DocBauer

Two years working for the Twins doesn't make him a "lifer" nepotism type hire. But it does mean Falvey knows the man, feels comfortable with the man, and feels he can still run his "vision" of the Twins through his manager. Shelton is well respected and experienced working for multiple organizations. Again, he's not a Twins "lifer". But he's familiar enough with the Twins, and to Falvey, to not be a boat rocker. Maybe that's OK. Maybe Falvey has a new course in mind and wants someone who will embrace the changes he wants to make. Maybe not. It would be silly to take a respected baseball guy like Shelton and place blame on him for Pittsburgh's lack of success. But when is the last time ANYONE had success leading that team? He may be a good hire. He may be a poor hire. I don't know. But he felt "safe" for Falvey and the direction he wants to take the team. Ultimately, it comes down to payroll and roster construction. Shelton won't have much do in regard to either of those areas. Where he MIGHT have some say/control is over his coaching staff, and how they handle not only the players on hand, but also the prospects coming up. Despite a fairly extensive resume as a hitting coach, it's doubtful Shelton will be involved with instruction. That's not his job. He's responsible for running the team. But perhaps he'll have control of his hitting coach and instructors? (Something I also wondered about if Rowson was the choice). Perhaps he's got coaches in mind, and/or routines to work on some basic fundamentals that have been lacking in recent seasons? But Shelton doesn't appear to be a hire that's expected to "push back" against the FO. So it still comes down to Falvey, the A#1 guy in charge and implementing his vision. Again, maybe Falvey is shifting gears and sees a new direction going forward. Recent drafts have seen more attention paid to better athletes, more speed, potentially more defense, while still focusing on talented arms to be developed. The team is certainly in a re-tool mode. Whether or not it's a re-build will be determined by whatever moves take place this offseason. Right or wrong, Shelton is here to move along Falvey's vision. Let's hope it's a NEW vision with some smart ideas and changes.

To me it's similar to the age old chicken vs the egg debate. Did his hip cause mechanical/command issues and velocity to disappear, or did he hurt his hip because his command disappeared due to mechanical issues? While in MILB, he put up video game numbers but was often hurt due to mechanics. At 6' 9" there's a lot of moving parts to get right. The Twins fixed those mechanics, and suddenly he became a quality ML starter, though they did nurse him a bit early on in his debut. Multiple times last year he complained his mechanics were out of whack and he refused to blame his hip. Accurate? Or him trying to "man up" and not offer up excuses? Assuming for a moment that his hip injury is not serious or chronic in nature...and there have been no reports that it is...rest and rehab should see a return to form. He's not exactly an old man going in to his age 31 season. And there aren't a ton of miles on his arm either. I think it's reasonable to see his hip get right, for him to get his mechanics working again, to see 91-92MPH consistently again, and we see a return to previous form. Any kind of better command of this new 2 seamer just adds to his arsenal and gives batters something else to think about, even if it's not a primary offering. Now, if the hip continues to flare up, I think we have to be concerned about his future. But until I/we hear about a lingering issue, I'm expecting a return to past success at age 31.

So ai guess I'm going to pretty much repeat what Cody posted, but let's just break down the current 40 man a bit differently. But let's assume for a moment ego and paranoia of "veteran status and depth" FINALLY goes out the window. EASY CUTS: Vazquez, Gasper, Kreidler, Keirsey, Larnach, McCusker, Outman, Cabrera, Hatch, and Misiewicz. Larnach is moved somehow/someway. Vazquez is a FA. Only ego and paranoia keeps Outman. But why? Martin and Roden can play a little CF, and you are currently burning Rodriguez's option clock, so where does Outman POSSIBLY fit? *Kreidler is a grab and cut later so we can hopefully keep him at St Paul. A couple of these guys can be offered MILB deals. If they accept, fine. But otherwise, look elsewhere. Period! The 40 man is now at 30. PROBABLE CUTS: Pereda, Fitzgerald, Julien, and Miranda. No offense to Pereda, but Cardenas might be a solid #3 with a little more AAA time. And he just might accept a MILB deal to stick around. But there are probably similar options available. Still, I could see the Twins keeping him. Injuries or not, what has Miranda done the past year and a half? He wasn't even an average AAA player in 2025. Julien is a shadow of his former self for 2yrs now. And both are out of options! Simply put, they HAVE to make the 2026 roster or be waived anyway. So even with INF depth being an issue, why protect them at this point? Fitzgerald, IMO, is a question mark. We don't have a backup SS unless Culpepper is promoted early, or the Twins believe Eeles might be ready, fully healthy now, to make a jump. Do they like Fitzgerald better than other players available on a cheap deal? So I can see reasons to just hold on to him, at least for a while. So that should mean at least 3 more cuts. The 40 man roster is now set at 27 WITH Fitzgerald. Simple math, that's 13 open spots to add! OBVIOUS ADDITIONS: Morris, Prielipp, Rojas, Gonzalez. CJ Culpepper, and Klein. Culpepper and Klein are exactly the kind of AA producers on the cusp of AAA that teams are looking to add in the rule 5 that they can stash on their rosters. In fact, they are the types of pitchers the Twins might be looking at as well, should they make a rule 5 selection. So Klein is taken care of, in regards to the OP. The 40 man is now at 33. With little discrepancies here and there, very few AA position players are ever selected in the rule 5, much less kept. But the Twins have 3 worth serious consideration. They just traded for Mendez, and he's got real potential. But while almost 22yo...still young...and hasn't reached AAA yet and there are questions about his defense and his "lift" as a hitter, is anyone going to BITE and select him and stash him for a full season? That seems incredibly doubtful. Then comes Rosario. He was the MVP of the Midwest League in 2023, had an injury impacted 2024, and was probably screwed out of being the MVP in the Texas League here in 2025. He had a fantastic season! It's all the more outstanding due to an early funk he dug himself out of. But would a team look at this 23yo and his potential and want to stash him? I think the Twins are safe if they don't add Mendez or Rosario. They have room to do so. But what are the odds that a team would not only select them, but roster them for an entire year? I'm saying there is very little risk, despite their potential, of being selected or kept. So no reason for being on the 40 man. So we're still sitting at 33 of 40. THIS is where I have a serious issue with the FO. You drafted Fedko. You stuck with him through some decent/mediocre seasons and a poor 2024. Why? Did you see him as roster depth and fodder? Or did you still see potential? Regardless, he had an OUTSTANDING age 25 season between AA and AAA. He reminds me so much of Lew Ford as a late developing 4th OF with a solid offensive profile. He's an easy addition for depth, or an easy pick for a lot of teams looking for a solid addition as a potential 4th OF. Even if he doesn't turn out, IMO, this is an easy 40 man add to see what he might provide for depth. Defense, at least in the corners. Some pop and speed and solid OB%. Why in hell would you let someone else find the possible next Lew Ford? He should be protected. That puts the 40 man at 34. That leaves 6 spots for a 1B, #2 catcher, and 3 decent/solid BP additions. Funny how numbers work.

