DocBauer

Just for fun, since a couple comments were made as to who JP Smith is and not knowing much about him.... 6' 2" & 240lbs. Bats and throws RH. He's 20 yo and 292 days, so not quite 21yo as of yet. Played 3 yrs at Cal State University of Sacramento. Was selected in the 17th round of the recent 2025 draft. Was incorrectly referred to as being a 3B when drafted. 2023: 9Dbls/ 14HR/ 45 RBI/ .337-.378-.629-1.006 quad slash line. 2024: 8Dbls/ 22HR/ 48RBI/ .273-.367-.608-.976 quad slash line. 2025: 12Dbls/ 12HR/ 52RBI/ .291-.373-.519-.892 quad slash line. Had 65BB and 165K's in his college career which was a 2.54 to 1 ratio. How good he is defensively, or any particular holes in his swing I can't comment on. But a 1B in the 17th round with consistent production all 3yrs of college...even at a lower level...is a solid flier that late in the draft.

That's fine. Nobody has to read it. I just enjoy the backups and young talent as try to see who fits where to put together a roster for the season.

Smith didn't come from a D1 powerhouse program. I would venture that's why he was selected as late as he was, adding in to fact that he's a 1B exclusively. I don't agree with drafting 1B unless they seem exceptional in some way. But he's off and running at Ft Myers, which should be close to the level of talent he was facing in college. As the Twins did with Keaschall in 2023, as they did with Culpepper in 2024, a college player off to a good start in A- ball should finish the season in A+ for a greater challenge to jumpstart 2026. And I say the same for Houston. Get him up to CR for a challenge. Abel was sent down for observation and tweaking. Nothing wrong with that. But he should be up tomorrow to avoid yet another bullpen game. They've had a couple weeks to look at him and tweak whatever they want him to do. You want to add another pitch? Then use the rest of the season to do that as well. What's more important? Losing games in a lost season? Or taking your suggestions/tweaks and implementing them at the ML level at this point? Gallagher reminds me a lot of the Twins 2022 draft where they selected Matthews, Lewis, Morris, Culpepper, etc. Like Gallagher, they worked with them behind the scenes and got them ready for 2023. And for the most part, there was a lot of shine on those arms that season, all starting out in A ball and progressing from there. And to various degrees, they all stepped up in level at some point. Matthews and Morris took the biggest jumps in 2024, racing from A ball, through AA, and hitting AAA before the season ended, with Matthews debuting at the ML level before the season was done. So far, Gallagher has somewhat surpassed those arms by reaching AA in his "rookie" season. IDK enough about him at this point to say the Cubs were more aggressive, or if Gallagher was just more polished and ready for the challenge. But he's looking good so far. With only about a month or so left in the AA season, and the Twins just having a couple of weeks to work with him, I'd suspect he stays there for now. In theory, AAA looks stacked to begin 2026. So Gallagher probably starts next season in AA. Who knows what they work on during the instructs in the offseason...maybe he surprises...but he looks like a good get so far. As an aside, with Bradley...still only 24yo...having regressed somewhat with Tampa, but having a good arm, and not looking great with the Twins just yet, am I still crazy or short-sighted to think he just might be the next Duran conversion project?

