DocBauer

Not worried about Wallner this early and only 5 AB. He spent the offseason developing a somewhat different approach. But it sure is nice to a healthy Rodriguez really stepping up. Same with Roden! I think he could have a nice career as a 4th OF who can also play some 1B, which is something I hope he still works on. But for now, I'm just hoping he earns the LF job in camp. While he doesn't have loud tools, he has a nice collection of them to do a little bit of everything. And I'm with @jmlease1in regard to Outman. He's simply been bad since his surprise rookie season. And his defense with the Twins to finish 2025 didn't exactly inspire. And he turns 29yo in May. What exactly does he bring to the Twins to warrant a spot? Roden and Martin are younger, have much more potential, and both can help give Buxton a day off. And when 2 of your top 4 prospects are talented CF and already at AAA, there's just no reason for Outman to be on the team. And I seriously doubt anyone grabs him if waived. But even someone did, the St Paul OF is CROWDED already. And while I like Larnach and think he's a pretty solid ballplayer, I still don't see where he fits on THIS team. By their own admission, the Twins need more speed and athleticism and better defenders. Martin and Roden give you that in LF/OF. While Bell is targeted to be the 1B, I still think Clemens, Wagaman, and a little Caratini might play as much, or more, 1B than Bell. And while it's a weirdly assembled roster, that can actually work, with Bell being the primary DH. Keeping Larnach...much less Outman as well...removes at least one of Martin and Roden, if not both. So you suddenly have a poor LF defender...who the Twins prefer to DH...yet again, and a guy who can't hit his way out of a paper bag. Someone give the FO another cup of coffee or a Red Bull to WAKE UP and realize you can have an imperfect roster, or a horrible one. That being said, I can still see Larnach having a role as the LH DH for a different team, who can still play some corner OF, on a fairly cheap deal. Agaon, he's not a bad ballplayer. He has value. And all I ask back is an interesting arm, or an interesting utility INF who can cover SS. Can he bring back the next Punto or Castro? Or maybe another teams version of Varland who needs to be converted to the pen? It's not a big ask. Buxton, Wallner, Roden, and Martin is just a lot better than Buxton, Wallner, Larnach, and Outman. Did you cringe there? I know I did. In regard to the pitching side of things, a few opening games means very little. But flashing early is a hell of a lot better than looking bad! Rojas faced an actual ML lineup and was great. Maybe the Jays weren't wrong to promote him so aggressively? The fact that he struggled at AAA because the ball is different sounds weird, but it is true that AAA uses the same ball as MLB, and AA and below use a slightly different ball. That remains weird and stupid IMO. It's a billionaire establishment for goodness sake. All levels should use the same damn ball! Abel faced a ML lineup and flashed. Bradley had a solid debut. And while Prielipp was inefficient, he more or less got the job mostly done in his ST debut. You simply can't get overly excited after 1 appearances for these young arms. But again, looking good is much better than looking bad. In all honesty, I'm 60yo, and have been a Twins fan since around 5-6yo just listening to games with my dad. A few years later, age 10 or so, I became a fanatic. I read every newspaper and magazine I could get my hands on to follow the Twins, and the MILB system. Star Trib, Baseball Digest, the Sporting News, and whatever Rag I could get my hands on. In 50 years or so as a Twins fanatic...God bless my soul, lol...there has been ONE TIME, in the 80's when the Twins had a prospect list of quality arms that were the envy of half the league. That was Baumgardner, Gasser, Nivens, Banks, Pittman, and Sontag. Forgive me for exact spellings. CRUSHING DEFEAT as a fan when that collection never turned out. I'm being long winded I know. Sorry, not sorry. POTENTIAL really isn't a dirty word. Ignoring, for a moment, that the Twins made Lopez and Ryan better, and developed Ober. And also ignoring the collection of 2026 arms at A÷ and A- that are SUPER talented, or, about to debut after the '25 draft. I honestly can't recall the Twins having this much TALENT on hand. Talent that doesn't make it is wasted hopes and dreams crushed. I get it. But SP or Bullpen, when is the last time you could see this much POTENTIAL of arms for the Twins? While the silver lining for Lopez's injury is crushing overall, it DOES open up opportunity. Ryan leads the team, Ober is healthy again, SWR and his new splitter takes him up another notch, Bradley, Matthews, Abel are all very talented. Who takes a step forward? And i haven't even mentioned Festa for the pen, or the potential of Prielipp, and Rojas. It wasn't that long ago where Morris...vastly underrated...might be among the Twins top pitching prospects. Again, cool the brakes a bit on the arms so early in camp. But it's also easy to dream on so many good arms taking a step forward.

With all due respect to all other position player prospects currently within the Twins system, Jenkins and Rodriguez are the two that have actual, All Star, 4 WAR type of potential. And that's the reason he's never been traded for additional/other talent to this point. A few months ago, I changed my line of thinking concerning the handling of Rodriguez. Some were calling for him to be moved up and given a spot ASAP. I argued against that, giving him a little more time to settle in at AAA first. I then changed my mind due to a disappointing 2025, and various arguements about the direction the Twins should be taking. I looked at the way the Brewers handled Chourio, promoting him quickly, living with mistakes and some bad performances, but then figuring it out and taking off. (NOTE: I'm NOT saying Rodriguez is Chourio). Considering talent and projection, I've argued if he had a good winter...which he did...and had a strong ST...and he's off to a good start...then run with him. Since he's only got 1 option left, I'd rather see him earlier rather than later, to see what MLB is like, and then send him down earlier rather than later for a re-set IF needed. That's not going to happen for 3 reasons: 1] Despite performing well and putting up good numbers EVERYWHERE he's played, when healthy, I can still see being patient with him and giving him a greater dose of AAA experience to "ready him up". 2] Good, bad, right or wrong, the Twins still have Larnach on the team, along with Outman (groan), and Roden. If nothing else beyond a poorly constructed roster, they might want to give Roden an opportunity to see what he can do to open 2026. 3] The truth is a little more MILB time shouldn't hurt his development, and it will also offer up an additional year of service time. What really impressed me about his interview is not just the hard work he's put in, but that he seems to have a real and mature GRASP of his failings, even though he's a TOP prospect, to RECOGNIZE clearly what he has to work on. A] Build up his body to hopefully avoid injury. B] Not just recognize that every level sees pitchers with better control, but that his previous patient approach will need to be adjusted and instead or ALWAYS working the count to his favor, he might have to swing earlier at better strike zone offerings. IMO, that's a pretty smart kid who clearly recognizes what he needs to be working on. We often debate the FLOOR and the CEILING of a prospect. Interesting that we don't have a useful term for middle ground. Maybe 2nd floor? Lol Like ALL prospects, Rodriguez could wash out. (I don't believe that will happen). But there is a world in which he only HITS at a .230-ish level, with a decent OB% around .320, but can hit 20-30 HR, not to mention 30+ DBls, and steal double digit bases, while providing quality defense anywhere in the OF. That's a hell of a ballplayer! But there's also the potential...probably not over night...where he finds the balance of patience and aggression to be a .250-.260 HITTER with an OB% closer to .350 with all that power and speed and defense to be a legitimate All Star difference maker. I'm excited to watch him, even though I'm not expecting a ROCKET RIDE to outstanding production from DAY ONE. Same with Jenkins. But BOTH are going to debut this season. BOTH can make a real difference in 2026 and beyond...no pressure, lol. 2026 is not a "now or never" prospect. It just means he had a single option left. MAYBE when he gets the call he's ready to stick around despite a few bumps in the road. MAYBE he comes up, displays his talent, but needs a short re-set at AAA to take what he's seen and get ready for his next call up. His lack of options is only due to being such a talented young kid that if the Twins DIDN'T protect him a couple years ago, another team would grabbed him in a minute, stashed him on their roster, and then put him back in MILB and control him for a couple years to develop in THEIR system. IF the Twins are smart, they will still find a trade of Larnach for SOMETHING. And that's not because Larnach is a bad ballplayer. He has value, just not with the 2026 Twins team. Outman will be OUT because he has no FUTURE VALUE to the Twins AT ALL! To begin the season, Wallner is in RF. Buck is OBVIOUSLY the CF. Martin and Roden play in LF, can cover CF when Buxton, needs a day off. Your 1B situation is still somewhat dysfunctional, IMO, depending on Clemens, Wagaman, and Caratini to assemble a puzzle of production to keep Bell at DH as much as possible. But it's so obvious how Larnach just doesn't FIT with this roster, and the best options. I guess you run with your 1B options as is for 2026, despite my previous objections. But WHY IN HELL would you base the 2026 roster on EGO rather than talent, and future production? Rodriguez, Jenkins, and Gonzalez are ONLY blocked if Zoll is a Falvey clone. Outman is out come final cuts. MAYBE he signs with the Saints. Larnach needs to be gone. Roden and Martin start the season as part of the OF with better defense, more speed, and Roden at least provides some POP potential. Suddenly, there is a better defensive LF, with CF/RF options on the roster, but ZERO blocking of a better player like Rodriguez. Martin and Roden get a month or so to show what they can do, and do they have a future in a Twins uniform. Rodriguez is already knocking on the door. Is the FO listening?

