DocBauer

I'm a fan and believer. In fact, he's one of my favorite arms to watch throw. When he's on, he throws about as well as Ryan and Lopez. His control and command are excellent. He has quality secondary offerings, and his 92mph FB makes hitters look silly at times. What held him back in MILB initially was that huge frame and his mechanics. He ended up hurt quite a bit with nagging, but not serious, injuries. The Twins re-worked his mechanics and nurses him a bit through a solid rookie season. And he was really good in 2023 and 2024. He often complained that his mechanics were out of whack this past season. My question, which will probably go unanswered, is whether his "out of whack" mechanics caused his hip injury, or did he hurt his hip and that caused his mechanics to go south? I'm totally believing an offseason of rest and then getting said mechanics back on track will bring the "old" Ober back for 2026. Even if the Twins open next season with Lopez and Ryan on the team...knock on wood...he's still really important as a veteran #3 arm. His $ is really minimal, and were he a FA, he'd probably get double even coming off 2025 based on age and what he's done previously.

And what you have replayed here is why I have so much angst in regard to media in general, but will leave it on regards to Lewis. We keep hearing the "I don't slump" as if that is some sort of insult to the game. Which it ISN'T. Would you rather have an insecure ballplayer on your team? And then you provide the FULL context of his quote. It's similar to his quote he didn't want to play 2B half way through a season. But why do so many ignore the rest of his quote that he didn't want to blow a game at a new position? Why do so many want to dismiss reports he worked out at 2B in offseason to get ready for 2B before the Twins said to not worry about it? So because he's not proven to be Superman we're supposed to take a few comments and say this kid isn't a team player? It's just ridiculous. Were I Buxton, I would pull him aside and tell him to take a breath or two before speaking, and just realize you to relax for a moment while speaking and be honest, but don't let frustration command your reply. This kid is guilty of NOTHING other than injuries beyond his control, and maybe being guilty ONLY of speaking his honest thoughts at times of frustration. What the hell is wrong with that?

Just relax folks. He's nothing more than a AA or AAA depth piece we snagged pre rule 5. Even as stupid as ownership is, even as stubborn minded as the FO is, this is ONLY a simple BS move made in regard to hopefull MILB depth. This is only "get in the front of the line" for a Disney Small World ride. We'll probably never hear about him again, save some MILB reports. If even then.

I get how the system works. Kreidler is a MILB fill in at AA, maybe AAA. So you claim him and then later release him and probably sign him again as a MILB for orientation depth. Period. The move is only to put the Twins in 1st place for a MILB depth option. It's just like a MILB rule 5 option early. I don't blame McCaughen from trying the FA market. He's not good, but he's good enought to be a depth piece for someone. And I wouldn't be shocked if he came back to the Twins considering the 2026 pen will be in flux. I am, however, really surprised by the dropping of Peyton Carr. A 10th round pick with ONE professional season, even mediocre, being cut loose is rare. Did he simply not want to play any longer? Or is there something else going on we don't know about? The rest, all due respect, are MILB fodder considering the talent on hand for 2026. Again, Kriedler is nothing more than a hope nobody else claims him as we want him for some MILB depth. Every team does that. What's of interest to me is the pitching depth from AAA downward even with these obvious deletions. Of course there will be some fliers brought on, and possible depth pieces, but I'm not certain I've seen this kind of pitching depth in the system for YEARS.

So the new fad is a recent former player sliding in to a manager role. Isn't it interesting how old becomes new again? WHY I DON'T LIKE HUNTER? He's coming from a couple years of work in the FO of one of the worst run organizations in MLB. His 4yrs with the Twins in a similar role as a special advisor. But he still hasn't actually been an actual on the field coach or instructor, as far as I know, other than some ST games. There's just zero or limited experience as a coach or instructor. WHY I COULD ACTUALLY LIKE THIS HIRE? While he's been removed from playing time for a few seasons, he understands injuries and struggles and has the charisma to SPEAK to young players. He's part of the Puckett pipeline of prospects, embracing young players and paying it forward. Puckett...for all the bad stuff in his personal life...always paid his professional life forward. You need advice? Come to me. You need a few $? Come to me. This was carried down from Puck to include Hunter, Span, Revere, and Hicks along the way. He is young enough to understand and relate to today's players. He's damn smart and understands the game. If you give him a solid, experienced bench coach like Shelton, who can help reign in too aggressive instincts, and help with all the subtleties of being a manager, you might have something. He's strong enough emotionally and intellectually to actually CHALLENGE the FO for roster decisions and how he wants to build his staff, and how he wants to run his game. WHY IT MIGHT HAPPEN? Everything I previously stated. WHY IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN? No real experience coaching. The FO and ownership might not want someone who actually challenges decisions they make.

