DocBauer

Hill has exceeded every possible expectation I had for him as a rookie this season. THANKFULLY when he was pulled from a recent start where we all feared the worst, it turned out to be nothing but not feeling well and then he went out and had probably his best performance of his young career. Cedar Rapids may have the best rotation in the entire system in 2026, and Hill will be a part of it. Mendez reminds me a lot as a LH version of Gonzalez. Good bat to ball skills, and power potential. (Not sure about arm strength). What concerns me about Mendez, despite some very impressive HIT tools, I've read reports that his ground ball % is around 60%. Hard hit balls that escape MILB infielders is one thing, but doing that against ML defenders is very different. He's not a small kid at all. Bat to ball skills seem to be in place. But unless he can adjust his swing to lift the ball for more XB and HR power, he might end up as a contact only ML player. And that won't go far. But at 21yo, I'm betting the power starts to show up soon. Sorry, but I'm OUT on Urbina. He's been HOT to lead CR in to the playoffs. And I know he's got 5 tool talent, but he's 24yo at AA next April, assuming his strong end to this season makes him ready. Look, I just don't prescribe to the theory that every prospect should debut by age 24, 25 at the latest, or they just won't make it at all. TOP prospects USUALLY do, injury caveats and the such maintained. But it's taken Urbina 3yrs at CR to finally be ready as a 23yo to advance. And if he rakes for Wichita next season I'll champion him as a "not really that old" prospect who just took more time than hoped for. Yasser Mercedes is his clone, but a couple years younger at almost 21yo. Mercedes had a poor 2023 at the FCL level, but a good one in 2024. But basically a horrible season this year at A- at Ft Myers. But if he takes a step forward, equally as talented as Urbina, he might end up at CR at the end of 2026 as a 21yo. Maybe he only gets there in 2017 as a 22yo. Still on track. I wish only the best for Urbina to take a major step forward in 2026 with his strong finish to this season. He's still got a ton of talent. I just don't see him as any kind of high prospect at this time.

Stats at this level don't always tell an accurate future for pitchers at this level. There's a really good collection of 21-22yo arms scheduled to throw for CR Rapids in 2026 that are ahead of Garcia. Still, those are some good numbers and the progression made during the season is what matters. But just for interest sake, if nothing else, Xavier Kolhosser was the 13th pick in the 2024 draft. As is traditional following being drafted, he did not throw until this season, where he was a 22yo rookie. While he did start some games, he was mostly used out of the pen. He was almost 50-50 between the FCL and A- Ft Myers. Great K numbers at both levels, surprisingly higher K numbers at Ft Myers, but the WHIP increased. Possibly a closer for Ft Myers who could fast track to the CR pen with a good start next season? Xander Hamilton was a 14th round pick in the 2023 draft. Unlike most drafted pitchers, he actually threw some some in '23. In SSSS he had a crazy 16 K per 9 and a 4.9 BB per. But we're only talking 7 IP between the FCL and Ft Myers. He began 2024 at Ft Myers and while his ERA was high, and his BB per 9 was high at 4.3 per, he threw 50 IP while allowing only 39 Hits, and K'd at 10.9 per. He got 6.2 IP for CR with an even higher K%, but the rest of his numbers cratered. But we're only talking 6.2 innings. I can't recall exactly, but I do remember something about an injury. That's why he was back in the FCL this season and got a late call up to CR just recently where he has 3 appearances and 6.1 IP of nothing good to report. While he's going to be 24yo next year in the CR pen, let's not forget 2025 was mostly a lost season.