IMO, they should proceed as if Lopez wasn't injured, in regard to the bullpen. If they've really been thinking that one of their arms is a better fit for the pen, they should go ahead and do so. EXAMPLE: IF they believe his build, stuff, 1 time through the rotation quality numbers, and a shoulder issue in 2025 marks Festa as a better fit for the pen, then do it. You can't change your entire staff nuilding approach due to 1 injury, even if it's big of a loss as Lopez is. It could ne Bradley, or Matthews, but I'm sticking with the idea of Festa based on all the points that have been discussed ad nauseam. So Ryan and Ober lead the staff. SWR should be written in ink at this point based on a pair of solid seasons, and a really strong finish to 2025 with greater faith and control in his splitter. Regardless how you set your rotation up...you might want to break up the #4 and #5 starters for example...you have 3 very interesting candidates for the last 2 spots. MATTHEWS: Has he been overthrowing? His command/control hasn't been as good as it was in MILB. The stuff appears to be there. And he's had some really well pitched games. Now it's about consistency. BRADLEY: Like Matthews, he's got the pure stuff. It's about consistency. Really crazy he just went out and threw and trusted the catcher previously. You simply HAVE to be part of the game strategy ahead of your next performance. The Twins seem to be at doing that. Now it's up to Bradley for the mental part of the game to catch up with the physical part. Interesting point, he's actually younger than both Matthews and SWR despite his greater ML experience. Again, the mental part of the game has to catch up to the physical. FWIW, while it's only been about 10 days or work, reports are the Twins are excited for how Bradley looks so far. ABEL: He's slightly younger than the other rotation contenders...and SWR...and might have the best pure STUFF of all the contenders. He had a really, really nice 2025 in AAA, and lowered his BB numbers. His final start against the Phillies to end the season showed his potential. Repeating the obvious yet again, he needs to find consistency. The stuff is there. FWIW part 2: like Bradley, the early reports are he looks really good in camp so far. ONE of those 3 probably starts the season in St Paul, even if it's not deserved, as the 6th man in waiting. That's neither unfair, or a bad thing. The same thing happend to Ober a few years ago and Varland a couple seasons ago. Even if your starting 5 has an amazing run of generally good health, that #6 guy is ALWAYS needed, and ALWAYS used. Sometimes quite a lot. But looking at depth behind player X 6th man, Morris has been really consistent in all aspects of his growth throughout the system. His early 2025...before a brief injury trip to the IL...was mediocre. It was then discovered he had been accidentally tipping off pitches. The 2nd half of his season was really good. He doesn't maybe have the upside of other arms, but he clearly seems to have quite the potential as a back end of the rotation talent. Currently, I have Morris as the #7 SP option. That's pretty good depth to start the season. Next up? PRIELIPP: I understand the principle idea of "number of bullets in the gun" and move him to the bullpen. Clearly, the Twins don't believe in that at this point. He started using a 2 seamer in 2025, and is now learning a curveball. While I can see tremendous potential in the pen for him, he's apparently healthy and ready to go as a STILL OMLY 25yo despite the time he's missed. While debating the bullpen issue with him, I've often stated that Prielipp as a full time starter at 27yo sounds, on the surface, as a waste of opportunity. But if/when he debuts in 2026...maybe as a RP late in the season to monitor his IP...and becomes part of the rotation in 2027 at 27yo, with multiple years of team control in to his early 30's, do we really care that we got 5-6 really good years instead of 5-6 really good years when he was younger? I like adding the 2 new pitches. I like keeping him as a SP for now. After 82.2 IP in 2025, he should be targeted for around 120 IP in 2026, with the idea he might debut late in the season for the Twins in the pen. The old cliche is true: you move someone to the pen at any time, but you can't stretch them out for the rotation. Other than continuing to harness his 2 new pitches, he just needs to harness his command to "tease" batters with offerings that aren't in the "box", or start there and move outside. DAMN he's exciting. FRUSTRATING that he's still LEARNING how to PITCH. ROJAS: This up to the Twins being RIGHT about trading Varland for him. (He was the principal in that trade). He probably shouldn't have been in AAA. But the Jay's had already promoted him to AAA before the trade. So the Twins just kept him there. Supposedly, the Twins believe he's just about ready to take another step. Probably why the Jay's promoted him to AAA in the first place. And it's been said the Twins believe he might be a top 100 prospect at the conclusion of 2026. I hope they're right as that is very exciting! But he's still #9 on the depth chart. The hope is the Twins don't need to dig too deeply in the first half of the season for Prielipp or Rojas. Either or both, might be natural promotions come July or later still, and be ready. MORE DEPTH: Does CJ Culpepper start the season at AAA, or is there enough depth for him to begin at AA? Despite some injury setbacks, he continues to get batters out with a 6 pitch mix. If he can put the injuries behind him, he has potential as a back end starter. He's got solid numbers across the board. Not tremendous, but solid. He might have another level that he hasn't reached yet. Being healthy for an entire season is the key for him. But he could end up as a really good BP transition arm. But for now, he deserves a 2026 season to PROVE he's a rotation arm, or a bullpen arm. For "shits and giggles" to use an old school expression from my father. Gallagher reached AA in his "rookie" season. Might he be an end of 2026 option? I sure hope not! That would mean 2026 tanked beyond belief! I only mention because he probably hits AAA the 2nd half of 2026. And at that point, he's probably the #11 guy in the rotation. I'm ONLY taking it THAT DEEP to show Twins depth with 2026 in mind, but also 2027. And beyond that is an entirely different discussion as A+ and A could be filled with a TON of rotation talent. But for 2026, just make the RIGHT decisions. Who are your next best 2 for the rotation? And DON'T stop in believing young arm X for the bullpen because that's where he belongs, even with the Lopez injury.

Honestly, I'd never heard about any issues with previous teammates. Possibly that had something to do with him sitting and waiting for so long? But I don't have enough context as to the events you described to comment. But I think we both agree he would have been a good add overall. I don't dislike Clemens. He's got some positives working in his favor. And I hope he can generally repeat his 2025 performance overall. And while I don't hate Wagaman, I'd rather have Lowe at 1B, remove Larnach, let Bell DH, and bring in someone like Ramon Urias as a nice 3 position utility player to challenge Clemens. And maybe you don't end up with room for everyone. But that's what competition is for, right? I really liked the Bell signing, as well as Catarni. But I just can't get over Bell at 1B and Larnach at DH, which limits the OF options. Or, a PLATOON at 1B between Clemens and Wagaman and Bell at DH, which ALSO limits the OF if you keep Larnach, and makes your bench that much shorter by having Clemens as the primary 1B. I'm just so damn frustrated by this roster construction that it sends me in to fits, lol. But thank you for your post.

