DocBauer

That's just not 100% true. Cardenas was a true catcher. And Winekel was also a true catcher. Now Cossetti was a BAT FIRST option who is only now looking like he needs promotion. I never had faith in Winkel. Hope for Oliver has always been misguided IMO. But I've always had a lot of hope that Cardenas would be a quality #2 with good defense and a solid confact bat with a decent bat and a decsnt OB% with occasional power. Think Butera with a better bat. No offense to Tinney, I can ABSOLUTELY see him as junior version of Jeffers, but with a better arm and maybe even more power. But while it seems he has the DESIRE to get better, he's got a super intelligent player to follow. It's really interesting to see how many opinions blast the Twins to NOT trade for, or draft, at the cather position...not everyone to be sure... and then the Twins draft 2 early, and. 3rd that is a long term project. There is nothing wrong with drafting Tinney. He could be an outstanding #2 Catcher. He could up at 1B. He could end up being great "trade bait". So why are we so worried about his selection? We got beat at the deadline for a couple of players we really liked? I'd bet we did the same thing for other organizations. We need to recognize Tinney is actually a pretty good prospect on his own.

It was a good win, even with some sloppy play. Prielipp was excellent, and could have easily pitched another inning, even with control over his pitch count. I understand bringing Sands back, but I would have given him another game based on how much time he's missed. I think today proved he needed a little more time. He was all over the place. I'm sure he will be better next time around, but COME ON! Shouldn't Bradley's short rehab time taught the FO something? Anderson looked pretty good in his initial appearance. But Sands has better long term value. But why rush him at this point? Again, he might be NAILS the next time he appears. But he clearly wasn't ready today. Are we ready to accept that the .130 AVG at the ML level for Kreidler just might not be Kreidler at his potential? He was great initially with the parent club, then slumped a bit, and is now on a high currently. He's running almost unexpectedly, hitting XB hits, and still playing excellent defense. Do we really have a late bloomer? I'm saying YES. Once in a while you get a 27/28yo who has potential as a steal. We got that with Castro. I think we got that with Kreidler as well. He shouldn't be a starter, but he can be a hell of a nice Super Utility option. And let's be honest, we got LUCKY with both him and Clemens. Call it luck or good scouting for late potential. SOMETIMES guys just "figure it out" later in their career, right time and place. Right now, I'd figure Kreidler and Clemens as BOTH being part of 2027's roster. They could both regress, and there are some MILB options to potentially replace them. But I'm finding that harder and harder to see as they keep producing.

Greg, I'm with you. 100% overall. Winning games, and making the playoffs, or even make a run for the playoffs, is a hell of a lot more fun than complacency. I don't want my Twins to be stupid when it's obvious they should do something different. But I applaud the idea of a couple small deals when applicable, like in this season, to help the team along. But part of what I love about TD is the ability for others to offer contrary opinions, even when they don't align with my opinion, LOL. And really, I don't want to sound condescending...that's not my intent, I also vent at times...but I do feel bad for some fans who can't seem to appreciate the idea of the Twins chasing something worthwhile. Just my opinion. I have been a long supporter of Jeffers. I've always believed his greatest value is how he handles the staff. While he's sacrificed some power, I think experience and adjustments have made him a more complete hitter. And I really don't expect a major regression on his part. No wonder so many teams are interested in acquiring him. While I wouldn't want the Twins to make it a habit of holding on to a pending FA for too long instead of cashing in potential trade value, I can see legitimate reasons to just keep Jeffers for the rest of the season. Did I mention making the playoffs, or even chasing a spot, is more fun than not? Personally, I'd keep him for the 2026 run and offer him the QO. If he accepts, you keep him for 2027 and give Lackey the opportunity to MAYBE be ready for 2028. And considering how low the payroll is, they could afford him if he accepts. (Remember, Larnach and Bell gone adds another $12M to the 2027 payroll, pending raises). And if he declines, you get the extra pick. No matter when he's gone, I'm going to miss him. But considering the fact that the Twins could "absorb" his loss because they have competent catching without him, I can see reasons to trade him for a solid haul as a solid sell/buy option. IF they sell on Jeffers, I like Seattle as a partner for Hancock, Kirby, or Woo and a solid BP arm by adding on one of about 3 OF options and maybe a lower level prospect. That helps both teams. The Twins end up with a solid mid rotation starter that helps NOW, and the next couple of seasons, plus a solid BP arm. (There are various options so I'm not naming a particular player). Seattle gets Jeffers for NOW, maybe Mendez, for example, and the future if not immediate help, and a decent prospect in the 20's. Win-win for both teams. The Twins make a smaller trade for a rental RP, and SUDDENLY the entire depth option for the rotation and bullpen are vastly changed. And maybe that rental arm signs back? Remember Romo a few years ago who didn't cost much, did well, and was re-signed? Look, I still remember the PROMISE from ownership that Target Field would allow the Twins to at least keep players, if not sign FA. And we have ONLY BRIEFLY seen that promise come to fact. And maybe TP is sincere about his comments, or maybe he speaks with a forked tongue. To be fair...and I'm doing so grudgingly...7 1/2 months for the "new owner" and 6 and 1/2 months from the new GM, might not be enough time to truly evaluate their intentions or competence. But I know I'm already tired of seeing quality Twins players being moved instead of being KEPT based on promises made. I'm willing, grudgingly so again, to give TP and Zoll a bit of a pass for missed opportunities and mismanagement in the past. Maybe it's just to late to re-sign Jeffers, but there's a big decision to be made regarding trading him, vs keeping him and letting him go, or offering the QO. I DON'T believe Ryan is going to be traded. Period. I've thought that for a while now. There will probably be a couple minor moves. The biggest question RIGHT NOW is do they take advantage of Jeffers value vs 2027. Personally, I WANT to keep him and give him the QO. Removing emotion, trading him to Seattle for a solid arm and a solid, young BP arm just makes so much sense I have to agree with a trade. But I appreciate your OP, Greg. There IS a DIFFERENCE of being a fan who can enjoy every season, and every win, and TRYING TO WIN every season, with hopes of contention. But, one more time, it's more fun to root for a team that's playing good ball and has a CHANCE vs just being disappointed every, single, season because your team didn't win it all. ***NOTE: I'm a 50yo plus Twins NUTJOB who loves the Twins. And I follow the MILB system dearly, and even enjoy the ML draft. So I'm a Twins obsessive freak. And I blame my father and his transitor radio and car radios and so much more. I've seen and listened to lousy Twins seasons and good Twins seasons over 50 years. (I'm 60yo). I've seen greatness with 2 WS wins and a bunch of WTH didn't we advance moments. But EVERY DAMN FEBRUARY myself and my 82yo father look to the next season, and feel that life has changed a bit. The greenery is just STARTING to bloom here in Nebraska at that time. HOPE is eternal for baseball. That's what makes it so special. Again, if you only want Champions for your favorite teams, by ALL MEANS go do you. Be an Alabama fan, a Yankees or Dodgers fan. Full confession, I became a Lakers fan in the early '80 from a dear friend watching Magic Johnson and the Lakers on taped delay. I've never been a big NBA fan, but when I saw something I'd never seen before, I became a fan. So it's 100% OK to bitch and complain about the Twins. A fan has that right. But Greg is also right that if ALL you can do is hate and complain, then maybe you need to another team to follow that makes sense to you. And that's OK. For ME, I have a lifelong Twins "virus" that there is no inoculation for, so I'm STUCK. And I will comment on what I like and don't like. But I will never be a BLACK HOLE of fan support. It's not my nature, and it sure isn't fun.

