DocBauer

My response is both YES and NO to the OP. They need GOOD LH OF, and they have some pretty interesting ones on hand, and two that should be removed. The recent TWINS OFF DAY podcast put together a very interesting $110M forecast for 2026 that included Larnach being moved...with an additional asset or two...to the Phillies to bring in young pen arm Orion Kerkering who many not exactly be welcome back in Philadelphia after a major error that may have ended their season. Unless I missed it somewhere, I don't recall them ever stating what the other piece(s) in the deal were. But that's the kind of thinking the FO should be looking at. Larnach is NOT bad player. But he only sets a floor for the Twins at this point, and might be more valuable for another team. Outman ONLY makes sense if both Rodriguez and Jenkins begin 2026 in AAA. He could be a temporary 4-5th OF until promotions take place. I'm on record as saying I'd give RF to Rodriguez for opening day if he has a decent, healthy ST, and just live with some growing pains. If they need to send him down at some point. I'd rather do that in June instead of July or August. And Outman should ONLY be a temporary player at best. So that kind of eliminates 2 of the proposed "glut". I think it's a mistake to be down on Roden after a very brief rookie debut that was cut short by injury. He's solid defensively at the corners, has experience at 1B and shouldn't be dismissed there, and can cover CF on occasion. Offensively he profiles as a decent hitter with some power and has decent speed. Very doubtful he has STAR potential, but he could be a really useful player. Maybe a LH version of old favorite Lew Ford? Mendez moving to 1B is the kind of imaginative thinking I've been begging the FO to consider. He's average at best in the OF but has an interesting bat? Then put him at 1B and see if you've got something there! Although they are RH, do the same thing with Gonzalez and Rosario. I am fully on board for the Twins added a FA 1B for 2026. There simply aren't any obvious, internal choices at the moment. My choice would be Nathaniel Lowe. I don't care that he bats LH. 75% of the league throws RH, and he has solid career splits against LHP. He's not a STUD, but he's a really solid player. Only 30yo, I'd be willing for a 2yr deal to just settle 1B for the short term. He easily fits in to a payroll of $110M. But quit "shoving" the likes of Arraez and the such at 1B and just tell them to do the best they can. Start being imaginative at the MILB level. Regarding Clemens, please stop telling us what a great "value" he was. He did a solid job. He's not bad as a LH power hitter who can play 4 spots, and maybe 5 if he can be a competent, emergency 3B, which he's played in the minors. But he should NEVER be considered as a potential starter anywhere. He's a decent, solid bench option that you hope to replace a year from now. Period. Regarding the whole Red Sox/Ryan rumors and scenarios. I absolutely, positively don't want to move Ryan. (Or Lopez). But I'm not going to go on another rant about my feelings on the potential of the team with a few smart moves, etc, etc. IF such a trade were made, there's nothing wrong with adding a quality, experienced LH OF. At least in theory. But is that really the smart play when you have TWO top 50 prospects who have tremendous talent...not proven yet, granted...who you haven't even debuted yet? I'm all about adding talent in any proposed trade. But why not actually SEE if the TOP prospects you've been nurturing, and are very close, and could have multiple years of control ahead of them, are what they might actually be before you add another option? Outman should be gone soon, if not immediately. But if Rodriguez and Jenkins are held back for a while, I guess he might have a temporary bench role. Larnach should be moved. Be smart. Be creative. Add a prospect or two, and add someone who can help the club. Maybe the previously mentioned move to the Phillies for Kerking isn't really so crazy. Wallner should be the primary DH sooner rather than later. He could really excel in that area, and still be a competent backup corner OF here and there. Roden has a chance to be a solid, versatile, and fairly productive role player. Clemens should be a role player, NOT a starting player. Mendez should be playing a lot of 1B going forward. Too many LH OF? YES and NO. Move one, get rid of another ASAP, move one to 1B, and see what you have with the other 3.