Personally, I believe Wallner is/can be better defensively than he was in 2025, based on all the games I've watched. He's not great, but he sure looked better in his previous seasons. But I also believe his best role is as the primary DH and backup corner OF. And I'm going to stop that part of the conversation there. My issue with the OP is the focus on 2025...where he had an injury that might have affected him more than realized, but clearly threw off his timing...and never touched on his 2023-24 seasons where his OPS sat about. 870 BOTH seasons. Yes, he's a streaky hitter. And he probably always will be. And yes, he was sent down early in both of those seasons. But, IMO, a strong arguement could also be made that not only was he possibly sent down too early in 2024, but both demotions probably lasted longer than they should have been. Hit HIT .249 and .259 each of those seasons, and produced a .370 OB% to go along with his .870+ OPS numbers. So why does his 2025 season define him? Sorry, but a SSS rookie debut in 2022 that was OK, followed by a PAIR of .870+ OPS seasons the next 2, weighs more in his favor for future production than an off 2025. It's great he powered his K% in 2025. But if I had the choice of a Wallner who K's 34% of the time, but who hits. 250 with a .370% and 28-32 HR over the course of a full season, I'm taking the high K version of him. That's not to say he can't grow, develop, and keep a lower K% and still produce. I'm just saying if it's an either or scenario, I'm going with the 2023-24 version of him all day long. For the record, I'm NOT saying he has to just sell out in order to be productive. And I'm NOT saying pitchers haven't made some adjustments and he needs to counter. But I AM saying you can't discuss what he's shown previously before 2025. And I still wonder about his slip in defense and mediocre '25 wasn't also due to his injury possibly affecting him and certainly throwing off his timing. All I know is Wallner made adjustments at EVERY LEVEL while in MILB, had a decent 2022 debut, and then a pair of .870+ OPS seasons in 2023-24. So why is everyone so down on him following a single bad year where his OPS was still slightly above league average? He's definitely got something to prove, or re-prove in 2026. But why so much vitriol and downcasting for a guy who's been really good before? Here's hoping he hits .250 again, with another .370 OB%, and slugs 30 HR...regardless of a 28-34% K rate...with 80 RBI between RF and DH. He's shown that kind of ability previously. Let's hope he can achieve those numbers in '26 and stop focusing on one poor season of "didn't do" and concentrate a little on what he "can do".

I'm cautiously optimistic the pen can be relatively decent to begin the year. At least good enough where they don't just create bonfires when they come in, and can help the team finish off some wins. I don't think the 8 men who make up the opening day bullpen are going to make up those 8 spots when the season is done. While not going out if their way to announce what exact role everyone is going to have, we do know that Adams, Raya, and probably Klein are going to be relievers going forward. I also strongly suspect the same for Lewis when healthy and ready to go. Even with Lopez out for the season, I'm still expecting one of the SP candidates to move to the pen to begin the season. When we look back at the top closers and set up men in the Twins past, most began their ML careers as starters for a period of time. This includes Jax, Sands, Varland, Duffy, Guadardo, Trombley, and so many others. While the results as starters didn't turn out well, their ML experience...even with poor results...gave them a floor to stand on in regard to what it's like to throw at that level. Raya, Klein, Lewis, and any/all arms transitioning to the bullpen in 2026...with a couple exceptions...haven't thrown at the ML level yet. It's different for Festa, Matthews, etc, as they've already seen a degree of good and bad performance at the ML level. For them, it's about adjusting their daily approach to get ready when called on. For the others, it's about making that adjustment, and waiting for an opportunity that IS going to come. Maybe they come up and stay. Maybe they get a taste, go back down, and then come back up again. Duran is/was a unique story in jumping right in to the mix at the ML level and running with opportunity. But his is, again, a rather special case. There's more than a couple "IF's" to be part of the bullpen to begin the season. But if they can hold serve for the first couple of months, it would allow someone like Festa to begin in lower level spots, and then move up. It would provide someone like Klein...who I'm rather excited about...to come up, pitch, and either stick, or take that initial experience and go down again, and build on that experience. I like having the ability to give those younger arms a little time to settle in instead of being thrown to the proverbial wolves and told to sink or swim immediately from opening day. And Hawkins, Rogers, and Hendricks, if he makes it, can provide some veteran examples as current players as to how to approach each day, and good and bad results. I'm just hoping for general competence for the first couple of months. And when someone gets hurt...and someone always gets hurt...or just doesn't do the job, there will be opportunities provided for the younger arms to get their initial auditions. IMO, the bullpen is a lot like the OF. Who begins the season is going to be different than who ends the season with the Twins. Let's just hope for competency from the pen for those first couple of months so the transition can take place without the season imploding by June.

There's just mo way to replace Lopez barring some unheard of major ST trade. Just not going to happen. But someone has to take his spot in the rotation. If the Twins, deep down inside, really believe deep down that there's enough talent to compete for a winning record, and possibly squeeze in to the playoffs, I'd have no problem if they reached out to Littel or Giolito to "firm up" the rotation. Said veteran relieves a little pressure on other younger arms, and might ease the pressure on the bullpen as well. That veteran might even be flipped at the deadline for a solid prospect or two. BUT, I also have zero opposition to opening up that additional rotation spot for one of the "kids" to grab hold of it. The circumstances that provide opportunity with the Lopez injury stinks. But the silver lining could be a step forward for another young arm...or more since everyone but SWR still has options so you can role through all of them as needed...to potentially build a deeper, stronger rotation for the future. And isn't that we and the Twins have been hoping for? Simply for arguement sake, let's still assume Festa is going to the bullpen because that's best HIS future, as well as for the team. (It could be Matthews as well). That means 2 of Matthews, Abel, and Bradley fill out the rotation with 1 sitting at AAA to begin the season. That's exciting, and having that 6th arm sitting at St Paul has proven to NOT being an impeding as you are going to need that 6th arm at some point anyway. But since Matthews and Bradley are a little older, and have more ML experience, let's just say Abel is the "loser" and begins at AAA. That leaves the depth waiting in the wings to be Abel, Morris, Prielipp, Rojas, and possibly CJ Culpepper. Not bad. And St Paul still has some arms like Baker, and Bash, etc, who have started quite a few games in MILB. They can even run some piggyback games for the 5th spot if needed. I probably lean towards going with the younger arms and move a couple of them up and down as needed if someone needs a brief re-set at some point. Ignoring payroll entirely, that's probably best for the future of the rotation. And it's probably where I lean. But I'm not going to be upset if ownership OK's a veteran signing.

1] Home whites! Classic and classy. 2] Cream, optional home uniforms are a very close #2. 3] I probably bump the new navy above the road gray. I like the rent tweaks. 4] IMO, the gray slides down one spot because of the rent changes to the navy top, as stated. I really like the road grays. Again, classic and classy. They just need a little tweak to snaz them up a bit. Just not sure what that is. A little trim work maybe? 5] I appreciate the blue and yellow City Connects for being so different and all the imagination that went in to them. I don't hate them and I like the white pants better. But when I look at them, I just don't the Twins. **I still have a soft spot in my heart for the old powder blues.

Stinger, respectability, I've looked at his deal. I can find ZERO injury reports or anything negative about him as a ballplayer OTHER than NOT being a STUD and coming off a poor 2025. I have NEVER championed him as a STUD ballplayer. But he's a 12 WAR career ballplayer with solid production and solid career splits and a good enough glove to have earned some GG votes. He's NOT what the Twins need at 1B for the future ultimately. But his presence to extend the lineup, move Bell to DH exclusively, and move on from Larnach is exactly what this team needed. And apparently, with most teams already having a 1B intact, he's been removed from a potential $13M arbitration number, to a speculated $6-7M signing, to the Reds signing him on a MILB deal. Sorry, but this is malfeasance of roster construction! The Reds were AWAKE with opportunity while the Twins were sleeping. Lowe at 1B...even as a slightly above OPS player...with a solid performer and good glove at 1B makes Bell the primary DH. Clemens can still be a viable 5 position depth piece, and Wagaman goes to AAA. Outman should be gone tomorrow. You run with Martin and Roden in LF. And you have options in the OF with Jenkins, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, and even Festa. Even the questionable Festa offers more than what Outman offers. The FO BLEW the ability to add to the INF AND to the lineup with a competent 1B that would have little to nothing to add to the payroll. Tell me I'm wrong?

I agree. Just asking about someone doesn't mean you were IN on them. From what rumor states, they were actually IN on him with a similar deal he signed, similar to the initial deal Correa signed. 3yrs with OUTS available. He got $35M per. The Twins just couldn't match that.