I couldn't watch the Patriots game live. I was blacked out in Omaha for some reason. But I got to watch the replay today? Anyone have any thoughts? It was a damn sloppy game with missed opportunities. But watching it vs only seeing the final numbers online offers up a different perspective to me. Of course, preseason games really don't mean much. Especially the way KOC approaches them vs practice and scrimmages. JMO on a few things: 1 QB: Howell didn't play as bad as what the final numbers showed. His interception as under duress and he did a poor job of getting the ball out of bounds. Chandler had a really bad drop all alone in the middle of the field that really killed a solid drive. And Jackson had a drop near the sideline that wasn't an easy catch, but not a hard one either. Rypien was pretty solid, functional if not great. A couple solid throws, and a couple that didn't look 100% on target, but were caught. He had Thayer Thomas open for a TD by overthrew him. And Jackson had another drop that would have gotten them closer for another shot. They passed up a FG for a 4th down TD attempt that failed. For the 2nd week in a row I was impressed by Brosmer and how collected in charge he was. The game doesn't seem "too big" for him. Unless they make some major change before the season starts, I'm betting they keep Brosmer and try to re-sign Rypien to the PS. 2] RB: Despite the one really bad drop, Chandler ran hard and seemed to pass block well. I don't know that he's done anything to lose his job. But I'm also not sure you keep Scott off the roster. He runs hard and seems to have a really good feel for running lanes. His final rushing totals were affected by some short attempts in the 2nd half. He seems to have good hands and good feel for the passing game. He was EXCELLENT on the screen passes he was a part of. 3] OL: Despite some inconsistent play, the OL was generally solid. Blitz pickups weren't very good, but we're talking 2nd and 3rd lines throughout the game, so some lack of continuity might be expected. And the Vikings mixed up where guys played a week ago. A mixed bag of good and bad. I just can't say anyone necessarily stood out either way. 4] DL: I should almost include the entire defense here to be honest. The line was all 3rd team beyond Ingram-Dawkins. There were some really solid performances/plays where everyone shone defending the run or creating a pass rush. Taimani made the roster in 2024 initially before getting hurt and missing the rest of the season. He looks good again this preseason but I don't see room for him. Small school Eligah Williams was someone I targeted for everyone to watch after they signed him. All he does is make plays. Jonathan Harris made a couple nice plays this week as well. And Batty is being used as a DL and as an EDGE rusher. Batty affected a thrown pass and applied some pressure. More on the DL later. 5] LB/EDGE: King has continued to flash some and it's obvious why Asamoah was released. He's still lacking polish, but he shows thump and had a nice play defending a pass. Richter just keeps making plays, flashes, and is always around the ball. Not sure why so many have predicted he's on the bubble. UDFA Keys was around the ball quite a bit and might be a solid PS candidate. Same with Chambliss who they've played a little in the middle as well as the edge. Solid PS candidate. 6] DB: There were a couple blown coverages that lead to Patriot scores that shouldn't have happened. Ward continued to look solid. Not sure if Tavierre Thomas is now a SAFETY, or a CB, or a mix of both. But he has a nose for the ball. I think he just might make the final roster. 7] ST/WR: Felton had a couple nice plays at WR, but also fumbled a KO that was thankfully recovered. Jackson dropped a couple balls that won't help him. But with a strong camp, I don't know if this game hurts his chances. But Myles Price really stepped forward in the return game, while also catching a couple of balls. I think he makes the club. Chapman has looked good punting, but Wright hasn't seemed to do anything to lose the job. GAME CONCLUSION: Very sloppy in some drops, penalties, and missed assignments. And the final score doesn't matter. The Pat's played more starters in the game and the Vikes played only a couple 2nd teamers on defense and offense, otherwise it was 2's and 3's throughout. But not going for a FG...which they would have in a normal game...a couple blown coverages...a couple drops...and some poor tackling on some key plays made the difference in winning vs losing was the difference. For whatever that's worth! MY OWN PERSONAL DILEMMAS: A] I wish there was room for Chandler AND Scott at RB. I'm just not ready to give up on Chandler yet because at times he's really flashed in a reserve role. But I LOVE the way Scott attacks a hole, and shows great vision with the ball in his hands. I think I'd go with Scott and hope Chandler could be on the PS B] I'm a bit mixed on Howell as QB #2. You hope you don't need him, but you still need a competent #2 at times. I remain very impressed with his potential to work in this system and raise his game as a young QB who's been through some rough times. (Similar to Donaldson). DOES/HAS he secured that spot in the coaches minds? There's a LOT that we don't see. I just can't imagine all the other 31 teams would pass on Brosmer at this point. He's got to be the #3. C] With the remake of the OL, I'm pretty impressed with what the 2nd team has looked like overall. I think Byrd has developed and shown he can be a solid reserve. I thought Huber was a great UDFA signing for the PS who should spend some more time learning center as well as playing OG. But he's also flashed enough to indicate he might be ready for regular backup duty as well. And Brown was ranked by many sites as maybe the #1 UDFA available. But he's hardly played in either game. Is he that rough around the edges? Or are the Vikings "hiding" him based on potential and PS duty? Can we keep all 3 for the PS? Or do we need to keep a 10 man OL? D] Were I a rebuilding team, or someone lacking depth, I'd be looking HARD towards the Vikings right now for options. The TOP 6 appear to a great collection of proven talent, and a young and developing backup 3. As mentioned previously, Taimani made the team in 2024 after a great camp and preseason before getting hurt a couple weeks in and spending the rest of the season on the IL. He's having another great preseason. He's worthy of being on an NFL roster as a backup NG. Once again, when the Vikes signed Elijah Williams from small school Morgan State, I said to watch this kid. After reviewing his measurables, and re-writing record books, I was a little surprised he wasn't invited to the combine, much less listed as a priority UDFA. And all he's done in 2 games is make plays. Of course, he's not a finished product yet. But when a #3 DL on the Vikings beats up on other teams #2's and #3's, I'd bet others are paying attention. But how can the Vikings make room for a 7th DL, much less an 8th? Is there a realistic chance both can slide through to the PS? Lastly, Tyler Batty was SUPPOSED to be drafted as a late rounder this past draft based on size, strength, run stopping ability, and some decent pass rush ability, as well as normal projection. But being 26yo coming out of BYU without crazy numbers on his resume, he slipped through. While I've NEVER bought in to various "roster projections" that had him bypassing Murphy and Richter...who are even better now...I thought he would a great PS depth piece who could play some DL as well as on the EDGE. And that's how Flores has been deploying him. No idea what he's done IN CAMP, through 2 preason games he's deflected a ball, changed the direction of a ball, provided pressure, and made some nice tackles. Just in very recent history, all 3 of these guys would be SERIOUS challengers to make the final roster. Thankfully, our DL is so good and deep right now we have this "roster crunch". I can see situations where all 3 could make an impact for a 4-3 team out there needing depth, much less a 3-4 team needing the same. I mean, let's just suppose for a moment the Vikings suddenly became a 4-3 team again and forget we'd have too many OLB, LOL. There's a real possibility that at least 2 of these guys would make the roster. The Vikings scouting department has done an AMAZING job finding UDFA talent over the past few years. And they've done it again here. I'm just HOPING other teams are so clued in to their own teams that a trio of really interesting backup/development players will be ignored and they can keep all 3 on the PS for depth and new looks in 2026.