I have to echo how impressed I've been by Houston at Wichita. While it's roughly half the PA/AB he had at CR, his entire quad slash line is actually higher in all 4 categories at AA. Again, call me impressed! K-Pepper needs some time to get back in a groove after missing so much time, so I don't expect to see him until around Mid August. But when that happens, I think Id welcome Houston getting a taste of AAA to end the season. He's not close to being ready for MLB yet, but ever since Hidalgo was promotes to St Paul, he's lowered his ERA, hits per 9, BB per 8, and WHIP. While his K per 9 has dipped, he's still over 9 per. When he came back last season from missing 2024, he just didn't have any consistency. And I wondered if he might end up in the bullpen. He's still only 23yo and I just think he's a guy to monitor in 2027. Stinks that Jimenez is out. Hopefully his concussion is minor and he'll be back soon. But it does provide an immediate opening for Lakey to make his debut at A+ for a few weeks until a probable move to AA to finish the season.

Other than the batters blew opportunity and lost the game, a couple comments. How horrible is Matthews when he's so good 75% of the time and some want to dump on him instead of looking at his improvement and wondering how good he might be with some tweaks? The bullpen was solid again tonight. But why do we celebrate how awesome Bradley has been, other than a couple of games, but we dismiss how good Matthews has been other than a few games?

I'm just going to step beyond all the comments at this point. 1] Lewis will never be what was hoped for. Period. 2] He's actually a pretty solid 3B, a semi decent 2B, but with VERY limited exposure there, he looks like a very natural 1B given some time. 3] He's an emotionally, confident player who needs to feel "good". He came back from his AAA demotion with his old swagger. While not his speedy previous self, he's even been stealing some bases. While it's not what we wanted from him, or expected, he's actually started to show the confidence swagger he needs to be productive. IMO, he's about 90% mental where he's supposed to be. He's about 75% on swing approach where he's supposed to be. His approach gets to 90%, he's close to being what we hoped for all these years. I'm just not ready to give up on the light bulb turning on at this point. Besides injuries holding him back, I believe supreme confidence has held him back. I think he's suddenly realized he's mortal. And even though he might finally be begining to realize his limitations as a ballplayer, there's still so much potential if he just realizes he doesn't have to be Superman.

So Zebby isn't a bad rotation piece? Once again, he threw a great game. The offense let him down. But his 6 IP was very good. This loss was on the offense. I still think Matthews has another level to be reached with some changes to his repertoire. He still has a problem getting outs with good counts. They need to help him develop a splitter, and maybe a sweeper to offset a FB that is too straight. But damn if he didn't go out and pitch 6 innings of really good ball tonight and give the team a chance to win. And he helped save the BP as well. The offense lost the game tonight, not Matthews. But again, why are we discussing what Matthews hasn't done yet vs what he HAS done, and might yet do?