I'm not sure if I read it, or heard it, but I recall Hendricks doing a showcase of sorts before the Twins signed him that seemed to indicate he was healthy and throwing around 95-96 again again. Something to that affect. Am I betting on him? No. But the ML portion of his deal maxes out. around $4M. If he has a good ST, he makes the club. If he's around 85-90% of his old self, he becomes a cheap, smart signing. If he doesn't look good, he's only a MILB invite. But it's not hard to hold out at least a little bit of hope. I'd still like to see Kopech on a 1yr make good deal and hope we get the GOOD version of him, rather than cling to hope. But I'm ALMOST betting on Hendricks making it on experience, guys and guile if he looks anything close to being back. He's over a year removed from TJ surgery. And his problem in 2025 was numbness in his fingers from a nerve being pinched. So his second surgery was to free up a nerve that was being pinched. So it wasn't a second TJ surgery. So for now, I'm going to say he surprises enough to make the club. Rogers is just not the old friend we love and remember. But while his time with the Reds post deadline trade wasn't very good, he was quite good with the Cubs up until then. I think he's got some gas left in the tank to help with some late IP work as a set up, and maybe occasional closer with Hendricks to at least start the season. Sands just wasn't the same in 2025 as the arm we saw in 2024. He was uneven to be sure. SOMEONE posted his August and September numbers...and I wish I could remember who and where to find them...that showed he threw really well in those final 2 months, with the exception of a really bad 10 game stretch. Based on stuff, his 2024, and most of his late 2025, he's got the potential to make a difference for the '26 pen. I see him in a potential Jax role as a fireman, but not the closer. Now, he still has to go put there and DO IT, but the potential is there. Despite the Twins being silent on the idea, I really believe Festa is destined for the pen. I think most of us agree on that. He's got a history of being very good 1 time through the order. There's always been concerns about his durability physically as a SP. His recent shoulder scare...supposedly mild, fixed, and ready to go...would seem to further advocate his move. Again, we've all discussed this previously. I think he starts out behind Hendricks, Rogers, and Sands initially, and then starts seeing more late IP work after a month or so. So you kinda have a top 4 there. Not exactly what you want, no extreme confidence, but a 4 arm mix of experience and youth that might get the job done most days. Not great, but not bad either. The Topa we have is just not the guy who was so damn good for Seattle in 2023. But he's not bad as a 6-7th IP guy to come in to start an inning. He's got some experience, and that helps. Not great, not bad. I just can't put a ton of faith in the 28yo Orze. Except, there's at least something to work with there in regard to velocity, good MILB K numbers, and a decent/solid 2025 rookie debut with the Rays. I wouldn't bet against Maki and Hawkins working with him and he overtakes Topa by June in the pen hierarchy. So now we're at 6 for 8 spots. Again, not great, not bad. Sorry, but there is NO WAY the Twins have 4 LH arms in their pen! THREE CAN BE AN ADVANTAGE if used properly. We've seen other teams do that, including a couple of Twins teams in the early '00's. I like the Banda pickup. He's not great, but he's solid, and experienced. I also like Chaffin on a MILB deal. And Funderburk, I believe, has an option left. BUT, not only does Funderburk have little to nothing to prove at AAA any longer, pressed in to more late IP action in 2025, he looked like a guy who has FINALLY turned a corner in trusting his stuff to be a legitimate MLRP worthy of being on the 26 man roster. I really like Chaffin. But I honestly think he's been signed in case Funderburk's sudden rise was an illusion. And I don't know if he's got some automatic OUT in his deal or not. But I'm going to put my $ on Funderburk FINALLY figuring it out late in '25 and it's not an illusion. He FINALLY realized his stuff can play, and he's learned how to sequence properly. So Funderburk is IN, and Chaffin will hopefully stick around in St Paul waiting for opportunity. That's an 8 man BP that isn't great, but might be OK. You notice what's missing? Other than Festa, there aren't the recent conversions. But that's not a bad thing. It means Lewis...a hopeful small shoulder issue...and Raya, Adams, and Klein get TIME in St Paul to make their adjustment to the PEN without being thrust to ML duty immediately. Even though I just made an 8 man pen that actually makes some sense based on talent, experience, and projections, let us not forget that guys get injured. And somehow, someway, the Twins ALWAYS seem to uncover a SOMEONE who is just ready to change their career, so a Hartwig, or Bash, or Altovilla could suddenly surprise as mid pen options at least. And that is NEVER a bad thing. I DON'T want to DREAM on a 85-90% version of Hendricks! But dammit, if we DO, it changes the whole dynamic of the pen to have a "decent" closer to work with other potential arms to make a "competent' BP. Even if said BP is just waiting for Festa, Sands, Raya, Lewis, and Klen, and a few others to debut and take things over later. The bullpen isn't exactly strong to begin 2026. But there is potential to not exactly such either.

Heartbroken for Pablo. He was really looking forward to pitching for his native country in the Classic and working with Santana. Heartbroken for the Twins, and us as fans. Pablo had a TJ surgery when he was 19yo. So after roughly 12 years of wear and tear on that replacement ligament, it's probably not totally unexpected it gave out. You don't want it to happen, and you hope it doesn't happen. But I do think it's a little speculative to say an injury last season, or ramping up a little early for the Classic caused this injury. It's possible it would have happened in April, if not now, were that the case. Strictly from a baseball perspective, with all due respect to the young arms...and I'm a prospect loving guy...TP and Zoll had discussed adding Valdez or possibly Peralta? I can't recall at the moment...but despite my initial skepticism, reports are they were fairly serious about Valdez. Take it as you will. But it APPEARS TP was actually serious about making a major ADD to the team to change the complexion of 2026. Do they pivot and possibly sign someone like Giolito now, as has been broached? Anyone is NO replacement for Lopez directly! And I'm as excited as anyone to see the younger arms hopefully take a step forward in 2026. But the team WILL need 7-8 SP at some point this season. And they're down a major arm right now. Perhaps adding another arm...that might prove tradeable at the deadline...the worst move they could make? I'd say no. Purely from a baseball perspective, if the Twins want to attempt W-L relevance in 2026, I think a veteran addition could make a lot more sense. One way or another, there's going to be opportunity for the young arms to all get shots in 2026. But this really, really sucks on so mamy levels.

I'm recently reminded of something Bonnes questioned about regarding the pen construction. Basically, he asked what might have been different if TP had been in charge in late October, or first of November. MIGHT have the Twins spent $7-8-9M on a competent FA, veteran arm that might change the completion of the current BP? Maybe. But that's water under the bridge at this point. I can even applaud moves made WITH Falvey, at this point, and recent moves made WITHOUT Falvey recently. Bell was a really good addition as a DH. Cantarni was a really good add as a replacement for Vazquez as the #2 catcher, who can also help at 1B once in a while. Both were good moves! Even unexpected in the case of Cantarini. With opportunity that might have been missed with the mismanagement of the entire FO situation, I can ALMOST applaud some recent pen additions that MIGHT turn out on the positive side, with some hope. Including a couple young SP moving to the pen. I can at leat see viable options that will play out. I like the pen even better if they take a shot a shot at the GOOD Kopech on a cheap deal to see what might happen. He's still looking for a deal! I wanted Rogers or Coulme or Thielbar, or even Caffin as a $3M addition, on a limited payroll to work with a hopeful development with Funderburk that proved to be true. Rogers was out based on early $ projections, but was a SURPRISE add for $2M. And while I've always liked Chaffin, he was my #4 option, I never expected him on a MILB deal that might make him, potentially, the #4 option if Funderburk's late season surge makes him a quality option. So the LH side of the pen actually looks semi solid with depth and options. CLEARLY it means the Twins are still focused on Prielipp as a SP option for now. Working on a 5 pitch format for now, and probably working towards 100-120 healthy IP i can get that. Why not? He could still debut late in 2026 as a BP option to get ML experience. He could ALWAYS transition to the BP at any time. But I am frankly pissed off'd at Zoll at this point. DON'T TELL ME HE'S NEW TO THE JOB! He's been 2nd in command for a couple of years now. I'm going to state something I've been yelling about for months now. The roster construction sucks. And it could have been so easily changed if you didn't stick with Larnach. At one point I had hoped the FO would get there crap together but clearly they haven't. There were recent rumors that Nathaniel Lowe was available for $6-7M. That's a pretty good bargain for a 12 WAR career 1B who is a switch hitter with solid splits and a good glove. He would have given the Twins a legitimate 1B, and allowed Clemens to just be a utility player only, and allow Bell to only be a DH. OH, but suddenly he was signed by the Reds on a MILB deal? WAY TO GO ZOLL! You're already proven to be incompetent in 2 weeks on the job. A couple interesting BP options doesn't excuse you from being part of massive roster mitskee

