DocBauer

I'm with a couple others that I've never even heard of FRONT OFFICE SPORTS until this OP. A couple quick internet searches didn't really reveal much other than they seem to be an independent group who is trying to have their finger on the pulse od sports. OK. @Brock Beauchamphas information they are reliable. So I'll run with that idea. Whether you like Manfred...at all or even a little...or believe anything he says...at all or even a little....he is the ML commissioner and pretty well plugged in to the happenings of MLB. So I don't think he's blowing smoke that there is new owner interest, or that FOS is wrong. What we DON'T know is how close a final deal might be. NOR do we know that there isn't more than 1 bidder. In the meantime, the Pohlad's are still in charge, and the Falvey/Zoll FO are still running things. Is it possible a potential bidder was part of the fire sale? Yes. But they still aren't in control, even if there is only ONE potential buyer at this time. One could argue that IF they were part of the firesale, they could have asked for a lower and cleaner payroll before they take over in the next few weeks/months. Further, it's possible they are no more interested in spending than the Pohlads. HOWEVER, IF there was ONE buyer ready to move forward, you'd also expect them to realize the TV deal structure and losses, as well as the collapse of 2024 and the disappointment of 2025. I know that if I were the new buyer, I'd not oy be aware, but I probably would have met with Falvey to get a feel of "where my new team was at" in a competitive framework. Falvey himself may have stated that some sort of more aggressive re-work/re-tool was needed at this time. So even IF a potential new owner WAS part of the decision making process, it DOESN'T mean they have a "Pohlar miserly" approach to being the new owners. And I think that's important to consider. And to be clear, I wasn't against many of the trades made. I don't think they didn't bring back some talent in return. I DON'T believe they got enough for Jax. And I DON'T like trading a pair of inexpensive and controlled pair of arms like Stewart for Outman, (angry tremble), and Varland for. And if we really want to believe it ONLY/MOSTLY came down to cutting payroll and saving $, well, you save mere pennies by moving those 2. I don't believe the Pohlads are even near the worst owners in sports. They've done some good things over the years. But as a UNIT, I don't believe anyone...save 1 or 2 members...actually care about the Twins. I believe their other assets have been a major issue for them, they've borrowed against the Twins, and are looking to cash in. And I have to seriously question their ability as business people to do so...if that's accurate...as well as raising the payroll consecutively, agreeing to the Correa signing, seeming to have ZERO clue how to grow interest and the fan base, and have ZERO premonition as to the massive pending changes that were coming for revenue across the sport. FURTHER, I have a hard time believing an ownership that suddenly cuts the legs out of those actually running the team when success has happened greater than has been seen in years, and a desperate fan base suddenly growing almost rabid in optimism, and calling them "good business people". I think the Pohlads are pretty desperate to sell and will. Probably soon. I think it's misguided to believe they won't run the team differently and better. I also think it's a bit misguided to believe they may have had a backroom agreement to cut costs simply because they might be cheap. Again, IF they were part of ANY of the deadline clearings, it may be part of a new start. Many new owners will keep the structure of management in place initially as they "get their hands" on the business and see the day to day operations up close. I wouldn't be shocked to see Falvey kept on as the head of the business side of things. Maybe he's gone, but wouldn't be shocked if he stayed. But I wouldn't be surprised if someone new was brought in to run the baseball side of things, either immediately, or after a 1yr reveal.

1] In addition to Keaschall still trying to get his groove back, and he's still limited to 2B and DH and 1B, giving him more time allows for for playing time for Julien and others to see if they're worth keeping around. 2] I'm also confused by Sabato batting 9th. I'm guessing it's a combination of less pressure when he came up, then staying there for now as he's slumped lately, and some managers kind of like to have a good/dangerous hitter in the 9 hole to flip the lineup better. 3] I know they're protecting Hill's arm via number of pitches, but less than 50 thrown and doing that well, I'm mildly surprised he didn't go out for the next inning 4] Unexpected and great to see Diaw back playing again.

Right or wrong, the Twins seem to have moved on from Martin as anything but an emergency 2B. He's only appeared in 26 games there between 2024 and so far in 2025. To be fair, he's also missed a lot of this season due to injury. I've never been a Martin hater and still aren't. At 26yo, I'd still love to see him turn in to a viable, contributor as a utility player. And it looks like he's going to a chance to play a lot the next 2 months. But there are better RH OF and better 2B options arriving soon. So I'm not sure about a long term fit for either of them. Either could be on the roster next season, providing depth at AAA, or simply gone. I do think the next couple of months they're both going to get plenty of opportunity.