Just to make sure I understand after tonight, Friday, Ryan remains a STUD #1 SP after a career worst game coming out of the break. Bradley had a horrible game and then had a great performance against Cleveland even though he didn't get the win. And even though the offense was putrid tonight, Friday, Matthews threw 6 quality innings allowing only 2 Runs, 3 Hits, 3 BB, and 1K, and ate inning that were so needed after the Cleveland series. What is that now, 10 quality starts in 15 appearances? My math might be off slightly. So he's really good about 75% of the time? That's a hell of a good #4-5 SP who also eats IP. I'll say again, he's getting better. He's learning and growing. But I still think his repertoire needs tweaking. I just don't think he's ready for the bullpen yet. I think there's another level of improvement going forward if the coaches can work in a few changes.

Man, I am so over the ying and yang of sell, buy, or do a little of both, that ALL I CARE ABOUT is getting to the trade deadline at .500. From there it's up to Zoll and TP to make a decision. I just want to see a team above .500 and building towards 2027. IMO, personally, I care about next season and beyond. Making the playoffs is WONDERFUL and I'm rooting for it to happen. It's a hell of a lot more fun than watching OTHER teams in the playoffs. I think the concept of adding a RH bat is about 3rd or 4th on the list of additions. I don't have a problem of trading lower level prospects for a couple of solid RP. Do I have to remind everyone again that we traded for Dyson and Romo in 2019 for marginal prospects? MAYBE the cost for rentals have changed since then. But has it changed so much that we have to pay more than a couple 15-30 range prospects that we can't acquire a couple RP, or maybe ONE solid RP and a 4th-5th SP on an expiring deal that ALSO helps the BP for someone like Prielipp to finish the season in the bullpen. And let's not forget that Romo was so good we resigned him back again. Rentals don't have to remain rentals. Hancock from Seattle was brought up. Probably because @chpettit19had brought him up in a different thread. But that's probably an offseason deal for some of the young Twins hitters. But it would be amazing if Seattle ended up looking forward to 2027 and would sell Hancock now for some young, talented bats like Mendez and Gonzalez, etc. I still think that looks more like an offseason deal. But I'm really intrigued by this idea.

1] As to Arraez, you all know he's a LH bat right? Even if he's doing better THIS YEAR against LHP, he's been poor his whole career against said pitchers. And considering Clemens is a better defender, and also having his best year ever against LHP, where is the improvement? 2] It's a RIDICULOUS PROBLEM that a team that has Buxton, Lewis, and Jeffers as veteran RH hitters, the young, but talented Keaschall, and Martin, who has proved he's MUCH better against LHP, and a couple of switch hitters who shouldn't STINK against LHP, at least in theory, that the Twins are seemingly incompetent against LHP. And, of course, there are other RH batters available as well. It's like a damn CURSE. How can so many quality RH hitters be so damn bad against LHP? I'm only teasing that we need Tom Kelly back to throw batting practice. BUT, when the season started, they saw a TON of LHP and they did much better than they've done sense. So maybe a pitching machine isn't the solvent. Maybe, honestly, they need an additional coach who can throw LH to throw and spin to keep them sharp? I mean, it's just CRAZY the whole offense just goes dead against a LHP. I honestly have no answer. And IDK that ONE additional RH bat really makes a difference unless it was Cruz quality, or similar. I lnow it sounds trite, but what the Twins need is for the RH bats currently on the team to just figure what the hell is going on and do better. Easier said than done, of course. NO PRESSURE, LOL, BUT if K-Pepper was ready in a couple of weeks to come up and take over SS...Kreidler moving to his best role as a Super Utility player...he MIGHT provide a spark. Hitting is sometimes contagious. But IF the Twins traded for a BAT, of the 3 options presented in the OP, I'd be in favor of Thomas I guess. But is he really an upgrade over Martin, who has shown some life again while returning to a platoon only player? The cost to acquire him might be cheap, but even inexpensive, I don't see him as an improvement over Martin in a platoon role. Again, it sounds silly and trite, but the Twins really need the current RH batters to SOMEHOW figure out why they've been so out of whack when facing LHP. Unless they trade for a CRUZ-like RH bat, I just don't see any team improvement from the options listed.

No to Volpe. I like Kreidler as the temp SS, K-Pepper getting his feet wet at the ML level in August and September, even though Houston will probably take over in 2028, or later in 2027. The Twins are building the best INF they've had in years. Said it before and will say it again, IMO, IF the Yankees acquire Jeffers, I don't believe they see him as a rental. They will believe...being the Yankees...that being a Yankee and getting something like 4-5yrs and $15-16M per will make him resign. And they can afford that. I'd be asking for Rodriguez, who looks like, possibly, the next Duran. I believe he already hits 100mph, and can be nasty, but has some control issues. He's probably an instant upgrade to the bullpen now, and a possible weapon in 2027 and beyond. I'd probably ask for a solid AA arm as well to help fill in the rotation gap currently in the Twins system. Maybe a Gallagher or similar arm? And I'd be willing to toss in Wallner to sweeten the deal, possibly Larnach if the AA arm was a little better. The Yankees live for LH bats with power.

