DocBauer

Personally, I don't think Jeffers is going anywhere. Currently at AAA they have Cardenas and Winkel. I'm fairly high on Cardenas as a future backup with a bat and OB/contact approach that won't embarrass at the plate. Winkel...well...they like his defense and how he handles a staff, but the bat is pretty poor. They will both, undoubtedly, end up in camp with Banuelos to handle the number of pitchers on hand. But the only "catcher" from AA that's ready to move up is Olivar. And frankly, he's much more of a LF than a true catcher. And between the daily, active roster and the reserve list, you've got to have 3 available. That's why the signing of Banuelos. Now, it's POSSIBLE Jackson passes through waivers...if not traded during ST to a team with injuries and in need...and ends up with the Saints. But you can't plan on that at this point. That's why Banuelos was signed.

We're definitely on the same page. The only thing I disagree with is Caratini blocking any addition of Lowe. Caratini and Jeffers are a nice catching duo and they only cost about $1-1.5M more than last season's duo. And while it's nice Caratini can help some at 1B, his most important role is working behind/with Jeffers. Larnach's $, a couple $M more for Lowe, is a lot better roster construction with Wagaman down in AAA. I just don't see Caratini preventing a Lowe signing as his contract really should have little $ impact. And also on the same page regarding Roden giving Buxton days off, Rodriguez and Jenkins are sitting at AAA not only for opportunity, but as longer Buck replacements if he misses time to actual injury. Just no need for Outman in any capacity. It's not too late to tweak the roster. Come on Tom!

I doubt the team was ever in on Valdez. More than likely they were talking about other players and some ideas and somewhere in the conversation Valdez comes up as just part of the conversation and the topic quickly changes. So I don't know that the Twins have a lot of open $ to still work with. Kopech has the potential to help at least. And maybe there's another $2M arm to be had like Suter, just for example, that might "finish" the bullpen for now. As I posted elsewhere, if they really had a little more $ to play with, knowing there are no more expensive pen arms, how about trying to move Larnach and his $4.5M for a unity option better than what we have, and then add another $3M to the saved Larnach money and add Nathaniel Lowe? The payroll is still under $120M, 1B has an actual 1B playing there on a daily basis, (with wolid career aplits), Bell gets to DH daily, Clemens gets to remain a bench player, and LF has more speed and defense with Martin and Roden and no further Larnach in the OF temptation. We might even find a better utility option for the INF if the Larnach trade works put ideally. (I'd settle for another Al Newman at this point). 1B and LF are improved, nobody is really blocked, Roden can give Buxton days off here and there, and the payroll still ends up at or slightly less than how 2025 ended after the firesale. Nothing there is GREAT, but at least it's a more balanced roster.

Work with me here. The player roster is a but of a mess of puzzle pieces that don't exactly fit together. As I wrote in the recent OP about roster construction 3.0, there is an awkward path to sorta make the roster work. But what if ONE signing could change the player roster in to something that actually makes sense? IMO, that ONE signing is Nathaniel Lowe. No, he's NOT a STUD signing that changes an entire lineup as a DANGEROUS BAT. But he's a really solid player that DOES change an awkward roster to one that starts to make sense. Lowe was a good, solid player for Tampa and Texas for a number of years. While he once had a 27HR season, he's really more of a 18HR type of player. He isn't special, but he's solid, and at still only 30yo, he has a respectable 12.2 career WAR. His career quad slash line is a very respectable: .264/ .347/ .424/ .771. While not an All Star or Silver Slugger contender, that is a QUALITY ML hitter. And being a LH hitter, his career splits against LHP is pretty solid. Simply, that means he doesn't have to be platooned. Further, he's usually available for about 140 games per season. That availability is also a real positive, especially considering previous Twins injury issues. So other than not actually being an All Star type player, what are the negatives? Well, he ended up with the worst season of his career in 2025. Between Washington and his trade to the BoSox...he was better for the Nationals...he ended up with a quad slash line of: .228/ .307/ .381/ .689. So he was a slightly below average ML hitter. But even then, his 44XBH (18HR) and 84 RBI would have made him one of the better BATS on the 2025 Twins. SO WHY IS HE AVAILABLE? Because he's solid but not a STUD despite a solid career, and is coming off a poor season. His projected arbitration number was around $12.5-13M. And the BoSox decided they weren't going to pay that. And apparently, nobody else wants to pay him close to that either, and probably have their 1B already accounted for. Offseason projections vary, but it's been speculated he might only get a deal for around $6-7M. I saw more around $8-10M at one point when the offseason began. SO HOW DOES HE CHANGE THE 2026 TWINS? Simply because he's a legitimate, decent 1B who has solid career numbers, a generally neutral split against LHP...which I've mentioned...and is durable. He's a PERFECT fit for a team that DOESN'T have a legitimate every day 1B and desperately needs one. Let's examine contract options. Whether it's 1yr, or 2yrs, his value might be as little as $7M per either way. But let's go bonkers and say it's as high as $10M. (ST is right around the corner and he's still sitting at home, but I'll go high for arguments sake). 1] Bell, NOT playing 1B other than occasionally, if at all, is probably a 2 WAR player, or better, as ONLY a DH. (His career WAR is affected by defense limitations). 2] Clemens...not exactly a DAILY player...gets to be a hot/cold LH power bat as a bench player who can play 5 positions, with 3B his weakest spot, but he can play it. 3] All the more reason to move Larnach for SOMETHING. By himself, he brings back a A+ or maybe even a decent AA prospect. COMBINED with a decent prospect top 25 range maybe, he might help bring in a decent RP option. Maybe another team's version of Varland. OR, maybe, he just brings in another team's solid utility player who can play SS. Maybe it's even a really solid 26yo MILB utility player/SS that's sitting at AAA that has more projection than the current option the Twins currently have. THAT would be MY target. A possible Castro, or Castro-lite just sitting there with some talent who projects as better than the current options. The most important issue is the removal of his $4.5M off the books. That pays for at least half of Lowe's contract! 4] LF now belongs to some sort of quasi platoon of Martin and Roden. They get the opportunity to show what they can do with the glove and their bats. The Twins from reports I've heard, is considered to be a decent CF to give Buxton days off. If Martin's vast improvement in LF could carry over even little to CF, he could be a #3 option there. Were Buck to have an IL stint for any reason, 2 of your top 4 prospects are CF sitting at AAA, with one already on the 40 man. So absolutely no reason for Outman to be around. SO WHAT IS THE OUTCOME? Bell becomes the primary DH, where he can excel. You have a solid, experienced, daily 1B that doesn't have to be platooned. Clemens remains as a decent utility player, helping the bench. And you improve the defense in LF, and at 1B, while also improving the depth of the every day lineup. The cost for Lowe is somewhere between $7-10M, depending on what you read. And Larnach removed covers at least half of Lowe's signing. NOBODY is actually blocked from AAA. And the only "hole" on the position side is the utility/SS spot. And MAYBE a Larnach trade could help there as well? More speed and defense in LF, a better, decent proven 1B with a decent bat and glove, and the $ cost is pretty small with Larnach gone. Tell me this doesn't make massive sense for 2026.