And let's not forget Lewis, MacLeod, Rojas, CJ Culpepper, Gallagher, and Klein. Now a couple of these guys have had rough seasons or injuries, and a couple are in AA, but with no additional outgoing trades, that's at least 17 current rotation arms to fill up the Twins and Saints. That's a couple to begin 2026 at AA along with a couple promotions from A ball to fill Wichita's rotation. I'm not one to move young rotation arms to the pen "too soon", and we don't know who the Twins might add to the pen via FA, but there is obviously room for a couple young arms to fit in to the 2026 Twins pen from this collection without short changing depth anywhere else. I'm not counting arms like Ohl, Adams, or maybe even journeyman Rozek as while they can/do make starts, their roles will be as long/middle men going forward. While the offense needs work still, and there's virtually no bullpen at the moment, at least there's a collection of starting arms, depth, and possible bullpen options.

Generally speaking, I really like this idea. Whether it's SWR working on missing bats and economizing his pitches, Festa getting his 2 seamer right, Matthews greater consistency but also learning to dance around the zone more, etc, they all have some development needed. My one caveat to your plan would be a 5/4 split one turn, and then flip-flop the guys the next turn. At this point, with nothing to win, don't we want them to all get a shot at 2 1/2-3 times through the lineup? But I really like the basis you've presented here.

I dont know if the FO has a clue what kind of plan/path they are following right now. Example: 27yo Varland has made a highly successful transition to the pen and is cheap and undsr control for at least 3 more years. In THOERY, the talented but struggling Bradely could move to the pen. But instead of having BOTH as pen arms, you only have 1 now since Varland was moved. So you gained younger years for someone who hasn't made the pen transition yet when you might have had both? Example 2: While his arm might fall off tomorrow...or it might not since he says he feels better than he has in years...they trade the effective, cheap, and controlled Stewart for a LH 28yo OF who needs fixing. But they've had trouble "fixing" some of their own bats? They moved 3 of their top BP arms but a 2026 start with Varlan and Stewart offers at least a LITTLE hope for a re-build, along with Sands. But they're so confident they can just rebuild the whole thing over night that NOT lowering payroll but just starting over from scratch was the best thing to do in these cases? And other than a 18yo tip 100 catcher that might be huge in 3 years, what did they get for immediate help for the lineup? And hasn't the offense been the biggest problem the past couple of years? It's not necessarily an issue they sold off so much. And it's not to say they got nothing back. But it IS about a couple of the guys moved. And it IS about not necessarily getting back what the teams needs most, which are ML ready or close bats. I just dont see a direction here. MAYBE all the $ they saved will bring back 2 BATS via FA in the next offseason? Maybe there's a smart trade or two from prospects to add. But if they move Lopez and/or Ryan, then it's a complete teardown/rebuild. Period. Again, I just dont see a direction here.

Been saying a while to keep an eye on Jamie Ferrer. He started the year slowly...essentially his rookie professional season...but has been heating up the past couple of months. He was a top prep catching prospect who Fl State moved him to the OF. (They had a #1 C in place who was recently selected in the past draft). His bat has some nice potential. While he's been playing different spots, but had played mostly C in 2025. As far as Julien goes, if there's even a chance he's really found his bat/approach again, you have to take a look at him. Some people act like 2023 never even happened. When his bat was working, his defense improved to average. There's room on this team for a productive LH bat that can DH, play some 2B, and maybe a little 1B. I think there's more talented options coming up in the system, but it's time to see if Julien really is a quality MLB player or not.