This makes sense to me. He's got a really solid background as a former player, and MILB manager and ML coach. I LOVE the bilingual aspect. He's also young enough to identify with younger players while still embracing newer approaches to the game. He's got a good resume. And I really appreciate the idea that he'd be the 1st manager in Twins history to be of color. (I hate that terminology). I only care if he's the best man for the job. Same as reported interest in Rowsen. I want someone smart enough to relate to the players, who is discipled enough to hold players accountable, and who will put together a staff of coaches to provide the best for the Twins going forward. I also want someone "ballsy" enough to challenge Falvey about his decisions in regard to coaches and roster. Wouldn't you want the same?

I read an article early in the season...or was it the offseason?...that Jeffers was in the top 5 of OPS for catchers in all of MLB since his debut in 2020. I don't recall the breakdown as to the minimum number of AB per season. But a truly good, productive offensive catcher is really hard to find. I understand that defensive metrics show Jeffers as below Vazquez over the past 3yrs. But I also understand that various defensive metrics available are also in direct conflict with one another at times. And I think it's harder for the catcher position than any other spot because it's a spot where you can't accurately quantify what they do with the staff, and how they work with them to produce quality in the most important part of their game: pitching results. Last I looked, Jeffers had a slightly better team ERA over Vazquez over the past 3yrs. Considering ERA is a weird stat that is limited in total context, I don't know that it makes much of a difference. Over the past 3yrs, the CS% between Jeffers and Vazquez is 20% and 20.4%. Almost identical. I'm not attempting to pump up Jeffers or dismiss Vazquez. I'm only stating that Vazquez has this reputation as being a really good defensive catcher and Jeffers is supposed to be a below average defensive catcher. But splitting time almost 50/50 over the past 3yrs, they are almost dead even on pitchers ERA and CS%. So while Vazquez might have fewer passed balls, is Jeffers really a poorer receiver than Vazquez? You either like or don't like Jeffers as a receiver. I believe he's solid, but not great. But I think he calls a good game and has the trust of his pitchers. His bat isn’t isn't awesome, but it's damn good. Considering his strong build and limited games started the past 3yrs, I wonder how more productive he might be catching 60-65% of the games with another 10-15% as a DH against LHP? Sorry, I just don't trust Winkel as a ML catcher considering poor hitting and a limited arm. Cardenas seems to have the better arm, and has almost always provided a better AVG and OB% in MILB. I trust his potential much more than Winkel, but I don't believe he's ready for MLB just yet. I think he's a few more months of AAA experience to reach the ML level and be a Drew Butera type. Unless ownership just orders some sort of massive cut, Jeffers will be the #1 catcher for 2026. And he should be. The question, IMO, is will there be enough in payroll to add a decent, solid, veteran catcher to back up Jeffers and work with the current staff AND the young arms. Maybe even for some potential FA signings and FA fliers in the pen. Trusting nothing but MILB options or cheap FA options to lead a staff, with a collection of young arms as well, would be a malfeasance of how to handle any sort of re-tool or complete re-build. I'd be in complete favor of a Jeffers extension for an additional 2yrs in order to give top prospects like Taint and Jimenez, and Diaw, and lower prospects like Cardenas to get ready to take over. And MAYBE 2 and $20M gets it done. I just don't know that Jeffers agent agrees with that. Boras will tell him that as a 29yo entering FA in 2027 that he can get 4-5yrs at $10M per. Maybe more. Would he buy in to 2 and $20 and enter the FA market after that as a 31yo? Well, Vazquez got 3 and $30M. So that's really IFFY. But this might be a situation where you willingly play out a final season and let a player potentially walk for the good of your 2026 team. Of course, you OFFER the 2yr extension. You always do. You might be surprised. But I think you run with Jeffers and re-examine 2027 when it comes.