Sims FB was clocking consistently in the 94-95 range as I watched. (Didn't see every frame). His slider and splitter were working as well or better than I've ever seen. While isn't a GREAT Yankees team, they still have a hell of a lineup. Gotta be SWR's best game ever doesn't it? I think we often forget how weird Sims' MILB career arc was and the fact that he's STILL only 24yo. To his fans, I'm still not SOLD on Martin yet. But the way he began the year at AAA before injury, and the way he's hit since brought back up is impressive. His bases loaded double battle was very impressive. And that catch was tremendous hilight kind of stuff. Can he keep it up? Every time I get excited about Lee's bat, he goes in to a slump. And then he has games like this with a HR, and a Dbl, and a really nice backhand play and strong throw to 1B in what, the 8th inning? His penchant to swing at crap down, down and out, down and in, and K or make weak contact drives me nuts. And then he openly states he understands that's not his hitting ZONE and he's trying to adjust. Well, at least he understands that. Will he make the adjustments necessary? He's a decent, solid ML SS. That works for now. The 15 Dbls and 15 HR and 60 RBI tells me there's a better hitter inside of him waiting to come out. Like SWR, he's still only 24yo. The ML rookie minimum is 130 AB. He came in to 2025 with 172. So he is virtually a rookie this season. A COUPLE SIDE NOTES REGARDING THE BULLPEN: While he didn't pitch tonight, Sands has looked much more like his 2024 self until the past week where he as really bad. Can he rebound to finish strong? I had decided to give up on Funderburk several weeks ago. Goodness knows he hasn't been outstanding, but I'd say he's been good to very good in about 75-80% of the games he's pitched since the deadline thrust him in to a more prominent role. Maybe my perception is completely off base, but in my eyes, he's been generally solid and looking like he's actually DEVELOPING finally toward the next step. Adams and Ohl AREN'T ML caliber SP. That's the reason they were part of the pilot program this season to take "not quite good enough" arms and use them for multiple innings every 4 days. I still like the idea in principle and think it might be worth pursuing in the future. But for the remainder of this season, and for 2026, the Twins need to be focused on arms that can go ONE good IP. Adams and Ohl have both had some very good appearances, and some very bad ones. Tonight they both had good games. For the remainder of this year, let them both go hard for 1 IP, and let someone like Hatch cover bulk innings. Adams and Ohl can both sit in the mid 90's for a single inning. Ohl in particular has a really nice change. Either, or both, might surprise given a chance. The opportunity starts now. (Should have started in August).

Short answer? I sure hope not! Longer answer.... Gasper is a very good AAA hitter. While he only has around 90 AB with the Twins thus season, I just don't see a ML hitter. The fact that Boston just quit playing him at C in MILB doesn't give him a ringing endorsement. Also, for his MILB career, he's at 14% CS. Pareda is not ad good of a AAA hitter as Gasper. But he's not been poor. At least for a C. He seems to be a more natural fit defensively. And his MILB career CS% is 33%. So he's got the better arm, and hasn't been told to hang up his mit by anyone at this point. I'd like to aim higher. Exactly who that might be as I haven't taken time yet to review all the FA options, much less what kind of season they had. But just for reference sake, Elias Diaz has had a decent, solid career as a backstop...nothing special...and sat for months last offseason before signing with SD for $3.5M. Unfortunately for him, he had a poor season. So I'll just use him as a 2025 example for the moment. Noah Cardenas is not a great HITTER and probably never will be. His career MILB AVG is only .241, though that is somewhat skewed by his one and only terrible season in 2024. But he has a MILB career OB% of .385! Pretty outstanding. That tells me he'll take some BB, stay within the zone, not K tremendously, and at least make the pitcher work some. He also doesn't have much power. He stroked a career high 10HR this year, with 7 coming at St Paul. Is that development of the league? I've generally always heard...going back to when he was drafted...that he's solid behind the plate and calls a good game. His 28% CS is pretty solid as well. I see an inexpensive veteran signed to catch about 35-40% of the games. It might even be Vazquez on a much smaller deal, though I don't think any of us are all that keen on that idea. If they want to keep Gasper around as a AAA bat at 1B/DH/C that's fine. But he shouldn't have a 40 man spot. A veteran like Pereda at St Paul makes sense, but again, not on the 40 man. With a little more AAA time to just polish up his hitting skills a bit more, I think Cardenas might be the #3 guy for 2026. I think Jeffers sticks around for all the obvious reasons, which have already been stated. Personally...while I don't think it will happen...I'd love to see him signed through 2028 for around $8-9M per. That bridges the time needed for Diaw, Tait, and maybe even Jiminez to be ML ready. And the $ number wouldn't/shouldn't be a hinderence in trading him before that to a team in real need of an experienced backstop with a good bat before that.

Turner gets the opportunity to step up, and he needs to. Van Ginkel out hurts for sure. But the way Flores mixes and matches and mixes up his defense, it might not matter so much for 1 game. Metellus is a Swiss army knife that's used as a quasi LB and pass rusher at times. They may blitz more from the ILB spot for this game. Good bet Murphy comes up from the PS and he and Richter see a few depth snaps. So for 1 game, we shouldn't feel overwatch. But Skule needs a better game at LT this week for sure.