First, there was Garver and Castro. Then there was Jeffers and Vazquez. It's not that the Twins haven't prioritized catcher as being important, they've just missed on the guys they've drafted since Jeffers. Though to be fair, Jeffers remains the only backstop they've drafted before the 4th round. AAA: With all due respect to the "gamer" that Gasper is, he can't throw and the bat hasn't translated. I'd at least give Perada a shot to see if he can be a viable backstop at the ML level. He can't hit worse. Cardenas and Winkel were drafted back to back in 2021, 8th and 9th selections. The LH Winkel can't throw, can't hit, and has very little power. Cardenas has a good reputation behind the plate, CAN throw, and can control the zone and has a better AVG/OB/SLG/OPS than Winkel. He's not a finished product just yet, but he's probably the best overall talent at AAA. AA: Olivar is a LF who can catch some. His current 19% CS is a career high, which isn’t saying much. IF he can/has really improved his catching skills and can raise his CS to closer to 25% he has a shot as a backup who also plays some OF. Cossetti was drafted as a BAT FIRST backstop similar to Jeffers. He hit an offensive wall in 2024 at AA, but has improved this season. But his CS remains at 18%. I really don't know if his other skills behind the plate have improved, or to what degree. But his bat was his initial ticket, and that ability has wavered. Baez was an ATHLETE with some BAT talent and potential who came to catching late. He can't throw worth a darn and the bat is pretty average at best. A+: THIS is where it gets exciting. Tait is a LH power bat with a strong arm and the potential to be not only solid behind the plate, but dangerous offensively. His floor would seem to be a powerful 1B if catcher doesn't work out for some reason. Diaw is maybe the best overall athlete the Twins have had as a catching prospect since Mauer. He's obviously rough around the edges, but has a good arm, real BAT potential, and the athleticism to develop behind the plate as Jeffers did. But shame on you Cody for not including Jaime Ferrer on your list! Diaw was selected in the 3rd round last season and Ferrer in the 4th directly after. Like Diaw, Ferrer is a very good athlete with a ton of potential behind the plate, and with the BAT. He was a top HS receiver when recruited, but ended up playing mostly OF as the FL State program already had a solid catcher in front of him. His hitting got off to a much poorer start than Diaw here in 2025, but it has improved somewhat as the season has gone along. Let's not forget these 22yo kids are only in their 1st full season of pro ball. A-: Jimenez was a nice pickup from the Tigers in the Paddack deal. Strong body, strong arm, and a good natural feel from all early reports. I've heard some comparisons to Vazquez, meant in a positive way. How much he hits, and how much power he can produce are TBD, which isn’t unexpected for a 19yo kid. Not saying D Pena and Dougherty don't offer up some potential, but Jimenez offers a lot more excitement and upside at this point. Do you want to rank catching prospects as closest to helping the Twins and carving out some kind of ML career? Or do you want to rank them based on potential? If it's on POTENTIAL, I'd go with Tait as the obvious #1. I'd follow him up with Diaw probably #2, and Ferrer as a close #3. That's based on age, athleticism, and bat potential. Personally, I'd have Jimenez at #4 based on youth and distance from MLB. Cardenas is #5 for me. He has the lowest upside, but I can see a ML career as a solid backstop who will at least contribute some with his bat.

Great day for Sabato! If you had told me a year ago he'd have the kind of season he's having and be holding his own at AAA I'd have bet he wouldn't even be in the organization. Obviously I'd of been very wrong. But I don't think there is room or need to protect him on the 40 man. He's still young ENOUGH to carve out a ML career if he can take another step forward however. The difference between him and Eeles is that Sabato has FINALLY shown expected/hoped improvement with the bat. But Eeles can play more than 1B, offers speed, and while Sabato has been trying to improve, Eeles has been in the process of getting BACK to where he was in 2024 pre knee surgery that kept him out of the first few months of this season. I'd rather see him the next 6 weeks instead of Fitzgerald. Nice day for Gonzalez. One of Winkel's best days ever. In AA, really nice to see CJ Culpepper getting stretched out with solid results. He's hit a speedbump in his development due to injury, but is starting to look like his previous self again. Winokur just keeps putting up numbers and producing. Love the roll he's been on since July 1st. It's fine that he feels most comfortable at 3B. That might end up being his eventual ML spot. I still think he might be the best CF prospect in the system, however, and I'd like him there for as long as possible. Is it my imagination, or has Salas been on a roll lately? Memory geta confused at times, but he was injured early in the season, yes? Looks like DeBarge is getting a second wind after slumping for a while. Nice to see! I have doubts about the HR power he showed in his last college season, but he does need to develop a little more than he's shown so far. Houston continues to perform at Ft Myers, but he really should be challenged at CR to end the season the way K Culpepper was last year. I'd say the same for Smith.