THIS! While Kowar is no means an exciting signing, he's only 28yo. He's got velocity and a pedigree...for what it's worth...that had him as a high draft choice. The fact that his career ML ERA is abhorrent is also juxtaposed by a fairly decent ERA, and his best to date. That brings at least a little optimism. Can the Twins "fix" him to get more out of him? Just because the Royals couldn't doesn't mean he's not "fixable". While a SSS, Seattle got the best out of him so far in his ML career. He's at the age where maybe the mental part of his game is starting to come together. Does he need a different arm angle? Can Maki and/or Hawkins find that difference making adjustment that suddenly unlocks some potential? Maybe they can, and maybe they can't. But literally every year there are former top arms that hit the right age/experience level in their careers, end up with the right team and coaches, and suddenly everything coalesces to bring an arm from "what ever happened" to "who saw this coming"? In fairly recent history, Thielbar was a fairly low prospect for the Twins who flashed a little bit, and then was quickly put of MLB. He bounced around for a few years, and then had a good AAA seasons for the Tigers. For some reason, Detroit didn't see value and let him walk. He came back to the Twins and we all know the results that came from that. Look, Kowar might just be another arm in the history of MLB that was a high draftee that just didn't turn out. But at 28yo with velocity and a slider on hand, it's also possible the Twins braintrust adds a MPH or two, changes his arm angle, and suddenly his stuff plays up. This is a smart flier. He might disappear tomorrow. But he might also be a tweak away from being a solid pen arm. It's not a bad dart throw.

