DocBauer

You can have almost unlimited coaches, but only so many can be in uniform and in the dugout game day. Considering the positive things I've heard about Suggs, I'm surprised he wasn't kept on in some capacity. But with Hawkins brought on board, he's probably looking for advancement, and not another scouting or assistant spot. Conger has a good reputation. Apparently Shelton just has a different vision? In regard to Watkins, the whole 3B good or bad reputation is bogus. For every runner sent that scored, times 3 or more, all that's remember is the bad sends. And that's the truth and life of being a 3B coach. BUT that coach is ALSO an instructor. So Shelton wants a different coach. Isn't that what we want? Don't we WANT Shelton to have some freedom to build his own staff? I'm very excited to have THE HAWK as an assistant pitching coach. But I'm also very intrigued about the rest of the staff. Primarily, who he puts in charge of the hitting side.

The only thing I know about Kreidler is that I've never even heard of him until the Twins picked him up and he can't hit worth a damn. Since then, the only thing I've read is that he can actually pick the ball well enough to actually, maybe, play a solid ML SS. But what I've also heard and seen in SSS is that Fitzgerald is a solid glove man who can also play a competent ML SS. The handful of appearances I've seen from Fitzgerald at SS would seem to indicate he can handle that spot, and others, as a cheap option until someone else comes along. If true, his questionable bat would seem to still be an improvement over Kreidler. So I'm still expecting Kreidler to be a DFA at some point as a potential MILB signing after? Kiner-Filefa is a solid pro who probably has another Farmer-esque 2023 equivalent season at SS in him. And his bat might exceed Fitzgerald and certainly Kreidler. But what is his price tag for being the probable 26th man on the roster? I absolutely value defense, but if we're just looking for depth at SS in a utility spot until Culpepper is ready, there is absolutely NO REASON to carry BOTH Fitzgerald AND Kreidler. So one of them needs to go for additional 40 man adds and options. And that brings us back to the aforementioned Eeles. I've heard some mixed results about his defense, hard work, and improved work. But coming off a knee injury, he wasn't quite the same in 2025. That's understandable. And he doesn't have to be added to the 40 man until/unless he's added to the 26 man. IF the bat looks close to his 2024 performance. IF his glovework is solid, I'd very seriously consider him above Fitzgerald or Kreidler at some point. Culpepper reminds me of Keaschall not only due to a fast rise, but as a possible promotion candidate before you really wanted to promote them. But unless payroll SOMEHOW gave you a couple $M to play with, I'd cut either Fitzgerald or Kreidler almost immediately, and bet on your "keeper" as a TEMPORARY" SS, utility option. And then I'd have bring a fully healthy Eeles to camp as a non roster invite and play him DAILY and tell him it's his initial chance to prove himself. The FO has to STOP ignoring potential talent on hand. ESPECIALLY if you're looking to re-tool the roster.

