MAJOR BLOW. And I'm just not sure we can overcome his loss. And so I've rambled even more than I like to state what I think is OBVIOUS. The Twins are a team in FLUX. I've stated that before the season even began. The SECOND HALF team was not going to be the same team as the first half. The bullpen would get better with some young arms. Kinda sorta has happened so far, but injuries have affected what I saw. The offense would be better the 2nd half with Roden, Rodriguez, Jenkins, Gonzalez, K-Pepper, and Medez ALL knocking on the door. They are kinda doing so with Roden, Rodriguez, and Jenkins sitting outside currently. So what do YOU want? You want to trade Ryan for what? Considering the young talent sitting at St Paul right now just waiting to be healthy again, or waiting for the next promotion, who's a better option? Someone you trade Ryan for? I never expect prospects to reach their ceiling. But the Twins are in a special place right now with a COLLECTION of AAA players the look legitimate! So you want to trade Ryan for more young talent that might or not make it? I can see the argument for trading Ryan. . But I really, really like the potential of the lineup going forward. And I like the potential of the pen as is, with a couple converts. Some of wich are TBD. And personally, I'd RUN with Lee, Keaschall, K-Pepper, Rodriguez, Jenkins, Gonzalez, and Mendez and KEEP Ryan and Lopez...re-sign ONE of them if possible. But I would have also re-signed Jeffers a year ago. So if you pause for a moment, and step back for a LONG look, and take in consideration of the talented aems who have debuted, and the OF and INF options that HAVEN'T debuted yet, mostly due to injury in many cases, do you REALLY want to trade Ryan NOW? What prospects does he bring back that are better than our own? An honest question on my part. IMO, the biggest bummer for the current season as we haven't had the opportunity to rebuild the player roster yet. Personally, I'd keep Ryan for the rest of this season and see how the second half plays out. Again, personally, I want to see K-Pepper, Rodriguez, Jenkins, Gonzalez, and Mendez, and maybe Fedko, and keep running with the young arms, waiting for a few still coming back, and see what this Twins team might do the rest of the season. I'm in the camp of not trading Ryan as I just don't know that he brings back anything better than what's on hand right now.

It's really tough when the SP doesn't win after pitching to well. But that's baseball. Despite 1 run allowed, the pen did their job. I remain frustrated with those disappointed in Lee. Even when drafted, he was regarded as a "competent" SS who would probably move to 2B or 3B. His "competent" SS glove has now been moved to 3B, where it belongs. And he was supposed to be some "hitting machine" that he hasn't been yet. Last season, 2025, he was a ROOKIE save for 22 AB in 2024. But so many seem to believe he's been around forever and has TONS of experience and should be a STUD already. It's just RIDICULOUS how Lee has been perceived so far. He's still adjusting to ML pitching, and who he is as a hitter. So far, his power is looking better than expected. He may not be the HITTER we expected. He may have more power than expected. And I think we should be excited that we're seeing a maturation of his bat.

I was OK when they acquired Banda. He's a helpful bullpen piece. But I NEVER understood the excitement others felt. Based on all career numbers, he was a lesser version of Thielbar in his prime. But still a viable piece to the bullpen. I was actually more excited about the signing of old friend Rogers based on experience. I was also somewhat excited, with trepidation, that Funderburk would continue his 2025 advancement in performance. So what have we gotten so far? Funderburk looked pretty solid until he left for a child birth leave of absence. Suddenly he couldn't throw strikes when he came back. I still think there's a pretty solid "first LH" out of the pen option there, but he needs to fight his way back. Rogers has been slightly less than I had hoped for. He's been OK. He's had a couuple poor appearances, and a few good ones. He was solid today, Tuesday, against the Dirty Sox. Banda was damn near DFA status a couple weeks ago. And it's great that some adjustments he's made has him back on track. He is ABSOLUTELY throwing better. But his USAGE has also been better. And that's because Morris is being turned in to a high velocity late inning arm who has generally been productive. It's because the Twins MIGHT have found the next "Stewart" in Gomez, thank the baseball gods. And LH Rojas...whatever his future role is to be...has also made a huge difference for the staff. No question Banda has been better with some changes. But he's also better as the pen, overall, has been better.

I just got off work and haven't had time to peruse through all the comments, so forgive me if I repeat things already touched on. I think one of the most important things Royce can do is shut off any media accounts he has. He's just too sensitive. Personally, were I an athlete of any sort, I'd NEVER read anything but family and friends stuff, and cute animal stories. Everything else is just toxic. 1] For some crazy reason, he seems to think some want him to fail. Other than a couple faceless trolls on the internet...see my previous comments above...NOBODY wants him to fail! We all WANT him to succeed! 2] Just accept your body has changed and you just aren't who you were 2-3 years ago. You're just as fast or athletic as you once were, but you're still damn athletic overall, but are more powerful than you were. You need to find a comfortable stance that allows you time to see the ball, but still have the reaction time to swing with a solid power stroke. I thought that was the reason for private coaching this last offseason? 3] Combined with point #2, Royce, when did you decide that pitches 3" under the zone, 8" low and outside the zone, and 6-8" above the zone were within your ability to HIT? I mean, COME ON, a HS kid facing a ML pitcher...probably scared out of his mind...could flail at the stuff you've been swinging at. (A bit of hyperbole granted). Didn't you USED to have a "hitting zone" you felt comfortable with? 4] Recognize your coaches are just trying to get you to find a zone and swing that WORKS. They're actually on your side Royce! 5] And this is probably most important, your career is in YOUR HANDS. Despite a smiling, optimist who has gone through a **** ton of injuries, including a pair of bad knee injuries, your career isn't over yet. It's OK if you're FINALLY frustrated and pissed off things didn't go the way you and everyone thought and planned. The fat lady hasn't sung yet. Get your HEAD straight! EVERYONE WANTS you to succeed. You still posses enough talent to tell "life" to "get out of your way" because you ARE going to re-discover a ZONE that works. And you're going to put in the work and listen to coaches that WANT to help you. And you might want to "listen" to the voice in your head that says; "Come on Royce, you know what to do."

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.