OK, so I'm late to this one due to work today. Still, I have my thoughts. The position player side is not exactly well put together, but I think it's workable, if not ideal. 1] CATCHER: Jeffers is the PRIMARY, catching about 100-105 games. He's been begging for the opportunity, and he's strong enough to handle that, IMO. Think 2 games on, one game off. You can even juggle that a little with scheduled off days where he occasionally gets 2 days off. Caratini is the #2, but he can also play 1B once in a while, but we'll get to that. I have zero issues with Jeffers getting a half day off here and there as a RH DH against LHP with Caratini behind the dish. I mean, how often does a catcher get removed from a game in this situation and you lose the DH? Very, very seldom. Jackson should be traded, if possible, maybe during ST if someone has an injury and needs help. Otherwise, let someone claim him and pay his salary. OR, he passes through waivers and probably signs with St Paul. 2] INFIELD: 3 spots are set between Lewis, Lee, and Keaschall, who should PLAY 2B. STOP with the whole OF crap and just let him settle in to 2B! If you want a few games here and there to just keep him in play, OK. But that's IT! IMO, while I'm not crazy about it, let Clemens and Wagaman be a platoon at 1B. We just shouldn't be at this point of roster construction, but it is what it is. We want to maximize what we actually HAVE. Caratini also figures in as an occasional 1B so Clemens can move around as needed. This also allows Bell to be the primary DH, and who only has to play 1B here and there. This improves the 1B defense, even to a small degree. And it allows Clemens to slide to 2B, or an OF corner here and there as a utility player. Wagaman is an emergency 3B, as is Clemens, but we're not talking ideal here. We're talking about working with what we have. Beyond Clemens playing a lot of 1B, and still being a functional utility player at 4 other spots since there are other possible 1B options, WHO is the utility player who can actually play SS? I'm talking out my backside here, to be honest, as I just don't know enough about Gray and Kreidler to make a judgment. Reportedly, Kreidler is the real deal at SS, and can also play a good CF. But in an admittedly SSS at the ML level, he can't hit his way out of a paper bag. And he's only been about a .240 hitter in MILB. So how "well" does he have to hit to be a defensive specialist and have a ML roster spot? And how well does Gray play SS? Because really, Gray and a POSSIBLE resurgence of Arcia...on a MILB deal...hitting around .200 makes them look like Silver Sluggers compared to Kreidler. As of TODAY, I'm going to say Gray opens as the utility player because he can at least rip open a hole in the proverbial paper bag at least. This might be the single worst position player move that has been made. OUTFIELD: With Falvey now removed, it's my hope that EGO is removed, and so will be Outman. He didn't impress defensively with the Twins, and simply hasn't hit a lick except for his 2023 season. And he's NOT part of any sort of future. Wallner is in RF, and will also face a lot of LHP. He's at least shown SOME improvement over the years doing so, you can't platoon everyone, and at some point in any game, he'll still end up facing a RHP. Buxton is the lock for CF. Martin and Roden both have something to prove. But neither needs more AAA time. They immediately improve the LF defense, which is important. POTENTIALLY, each provides a decent bat with some OB ability, some speed, and some power in the case of Roden. PLUS, Roden seems able to play a competent CF when Buxton needs a day off. IF the massive improvement Martin has made in LF could carry over even partially to CF, he could be a THIRD option there. (*I'm leaving Kreidler out of this part of the conversation). It could be a solid quasi platoon. (Roden also has the potential to be part of the 1B situation). What happens if Buxton gets hurt and is gone for a couple of weeks? Well, 2 of your TOP 4 prospects are CF sitting at AAA, so again, no need for Outman to be included in ANY discussion! FIVE OF feels a little lite? Remember Clemens is also a competent corner OF. It's not an IDEAL position player roster, but it can work. Why no Larnach? Because despite being a decent ballplayer, he doesn't FIT. He's moved by himself for a AA player, or A+ player with some potential. COMBINED with a solid prospect, he might even help add a decent RP option for the 2026 team. But honestly, I'd be really happy if he could bring back an even better Utility INF than what we currently have on hand. ROTATION: Lopez, Ryan, Ober, and SWR. Ober appears to be healthy and ready to again. IF the SWR we saw to close 2025 with his splitter is for real, there could be a debate as to whether he or Ober is our #3. That's the good news. Who is #5 is the major question. On the surface, you'd have to say Bradley based on experience. But it's just not that simple. While Bradley has experienced ML success, he's also regressed some. But the potential is there. Meanwhile, Matthews may have just as much talent, but hasn't quite put it together yet. But the potential is also there. Also, Abel has just as good of stuff as either of those two. So who STEPS FORWARD during ST? It's really nice to have arms of this quality on hand, but SOMEONE has to grab that #5 spot. Honestly, from 1-5, the Twins have POTENTIALLY one of the best rotations in MLB. (*notice I left Festa off the list deliberately). I've preached how good the St Paul rotation could be with Bradley/Matthews, Abel, Morris, Rojas, and possibly Prielipp and CJ Culpepper could be. But what's more important? The Saints having PRIME prospects 5 deep, or the Twins having the best STAFF they can put together? And that leads us to.... BULLPEN: I don't know if HE knows it yet, but Festa is going to open the season in the pen for all the reasons that have been discussed at length. Sands, Topa, Funderburk, and probably Orze are part of the pen. There remains a HINT that there is room to add. But there's not much left in FA. Maybe Kopech on a cheap 1yr deal with hopes 2026 is a healthy season? That makes a lot of sense and shouldn't cost much. And then maybe another experienced arm like Suter? I'd BEG for a couple of options just to have a couple experienced arms to hold the fort down for a couple of months to allow for Raya, Klein, and Lewis to adjust being RP. But considering ML need and opportunity, we shouldn't be dismissive of Matthews, Abel, and Bradley also being converted. It's just not about Twins need, but about their career as well. It would be a ridiculous usage of arm talent to ONLY play the depth piece at AAA. So SOMEONE beyond Festa is going to be transitioned. I think ST is going to figure that out. But it would still be a lot easier with a couple decent, experienced arms just to ease the young arms in to their roles.

Perhaps someone isn't feeling as lazy as I feel right now...to find th3 numbers...but he had a really poor about 7 day stretch around the first week of September, but was actually really solid post deadline otherwise.

I don't know that anyone from the Twins has actually STATED certain moves, but my brain tells me the decision has already been made regarding Raya and Klein. I'd swear I heard the same thing about Lewis. But it's hard to remember sometimes after weeks/months, and so much information to assimilate regarding sale/no sale, new minority owners, a new manager, new coaches, and the latest Pohlad/GM bomb. Again, Festa has the advantage of ML experience already under his belt, as Jax had, as Varland had, and others previous. Looking back in time, even a lot of time, most Twins setup men and closers at least debuted as SP, or long relievers, just to have the advantage of ML experience. Duran is the only one I can immediately think of who debuted in a ML pen from the start. All the more reason Festa gets a leg up on his possible, and logical conversion. All the more reason the Rogers signing is smart. And all the more reason why the new, clunky, FO should find SOMEONE of decent quality and experience to be added yet. Preferably TWO SOMEONES to just not break down and piss themselves the first time they're put in a tough situation. I think Raya has a chance to whittle his arsenal, throw as hard and best he can, and be a solid ML RP. That's a HUGE win for a 2020 4th round pick. But I actually like Klein even more. He's got good velocity and a nice mix, and good K results. And while Lewis HAS to get his command back, imagine throwing around 94mph and dropping in that CRAZY knuckleball for only 1-2 IP? There are a couple other arms I have my eye on that aren't top prospects that have a chance. But NONE of the guys I've listed have thrown a single pitch above AAA. So if Tom suddenly expects them to do so, it only shows that he's incompetent to actually accept the reigns of trying to run a MLB team in any way. But imagine him opening the wallet just a little more...and I DESPISE that comment for obvious reasons...and Zoll can add just a couple decent, experienced arms one way or another, you AT LEAST have a top 5 or so in the bullpen that also has Sands, Rogers, Veteran #1, Veteran #2, Funderburk, Topa, Festa, and Orze filling out Opening Day. That's 1 over. I have ZERO idea how they're going to handle Prielipp. I'm guessing they will initially keep him stretched out for the 1st half of the season to "just see" how it goes. But IF they add a couple, decent, experienced arms to just hold the fort: 1) Sands gets to prove is 2024 and late 2025 is for real and he's ready for extra duty. 2] Rogers is an experienced setup option who gets LH and the occasional RH out. 3-4-5] Topa and 2 yet unknowns who have ML experience and hopefully won't crap the bed when called on with runners on base. At least not too much. 6-7-8] Funderburk, Festa, and Orze to handle the middle innings. Was Funderburk's late 2025 a real turning of the corner? Does Orze have another step in him? How long before Festa feels comfortable and jumps almost everyone to be a 8-9 inning option? Meanwhile, Adams, Klein, Raya, and Lewis can be at St Paul working and adjusting as 1-2 IP RP, preparing for their debut as middle men who can contribute, and also work their way up. Will Tom allow for a couple more smart additions? Maybe they add another Clippard type. MAYBE they actually spring a little extra $ for a Kopech stretch 1 year deal with hope. But it sure makes sense to put Festa in an immediate role and give everyone else a month or two to ramp up in their approach as bullpen options. By June or July 1st, you might actually have a few arms ready to debut and help for now, and the future. But it starts with Festa and a couple veteran adds.