First of all, a simplistic answer. I believe in the most balanced and deepest lineup you can put together. I don't believe on only power, or only speed, or all 9 primary hitters being LH. Second, the easy answer to FUTURE #3 hitter is probably Jenkins. But with all the hope in the world he's going to be even 80% of what he might be, I'm still having doubts he's ready opening day. Even June 1st or July 1st of 2026, that might be a lot put on his plate. But he's the easy choice down the road. For the immediate future? The answer should be Buxton. While it's nice when he leads off a game with a bomb, he's still only guaranteed to actually lead off once per game. I want runners on base for him to knock in with his Dbls and HR. The leadoff hitter should be Keaschall. That's his skill set. That's the only 2 spots in the lineup, as of today, that I have certainty about. So who hits second for the immediate future? Based on skills and how he finished 2025, Martin might be a really good choice as a decent hitter with a good OB% and some speed. He acts almost like a 2nd leadoff option behind Keaschall in front of Buxton. If his bat comes around after a poor, SSS, based on his skill set and MILB numbers, Roden could be a solid option at #2, possibly in a quasi-platoon with Martin. But I can see a version of the lineup where Lee takes a nice step forward in 2026 and takes over that #2 spot, despite poor footspeed. But I don't know that I'm ready to speculate on that. While Naylor would be a perfect fit at 1B for the next few years, I've come to the conclusion he's just going to be too expensive. So my #2 1B option would be O'Hearn. He's not a power plant hitter. But he's LH, and an experienced, productive hitter. He would be followed by Lewis at #5, and Wallner at #6. The 2023-2024 version of Wallner comes back, I could see a swap of he and O'Hearn in the 4 and 6 spots quite easily. But can they afford O'Hearn? Maybe. But that's probably my top 6. And it's a top 6 I feel pretty good about. I am going to bang this drum until proven otherwise, but Rodriguez has already burned through 2 of his 3 option years. If he's healthy, he needs a DAY ONE job. He's an excellent defensive OF who can give Buxton days off in CF. He's got some speed, and big power potential. Even if his actual AVG is mediocre, a decent OB%, combined with that speed, power, and defense makes him an almost must for 2026, whether he bats 7th, 8th, or 9th. Lee, Jeffers, and Rodriguez fill out the last 3 spots to begin 2026. With any kind of re-tooling of the lineup, that's how things SHOULD go. A lesser 1B moves Wallner up, and changes the bottom end of the lineup. When Jenkins arrives, as well as K-Pepper and possibly Gonzalez at some point, that changes some things, obviously. But that could be July or later for some of them. Regardless, Buxton is the best and most dangerous batter in the lineup. Keaschall is the perfect #1 batter for the next 5+ years on the team. The rest is all TBD. Buxton at #3 for now, and maybe for the next couple of years. We'll see how it shakes out. But Jenkins is the #3 "hitter in waiting".

A good, and well thought out OP Greg. I dare say in the history of the MINNESOTA TWINS, Buxton is EASILY in the TOP 5 of TALENTS to play for the organization. Honestly, if Buxton had been as healthy, I'd honestly bet he and Griffey would be comparable for career numbers and awards. But coulda, shoulda, woulda includes a hell of a lot of players. I watched the Twins in '87 and '91 and those were amongst the greatest and most fun moments of my sports fan life, along with a 3 championship stretch from my Huskers that could have been 5 so easily with a couple of breaks. And as a child I cried for Super Bowl losses. And as an adult I cried and cursed for "wide left" that might have changed Vikings fan history. And I really enjoyed the early '00's of the Twins in recent history. But in the last decade, no apologies to the Pohlads, as a fan, I have been overjoyed by 2019 and 2020 and 2023 despite the ultimate outcome. Even if you dislike Rocco, or Falvey, those 3 seasons were COMPETITIVE and FUN! BUT the NEXT BEST THING I'VE SEEN is a HEALTHY Buxton. My goodness what he has done, and what he could still do, and what many have missed is disappointing. He was all that we hoped for and expected previously. And I'm happy to saw I was able to watch it. To be blunt, it was AWESOME to see a full season of what what Buxton could be in a **** season. Personally, I'm just hoping he's not done yet. And I don't think he is.

Except, the 3 guys mentioned WERE bargain bin options before solid 2025 seasons. So were Thielbar and Stewart and a handful of other guys in the past. And the Twins will sign a couple more this offseason. But it's also possible they sign a couple 2 or 3 more to actual 40 man deals. For instance, as has been mentioned often in other threads, what about a Coulombe, or Rogers, or Chaffin on a 1yr deal for $3-4M? The whole point of the OP is not to ignore the bargain bin. Again, that's where these guys came from. I think the point is more that these guys are EXAMPLES of some arms that might be actual 40 man choices. Not to say this is the entire list of opportunity additions.

I'm remaining an optimist until they give me reason not to be. With the manager and coaching changes, with talent on hand, with 4 top 10 position player prospects probably making their debut at some point this season...and a couple others who might...I just don't believe in "giving up". The OP is strictly referencing Lopez and Festa's health as reasons for optimism. I just happen to see more reasons than those two.