I disagree. SOME of the talent was on display the last 2 months. The fragments that made up the bullpen actually blew more than a few games the Twins actually had some leads in, not that they would have finished with a pretty record. Do a few things have to go right for a solid 2026? Absolutely. We need Royce to continue on his current health streak, and get his bat untracked to a higher degree. Lee needs to improve his bat as well. We also need a full season from Keaschall. How about a 1B that can actually produce? O'Hearn maybe? Again, at some point next season, we're going to see Rodriguez, Jenkins, Gonzalez, Culpepper, and possibly Fedko debut and set the OF and DH spot with Wallner moving there. It would be nice if the Wallner move could take place opening day with one of those young OF taking a starting job. You don't have to squint very hard to see improved defense here and there and a solid, productive lineup. Keeping Lopez, Ryan, and a return to health by Ober is a really solid first 3. SWR actually showed development over those last couple of months. Granted we need someone, probably Bradley to begin with, take over the #5 spot. But that's a concern for a lot of teams. Potential can sometimes be an ugly word. But I see a solid starting staff, better defense...especially when Culpepper comes up...and better team speed and athleticism. Potentially. I fully recognize the pen is an issue. We all recognize that. And it's not going to be re-built overnight for sure. But indulge me for a moment. I believe Festa, hopefully healthy, is destined for the pen. He has the potential to be the next Duran/Jax/Varland hard throwing late inning type of arm. We've what Sands CAN do. He doesn't have to replicate his 2024 season, just get closer to it. It actually looks like Funderburk has maybe/finally taken another step forward. I'd rather see him as a second LH option in the pen, but he might be useful. Topa as the 7th man can be useful. Lawyerson, Adams, and Ohl can be the 8th man who rotates between the Twins and St Paul. Potentially. (I know, there's that word again). Now let's say, for example, the Twins bring back Coulombe for around $3-4M for the same role he had last season. (There are other options of course). And then a couple other FA for $4-5M of the sort that might resemble Clippard and Romero, to bring up a couple of past, solid arms in recent past. Obviously they will bring in some non 40 man guys looking for the next Thielbar, Stewart, or Wisler. Behind all of those options will be a handful of converts such as Lewis and Raya, and who knows who else. There's even a chance Matthews or Abel outperforms Bradley and HE moves to the pen as he doesn't have options remaining. All I'm saying is I can see the possibility of a decent...not great...bullpen that could take the 2026 Twins to an 85-87 win season. That would, probably, be a playoff contender. And even if not, that's a hell of a lot more FUN team...with talented prospects emerging during the season...than just punting 2026 and accepting a 90+ loss team. And again, if things just go poorly for whatever reason(s), you can look to sell some guys at the deadline. I just don't like quitting early. To me, trading Ryan and/or Lopez before the season even begins is quitting. And I generally don't believe in complete teardowns and re-builds most of the time. And I just don't see a team/organization that is so deplete on talent that a re-build is in order. I may be wrong. And it's fine with me if you disagree with what I see. But this is what I see as I look at 2026.

They MIGHT keep Outman simply because of his speed and defense, though I didn't see great defense once he came over. And they MIGHT keep Fitzgerald as a utility INF. But they can quite easily clear about a dozen guys that don't fit any longer, including Miranda and Julien. They are both out of options and have to be kept or waived. I just don't see any need to protect them. There's plenty of room to add all the arms and OF that we want, including Klein. He had a great season at AA and was so-so in his AAA debut. He's probably not ready yet. But well built and throwing hard stuff, he's the kind of rule 5 pick and stash a lot of teams would look to grab. You absolutely protect him and CJ Culpepper, who might end up in the pen at some point.