I find this topic to be fascinating, but I'm going to digress for a moment. I keep thinking about a comment Bonnes made recently where he stated that he wonders if FA might have been handled differently...particularly in the bullpen...had the ownership been settled late October or early November? Instead, Tom P took charge, when, the second week of December? Would TP worked with Zoll/Falvey differently? Might they have added a veteran arm for around $7-8-9M that might have been a decent, higher leverage arm, even on a 1yr deal? Because let's be honest, the cream of the crop was gone by the time he took charge of the organization. By then, Dominguez was the last possible arm available, and they would have never given him the $10M the Dirty Sox gave him. And I wouldn't have either. While there really wasn't anyone for the Twins to pursue as a backup SS, most of FA has actually fallen in the Twins favor. Opinions will vary, and I get that, but Bell for $7M as a DH was a solid add. And they got a really nice #2 CATCHER in Caratini...who can also help a little at 1B...also for $7M. I NEVER saw the Twins signing what I believed was the #1 option to work with Jeffers. Currently, there's actually a handful of somewhat competent, veteran FA SP options who might help the back end of a rotation still available, that the Twins don't need for once, but have in years past. There's also a really solid 1B/2B/3B...EMERGENCY SS...available in Ramon Urias, a switch hitter with almost neutral career splits, coming off a 2.0 WAR season still sitting there looking for a job. Unlike Clemens, he isn't really a corner OF option, and doesn't come close to having his power, but he MIGHT be a better roster fit over Clemens, or Wagaman, as a useful bench piece. What really pisses me off is an ACTUAL 1B in Nathaniel Lowe...over 12 WAR in his career but coming off a down year...just signed a MILB deal with the Reds Saturday! He's also a switch hitter with generally neutral splits, and is durable. He's also proven to be a solid 1B defensively. IMAGINE how much better the roster construction is with a VIABLE ML 1B and letting Bell just DH instead of clinging to Larnach on the roster? While FA RP options came FLYING off the board early, and things might have gone differently had TP been in charge earlier...damn the dysfunction of ownership...most of FA has fallen PERFECTLY in favor of Twins needs up until this point, save an actual SS capable utility player. It's HORRIBLE roster mismanagement that Larnach is still on the roster in place of Lowe. Maybe the Twins can partially correct their poor roster construction with someone like Urias to replace Wagaman as a better roster option due to greater versatility, especially since Clemens and Caratini can also help out at 1B and allow Bell to just be the primary DH? Again, forgive my indulgence for a RANT, but it all ultimately ties together. Had ownership had their sh*t together sooner, the pen might look different today by ONE major late inning addition. Had new GM Zoll been a little more on the button, maybe WE have Lowe on a cheap ML deal, or a better incentived MILB deal than the Reds. But my rambling was to prove a point, to rant, but to also reflect on the recent pen moves that HAVE happened. I can't and won't dismiss Hendricks for his cancer battle, which seems to have been overcome. THAT, didn't truly take his career off the rails. And while his almost immediate TJ surgery also doesn't take his career off the rails, we also know that despite generally good success these days from said procedure, it doesn't guarantee a return to the norm. Even then, it can take a full year to get full command back, even with a velocity return. What screwed up Hendricks' return was a nerve "out of place" or "pinched" that caused numbness in some of his fingers. Now, I'm not going to blow smoke that his second, relatively minor, procedure to release pressure on a nerve is going to get him back to being what he was 3yrs ago, but it's also hard to say he WON'T make it back with cancer beat, TJ well over a year plus removed, and reports that his velocity seemed to be back in order for the Twins to offer him a MILB deal with an obvious split contract. It's interesting that he has decided to not pitch for Australia in the Classic, as he wants to work on his rehab/ramp up with the Twins. Stringer speaks about making the roster. Maybe 6 weeks of ST allows that. Maybe he needs a little more time at St Paul just to get in a groove. So it's hard to predict his timetable for Opening Day. But if he's 85-90% of what he once was, this is a TREMENDOUS signing. But then again, it's only a MILB deal. The recent additions of Banda and Chaffin tells me TWO things. A] The Twins are prepared to carry 3 LHRP for matchups, with Rogers holding a position as an experienced arm for the later innings, and OTHER options in case the maturity shown by Funderburk in 2025 was an illusion. B] Prielipp, now up to 5 pitch offerings, is going to be continued as a SP, at least for NOW. He MIGHT still end up in the bullpen. But his goal is to actually "learn" how to set up hitters better. In EITHER role, I wonder how many have thought about that process? It's easy to say he has the STUFF to be a quality RP right NOW. But he's still learning how to set up hitters and maximize his pitches. MORE IP means MORE TIME to actually LEARN how to PITCH. I see him starting in St Paul with the idea of LEARNING and COMMANDING his STUFF with the idea of 100+ IP, and maybe even making a late 2026 debut with the Twins in the pen. From the remainder of the INVITES, I'm not sure I have a favorite to step forward. But the Twins always seem to find someone don't they? Altovilla COULD BE the next Stewart. He's always had decent stuff, but has always been injured. If he's actually healthy, for once, he could be a surprise. I kinda like Bash as a surprise who doesn't K a lot, but seems to get outs. But does the INF defense hurt him? I don't think we should sleep on Raya, Lewis, or Macleod. I know Raya is not an invite. But I can't resist including him. Just given a little AAA time to adjust to his new role, and only having to throw his best stuff for 1-2 IP, I have a feeling he might surprise. Unfortunately, Lewis has a reportedly mild shoulder issue that will keep him sidelined for a couple of weeks. He was probably starting 2026 in St Paul regardless. But I think we forget how good he looked before 2025. He could be a major surprise later in 2026. Macleod wasn't as bad as his ERA showed. After a solid AA, he was vastly inconsistent at St Paul. He was good some days, poor other days. But he shouldn't be dismissed for late 2026 despite recent 1yr additions. I'm still hoping for a surprise trade or FA signing. I guess, like most of us, I'm maybe hoping for a cheap Kopech signing with upside that might make a difference in the pen with a ring and a prayer. But I am also not as despondent as I was a few weeks ago with a couple "decent" options that might play out. I at least like having a multitude of options available to sort through. Just not sure I can predict who steps forward. But IF Hendricks could be 85-90% of what he once was, that could be huge for 2026.

Thank you. I had missed that. So let's take that as reality and run with it shall we? I'm no genius, but I can do math. Lol Assuming you simply can't actually PLAN on long shot Hendricks actually surprising and earning whatever prorated deal he MIGHT earn.... $10M minus the $3.6M combined for Rogers and Banda is $6.4M left. You sign Kopech on a 1yr make good and hope deal for $4-5M. (I mean, he's still looking for a job and he has an opportunity to pitch in high leverage for the Twins). So you have $1.4M left of the original $10M. (Or more). You move Larnach for a prospect, or, IDEALLY, you trade him for someone's #2 utility player, solid 26yo-ish utility player with some ability stuck at AAA...the next Newman, Punto, Castro...who can play a decent SS and you suddenly have a better utility option than the motley crew you already have on hand. You've now saved another $4.5M, roughly, to spend elsewhere. You sign Nathaniel Lowe as an ACTUAL ML 1B with a solid career coming off a bad 2025 for $6-7M based on current projections. That's ONLY $1.5-2.5M more than the left over $ previously mentioned. Bell is now the primary DH, Clemens gets to focus on being the utility player he's supposed to be, you probably got a better super utility player than what you've bought to camp, you have a decent, solid, proven full time 1B, and you've added another power arm to the back end of the bullpen that might make a difference. Current $105M payroll, add $10M, subtract another $4.5M, and add another $2.5M....all close approximates...and you have a $113M payroll. Still under $115. WAY under the opening day 2025 payroll, and about $9-10M less than the FINAL 2025 payroll after the firesale. Put another way, it's only $2-3M more than the current payroll and what's left of the proposed $10M after adding Rogers and Banda. LF, utility player, and final configuration of the 8 man bullpen are your camp battles. And even those could be predicted fairly easily at this point. And ownership and the FO can't find a way to make this happen?