Here are some suggestions I've presented in different threads: FA backup catcher for $3M. FA 1B, I'd prefer O'Hearn but I don't know if we can get him for $8-10M THREE veteran, FA, BP arms for around $12M. The payroll is around $120M. And while that's way lower than it should be, it's lower than where 2025 started, and lower than where it actually ended. And none of the top prospects are blocked.

Any rebuild won't happen overnight. But before you get to a dominate bullpen, you have to ask for competency. And this upcoming season, probably more than most, is going to be a mix of ages, experience, and previous success. Or lack there of. Hawk is a very bright guy, well liked, and literally has some of the most pen experience of all time. I believe he will embrace all of the data available today, along with the combination of experience and psychology that comes with it. He knows what it means to fail and to succeed. While I like his hiring overall, and believe he can do the job with a variety of different players, I think working with a number of young arms that have transitioned, or are about to, from starter to reliever is where he might make his most immediate mark.

Phenomenal article. Thanks for sharing. I was not privy to the information regarding loopholes several teams can manipulate to their financial benefit. Those have to be closed for the good of the game and it's future. But billionaire owners also shouldn't be paying other billionaire owners to make no attempt at a viable product and merely pocket the shared venue $ as a form of billionaire welfare. The NFL has more balanced revenue sharing and a cap. But they don't have a hars floor. Teams must have a payroll floor based on a % of the cap itself, but it's fluid over...IIRC...a 3 year period. Something along the lines of a 75% minimum but you can spend less for a 2yr period. This is intended for teams that suddenly get old or lose players to FA and need to re-build. At least in theory. MLB needs to close ridiculous loopholes as presented in the article. They need a more balanced revenue sharing, which should be easier with said loopholes closed. After that, they either need a cap, or higher tax penalties for those "super spending" teams. But they also need some sort of mandated floor or incentive based plan for those bottom feeding, welfare teams to spend. Absolutely ridiculous billionaire owners are being forced to subsidize other billionaires to the detriment of MLB as a whole. The TOP teams won't like part of this. The BOTTOM teams won't like part of this. SOME of the TOP players might make a little less with these changes. But the lower and middle class players across the league will probably see an actual increase in their income. Fans will have a greater interest as more teams will have a better, more balanced playing field on which to compete. The game will be stronger as a whole. That should also lead to growth. More fan interest and more growth means more $ coming in for teams and the league collectively. I've been saying almost these exact same things for a couple years now, though I'm no expert on the details of how to put this all together. But for the good and growth of the game, the solution is very obvious. Unfortunately, what seems "obvious" for both sides is an attempt to "beat" the other side versus doing what's best overall for everyone.

Gotta find a backup catcher from somewhere. Hopefully that's just around $3M. If the budget had enough room for an inexpensive, veteran glove man for a utility spot, I wouldn't object. Right now, Fitzgerald is probably the #1 option and while it could be worse, that's also not great. The whole "just get someone cheap every year to play 1B wnd just cross your fingers" is getting beyond frustrating. As well as ridiculous. Currently, the unproven Fedko and Roden have some 1B experience. Young Mendez is going to get some opportunity at 1B, but he's only just started. Amick has a chance to be a solid candidate. But we're basically talking about rookies and AA prospects. So personally, I'm OK with one more year of the 1B carousel in hopes of actually finding a couple internal options by 2027. I like that option better than utility man Clemens or just open auditions for the prospect that would stink the least. But if they go the FA route...versus trade or immediate conversion...it's got to be someone better than France. But other than that, on the position side, it should be existing players and prospects, prospects, and prospects.

