DocBauer

I've said it before and will say it again, 2B is a key to the opening day roster, and the lineup. Castro at 2B limits his value...and I'm a fan...and removes a portion of his value to the team. While I believe he's a viable position player at a couple spots, including 2B, his greatest value is being the 10th man. What and who constitutes a viable bench without him? The Twins WANT Lee to be healthy and take over 2B. Hopefully that will be the case. That allows Castro to be the 10th man SUPER UTILITY player that he's become. IDEALLY, Julien will force his way on to the roster as a much needed LH bat who can DH and cover 2B and 1B. I'm NOT down on Lee after a rookie season, mixed in with some injuries. I don't believe the Twins are, and we shouldn't be as fans either. Keaschall has the ability to help EVERYWHERE from 2B to 1B or DH or CF, eventually. And I believe the FO is misguided if they don't consider Eeles as a legitimate prospect. Not only should he have been a NRI, but even a couple games in to ST, why has he yet to appear as a late inning option. Is he hurt? The last roster spot, or two, depends on who wins 2B. If it's Lee, the lineup and defense starts to make sense. With France, Miranda, Vazquez, and Bader, it's a 1 spot battle. Keirsey gets shoved because he's the 5th OF. IF Julien's bat shows life, he's the final man to begin the season. His LH bat is more important than the questionable bat and questionable defense of Martin. Again, 2B is a key to the final opening day roster.

I missed on the CATCHER article due to time constraints. But I have to take moment on 1B, and roster construction as a whole. I DON'T LIKE not having a Hrbek or Mourneau at 1B! Period. But the traditional one dimensional slugging 1B has been sliding away in MLB for some time now. The simple reason is better athletes, with more offense, are playing ACROSS the dirt and the grass to provide offense. BUT, 1B is also NOW a perfect opportunity to HAVE a slugging player at 1B who can make a difference. I think a lot of opinions need to change about set lineups, as they did in the "old days". So let's look at the "old days" when TK and Gardenhire were in charge. You still had 13 position players, sometimes 14. 9 regular starters. One depth piece was the backup catcher. There was always a utility INF, and some sort of 4th OF. That's 12 of 13, or maybe 14. Who else did you have on your bench? Randy Bush was a DH, part time corner OF and part time 1B. That means he was a position less player. Al Newman played all across the INF. Denny Hocking did that, PLUS played a little 1B and IIRC, a few games in the OF here and there is believe. Leius was a SS and 3B. Punto played everywhere. YES, I'm going old school here. But I'm doing so deliberately. EVERY TEAM throughout time has BENCH players who fill a role by playing multiple positions. With a 24-26 man roster over DECADES it's just a fact. The ONLY difference in the modern game is that teams are trying to find a way to have MORE players who can play MORE than one position to increase the versatility of the entire LIMITED roster. (Heavy sigh) 1B SHOULD be mostly Miranda based on BAT ability, relative youth, and potential. IF France doesn't just suck...me being hardcore in language on TD...he offers more experience at the position so Miranda doesn't have to be the primary 1B. IF his bat comes back around, he can also be a solid DH option for now. And you just can't ignore the fact that Julien could be a viable option as a role player at 2B/1B/DH if his bat rebounds. What you should ALWAYS want is the best 13 position players you can have, and then fit them in the best you can. Period. 1B is the same. RIGHT NOW, France MIGHT be part of that 13. It DOESN'T mean he necessarily supplant Miranda as the primary 1B. But if he doesn't suck...there's that word again...he might allow Miranda the flexibility to play some 3B, DH, and grow in to a 1B role.