"The Minnesota Twins finally picked a lane". But have they? Right now they remind me of an American tourist in Europe trying to figure out what side of the road they're supposed to be on. And I'm not being snarky of facetious. In 2023 they seemed to have a plan, and the re-signing of Correa...and gradually yearly increases in payroll...were part of that seeming plan. Now, they still needed at least 1 quality BAT to deepen the lineup, and beyond 3 quality, playoff caliber SP, they didn't have the 4-5 spots figured out yet, but the nucleus was there to have an even better 2024 version of themselves. Since then, the payroll has been slashed, and they've fired their entire hitting staff to lower K's and assume a different approach of contact. They had no way to add that 1 big BAT they needed, and have actually seen their offensive production tank. I'm not blaming the FO for that completely as their employer pulled them aside after 2023 and basically said: "We've decided to change how things are running around here. What? You thought we'd keep trying to advance the team and keep trying to get better"? While I'm not a fan of everything the FO has done the last couple of years, I will say again that I would like to have seen what they might have done if they hadn't had their legs swept out from under them. So now we FF to 2025 and the deadline that just passed. Now maybe this tear down and sell off is all due to the Pohlads. Maybe the FO really decided in concert with them, that it was time to re-tool at the very least, and shake things up. (I have a very difficult time believing any potential buyer asked for a clearance sale before completing a purchase). Considering the fact that...other than paying a portion of Correa's next 3yrs salary...they reportedly picked up ZERO $ in any other deal, and even included Dobnak in the Paddack deal to save an extra couple $M. Falvey might one day in a memoir reveal the motivations of his employer, but he's certainly not going to put a noose around his professional neck and say something now, or the near future. So fine, the Pohlads want a fire sale, and Falvey knows they need a re-tool anyway, so the firesale begins! But where are the BATS this team needs since the offense was the biggest problem? You want to move a couple RP? OK. I get it. But you wipe out the bullpen almost completely? Maybe Stewart's arm just falls off. Maybe when he says his arm hasn't felt this good in YEARS is personal hyperbole. But he's only making barely above the rookie minimum, isn't going to be costly for the next couple of years, and you trade him for a 28yo OF that needs "fixing" when you haven't been able to "fix" the talented players you already have on the roster? Why cut a productive arm on the cheap side for that? And that being said, Varland's transition to the pen couldn't have gone any better. And his controlled cost is minimal for the next few seasons. So where's the $ savings? Outman for Stewart makes zero sense to me. Bradley for Jax was an OK return, but not enough, IMO, for a dominate pen arm. Do they really believe a 30yo Jax is really going to fall of a cliff soon? MAYBE the return for Varland will turn out OK, but I'm not seeing anything but a wash at best TODAY for a cost controlled arm you already have that could be a pen fixture for the next few years. Jax, Varlan, and Stewart, with Sands hopefully looking a little closer to his 2024 version, is at least a base for a 2026 pen. Are we really better though with what was brought in vs having to rebuild the entire pen? I have a suspicion that Lopez or Ryan will be moved in the offseason. If so, then we're talking about a complete rebuild. And WHY when the Twins have worked so hard to build a good STAFF, rotation and pen, and the offense has still been the biggest problem? Or should I say, an offensive IDENTITY has maybe been the biggest problem. Recent drafts have included power, but also a better mix of more athletic players who have yet to arrive yet. But generally speaking, the pitching hasn't been an issue with what's on hand, and what's breaking in, and what's coming up. So we just break apart the staff for more prospects? What could the lineup be like with Lewis, Buxton, Wallner, a decent, solid Larnach and Jeffers, with Lee improving, Keaschall slowly coming back, Rodriguez and Jenkins hopefully part of the near future, an actualy productive 1B, maybe a good, solid, decently productive LF until someone like Rodriguez is actually ready and just let Larnach be a DH and part time OF? I don't think the firesale at the deadline didn't bring back talent. It actually did. But too many parts of these deadline deals felt like Crazy Larry selling off to the point where he looks around in the aftermath wondering what he's got left in his inventory. I'm losing faith in this FO because I DON'T feel they have picked a lane. I think it's a haphazard driving experience where they are still figuring out what lane they are SUPPOSED to be driving in, while still trying to figure out where the light switch and wipers control is located in their rental car. Maybe Falvey and his staff are foxes just waiting to pounce and outsmart all of us. I'm beginning to doubt some of their scouting department, even though they've made some very smart moves over the past couple of years. But acquiring guys you think you can "fix" when you can't "fix" what you already have, and trading away WHAT IS WORKING for HOPEFUL replacements just doesn't make sense to me. KEEPING a couple of the traded players, which I've already mentioned, FIXING what you already have, finding an IDENTITY offensively, NOT being afraid to give opportunities to young players and getting over the fear of depth and initial failure, (the Brewers way of doing things), and NOT tearing down what you already have that works is what this FO SHOULD have done, and SHOULD be doing. I understand that ownership has really messed with this team, and any projected plans the FO MIGHT HAVE had. And I can barely imagine a new owner being worse at running things. (Eloise Pohlad must be turning in her grave). But all that being said, there remains an onus on the FO...for all the good they've done in their tenure...to ask honestly what their plan is? Because right now, I'm still seeing questions about what lane they should actually be driving in.