I really liked the potential Festa showed in 2024. For the most part, he took a step back last season, but his shoulder was seemingly never 100%. At least not past the first month or so when he went on the Saints IL with "tired arm" syndrom. But so far, in what is still a SSS, he's had a tough time getting past the 5th inning. With his build, and with the shoulder issues he had last season, I really think his future is in the pen. I can easily see him as a late inning, power, high K arm and maybe a potential closer. In theory, the rotation currently has options that include: Lopez, Ryan, Ober, SWR, Bradley, Matthews, Abel, Morris with Prielipp, Rojas, CJ Culpepper and others at least slightly behind them. And that's me assuming Lewis, Raya, and Klein all moving to a pen role. There SHOULD be enough depth/talent to place Festa in the pen. And it just might be where he's beat suited.

There's 3 or 4 LH options I like better than Milner, and they shouldn't cost a lot more. (Coulombe, Rogers, Chaffin, and maybe Thielbar). But this is the direction not only available to the Twins, but probably the only real path open to them. And these RH options may or may not be on the Twins radar. They may or may not be smart choices. But this does go to show there are arms like this out there that could be smart, 1yr options as bridge arms for 2026. They need bodies, hopefully of some quality. And those veteran options keep the team from continuing to blow games. And those veteran options provide that bridge while the younger, internal arms gain some experience. It's a question of the FO/scouts making the smart/right choices.

Ugh. No. May as a $4-5M pen arm only. I don't care about his potential as a SP. If he can't stay on the field, it's time to try something else. Maybe he's just destined to be a RP. Of all the young starters they've collected, where would May fit anyway? No way the Twins pay that kind of $ for a fragile rotation option. Hoskins? He could be a great comeback story. But after a really bad 2025 and a not so great 2024, and at age 33, he needs to be thinking $5-6M, maybe with some incentives, to prove he's not over and done.

I'm with you. While always a deep follower of the MILB system, I'm almost to the point on putting my focus there for 2026 more than ever. The problem is, we also probably get to see 5 or maybe even 6 of the Twins best prospects debuting sometime in 2026. Added insult to injury, I've been a fan for over 50yrs as a recently turned 60yo. So I'm kind of screwed when it comes to apathy in regard to the ML team.

(Fingers in ears) Yadav yada yada. Man, I get it. But I all about a WAY LOWER than average ML payroll of around $120M-ish where we have a little over $30M to make a handful of smart additions, trust a new day and a new staff will get the most out of Lewis, Buxton, Jeffers, Wallner, Lee, Keaschall, etc, and welcome in Rodriguez, Jenkins, Culpepper, and Gonzalez at some point in 2026 and do the best to build an acceptable, average bullpen with a few conversion arms that might help later in the season. I don't believe in just "giving up" when I see a solid base in place for my team. High quality SP is the hardest thing to find. The Twins have at least some of that. So until I hear some ridiculous payroll number, I'm going to be "that guy" who isn't willing to give up on a RE-TOOL vs RE-BUILD.

Run another 250 or 500, or whatever, and STOP when we have the #1 or #2 pick? We need Kharma!! 😃

Hopefully Amick now starts to RAKE. But I suspect he's playing with his stance and approach to find his previous power while not losing the improvements he made last year in his contact numbers. Winokur, still so young, keeps producing runs despite his actual AVG. I remain a bit surprised he was sent to the AFL. But doing so tells me a couple different things. 1] Despite amazing athleticism and some amazing plays, they want to see him a little more at SS before 2026 begins. 2] Whether he's actually working on something in particular as a hitter or not, they want to see him against a higher level of pitching before 2026 begins. While the AFL doesn't often feature TOP pitching prospects, the arms there have generally been accepted as AA quality.

I don't disagree. But very few top pitching prospects go to the AFL. Teams generally give them a little rest break before they go the offseason Instruction League. The exception, of course, are for guys coming off injury and maybe they just want to see them get some innings in. I'd remind you about Kade Bragg for the Twins in last year's AFL. He was drafted in 2023 but was hurt and only got in to about 6 games in 2024. (Don't recall if that was pre or post injury). And he had a terrible AFL! But it provided an experience that springboard him to having an outstanding 2025 season at 3 levels, including AA, where he was again excellent. And he should be at St Paul to begin 2026. Boadas is in a similar position right now having missed so much time to injury. The velocity is there and general effectiveness is there, even if the control/command aren't yet.