I really don't like this OP. It's WAY TOO SOON to even be talking about this! It's really another version of the Berrios trade. Has Berrios been good for the Jays? Yes. Has he been a STUD? No. But has SWR turned out to be a solid ML SP who has shown potential? Yes. Has Martin finally started to look like a solid player? Also yes. Does it matter if BOTH teams got a good return? We're AT LEAST 2yrs before we can determine who WON a trade. But since I'm a sucker for Twins commentary, I guess I'm going to have to make some comments. 1] I didn't like Stewart for Outman simply because I thought Stewart might help the 2026 pen. Lose-lose for for both teams and it doesn't matter. 2] Paddack, an impending FA who wasn't coming back for a decent catching prospect with some solid potential behind the plate and AT the plate? WIN. 3] Coulombe for a younger LHP who MIGHT make it, but also might just become a solid LHRP, sort of "replacing" Coulombe in the future? And we can still resign Coulombe this offseason? WIN. 4] Bader, an impending FA looking for a better deal that wasn't coming back...especially with 3 top 10 OF prospects scheduled to debut in 2026...for an interesting LH OF/1B option with potential, and a low A flier? Gotta say WIN again. Here is where it gets tough. 5] Jax for Bradley. I think Jax was undervalued due to a weird season where he was great, but also had weird inconsistentcy and bad luck. While still very young and talented, Bradley is a WILD CARD in regard to his future. No insult to him, but will he mature with a new organization that will work with him and he will accept new ideas and coaching to be a top 1-3 rotation arm? Or is he destined to be a BP arm who is a talented setup man or potential closer? I'm saying NUETRAL on him until I see improvement. He might be a younger Jax replacement. 6] I'm a big fan of Castro. He was a tremendous find for the FO. I'm hoping they can find someone even close to what he was this offseason. But somewhere along the line, in 2025 he became more of an OF and less of an INF option. Was that Baldelli? Or was it an erosion of his glove? I really don't know. But I think I'd trust him more, slightly, than Fitzgerald at this point, with no disrespect. Gallagher was a 6th round pick by the Cubs in 2024 who didn't play pro ball until 2025 wherr he reached AA status and he did OK as a 22yo "rookie". He's actually a fairly solid prospect. Armstrong is just a big, strong kid with limited potential who needs to move to move to the pen with any hope. Considering Castro wasn't going to be resigned, and with SOME potential in Gallagher, I'd say NUETRAL at this point. 7] Varland for Roden and Rojas. I wouldn't have made this move. I think the controllable Varland would have been the best arm in the 2026 bullpen. Roden has potential to be a solid player. His limited pro debut shouldn't discount him. He's got a nice set of skills to make him a valuable 4th OF or potential 1B even. And he wouldn't be the 1st rookie to struggle in a SSS. But this trade reality comes down to the potential of Rojas. Despite being pushed to AAA unnecessarily by the Twins and initial poor results reflect his potential, or is he a young arm they really believe will thrive in the future based on potential? I want to say the Twins lost on this one, but what if Roden becomes a solid bench player and a year from now Rojas looks like a really nice rotation arm? My initial grade is a LOSS. But this COULD be a win a year from now. 8] Duran for Tait and Abel. How can you possibly expect to WIN a trade when you move a talent like Duran for prospects? And I suppose it all depends on who the Twins sign in FA, and how the talent on hand translates to the bullpen. Duran was only a prospect until he wasn't. Same with Jax. Same with Varland. Same with so many past Twins closers and top setup arms in the history of the Twins. But it's also hard to acquire 2 top 100 prospects in Tait and Abel and say the Twins blew a trade. I'm really torn on this one. I can see Festa, maybe Bradley, suddenly taking over Duran's role. And IF that happens then the Twins do win this trade. It's really hard to see a WIN here right now. I'm FORCED to say NUETRAL for NOW because Duran is so damn good, but there's enough talent on hand to potentially replace him. Who was he before he became a stud? Who was Perkins or Nathan before they became who they were? 8] I HONESTLY can't believe I'm saying this as I became a big fan of the man and the player, but are we better off without Correa? I just recently turned 60yo. Between radio and limited TV, Smalley was my youth SS. And he was damn good. But Gagne was the best SS, undervalued, I've seen in my 50 plus years watching the Twins. And then Correa came on board. I've seldom seen anyone play SS the way he did with the Twins. He was so good, so smart, and when healthy, he put up some of his best numbers as a Twin. And he was so ENGAGED as a Twin that he knew knew the prospects in the system. But is it possible that the Twins only got to see a glimpse of his previous talent interrupted by injury? It appears that might be the case. And that's really unfortunate. But whatever his future might hold, $20M of his contract is off the books. Some have speculated he might have had a negative affect on younger players per his expirations. I have no clue about that. I just know that when he was healthy he was awesome in the field and quality at the plate. But sometimes things just don't work out. So this trade might just work out if the Twins re-invest his deal for 2026. It's really, really hard to call anything here. But IF they can spend the $20M GAIN in the trade, it MIGHT be a win.

I'm going to yea to Finnegan and no to the others. He offers up the most upside to stabilize the pen and is the closest projected salary...as presented here...to what the Twins MIGHT be able to afford. Weaver is WAY too expensive and as pointed out, Khanle lacks some OOMPH in his velocity and there could be some residual bad feeling between him and Hawkins. But here's the #1 problem Matt... though I appreciate your thoughts...Addison Reed and his 2yr $16M deal remains the biggest deal thus FO has signed a RP for, and we know how that turned out. If memory serves, since then, the most they have paid a reliever in any given season was $4 or $4.5M. And I think that's really more the target zone we have to be looking at. If there was ANY way they could grab Finnegan for $5M, the Twins should JUMP at that for 1yr. I'm just not sure they can get him for that, but it sure would be nice to do so. I'm just not certain it's a realistic hope. I haven't had time to peruse the normal, looong list of available RHRP to offer up solid options. But I've heard Ian Hamilton's name mentioned. He had 2 good years with the Yankees but slipped some in 2025. But did he really? ERA for a RP is a very tenuous thing. His hits per 9 was actually better in 2025 than 2024, but he BB went up, and he still K'd over 9 per. I've heard Ryan Pressly mentioned. IIRC, he was actually very good the first 2-2 1/2 months of 2025 and then suddenly slid. Is he toast? Or is there an adjustment to be made that might get him back on track for at least 1 more solid season? I recently read a partial fluff, partial series idea of brining in the Rogers Twins. And while it would be a tremendous story, it's also a very interesting idea to fill the Twins pen needs. Combined, they'd offer a pair of veteran pieces coming off solid seasons that could help from both sides for a speculated, combined $9M-ish. There is hope and potential for Raya, Lewis, and Klein to be quality pen arms that are transitioning from the rotation. This is nothing new for the Twins who have a great history of doing so. But most all the previous arms that have done so have also had experience...with very mixed results...at the ML level before they transitioned successfully to the pen. Does that mean a rookie CAN'T make an immediate transition and do well? Absolutely not. But you really want a couple experienced veterans to help lead the way IF you have ANY idea of being a competitive team in 2026. If they're serious about moving Prielipp to the pen, then Festa also has to be considered. History says he's borderline awesome ONCE through a lineup, and pretty good the second time. But that's when he starts to be questionable. That doesn't mean he can't improve and develop in to a solid ML SP. But take those results, pure stuff, need, opportunity, and his recent shoulder injury, and he's a PERFECT candidate to be the next Varland/Jax, and MAYBE the next Duran. So again, if they're serious about Prielipp, why not Festa? And let's say the last 2 months of Funderburk was actually a turning point for him. How about a veteran LH option to help lead the way and help stabilize the pen? While long in the tooth, Coulombe, Rogers, Chaffin, and Thielbar ALL had quality 2025 seasons. Why not one of them for $3-4M on a 1yr? And why not THREE LH options in the pen? It was a luxury the Twins had in the early '00 when Gardenhire managed some very good teams. But the pen really needs a solid veteran RH arm to work along side Festa, in MY scenario, along with Sands, Orze, Topa, Ohl, and Adams, along with the new converts to help bridge the gap for the likes of Raya, Lewis, Klein, and others. Finnegan would be ideal. I just think payroll is going to indicate a lower cost option. I'm just not sure who that is right now.