Where would we be without Gomez? What a find! He's probably still best as a set up man, but he's been as big of a find as I can remember. I've always believed Morris had the ability to be a solid back end SP, or a great RP. I was pleasantly surprised they converted him so quickly considering the injuries to Lopez and Festa. I don't mind the Nance deal, but he SHOULD be the 5th or 6th man in a better bullpen. But he's looked good so far. Rogers is pitching on guts and guile. But except for a couple really bad games, he's been solid. I think his ERA is misleading. But I think this is probably his last year. Anderson really came through today. But in a quality pen, he's the #7 man at best. I'm not complaining about his early results or what he did today, but he's pretty dispensible overall. Regardless of whether the Twins sell a little, or buy a little, or do both, my HOPE is Sands comes back soon, fully healthy, and reminds us of how good he was in 2024, and parts of 2025. Further, I really want to see Raya get on track and get back up and prepare for 2027. In his few appearnces, he looked like he has potential. Even further, I'm a believer that CJ Culpepper could be a really solid part of the pen going forward. I'm really hoping he gets his feet wet this season. And if you want to get really crazy, I am SO INTRIGUED about just telling Rojas to trust his stuff, and just concentrate on ONE inning, and just be as NASTY as he can be. But the pen DID do a hell of a job today. And it's a better pen than we had in April. We'd probably be a couple games above .500 if we had this pen then. While there's still work to do, the pen is better than it was.

Just a small side note: Trading Caratini just isn't happening unless the Twins eat $. Part of his deal is a $3M buyout post 2027. So he's really owed $10M on his contract. Nobody is going to touch that for an over 30yo catcher unless the Twins buy the deal down.

My answer, unfortunately, is both YES and NO. But let me explain my ambiguity. I've always believed 2026 was a retooling season. We've started to see that with a number of young arms debuting and getting their feet wet. And I'm still hoping we get Raya back soon...throwing the way he was...and CJ Culpepper at some point in the pen as well. Unfortunately, Abel and Festa are done for the year. (Fingers tightly crossed there is a FIX for his injury). On the position player side, things have been murky. Injuries have delayed Roden, Jenkins, Rodriguez, and K-Pepper, though Roden is up now, and we might still see Jenkins and Rodriguez as well. KC should still debut at some point and get his feet wet for 2027. And I don't think Gonzalez and Mendez are very far behind. And so far, Houston looks to be at least a decent/solid hitter with an amazing glove that MIGHT be ready in 2027 as well. So I'm having a really hard time trading the TOP prospects of Jenkins, Rodriguez, KC, and Houston at this point. I want so much to see an INF of Lee, Houston, K-Pepper, with Lewis probably at 1B. And Buxton is still at the top of his game even at 85-90% and isn't going anywhere. And I've been damn impressed with Keaschall in the OF, the potential he's shown there, and his offense has been damn good since May, even though I'd still like to see a little more pop/power. BUT, the Keaschall move to the OF further changes the OF situation of talented prospect depth. There's not room for EVERYONE, and that gives you room for trade options right there. So then I say YES that they have the ability to make a significant trade, but I just don't want to touch those top 5. If I HAD to pick one, it might be Rodriguez only because you'd be "betting" he might not reach his potential. But that's a very scary bet to make. But I believe Gonzalez and Mendez have some real value. I'm not certain that Rosario...killing it at AAA since his long awaited promotion...doesn't also have some value as part of a deal. And while I'm afraid we might end up regretting moving him in a deal, I can see a team really liking to have Winokur in a deal. The Twins drafted a lot of interesting arms in 2025. Unfortunately, most of them are either injured, or began the season injured and are still working their way back currently. But they also went pretty hard on some intriguing arms in this past draft, especially early, so by next season, we could see a slew of arms at both A levels, hopefully a couple at AA as well, to help replenish the system. So maybe moving Soto or Hill in a big deal isn't such a bad option? And while I'm not interested in moving the young Tait, I can see him still being a valuable trade piece as well. Again, like Winokur and all the other possibilities listed, you may regret moving them one day. But you can't get something for nothing. ***Just a side note, if Jeffers was moved to someone like NY, LA, or BOS, I don't believe they would see him as a pure rental player. They would have the cache and cash to re-sign him with a deal the Twins simply can't, or won't. I like the idea of Hancock as presented by @chpettit19, or someone similar. I'd rather go the Jeffers, Mendez, Hill route for Hancock and a young RP and leave Rodriguez out of it. Maybe another top 20-30 throw in, or Wallner/Larnach if that gets it done? Adding another quality SP to go along with Lopez, Ryan, Bradley, Abel, and Prielipp...MAYBE Ober...is a hell of a good looking rotation. Add one good looking BP arm and then maybe Matthews DOES switch to bullpen...especially with concerns about Festa...and you might really have something. The debate of what to do with Rojas in this configuration is a different topic for a different day. So my answer is a convoluted YES and NO. I believe the system is deep enough to move some really talented young prospects without destroying the system. I just really want to stay away from the TOP 5.

I was also going to reference Varland, but as sort of an opposite comparison. Varland always seemed to be good 1 time through a lineup, maybe 1 1/2 times or so. But then after 4 innings, either the control would slip, or they would just time his pitches. At least this season, Matthews almost cruises for about 3 games and goes a full 6 or 7 innings, and then 4th game he just "doesn't have it" and gets beat up. I mean, he's something like 9 out of 13 starts are quality starts. That means there is something in him that WORKS most of the time. His biggest problem does seem to be the inability to put away batters 0-2 and 1-2. I have no idea how to fix that, but it would seem a change in his arsenal might be in order. Does he need a sweepee or cutter to replace a certain % of his fastballs? He's a big guy, so I'd suspect large hands, is he a good candidate for a splitter. Maybe add 2 pitches and just drop the change and lower the FB usage? He HAS shown some real improvement this season, IMO. And I'm just not ready to give up on him yet as a SP. Depending on how the offseason goes...any possible additions for example...I think he's still a starter for 2027. But he DOES need some tweeks to his offerings or mechanics, or both, to be able to get over the proverbial "hump" to put more batters away when he has a favorable count. Unfortunately, adding to to the OP's question, Festa's career is somewhat in doubt depending on how his next exam goes. I really think he could be a dominate late game arm. But if he's out of the equation, then it's all the more tempting to move Matthews in to a pen role. But I'm still reluctant to move a 27yo SP pitcher to the pen...his age next May...when he's actually shown improvement this season. Does he have another level to climb to in 2027 if they can mix and match his repertoire a bit?