I believe there is a path for a solid, competent bullpen. Not a great one. But one that can be solid/competent. I wouldn't move Matthews there yet. There's just too much potential still there after mixed results in 2025, which was basically a rookie year after a late looksee in 2024. But I'd remind everyone that I believe Bradley is out of options, as is SWR. So if Matthews turns a corner, or Abel suddenly takes off, Bradley might end up in the pen. But I'm not looking at any of them for the Day 1 pen. I'm also of the belief that Prielipp is sticking as a SP for now. And considering his still vast potential as a LH option, that's the smart play. Do let's look at how to try to build this solid/competent pen for 2026: FESTA has been largely dominant in his brief career once and even twice through a lineup. He probably hits 100mph in a 1 IP stint. He's also had some shoulder issues. His TOS issue was about as mild as could be hoped for. Let's hope that remains true. He's perfect for 1 IP 2-3 times a week. SANDS had a tremendous 2024. He then had a really mediocre 2025 before a series of really good performances over the last 2 months. Minus about a 7-10 stretch, he looked like his '24 self. He has the potential to be a key component. FUNDERBURK has flashed at times, but been terribly inconsistent. IIRC, part of his issue previously was against LH hitters. TWO MONTHS, even very good ones, doesn't mean he's figured it out. But those were a couple of very good months. TOPA as the 7th man in the pen, with experience, and a decent track record when healthy, is inexpensive, and not a bad option. But I'm sure not wanting him a setup role unless he re-discovers his 2023 season with Seattle. ADAMS, OHL, and LAWYERSON are 3 candidates for the rotating 8th spot in the pen. Neither Adams or Ohl have enough pure stuff for the rotation. But max velocity and good control for each could make them a potentially solid fit as 1 IP options. But for now, they are part of the shuttle to St Paul as the 8th man until they prove otherwise. And Lawyerson is, and has been throughout his MILB career, and effective middle man. So he's part of the "8th man" contingent for now. (Really wish they had brought up Laweryson earlier for a longer look last year). In theory, 5 spots are mostly filled. WHO ELSE MIGHT HELP: Unless I've imagined it or mis-read something, Lewis and Raya have already been moved to reliever status going forward. Both posses the arsenal to become effective relief options, but I'd be surprised if either was ready opening day. Rumors surrounding Klein...big, strong, good velocity and a nice assortment of pitches...might also be moved to the pen. I can see him being very effective there. And LH arm MacLeod also began the transition to the pen last year. But he was very inconsistent on his AAA arrival. And there was a surprising number of highly productive RP arms in AA this past season that should all hit St Paul this year. That's unusual. But these are all surprises, or later in 2026 options. So we still have 3 spots to fill effectively. COULOMBE, THIELBAR, ROGERS, and CHAFIN are ALL over 30yo and possibly coming to the close of their careers. In fact, I believe all 4 will be 35yo plus for 2026. But all 4 ALSO had solid seasons in 2025 and have had solid careers. I have a hard time believing any of them will get more than 1yr and $3-4M max. Take your pick. But ONE of them...hopefully picking the RIGHT one...gives the 2026 pen another solid LH arm Ideally, the budget allows for a couple solid, decent RH arms with some experience. I've heard mention of Devin Williams after a down season on a "make good" 1yr deal for $5M. That would be outstanding. But I don't see that happening. The list of possibilities is at least a page long. So I really have no clue who would really be a good target, or two, but even another Tyler Clippard or Sergio Romo type...preferably 2 of them...for around $3-4M could go a long way to just a decent, viable, experienced arm, or 2, to add depth, experience, and place holding while a couple other young arms develop throughout 2026. Of course you also bring in some invites on MILB deals. That's how the Twins got Stewart, Thielbar, and others in the past. Some helped for a season. Some helped more than that. But just as a reminder, Aguilera, Guardado, Trombley, Duffy, Duran, Jax, and Varland are only a handful of past and near present former "failed" starters who became excellent RP for the Twins. For some it happened immediately. For some it took a little longer. Will this pen be built overnight to something strong? That would be almost impossible. But with the arms on hand, 2 or 3 $3-4M FA, a flier or two, and working with the younger arms just begining their conversions to the pen, it's still possible to have a decent/solid pen for 2026. IMO.