Despite some bizarre struggles this year, maybe due to his hamstring injury just throwing off his timing, I'm a believer in Wallner. I believe he's a much better HITTER based on his previous numbers. The good OB% and major power are real pluses. He's even improved against LHP over time to not completely stink in that area. I like Larnach. But I like him more as a lower in the order bat. And he's shown time and again he's a platoon only hitter. He's also older and going to be more expensive. I still believe he, or packaged with a prospect, might be of interest to a team short of LH power and might bring something of decent value back. The Twins aren't short of LH OF. They are short of QUALITY LH OF. While he wasn't used in any sort of capacity that might allow him to get in to any sort of hitting groove, Keirsey just isn't a ML hitter, or the Twins have already made up their mind. Outman is a 1 good year ML player. The jury remains out on the injured Roden. He's young enough...only a rookie this season with a couple hundred AB...that his good MILB numbers might yet translate. Jenkins should be very good, maybe even a star. Rodriguez has the talent to be very good as well, if his patience can be balanced with more aggressiveness...when appropriate...as ML pitchers will be far less forgiving than those in the minors. And there's also a few RH OF who might just about be ready to take the next step. There's also a CHANCE Keaschall ends up in LF, even though that's not the expectation at this time. You make room for a Jenkins type of prospect. You hope Rodriguez takes the next step, but you also have to give him an opportunity. Wallner is, IMO, the better player than Larnach, younger, cheaper, with more upside. Ideally, he soon becomes the primary DH and a reserve corner OF. But yes, changes are coming. And I believe Larnach is the one going out.

Personally, I rather like Rocco and think he's an OK manager. NOT great one, but an OK one. I don't like all the moves he makes, but I think he generally does an OK job. But the same is true of Falvey and his assistants. I truly appreciate Falvey and his fellows bringing the Twins SYSTEM in to the 21st century. I like a lot of moves they've made, and there's a lot of moves I really don't like. I've often said I would like to see what Falvey and company could do if they weren't hamstrung by the Pohlads after 2023 when fan interest was peaking, and the team was on an upswing and the promise for 2024 and beyond was looking pretty bright. But all the promises and speculation from Joe Pohlad about moving forward, getting better, and even saying he could see the payroll continuing to grow proved to be empty rhetoric. We'll, unfortunately, never know how 2024 would have gone had the payroll stayed at $150M, or even grown a little more to add an important piece or two. The FO, growing payroll or suddenly shrinking payroll, are the ones who actually build the roster, and the depth. Not the manager or coaches. From that perspective, Rocco hasn't always had the tools/players he'd probably like to have to run the team the way he'd prefer to. But crap rolls down hill. When the owners don't care and mismanage the organization, it affects the FO. From there, the crap continues continues downhill and ends up the manager's feet. Rocco wasn't responsible for Shoemaker in his rotation. He wasn't responsible for the addition of Margot. He also wasn't responsible for adding Lopez or Cruz. When he's had more talent, his teams have done pretty well and won. They've failed when they had less talent. I still see BLAME going up the chain of command to the FO, which goes to the TOP which is the owners. But the Pohlads aren't going to fire themselves. And Falvey isn't going to fire himself. I can see Rocco back because the Twins seldom make changes. And I'm generally neutral on brining him back or replacing him. I do think a new voice might be necessary at this time of roster overhaul. Again, I don't blame him for poor roster construction or poor choices by the FO. But I have a growing concern for some of the GOOD talent he's had not being maximized. Not everyone! There have been successes as well as failures. Disappointment usually leads to remembrance of the bad, with forgetfulness for the good. But the voice in charge gets old after a time. It just might be time for a new guy in charge who might bring some different ideas on lineup construction, or work with new/different coaches for a new approach/plan to the players on hand. I'm pretty neutral on Rocco ultimately being to blame and fired because he's somehow responsible for the past couple of years. But I believe he does bear at least some of the responsibility. So a change might be in order, and I'd probably lean that way. Who that might be I have ZERO ideas. Maddon was considered great but then got fired. Torre was considered mediocre, and then was considered great when he went to the Yankees. So I really have no answer as to who would be a better replacement.

Rodriguez has some definite risk in his bat not translating to the ML level. Some of his vaunted patience might have to be sacrificed as he might have to be more aggressive than he has been in the past. The best pitch might be one you'd let go by at AAA. But at the ML level, you might pass up that best opportunity and not get another one like it in a bat.