He was recruited as a SS. He had a good, older player in front of him, so he played mostly 3B initially. And his junior season, he became his team's starting SS. When drafted, as a result, he had ONE college season as a starting SS. I think it's important to remember that in all discussions. By all reports, he played a very solid SS as a professional "rookie" in 2025. I'm sure there's room for development and improvement, but he's got a good arm, and is a good athlete. POTENTIALLY, Houston is a DYNAMIC SS who's bat has to only be decent to be the Twins eventual starting SS. But that's a different discussion for a different day. What's important in the NOW discussion is his ability to continue to mature and be a solid, dependable ML SS, at least in the short term. I have yet to read where he CAN'T be that kind of defender. And with all due respect and hope for Lee to improve this season...also with the bat...he's probably destined for a different spot in the INF, or being a competent super utility player for the Twins. K-Pepper chases a bit too much, most young hitters do initially, but he's also shown the ability to take BB, not K to an extreme, and I'd be willing to bet his chase rate will decline somewhat in 2026. My biggest concern is his ground ball rate. He's produced some really good offense, and power, while still fighting this issue. But it was also only his FIRST full season. Learning to not sell out, but LIFT the ball more often doesn't have to mean even more HR power...but it could...but rather more hard hit singles and more doubles where his speed comes in to play. Here's hoping his defense continues to improve, he chases a little less, and he learns to elevate the ball just a little more. That's really not a lot to ask for a talented young kid who's already off to a great start. It's just the kind of development and maturation you'd expect from a talented young prospect. With a little luck, the Twins will be healthy enough in 2026 that he won't be needed until around July so he'll get some solid AAA time to grow and produce for a few months.

I do recall Zoll saying the Twins weren't done and were looking to add 2, maybe even 3 arms to the pen. I don't recall any numbers like $10M possibly available. Did I miss that somewhere? Currently, the entire 8 man pen would probably cost $10M or less. So MAYBE there's still room to add Kopech for a 1yr $4M "make good" kind of deal? While that wouldn't be any sort of guarantee of being a GOOD signing, it would fill me with some HOPE of getting the good version of Kopech and could change the dynamic of the pen in a hurry. I guess we'll see. I DON'T dislike the Hendricks signing. It's only a MILB deal that probably offers up a bump in salary to maybe $2-3M, possibly with escalators involved. We'll see how he pitches for Australia, and in ST. He's a comeback flier at this point, and that is all. I'm rooting for him, but expecting nothing. He was still dominate in 2022. He lost 2023 due to Hodgkins Lymphoma. After overcoming that, he blew out his arm and needed TJ surgery, so that wiped out 2024. And then he needed a secondary procedure in 2025. But what if that 2nd procedure...and I'm still not quite certain what it was...works to stabilize his elbow? Might we get an 85-90% version of him? If so, he ends up being a 1yr steal and it's a really good story. But again, I'm still not betting on it. Rogers, Funderburk, and Banda, as of TODAY, probably all make the opening day pen. That can be a good thing for Shelton if he uses them judiciously: Rogers helping on the back end, and Funderburk and Banda able to help in the 5th-7th innings to close an inning, or run a full inning that has 2 LH batters coming up. If we get the 2024 version of Sands back, or close to it...and he did pretty well the last 2 months of 2025 except for a poor 10 game stretch as well...he's also part of the back end. The problem is another good, strong RH arm for the late innings. And you just can't bank on a Hendricks return. I think Festa might be that arm. The bad news is he hasn't done it before. The good news is he has a good, powerful arm and HAS ML experience where some of the other, younger arms have yet to debut. Topa is OK, but he's a "start a clean inning" middle man. Orze has some upside still, I'd wager, after having a pretty solid 2025 with Tampa. But as of now, he'd still project as another middle man, barring a big upswing. (He's also got options if someone else outperforms him). Regardless, as of TODAY, Sands, Topa, Orze, Rogers, Funderburk, and Banda would be written in with a collection of ink and pencil. But let's go ahead and put Festa in there as well since it does seem to be his destiny. That's 7 spots of 8 potentially filled. It could be worse. Rogers has still been recently solid, and has tons of experience. Sands and Festa have power and some nasty stuff/potential. That's your backend trio. It could be worse? The others offer some mix and match for the middle innings when you assume that, generally, most days the rotation will give you 5 innings. (I'm assuming health). There's enough arms in camp for SOMEONE to emerge as the 8th man, and a history of the Twins FINDING that "surprise" that can help. It could be worse. It could be worse? The biggest issue, IMO, is not Rogers suddenly falling off a cliff, or you talent/potential of Festa. It's not having ANOTHER RH arm to make the backend a foursome you can kinda/sorta depend on and be excited about. And I really don't know how ANY trade is going to bring in that kind of arm. So it's GOT to be a surprise by Hendricks, a signing of Kopech and getting the good version of him, or Matthews/Bradley/Abel taking on that responsibility. I think the 2nd half of the season can see the bullpen stabilize, and improve, with solid depth after some of the converts at both the ML and AAA level settle in. But CAN the early season pen hold together enough to actually close out enough games to not ruin the season in the early going? I still have a lot of disagreement on position player construction, and a couple of ideas that could help fix that without spending more than a couple $M to do so. But that's a different discussion. I think the pen has a CHANCE to be OK through April and May, get gradually better, but SOMEONE else HAS to be added to the back end od the pen or the Twins are going to lose too many games that they have a chance to win. Is that a Kopech signing? Is it another SP option being moved? IDK the exact answer. But SOMEONE better figure out WHO that SOMEONE is.

I saw the Hendricks move coming. I didn't see this one. And while I'm not excited about Banda, he fills a role on the cheap. While the International $ given in the trade doesn't come from the actual payroll, he is, in affect, costing a little more than $2M. I'm not sure that just adding Coulome for $2.5-3M wouldn't have been the better move. I don't have a problem with 3 LH in the pen. That can actually be an advantage if used properly. Rogers will be used on the back end of the pen in some sort of set up, closer by committee set up initially. If the growth we saw from Funderburk is close to being real, he could still be the #2 LH option. And if he suddenly regressed, Banda can be that #2 option. Now IF Maki and company can tweak Banda's changeup, even a little, he becomes a better addition. But he's no pen savior AT ALL. What he is is a basic replacement for Coulombe. 5th or 6th inning, he can come in to get that last LH batter out to finish things off. Or, he can start and inning when the batters line up with 2 LH in the inning. But he's not a set up man. He's a decent, solid middle inning LH arm who can help. And I'm OK with that.

Tom reminds me of real and fictional bosses/owners who are in over their heads, and have no clue how a business is run. "We're going to be great because we want to be great! And we're going to cut pay, and some benefits, and ask everyone to work more, but in the end, we're going to be GREAT!" Tom might be a good business man. And he might make that portion of the team better. I hope that he does! But he's a self admitted neophyte in regards to running a professional MLB team. Here's a hint Tom, let the baseball people run the team. Here's another hint Tom, DON'T tell us your family BLEW the offseason following 2023, and that you want to somewhat slowly roll the payroll back up again...which I can actually accept and get behind...and then tell us all you want a smaller payroll than the $122M-ish you FINISHED with in 2025 and expect your team to COMPETE. And you're a business man? Hmmm...maybe not a very good one. You want a good product but you won't invest in your family's PRIMARY nutegg? Wow! Hint #3, when you call season ticket holders and they hang up on you, or don't answer, do you actually understand what's going on? So let's go back to your proclamation about "going big or going home". So your idea of that is having a roster that would struggle in 2026 because you want to invest yearly and build and want 2026 to be competitive without actual investment is what? Some sort of fantasy only because your WILL will make it so? Congratulations Tom, you must have found a golden lamp you rubbed the right way. If you want to ACTUALLY be serious, then give Zole the ability to actually spend the the closing of the 2025 season. How crazy is it that we have to practically BEG for ownership to spend ONLY how they finished 2025? Even at that, they could still move Larnach for WHATEVER...prospect, RP, utility player...and still add Lowe at 1B to actually build a position player roster that makes sense. You want Hoskins instead? OK. It still makes more sense than stretching Clemens to being an every day player, and allows Bell to be the primary DH. Lowe is just sitting there with quality production over his career and a 12.2 career WAR and an OBVIOUS hole/need at 1B and Tom thinks everything is OK? And he only costs a couple $M beyond Larnach's deal? (That needs to be moved). OK, screw being super smart, sign Ramon Urias as a utility player for around $3-4M max. He can play 1B/2B/3B and brings a competent glove and bat. It's a move I would have made ALONG with Lowe if only OWNERSHIP didn't have their head up their ass. Funny thing, BOTH are still available as solid ML players. ONE, Lowe, really changes the roster and it's depth, and should be a no brainer yesterday. I don't dislike Clemens. But I would have signed Urias as competion to deepen the bench. And now he's even cheaper. But Tom is the ONLY reason why things are quiet. Just imagine, for a moment, Larnach is gone, the Twins sign an ACTUAL 1B with a good glove and solid bat with good splits, and a solid, veteran utility player to compete with Clemens. And they could probably add 1 additional RP option on a flier and STILL be at $120M or below. Reminder, the FINAL 2025 payroll ended up around $122M. So take your "compete" BS Tom! At least Joe gave a damn about the Twins. In the few weeks you've been on the job, you've already proven you're just another speak mouth of your whole family. Prove me wrong Tom. Prove us all wrong.