I knew the team needed a re-set. But I NEVER expected anything close to what happened over the last 48 hours. And I have ZERO idea...as do any of us I'd wager...as to whether this TRADE BLITZ was the Pohlad's just trying to save $, or alter debt/payroll for a potential buyer, or if everyone suddenly went insane all at once. There's honestly a couple moves made that made sense to me. And more than a couple that left me scratching my head, or made me angry. But I'm HOPING as confused, frustrated, and PO'd as some of us might be, that we might actually be able to take a step back, examine the moves made, and have an open dialog about hits and misses. Of course, I'll go first: 1] I hink the team actually got good value back for Duran. Fair value. But I think they should have gotten more. I wonder, if Abel and Tait were swapped, and Tait was at AA or AAA and Abel was the A prospect, would perceptions change? Tait is a YOUNG catcher prospect with a strong arm and a potentially BIG LH BAT. But he's at least 2-3 yrs away. But Abel has been a consistent top 100 prospect who is ML ready and the Twins pitching staff might just need to tweak a couple of things to make him a successful SP. While it's not what we want, his floor might be a 100mph pen arm. 2] We got a high character, smart young catcher with potential for Paddack in Jimenez. But if they weren't looking to save a couple $M by throwing Dobnak in, might we have gotten a better return? I love getting a young, talented catcher, but I think a veteran SP might have been worth more without the $ issue thrown in. Or am I wrong? Maybe that's what Paddack was worth? 3] Not crazy about a corner LH OF for Bader who HITS, but has limited power, no speed, and hits a lot of ground balls. But if he learns to elevate the ball more? MIGHT have something there. 4] I would have rather kept Stewart and his powerful arm and bet on his last surgery making him available for the next couple of seasons. Considering the trade value of other pen arms, I'm really perplexed that the Twins moved him for Outman. He was a ROY candidate a couple of years ago and hasn't done much yet. The Twins think they can "fix" him to be at least a 4th OF? I think I would have kept Stewart and banked on him helping the pen for the next couple of years. 5] Again, there were enough RP bringing back decent returns I was really disappointed Coulombe didn't bring back more than a low level arm. The Matz trade was better. 6] The Castro trade did bring back a decent return, IMO. Gallagher has some steam and potential at AA. The 2nd arm, Armstrong, seems to be a flier type. 7] Frankly, I was confused and disappointed the Twins traded Jax after already moving Duran, Stewart, and Coulombe. At least he provided stability for 2026. And despite initial demands, they got ONE player back? To be fair, Bradley was a top prospect in the Rays system, and they do know something about pitching. He's got solid MILB numbers and is only 24yo despite spending most of the last 3yrs at the ML level. Is he a Ryan needing tweaks? Or is he ready to move to the pen to the pen and maybe be the next Jax? 8] Here is where I am not only confused, but downright PO'd! Why in the hell do you trade Varland, a young, cost controlled, high power arm that just might be your setup man or potential closer for a couple of prospects??!! Roden is a 25yo 1B/OF bat with a solid 4yr career in MILB. But he's not exactly a power plant! I was hoping the trade deadline MIGHT bring in a 1B with some potential that was blocked by someone else. But a mediocre hitter and a 22yo LH arm with 18 IP at AA and solid numbers just doesn't make sense to me for a proven arm who has been outstanding since moving to the pen. 9] Despite those who aren't fans, I think the Twins are a worse team without Correa and his still solid defense, and leadership. The cost savings only helps if the new owners will use that savings to invest in the payroll. But that's a different discussion for a different day. CONCLUSION: The Varland deal should have NEVER taken place! They got less for Coulombe and Stewart than they should have. The Castro deal wasn't bad. While years away, they did add a couple interesting catcher prospects, one who is already at A+ at 18yo and is already in the top 60 global prospect rankings, FWIW. They DID add a couple somewhat interesting arms to the system, though most are fliers. And they added an OF that MIGHT turn it around and return to his previous ROY candidacy. Prospects are nice. Having more of them in the collective is nice. Adding a couple catching prospects with potential is nice. But for NOW, and the immediate future, all they really accomplished was adding payroll room...IF it's spent...and a handful of arms that might help soon. I don't mean to dismiss Abel and Bradley. As of today, when healthy, the Twins rotation options and depth include Lopez, Ryan, Ober, SWR, Matthews, Festa, Abel, Bradley, Morris, Lewis, and also Culpepper, and Raya. We might throw MaCleod and Klein in that group as well, not even including the potential of Prielipp. As of today, FA speculation for the offseason withstanding, the Twins have NO bullpen. Undoubtedly, they will make a couple adds to the pen via FA or possibly trades. But I wonder if they won't follow some old school way of approaching things and take a few of those arms and move them to the pen for 2026. They're going to have to if they want to compete even a little. The holes in the lineup are a different story for a different day as they didn't do anything to address that. Personally, I don't hate all they did. Only time will tell who turns out. But I think they sold low on a couple of guys for sure. Just not that impressed overall. But this an OP to just discuss the returns, and not how much you hate the owners.