On the one hand, I'm still very disappointed to lose the Cubs series after winning game 1, plus then losing the first 2 games of the Guardians series to make it 4 L's in a row On the other hand, the Cubs aren't a bad team and playing IN Cleveland has been a House Of Horrors for several years now. So hanging in there and winning the last 2 is a nice accomplishment. Believe I heard the Twins are under .500 against NL teams but above .500 against AL teams? Hmmmm...

The overall vitriol is so heavy I'm not even sure I want to comment. Wow! To be clear and honest, I was a fan of so much work Falvey did within the SYSTEM of changes in coaches and development that I was a fan. Do you even realize how many coaches were stolen from the Twins the last few years? Falvey had an eye for coaching talent. And he brought the FO in to the 21st Century in regard to analysts and scouting. (At least until the Pohlads shrunk the budget here). But while I didn't always agree with him, he LOST ME at the 2025 trade deadline. You CAN'T blame Abel for getting injured. And you can't be down on a 20yo A+ prospect that has tremendous power who might still be a solid catcher, or a great 1B in a couple of years. I'd trade Jax all day for a young, talented top of the rotation arm. The Stewart for Outman trade was just silly. Nobody won this. But the Twins FO, no longer with Falvey in charge, BLEW this trade in the end. That's Zoll. It was probably his pride on the line. Instead of keeping a young LH hitting OF that has potential, they kept Outman. Zoll lost my faith right there! Oh wait, I also forgot he also lost my faith when the Twins didn't keep Rodriguez in RF to start the season. Oh, I guess Falvey decided to keep both Wallner and Larnach. So I guess I give a small pass there. So maybe keep Rodriguez and not Roden? Even though both deserved a spot, I guess you have to make decisions. But the decisions were wrong. Honestly, building a better team means taking some chances. Zoll decided to be Falvey Jr. But the "building a bullpen" was where Falvey completely lost me. Trading for Roden, as a solid player, and Rojas just sounds good on the surface. But it was a STUPID move to add an OF that you won't even give a chance, and a wild LH that we can hope replaces the value of Varland. If there's anything to be learned from the crazy 2025 PURGE, just DON'T be as stupid as your predesor. Roden has a chance to be a solid 4th OF. Rojas has a CHANCE to be a solid SP in time. But injuries have held his IP under hopeful expectations. And he's still fighting command, despite an incredible arm. Most of the trades made sense. NOT cutting Outman immediately was a FO ego trip. It blocked Roden from any chance he could be a solid contributor. Why in the hell was he traded for if you weren't going to give him a chance in the first place? And I'd LOVE at this point if they just cut Rojas loose as the next LH weapon in the bullpen. He kinda replaces what Varland turned out to be, if not exactly. And MAYBE Roden actually gets a chance to prove he's a quality 4th OF option. So what SHOULD the FO learn from last seasons RED DAY? 1] It's not as easy to rebuild a bullpen on the fly as you thought. Injuries and poor decisions come in to play. But at this point, how about we give Raya and CJ and Rojas a chance to build a bullpen? 2] Trading for ML talent doesn't always mean immediate help. 100%. IF the Twins are even in partial trade mode, Jeffers is ONLY going to bring back a couple solid prospects. How can you not understand that? No team in contention is going to trade a high quality RP or SP for a rental player. PERIOD! BUT, you might get a couple top 10-20 prospects for 2027. What else do you expect? You really think a contending team is going to offer up IMMEDIATE help for the 2026 Twins while they're still fighting for a playoff spot? 3] I really hate discussing the Correa deal and $ saved, which is an illusion. It might have been saved, but it wasn't transmitted to 2026 for sure. And that's really a shame and misguided attitude from ownership. But it is what it is until TP proves something different. But IF the Twins are actually sellers at the deadline, I sure hope Zoll isn't as crazy as Falvey was last season. And I'd hope his decisions are smart. Because I've really lost almost all faith in a zoll/Falvey administration. And that's really sad.

My opinion is short and sweet. At least for ME, lol. I am 100% on a new deal for Bradley. He's super talented, young, still has a ceiling he hasn't hit yet...a good thing for the Twins...there is some recent precedence in regard to the Lopez extension, and the financials of MLB going forward might allow for at least some changes in profit sharing, even if we don't see the full CAP and FLOOR idea. But I also want to add, regardless SOMEWHAT of any new agreement, the Twins payroll dips below $100M in 2027 between trades or FA lost even if trades don't take place. And while the system has some very nice pitching prospects still on hand, there is a sudden gap between the 40 man roster and A+ ball, with a couple outliers. IF TP puts his $ where his mouth is, the Twins 13 man player roster in 2027 will be less proven at spots, but younger, more talented, more athletic, with higher ceilings, and also less expensive. So it will be a PERFECT time to extend at least ONE of Ryan or a rebounding Lopez for an extension to go along with Bradley. I doubt they could extend both. But the bird in the hand analogy really works here. FA contracts just don't fit a middle market team. Retention DOES work, along WITH development. So keeping Bradley and ONE of Lopez and Ryan with a relatively young and inexpensive team actually works. And you keep your SP staff strong for 2027 initially, and for 2028 and beyond, allowing your pitching prospects to develop.