I'm already tired of the whole Tom Pohlad vs Falvey conversations. So I'm just not going to go there. And while I've got my own issues with some of the moves Falvey made...or didn't make...I think the organization needed a change in general approach and planning. I think Falvey did a lot of good things early, but fresh ideas and approaches were necessary, not matter how this played out. I tend to agree with the BAD moves he made. And trading Pressly might have been #1. When that deal was made, I really thought the team had the nucleus to be much better the following year. Turns out I was correct on that point. Imagine having him anchoring that next season's pen and STILL going out and adding Romo. I just can't bring myself to fully hate the Mahle/Lopez mid season trade as it held so much promise at the time. It didn't turn out well, but I'd bet most thought it looked really good at the time. I didn't like the Rogers for Paddack/Pagan trade at the time, but it had nothing to do with Rooker, who I might remind bounced around for a couple of years with a couple of teams before finding a home with the A's. Did Falvey blow the Polanco deal with Seattle? Polanco had a very poor season with the Mariners in 2024. Can we say it was a bad trade based on the Polanco of 2025? Is that fair? Neither team got anything out of that deal in '24. And if Gonzalez turns out to be a quality bat with power...and younger...do we still lose that trade for a player who isn't even with Seattle any longer? The trade for Gray was a good one. The trade for Odorizzi was a good one. Signing Cruz in the first place was a good move. Also signing Marwin Gonzalez was solid. Trading for Michael A Taylor was a good move. Going back to the begining, signing Jason Castro right off the bat helped solidify the catching position. I'm sure I'll get a lot of pushback, but I think a majority of the trades/signings Falvey made were either positive, or at least seemed positive at the time. My biggest issue was some of the moves that didn't make sense in total roster construction. And I also have issues with a "philosophy" that didn't always make sense, even though I still can't put my finger exactly on WHAT the philosophy was the past few seasons. Why NEVER finding a 1B, SOMEWHERE/SOMEHOW and just dismissing the potential impact of that position? I tend to agree that offense overrides defense in roster construction. But at times it felt like defense became too much of an afterthought. Without digressing too much, I still would have loved to see what Falvey might have done in 2024 if he hadn't had his legs cut out from beneath him post 2023 success. I didn't like all the moves he made, or didn't make, but even though I was ready for a change, and a change needed to take place for various reasons, I would still say that in the long term, his trades and signings, even with some neutral results, were more positive than negative. I think he won more moves than he lost. It was roster cuts, and some poor fringe moves, and also a sense of a lack of direction that I object to. Not a top 5 or top 10 W&L equation that I actually think he won.

I have to wonder hiw much the hamstring injury affected him in 2025. Did discomfort linger? Did it throw off his timing and possibly affect his timing? I also find it interesting that similar to Jeffers, he SO far less, but the power slipped for both of them. And they might have been the only ones. Did the previous staff push for contact changes that took away power? Just spitballing a bit here. With all due respect to those who absolutely cringe at the idea of high K totals, I would take higher SO numbers and a return to potential 30 HR power and the previous .870-ish OPS Wallner of 2023-24. He's probably always going to be a bit streaky...many players are to some degree...but over a healthy 162 game season he's shown to be a .250-ish hitter with a decent OB%, and he's got real 30HR power with another 20+ Dbls mixed in. That's a really dangerous and productive hitter.

Festa to the bullpen makes so much sense that it should happen almost immediately, IMO. I have to believe the FO and coaching staff has to be considering it. Have they even broached the idea to Festa yet? I'm not saying he's injury prone, but his shoulder issue has to be a concern. To me, his situation is very "Duran-like" in that he's got some good stuff to work work, but his body is probably just better suited to 1 IP for 2 days, and then an off day. I like the idea of a change in arm slot to make his FB and slider more effective. Hopefully it wouldn't take away from his changeup. I also like the idea of him continuing to get comfortable with his sinker. It could be an additional weapon against RH hitters, and might make his FB even that more effective as well. I'm going to disagree with the OP a bit on his velocity. When I've watched him throw I've seen him sit 94-95 comfortablely, and he's touched 96-97 pretty frequently. Going all out in a single frame could have him SITTING 95-97 easily and touching 98-99. Additionally, while I don't have his breakdown in front of me, even with some of the issues reported above, he's usually been very good the first time through the order. He's shown a tendency to slip the 2nd time, and really start to get hit attempting a 3rd time through an order. Some shoulder issues and a thin frame, strong ONE TIME results through the order, a decent mix that could be even better with a different arm slot...not to mention opportunity and need...he'd seem to be a perfect back of the pen arm candidate. Like most strong arms before him, he can be brought along a little lower in the pecking order at first, throwing in the 6th and 7th while he makes the transition, and then starts to slot in to the 8th-9th inning. An advantage he has over some of his fellow, projected, converts is that he already has ML experience. That's something Klein, Lewis, Prielipp (if/when he converts), Raya, etc don't have right now.