I absolutely love these arbitration articles. Gives us something interesting to talk about. But I don't feel a flippant comment in this OP about various comments he's made in the past without proper context, and just move on. It felt like a little jab that should/could have been left out, or included greater context. Royce is generally exuberant, but wears his heart on his sleeve and is sometimes too open and flippant in his comments. He didn't want to move to 2B mid season because he was embarrassing himself or blow a game? I get that. But he did it. And then he worked hard at 2B during the offseason to prepare to play there in games and then the Twins told him not to worry about it. Again, context is important. Should he pause before he speaks at times so his comments be run with and used to make him sound bad? Absolutely. As pointed out above by, he was very open and honest in an interview earlier this season when he stated he came back from his ST injury too soon and wasn't really ready. Further, he finally stated/admitted that he's had struggles adapting to changes in his body related to his knee injuries, adding bulk, and other injuries that threw off his timing. What we saw from him from about mid June on was inconsistency, but a league average or better hitter. That's a positive, as is the number of games played and no further injuries to derail his season. His sprint speed dropped further? I'd have to object simply because he went out and suddenly started stealing bases. (Speed isn't everything and I get that). Considering his injury history, I really don't want him running all that often. But his body was obviously feeling better. Again, a positive sign. His defense at 3B took a step forward this season. Primarily because he fixed the weird throwing "yip" he had in 2024. Yet another positive. He's still got a lot of talent locked inside. He's still only 26yo until June of 2026. This is not an older player trying to rejuvenate himself. Similar to Buxton, he's just looking to get healthy and STAY that way. The hope is another offseason with his trusted personal trainer will eliminate the nagging soft tissue injuries with greater flexibility and KEEP him on the field. Feeling better...which he seems to...should allow him an opportunity to adjust his stance/swing for better production that is also more consistent. Is he the All Star STUD we all dreamed of? Maybe not. But if he ONLY turns out to be a .270 hitter with 30+ Dbls and 20+ HR and an acceptable OB%, that's still a very good and valuable player. Better than that is a bonus. Of course he's an easy arbitration choice and I don't believe anyone probably feels otherwise. And he doesn't have to be Superman to be good and valuable. I understand seeing so much talent being held back from injury is frustrating. But imagine the frustration Lewis himself feels? Just because we, and he, are all frustrated, I'm of the belief his past comments...mostly innocuous in content and reflection...should just be ignored as "too open" and "too in the moment and born of frustration honesty" that he maybe should have just kept to himself. I mean, the kid has never torn anyone down or thrown anyone under the bus. I just think it doesn't truly reflect the hard working, baseball loving, and enthusiastic player that he truly seems to be. He's important to the Twins now, and the near future as well. He stays healthy and starts to perform to even the limited degree I stated previously, all of the questions should slowly disappear in to the ether. I feel for Royce. And I feel for us as fans. Again, very similar to Buxton before surgeons finally got his knee right.

Not a bad first week. But I was really expecting Mendez to get some action at 1B.

Obviously, as of today, there is a consensus #1 and we have a good chance to get him. And if we don't have the #1 pick, you go with the BPA. But my hope would be a top of the rotation arm, or a pure CF with a good bat would be available ad a future Buxton replacement. In total agreement with @Dmanthat an up the middle position is the way to go unless there's a special arm sitting there waiting for us.