I'm hoping that Larnach, or Larnach and a reasonable prospect can bring in a young pen arm that has a couple years of control. Maybe someone's #4 or #5 arm from a decent pen. I don't see Wallner being moved. He's the primary DH in waiting, but could open the season in RF. But they have got to clear put fodder like Outman from the roster. I also don't believe Ober is going to be traded. While I have faith he's going to be just fine, that hip issue that derailed his season is going to be a question to other teams. There's plenty of room for both Lewis and Lee now, and for the next couple of years as well. Culpepper moved Lee to a super utility role, IMO, unless his bat really gets hot. Depth is an issue even with Culpepper's arrival. I would only move Ryan if the haul was huge. It would have to be a pair of top 100 prospects and a 3rd solid player thrown in. He's valuable and inexpensive for the next 2yrs. I'd keep him and see how the season goes. He could always be moved at the deadline. The haul might be a bit less at that time, but still solid. I just don't believe in moving a quality, top of the rotation starter that's probably making around $7M this year, unless the season goes poorly. We already need some kind of decent backup at catcher. How do you move Jeffers and add 2 catchers? I think, for the most part, the Twins shot their load at the last deadline. Can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I believe Falvey when he says he wants to open the season with Ryan and Lopez in the fold, and expects to. It's Larnach in a trade if possible, and that might be it. Assuming the payroll doesn't just bottom out, I see a 1B and #2 catcher in FA, but no big names to be sure. But please, someone better than France. I'd then expect 2 or 3 FA pen arms that are solid and proven, but not expensive, back of pen types. More like Coulombe, Romero in quality. Then, of course, a couple INF and pen flier types that won't require immediate 40 man spots. I don't believe we're going to see a "roll it back" type of season. Larnach should be gone. We'll have a different, hopefully better, option at 1B. We'll have Keaschall all season and Culpepper up at some point. Martin has probably claimed a share of LF at this point. At some point, Rodriguez, Jenkins, Gonzalez and maybe even Fedko will debut. That's when Wallner moves to DH, unless someone debuts immediately. And I still think Roden has a shot as a role player at least. A poor rookie debut in a SSS doesn't mean he can't be a solid player. I just think the big trade moves have already happened. Now it's about development, promotions, and some hopefully smart FA moves to round out the roster.

Ugh! Bad week overall. I got nothing. Except, it isn't over yet. And sometimes, what's going on is a hitter or pitcher working on something specifically, and the AFL results may not be that important. Or like Bragg last AFL, and Boadas this year, just get some innings in man. Here's hoping whatever is going on with Mendez is mild.

I have. Lewis DID play 2B. Lewis DID prepare for 2B for before being told not to worry about it for 2025. Bichette DID play 2B. BOTH were open about how they felt doing so with almost exact wording. Human nature. Where is the problem?

I applaud the change. I don't like 2 challenges due to the very nature of the game. 3 outs per inning over 9 innings, it should be 3 challenges. It just makes sense. When I watched the Twins ST this past season, I can't recall hardly any mistakes made by Jeffers or Vazquez. They always seemed to be "right on it". I'm not saying Matt's numbers aren't accurate...they probably are...but it's ABHORENT that some teams have been victimized by so many poor calls in an age where umpiring has been more accurate than ever. And I've read the numbers that seem to back this up. So how can some teams benefit and other teams don't? Makes zero sense, other than the human element. Do umpires have a prejudice? Even a subconscious one? I like that the dugout can't ask for a replay. I'm not certain that the hitter is always the best judge. But I really like the idea a catcher can recognize a bad call. But it makes we wonder about hitters and pitchers, not just from the Twins, but all players, adjusting to the ML level used to the ABS system and the challenge system. How much has the ABS and challenge system affected the development of certain players in their development? If I'm not mistaken, the baseball used at AAA is the same ball used at the ML level. But the baseball used at AA and below is different. Please tell me if this has changed. So we have pitchers and hitters who come up from MILB WITHOUT consistency in regard to the BALL they play with, OR the SO? Sorry for my rant. I applaud the challenge system, but it should be 3 and not 2. And MLB should be looking for consistency throughout baseball. There's no reason a $B industry doesn't have the same damn ball in all levels. The NBA, NFL, and CFB don't have different balls to play to play with. I'm rambling and sorry for that. I am unsure for various reasons for the ABS system to be implemented permanently at this time. But I really like the challenge. My only hope is the future Twins manager stresses how valuable those are.

I told myself multiple times to just drop this topic. "Byron, just let it go. It doesn't matter!" But when something gets stuck in your craw, it's really hard to let it go. To be fair, Lewis HAS played a few games in the AFL about 3yrs ago. Again, just to be fair. Bo Bichette is a wonderful ballplayer! Until 2024 he's been highly productive and a legitimate All Star player. No offense is intended towards him. But he had a poor 2024 that I believe was due to injury. NOT to compare his production to the slightly younger and injury plagued Lewis, but his being asked to suddenly play 2B is almost a direct quote, verbatim, of what Lewis stated previously. So one comment belongs to a "troubled" player who has an attitude and the almost EXACT comment is simply dismissed because the other player is having another fine season and is a fine teammate? Come on! I've been the first to say Royce should think before he speaks and stop being so damned honest with his thoughts. Streaming consciousness is for creative writing, and not for interviews. I'd be willing to bet if Royce had rebounded in 2025 or rebounds in 2026, we'll never hear about this topic again.