Plus, this could end up being Winokur's best position as well. Keep an eye on Schobel. He's basically struggled on each promotion, then figured out that level, and continued moving on. He was having a great 2025 at AA and got hurt after only a few games played at AAA. Once healthy, he played the final month for St Paul. If he gets off to a solid start in 2026, he could be an important bench option for the Twins.

I actually kind of like the Paddack idea. Not saying it fills me with joy, but he has a ton of ML experience, so he's no rookie being overwhelmed initially. He's got at least limited experience coming out of the pen. And nobody is knocking on his door for a ML job right now. He's still only 30yo. Is there a chance he could reinvent himself and come on board to extend his career for $2M? I kinda like this idea.

I'm not entirely surprised by this. And it's not ONE thing. I think Kwesi is probably a very good FO man, I just don't think he's a particularly good #1 guy. Of course, he may grow and learn and get another chance later. Personally, I like a lot of what McCarthy showed this season once they just told him to go put and play. He's a man of intelligence, character, a good athlete, and he's got a pretty live arm. I think the instincts are there. But yes, there are mechanical issues that had him miss wide open receivers at times with balls over their heads or at their feet. I think he's got a chance to be pretty damn good, but he was essentially a rookie being thrown out there. Regarding Donald, it's my understanding that what the Vikings offered and what Seattle offered was almost the EXACT same deal. I don't know the EXACT details, but Seattle had some sort of parachute built in to the deal where they could walk away after this season if things didn't go well without a crippling financial penalty. Again, this is what I've heard and read, but Darnold was told he wasn't guaranteed a starting job due to McCarthy's status as QBOF so he moved on. Kwesi could have done a better job of handling that situation. Kwesi has a very good track record, overall, of adding quality FA to the roster. And he's done a good job finding some UDFA that have surprised. And it's not his fault that Kelly had enough concussions that should move him to retirement at this point. It's also not his fault that Hockenson got hurt. And it's not his fault, entirely at least, that Hargrave and Allen were almost outplayed consistently by a couple of kids already on the roster. But it IS his head on the line when his drafts have been so disappointing. It's not his fault that a very talented CB with promise was killed tragically in an accident. And it's really nice that Ward is starting to develop in to something better than just a quality special teamer. But Cine is completely out of football, and Booth and Evans were washouts. And the big FA haul of last season basically left CB bare except for the starters, though kudos for adding Rodgers. He HIT on Addison, LDR, Reichard, Turner, and Jackson. And he MIGHT have hit on Dawkins. Ward is starting to show signs. Jurgens and Rouse show potential as possible OL depth pieces at least. And I've already mentioned McCarthy has potential at least. But his drafts are littered with NOTHING that puts depth and potential future starters at the mercy of future drafts and FA with a payroll that needs to be cleaved, or at the very least adjusted, to compensate. You just can't have 1 good player and a couple decent options year in and year out. Are the Vikings scouts that bad? Or was Kwesi's choices that poor? I NEVER liked the trade for Thielen. It spoke of desperation. And not only did it cost us a fairly high pick, but the secondary pick in the trade cost us a round only because he wasn't cut a week earlier! Shouldn't the GM know and understand his own trade? 2025 draftee LB Kobe King was let go. BUT, UDFA LB Austin Keys was kept as a prospect and ST player for the ENTIRE season up until the final week, where the Vikings had nothing to play for but pride. But he was suddenly released to make roster room for "I don't remember". That's how unimportant that roster move for the final game was. (I think it might have been a TE addition, but who cares) Keys was immediately snapped up by Arizona. Austin Keys might go down in history as nothing more than a kid from Auburn who got a shot in the NFL and never amounted to anything. But that's NOT the point! You like the potential of a kid enough that you keep him ALL SEASON over a wasted draft pick, but instead of just keeping him rostered in to next season, you just let him go the last week of the season because you want an extra ? player for a game that means nothing? I mean, some of the late season moves of Thielen and and a potentially playable LB that you kept because he MIGHT turn out to be a decent player and you want "Oops, My Bad" to be an excuse for a GM? He might have done some solid things. But he has largely blown his drafts. And some recent really bad and silly moves seem to indicate a guy who really isn't paying attention.