I think Jenkins, as a supee talented prospect at 21yo is doing very well at AAA currently. And I can't wait to see him with the Twins. There are no real holes in his game. The only real "deficit" is that he's still developing his power. It's there, he just hasn't learned to tap in to it yet. A couple days ago...can't recall if it was the Futures Game or not....he hit a laser shot opposite field double down the LF line. It was a thing of beauty, and almost as pretty as a HR, but impressive as it shows what he's capable of doing. I think he's got 30HR potential. But that might be a 2-3 years down the road. But if he hits 35-40 DBLs and only 25HR, that can make him just as dangerous of a hitter. Especially considering he should be a good AVG and OB% hitter. But I have zero problem letting him "cook" a little more at St Paul until the deadline at least. Long term, it only helps his development, and does nothing to slow his career. His current hot streak is great. But I don't want him promoted just because of that. I still want to see him barrel up balls a little better with a decent launch angle. He learns to do that, the doubles and homers are going to naturally come. Right NOW Larnach and Bell are doing very well in their roles. But we still don't know if they're going to be around in 2 1/2 weeks. The 4 straight losses to the Cubs and Guardians are putting a real damper on the idea of being buyers at the deadline. But there's still games to be played between now and the deadline. And a couple more weeks at AAA aren't going to hurt Jenkins in the least. Nor is he guaranteed to actually help the Twins immediately win. The offense hasn't been the problem, at least against RHP. So NO, Jenkins doesn't have to be promoted immediately. But I DO believe if the Twins decide to do sell Jeffers for a decent haul, and Larnach, and Bell for whatever they can get, I'd absolutely love to see Jenkins get his debut and get his feet wet for 2027. And Roden can finally get a real shot at playing time as well. By then, K-Pepper might/should be ready for SS, letting Kreidler be the Super Utility guy. Maybe Gonzalez gets a shot as well? He's been doing pretty well the last couple of months despite season numbers being dragged down to his poor start. And let's not forget Rodriguez might/should be ready about mid August. And even if he is granted a 4th option year due to injury, he sure could use an opportunity to get his feet wet at the ML level as well. Sands should be back very soon. It sounds like Raya's injury was actually very minor, so he should be back soon. Does CJ get a shot come August? Even if the Twins don't end up buyers, but limited sellers instead, there's still a LOT to play for! For the TEAM, there is reaching and exceeding .500 with a POSSIBLE...but remote...possibility of still sneaking in to the playoffs with a sudden 2 month run the way the Tigers did recently. PLUS, there is playing for PRIDE to finish the season strong. PLUS, there is building for 2027 as a TEAM and organization as a whole. Playoffs or not, how about talented prospects coming up and building a bridge for 2027 and making life really difficult for every team they face that also has playoff plans? I'm reminded of Indians manager commenting in Major League where he stated he'd like to give prognosticors a "great big sh*t burger to eat". We still don't know if the Twins are limited sellers, or limited buyers. But NO, to Jenkins immediately. But YES to seeing him and others come August 4th and beyond. No matter what, there ARE things to still play for.

I think a lot of young pitchers struggle with the "command" aspect of throwing. Zebby is a great example. He can absolutely FILL UP the zone with strike after strike, but some games, he looses "command" and can't hit the bottom of the zone or the corners. I agree with the OP from what I've seen from Rojas so far. I won't say it's "fear" of ML hitters, it's not trusting in how good your stuff actually is to get them out. I also think that was part of Raya's issue as well, just trusting your pitches to be good enough that you don't have to always be perfect, and only hit corners to get ML hitters out. Rojas' STUFF is wicked good. Less nibbling, or trying to be perfect, and just live in the zone a little more and I think he coukd see some excellent results. That doesn't mean groove stuff and dare a batter to hit it. It just means that the velocity and movement is so good already, so stop being "cute" and trying to make batters miss or have poor contact. The way his stuff moves and plays up, he has the ability to get guys out by "challenging" the zone better. I still don't know if he's going to end up as a SP or not. I think that's a decision for a different day. But he's got 8th and 9th inning potential if he can stay in the zone more frequently.