OK, we have months to go and a lot of unknowns and debates to consider over the next few months, but I'm willing to play along. WHAT DO THE TWINS HAVE RIGHT NOW: Well they have SANDS who was OK in his RP debut in 2023. Then he was great in 2024. Then he was mediocre in 2025 and pretty damn good again after the deadline. I don't like cherry picking, but if you take away about 10 days in September he really looked a lot like his 2024 self. FUNDERBURK allowed a few inherited runners, but suddenly came alive in the last 2 months after the deadline. Is he finally figuring it out? I sure hope so. TOPA is discussed in a different OP, but he's a 50/50 keep for a residule $1M option as at least a veteran #6-7 option in the pen. So then we get to the OP: LAWYERSON was part of a really good 2019 class and has been used in various roles. He's slowly climbed the ladder and got a debut that was probably later than should have happened. He's got nothing special to offer. But he keeps getting guys out. That's worth looking at. ADAMS AND OHL, and I can't believe Ohl was left off this list. Adams has bloomed late. Ohl was a control freak who lacked velocity. Adams began to flash in 2024. It's why he was added to the 40 man. Ohl slipped in 2024, and then rebounded in 2025. I don't hate Adams. He actually reminds me a bit if Sands that he throws hard enough now, with a breaking ball not quite as good, that could make him still a solid mid pen arm. But I like Ohl better. Now that he sits 95 consistently with an outstanding change, he might be the better of the 2, but that's only my opinion. With a little luck from the baseball gods...and goodness knows we are due...the outlook from doctors that Festa's condition was minor and treatment and normal rehab and throwing was simple. He only needed a nerve and muscle to relax and then he could go back to normal. Why is this so important? Because Festa just might be a similar reliever like Duran. Duran ALSO had some shoulder issues. Some arms just aren't designed to be SP. Some are destined to be 1 IP 2 or 3 times a week. I believe that is where Festa should be. The "Slim Reaper" should be in the pen for 2016 and begin the rest of his career as a top setup man and potential closer. He needs to get his 2 seamer under control to be as good as he can be, but the pen is where he belongs. He honestly could be the #1 pen arm in 2026. But could we pause for a moment to realize that most young arms need a moment to just get their **** together? Varland had a couple of seasons of MLB experience before he excelled. It doesn't mean other really good young arms can't develop and transition. I'm only saying that there's more than a few arms to build a bridge towards a bullpen for 2026 internally and externally. But a couple FA arms should be available on the cheap to assist. Who wouldn't love to have Coulombe back for 1 more year? How about 2 more FA, solid, dependable, maybe coming off a disappointing season looking for a rebound year? There IS some talent in the system. There's transitional talent that might make difference. But there's also the opportunity to add a few solid options that don't decimate payroll and help 2026 and just fill in the gaps for 2027 and beyond.

I appreciate your sentiment. I really do. Canterino suddenly waking up one day after all the injury nightmares he's had and suddenly being Right is a personal Twins fantasy of mine. And you're correct that his career path is similar to Stewart's. And I think we'd all just love to see him surprise himself, and all of us, and be a Cinderella story for the Twins. Similar to Stewart, but also "somewhat" to the Cinderella story Thielbar was as well. I've just given up on the fantasy at this point. But I'd LOVE to be proven wrong!

I don't disagree. The Lee, as a hitter, that I think we'd all like to see could be a fine defensive 1B with his good hands and good baseball instincts. He wouldn't be a masher, but I've never felt your 1B HAD to be a powerplant at 1B to be successful. Especially if you had power/offense at other positions. Rewinding, I grew up watching guys like Carew, Hernandez, Grace, and Joyner playing 1B without tremendous power at 1B. But the did contribute to the lineup. More recent history has guys like Erstad and Bellinger playing 1B, even though they were also natural OF as well. It's why I have ZERO objections to Keaschall moving to 1B IF his arm just doesn't come around after TJ and then a broken forearm this season. However, I just don't see that happening. I fully believe rest and rehab will get his arm back strong enough for 2B. After that, It's all about him just working on the little things defensively. Remember, he's barely played 2B over the past 2 seasons due to his impending TJ surgery, and then the actual recovery time, messed up due to the broken arm. Keaschall has all the quickness, speed, and athleticism to get to balls. But what he's been missing is the subtleties of positioning himself better, snaring the ball, and making the glove to theowing hand transfer. IF things work out as hoped for, Lewis will ACTUALLY be healthy for most of 2026 with another offseason of hard work to get his body and swing right. Eventually, Lee is going to be more of the hitter we hoped for. Once again, he was almost rookie status during 2024. And the Twins will find a 1B for a temporary fix, at least. And then K-Pepper comes up to assume SS and Lee becomes a super utility INF who has all the tools to add 1B. I'm not as down on Lee as some are. But 1B is also the 2nd easiest spot to simply add a BIG BAT to your lineup. And when I look at talent on hand, talent so close to arriving, I just see Lee's best fit as that super utility INF, with someone else taking over 1B with a bigger and better bat.