OK, you got me on Julien a bit. The AVG and OB skills and approach definitely are similar. But Julien doesn't have the speed Rodirguez has and nowhere near the power. So I guess I'm talking so much of the 3 true outcome and his OVERALL ability.

I want to add a 4th player to @stringer bell list. And I really should have brought this up earlier. Despite draft pedigree and college production, and scouts speculation, etc, sometimes they just get it wrong. Martin is an ATHLETE, but not a polished baseball player. And when you look at his college career, lack of power, lack of a definitive position, somewhere along the line scouts and FO just got it wrong. He HIT in college and had a great OB%, and he stole some bases. But 57 XBH over THREE YEARS in college just isn't much power. And while he spent most of his time at 3B, he was used all over. In retrospect, he was a HITTER, with a good OB%, and speed, with little power, and NO defensive HOME. That's the definition of a utility player...with potential to be sure...and not a TOP prospect. No wonder the Jays put him at SS initially just to see if he might surprise. No wonder the Twins tried to add some pop/power to his game in an attempt to not make him the next Ben Revere. His debut with the Twins in 2024 was mediocre at best. He didn't even hit LHP especially well. In fact, he actually hit RHP in '24 slightly better than LHP. BUT, with a SSS, he's reversed that trend here this season. He's suddenly got more even splits over 2 seasons in what is STILL a SSS. He's mediocre at best as a 2B, not even his dominant college position. He's been mediocre at best in CF, again, not his dominate college position. And he's been so-so in LF. But it does look like his OF defense has improved currently while the team has been giving him a consistent run. He's suddenly hitting .290 with an OB% of .388. That sounds really good. But his SLG% is still only .380. That's a SLG% of a utility INF or poor catcher. The ONLY way he can maintain an OPS of .768 is to be a faster version of Arraez. I don't think he's on the level of Wallner, Lewis, or Lee for many reasons. But he WAS part of a debatable trade a few years ago that still brings up conversation to this day. And he's got a load of OF talent breathing down his neck. So I think he'd be a good #4 to debate. I can see him rostered, or simply not at this point.

The contention was come stretch time in September, with playoff spots on the line, MLB decided it wasn't FAIR for some teams to play teams with good records and other teams to play teams with poor records that were out of contention, and offering up a lineup of prospects that might make them EASIER to defeat. I've ALWAYS HATED this rule. Not only has the draft lottery worked against "tanking teams", but if the ML schedule...prepared before the season began...offered up a WINNING team to face the A's, the Rockies, the Dirty Sox, or even our current Twins team that played a few more prospects in September with poor records, what kind of competitive advantage does that really provide? You're either playing a team that's good, or a team that's not good. The EXACT SAME THING could happen in August, or July, etc. Just make it 30-32 and let teams either reward career guys at the end of the season, or let them get a handful of prospects a chance to get their feet wet. Or is it just better to have more 12-3 games against losing teams because that SOMEHOW increases the INTEGRITY of the playoff chase in September. Hell, a couple prospects late in the season might actually make a losing team more competitive.