Look, the truth is AA is when prospects start to show they have actual ML potential. And it's a tough adjustment. Sometimes it takes a whole season, or a season and a half to make that adjustment. And that's just NOT a worry point. Only a few 21-22yo are special enough to blow by AA. But the TOP Twins prospects are pretty much already at AAA, with a couple at AA. Rodriguez is a special talent who just needs to stay healthy. IMO, either Larnach or Wallner should have been gone to make room for him. He should have been used the way the Brewers used Chourio, let him develop at the ML level and live with some struggles. MAYBE he doesn't have another silly thumb injury. Sliding doors scenario. The Twins SHOULD have been smart enough to just dump Outman and keep Roden. At least, by this point, you have an idea of what he could be. Just RIDICULOUS roster construction because you STILL don't know what you traded for almost a year ago! But ego or paranoia you were so scared about DEPTH you yet again IGNORED TALENT vs obscure depth. Zoll should be embarrassed how this was handled. In a good way, the Twins are in competition for a WC, maybe even a chance to win the ALC outright. But it does question the future of the team going forward. I seriously doubt Larnach and Bell are back next season. That means it's FINALLY TIME to promote. Rodriguez MIGHT get another option season. But he's also ML ready based on talent and projection. Personally, I'm beyond ready to just live with growth and projection and see how he turns out. I understand the Jenkins love and anticipation of his debut. He's got all the talent in the world. And he's doing really well as a 21yo at AAA. But can we pause for a moment to realize he's still figuring things out as a 21yo? Most guys his age are in A ball. I think he's really close, and I'd love to see him debut this season, but I'm OK if he needs a little more time to work on his power stroke. But he's damn close to arriving. K-Pepper is going to be up soon. He's got everything you want from an INF, including the ability to play SS. But there's a real chance a year or so from now where we are debating who is best at 3B and 2B with Houston taking over SS and being the best defender we've had in ages, even though he's continued to look like a solid bat as well. So yeah, I'm fully on board for what I see as a really good lineup over the next couple of seasons. Rodriguez and Jenkins in the corners as early as opening day, allowing for slight delays. Buxton remains in CF, of course, and Keaschall can play all over. The STARTING 2027 INF will be Lee, K-Pepper, Clemens, and Lewis. Houston MIGHT be ready at some point in 2027, but if it's late 2027, or 2028, I'm still OK. Clemens is still a part of depth. And Kreidler has established himself this season, but MIGHT see a challenge Ross at some point. And let's not forget Lackey at catcher. Or did we forget the OP is about the near future? Sorry to fans with wishes, but he's not going to be ready until 2028 at the earliest. He only recently turned 21yo. And while he's regarded as an outstanding backstop, there's still stuff to learn. But the OP is correct. Not everyone will turn out. Some prospects will fail. Some will meet their potential. Some will be OK. A few prospects will be traded. But it's really hard to not to be excited with an OF of Rodriguez, Buxton...potentially resigned for a couple more seasons as an OF and DH...and Jenkins, with Keaschall as a utility OF/INF. And an INF of Lee, K-Pepper, Clemens, and Lewis. And then Houston moves K-Pepper to 2B. KC could move Lee to 2B, but I really like Lee at 3B and KC becoming one of the best 2B in MLB. The only question might be Lewis at 1B 2yrs from now. Is he a FA, or a Twin. Time will tell. But as the OP states, there is the potential for a hell of a good lineup with offense and defense starting as early as 2027.