I read the article. I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying he was quoted as saying he made a joke to a teammate about letting a ball go under their glove. Why even mention such a joke in the interview? IF he's innocent I'd hate to see his life have a black mark, or see his potential baseball career be ruined? And maybe he's not a bad guy. Maybe he made a HUGE mistake because he was dealing with something in his life we don't know about and don't understand. If so, I'd hate to have somebody's life and reputation scarred. BUT, the OTHER team reported it. What kind of agenda could they possibly have against him? The umpire reported after the fact he heard the same? What possible agenda could he have? Why would he go against the advice of his agency while a report was still being filed if he was concerned about his reputation? Why he did what it's been reported he did is beyond our knowledge. But for what possible reason would a MILB team, and a MILB umpire have to to report something so egregious about a rookie MILB catcher? I don't wish the kid ill in his future. Again, maybe he's going through something in his life and made a major mistake as a result. But any sort of protestation of innocence here rings very hollow.

While the Twins didn't face a murders row, the pitching was quite impressive. Morris and Lewis got the job done and each threw some nasty breaking stuff at times. Don't want to nit pick, but I think each could have thrown a few more strikes. Funderburk was ON IT. I believe he only threw 7 or 8 pitches his 1st inning. Nowlin struggled with his control, but showed some good stuff, including some nasty change ups. Crazy 3/4 delivery that looked like he was whipping his pitches. Gotta be deceptive to the batter. A little more consistency and he might be something.

A couple games in and honestly who cares? I only say that because it's interesting and we have baseball again, but we don't know what to think about anything or anyone yet, despite the thrill of ball being played. But I thank you John for your reports! You give spring us spring breaths of optimism as we breeze winter air. Tonkin had a BAD DAY! He might K the side the next time out. Canterino actually on the mound is a victory even if he was wild. Wallner doing ANYTHING in ST is a good sign. I'm starting to think he's a "grower". He NEEDS ST AB to just "get going" and get in a rhythm. And that might explain his bad start in 2024. Anybody else notice that Rocco has been batting him leadoff so far that he can get as many AB as possible, including against LHP?

There was a LHP kid who's name i can't recall right now...White maybe?...that I really liked and wanted the Twins to grab. Hill wasn't really on my radar when the draft took place as there were a number of HS arms of great interest. But boy did I become an instant fan once I looked at him closer. @Dmansort of stole my thunder in regard to seeing a LH Festa comp. Obviously there's a difference between HS and college pitchers, but both have the height and long levers. The concern for Festa is the same for Hill...even though comps aren't fair...with a long limb build and narrow shoulders, how much room is there to increase body and muscle mass for endurance. And by that, I mean maintaining velocity. I DON'T mean a pitcher has to be 220lbs to be a good, strong arm. Good, lean, muscle is way better than bulk muscle. I just mean can he add some good muscle weight over the next few seasons, like Festa has, to maintain his velocity, as well as endurance. I'm betting he can. He was maybe my favorite pick last season based on potential. But I'm actually embarrassed that I forgot about Carpenter. He's EXACTLY how Johnson runs the draft. I can't wait to see reports about Carpenter, ALMOST a HS draftee with tremendous potential.