A change was inevitable. Falvey shouldn't have been promoted to running both sides of the operation. That's too much for one man to handle. If the Twins have a poor season, Falvey was probably gone after 2026. But for the move to take place NOW, just a couple weeks before ST begins is very odd to me. I was a big fan of Falvey the first few years. He modernized everything from how things were run in the MILB system, to greater coaching emphasis on such things as catching instruction, all the way up to the scouting and analytics department. He did a lot of good things and the Twins had some good early success. While Falvey certainly wasn't perfect, and he made mistakes, he also made some smart moves and the 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2023 seasons were fun and successful, culminating in actually winning a playoff series in 2023. I don't absolve Falvey of some mistakes made in regard to moves made, or not made, that affected the Twins rosters and lack of success other seasons. But even with mistakes and imperfections, the rug was pulled out from under him post 2023 by ownership. While the team did have a winning record in 2024, the wheels were starting to come off with the whole "right sizing the payroll" mantra. I've said before and will say again, I would have liked to see what Falvey might have done in 2024 had the payroll simply stayed neutral. Now, all that being said, I DON'T excuse Falvey for some of the roster constructions, not changing approaches that weren't maximizing talent, and waiting too long for changes in how the International department was run. Certain things weren't working, there didn't seem to be a plan or formula in place that made sense, and I think a change was needed. Somewhere along the line, Tom Pohlad and Falvey didn't mesh. That seems obvious. But why is the change happening NOW? It's beyond bizarre timing! IMO, this probably was mutual. Tom waited too long, probably due to the whole minority ownership changes dragging on for so long, before deciding it probably wasn't going to work. But also IMO, I tend to think Falvey was the one to just say, "OK then, I'm ready to go". Why? Imagine having a plan...good or bad...having your payroll cutting you off at the knees, not even knowing what payroll you had to work with until November, seeing it cut even further than 2025's OPENING number, but being even LESS than the 2025 CLOSING number. Plus, you and the new boss have different visions. And you know you're probably gone if things don't go surprisingly well in 2026, why not walk away now? Again, I've been ready for a change as even with the payroll cuts, I've been disappointed in both roster decisions and approaches in place. But between unexplainable debts, payroll cuts, and in-family disputes during this transition of sell, no sell, I just wonder if ownership is more dysfunctional than we even realized. I can't blame Falvey for walking away and washing his hands. And I'm hoping whoever is in charge next has a distinct vision that will help maximize the talent on hand, and simply build better, more competent rosters. But I still can't blame Falvey for everything. Ownership still needs to step up at some point. Falvey is gone, Tom. And apparently you wanted him gone. And a change was probably necessary at this point. But now the onus is on YOU to put a smart guy in charge, and for you to keep your promise of growing the payroll going forward to keep the team competitive.

So basically, the minority owners bail out the Pohlads, invest in downtown real-estate and business to make $ in the future, and might also capitalize a few $100M plus on an eventual sale of the Twins. Do I have that right? Meanwhile, the ONLY reason for ANYONE involved with the Twins to ACTUALLY spend $ is to improve the product and the eventual sale price. But only to a limited degree, of course, based on the future negotiations for 2027 and beyond. You wouldn't want to lose a $M or so here and there, even as a billionaire. I really, really wish someone who loved investments, but also loved sports and winning like the Wilf's would just step up and buy the Twins. They actually have an idea how to run a franchise with a salary cap. They might make mistakes, but they then try to correct those mistakes. As a Twins ownership, I have no doubt they'd have $ restrictions initially as the whole MLB market is in flux. But they might actually CARE about the product that IS the Twins. I have serious doubts about the Pohlads and the minority owners more than ever after this OP. Do ANY of these billionaires give a rats damn about the Twins?

It feels really good to have prospects ranked in the top 100 as a fan. But I do dismiss those rankings a lot since so many really good players so ranked tanked, or slipped, then came back, or were never rated in the top 100 to begin with. I could be wrong, but I don't believe Arraez ever approached top 100 status. Not sure about Duran, but I know Jax never was. So it's all a grain of salt, even though it's fun to see your favorite team having players ranked as such. I'm the weird kind of fan that loves drafts and prospect lists for the sake of hope and projection. I think it's great that Soto made a list as I think that kid is one of the Twins top 10 prospects based on potential. And I believe Hill sits right next to him for the same reason. One looked outstanding before injury, one didn't get hurt. Who is better in 2026 is TBD. It's interesting and fun. But ultimately, it really doesn't matter. Sort of like Law's ranking of farm systems. He says he'd rank them so much higher except due to injury. So Rodriguez, Jenkins, and even Soto are healthy for 2026, the Twins are suddenly top 10+? Or they're worse if Rodriguez and Jenkins RAKE and end the season no longer eligible for rookie status? It's all good. It's all fun. I just see rankings as a better way to examine the potential within my teams system. I think Gonzalez has a real chance based on bat to ball skills and potential power to be a quality ML player. Despite a good arm and reportedly improvement defensively in the OF in 2025, he should be moved to 1B. (The same with the similar Rosario). That doesn't mean he can't also play some corner OF to increase roster flexibility. But what I find so confusing, and somewhat silly, is how a A+ kid could be a top 100 prospect with holes in his game, have a poor 2024 mostly due to injury, and then have a great 2025 and reach AAA in his BEST SEASON and he's not a top 100 prospect. It's really not important. I just think it's interesting. And maybe a reflection about how silly top rankings really matter in the long run.