Hold on for a moment. Deep breath. I am NOT happy with what happened in the last 48 hours! I don't know if this is the Pohlad's burning everything down because the potential buyer options have fallen through, or if they are just buying down debt for the next owner. And I'm certain the players are really bummed right not to see teammates, colleagues, friends, and probably the clubhouse leader all moved. But BEFORE this firesale, I haven't heard a single word of discontent from any player saying they hated the organization and didn't want to be here. When asked about the POTENTIAL he might be traded based on rumors, Ryan stated it was kind of exciting, but wanted to stay. Correa has stated over and over again how much he and his family loved being in Minnesota and being a Twin. In fact, he's been following the MILB system as close as any fan about potential prospects. It was Houston who broached the idea for a Correa reunion, not the Twins. And Carlos has always been very clear and upfront about anything while he was a Twin. He stated he'd love to stay here and be part of winning. He never stated anything publicly about being being dissatisfied or wanting to move elsewhere. The ONLY thing I've ever heard him say was that if the trade rumors were true, Houston was the only place he'd waive his no trade clause to be traded to. During the All Star Game, Buxton again re-stated he was a Twin for life. I honestly can't remember a single former Twins player over the past several years that EVER stated they didn't like being a Twin, how they were treated, or how their family was treated. I'm NOT fan of the Pohlad's, maybe more so now than ever...though my disfatication has been growing since the end of 2023...but again, I have yet to ever hear a bad word about the FO or how dissatisfied or angry a player has ever been. If you hate the last 48 hours and the teardown that has taken place, join the club. But let's just stop with player anger or outrage. Now, it might happen NOW. But it's just not a thing that has existed previously.

He once again has to be added to the 40 man or made available for the rule 5 draft. It was an easy call to not protect him after last season. He's not exactly destroying AAA at this point, but is doing OK. Not as good as he was doing at AA, but OK. Honestly, he might be safe to leave off the 40 man yet again. But at this point, with France gone, I agree that he should at least get a shot. As poor and disappointing as Miranda has been, why not give a former 1st round pick a shot to see if you get lucky? I'm just out on Miranda at this point. He should be dominating AAA, or at least good. And he's not even close to good at this point. Just so disappointing.

They HAVE to find a solid, competent 1B who's bat is ML quality. Clemens has the POTENTIAL to be a decent utility player if he can possibly replicate what he's done this season. A blurb? Or did he find a home the way Castro did? Unless someone is moved to 1B, it will have to be via trade or FA. One of the issues the team has is depth considering Schobel was having a great turnaround season and then got hurt. Unless you want to rush him...which I don't want to do...Culpepper is probably a couple months of AAA time away from helping. And there's a couple others to name that aren't ready yet. IF the turnaround Julien has had at AAA this season is remotely real, he could be a LH PH/DH/2B. He's certainly going to get a chance over the next 2 months to see if he can be an actualy contributor, or, was he just a flash in the pan? Still on the 40 man are Fitzgerald and Miranda. Fitzgerald is a nice AAAA player to have around, but he's no answer. Miranda MIGHT get another shot ONLY DUE to the past and being on the 40 man. But if we're cleaning house, it's the perfect opportunity to get Eeles some ML time! He's still relatively young, had a tremendous 2024, and while the power/pop hasn't really shown up yet, he's rebounded nicely from his knee surgery to put up good numbers this season. The KEY for the INF is SOMEONE to be a solid 1B with a quality, productive BAT. Again, Clemens MIGHT be a solid bench option. And FA should allow some decent, solid veteran addition for a couple $2-4M to fill an additional role on a 1yr deal. The SECOND KEY is Lee. He's an OK, functional SS who makes the basic plays. Not close to Correa quality, but acceptable until a more athletic player like Culpepper is ready. But how does his BAT play? He's still got the POTENTIAL to be a very solid ML bat with XB and some HR power. Can he stop swinging for weak contact? Can he take a few more BB? These next 2 months are VERY important for his development getting ready for 2026. Losing Correa...which is a whole different discussion...doesn't mean the 2026 INF has to be poor. If the younger than Buxton Lewis can finally have some good health, 3B is fine and the offense gets a major jolt. Keaschall will be a work in progress defensively with all the time he's missed, but he has the potential to be very good offensively. But they need Lee to take a step forward, and they need to find someone at 1B who can be an actuall offensive contributor somewhere in the middle of the lineup.