There's no question a couple of starters are going to transition that haven't been announced as of yet. Probably because they're going to still be rotation options to begin ST. You've got to see who's really throwing well and is showing improvement and looks ready, and also see who is maybe a step behind and ready for the pen. I do think Festa is obvious for all the reasons that have been repeatedly gone over. But who's the next best candidate. Is it Matthews? Or is he just being named because he's shown mixed results so far? I mean, has Bradley really shown henhas a brighter future than Matthews at this point? Honestly, I don't have an opinion beyond Festa. I just want the Twins to be smart enough to make the right decisions. It would really stink to see Matthews, for example, moved to the pen and then see Bradley not take a step forward. Did they make the wrong choice? The Twins coaches and scouts and instructors are a lot closer to the situation than we are. Surely they can look at pitcher A and pitcher B, understand their stuff and their command, and decide who has the brighter future in the rotation, and who has the brighter future in the pen. For arguements sake, let's move Matthews to the pen with Festa since the idea has been broached. OK, done. Where is your rotation depth? Abel and Morris would seem next in line working at St Paul as the 6th and 7th options. That's not bad. Hopefully the Twins are rightly optimistic about Rojas. As of TODAY, he's probably option #8, hopefully not needed until later in the summer, if at all. I'm guessing for NOW CJ Culpepper stays as a SP. That could change down the road, but the Twins need depth, St Paul needs starters, and CJ could use a healthy 2026 to see where he ultimately fits. Potentially, that's some pretty decent depth. My gut tells me the Twins are still going to add 1 more FA arm for depth and experience. Is that someone like Kopech or Hendricks on a 1yr make good deal? IDK. But 1 more FA...not discounting a possible trade...will be added. So your pen is Sands, hopefully, returning more to his 2024 performance level. Rogers offers experience...and still solid results in recent years...as the #1 LH option for the latter innings. Topa is OK, but needs to come in with the bases clean. (At least he's "been there done that" before). Funderburk is the #2 LH, and that's not horrible if his 2025 maturation is close to real. Orze has at least shown some potential in relatively SSS. Can he at least be a decent 6th inning arm? How much potential might he have? (He's got options available) And again, I'm expecting ONE additional add. Who and how good remains TBD. And in this scenario, Festa and Matthews are converted. And neither has anything left to prove at AAA. They might be gradually built up to 8th and 9th inning roles, or they might get thrown in to the deep end immediately, but they shouldn't need more time at St Paul. So Sands, Rogers, Topa, Funderburk, Orze, VETERAN ADD, Festa, and Matthews. That's 8 unless my brain is forgetting someone. That might not be great, but you can see the makings of a decent pen. All the more so with Festa and Matthews maturing quickly in their roles to join Sands and Rogers for the back end. But like the rotation, you need depth. So who's next? Invariably, the Twins always seem to find SOMEONE off the proverbial "scrapheap" who surprises. I'm just not going to predict who, but it does seem to happen. Adams, no surprise, is fully converted. He's got decent velocity, a decent breaking ball, but his FB is too straight. Is he a tweak away from more movement and greater velocity when only tossing 1-2 innings? Raya, by all accounts, has some good offerings. But with previous struggles as a starter, and ZERO ML experience, he's going to need AAA time in his new role to actually find some success. I remember rumors of Lewis possibly converting. He's flashed at times, and shown real K ability. Can his velocity jump, refine ONE breaking ball, and then flash that crazy knuckleball as a 3rd option? I think he might be really good in the pen, but like Raya, he could really use some time in St Paul's pen adjusting to his new role. And I have a gut feeling Klein could be really good! While his AAA debut wasn't great to begin with, he settled down and finished solid. He's a big, strong kid with some solid offerings and good K results. I could see HIM jumping in to the discussion really quickly. And then there's the Prielipp debate. It's really hard not to dream about him remaining a SP option and getting in 100+ IP for St Paul in 2026, refining his offerings and approach, and learning how to better sequence and put batters away more quickly. And it's not as if he's old. But does he have a better, brighter, more immediate future in the pen rather than continuing a build up? It's not hard to see him as a potential late inning fireman/setup option from the LH side as early as June. So eliminating a potential veteran surprise, rebound candidate, and ONLY focusing on the younger arms: Adams, Raya, Lewis, Klein, and Prielipp are next in line. Ideally, they can all get a couple months in the Saints bullpen to adjust to their new roles. But you can start to see a decent ML pen, with more arms on the way, and a better pen from June/July onwards vs opening day. For giggles, keep an eye on a trio of MILB kids who might step up and be ready to contribute later in the year: Christian MacLeod, LHP...mentioned by another poster...is a former SP at AAA already converted to the pen. He was really good at AA last season, but was inconsistent when he reached AAA around mid season. He lowers his BB numbers, he just might contribute sooner rather than later as a depth option. Jaylin Nowlin, LHP. The kid has good velocity, good K numbers, a funky delivery, and can be nasty at times. But his BB numbers just don't work. He converted to the pen in '25. And he was in ST for a while last season. He runs hot and cold. A little more control, he could be with St Paul quickly. Hunter Hoopes, RHP. If you've never heard of him, it's OK. But you should take a moment to look him up. Basically, he was at a training facility, with a bit of a running start, and threw 107mph. The Twins signed him out of the Independent Leagues and he was a professional rookie in 2025. He basically BLEW AWAY the competition at low and high A last season before running in to some trouble at AA late in the season. The Twins sent him to the AFL this offseason where he also put up bad numbers. But let that fool you. That was about getting in work for 2026. Of course he doesn't throw 107 in real games. But he sits in the high 90's. And he'll begin 2026 at AA Wichita. But a little more command, and refinement of his secondary offerings, he could be in AAA by mid season. It's unusual to have optimism for MILB RP as we're just so used to seeing the Twins convert SP to the pen with good results. But these 3 INCLUDE 2 MILB SP who have recently converted already, and 1 flier that could be a surprise. I CAN see the makings of a "competent" bullpen to open the season. And I can see a bullpen that's better, and deeper, from June/July onwards. I guess I'm just trusting Maki and others of making the right choices. POTENTIAL can either be an ugly word, or a good word. It depends on the outcome. I know this might sound silly to most of you, but I can ALMOST see a better pen the first couple of months vs the position player roster. But I can see BOTH being better from June/July onwards. But will that be too late to save the 2026 season?

Come on guys, St Paul is filled with OF, 1B options, and maybe catcher options. This is nothing more than giving St Paul another INF option to put a competent team on the field. He's a LONG way from being a ML option at this point.