Seth posted Genth's information above. He was 1 of 4 UDFA the Twins signed following the draft. small school and low level or not, he put up amazing numbers. Really surprised he didn't transfer up to a higher level for this past season.

I have a lot of respect for Vazquez. And if he's healthy enough to come back, I can see him finishing out the season. But odds are against him being back. So are they better keeping Gasper or Perada, or Cardenas finishing out the season instead? But I guess it depends on his health and rehab first. He might not even be ready to come back until the end of September. (I just wonder at getting strength back in that shoulder).

I don't see any logical reason for a team completely out of the running to carry a 3rd catcher. They don't need both Outman AND Keirsey on the roster. For that matter, they don't need both on the 40 man either. With all due respect to McCusker...who I don't want to just dump...I don't know if he fits the primary roster for 2026 and beyond the way others do. And his best opportunity should have been earlier in the season. That leaves Eeles. Fedko, or Gonzalez. My criteria? Fedko is around 5yrs younger than Gonzalez, has as much or more steam right now, and in a SSS is performing better at AAA. It's time to bring him up. You need to see if he's got the potential to help the club in 2026. One month won't guarantee anything one way or the other, but it's a start. After that? Also, no disrespect to Fitzgerald, but is he really a possible utility/backup SS option for 2026? Don't they already have some idea what hencan do? It's not the same kind of priority as Fedko, but I'd strongly consider replacing with Eeles to have a month of up close observation. As to the 14th arm? I have ZERO issue with guys like Hartch or Kriske hanging around and getting a look as potentisl BP options for 2026. But neither should start another game. The team has way too many SP options with Lopez, and SWR nearly back, and Abel and Bradley available. START starters and work with the other arms that MIGHT bring pen arms out of the pen. IDK WHO they should bring up for sure Lopez, SWR, Abel, and Bradley are 3 ready or nearly ready options already. But I don't see where Urena, or Ramirez...34 and 35yo...offer anything other than moral support. Is that really needed at this point? The 14 arms to finish out the season should be 14 arms that might be part of 2026.

Abel just had a great game? Or is that part of the tweaks the Twins are making at St Paul? Fedko hits another HR! Probably less than a month left in the A seasons. Houston and Smith II off to good starts. Do they get a couple weeks at CR to Jumpstart 2026?

I am a little worried about Nailor right now. If he was fine, or there was no suspension for Addison, I think we're probably fine as is. But the combination of those 2 things now has me worried slightly.

I know this wasn't directed at me, but just have to throw my $.02 in. And I'm glad @Dman brought up McCusker as he fits in to the discussion somewhat as well. FEDKO: I thought he was organizational filler until this season. But I found him a little more interesting when I took a longer look at his career to this point. He seems to have decent contact skills and has always maintained a solid OB% even in poorer seasons. I'm guessing he was injured for part of 2023 as he only had 211 PA. But it was 2024 where he bottomed out for whatever reason. He hasn't shown great HIT ability and that gives me pause. But the contact and OB ability and developed power makes him interesting. When you compare him to someone like McCusker, the biggest concern is he ability to make contact. Fedko seems to have that. He could be a really solid 4th OF option if the HIT ability is there. And the Twins have real need for another RH OF. Fedko is actually a year younger than Martin I believe. The younger GONZALEZ is the better prospect in my mind. So far, he's stopped swinging at ERVYTHING and it's really changed his game. The power should keep coming, but the bat has been almost unstoppable in 2025. Guess that's why he was a top 100 prospect when the Twins got him. Average speed, questionable reads/routes and a strong arm. How much his reads and routes have improved IDK. The biggest difference might be Fedko's better speed and ability to play a little CF where Gonzalez is only a corner OF. Personally, I think Rosario is being a little undersold. I don't know if he's got a ML future or not, but he had a really good 2023 and was the Midwest League MVP at 20yo. Then he went to AA as a 21yo last season and was injured for a little under half the season. His AFL performance was solid at the end of the year. After a really bad beginning to 2025, he's rebounded to have a really solid year with power, speed, a solid OB% in the .360's, and an OPS in the .830's. Never heard he's a poor athlete. Always had he has a good arm. From what I've heard, much like Gonzalez, he's got a good arm and isn’t a bad athlete, but there have been questions about reads and routes. He's got to HIT better, but he's still only 22yo. I'm seeing more of any every day role for Gonzalez at DH/OF. I see Fedko as maybe more of a classic 4th OF with a varied skill set. Rosario is more of a RH platoon bat?