The hardest thing to find in MLB is quality SP. As Twins fans, we know this all to well. With any positive assumption that a not old Ober's hip injury will be corrected with offseason rest and normal rehab, the Twins have 3 SP that I would classify as playoff SP. Between SWR, Bradley, Matthews, Abel. Morris, and a few other contenders, there's tremendous opportunity for depth. Any sort of rebound and improvement of position players/lineup PLUS 4 of the Twins top 10 offerings in regard to Jenkins, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, and Culpepper really close to debuting in 2026, I seriously have to question any sort of re-build. YES, the pen is a mess. And a good pen is VERY important. But between QUALITY SP, and a QUALITY lineup, and a QUALITY bullpen, which is the "easiest" to build? And this ALL comes down to ownership and payroll. I think we understand that. But IF the Pohlads don't go crazy, there's an OPPORTUNITY to add a decent 1B, backup catcher, and the addition of perhaps 3 FA veteran arms that aren't great, but solid. Add those to what little is on hand, add a couple conversion candidates, and a handful of MILB pen options that are a welcome surprise in the system that might be about ready, and maybe a MILB steal like Thielbar and Stewart and others were in the past, it's not that crazy to think the Twins might put together a "competent" pen for 2026. I understand the merits of a full blown re-build. But I've seen too many attempts at doing so crater as well. And I don't believe in "giving in" unless that seems to be the only path presented. I see avenues with the Twins that are good enough, strong enough, that "giving in" just doesn't make sense. Do we have some SP that have great potential? Yes. Some are at the ML and AAA level, and some are further down. Do we have offensive potential at the ML and AAA level? Yes. Some need to rebound and some need to prove themselves. But in NO WAY do I see enough questions to tear the whole thing down and start from scratch. Maybe I'm greedy as a fan, but I don't want to "give up" this soon. I don't care...somewhat...if the 2026 Twins can't beat SOMEONE in the WS. I want a team that can be fun to watch and root for. I want a team built to win 85 games and compete for a division and a playoff spot and see what happens from there. And I want a team that might lose a player or two to FA in a couple of years, but we've got a solid system in place to help replace at least some of those players. FA and trades still apply. I DON'T want a re-build. I don't think this team needs a complete re-build. But only the Pohlads stand in the way of that.

Nick, one objection in regard to your OP. I do believe Wallner's arm IS a defensive factor. He just doesn't get to show it off any longer because he's shown how much of a weapon it is nobody runs on him any longer. Therefore, it has been a factor in his game and remains so. I actually thought he was pretty solid in the OF before 2025, where he mostly played LF. He digressed quite a bit last season. Did his injury affect him in the OF? Was it taking over RF on a daily basis for the first time and he was almost re-learning the position? I do believe his future spot is DH and part time OF, but I personally believe he was OK previously. As to Wallner as a hitter, I believe in the guy who made adjustments at every MILB level and produced and advanced with a .904 OPS. I believe in the hitter who had an OK rookie debut in 2022 with a league AVG .709 OPS. I believe in a hitter who was WELL ABOVE league average in 2023 and 2024 with a .877 and .894 OPS. It's true he spent some time in MILB in both '23 and '24 after some slumps. It happens. But he's always going to be a but of a streaky hitter. IMO, in both seasons, he was kept down longer than he should have been. And honestly, his 2024 slow start was in such a SSS, I'm still not certain he shouldn't have just been allowed to work through it at the ML level. Regardless, he has produced sp well, even with hot and cold streaks, the Twins should know who he is as a hitter. It's why I'm still of the opinion he was kept down too long each of those seasons. Did he have a disappointing 2025? Yes. But was his OPS still above league average? Also yes. As pointed out very well, his K and BB numbers actually improved, but his BABIP cratered compared to his previous seasons. Sorry, but I'll take 2 years of HIGH OPS and a very good BABIP over 1 year of lower OPS and BABIP as a better indicator of potential of ability. Can he reclaim his previous BABIP numbers? Maybe. Or maybe it's more of a compromised number between previous seasons and league average. ALONE that makes him a .240 hitter with a solid OB% and a potential 30HR producer. That's a really good hitter! While not exactly good, he's actually shown gradual improvement over the past 3 years when facing LHP. He's climbed from an OPS of .343, to .481, to .611 in 2025. Might there be room for additional improvement? Perhaps. And it's worth allowing for continuing improvement to take place. EVERY player is different. But the last thing the Twins need to do is to fall in to a self imposed trap where every LH hitter needs to be platooned. Wallner needs to probably make a couple adjustments next season, which isn't exactly a genius thought as most hitters need to make adjustments here and there. But I'm a Wallner believer based on his MILB career, and what he's done thus far in his ML career before a disappointing 2025 season. As far his future, as previously stated, I do think he's destined as the Twins primary DH and a part time corner OF. How soon that happens really depends on the young talent on hand. Rodriguez's option clock has been ticking for 2yrs now. Jenkins might be better served with a month or so at AAA for a good "runway" to hit MLB hot and just keep going. Same with Gonzalez. In an IDEAL situation, Martin would start 2026 the way he ended 2025 and play a lot of LF, HOPEFULLY with improvement in CF defensively so he could help a little there as needed. Roden will take what he learned in a SSS as a ROOKIE between 2 different organizations and start to translate his MILB success to the ML level. Rodriguez would have a good, strong, healthy Winter League and ST and the Twins would quit being so damn conservative with top prospects and give him an opening day job in RF. Wallner then slides in to his primary role at DH. Jenkins comes up a couple months in to the season as a 21yo. Rodriguez struggles some? You stick with him to let him adjust and grow. Think about the Brewers and a few other teams that have shown the willingness to let top prospects work it out. Still think he needs to go back down at some point? That's what his remaining option is for. But HIS clock is ticking. Jenkins and Gonzalez have clocks that either haven't started yet, or are just going to start. Wallner just might START the season in RF, but it might not be for long. As much as I believe in Wallner turning it around, I still believe my IDEAL 2026 OF/DH construction isn't exactly fantasy.