Generally speaking, I agree with you. I have no problem with Lewis sticking at 3B. I only like the move to 1B if Lee starts to become the hitter we all hoped for, or close to it. Then it just becomes figuring out the best 4 man alignment. And that's where I see Lewis possibly moving to 1B. I'll repeat what I just stated in another response; if Lee just STOPS worrying about crappy contact and can reign in that urge to swing at crap outside his hitting zone, he just might be a .270 hitter with an OB% above .300. I believe he's got 30+ Dbls power and can still jack mid teens HR numbers. That's not a star player, but it's a really good player. I think he's capable at 25yo... and damn near a rookie in 2025...of becoming that hitter. Over the next year or two, they find a 1B, Lee becomes a 4 position super utility INF, and there's no reason for Lewis to move to 1B. Period. I can also see a scenario where Keaschall's arm just never comes back and he moves to 1B. I just don't see that happening with time and rehab, but it's possible. That's where Lee suddenly slides in to the 2B picture. But again, I think Keaschall is going to be just fine with a little more time. I tend to agree with @Riverbrianin regard to the team having more pre-arbitration players on the team and fewer 1 year fillers. I think the team is headed more that direction. But for various reasons, most all teams use 1yr rentals at various spots. And considering 1B and DH are the easiest and cheapest positions to fill, I'm still in favor of a short term option at 1B while younger players such as Roden, Fedko, Mendez, and Amick work at the position, climb the ladder, and a viable option emerges. MAYBE it's time for Rosario to also learn to play 1B. I could even, potentially, see Winokur evolving in to a powerful 1B with speed in a couple of years. I don't disagree with your idea of trading for a long term 1B. I just feel it's the wrong use of prospect capital when you could add a rental there while ACTUALLY spending some time DEVELOPING a couple 1B options from the talent in your system. You mention 3 guys as potential 1B options...which was a creative idea I brought up...as maybe being tough to roster. Not a big issue IMO since Clemens would still be a utility player, which includes 1B/2B both corner OF spots, and MAYBE an emergency 3B. Fedko and Roden not only form a quasi platoon at 1B, but they are also part of the 4th OF coverage. I mean, this ONLY works if these kids actually SHOW SOMETHING with the bat. But imagine an opening day roster of Martin, Buxton, and Wallner in the OF. There's STILL room for Rodriguez or Jenkins to be there opening day and Wallner becomes the primary DH. Add in everyone else and SOMEONE as the utility INF and you get to 13 position players. That's 3 rookies, or near rookies, along with the young Lee and Keaschall, for a lot of youngsters on hand. But it's at least an interesting idea if the payroll is $100M ish. Obviously, I'm hoping for $120M ish.

I don't disagree. Let's say Lee starts to look like the hitter we all hoped for. Say he starts hitting on the .270's, lowers his K rate, takes a few more BB and his OB goes up to .320 ish. I believe there's 39+ Dbls potential inside of THAT hitter, who can still ding mid teen HR. That's a pretty good ballplayer, but not a star. But he doesn't have a great arm, though I think it's good enough for some 3B, and with more time, I think he could be fine at 2B. And there's also room to improve at SS as well. But WHEN K-Pepper arrives, he's got a stronger arm, and more pure athleticism and range for SS. THAT'S when things start to get interesting IMO. That's when I see Lee moving in to a bench role who can play all 4 INF spots. Similar to Castro, he would play about as much as a starter, but taking over that super utility role. And IMO, that's still a valuable and important role. IF we can find a solid answer at 1B now, or maybe after a 1 or 2yr rental, that INF could be really, really solid. So I don't disagree with you. But until a couple things shake out, he begins 2026 as a starter.

My dream is Naylor for 2 or 3 years at $15M. But I'm going to guess someone outbids the Twins, or offers the same and a better chance to win. I like O'Hearn as a secondary option. Creative? I've be3n in favor of Lewis shifting to 1B EVENTUALLY, not because he can't play a solid 3B, but because it's seemingly the best way to construct an INF of Lewis, Keaschall, Culpepper, and Lee. But K-Pepper isn’t quite ready yet...speculating...so that's an EVENTUAL INF assuming Lee keeps improving with the bat. But maybe Lee moves to 1B instead? Maybe Keaschall's arm just never gets quite right so he moves to 1B. Regardless, Culpepper isn't up and ready yet. Amick and Mendez might be interesting options, but both would appear to be a good year or so away. More creativity? Roden has experience at 1B. Fedko has some experience at 1B as well. They could create a quasi-platoon with each available to play some OF and DH as well. Clemens, as a utility player, fits in at least occasionally at 1B as well. It's not what I want, but it offers up some creativity, some roster flexibility, and some future production, even if there is a growth/adjustment period with some struggling.