Trading Larnach and Bell would bring back a pretty small return, but not necessarily C level prospects. They might actually get a couple solid B prospects for teams that could really use one of those bats to augment their lineup for a push. Byt they aren't going to bring back somone to help this season. 2027? Maybe. More like late 2027 or 2028, but they might replace a couple prospects dealt for pen arms over the next couple of weeks. IMO, the Twins have 2 realistic options over the next 2 1/2 weeks to augment this team. 1] I think we need to reflect back to 2019 when the Twins made a pair of trades to add to the bullpen. The first was OF Jaylin Davis and a pair of A ball pitchers (Prelander Berroa and Kai-Wei Teng) to the Giants for Sam Dyson. The second was 1B Lewin Diaz to the Marlins for Sergio Romo and Chris Vallimont. Both were solid, proven, 30yo plus veterans on expiring deals. Forget the fact that Dyson turned out to be a horrible person, had he not been injured...and hiding it from the Giants and Twins...he would have been a good get. Romo fit in so well, he earned another deal with the Twins. Has the cost for a couple of 30yo plus rentals on expiring deals changed so much the past few years? Maybe. But comparable deals TODAY would have been something like Fedko or Rosario, and a couple a couple arms from Ft Myers or the FCL squad. And Sabato might actually be better than Lewin Diaz as a 1B option. But even if the prospect cost is a little higher today than 2019, the Twins can afford something at least similar for a couple veteran set up types with expiring contracts. And maybe someone deserves an extension the way Romo did. It might cost a little more, but it sure would be nice to find another team's "Varland" who is around 26yo and has just started a pen conversion, or is about to, because he just hasn't taken a grip on a rotation spot. 2] The Twins could make a very interesting move for a decent, solid, veteran pitcher on an expiring deal to slot in behind Bradley, allow Prielipp to finish the season in the bullpen to keep him at 100-ish IP, and then make a move for a 30yo veteran setup type on an expiring deal. Said SP veteran provides rotation depth, allows Prielipp to keep throwing without encountering any IP issue, helps the bullpen, and they still add a solid veteran to help with the backend of the bullpen. Just for conversation sake, what if the Twins were willing to pay the last $8.5M for Sonny Gray for a couple of solid prospects that don't hurt too much? (Not sure about any team option buyout $ numbers). That's probably too high of a target, but Gray enjoyed his time here and it would definitely be a "surprise" move. But I think they'd probably target someone a little less expensive IMO, those are the likely 2 scenarios. I believe TP and the FO are willing to add in an attempt to fortify the STAFF as a whole, in whatever scenario transpires. And either move can help this team win another 3-5 games by simply not blowing winnable games. POTENTIALLY, it's enough to win the ALC if someone doesn't suddenly run away with it, much less a possible WC playoff spot. The FO/ownership actually helps this current team compete more strongly, but they don't damage the overall structure of the TOP 20 prospect lists. NOW, if they target some hard throwing up and comer, young and under control, from a team not in contention and it costs them something like Mendez/Gonzalez plus a Soto/Hill I'm willing to listen at least. The team could probably absorb the loss of Larnach or Bell. I don't think they could absorb the loss of both if they're still fighting for contention. But again, a couple decent prospects could help replace what is traded away, potentially. But the great big elephant in the room remains Jeffers. And I wish it wasn't true as I really like Jeffers, and always have. I love his offense. But even more, I just love the way he handles the STAFF and how they trust him. I have NO CLUE about how ownership and the FO view his situation. IF he's traded, they can "withstand" playing without him because Caratini is OK, and Jackson remains a solid backup option. While 3-way trades are rare, Jeffers could be a quasi 3 team trade when you factor in solid prospects coming back...probably at least ONE top 100 talent...and those prospects could supplement the prospects sent out in various bullpen trades. That would be the Twins as sellers AND buyers. It could work. It could be beneficial. But I'm 50/50 we see it happen. Just a gut feeling, but if the team is in contention, I see the Twins keeping Jeffers, riding it out, and then deciding after the season what to do. While not a difference maker, I still liked the addition of Nance as a middle reliever with a good background. And I like the idea of NOT waiting for the deadline to make moves. NOT making early moves only helps fulfill the destiny of NOT being in the playoffs. But I'm in favor of point #1 in my post. Deal for a couple solid veteran setup man types to give this team a chance. And again, maybe someone deserves a new deal. In the last 50 years plus of following the Twins, I can only remember the team ever trading for a "closer". And that would be Davis and Reardon. And if I've missed someone, please correct me. Nathan was an unknown when acquired with potential. Aguilera was a SP who became one of the best closers we've had. Guardardo and Perkins were LHSP who "failed" as SP and became closers. Even Trombley was briefly a decent closer for goodness sake. Duran was SUPPOSED to be a STUD SP. But he just wasn't built for that role. Jax...a fireman but sometimes closer...was a mediocre SP who became something much more. I know there are some that will accuse me of living in a fantasy world. And that's OK. But in the modern history of the Twins, they have generally developed RP and depth from within, while also finding good value where others didn't always see it. I'm so tempted to go "Back to the Future" for examples but won't. How about Thielbar as a FA that Detroit ignored, good for the Twins. And then you get Stewart for a while. And then we get a gift of Gomez, who could still end up better as a setup man. Right NOW, they need a couple of veteran arms. How about another Dyson and Romo trade that doesn't greatly affect the prospect depth? I think it's OK to ask for ideas. But that's up the FO to decide who makes sense. Again, living in a fantasy world, I really think the FO was blindsighted by the sudden Lopez injury. Despite decent rotation depth, I really think they had a "supposedly" healthy Festa still ready to be a late inning bullpen option. It just made sense, and still does if he can get healthy for 2027. But then he wasn't ready. And Lewis wasn't ready for what I also consider to be a natural pen conversion arm. And the Ober arrived at ST throwing 88-89 even though he was throwing 90-91 in the offseasn. And on top of it all, SWR was suddenly mediocre to poor. I mean, what the hell happened? Suddenly Prielipp is pushed earlier than expected, Abel looks like the STUD we hoped for, and then he suddenly gets hurt as well. Thankfully, Ober kinda/sorta looks like a Radke/Silva clone. I'm not sure how the conversation of MILB talent arms that was intended could of turned out worse. Gomez has been a developmental gift. Morris is doing everything he can to prove he's a top option. At this time, Festa coulda/shoulda been a top BP arm. I sure hope he can get fully healthy again, because there's so much potential there. Unfortunately, Raya was ACTUALLY on a path to show his potential before he also got injured. He's already on a rehab assignment. And CJ Culpepper is not quite ready, but his bullpen convertion is going well. My whole point, foe anyone still reading, is the INITIAL BP plan has been blown up and delayed. But we are starting to see glimpses of the plan finally taking hold. The bullpen we finish with this season is probably not the bullpen we see to begin 2027. Things just haven't turned out as expected. And that includes injuries. BUT even 2 solid veteran, solid additions could make a difference for 2026. I just don't think the FO has to go crazy to add to the bullpen for 2026 and still come away with a couple solid additions. And I'd applaud them for making moves BEFORE the deadline to help the team NOW. I just don't want them to trade away too much only for this season, unless they can bring in an under developed arm. There's just too much potential for the 2027 pen that I don't want to get prospect crazy on trades for this season.

Absolutely not. The prospect capital and almost immediate pending increases in arbitration $. One dominant closer might be a good trade a couple years from now when we have a possible/probable fine lineup of mostly 27yo and younger players, have fleshed out the pen better, and have what I believe will still be a quality rotation at that time lead by Bradley, Abel, Prielipp, etc, etc. They need a couple solid, dependable pen arms to finish out this season and support the lineup and starting staff that we currently have. Having someone mike Miller would aure by nice, but we're just not a closer away from being an actual contender.

Damn, I love Jeffers. Always have. I really hate the idea of letting him go.

I have to ask Ash, while I agree you always have to expect to be "scooped" by teams before you, are you more disappointed they didn't draft a pitcher anyway? Or more disappointed that Tinney was the next best player on their board?