If this is indeed a final list it's an interesting group. But I'm a little surprised Vazquez didn't make it. I thought he was an interesting candidate. Rowson hasn't been with the Twins for 5yrs. I wouldn't expect the actual manager to spend much time on hitting insteuction. He's got a lot to handle just being the manager. But I'd warrant he would have some quality candidates for the hitting coach and assistants. He's probably my choice, but I'd want a solid bench coach beside him to help with the details. I find I like different aspects to each of the other possibilities. I like Flaherty to bring in energy and a more recent player profile. Shelton is a good baseball guy and shouldn't be penalized for his W-L numbers in Pittsburgh. Servais has "been there and done that" with some solid success in a similar market previously. Really no clue who is the best fit. I just lean toward Rowson with an experienced bench coach and a good pitching coach/staff in place...possibly Maki still...to bring in an outside voice as he isn't a lifting Twin and might help get the offense kicked in to a more sustainable level with the coaches he might bring in.

This draft looks a lot different if Canterino could ever have gotten healthy, even as a reliever. If you look at the draft as a whole, and not who is just playing for the Twins, it was a pretty solid draft. Cavaco was a bust and I didn't like the helium selection when it happened. Wallner produced back to back .800+ OPS in 2023 and 2024. Even in a frustrating and injury affected 2025 he was above league average. At 27yo, hopefully there's more of that .800 OPS still coming. While it would be nice to have the solid Steer as a RH role player, the fact that he was drafted and became a ML player is a "win" in regard to the draft itself. And while the Mahle trade didn't turn out as hoped, he was an available trade piece to make it happen. Gipson-Long and Legumina were good enough to bring in a decent pen arm and a solid utility player for some Twins help. Again, that's a win. SGL is still throwing for the Tigers. I never would have cut Headrick, and that was a mistake. But he's reached the majors. Even though Julien has apparently flamed out, his 2023 helped the Twins to reach the playoffs and actually win a series for the first time in years. Varland has transitioned in to being a quality pen arm, even though he's now doing so for Toronto. Again, even with the Cavaco mistake and the injuries that have plagued Canterino, there has been a lot of players from this class that have reached MLB, and some were solid pieces in trades. Just as a draft class, and not who's playing for the Twins now, this was a solid and productive draft overall.

Royce Lewis had offered an uncharacteristic amount of pushback late last summer when the Twins had toyed with the idea of giving him defensive opportunities at second base, but that had less to do with his opposition to the idea as a whole -- and more that he didn’t want to be pushed to a new position and have to learn it on the fly with a playoff push on the line. But this offseason, with time to prepare, his tone has been decidedly different, according to manager Rocco Baldelli. Baldelli and bench coach Jayce Tingler got lunch with Lewis and Trevor Larnach on Monday in the Dallas-Fort Worth area ahead of the start of the Winter Meetings, where Lewis shared with his manager that he’d been taking ground balls on both sides of second base -- which certainly leaves the door open to making the transition to second base, if needed.

"I would feel horrible if they put me out there and I'm missing plays that are routine or something,” Lewis had said on Monday, after his second-base debut. “We have plenty of really good second basemen and I don't want to mess up our defense just because we're going to try something new. It's not Spring Training -- or Triple-A, for that matter.” Direct quote. Yep. Sure sounds like a malcontent and trouble maker throwing his teammates and the organization under the bus doesn't it? Can we just stop trying to invent some bad attitude about this kid? It's just become some ridiculous rhetoric that's been repeated constantly over the last year or so.

What's slightly humorous is having to put together a team where some players moved around so much it's more about fitting them in somewhere. But I get it. CARDENAS: I've liked him since drafted. Despite a HORRIBLE 2024, he's been decent at the plate and has always mainted a solid OB%. He's solid behind the plate and has a good arm. I don't buy in to a power uptick at AAA. I think he's got a ML future ahead of him as a quality backup who won't embarrass himself at the plate. Maybe a slightly better Drew Butera type? SABATO: He got a lot of people excited with his development in 2025. But his changes didn't translate to AAA where he was mediocre. No reason to protect him. And he's no longer a true prospect. But he might be back at St Paul for depth and hope for an opportunity at some point. DeBARGE: I'm a little surprised how many people are down on him after a hot start and then cooling off. This was only his 1st full pro season. A lot of talent and defensive versatility there. I could see a major jump in 2026. DeANDRADE: What happens if this 21yo can stay healthy for a full season? Could he be a ML SS if so? At worst, I think he's a talented Super Utility option. He's got a ton of talent. Here's hoping for a healthy 2026 where he might surprise. CULPEPPER: He's on the same fast track that Keaschall was on. Frankly, he's better than I expected. Twins scouts might have been right on his selection. I'm going to be disappointed if he isn't the Twins SS around July 1st. He's really exciting! FEDKO: NOT a prospect until he seemed to put it altogether in 2025. But how do you dismess such an amazing season? He sorta reminds me of Lew Ford. He's got potential 4th OF who might be able to play some 1B as well. And he produced at AAA. To me, he's an easy keep over someone like Outman. JENKINS: Honesty, nothing needs to be said here. ROSARIO: Wan MVP in 2023 at CR, had a rough and injury related season in 2024, and SHOULD have won the league MVP this past season. Big arm, big power, major adjustments in his approach for improved K and BB numbers. Probably a future DH/part time OF. Any chance he can learn 1B? He's ready for AAA but probably doesn't need to be protected as it's hard to believe a AA OF, even coming off a great season, is going to be selected or kept. GONZALEZ: WOW! What a turnaround from one year to the next! Top 100 to a poor season. Obviously, injuries took their toll. Great arm, and supposedly really improved his defense this past season. I hope that's true from what little I've seen of him, and previous reports. That BAT looks almost ML ready. Still wondering a bit about DBLs power translating to HR power, but he looks about ready to take over a role as a DH and part time OF. Ready June or July 1st? WINOKUR: MAYBE the most intriguing prospect in the system? Considering all his natural talent, he doesn't have to add weight to increase power. But he might gain a little "man muscle" naturally. But even 15lbs to his frame shouldn't affect his speed. Assuming the hit to contact continues to improve, is he possibly the best CF in the system? He's also got 3B ability. At worst...other players blocking him...he's a potential 1B with power and speed. Long way to go in his development for sure. But the overall talent is undeniable.