Cody, I think your pretty close if the season started TOMORROW. But doesn't it also depend on whether Falvey continues to hold on to his precious "depth" MO instead of playing the best, and younger, talent on hand? Just my opinion: OF: Martin, Buxton, Rodriguez, and Wallner as the primary DH and backup corner OF. Larnach is moved, and Outman has a small chance, but more on him later. And this changes June/July 1st-ish when Jenkins is ready. (Gonzalez probably later in the season). INF: Lewis, Lee, Keaschall, and Fitzgerlad as utility/SS depth. Why not open up 1B to Roden and Fedko to compete and share 1B and ALSO be 4th OF if they both look like they can stick? Clemens then backs up 4 or 5 spots as a utility player. Outman has a chance to begin the season...ugh...as a backup OF if either Roden or Fedko don't stick. And do we really need to see more of Julien and just keep him because he's put of options? And we add another quality piece of the puzzle around July 1st when K-Pepper is ready. CATCHER: Jeffers and Jackson. ROTATION: Lopez, Ryan, Ober, SWR, and Bradley. But Bradley has a lot to prove to me still. And I believe he's got an option remaining. And there's depth and competition with Matthews, Abel, and Morris. BULLPEN: Funderburk, Prielipp, Festa, Sands, Orze, Topa, Klein, and Ohl/Adams in a shootout. If they're serious about Prielipp moving to the pen, then they have to be serious about placing Festa there as well based on success 2 times through the rotation and his shoulder issues this past season. Klein has solid stuff and good K potential. Just my opinion based on today's candidates and options.