If they move on, they still pay the $225K buyout. A replacement at minimum cost is just shy of $800K. So in reality, Topa is a $1M question. The good is that he's at least average and experienced. That's not so bad for a 6th or preferably #7 arm in the pen. The bad is little to no upside. If you plug in a rookie at the minimum, you get much more upside. But do you get anything close to immediate, positive results? Or do you get a rookie train wreck feeling his way initially? I'm 50/50 whether he's worth that $1M and a 40 man spot. Realistically, he neither really helps or hurts the pen. He's a placeholder who MIGHT be worth 0.5 to 1 WAR if he's healthy all season and he has a bit of 2023 magic still left in his arm. You'd like to think $1M, even for the cheap Pohlads, is a drop in the bucket so you might as well bring him back. But if you're going to sign 3 good, solid ML FA on 40 man deals, plus bring in a couple lower MILB flier types, and you also have a couple younger arms in the system, (Sands, Funderburk, Laweryson, Adams, Ohl, Raya, Lewis, etc), maybe it's more about the 40 man spot and less about the $1M? Again, I'm currently 50/50.

I don't feel a lot of belief in Wallner is misplaced. I think recent bias is working against him in a lot of people's mind. Dismissing ONLY 65PA in 2022, his OPS over the past 3 seasons, WITH a disappointing 2025, is still a collective .849 OPS. How much did his initial injury affect him? Did it mess with his head? Did it affect his defense? I have to be honest, he was better defensively in 2024. Something just didn't look right most of the year as I watched him play. He was either still playing hurt. OR, he was letting something get in to his head. He is way better than Larnach in all facets. He could easily be a high 20 and probably 30 HR primary DH and part time OF. But it is still up to him to prove 2024 was a blip, and not what he's actually capable of.

Yep, looks like the clock is ticking. Thank you for the information. I was a bit confused about playing time vs options. Here's hoping for a good Winter League performance and a healthy ST.

Just to get my own personal feelings out of the way: 1] I never believe in not trying to win. That means keeping your best assets as much as possible, and adding where needed per trades, FA, and your prospects. The whole "blow it up and rebuild" idea often doesn't work as expected or hoped for, and often takes longer than expected or hoped for. I don't believe in giving up too soon. 2] Quality, front line SP is the hardest thing to find. OK, with that out of the way, Nick is exactly right that moving Lopez signifies a complete breakdown of the entire team. With all due respect to the VERY GOOD Ryan, Lopez is the #1 arm on this team, and it's leader. Some still reminisce about Gray. We'll Lopez is younger, better and is the same kind of leader. Moving him is wrong, IMO, and changes the whole dynamic of the staff, and the potential of the 2026 team and beyond. Without creating a hijack of the thread...not my intention...I re-state that KEEPING Lopez and Ryan still has the team at around $90M. That's about $50M + below opening day 2025. That puts the Twins in the lower 3rd of all MLB. Moving Lopez for a $ grab ends up putting the Twins in the bottom few teams. Meanwhile, if the payroll was only $120-130M for 2026...still below opening day 2025...the FO would have $30-40M to add a quality bat, and a handful of useful RP to supplement the new manager and staff, the players on hand, and the collection of arms and position players that have either just debuted, or are about to. That size of payroll still keeps them in the lower 3rd of MLB, but allows a chance to be fun, interesting, and possibly in contention for an 80+ season and possible playoff birth. Again, my personal philosophy as mentioned earlier, I don't believe in giving up. And quality, front line SP is the hardest thing to find. Does Ryan's trade return hold less value at the deadline if everything goes poorly in 2026? Probably some as acquiring teams only get 1 1/2 years vs 2 full years. But it also removes most any chance for the 2026 Twins to have a potentially good season. Once more, I don't like giving up too soon. Unfortunately, I'd have to agree with @Dmanthat IF the Twins moved Lopez, you might just be better of trading Ryan as well and go ahead and tear the whole damn thing down. Losing Lopez loses your #1 SP and the heart of your staff. I'd keep both. I hope they do. While my faith in ownership is almost non-existant, and my faith in the FO is rather poor right now, I keep remembering Joe Pohlad arguing for a little more $ last season. I keep thinking about the elimination of debt and minority owners that might not want to see their new toy/investment blown up right after they buy in. So I'm hoping for a $120-130M payroll that is still well below MLB AVG, but might allow for a solid, perhaps surprising, season with the new manager and staff and all the young talent debuting. One more time, I just don't believe in giving up too soon.