Based on NEED and comments from the FO, the Twins WILL ADD to the current roster, most likely in the pen. (Even though I'd embrace a minor deal for someone's 26yo backup SS/utility player stuck at AAA). It's possible a trade will happen to bring someone in. I'm OK with that. I have doubts Larnach will bring back a ML pen option on his own, but packaged with a solid prospect, that might be an option. Most years, the FO uncovers a steal of some sort that at least helps. Sometimes it's a Wisler or Clippard for 1yr. Sometimes it's a big surprise like Stewart was. Unfortunately, they had Hoffman in camp but decided against keeping him. Poor choice there. And old friend Thielbar was a MAJOR surprise add. Regardless of any potential trade options that are really hard to speculate on, I think we can all agree that they will bring in at least ONE remaining FA to add some depth and experience, maybe even TWO. It's pretty doubtful there's anything close to a "savior" remaining, barring some MAJOR surprise. But as Gleeman jokes, it would be prudent to have an "adult" arm or two with experience to just be competent and help deepen the pen construction and lead the way for the young arms that will be making their debut at some point in 2026. But who's left that YOU like? Evan Phillips has been mentioned, but he's coming of surgery. He's probably not ready until June at the earliest. So while he might be a smart 2yr signing, he doesn't help much the 1st half. David Robertson, 41yo, has made it a recent habit to sign about mid season on a pro-rated deal for a contender in need. Would he be interested in a cheap 1yr deal to prove he's still "got it"? And is there anything left in his tank? Jose Leclerc is no stud. But he's got experience and a solid career profile with solid numbers and some late inning experience. Kopech, ready to turn 30yo soon, is a a bit of a lightening rod of health and good/bad production. Healthy and ready to go, he might be a $ cheap BP arm that could establish the next phase of his career with a 1yr deal. With only a few weeks before ST starts, what surprises me most is how many SP FA are still unsigned. Most of them are 31yo plus. Of course, some are coming off injury. But are any of them open to transitioning to a pen role to prolong their careers and possibly reinvent themselves as hard throwing 1 inning options? I'm just tossing out ideas. By tomorrow, who knows, the Twins might make a move. But is there ANYONE you really like for the Twins to sign that might help?

I'm a little surprised Gonzalez wasn't listed somewhere. He was ranked in the top 100 when he was acquired. Then he has a poor 2024. But his rebound in 2025 was pronounced, AND, he reached AAA at a very young age. Did a poor, injury plagued 2024 really lower expectations that much?

Yes, perhaps I wasn't clear, but he begins '26 at A+ to get his legs back under him coming off surgery. But he's already shown enough at that level previously that I'd expect him to finish at AA. The question is how much time? Here's rooting for 1/2 a season. I fully expect another arm or two on a MILB deal. But I also fully expect 1 or 2 ML deals for the pen. There's still a few arms out there that can at least help.

So we get another one of these during ST? Once again, he began 2025 only about 20 AB above rookie status. So I'm willing to give him a little to grow and improve before giving up on him. I like his contact ability. Despite what some of the numbers might indicate, he flashed enough power for 16 HR last season. And they weren't all wall scrapers. So there's some things to work with there. A little jump in bat speed, and learning to focus on a smaller hitting zone should provide at least SOME overall improvement. Defensively, I like his instincts, his hands, his ability to transition the ball glove to hand, and he throws off balance pretty well. But he's never going to have the athleticism to be anything better than average at SS. But I'm OK with that. He either ends up at 2B or 3B in different INF combinations, or he ends up as a decent bat, decent glove at all 4 INF spots. (No reasons he can't play 1B). And I'd be overjoyed to see him as a league average 5th man for the INF. That would make him of great value. But he does need to be better. And we do need him to hold down SS before K-Pepper is ready. And KC has the athletic ability to stick at SS and make it his. It's also possible HE is also a temporary SS until Houston and his reportedly elite defense are ready. But even then, none of that diminishes the potential role of Lee in that proposed super utility role. An ideal turnout for the 8th pick of the draft? Perhaps not. But a lot of 1st rounders don't even achieve that level, or even make it all.

This is a creative move at least. Kaminska gets 1/3-1/2 of the year at AA, possibly finishing in the pen? And at some point he's at St Paul for 2027. Maybe he hits 98-100mph if he stays in the pen? Again, a creative deal for 2 guys headed out the door. I never saw this happening to Julien. I really thought he was the real deal as a hitter. Best of luck to him. With other roster fodder on hand, I wouldn't have cut Ohl when they did. He's got a great change and was reportedly hitting 95 at times in 2025. At least in his shorter stints. I would have liked to see what he might do going forward in 1-2 inning stints. Still, they were going to sign a couple more guys before the season started anyway, so Ohl was probably going to be removed sooner or later regardless. Now, about that open roster spot....

Just really poor asset and roster decisions made by the FO. I didn't like the trade for Jackson as he seems like a waiver wire pickup, not someone you trade for. The odds are against Eeles ever being a viable. Contributing ML ballplayer. But he has a shot. And at worst, he gave St Paul some depth and versatility. But OK, fine, they set a floor for an experienced, good defense backup catcher. Meanwhile, you already have Pereda on your 40 man as a decent, #3 catching option who has an option left. THEN they go ahead and sign Caratini...who they undoubtedly liked all along...to be the actual #2 catcher behind Jeffers. And I really like the move. And I don't have a major issue with $13-$14M to have one of the better catching duos in MLB. The position is undervalued, IMO. (I understand limited payroll and $ allocation, but that's not what I'm discussing here). But now Jackson is a #3 with ZERO options? There is NO ROOM for a third catcher on the roster, especially for a team that already has a limited bench. And maybe you can waive Jackson and nobody wants him for $1.3M and he ends up sitting and waiting in St Paul in case he's needed. But if he IS needed, now you need a 40 man spot for him, so more unnecessary roster shuffling. And then if you don't need him any longer, it's repeat the while waiver wire process again and see if someone grabs him THAT time. Meanwhile, you could do whatever with Jackson...maybe trade him...and just keep Pereda, already on the 40 man, and with an option so he can be moved up and down without playing any 40 man games. Doesn't that make a whole lot more sense? But at the end of the day we are still talking about a #3 catcher that we hopefully never need. And honestly, with a little more HIT improvement, I think Cardenas might be the best #3 option after a couple more months of AAA. But it's still poor roster planning, IMO. And that bothers me more than anything.