Sorry if I'm going to again repeat comments I've stated previously, but they are part of this discussion. LF, IMO, is also impacted by RF. But LF first. Stick with me here! Martin seemed to have a breakthrough at AAA last season, and it's just really unfortunate he was plaged early with a bad hamstring injury. We can say his 2 months as a productive and primary player is a SSS, but I'm not sure I buy that based on previous ML experience, and improvement not only with the glove, but also his bat at both levels. If we don't see a big regression, I like Martin to open in LF. He would seem to provide a major upgrade defensively over anyone who has been there the last few years, excepting Bader of course. He also increases team speed and baserunning, which is also a positive. Maybe I'm a little old fashioned, and I do believe in giving the most AB to your best hitters, but I also believe there is value in an "old school" approach to giving pitchers fits, and getting runners on base for your BEST hitters to have RBI opportunities. Keaschall is born to be a highly productive #1 hitter. If we get an 2026 approximation of what Martin looked like last season, I'd put his contact and OB% ability and speed at #2. At least to start the upcoming season, but more on that to come. And Buxton, and all his power, should hit #3 with, ideally, some baserunners he can drive in. Roden is not a TOP prospect. But he's also not a bad prospect. And he's not the first rookie to struggle on his initial debut. But he has actual HIT, contact, and solid OB numbers on his resume, along with some power, solid speed, and good defense. And while I believe he MIGHT be a 1B candidate, I see him as a possible 4 position player...able to cover CF decently if needed...he has the potential to be an ideal 4th OF/bench player who might form a nice quasi-platoon in LF with Martin. That means he can give Martin days off against some really tough RHSP but they don't have to be a direct platoon. UNFORTUNATELY, I'm really worried that Falvey's pride or misplaced optimism will FORCE Outman, possibly ahead of the younger and potential-filled Roden, to be on the roster. I think we all agree that would be a huge mistake as we've all seen that Outman is nothing more than a AAAA player you wouldn't mind having in reserve at AAA. He's just NOT a ML player. But let's assume, for a moment, that Falvey puts his pride aside, and he let's roster construction be organic and let Roden make the roster as a much better "prospect" with potential. LF and the bench start to look pretty solid with Martin as the primary, and Roden as a solid LH option there, and in RF, CF if/when needed, and maybe even a 1B option for depth purposes at least. But we honestly can't talk about LF without also discussing RF. I think of it as the "Outman" factor. IF Falvey's pride and stubbornness just REFUSES to let go of Outman...despite logical objections from the rest of reality...Roden could end up in RF, allowing Wallner to be the primary DH. The defense and team speed take a jump, and so might the offense. But is that optimum? NO, IMO. Martin is not the only young player that lost ML time due to injury. Rodriguez also lost time for the same. When a couple OF injuries hit and McCusker was promoted to sit on the bench, a healthy Rodriguez would have been promoted. And this is where the rubber meets the road. The super talented Rodriguez that remains a bit of an enigma, would have probably been brought up before Martin had both been healthy when injuries hit. Rodriguez has tremendous potential. He's still a bit of an unknown. He's probably always going to be a 3 outcome player with good defense and speed. But is that a bad thing? He's probably a faster, better defender than Wallner with a little less power. Again, is that a bad thing? Rodriguez has PRODUCED at every level he's played at, even with missing some time. And he's had a hell of a good Winter Ball. And he has 1 option remaining. Better he comes to ST and shows his potential early and makes the roster and either RAKES, maybe shows progress, or maybe needs a few weeks back at St Paul for a short re-set before coming back again. Honestly, with 1 option remaining, would you rather have Rodriguez start the 2026 season with the Twins and run with him, and then send him down for a few weeks and bring him back up? Or would you rather have him spend a month or more at AAA, then bring him up, and then potentially send him back down in July? That just doesn't make sense to me. If he's healthy and has a solid ST, he's my primary RF to begin 2026 and I'm running with him as long as I can, accepting some growing pains, and knowing I can spend his final option if I think he needs a short term re-set about July 1st-ish. June 1st or July 1st-ish is also about the same time I see Jenkins ready to debut. And this is also when I start to think things potentially begin to change. I am starting to believe in Martin being the producer he was late in 2025. I like him as the #2 hitter, as previously stated, to begin 2026 behind Keaschall and ahead of Buxton. There's even a chance Lee, which I haven't previously mentioned, could improve enough to take over the #2 spot in the lineup, moving Martin to the #9 spot, to begin 2026. NOT betting on it, but it remains a possibility if Lee's contact ability starts to lead to PRODUCTIVE AVG and OB% with some power mixed in. Martin as a lineup FLIP secondary leadoff hitter could be excellent. BUUUT, at some point in 2026, Rodriguez and Jenkins are going to debut. And that changes the entire OF construction. In ALL scenarios, Wallner takes over the primary DH, plays OF part time, and that's a good thing. Martin gets an opportunity to prove he's a valuable ML player, even though someone BETTER might move him to a bench spot come June or July. He can still be an important part of a 13 player roster initially, if not the future. Same with Roden as a possible 4th OF, or 1B, or a 4 position depth piece. You see, LF discussion isn't really just about LF. It's really about LF/RF opening day and about June/July 1st. And it also opens discussion WHY this team should be dismantled and re-built when there is so much talent about ready to debut and progress, including rotation talent and depth. Amazing to me how a LF article seems so limited on the surface. But when you start to actually break it down, it's about the entire OF, and DH. And we barely touched on 1B. And have barely touched the INF, nor SP. But some just assume there isn’t enough talent to continue and we should blow it all up?

Mostly agree and partially disagree. 1] KEEP the rotation intact. PERIOD. Quality SP is the hardest thing to find and build. 2] Golschmidt might be a potential HOF contender. But he really tanked in the 2nd half. Considering $ I'd look at Nathaniel Lowe for around $8-10M. He's had a quiet but productive career. He didn't HIT well in 2025, but still had a better stat line than Clemens. His 43 XBH were decent. He's nothing special, but he's solid. And even a down 2025 didn't stink. 3] I don't know if Thielbar is the answer or not. I could easily see him, Coulombe, Rogers, or Chaffin being a quality signing. While long in the tooth, they all had good 2025 seasons. Just pick the right one for one more quality season in the sun. 1yr at around $3M or so? 3B] They also need a veteran RHRP just to stabilize the pen. Some ideas have included Pressly as an option. He had a good couple months to begin 2025 and then fell apart. I only use him as an example. Is there a Sergio Romo type, again for example purposes only, that could be had for $4-5M? The possibilities from the RH side are numerous, so I'm not going to name one specifically, but that's the general idea. 4] Raya and Lewis are already headed to the pen. Each offers some intrigue, but I don't know that either would be ready for opening day. I hate, hate, hate Festa and Prielipp moving to the pen. But the logic is there for both. Festa's STUFF is very good. Especially if he can develop his 2 seamer. But his build and injury concerns scream that he should throw 1 inning 2 or 3 times a week and be a dominate reliever. And maybe it's just time for fans like myself to accept that's the best role for Prielipp. Grrr! Not what I wanted, but it just makes sense. Klein is a dark horse that a lot of people haven't been paying enough attention to. He's got the build and the pitches to suggest he might still be a SP option. But with increased velocity in 2025 and high K numbers, he could be the next Varland. Assuming nobody selects CJ Culpepper in the rule 5, he still has SP potential. But injuries have held him back. He just might be better in more appearances and shorter stints. He might skyrocket up the chain if put in that role. Just a few examples. If Bradley or Matthews doesn't get their act together, they might also transition. 5] A healthy Rodriguez is ready for MLB if healthy. He would have been up last year with better health. His winter is proving more and more he's ready. Let him play, and let us live with some growing pains if he has them. The OF gets better, team speed gets power, we add another power bat, and Wallner becomes the primary DH filling that hole.