AAA: Abel, despite his 2 brief poor ML appearances for the Twins, has really improved his control/command at the AAA level. And the Twins are mixing up his repertoire. It would be silly to give up on his potential based on a couple bad appearances. 3 good IP tonight show the potential. BUT...NOT to do what I just said...with the number of arms currently in play for 2026 and beyond...this changes if Lopez or Ryan are moved...I can still see a strong back end arm for the bullpen. Just saying. I sure wouldn't go there yet. I think the move of MacLeod to the pen is permanent. And it makes sense. He hasn't mastered AAA yet after a good AA season, but a few more appearances like tonight...and he's had a couple of them so far...he might be in play for a 2026 pen spot at some point. SIDETRACK (with apologies): With all due respect to the "Jenkins Watch", I'm more focused on Rodriguez over the next few games available. 0-1 with 2R scored and 3BB and 1K is indicative of his career profile. I've just NEVER seen a CAREER profile like him before. Somewhat like Sano, he gets a lot of K's because he's almost TOO patient looking for a good pitch to hit. Thus not a great HIT profile where it's often debated he should swing earlier. But he also has an AMAZING .420 OB% for his MILB career that again, I'm not sure I've ever seen! His .488 SLG% and .908 OPS% are equally outstanding. His career 74% success rate on SB is very close to being worthwhile, but needs work. He's also a legitimate CF defensively with an arm that's good enough for RF. His best position, down the road at least, might be LF with his speed and arm to cover Target Field and still backup CF as needed. But what to make of his 3 outcome potential as a 23yo when 2026 begins? His CEILING is a 30/30/30 year between Dbls, HR, and SB. A more reasonable ceiling is 30/25/25. Both ceilings obviously have a little give and take. But with his current approach...again, I've just never seen a profile like his...if he could continue to play good defense, provide some speed on the basepaths...and only HIT in the .220-.230 range and lower his incredible OB% to around .330-.340 and crank 30+ Dbls and 20+ HR and steal a consistent 18-22 bases, he becomes a difference maker. He's got 2 options left, I believe, and is a couple years younger than Jenkins, and should end the season with more AAA PA. I'd almost be more inclined to focus on HIM beginning 2026 in the Twins OF for everything stated here. That's why I'm actually watching him more than Jenkins right now. AA: Mendez has another good game and even cranked one of the fence. I love that he's going to the AFL. He might get a chance to play some 1B there. If he can tweak his approach to get more lift in his batted balls, he might be a LH Gonzalez. The size and natural power seem to be there. Rosario keeps coming through. Has Bowen moved to the pen permanently? Or is this a temporary IP situation? His best opportunity for a ML staff might be in the pen. Whitaker, Parades...and Hoopes who only recently got promoted to AA...have had outstanding seasons as bullpen options. We might actually have a handful of RELIEVERS...not just SP converts...that might be fast tracking to the ML level. Wichita just REFUSES to quit on their playoff chances. But I'm worried it might be too little too late. A: Really disappointing and unexpected start by Bohorquez. Can't help but wonder what might have been the remainder of his appearances if a 3rd out came from somewhere. Houston came through with a really good game. Tremendous game from Urbina. Good for him! But he, J Rodriguez, and Mercedes are a handful of international signings that have really disappointed the last couple of years. But a great TEAM WIN and on to the finals!

For the most part, Sands has thrown pretty well since the deadline. But this was the 2nd or 3rd time where he just blew up. Completely hot and cold. There's still a live arm there and someone who we might be able to count on in 2026. But he's got to settle down and find more consistency because at times he looks like his '24 self. Clemens isn't great. Never has been and never will be. This might even end up being his career season. But he's shown enough defense and position flexibility, and power to be brought back as a LH bench option. He won't be expensive and he's low risk with solid help potential.

I don't mind their initial tactic, which was a combination of needing ANYONE for a couple weeks just to actually have 8 arms in the pen, and then grabbing a couple of waiver arms that at least had SOME stuff that they could unlock. MAYBE. What I DON'T agree with is how LONG they auditioned some of those guys. If you want to keep Hatch as a middle/long guy fine. But Ohl and Adams should be getting 1 IP to see if they might be part of 2026. Laweryson should have been up September 1st, not waiting for someone to get hurt.

I believe this makes 9 picks from the Twins 2019 draft to appear in MLB, whether with the Twins or someone else. Not a lot of stars from that class, but that is an interesting number. Good luck Cody, the team needs all the pen help it can get.

I should have remembered Boadas was hurt, especially when I went back to his reference page. My only question is if he's healthy and strong enough to throw in the AFL or if this is DeAndrade being on the roster last year but never getting in to a game. Hoopes could be a fast riser in 2026. To a degree, he already was with what he did at both A levels in his debut. Sechrist had a great career at Tennessee. I'm guessing velocity and K ability was the reason he wasn't drafted? Good debut season, now he just needs to learn to put batters away quicker. Despite poor W-L record and high ERA, Questad seemed to actually throw better this season. And at a higher level than 2024. Fewer hits than IP and more than a K per inning are reasons to be optimistic. The high BB numbers are the reason to worry and believe he may end up in the pen. But he's so young still. More time and more instruction can only help. I like this group of arms better than last year's. Winokur seems to have slumped a bit the past couple of weeks. Fatigue? Still, his game was well rounded, and you can see the potential. The fact the Twins want to see him get more time seems to indicate how much they like him. The fact that Amick improved his contact and BB/K% numbers is pretty exciting. Now, he unlocks the power potential that was mostly dormant this season and we might really have something here. I'll be watching the AFL pretty closely this offseason. Most exciting collection of prospects in a few years.