I saw enough from Sands in his 2022 debut...especially his breaking ball...to see a lot of promise. I was totally in favor of his pen move for 2023. While he only threw 21.2 innings in '23, he was solid in his transition. His 2024 was downright outstanding with good K numbers, very good HITS per 9, and crazy good BB numbers. I wish I was a bit better with Baseball Reference...and not lazy enough to not get better, LOL...to see a better breakdown of last season. What I saw was a lack of consistency the 1st half. While not bad, he just wasn't as good as in '24. But something began to click post deadline. Maybe it was just opportunity? But other than that BRUTAL stretch in September, as pointed out in the OP, he looked a lot more like his 2023 self. Was he tipping pitches? Was it bad luck? Was he feeling pressure by trying to be too perfect for a depleted pen? IDK. I appreciate what FIP tells us about a pitchers expected results. But you still need to throw the best, and the most consistent you can, and get the job done more often than not. But the nature of a reliever is a bad stretch can ruin your ERA, even though you were better than that. My concern is the K's went down, and the BB went up. The HITS per 9 was still solid. He's an EASY keeper, and young enough to also consider a small extension rather than go year to year. The underlying numbers, stuff, and what my eye saw throughout 2025 makes him part of the Twins pen in 2026. He smooths out his K and BB %, he's a valuable member of the backend of the pen, no question. I'm not quite as despondent about the 2026 pen as some...talent on hand and a couple smart signings and some conversions we're already seeing and hearing about...but Sands is a fairly big key to that pen.

Why I have him ranked ahead of Jenkins...BOTH healthy and looking good...since Rodriguez is the older and I don't see the Twins starting TWO rookie OF opening day. But again, will BOTH be 100% AND have a great ST? No reason one, Jenkins in theory, getting a little more AAA time and up in May or 1st of June. My opinion. Of course, you could reverse them in my scenario as well. Question: I was under the impression players had 4 options. I guess I'm probably confusing that with players who occasionally get a 4th due to injuries that slow them. What would be the process of Rodriguez being awarded a 4th option? Is it just a paperwork request due to time missed while rostered?

There are a handful of 26yo and under LH possible pen arms that will be sitting at AAA this year, or AA to begin the year like MacLeod, Bragg, and Nowlin. Nothing proven yet to be sure, but some guys that have some decent stuff if they can find a little more consistency. And hopefully, there's a Coulombe re-sign, or someone similar, for around $3-3.5M. Thielbar has been mentioned. If this new arm angle has indeed raised Funderburk's game to a higher level, I'd ecstatic if he was Thielbar for 2-3 years. I don't know that he's actually reached that level, but if he has/could, that's a huge win for an arm that has shown potential but no consistency. Crossing my fingers he might have that level of production going forward.

To be fair, he had a pretty solid 2023 and a better overall 2024. At times this past season he threw some solid innings. But at 36yo and the rotator cuff issue earlier in the year...which appears to have been minor...there just isn't a 40 man fit here. As stated by others, there's young players with actual upside that need/should be protected. Additionally, there's bound to be a couple FA additions that are younger and have as much, or more upside like a Wisler, Thielbar, or Stewart type. Plus, possibly a couple of actual 40 man worthy additions. I'd offer him a MILB deal and see if he bites. He has as good of a chance to throw for the Twins at some point in 2026 as he would anywhere else. And he's more than familiar with the organization. But that's as far as I'd go. There's just too many other potential options that should be ahead of him.

I'll say yet again that I don't dislike Larnach, even though he's never turned out to be the player we had hoped for. I also understand that he was supposedly shopped at the deadline and nobody bit. But there are a lot of unknowns regarding that, as pointed out by others. No interest at all? The Twins asked for too much? Bad timing? But the offseason is a different season unto its own. Now that teams step back, as a collective, and examine their roster and needs, will there be a team that sees value in a DH/part time OF who hits RHP with a .759 career OPS and decent power as a fit? Maybe a team short of LH bats with some power? I'd like to believe he's got value to SOMEONE. Probably traded along with a 20th ranked prospect or so, to potentially bring back a decent pen arm or solid utility INF who can play a competent SS. Maybe I'm wrong. But I'd sure try that before any non tender. I can see value for the Twins keeping him. But at some point you have to rip the bandaid off and look at your system for players/results. Not everyone is going to turn out. But you've got Martin looking like someone who may have turned a corner. And you have a collection of 22-26yo OF that all offer a degree of talent/intrigue/potential in Fedko, Roden, Rodriguez, Jenkins, Gonzalez, and Rosario. Again, they aren't all going to turn out. But when, if not now, do you begin to just open up opportunity and PLAY THE PROSPECTS?