I always appreciated Correa from the outside looking in while with Houston. I became an actual fan once he became a Twin. I couldn't believe some of the plays he made in the field. When he was healthy...all too brief...he actually had some of the best production in his career. And he seemed like a good leader who loved being a Twin so much, he followed the MILB system almost as much as bloggers, writers, and fans do. But alas, as excited as he made me on his signing, and his contributions when healthy, his tenure was just too short, and too injury interrupted for me to place him #1. And it's really hard to rank players from very different eras. The game changes over the years. But I have to give Smalley the nod at #1. He was solid and productive for multiple years. I've often wondered about the numbers he might have produced on better teams in the 70's. SIDE NOTE: After a great Twins career, then coming back late to win a WS, to being a long standing broadcaster, it's RIDICULOUS he isn't in the Twins HOF yet! #2 is Versalles. He was before my time. But I have tremendous respect for him from his numbers, to his MVP season, to everything I've ever heard or read about him. But he's slightly behind Smalley IMO. #3 is Gagne, IMO. He was helpful with the bat, but never much of a hitter. But IMO he might be the best, most dependable SS I've ever seen that never won an award. #4 is where I place Polanco, even though I'm a huge fan and believe he remains one of the most under appreciated Twins players over the past 10 years. Never a great SS, he was solid. He played hurt. He had a great and productive bat when healthy. If he didn't have so many ankle injuries that slowed his career, I wonder about how great might his Twins career have been? There's a really good chance he's #1 above Smalley without his injuries. But I have to take that in to account in this ranking. Despite all the tremendous defense and production I saw from Correa, and the little things I've previously mentioned, I have no choice but to put him at #5. His time frame and injury impacted seasons just didn't allow him to shine ENOUGH to be ranked any higher. Take away the injuries, he just might rank #1. Ironic that it wasn't his operated on ankle as a young kid that proved his undoing with his Twins career.

I love your work Nick, and I appreciate this article, but this has become the 3rd article since the Twins season ended where Lewis is the primary topic. (Sigh). But I guess it's probably warranted considering he's a bit of a lightening rod in regard to 2026 and the future. THE BAD: A pair of knee injuries and a number of soft tissue injuries have messed up some of his projection and performance, not to mention availability. And from August of 2024 to around July of 2025 he was simply BAD. THE GOOD: He played the most games of his career in 2025 and was basically healthy from around July through the remainder of the season. He was around league average as a hitter from that time on. The number of games played is a positive. Being at least league average for 3 months is a positive. Suddenly feeling good enough to run and steal some bases is a positive. THE "COME ON": When do we stop nit picking every comment Lewis ever makes? For the UPTEENTH TIME, he NEVER refused to play 2B. Paraphrasing a bit, he stated he didn't want to move mid season for fear of making an embarrassing mistake, or more, and cost the Twins a game. In fact, he worked out at 2B this past offseason to get ready to play some 2B in 2025. It was the Twins who told him to forget it, and just concentrate on 3B when ST began. He sometimes is too open and honest with some of his responses. Frustrated and struggling, he makes comments about changing his batting approach mid year and how it might affect him. Honest? Yes. Accurate? Probably so. Never should have been said? Absolutely. He's never thrown anyone under the bus, or pouted, or refused to play 2B. Nor has anyone else ever stated he's a malcontent or a bad teammate. The only thing I've ever seen him being guilty of is a mouth that moves before he thinks sometimes, and shares thoughts he should probably just keep to himself. PROJECTION: Royce made a really vulnerable confession last season that all of his previous injuries had him feeling uncomfortable and unbalanced at the plate. Again, some paraphrasing here. And I believe he was brought back in 2025 too early from his ST injury. He worked hard the last offseason with a trusted physical therapist to avoid the soft tissue injuries that have been plaguing him. While he didn't escape ST without injury, was probably brought back too soon, he did escape injury the remainder of the season. Again, he was at least better the final 3 months, and the fact that he was running...successfully...would seem to indicate a re-newed sense of health and confidence. What he needs to do this offseason is CONTINUE work on flexibility to avoid those nagging soft tissue injuries that have plagued him since his 2 knee injuries, and body changes. But he also needs to find a stance, approach, to be comfortable at the plate to get closer to his old self and work on the issues that have been present as pointed out in Nick's OP. He may not be the Superman hoped for, or flashed over the previous couple of seasons, but at 26yo with a lot of talent still in his young body, it's really about continuing to make adjustments. By all accounts he is a very hard worker and had generally maintained a positive attitude despite a vast number of setbacks. He might not be what we all hoped for, but I'm betting we see a real re-surgance from Lewis in 2026. There's just too much ability and determination to bet against him.