I am completely flumoxed by the current 40 man. With no insult intended, just being caustic but accurate, at least half of the listed 7 shouldn't be rostered at this point. JULIEN: Well, I guess if you want to give him ONE MORE CHANCE to see if he can resurrect his bat, OK I guess. But unless he surprises and becomes the 1B, allowing Clemens to be a utility player again, what does he offer? He has ZERO options, only plays 2 positions at a mediocre level, and only provides AAA depth if he clears waivers. Which he probably would. So what do they really see here? OUTMAN: Almost 30yo, can't hit AT ALL, and his defense looked ordinary at best while with the Twins. Rodriguez plays CF, so does Jenkins, so can Roden and Martin to a degree. So can Fedko, to a degree. He should be OUT. Is this a Falvey ego thing? McCUSKER: He was promoted while still hot in AAA and basically sat and got splinters. And then he finished the season after a cold 2nd half at AAA. WTH? They obviously don't believe in him. GASPER/PEREDA: One is an actual catcher, one used to catch but his former team stopped playing him behind the dish. Neither is anything close to being a real talent. IF you want to actually roster a #3 catcher, then pick ONE and move on. But you could probably cut both and they'd probably go unclaimed and could be signed back on a MILB deal. KREIDLER/FITZGERALD: Even if he has a really good glove, Kreidler has proven he can't hit. Fitzgerald has shown at least a little with the bat, occasional power, can run a bit, and has a decent glove. But to keep BOTH? Isn't there a rule 5 or FA that could be added cheap to challenge this duo? I'm not saying there's another Castro out there just waiting for the right opportunity, And with all due respect, I'm going to include Larnach in this discussion. He didn't have to be offered arbitration. So why was he? Probably for the same reason 7 are still rostered. Falvey likes to set a FLOOR and then move forward. If crap hits the fan in regard to payroll, Larnach can be the LH DH and play OF occasionally as necessary. But not only can he still be traded...which is what I think the FO is attempting to due...but his arbitration numbers and roster spot can still be removed. There is no guarantee involved just yet. But to be frank, this a STUPID 40 man roster! While there might not actually be a viable NEED to add them, CJ Culpepper should have been added based on potential, despite some injury concerns. They don't seem to believe in Fedko as a possibility, but he he's younger than Outman, hits RH, can play multiple positions, and at least offers SOME upside. He may, or may not, have ML ability. But tell me Outman and McCusker do? All of this will probably figure itself out. Eventually, the Twins will sign a couple decent pen arms, and that will mean DFA for some of the guys on this list, the same way Keirsey was DFA. And at least one more has to go before the rule 5 draft. It's absolutely prudent for the Twins to take a shot at SOMEONE who might stick in the pen, or be a better option than Kreidler/Fitzgerald as a backup SS/utility option with potential. Even if they miss, what's better? Holding on to Outman/McCusker or taking a shot at a talent that might stick? The 40 man has 7 very easy cuts. Again, some will go when a couple FA are signed. One should be gone for a possible rule 5 pick. But even though the risk of losing someone within the system is small, I would have just cut bait on most of these 7 and protected CJ Culpepper, and possibly Fedko and Rosario simply because they offer up a hell of a lot more upside than players who simply don't figure in to 2026 or the future.

I don't know good Susac is defensively, but I do like the idea of grabbing him in the rule 5. But you have to keep him. And Jackson, if nothing else, is a quality defender. The problem/question with him is whether he's a .150 hitter, or a .200 hitter with flashes of power. I like the idea of adding another catching option as it's so important, and often overlooked and undervalued. But I think a legitimate arm for the pen, or a SS/utility player may fill a bigger hole/need. But I still like the idea.

I've been on this bandwagon since 2025 began. I'd JUMP on 3 for $30 in a heartbeat! But I think it might take $33-36 to get it done. IMO, that's still a solid deal from the Twins perspective. Jeffers is about average defensively, but he's also tough, durable, very smart, calls a good game, and the pitchers seem to like throwing to him. And I agree he's really good at identifying pitches in the challenge system. And he's also one of the better bats at the position in all of MLB. He's capable of 20 HR, which he's done before. And let's be honest, who else do they have? I have a good feeling about Cardenas as a decent, solid #2 with a little more AAA time. But Diaw, Tait, and Jimenez are all a good 2yrs away, and possibly 3, before being ready to debut. And as @DJL44stated, one of the best/smartest things you can do is extend and KEEP the talent you've developed.