OK, I don't mean his game performance against the Lions was anything special. He played a good, solid game with a couple of great throws that indicate his potential. And to be fair, some rust showed as there were a few off target throws that might have helped the offense put this game away had he been more on target. And it sure doesn't hurt having Jones back, Darrisaw in at LT for a whole game, and Allen and Hargrave are starting to make a difference. But didn't it appear the whole team just raised their game against the Lions? Could that be due to having their young QB back out there and performing well? It sure feels like he already has the respect of the team. No offense to Wentz. He did the best he could under some difficult circumstances. And I don't know that KOC has called games as well as he has in the past. Goodness knows the team has dealt with it's share of injuries thus far in 2025. But it sure looked to me as if the whole team had extra intensity and a different bounce in their steps in this one.

The Twins had the lead. Hrbek was an excellent 1B and I don't believe Rocco would want him out of the game. Additionally, Hrbek was a veteran hitter and a decent OB% guy for his career. And with Hrbek really being the only big threat from the LH side, I believe he would have been given a long runway in regard to facing LHP all season long. So no, I don't believe he would have been PH for.

Thanks Jamie! Between the podcasts and articles like this, it really helps to get to know these players so far ahead of time. But as you pointed out, we're still a LONG way from the next draft and a lot of things can and will change between now and then. As I recall, Skenes was a later 1st round option before his breakout year at LSU. Being the greedy fan that I am, of course I'd love Lady Luck being on our side and we win the #1 spot. But based on early expectations of talent available, and knowing how most drafts work, anywhere in the top 3 could provide a tremendous option.

Caratini would be an excellent choice. And there's a decent chance he's got a couple solid years left in him. But I don't think the $ will work. While he saw limited action in 2025, I can see McCann for 1yr in the $3M range, which is probably max for the Twins. He could be a valuable 30-35% games caught guy. I might add Elias Diaz to the list as well. He's had a solid career and was still an effective hitter in 2024. He bottomed out in 2025. The Padres, I believe, hold a $7M option for 2026 that I doubt they will pick up. Even though he'll be 35yo, I could see a rebound season from him on a 1yr deal.

No thought of a grade on my end. As already stated more than once, how about we actually see what he does on the job for a season first? Right now, I'm waiting to see what his staff looks like. He's probably not going to spend much time, if at all, as a hitting instructor. But can he assemble a good set of hitting coaches to work with current players, and those that will be debuting soon? Ask me this time in 2026 and I'll have a graded opinion.

Trading Ryan SHOULD bring back a ransom. I keep reading rumors from the BoSox about an OF and others, including their 1st round pick of Whitmore I think it is. And there other options presented. But I'm one who hates to speculate on trades. While an IMMEDIATE upgrade in the OF sounds enticing, do the Twins really need that? And yet another OF who may be great, but lack control? MAYBE I'm actually smarter than Falvey. But I'd be focused on a few adds, pushing the Pohlads for some $, and concentrate on my new manager and his coaching staff. I have a TON of talent on the arm side of things. My offense needs a leader and an adoptive approach because I have a TON of talent on hand and about to debut. My pitching staff needs to take what I have and raise it to another level. But did I hire a babysitter? Or did I hire someone who will work with me in the new distraction I see us taking place? Sorry, but screw trade BS. The Twins SHOULD be looking at what they can accomplish with improvement. NOT what they could save. Falvey, you SHOW ME a trade for Ryan that makes a difference and I will admit how damn smart you pretend to be.