Your basic numbers are about right. Speculation and projection has the team moving on from Larnach, and a post arbitration payroll of $86-90M. First base simply isn't the big producing position it uses to be. Possibly due to the changes regarding the universal DH a few years ago? The bad news is the Twins dont have a 1B. The good news is an upgrade...even for only next season...might see a prospect or 2 ready for 2027...is it's the one sure fire position where the Twins can solidify the INF somewhat and definitely improve the lineup. I had hopes of Naylor for $12M. I repeat myself that I think it will be around $15M for 3yrs and someone will outbid us. But let's use the $90M post arbitration number, and let's also say we can grab the LH O'Hearn for your projected $8-10M. We'll go high again and call it $10M. They need SOMEONE to be that 30-35% games played #2 catcher for #4M. So now payroll sits around $104M. They then add 3, competent, experienced pen arms for around $4M each. Not TOP arms, but just solid guys who are capable of filling roles along with what'son hand, and some young arms converting, and a couple pen arms on their way thst might be close to helping later in 2026. Maybe it ends up being closer to $15M for those 3 veteran signings. Again, we go with the high number. That means a 1B, C, and 3 decent, veteran arms. (We need arms, even if they aren't going to go big). That's a payroll that's just under $120M. It's also a payroll about $22-23M LESS than opening day 2025. I'm absolutely not saying this is a great team by any means. But you've upgraded 1B, added a veteran backstop, and 3 experienced arms for the pen. Combined with players on hand, SOME hopeful development from those players, and a collection of really talented prospects almost ready, it could be a fun team with a lot of young and young-ish players that might surprise a bit. But let's break down that almost $120M payroll a bit further. The initial $90M post arbitration number includes roughly, for easy math, 5 minimum salary players projected at a combined $3.8M. So subtract that from the $119M I proposed, and you're really sitting about $115M. That might be enough for a veteran utility INF bat to replace Fitzgerald, and you are STILL at, or under, $120M total payroll WITHOUT breaking up the rotation. Naylor is the dream at 1B. O'Hearn is the next best option. Hoskins is someone I just don't trust...I think age and injury have caught up...but he might end up as a surprise that we miss out on. But the Twins margins are so slight, that I'd rather have someone like O'Hearn who seems "safer", while still good. But going back more towards the original intent of the OP, 1B is the easiest spot for the Twins to solidify the lineup in a positive way.

Absolutely crazy that we all sit and hope and cross fingers that ownership would OK a $130M payroll for 2026, which would STILL be about $10-12M or so BELOW opening day 2025. He'll, I'd even settle for around $120M at this point. Of course, I've been pounding the table for Naylor on a 2 or 3yr deal to just settle 1B for the next few years. Even with a $120M payroll they could do that and still have room to add a few decent pen arms and a veteran backup at catcher. I'm of the opinion, unfortunately, that someone will simply outbid the Twins no matter what the payroll is. My second target would be the LH Ryan O'Hearn. He'd be a Naylor-lite signing, but would cost less, still be solid, and has decent enough career splits he wouldn't necessarily have to be platooned. And I disagree with any option that has Clemens as a platoon partner with anyone. If he makes the club, and even replicates his ML average OPS, he's a bench player who hits LH. He doesn't have to be any part of a platoon anywhere. IMO, O'Hearn could be a really nice fit for 2026. I just have a hard time trusting in Hoskins at this point. While 33yo next season doesn't make him ancient, and good health could see an interesting rebound, I think I'd only consider him on a cheap 1yr deal for him to prove himself. He was still an above leage average bat in 2024, though not great to be sure. But I'd only be willing to bet on that 1yr deal and then see how the position shakes out for 2027.

Absolutely not being snarky, but we really have a measurement that includes "ducksnorts"...old school term for sure...as part of BABIP data? Crazy. I'm with others that the defense should be better in 2026. Lewis has turned in to fine 3B. Keaschall has all the range you could want, he just needs to be able to actually PLAY to iron out some awkwardness he's shown so far when he gets to the ball. And he doesn't need a cannon at 2B, just a healthy arm. I think Lee has enough skill to develop in to an average SS. But we want/need better than that. Unfortunately, we have to hope for average until Culpepper is ready. 1B is a huge question mark right now, and I'm not going to speculate on it at this time. I think we're going to see more of Martin and Roden in the OF, and that's going to help. And Rodriguez and Jenkins, whenever each debuts, have a quality defensive profile. While I only enough knowledge on pitching to be dangerous, and offer up some very basic thoughts, I believe Matthews biggest problems probably come down to sequencing, tweaking some of his arsenal, and finding enough command and confidence to play in the edges more. It's up to the coaches, and the catchers, to work on sequencing. It's up to the coaches to help him make adjustments on his actual pitches to make them more effective. Does he need a grip or arm angle adjustment to harness his secondaries to simply make them more complete/dangerous? He looks really good in flashes, for a whole game, or parts of games. And he still gets a lot of K's. But he also throws a lot of pitches. So far, he doesn't seem to be able to finish off batters efficiently at times. I think that also goes back to something I heard when he first came up, and that I've heard rather persistently, and that is him probably filling up the zone TOO much. That maybe he has to learn to play the edges better for more weak contact in the form of slow grounders and pop ups and the such. Even a few more swings and misses could make a big difference. I'm not dismissing better defense will help him, as well as the entire staff. But from reading about him, from looking at box scores, from watching him in games, it just seems that some of his pitches need just a little more bite and he could be nasty. A couple more weak contact grounders and pop ups and he gets out of innings quicker, lowers his pitch count, and would have fewer "flares and burners". I know it's not as simple as I make it sound, but he so often just looks so close to taking his game up another notch. He appears capable of being a really good ML SP. Can the staff...whoever they are going to be in 2026...make a couple tweaks/adjustments to his pitches and sequencing to over that hump? I sure hope so. Because when I watch him, I still see a lot of potential. SIDE NOTE: SWR and Bradley are out of options. So even if Matthews has a great ST, he may still go down to St Paul to begin the season the way Ober did a few years ago. But at some point, it's possible Matthews or Bradley may shift to the pen, even if only temporarily. But that's also true of Abel and Morris, etc.