I liked this post, but should have selected the love mark. I SEE Martin FINALLY starting to figure it out at 27yo and MAYBE being a part of 2026 and beyond. And I can easily see Roden getting himself together and having a solid second season where his MILB performance starts to translate as a solid ML player. The Twins traded for both. They decided to keep Larnach for what reason? To hopefully trade him for something? Then get to it! I think where we disagree on a very, very small degree is you see what you EXPECT, and what I hope to see what happens. What really stinks is you're probably more right than I am. And that stinks because I think we're of the same mind, but I like my optimism more than your defeated attitude. LOL I understand control issues. I can't even argue it when we're talking about a mid market team that suffers under very different financial numbers. But my goodness, why is Outman still on the roster? I say yet again, with ONE option remaining, Rodriguez has to be part of 2026, not Larnach, who should be traded for SOMETHING. and be gone. It's TIME to RUN with him and have his one option remaining. While not exactly young, I'm of the hope they will allow Martin to continue his upswing. And that they will allow the same for Roden, who remains a near rookie. Either MIGHT turn out to be a solid bench player. But at least one of them, if not both, are short lived based on Rodriguez, Jenkins, and Gonzalez. I defy Falvey's ego to just let Outman go. You took a shot, and it didn't work. Just let it go. I'm seeing what's coming up SOON and you're concerned about the past. And I get that. I guess I'm just hoping Falvey figures that out sooner than you do. 😀

Haven't read the OP. Refuse to read it. I'm the complete opposite of a jerk. But how many times over the years do I have to start a topic and days later have to see almost the EXACT OP on the front page? I'm a team player. I love TD and have been here since it's inception. But as Vikings great is fond of saying: "COME ON"!

I think the OP pretty much hits the nail on the head. Just a couple small moves so far for an OK pen arm with SOME potential, and an inexpensive backup catcher with a good defensive reputation, a little power, and that would be just fine if he can hit around .200 give or take. No other moves or hints of potential moves at this point. I'm really not trying to be optimistic here, but a few points that keep rattling around in my head: 1] The Twins have generally moved slowly to begin the offseason and let the bigger names move on that they weren't in on anyway. 2] While I don't put much faith in "management speak", Falvey has stated more than a few times he wants to keep Lopez and Ryan and made additions, not subtractions. He may be a lot of things, but I don't recall Falvey ever saying something that was actually a lie. 3] Even last season, when payroll was looking to be in the low $120 range, Joe...or someone within ownership...made a push and the FO had an extra $15M or so to spend. Now, that $ came in rather late, maybe too late to do much good, but it gave the FO a little more room to at least made some additions. Final opening day payroll was between $138-142M depending on what site you read. 4] The history of this FO has been to set a FLOOR for the team and then make changes and additions. 5] Shelton has alluded to conversations on his hiring about a direction for the team. Illusions and lies? Or promises about about at least a "decent" payroll projection? Again, I'm NOT blowing optimistic smoke at anyone. But these are facts to consider at this point with the minority owners yet to be ratified, questions remaining about the actual payroll, and past history of operation. Maybe the payroll is a flabbergasting and inexcusable $100-110M. And maybe it's actually going to be $120-125M or so. (Can't believe we'd be asked to be overjoyed by that). We just don't know yet. Was Larnach kept for the purpose of establishing a FLOOR for now with intent to try to move him for SOMETHING? That's my bet, but we'll see. Post arbitration, WITH Larnach, the roster sits about $90M. I want to say it's Fangraphs, but they project around $96M because they automatically add about $6M for 8 projected roster additions for the season due to injuries. That's fine. But I like to look at the ACTUAL opening day roster as opposed to possible projections. Add an extra $1M for Jackson, and we're still only $86M ish without Larnach, $91 ish with him for now. But IF Ryan and Lopez are there opening day, that's a good thing and it would mean the payroll was probably pushed a little, even though they are PART of that $86-91M payroll number. Larnach moved for WHATEVER, TBD, takes it down to around $86M again. IMO, any mention of Clemens as a "value addition" to the 2025 team and a possible 1B option is "management speak" for a base FLOOR. We've heard and seen this previously over the years. How about Nathaniel Lowe as a 1B option...who's quietly had a solid career...for $8-10M? Maybe 2yrs at $16-20M to settle 1B for the immediate future while other prospects FINALLY start to transition to 1B for the long term? He doesn't have to be platooned, and Clemens can be a LH power bat off the bench at 4 and maybe 5 spots. DO the Twins move Prielipp to the pen, at least for 2026? I'm slowly adapting to that idea. And maybe Funderburk has actually turned a corner. But how about Coulombe, Rogers, Chaffin, or Thielbar on a 1yr $3-4M for added, veteran depth? IDK who right now from the RH side because the list is long, but how about ONE RH option for around $4-5M that is of the Romero type for a veteran add for additional stability as the younger conversion prospects get time? Those very simple, logical, potentially helpful moves cost, at most, about $19M. You don't need a calculator to say WITH Larnach the payroll is STILL only $110M. Larnach moved, we're looking at a rough $105M. While that number is still grossly and aggressively low, it STILL allows for a very solid 1B and a pair of veteran RP to help stabilize the INF, the lineup, and a rebuilt bullpen. More numbers to drive you crazy? The projected payroll numbers proposed have $800K FILLERS for those 3 spots currently. So you can actually subtract another $2.4M off of that total payroll number. That, and maybe a couple $K more might bring in someone like Falefa, for example, as a veteran utility player who can at least cover SS on an occasional basis until K-Pepper is ready. Regardless of Falvey having no or little understanding of the ACTUAL payroll he has to work with, EVEN a 2026 payroll of $120M could STILL ALLOW the addition of a solid 1B and a pair of veteran pen arms to help in the rebuild of the bullpen for 2026. It's absolutely RIDICULOUS we have to be talking about a $120M payroll as a good thing. BUT, as the OP states, there are 3 primary reasons to realize if ownership gives a DAMN or not. And if they actually DO the 3 things presented, even with a BS payroll that I don't believe in, at $120M-ish, with talent on hand, prospects ready to debut, interesting arms converting, and a few solid additions as laid out, I can see a fun team to watch that offers an actual competitive chance to reach the playoffs and show hope for the future. If we DON'T see these so easy, so obvious moves made, then we are facing a massive rebuild. And again, sarcastically, we know how easy those are.