I know this wasn't directed at me, but just have to throw my $.02 in. And I'm glad @Dman brought up McCusker as he fits in to the discussion somewhat as well. FEDKO: I thought he was organizational filler until this season. But I found him a little more interesting when I took a longer look at his career to this point. He seems to have decent contact skills and has always maintained a solid OB% even in poorer seasons. I'm guessing he was injured for part of 2023 as he only had 211 PA. But it was 2024 where he bottomed out for whatever reason. He hasn't shown great HIT ability and that gives me pause. But the contact and OB ability and developed power makes him interesting. When you compare him to someone like McCusker, the biggest concern is he ability to make contact. Fedko seems to have that. He could be a really solid 4th OF option if the HIT ability is there. And the Twins have real need for another RH OF. Fedko is actually a year younger than Martin I believe. The younger GONZALEZ is the better prospect in my mind. So far, he's stopped swinging at ERVYTHING and it's really changed his game. The power should keep coming, but the bat has been almost unstoppable in 2025. Guess that's why he was a top 100 prospect when the Twins got him. Average speed, questionable reads/routes and a strong arm. How much his reads and routes have improved IDK. The biggest difference might be Fedko's better speed and ability to play a little CF where Gonzalez is only a corner OF. Personally, I think Rosario is being a little undersold. I don't know if he's got a ML future or not, but he had a really good 2023 and was the Midwest League MVP at 20yo. Then he went to AA as a 21yo last season and was injured for a little under half the season. His AFL performance was solid at the end of the year. After a really bad beginning to 2025, he's rebounded to have a really solid year with power, speed, a solid OB% in the .360's, and an OPS in the .830's. Never heard he's a poor athlete. Always had he has a good arm. From what I've heard, much like Gonzalez, he's got a good arm and isn’t a bad athlete, but there have been questions about reads and routes. He's got to HIT better, but he's still only 22yo. I'm seeing more of any every day role for Gonzalez at DH/OF. I see Fedko as maybe more of a classic 4th OF with a varied skill set. Rosario is more of a RH platoon bat?

Saturdays game will have few, if any starters seeing game time. Their "game time" has been with the practices with the Patriots this week in camp. What and who will you be watching? For ME: 1] QB: Howell looked pretty solid. Can he keep it up? Brosmer looked so much better than Rypien. Can he avoid a PS season and be the #3? 2] RB: Frankly, Scott completely outshined Chandler. They played with the same OL, but Scott showed better reads and more explosion when he made a decisive move. 3] EDGE: I think Batty was a really, really good UDFA pickup with potential even though he's a bit older. He didn't have a bad game #1. But I've always thought Murphy and Richter were above him. Can he make opinions change with 2 games to go? 4] OL: Honesty, I was SHOCKED Brown barely played at OT considering he was one of the TOP UDFA available. Maybe they can sneak him through to the PS? And I was equally shocked by the performance of Joe Huber. I really liked him as an UDFA who fit best at OG, and might be a perfect candidate to learn to play C, which he has done briefly previously. He had a great game #1! Again, are our #2's better than their #2's is what I'm looking at. He probably doesn't make the 53 man roster, but boy does he look like a good PS player. 5] DL: It's probably already set. And that's not a bad thing. But it kinda stinks when a guy like Taimani deserves a role and there just isn’t sn open spot for him right now. Keep an eye on Elijah Williams from D2 Morgan State. He re-wrote the record books at his school and has tested highly in all athletic categories. I'm NOT saying he's some 2nd coming of John Randle. That would be ABSURD! But if you look at production, and strength, speed, quickness, and similar size...you can see a ghost of the past that makes you wonder just a bit if he's got a chance after a PS season. He had a good game #1. 6] SECONDARY: I think the top 4 at SAFETY is set. Who makes the PS will be what I'm looking for. My hunch is the top 5 at CB is probably set. But do they keep 6 ultimately? Does anyone step forward? Does someone start to step forward for an obvious PS candidate? 7] Who returns what and how well? 8] I don't think Wright is a poor punter. But he has lagged a bit in corner kicks, or dropping kicks where wanted. Again, not a bad punter. But is Chapman actually challenging him from some practice reports I've heard? That's just what I'm thinking about and will be watching.

I disagree. JJ and Addison are the clear 1-2. Nailor is a good #3. (I'd like a re-sign). Draftee Felton is going nowhere. The SURPRISE had been Lucky Jackson...who knows the system well...suddenly jumping up as a viable option. Apparently, his time with the 1's wasn't just a reward or a flier with JJ out. And Jones came close to making the roster last year except for some drops and inconsistencies overall in his game. A certain website keeps pumping Bolden making the roster as a PR. Maybe. But he hasn't really flashed at this point. But Price has also been fielding punts in practice and has actually looked like a potential receiver as well. So he might sneak on to the roster, but I think Bolden is a PS player. I just don't think they need to add someone from the outside at this point.

Just to add a bit, you'd think he was a athletic "tool" to fit in to Flores' defense SOMEWHERE. He's not fast/quick enough apparently to move to the "monster" role that Metellus has. And not physical enough to plug the middle. And considering how often the defense employs 3 and even 4 EDGE guys at times, he didn't seem to fit there either. Good call to let him go now to see if he can find a fit elsewhere.