SWR is a trade candidate possibility. I grant that. But there is so much right now that we simply don't know about payroll and the disposition of Lopez and Ryan. But neither of those two are moved...my preference...I would see Sim getting the 5th job no matter what. They won't be shy about sending a deserving rotation arm to St Paul to begin the season. Clemens is the only one of the rest I'm interested in. Granted he's finishing the season poorly, but he's fit in well and been a solid, productive role player since acquired. But he shouldn't be starting daily at any position. I'd see if he can start playing some 3B again to further increase his roster flexibility. I wouldn't be upset if he was replaced by someone better, but I see a possible role for him in 2026.

You are absolutely correct. I was speaking about Sechrist but typed Hall's name for some reason. Thank you for catching my goof!

A really interesting group here. Sechrist was signed as an UDFA following the '24 draft after a really solid career. He had a solid rookie debut this year, but needs to increase his K numbers. Hoopes, also an UDFA has blown away hitters at both A levels and just reached AA in his rookie season. He's potentially a fast riser in 2026. Questad got off to a solid start this year, but still has some control issues. Mendez is new to the Twins and learning some 1B. He's got a good bat and eye, but he's got to get the ball in the air more. Hits way too many groundballs. Amick missed a lot of time. This makes up for thst and gets him ready for AA next season. Winokur going is a slight surprise to me. He's been healthy all year and did some good things. This shows me how high the Twins are on him and want him to get this extra development time. This is a lot more interesting group than last year.

A well thought out premise Stringer. And you definitely picked the top 3. WALLNER: I'm still a believer based on his MILB career, an OK rookie season, and even better years in '23 and '24. (I still belueve he was left at St Paul for too long both of those seasons). I just can't explain his low .200 BA this season. For some reason, he's just never gotten his stroke or timing right. Did the hamstring injury really affect him that much? Is it still throwing him off? I believe he's really a .240-.250 hitter. The OB% and power are legit. Defensively, IMO, he has a bit of a bad rap. He doesn't get going quickly, but he's got good wheels once he gets going. Getting good reads is of the upmost importance. I think he was better last year. Maybe he's still adjusting to being in RF now instead of LF? Maybe he's taking his hitting frustration out in to the field? IDK. I do think he'll end up as the primary DH soon, and play some corner OF here and there. LEE: I agree he's been a little disappointing this season. He looks so good fielding the ball, displays good instincts, gets rid of the ball quickly, and then suddenly has a stretch where he looks more like Julien. He does seem more comfortable at SS, and I think he's generally been solid there. I do think, however, that K-Pepper will bring more athleticism to the position and will bump him. Now, whether he takes over 3B or 2B in different scenarios or becomes an almost daily utility INF is yet to be determined. He's never been a big BB hitter, and I hope that improves. What's so frustrating is he makes such good contact, he ends up swinging at stuff he shouldn't far too often and gets pop-ups and weak grounders way too often. (Reminicent of Miranda in that way). The good news is he's very smart and recognizes that's the flaw in his game. The question is WILL he make the adjustment and focus more on the hitting zones where he can be more successful. I think we should remember that he's still only 24yo and came in the year with only about 180PA, and 170 AB. That's not far from the minimum for rookie classification. LEWIS: I think he's really improved his defense at 3B. I can see him sticking there long term. I'd like to see him play some 1B as well, just to give the INF a little more flexibility. But somewhere along the line, around August of last year, his bat really disappeared. Yes, he's been much better the last couple of months. And as noted, he's even running better. But he's no longer the 185lb prospect with great speed. He's now a 200lb muscular slugger. Royce has made comments earlier this season that he was having a hard time finding a stroke/stance/approach that felt comfortable. More muscle mass, a pair of knee surgeries, and collection of soft tissue injuries may have just really thrown him out of whack. Further and further removed from the hamstring injury that happened in ST might be the reason he's hitting and running better. I hate to use the word "luck", but with another offseason with his trusted trainer, might he finally avoid so many of those soft tissue injuries and finally have some good luck? That and just getting a stance/swing that he feels more comfortable with could see a big 2026 for him. He's still only 26yo until June of next year. I think the potential is still there. But can more hard work this offseason offer up a little more "luck" so he can finally tap in to all of his talent/ability? I sure hope so. I still have a pretty strong belief in all 3. Wallner has lost timing, Royce needs to just stay healthy, and Lee needs to focus on the mental side of the game and stop swinging at stuff that's not in his productive zones. But there's enough youth and talent on their side to have much better seasons going forward. Let's hope so as they could all 3 play an important role in 2026 and beyond.