I am 100% in the camp of playing the prospects. So this OP isn't directed towards me. BUT I'm NOT one of those who believe in tearing down the team and playing nothing BUT prospects. It sounds so easy to say: "trade Lopez and/or Ryan and just throw the young pitchers and play the young talent, in a couple of years we're going to have a REALLY GOOD team ready to contender. It just doesn't work that way. Prospects fail, or just don't become as good as expected. When you actually have some good talent on hand, I believe in re-tooling. Destroying the rotation does NOTHING but mark a complete rebuild. Period. Baseball gods help us then. I advocate KEEPING what we have in regards to the rotation, and arms in general. I advocate a new manager voice and partially new staff, along with some health...Lewis in particular, which is looking optimistic these days...might see some growth just by experience, if nothing else, thinking about Martin, Lee, Roden, etc. I am dismissive of articles that talk about cheap or bounce back OF optional signings BECAUSE of Martin, Roden, Rodriguez, Jenkins, Gonzalez, and even Rosario and maybe Fedko. I've stated many times the Twins should NOT follow the path of any particular team. They have to find their OWN identity, stamp it, and follow it. But if you do that, you should recognize opportunity and talent. I've gotten some pushback on a healthy Rodriguez, for example, who only has 1 option left, and should spend a month at AAA for future control if nothing else. Point taken. And it's probably a point I haven't considered. Based on talent, a very good MILB career, and his strong Winter League season, I think he's ready NOW to move Wallner to DH and provide offense and defense to the team. But MAYBE it's "smarter" to let him play a month at St Paul to get another year of control. I don't like that idea, but it might be a good long term idea to let Roden get more AB in the OF to BEGIN 2026. As much as we can't wait for Jenkins, he was only 20yo when he reached AAA last year. His power is just starting to come through. If his power starts to develop with a month or two in AAA to begin 2026 AND we get another year of control, is that a bad thing? BTW, Martin's improvement in 2025 was a good thing. Roden isn't a "special" talent. And he's had a very good MILB career. A poor, and very limited, rookie debut shouldn't dismiss him as being a potentially solid, well rounded player. But there is ALSO a REALITY present here. The FO has to just admit a failure in Outman. That should be taken care of SOON in regard to Rodriguez and Jenkins. Hey, you took a shot. No penalty. Just DFA as soon as you promote one of your top prospects. The OF potential is really, really good. Changes may start opening day, and might be even better come June 1st and beyond. I think the INF is different. WHEN K-Pepper is ready, no matter improvement from Lee, I think we start to see changes. Even with improvement from Lee, frankly, K-Pepper is the better, more athletic player. Some sort of shuffle begins. But we STILL have a massive 1B issue. While I agree with my TD friend @Riverbrianabout hating more and more 1B re-treads at 1B, i think we can find a solid option there in the long term. And I WANT it to happen. But tell me honestly, what long term option do we have prepared for 2026? Still unproven Fedko and Roden could be placed there as a quasi platoon and double as 4th OF. Mendez might do something latter in the season. Maybe Gonzalez or Rosario starts to play some 1B as well. It's just ridiculous for the FO to keep ignoring this important position. So I'm fine for a 1B FA for at least 1 more year. It's a balance from what we have, to what we have. The rotation depth is fine, barring a breakdown, with some interesting depth. The pen has to be re-built, but there are external options that will be brought in. Go with the kids as much as possible. But I do think there is a balance where the team can do so, while still adding a handful of veterans to balance the roster, and maybe even make this team competitive.

The odds of Eeles breaking through at the ML level are pretty remote. But at least there is some talent and potential there, and a "break glass" option if nothing else. Absolutely nothing against Alex Jackson...assuming he can even hit in the .190-.200 range with some power and quality defense...but signing Rortvedt and keeping Eeles might have been the smarter move. (Assuming they didn't spend a little more for someone like McCann, which was my preference. I'm hoping and kind of expecting Will Holland to come back to the Saints. He might just end up being that "break glass option". But let's get to the heart of the issue. Lee, IIRC, was about league average at SS once he became the primary starter. I can live with that for now, especially if we see improvement with the bat. There's also room to improve at least a little with the glove. And I will again remind everyone he came in to 2025 as a 24yo with only about 180 ML AB. He was barely above rookie qualification. So it would be a mistake to dismiss potential and growth at this point, even if he eventually moves to a different spot, or becomes a super utility 4 spot INF. Culpepper, based on 2025 and all his talent, should begin 2026 at St Paul. I believe there's a good chance he's ready by July 1st. But that doesn't help to start the season. I know nothing about Kreidler except he's supposed have a quality glove, and simply can't hit. Pretty much at all. I'm 100% in agreement with @DJL44on an add. The Twins NEED options for the INF in 2026, and St Paul needs infield talent/depth as well. I'm not saying the lighting will strike twice and they'll find the second coming of Castro, but they've simply got to find another option for depth, competition, and maybe get lucky and find a Castro-lite somewhere. While Fitzgerald is only a journeyman, and nothing special, the guy has been around. He's experienced. He can run at least a little, pop some XB hits, and probably won't embarrass himself at the plate. And I can live with that for the opening day roster. But I'd sure like some competition and depth. In an ideal world, Lee improves in all phases and K-Pepper is ready by mid season. But with all due respect, you need not only depth, but you should be TRYING to replace both Kreidler and Fitzgerald instead of being content with them.