Houston called the Twins. Correa said he would waive his no trade if it meant a chance to go back to Houston. Wife is from there, many friends and family, it's his first organization, etc. I believe he even quoted he wanted to stay with the Twins and help them won, but for Houston he would waive his clause. Which he did.

Houston actually called the Twins

Think I'd rather have kept Stewart.

Solid MILB career, 1 good ML season, and a solid mix of pop and speed and OB ability. There's your 4th OF and Buxton insurance. At least until or when Rodriguez or Jenkins is ready.

No clue what I expected in return. Guess I was hoping for a p3n conversion arm, possibly soon 4th OF, maybe even a somewhat decent blocked 1B option. (For Bader or Castro, to be honest). A young OF hitting for a good AVG in AA with little speed, mediocre defense, and a ton of ground balls just doesn't sound very exciting. Not sure I really expected more, but had hoped for it at least.

My bad. Spotify did work but no You Tube.

No link. Only takes me to episode #89

I really wanted a deal with the Dodgers for Rushing and the best arm I could get that was hopefully AA or higher.

He can swing a bat without pain, and I believe he can throw as well. It was reported thst running caused pain. He's quite possibly having the best season of his career, and certainly one of the healthiest. The Twins aren't winning anything this season so why not give him a few days off at this point? So much angst over something so small.

No matter how devoted a fan as I am, I am ABSOLUTELY in the "keep trying to win to create positive vibes for 2026 and let's take a look at some guys and see if they can be part of 2026" vibe. (Breath). Agree with me or disagree with me, I'm going to bullet point a few things here. And some of this is about an OP earlier concerning Ohl. So here goes: 1] I've said over and over again, keep playing Lee daily. He's talented and smart and still figuring stuff out. He has a hitting streak, slumps, and then had a couple really good games. Again, your young talent doesn't develop if you don't play them and give them opportunities to fail and rise and grow. 2] STOP with the "no starting pitcher, etc". Lopez is out. Festa is out. Ober is just coming back. They traded Paddack. Morris is out. So what are they supposed to do to have someone start a game? And this goes to.... 3] The idea that the FO is experimenting with guys pitching less but more often is blown out of proportion. They have been taking arms that honestly have little chance of being ML SP, and developing them as middle relief arms that could fill the last spot or two in the pen. Imagine a 2026 pen with Duran, Jax, Varland, Stewart, HOPEFULLY a LH option of quality, Sands, MAYBE Coulombe back again, and you have an arm maybe TWO arms who can throw 2-3 IP per week to round out the pen when someone has a bad day. OR, a Festa, SWR, Matthews having that bad day as they're still developing. You have 6-7 quality RP arms, but have a guy or a couple of guys that just aren't quite good enough to be MLSP, but could be really solid a couple days a week for 2 IP. Once in a while, they might go 3 IP. 4] I actually like Ohl a bit better than Adams for one of those spots. The only LH option is Rozek, who might get a shot before 2025 is done. But ROOKIE arms like Adams and Ohl should be dismissed after 3 or 1 appearances just isn't right at this point. The same way Jax and Sands shouldn't have been dismissed or discarded. We're talking about rookies getting their feet wet at the ML level because everyone else is injured. Imagine even better arms like Culpepper, and McLeod who might fit this role even better in the near future? What is wrong with 6 dominate, quality, 1 IP RP, with a pair of quality 2-3 IP guys at the back end of the pen. Tell me how that DOESN'T make sense? THAT'S what they are attempting to do, maximizing arms. They AREN'T treating ALL arms that way. Just the guys with decent stuff that don't figure to be MLSP in the future. 5] I still think the smart move is to trade Bader for a solid return if possible. Castro as well. And I'd whisper in Coulombe's ear "we want to re-sign you for 2026 right away for around $3-4M but we're giving you a playoff shot right now" and hope that helps for 2026. I want him back for next season to fill the EXACT role he's had this season, while making it a priority to find an even better LHRP option for the 7th-8th inning role. I don't like betting on Bader for a return in 2026 based on his career, despite having one of his best seasons ever here in 2025. The Buxton injury, unfortunately, might skew the FO perspective. It shouldn’t.