Cody, I appreciate the general nature of your OP, but what I strongly disagree with is the implementation of HOW the Twins have built the 2026 roster to achieve better matchup situations. Caratini was my IDEAL #2 catcher option. I just never expected the Twins to spend the $6-7M that it took to get him. I had thought someone like McCann for $3-4M was more likely. I honestly think, overall, catcher is stronger going in to 2026. I like Bell. I actually like him quite a bit. I think there's gas still in the tank! But I like him at DH, with the ability to play a little 1B once in a while. HERE is where I think the Twins have dropped the ball. Nathaniel Lowe is still sitting out there. He's not a GREAT player, but he's solid, and has been for most of his career. Even in a down 2025 he provided 44 XBH which included 18HR, and he still produced 84 RBI. Those would have been WELCOME numbers for the Twins in 2025. Further, he's at least a decent 1B. Even FURTHER, he's a LH hitter with SOLID career splits against LHP. Still sitting out there coming of a mediocre/poor '25 and only 30yo, might he be had for around $10M? Maybe even a 2yr deal? Take away Larnach's $4.5M, the Twins would only need to spend an additional $5.5M to bring him on board. Imagine a COMPETENT 1B with solid splits, solid career numbers including a solid career .771 OPS, and generally producing 45-50 XB power. Your entire lineup suddenly changes on the 75% against RHP: 1] Keaschall 2] Buxton 3] Bell 4] Wallner 5] Lewis 6] Lowe 7] Jeffers/Caratini 8] Lee 9] Roden/Martin LF defense is vastly improved with Martin/Roden working some sort of combination there. And Roden is at least competent in CF to give Buxton a day off. Martin is a seldom used #3 option. And you've added a competent 1B option with a history of not only being available, but is solid against LHP. Bell and Caratini are switch hitters who's career split numbers are solid. NOW you have, potentially, a pretty good lineup. And with a solid pair of switch hitters in Bell, and Caratini, PLUS a generally neutral hitting 1B, you've ACTUALLY achieved balance and depth, along with improved defense at TWO positions. Clemens...if he only replicates 2025...is a decent LH bat with power who can play 5 spots. (He needs to get back to playing some 3B just because). And the only real hole is the 13th spot of utility player. Right now, that's Gray or Kreidler. Gray appears to be able to hit .200. Kreidler not so much. Kreidler reportedly has a great glove at SS, and can play a quality CF. Great. But if he can't hit his way out of a paper bag, maybe Gray is the better option to begin 2026. But if that was the Twins biggest issue, position player wise, it's almost a non-issue. Personally, I'd still be looking for a small deal, even a MILB deal, to look for a Newman, Punto type of deal and HOPING I might stumble on to Castro type of acquisition for some 26yo who just needs a chance. But removing Larnach by himself for a prospect, or combined with a decent prospect of our own for a solid, potential arm for the pen, simply allows the Twins to make ONE MORE MOVE that really changes the complexion of the team. The math isn't hard. A rough $105M minus $5M gives the Twins $20M to spend to ONLY reach the ENDING 2025 payroll. And even that is about a $2-3M stretch. So you add Lowe for approximately $10M and add the defense, offense, and better balance I've mentioned. And you have the "luxury" of $10M left to spend on the bullpen. If Rogers was available for only $2M...that might be partially emotional...what might a couple decent, solid, RH options cost? What the Twins need is a solid, experienced arm or two to be a bridge. What if Hendricks, as an example, was healthy and wanting to prove himself again? LeClerc and Philips might be options. I have no idea of what's left on the market that might be smart additions on the temporary. But I do know nobody left is worth some $7M type deal. BUT I DO KNOW that you SET a lineup that ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE with a $120M payroll. And you HAVEN'T blocked ANY prospects from debuting at any time. Falvey has a habit of pushing the payroll a bit. I don't always agree with his choices, but he does seem to have some "nudge' ability. I'd tell him to "nudge" the HELL out of Tom Pohlad for a $120M payroll, move Larnach for whatever in whatever scenario, SIGN Lowe, and grab the best 1 or 2 RHRP you can as bridge options. This really isn't that hard if ownership will just agree to a slightly less payroll than they ended in 2025. It might even be an 85 or so win team.

I agree as to Rogers providing mentorship as an added value. It doesn't matter if Prielipp has outstanding STUFF already, harnesses it more this year, maybe even develops his 2 seamer still, and looks ready sometime in June, he's probably going to be worked in middle innings first. And that goes for Raya, Lewis, Klein, and anybody else who moves to a pen role. Hawkins brings a WEALTH of knowledge as a coach who has "been there, done that." But it's valuable to WATCH a ML pen arm go about his business, and impart knowledge, and even show how to respond when you have a bad day. Now, messages tend to fall flat if said veteran, Rogers in this instance, suddenly hits a wall and tanks. But he's smart, experienced, and was having a really solid season with the Cubs before the trade to Cincinnati. So I'm still expecting decent, solid results, even though he's not the pitcher he once was. The biggest question remaining...only slightly off topic...is whether or not there's 1 or 2 decent "Rogers-like" RH options available to acquire who can help bridge the pen opportunities while the younger arms work their way in to more pressured roles without crapping themselves on the mound. Unless the Twins spent enough $ for a TOP arm, or two, it was always going to be 2-3 veteran guys to just hold the fort, be decent, and not just blow up on a daily basis as bridge arms. Placeholders. But those placeholders HAVE the ability pass on knowledge, even non verbally, just by showing how they prepare, and how they respond when things go well, and also when things don't go so well.