And that's the target I'm looking at as well. I don't know if he'd want a 1yr deal to bounce back for a bigger deal later, or a multi year deal for more security. I'd really like an $8M price tag. I've just learned to usually add a little more to avoid a nasty surprise later. LOL

I like Lowe of the price is right. Could they possiy get him for $10M? Would $12M be out of the Twins range if they had anything close to a $120M payroll target? Go look at his numbers if you haven't already. He's a solid, above league average hitter with some power and doesn't have to be platooned based on career splits.

Anthony Bender could be a really solid pen option if he checks out physically. Solid WHIP, solid K numbers, and only a career .215 BA AVG against.

IF ownership keeps the payroll way down to the point where Clemens really is the primary 1B, maybe Jake Burger as a RH 1B and 3B bench option?

So I took a look at Hamilton's the last 3 seasons. And while he definitely was better in 2023, his overall numbers the last 2yrs weren't bad overall with fewer hits than IP and almost 10K per 9. What really hurt him in 2025 was a jump in BB. Still 30yo I can him as a possibly smart addition. They need options, including the MILB signing and invite types. Can they get Hamilton on a MILB deal? Even if the Twins are thinking of moving Prielipp to the pen for 2026, it doesn't mean we don't need additional depth and options. And who says we can't have 3 LH pen arms? I could see Cruz and Lucchesi being decent options, but I'd much rather spend $3-4M on Coulombe, Rogers, or Chaffin at this point.

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but whether they send him down in June or July it doesn't matter, he still starts burning his last remaining option, yes? He starts the season with the Twins and they decide to send him down later, or, he spends a month at AAA, then comes up, and then gets sent down later, he's still on his last option. Correct? IMO, if he looks ready, you give him the job day one. You potentially add another decent offensive player with power and speed to a lineup that needs it. You also improve the OF defense with Wallner's move to DH earlier vs later. Maybe I'm just getting impatient, but I want him up, playing, hopefully contributing, but also growing and getting better by the week at the ML level.

No. I'd be somewhat interested in Rumfield, but the odds of getting an above average starting player from the rule 5 is very remote. But if there was a SS/Utility option that actually had a chance to stick, that would be of interest. No offense to him, but Fitzgerald is the best option for that role right now? Otherwise, if they want to use the rule 5, a strong armed pen option would make more sense than the options listed here.

Totally respect where you're coming from. But Rodriguez only has a single option remaining. It's time to let him play if he's healthy. Not only is Rodriguez a potential asset on offense, but he's a quality defender and his presence allows Wallner to slide in to the full time DH role. Martin and Roden can fight it out for LF or even share the spot. Other guys need days off once in a while. I can even see Martin playing a little 2B to give Keaschal a day off as well.

With apologies, Kreidler and Gasper really aren't part of the conversation. And unless he just fails at 2B...which I don't expect to happen...Keaschal also shouldn't be part of the equation either. Gasper, McCusker, and Outman should all be DFA, and probably will be in the near future. And they'll have to be for whatever additions the club has yet to make. All three are free to re-sign with the Twins on MILB deals. Same with the recently removed Keirsey. Larnach isn't a fit going forward any longer and needs to be moved. Assuming good health, what SHOULD be the OF opening day is Rodriguez in RF and backing up Buxton, who is obviously starting in CF. Martin and Roden offer a quasi-platoon that doesn't need to be restrictive. And Roden can also play some RF as needed, and both he and Martin can be #3 at CF. Wallner becomes the primary DH, and can cover both OF corners as needed. And, of course, Clemens can also be part of the corner OF discussion, as needed. When Jenkins is up...regardless of the date...someone has to go. But deciding who that is right now would be silly. Fedko will be sitting in St Paul as a 4 position bench option in waiting. And both Gonzalez and Rosario will be there with him. Personally, I'd like to have either or both play some 1B with Mendez to take advantage of all this young talent and potential. **Roden and Fedko could also be in the 1B mix depending on ownership/payroll.

I appreciate all of the perspectives of a better offensive approach in 2025. But it was a limited example of ONE team in a SSS. Now he's with a different team. Does he maintain, grow, or regress? If he's as good defensively as I keep reading and hearing about, he's Butera with more power. I can live with that. Hitting around .200 with power and playing good defense puts his about average offensively, which most don't realize. That makes him a really solid backup for about 50-60 games. If he only hits .150, we have a serious problem.

Stringer, my only argument is a month at St Paul. We know his potential. Even with his 2025 season disrupted with injury, he put up good numbers. I'm not going to say he's Chourio, but like the Brewers, unless Rodriguez just sucks next ST, shouldn't they just give him a starting job and live with hot and cold and let him play? He provides better defense than Wallner, who moves to primary DH, and offers speed and power, and defense, and CF coverage, and actual potential even if he's not great from the outset? I get the 1 month idea. But I'd just RUN with his talent and let it roll. And I'd have Jenkins up another month or two later to really see some changes. Just my opinion.