So the Twins signed LHP Genesis Cabrera on a MILB deal to report to St Paul. To be honest, despite having a 7yr ML career, I've never heard of the 28yo Cabrera until now, to the best of my recollection. What I find most interesting about him is that his ML career numbers greatly reflect his MILB numbers. Meaning, he doesn't appear to be a MILB arm with good/great numbers who just hasn't been able to translate to the ML level. According to MLBtraderumors he has a mid 90's FB, a cutter, a curve, and a brand new splitter this season that has replaced his changeup. Not great control or great K numbers in his career. But he's only a MILB pickup. Nothing to be excited about. Someone they think they MIGHT be able to tweak and become a useful LHRP option? But it is news. Nobody has reported it that I can find. So I have done so here.

My biggest concern is Joe Pohlad. I don't know if he has the PULL in the family to actually LEAD the franchise. I have a mixed bag of likes and dislikes regarding how Falvey has handled his responsibilities. Is Zoll actually competent to be the GM? I honestly don't know. I've never heard a bad word about him, and it's my understanding he's been heavily involved with various trades, signings and contract negotiations before he was promoted to his current role. But is he actually in charge of anything? It's my understanding that Joe was, more or less, handpicked to be Jim's successor to run the Twins. It's also my understanding that he's spent years of involvement in various roles of running a ML team. And HORRENDOUS PR be damned, I think he actually DOES love baseball and really DOES want the Twins to do well. He might be the only Pohlad who actually DOES CARE. But how much power/control does he ACTUALLY have? The Correa deal was initially shot down by Falvey as the original ask was ridiculous. So the Astro's owner then bypasses BOTH Falvey and Joe to speak to Jim directly to get the deal done. I thought Jim was removed/retired and was only a consultant at this point? So is Joe actually in charge of ANYTHING? Or is his title only a gift to a nephew who likes baseball so he's been given a toy to play with but his uncle...and the rest of the family...are really in charge and he's only a figurehead? I think it's OK to ask WTF of Joe about a lot of things, including the RIDICULOUS press release sent out. But why do I have weird Nickelodeon/Disney almost Willy Wonka flashes where I see a 40yo Joe Pohlad stomping his feet and pounding the wall in front of Jim and screaming: "No. I don't wanna! I'm in charge now!" I'm trying SO HARD to find some potential good that might come out of this. Theoretically, there ARE reasons to hold out some hope based on all the various possibilities as Eric has pointed out, and that I myself have mulled over in my brain. But I just can't help seeing a dysfunctional family infighting with Uncle Jim still really in charge as everyone claws and fights for what THEY need and want and the new minority owners...IF approved...are going to end up pissed at some point and a whole nother mess is going to take place! I really, really hope I'm wrong!

Ahhh....the Minnesota Twins. The team you hate to love and and ownership you love to hate. (Snicker) I've never been a Pohlad apologist in any way, but I was also never a basher. I was kinda proud of them when they were the SECOND? organization to jump on board during covid to retain everyone and pay them. About 2019 through 2023 they re-signed Buxton, took a FA shot on Donaldson, then brought Correa on board for a Twins record deal, and had payroll around 90-95% of league average. And then they blew up Fandom and any chance to maintain all the good will and team momentum in one harsh budget changing notification while the fans were still upbeat, happy, and optimistic. That's when I became a "disliker" of ownership. When MLB cuts you a check of well over $100M before the season begins, before any tickets are sold, before counting any Twins centric TV and radio $ is added, etc, etc, how can you be over $425M IN DEBT unless you are just running the team poorly? And as far as PR goes? I'm just not going to go there for fear of saying something I'll regret later. (Sigh) Over the last 24+ hours, EVERYTHING Eric brought up in his 5 points has gone through my head. It's very possible these new investors are simply playing a long game of a future return on their investment 5-10-15-20 years from now and are content to just sit back and do NOTHING. But that idea sounds a little fatalistic and short-sighted IMO. I have a hard time believing any new investor in the team, with a seat at the table, doesn't want to know exactly where and how their $ is going to be spent. Further, wouldn't they be interested in seeing their minority owner investment grow? Would they really be content just sitting back, smoke a big cigar, grab another glass of scotch, and just say: "wake me up when someone wants to buy me out and give me a return on my investment"? It's possible. It's also possible 2 groups investing well over $400M in the Twins might want a say so about where their $ is going to be spent, and how can this team/investment be run better? Each new investment group will probably select a chair person to have a seat at the table, even as minority owners. Can you imagine the repercussions if they ask the Pohlads where the $ was spent and they say it was a paydown for their debt? I'd think lawsuits might be forthcoming if that was the case. But that's just speculation on my part because I have little idea about someone making a $400-500M investment in a business/professional sports team. I'd LIKE to think said minority owners would like to see growth in their new product OTHER THAN just normal inflation of said product over the next several years/decades. Wouldn't that just make a little sense? I have no illusions of a massive payroll increase. I think ANY fan of the team has ONLY EVER ASKED to be around league average to keep the team competitive. Wouldn't new investors want the same vs 1.5M or less fans coming to the ballpark and a sour taste in the mouths of fans? Would they truly be happy and content to see their new product immediately bottom out? And again, would they be content to just sit back and play the long game knowing they'll make back their investment PLUS in another 10 years or so. Or might they have some new marketing ideas to grow their new investment? Might they want to see their new investment grow as a product for an even better return 10yrs from now? My HOPE is the new investors, even as minority owners, will bring ideas and pressure to make the overall product better, more marketable, and even more profitable going forward. Not saying it's going to happen. But it's my HOPE. I just can't imagine investing in a new product and being content to sit back and do and say nothing and just wait for a return a decade from now.