I always attempt to take a long view. Wallner climbed up the MILB fairly quickly, and impressively. He struggled a bit at first, quickly adjusted, and then moved up again. He had a solid rookie debut. And then his 2023 and 2024 seasons provided a combined .885 OPS! Read that number again! What's always confused me, frustrated me, and frankly pissed me off is the way the FO has treated Wallner. Look, I can understand if a young prospect goes through a slump and you want to send him down for a few weeks to get straight. It happens. I get it. But in both 2023 and 2024, the FO decided for ridiculous reasons to IGNORE what Wallner was doing at AAA and stubbornly stick with poor veterans why? How many teams in MLB would have a top prospect and not let them play through a struggle? OR, how many MLB teams would send a kid down for a few weeks, see him RAKE, and wait another month plus before bringing him back up? .709 OPS as a rookie. A combined .885 OPS the next 2 seasons but they can't find room for a highly productive bat because they can't deal with some slumps here and there? This one of the areas where I've been frustrated and angry with how Falvey has handled the roster. Now, I get frustration and concern about 2025. I'm still confused about Wallner's sudden decline defensively...where he was at least average previously...and his sudden dip in HITTING. Did his hamstring injury continue to bother him all year? Did he lose confidence? Did the injury and some poor production after get in his head? I have no idea. But he STILL produced a .776 OPS which was well above average. His OPS+ of 110 still meant he was 10% above league average. Arguing his HR totals should have produced more RBI is a bit silly. What about opportunity? It's a BS argument, but shouldn't Buxton's 35HR have produced more than 83 RBI? Again, I understand it's a BS argument because context is always involved from everything including BABIP to runners on base, etc. For ME, I can't ignore Wallner's MILB career, his decent rookie debut, and a pair of excellent 2 seasons before a weird but still OK 2025 season. And there's no question we were expecting and hoping for more last season. I dare say we were COUNTING on him having a good '25 to help lead the offense. I believe he's an OK OF, despite regression last season, with an arm that's a weapon. IDEALLY, going forward, he's the primary DH...even against some LHP as he's shown growth there...and a part time corner OF. That's what SHOULD happen. And he might just return to his .800+ OPS level with 20-30HR. But what DOES happen? IMO, it depends a lot on Em Rodriguez. He's already burned 2 of his options. Buck is in CF. Larnach is gone. Martin and Roden just might form a solid LF combo to begin the season. Frankly, it's TIME for Rodriguez to have a good winter, and a good ST, and be given a starting spot. Live with some struggles, if they happen, and enjoy good defense and some power and excitement. Wallner is the primary DH. Jenkins comes up a little later. Gonzalez forces his way up a little later in the season. Where everyone actually hits in the lineup is TBD. But that's how it SHOULD go opening day.

It's my understanding that prospects in the AFL have a certain hierarchy, almost akin to draft selection. Some weird "first come, first served" scenario. As an example, a few years ago Royce Lewis was still playing SS in the Twins system. But he was "behind" a couple SS from different organizations. So he spent his time at 3B and CF, with maybe a couple games at 2B, but I can't recall exactly. So it's possible Mendez is just "behind" Amick and someone else. It's also possible the Twins don't care and just want to see him in the OF some more and will work with him more 1-1 in Instructs during the offseason and we'll see him at 1B some in 2026.

I don't dismiss this as a future option. As of today, I think he's a potential 3B, but his best spot might be CF. And when you consider Rodriguez and Jenkins as CF options, that might sound crazy. But at 6' 6" and almost thin at 210-215lbs with really good speed, athleticism, and a strong arm, he just might maintain his speed longer than Rodriguez and Jenkins. He's got the frame to carry another 10-15lbs and still run the way he does. Considering his power potential currently, he doesn't need to gain weight/muscle. But only 21yo when next season begins, it's possible natural development just adds a little weight/muscle. If his defensive instincts hold up, he just might be the best CF in the system. With speed, power, a great arm, he wouldn't even have to be a great average hitter to be dangerous and valuable. However, maturation just might slow him down a bit. He could easily slide to a corner OF spot, OR, he could be a really fine 3B with power and speed and a cannon arm and maybe Lewis slides to 1B. A LOT of conjecture for a kid that's super talented, but 2-3yrs away. But let's just say the still young Lewis gets right and solidifies himself at 3B begining in 2026 with his BAT straightened out. Rodriguez and Jenkins debut and begin to establish themselves. But let's say a couple years from now 1B is still poor. I object to the idea that it's a "waste" of talent to put a great athlete at 1B. A great athlete at 1B, with INF experience, should develop in to a fine defensive 1B. A strong arm is a bonus. His power plays there. His speed is just a bonus. Over the years I've seen quality CF like Erstad and Bellinger play a good 1B and produce quality offense while still playing in the OF. Who decided your 1B had to be a lumbering power hitter? So yes, Winokur is a possible 1B a couple years from now. He should be. Because you always want to play your best 9 on as much of a daily process as you can. BUT, we're 2-3yrs from him debuting and a lot of things can change between now and then. So I'd just want to enjoy his development for now and see what the future holds.