Jeff Kent says hello. I don't think 2B has been a defense first position for a couple decades or more. But I also think it's really hard to find one that is quality defensively AND offensively. I think Keaschall has a chance to be one of those guys though. He's missed so much field time by being restricted to 1B/DH almost exclusively until mid ST this year due to his elbow and subsequent surgery. And then he misses 2 months this season with a broken arm. He's got the speed and athleticism to get to balls, including those deep in the hole. He's also got the speed and athleticism to chase pop-ups in to the OF. The awkwardness he shows at times actually fielding the ball should smooth out with time. Down the road, there's also the possibility of K-Pepper playing 2B if/when Houston might replace Lee. Keaschall probably becomes a LF/DH/1B at that point. But I've got faith he's going to settle in at 2B nicely.

Solid start by Bradley. Not a horrible game by Sands who has picked it up a bit since the deadline. But he's just not ready to be the #1 guy in the pen. How does Outman having a good game, with a bad play in the OF from what I read, with a .157 AVG provide any hope? For all his offensive flaws, Drew Butera was considered a really good catcher behind the plate and calling a good game. And he still managed to hit .196 for his career. Gasper is BELOW that. He beats Butera by a few points in OB%, but loses in SLG% and OPS. Drew also threw out 27% of base runners for his career vs 20% for Gasper. I have ZERO idea if Gasper is actually good calling a game and handling a ML staff at this point. So I don't want to be a jerk about this. But how much poor production do you have to see before you just understand Gasper is no answer? I don't believe his BAT is ready for MLB at this time, but I'd rather have Cardenas have a rude awakening at the ML level to get ready for 2026. And IDK care if the Angels were throwing RH pitching, you brought up McCusker to play. Play him! Or get Fesko on the roster and play HIM! What the hell is going on with roster usage?

I just can't disagree with almost anything you said. I wish I could. What the Twins need more than anything is HOPE. A new ownership would go a long way towards that, but it's not going to happen for another year or two. I'm pretty neutral on Rocco. I'd really like to see what he could do with a more well rounded player roster. By his own admission his first couple of seasons was just turn in a lineup card and make a couple pen moves. Again, I'm pretty neutral on him. He's done some good things, and some poor things. I think he's actually grown as a manger. And he comes from an aggressive organization in Tampa. I wouldn't mind seeing him have a more balanced team of hit/power/speed that the Twins are moving towards. But I'd also be OK if they went a different direction. Maybe when I talk about "selling the team" for fan interest I'm overstating my opinion. BUT, new manager or not. Lewis and Lee getting their crap together, Wallner having a full and healthy season, Buxton healthy and having an amazing season, some TOP prospects arrived and close to arriving, and NOT trading Lopez or Ryan has to offer SOME hope doesn't it?

Just as an example I recently posted, the Twins apparently had the choice of Tait or Aiden Miller. While Miller is also a top 100 prospect, he probably doesn't stick at SS. The Twins see Lewis, Lee, Keaschall, and K-Pepper in their INF and decided they wanted Tait as a difference maker at Catcher, vs a more immediate impact player.