For me, this OP addresses 2 primary items: 1] Roden himself. 2] Poor roster construction. Let's stick with the more positive #1 item first. While not a TOP prospect, Roden was a high #3 draft choice for a reason. He's demonstrated in his MILB career to be a quality hitter with discipline, contact, and a high OB% as a result. He's got some legitimate POP, even if he doesn't have more than double digit HR power. He's also got decent speed, and has been successful at SB at an 87% clip in MILB. Based on various reports...and some general belief from the Twins...he's a capable CF to give Buxton days off here and there. And he can reportedly play both corners quite well. Thus, why is Outman still on the roster instead of even a marginal veteran FA RP that might ACTUALLY help the bullpen depth. Ultimately, Roden is PROBABLY a solid 4th OF who also has 1B experience, who should have a solid ML career based on talent level and defensive flexibility. He SHOULD be the starting LF to begin 2026 unless he just has a lousy ST. The Twins NEED more speed, athleticism, and better defense. Well, Roden does that in LF, while also covering CF/RF to give Buxton and Wallner days, or half days off. I just don't buy in any theory a rookie only having 136ML AB and struggling as a warning sign. I believe service time will remove "rookie status" from Roden, but come on the kid will basically still be a rookie in '26. POTENTIALLY, he works with Keaschall as a pair of solid hitters, OB, contact hitters with POP and some speed at the top of the order. OR...depending how Shelton wants to construct his lineup...he's a potential bottom of the order "flip" producer in the lineup. And Martin IS part of this discussion. A solid Roden should be playing about 75% of the time between LF, and covering CF/RF. There's still plenty of room for Martin to play LF...and can be the #3 CF and #3 2B potentially...when Roden gets a day off, or plays CF/RF. And while he doesn't have as much pop as Roden, he's a similar hitter in many respects. And he fits the same role as a contributor either at the top, or bottom, of the lineup, depending how Shelton builds it daily. But LF suddenly provides defense, athleticism, and speed. Aren't we looking for that? Once again, why is Outman even still on the roster? If Buxton has an injury that keeps him out for a couple of weeks instead of just needing a day off, what do you do? Well, 2 of your TOP prospects sitting at AAA are CF options waiting for opportunity. And 1 is already on the 40 man roster! Once again, why is Outman even still around? Because a poor ML player, except for 1 year, is better than playing a 26yo with potential? I'm hopeful no ghost of Falvey ego will prevent Zole from just letting Outman pass through waivers and MAYBE signing up with St Paul, even though I don't know he has much potential there considering younger, better talent on hand. For a team looking for defense, speed, and athleticism, the Twins would be borderline stupid if they didn't go the younger, more potential route. Unless, of course, Roden just had a really poor ST. But I just can't escape POOR position player construction! Even IF the Twins are holding on to Outman as a "just in case someone is injured or just has a lousy ST", where does Larnach POSSIBLY fit in? He's the primary LF? What happened to more speed and athleticism to make the team BETTER? And ONCE AGAIN, how does Outman even figure in at that point? Do you keep Martin...or maybe Outman as ANOTHER LH OF...and just punt on Martin...and put Roden back at AAA to play with Rodriguez, Jenkins, Gonzalez, and Fedko and Rosario? What the hell is the point? Being the primary DH and someone else playing LF daily you still have the same issue. Martin or Roden plays LF while Larnach is the primary DH and you again punt on Martin or Roden as options, much less the dead albatross that is Outman to have a 4th OF. It's comical how poor the current player roster construction is! Let Martin and Roden not only prove themselves in ST, but don't be afraid to run with younger, more athletic talent. ESPECIALLY considering you have THREE TOP 10 talents in the OF sitting at AAA with a solid top 20-25 options like Rosario and Olivar ready to join in, plus a potential wild card like Fedko as a kid who just might be a late blooming 4th OF type. And that leads me to the #2 point that I am as tired about posting as you are reading what I have to say. (Sigh). Position player wise, you couldn't ask for a better outcome than has been presented to TOM, and Zole. MOVE Larnach for whatever you can get. SOMEONE must need a fairly cheap $4.5M LH DH part time OF for a prospect of semi decent quality, or package him with a solid 20-25 prospect for a BP arm, a solid AAA utility player...I'd love the next possible Castro or Newman, or Punto be brought back at this point. But for a cheap 2026 Twins payroll, I just want Larnach moved for WHATEVER...even though I think he's a pretty solid player...and just free up $ even if he doesn't bring back an immediate return. Why? Because it might not be too late to help fix the position roster!! Honestly, Roden and Martin SHOULD hold down the LF portion of the roster/lineup not only for potential, and the prospects set to arrive, but also because WHY IN THE HELL WOULDN'T YOU BE TRYING TO HAVE THE BEST PLAYER ROSTER YOU CAN? OOPS. Did I do that? It's NOT yet too late for Tom to allow Zole to FIX the player roster at least. Again, the FA market has fallen in the Twins favor in regards to position players. I will GLADLY admit to eating crow if the Twins dump Larnach and spend a lousy $2-3M more for a solid, rebounding, 30yo Lowe at 1B. But suddenly the lineup starts to actually makes sense. Lowe is a solid 1B who is decent bat with neutral splits and has proven every day availability. He's coming off a poor season that makes him cheap, but has a solid career at only 30yo. Now Bell gets to DH every day. And ONLY being a DH, his WAR...for those counting...might be 2-3 ONLY being a DH. And we have a career 12.2 WAR 1B has been in conversation for a GG here and there. And suddenly Clemens is what he is supposed to be. A decent, 5 position player who brings some power value from the LH side, without being stretched as a starter anywhere. It ALSO allows freedom for him to be the 5th OF. So Roden and Martin claim LF with the ability for Roden to be a sort of every day 4th OF. And we move Larnach for whatever we can get and no prospects are blocked. And the FO, with Larnach moved only needs a couple $M to add an ACTUAL ML 1B. How does all of this make so much sense?

ACTUALLY I had only briefly considered Hendricks as an option. Wouldn't it be interesting to see him "come home" for 1 more year in the sun? I don't think Kopech will get anything close to what he wants. He's a volatile arm who needs a good year to warrant a better contract in 2027. So I'm not sure the Twins are completely out of the picture. I think the Twins 2026 bullpen just might be comparable to the lineup. Who holds the table until the best comes to play? But focused on JUST the bullpen, why can't Sands be the next Jax based on 2024 and parts of 2025? Jax was NOTHING as a SP before he became an outstanding RP. Same with many previous Twins pitchers. Funderburk may, or may not have turned a corner. I hope he has. And Rogers is still competent, but not the Rogers we knew. But there's a hopeful competency level there. Topa, healthy, with no runners on base, has some competency starting an inning. Who the hell is Orze and what kind of upside does he have? What this bullpen needs is a couple of RP who have enough experience to just not crap their uniform when called on besides Rogers. I believe Festa, and another of Bradley, Matthews, or Abel are headed to the pen, along with Raya, Lewis, and Klein. But it would make a hell of a lot more sense to add a couple decent, solid veterans to mitigate the transition. I honestly think the bullpen could look very different come June 1st, if not sooner, with arms like Festa, Klein, Raya, Lewis, and possibly Prielipp. And Festa could be Opening Dsy.

I don't know about Hrbek ever playing hockey. Maybe he did. But I wonder if you might be confusing him with Morneau, who also played hockey, and was drafted as a catcher before being moved to 1B. Regardless, I applaud this move. It's a shame he didn't get a chance to play the whole AFL season and get some time at 1B. I LOVE and appreciate good defense EVERYWHERE in the field. But the truth is LF and 1B ARE the 2 positions where you can "hide" mediocre defense in favor of a good bat. Or maybe temporarily hide said mediocre defense while a player grows in to the position to become better. But I don't believe the Twins should stop with Mendez. St Paul currently has Jenkins, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, depth piece Fedko, AND Rosario and Olivar ready to advance along with Mendez. You AREN'T moving Jenkins or Rodriguez, of course. Fedko has played some 1B. For that matter, Roden has as well. Both Gonzalez and Rosario have strong arms, but might only be mediocre OF defensively. Why not move one of them to 1B as well? Most players have spent at least a little time in their youth playing in the dirt. But there is an obvious difference from that and being primarily an OF most of their career. But even an OF has to scoop some balls. And is tracking a ball so much different than a throw that's a little off target? I am NOT minimizing the differences of INF vs OF, but even if you're a bit slow, if you have decent "foot athleticism" might you not be a decent 1B in time? A poor analogy, but an OF has to sprint. A 1B has to have the ability to "dance". If either Gonzalez or Rosario has decent feet, they should have the ability to learn 1B, even if it takes a while to become GOOD at the position. It's just AMAZING to me the previous Twins seasons have been about "shoving" someone to 1B instead of trying to develop one. Other than DH, it's the ONE position where you can vastly improve your offense with a solid BAT, even if you have an average defender. Plus defense is just that, a plus. But where has been the internal imagination to actually CREATE a 1B?

He's cheap and has a solid history. Even in a "down" 2025 he wasn't terrible, and we all know relievers are volatile year to year generally speaking. I mean, I actually have some confidence that Funderburk...with the opportunity presented to him post deadline...might have actually raised his game and started to "figure it out". But what if...hopefully not...that was an illusion. Only the Twins really know how confident we should feel about him. But why not another, cheap, solid, LH option in case Funderburk turns back to a pumpkin? The problem is we still have ZERO idea about the payroll. Granted it's now Tom instead of Joe, and Zole instead of Falvey, but HISTORY would indicate the vault isn't closed yet. The Twins have often made late signings just before ST began, or even as it begins. I'd have no problem with Banda as his contract is pretty small. But if $1.6M is pushing the payroll wall even a bit, I think I'd hold back and use that for a "decent" RH option. There's not a lot left other than the "roll the dice" Kopech, who I'm IN on, but there are a handful of "Clippard" types for around $2M that MIGHT be better options.