I know just enough to be dangerous, or make a fool of myself, lol. I don't know that the Twins will remake Reitz delivery, but I'm sure they will tweak it somewhat. I think his 3/4 delivery is very deceptive. But when you watch him throw there doesn't seem to be much "bend" from his upper body. That's where he appears to short arm his throws and looses velocity. I mean, he already throws in the 90's and is only just about to turn 21yo. So getting more extension on his throws should put him in the 94-95 range consistently over the next year or so. And with that length, it will "appear" to be sitting around 97. I'm not certain exact what they seen in JONES to draft him twice despite poor results. Basically, he's only had good results in a summer league in 2023...9 games...and especially in the the pre-draft summer league this year in 8 games, 7 of them in relief, when his K numbers jumped to 14 per. Obviously they see something in his length they like, and believe there's something mechanical to sort out or rebuild. Definitely an enigma at this point. On the other hand, MORING is only 6' 1", and had poor numbers his first 2yrs of college before a solid 2025. So the length doesn't seem to be there, and he's only thrown 100 innings in college, and only 17.2 in 2025. Another enigma. Were I too take a guess? They see a repeatable delivery that can max out for 1-2 IP and he can be a good pen arm if he can tweak his spotty command. Maybe Joe Ryan-ish potential in the pen for short stretches? Then comes the biggest enigma/question mark of ALL the arms selected, IMO, in STEVENS. Despite being listed as coming from Alabama, he's never thrown for them yet. He was a pretty successful and highly ranked prep recruit from Birmingham AL, but he's ONLY thrown 37.1 innings in THREE YEARS of summer league ball to this point! He was a multi sport athlete who's probably maxed out physically at 6' 1" and 215 lbs who was probably on the Twins radar based on his prep production and lingering belief of what he might do concentrating solely on baseball? Keep in mind the Twins reportedly have a good relationship with the Alabama program, going back to the drafting of Prielipp a few years ago. And while I can't find any information to back this up, for a home state, top prospect to never throw a single inning for his home state school might just mean injury factors have held him back??? All 3 of these guys signed for slot, or under slot. IMO, they are all rather extreme fliers that cost little. And it's these 3 that made me question the last 3rd of this draft, no matter how much I liked the first 2/3. In fact, I'm initially more interested in the last 2 PICKS of LHRP BECKER, and RHP HIKER who I genuinely thought would NOT sign and go back to ARIZONA to try and increase his value as a senior. In recent previous years...even though they're ALL fliers at that point...I thought they had more interesting selections in those 14-16 selections. But you just never know what scouts see that we have NO CLUE about. But TODAY, I remain a bit confused about these 3 choices. I know this probably offers more questions than answers, but it's what I see.

I like the idea of Prielipp getting a couple months at AAA to close out the year. The command is still an issue, and he's probably not going to go over 70 pitches in any game this season. So with his overall peripherals solid, let him get those 70 pitches per game at AAA. Hidalgo has been quite inconsistent. But don't we rather expect that coming off a missed season? But he's certainly shown enough to this point to deserve that AA promotion. It helps set him up for 2026, just like Prielipp to AAA. Hidalgo has shown nice K ability previously and sitting just over 11K per 9 this season. If his overall command/control gets reigned in, he stays in the rotation probably. If not, he's quite likely one of the next arms the Twins convert to a solid pen option. Just don't know enough about Ross to comment accurately. He got better each year in college and if you keep the hits and BB numbers down, a K per 9 between 8-9 can work. But a 23yo in Low A ball should be doing that, even in his rookie season. I have to see him do the same thing at a higher level before I can feel comfortable that he's another find. But so far so good.

I feel a little better about this deal than today. But a 19yo, 5' 9" catcher in his 2nd season in the FCL really didn't thrill me when I read it. But it does sound like he's actually a prospect, not just some random flier guy. I do wonder if they could have gotten an even better prospect if the Dobnak, cost cutting portion of the deal was removed.