But Martin has debuted BEFORE age 26 and is frustrating by your own words? And we're debating over and over again about a late developing kid with more potential at this point who hasn't debuted yet BEFORE age 26? By your own words Martin is frustrating and you were happy they signed Bader as a better option? I don't get the debate at this point. Martin has proven nothing but you apparently like him and WANT him to be good. Fedko MIGHT be better, and even being a year younger with more power and more potential you just WANT Martin to be better. And maybe Fedko does nothing of value at the ML level. But how can you like a player and be frustrated by him at the same time and just refuse a younger player MIGHT be better with more potential? I feel like Alice right now and I'm done drinking LSD laced tea to follow down and endless rabbit hole.

Man, I really wished we had dropped it at me not hating on Martin and hoping for the best and just agreeing to disagree. ONE MORE TIME I don't hate Martin. You're obviously a fan. That's OK. I was a hopeful fan, now I'm just a MAYBE hopefull fan that something will suddenly change. Here are Martin's ML numbers in a quad slash line over portions of 2 seasons: .254/ .399/ .365/ .764 with 9 SB in 14 attempts. Is that awful? Not in the least though the power numbers are about the same as a utility INF. And again, I'm not trying to PROVE anything to anyone. And I was ready to drop this argument already. But if we really want to continue it, fine. Does it matter Martin was way below Fedko in the 2022 in OPS? Does it matter than Martin had a higher OPS in 2023 when Fedko only played about half a season? (2024 is missing total results) Does it matter that in 2025 Fedko has an .896 OPS currently and Martin has a .799 OPS? Not really. Have you watched games? It's 100% OK if you're a fan of a player for a team. And it's OK to root for someone! One more time, I don't hate Martin! I just think he's an athlete and not a ballplayer. I think there are better options to watch and hope for.

I'm sorry, but how many times in a week plus do we have need to have this same conversation? PLUS, this whole OP is based on a "new idea" that was presented months ago in a different OP. But like a gerbil tracing lettuce on a wheel, I guess I'm going to go around the wheel ONE MORE TIME. BACKGROUND: The FO decided to experiment this season with a collection of arms that didn't gave enough pure STUFF to be a back end 8th inning pen option, but also didn't have enough ability to be a ML 5 IP 4th or 5th SP. But they had good enough arms to be viable for 2-4 IP every 4th day. That was the baseline. Now translate that to the ML level where relievers will fairly often throw 2 days in a row need at least 1 day off if they do so, and 2 days off is preffered. So what if the 7th and 8th spots in the bullpen were filled with better options than a "we brought him up in case we had an injury or blowout arm and we'll send him down tomorrow or DFA him. Thank the baseball gods we didn't need him for an extra inning game". FOR A MOMENT, can we pretend the FO knows what they are doing and aren't going to trade away the rest of the team and actually keep the strength of the team intact? 🤞 We'll use the CURRENT rotation intact for example. You have Lopez, Ryan, Ober, the ever improving Matthews, and we'll say SWR for reference sake. MOST days you get 6 IP, sometimes more, sometimes less. Once in a while you only get 5. Occasionally, someone gets dinged, or woke up on the wrong side of the bed, 4 innings. You have the last 2 spots in the pen with arms that have the ability to go 1-2-3 IP depending on the circumstances. That means 30 to a max of 60 pitches thrown to get through 1, 1 1/2, 2 times through a rotation and they can do that every 3 days with a day off, and a couple of EASY bullpens instead of HARD bullpens. Doesn't that sound a LOT better than a sacrificial lamb or two filling out a temporary roster spot that makes your stomach turn if they have to pitch in a late inning situation? Ohl and Adams are kind of the poster boys for this trial. They are perfect examples of what we are talking about if you've paid attention to their MILB career and their development. Does that mean they shouldn't get an opportunity to see if they are the next Jax, or Sands, 2024 version at least, absolutely not. I'd really, really like each to get a couple 1IP moments beyond the roll they've been set up for. FRANKLY they DESERVIVE that opportunity not only for themselves, but for the construction of the 2026 pen, which remains a mystery at this point. And there are a lot of question marks related to all the pitching depth the Twins currently have. I ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY DO NOT WANT TO MOVE FESTA OUT OF THE ROTATION. To my knowledge, he's never had any sort of major injury. And his most recent dual tired arm injury might just be a blip. But it reminds me so much of Duran that I have to wonder if he's not the 1st convert to the pen for 2026. Jeremy Nygaard had already predicted him to be the SAVE leader in 2026. I hate to say it, but he might not be wrong. DON'T dismiss Ohl and Adams and what they might represent in a pen re-build. Nor should anyone dismiss what this idea represents for the future. It's actually really close to what the Cardinals used to do with young arms, getting their debut in the pen and then moving to the rotation. This about decent arms who don't seem to have the ability to be a ML SP, but could be valuable as a strong middle arm who converts to a backend pen arm. This is a verervse version of what the Cardinals used to do in today's game, while stilling giving you the same old option of moving someone to the rotation as they prove themselves and develop.