Retrospect is important. As well as a long term lense. I didn't like all of the moves made to be certain. But I can now look a little more honestly, weeks gone by, at these moves. 1] I HATED Outman for Stewart. It only garnered a Keirsey clone with a slightly better track record. BOTH should be DFA immediately and maybe keep one for AAA ball in 2026 if they want to stick around. I'm actually more pissed that they've let them keep a 40 man roster vs letting Fedko get a 30 day shot to see up close what you might have. FO short sightedness yet again. 2] Zero problem moving Coulombe for a young LH arm like Horn, lower level, with talent. And Coulombe might be right back on another 1yr deal for 2026 to keep the same role he had: 1 out, or 1 IP. 3] Paddack for a really young switch hitting catcher with a strong arm, some hit ability, some power, and the ability to stick behind the plate? I had HOPED for a pen arm that might be ready to help in 2026. That certainly didn't happen here. And it's a LONG ROAD before Jimenez might reach the ML. But if he really is Vazquez with a better bat...comparisons I've heard...this might be a STEAL! 4] Hendry Mendez for Bader with a 16-17yo kid named Villoria as a pitcher thrown in. Again, I had hope for a 2026 BP option, or maybe even a 4th OF type. Instead, we get a LH version of G Gonzalez who is raking at AA who needs to learn to LIFT the ball to have power before his production craters as a hard hitting, ground ball bat. But the potential is certainly there. And he's off to a good start at Wichita. Villoria only needs mention as the Twins Latin scouts are familiar with him. 5] Correa for NOTHING but a 26yo low A and salary relief means NOTHING. The debate might continue for years to come. Paying $10M for the next few years falls on Jim Pohlad to make this deal. It ONLY makes sense in the long run if they actually spend the freed up $20M. 6] Castro for Gallagher makes some sense. Gallagher has a variety of pitches, but doesn't dominate with any of them. But he's a 2024 rookie at AA. That's kind of crazy. Solid college numbers but not amazing. Good length. There's potential there. Probably more than Armstrong, also brought on board. One future BP candidate and one that had a shot to remain as a ML starter potentially. BOTH maybe the next Jax, Sands, etc in a couple of seasons? There are some good arms behind them. 7] Taj Bradley for Jax. I HATED this trade and still question it. Jax, despite his trade request after speaking with Correa and being frustrated with the RED deadline day, didn't have to be moved. Despite a frustrating season, his peripherals showed he was still throwing well. He would have been the closer in 2026 for the Twins. Meanwhile, the young and talented Bradley had been regressing for the Rays. Did the Twins really see Jax going downward? Did they see the upside in Bradley that Tampa didn't see in Ryan? I'm a little neutral on this deal at the moment. 8] I hated Varland to Toronto at the deadline and I still dislike it weeks later. But I hate it less with time to reflect. Varland could have been the top setup man, and potential closer, for 3-5yrs for the Twins. INSTEAD, they get a mediocre LH OF/1B with SOME potential and a LHP with limited experience that should STILL be in AA. 9] Duran for Abel and Tait. Let's start with the good. Abel has been a top 100 prospect for some time now. He's got great stuff, but has fought control issues. He's got top of the rotation potential. Tait might just be the best MILB catching prospect in MLB. He's got a strong arm and a quality LH bat that might produce 30 HR power. Even IF he can't t stay behind the dish...unlikely at this point...he'd still be a hell of a 1B! Reports are they could have had Aiden Miller, a multi talented SS who reportedly can't stick at SS and might be moving to 3B or elsewhere. But the Twins chose the POTENTIAL of Tait instead. That might be debatable a couple years from now. I just went through EVERY trade and their return...questionable or not...and the ONLY acquired prospects that might be considered MAJOR LEAGUE READY would include Abel, Outman, Roden, and Bradley. That's 4 possible early return players of 12 as Mikulski was really for paperwork only in the Correa deal. And Outman is an IMMEDIATE DFA, OR Keirsey, take your pick. Outman was a remote flier of "any chance he figures it out with a change of scenery at 28yo after 2 really bad years". Considering Stewart was hurt again shortly after the trade...and early reports Outman was PART of a trade for Stewart initially, this was really a wash of hope for both sides. I don't have a ton of faith in Roden...I see him as a solid bench piece at best...but do we just dismiss his MILB career so soon after struggling as a rookie after only 153 PA? Is Abel the next Duran? Would that actually be a loss when we also gained Taint as our next cather of the future? I'm talking long term. I just think there's a lot to decompress at this point. I'm still not sure the Twins or lost anything at this point. While I'm still NOT a fan of the RED DAY that was the trade deadline, I think the OP's idea of a bust for "ready players" is way out of line. Again, Outman is already out, barring some unexpected turnaround at AAA in 2026 if he stays with the Twins. So after the dust has settled, really the ONLY 3 players brought back in trades to provide any sort of immediate help...this season or next...were Roden, Abel, and Bradley. We can debate at length whether Roden has a shot...even if he gets his game together...in the OF or 1B considering Wallner, Jenkins, and Rodriguez, amongst others. (MAYBE 1B is an option). And we can talk at length about the STUFF and potential of Abel and Bradley and their futures. But honestly, those are REALLY the only 3 prospects back that might provide immediate dividends. So the OP is really incorrect in intent, if not perspective. As much as anyone can bash Falvey and the FO, or hate the trades and returns, they actually made these moves mostly with 2-3 years from now in regard to Mendez, Horn, Gallagher, Armstrong, Jimenez, Tait, and Rojas. Falvey and company may or may not be around to see if these moves turn out. But to their credit, they did so for the future.