Abel being similar to Ryan is OK as a premise, but not entirely accurate. It's accurate to the point there was no room on the ML club for them. But it's inaccurate as Ryan had better overall control, and Abel is fighting control. Further, when the Twins acquired Ryan, his FB was intriguing due to a really low slot angel that seemed to make it rise more and have more velocity than it actually had. But he was still throwing his FB around 91-92. Since he was acquired, the Twins have increased Ryan's velocity, tweaked his slider, and added a sweeper. The best thing would be to have acquired a slightly different version of Ryan...who's team had no room...get his control/command better, tweak a pitch or two...and have BOTH in their rotation. Why not just promote Abel and the more experienced Bradley immediately instead of sending both to the minors? Well, Abel has already been covered. There are no service times issues with either. So why not Bradley instead of bullpen games and running with some 30yo guys who have no future with the team and are acting as temporary fill in options? Well, the answer is right there in the original question as I paraphrased a bit vs a direct quote. Abel has been addressed. Now on to Bradley. His MILB numbers are impressive. No dispute! His rookie season in 2023 was about what you'd normally expect, mediocre across the board except for a rise is K per 9. His 2nd ML season in 2024 showed a slight uptick across the board with a slightly lower K per 9. But while his 2025 season hasn't exactly been a disaster, his WHIP has increased slightly, as has his BB per 9, and he's lowered his K per 9. That's not a good trend for his 3rd ML season. In a lost season where the Twins aren't winning anything, he's doing EXACTLY what Zoll has stated, getting some AAA time for the coaches to work with him and make some tweaks, changes, or possibly early additions. (At 24yo still I don't see him moving to the pen but it's his stuff and recent regression that makes me think he's a potential option to do so).

Maybe. Not saying you're wrong. But what has Martin done to prove he can be a valuable part of 2026 and beyond? Be honest with yourself Again, Fedko is a year younger than Martin and plays better defense...one supposes...and has consistently shown solid bat control and quality OB% even in a couple short/down seasons previously. He offers similar speed and more power. Gonzalez is probably the better prospect, with more upside, but for the moment, we're debating Fedko vs Martin. Again, I haven't dismissed Gonzalez as part of 2026, I've just offered up Fedko as another RH OF option. I'm guessing you also believe Gonzalez is the better prospect. So that's why we're debating Fedko vs Martin. Maybe Martin has a good 7 weeks, comes back, and is a solid contributor for 2026 and Fedko is only a AAAA player. Maybe. And I have no dislike for Martin. Previously, I've crossed my fingers and had real hope he'd at least end up being a solid bench/platoon player. I just have yet to see anything that says he has the bat and instincts to be a good ML player. Meanwhile, the younger Fedko has an intriguing mix of defense and speed and discovered power that at least offers some upside. I like Fedko more for those reasons. And if we don't agree between Martin and Fedko having better upside, that's OK. It will play out. But I just like Fedko's profile and all around ability more. I don't like dismissing guys around 25-26yo who aren't TOP prospects, but figure something out late and have the potential to be viable ML contributors. It's not like we're debating the 28yo, LH OF Outman as some sort of important option.

I like your enthusiasm. And Bohorquez really has cranked up his results the past couple of months. But as of today, he has only 2 games at A+ as a 20yo. He won't even turn 21yo until early March of next season. And while "stuff happens" from trades to injuries, the staffs at both St Paul AND Wichita look pretty deep already to begin 2026. Cedar Rapids, as of NOW, would look to have a staff of Bohorquez, Soto, Hill, Olivares, and the recently acquired Garret Horn. Of that group, only Horn would be 23yo, everyone else would be 22yo or younger. And that's before promoting Michael Ross, very quietly having a great 1st pro season debut, or Carpenter for Doktorczyk, or adding any other selection from the 2025 draft to Cedar Rapids. Between what was already in the system, additions made via the trade deadline purge, and the most recent draft, the organization is pretty stacked with arm talent right now. For right now, Bohorquez is right where he should be, and where he should be to begin 2026. Doesn't mean he can't force his way to AA at some point in 2026.