I want to touch briefly on the idea and comments about "making room" for prospects in regard to how things are run with the Twins at this point. Again, I'm going to mention @Riverbrianand an earlier post he made in this OP in regard to the pro's and con's of the Twins usage of younger players. I DO appreciate and understand the FO setting a floor, and establishing depth. When a veteran stinks and you call up a prospect to replace them, and then the replacement gets hurt, or struggles, where do you turn to then? My first...and so far only...trip to Target Field in August of 2022 was a season wiped out due to injury. IIRC, the entire OF was LF that day, facing a LHSP from the Rangers. Ryan pitched a solid game in a loss, but the lineup was almost embarrassing. (NOTE: I still had an amazing time!) But what confuses me is this FO is far more aggressive in promoting prospects than the previous FO ever was. But they then seem to be so paranoid about a couple injury related collapses here and there, that they seem almost SCARED to just let the prospects play when a veteran underperforms. Recent examples would include, but not be limited to, Gallo and Margot. So I understand and appreciate fan angst in this regard as I share the same frustration. Despite a couple decent months from Margot in 2024, he was a poor performer in every way. I would have cut him by late July at the latest, and given Keirsey and/or Helman a shot by then for sure. What did they have to lose at that point? As a mid market team, you sometimes have to trust in your system and give those players a shot to see what you have. They could learn a couple things from Cleveland and Milwaukee in regard to taking chances. But what equally frustrates me is that when they DO promote a prospect, they tend to languish on the bench after their promotion. When Martin got his first shot last season, he SAT except for a couple PR appearances at first. When Camargo came up, Rocco just refused to let him catch and give Jeffers a day off. Keirsey and Helman only finally got a chance to play because everyone else was hurt. I'm simply NOT an old school "back in my day" fan and observer because I understand how the game has changed. But a credit i will give to TK and Gardy was when a kid was called up, they MIGHT get 1 day to settle in, and then they PLAYED. Why sit them? Why not get the anxiety and nervousness out of the way and just play ball? The FO can't be aggressive with promotions, and then get nervous about promoting to the final level and just SEE what you might have. And Rocco, as a former player, and the manager of the team, should simply let the kids play.

Power and speed ALWAYS play. And Keaschall has both. But he also appears to have legitimate bat to ball skills and a good eye. That means he's, probably, going to be a successful hitter at the ML level. TJ surgery for a position player is much easier to recover from than it is for a pitcher. Right now he's scheduled to begin playing in the field about mid March. The only real questions are, a] how long will it take his arm to be at full strength, and b] will he lose any arm strength? One of the things I really like about him is he has the athletic tools to play anywhere. At 6' and a good 190 lbs with power, he could be a very athletic 1B with speed who hits at the top of the order the way the Angels used to use Darrin Erstad. But he could also play 2B. When he was drafted, it was thought he could play some CF. Well, the Twins have used him in CF. Miranda, at the moment, is the only young player at 1B. Yes, Julien might end up playing there some as well, but there is nobody in the system TARGETED for 1B at this time. Possibly Amick moves there eventually. But Miranda is about it, unless someone else moves there. So why couldn't Keaschall be the long term answer there? But what if he could be a really good 2B? But what about Lee at 2B? And what if Eeles is as good of a prospect as many of us think he is? Well, he's probably a 2B as well. But again, you have Lee penciled in for 2B. So MAYBE Lee moves to 3B and Lewis moves to 1B? I think Lewis can be a really good 3B, but maybe the BEST OVERALL INF is Lewis at 1B, Lee at 3B, and one of Keaschall or Eeles at 2B. But wait, it gets even crazier! Castro may be gone after 2025. But it's at least possible the new owners would gladly spend a little $ to have him back. However, Eeles is a hard worker who began to move around the dirt and the grass at St Paul in order to increase his versatility/value. Keaschall played 27 games at 3B in college, 57 games at SS, and 84 games at 2B. And now he's playing 1B and CF in MILB. So POTENTIALLY one of Eeles or Keaschall could end up with a fixed position, and the other could be the Castro replacement as the Super Utility player. @Riverbrianis fond of saying there is no such thing as a logjam anywhere. And for the most part, hes 100% correct. Invariably, SOMEONE washes out, or gets traded, and said logjam never really takes place. Buuut, the Twins MIGHT have a nice problem at some point here in 2025, and beyond, where they actually have 6-7 INF's...POSSIBLY 8 were Castro resigned...to fit in to 4 INF spots, DH, and SUPER UTILITY. The OF COULD have a similar situation as well with Rodriguez close and Jenkins on his way, but that's a different article for a different day, except to repeat that ONE of the INF possibilities could end up as a part time OF option. It's a nice "problem" to potentially have! So where does Keaschall fit for 2025? The answer is: it doesn't matter. There is some logic for him to BEGIN his season at AA, to ramp up, and because St Paul isn't short of players. But this FO is FAR more aggressive than the Ryan regime in regard to moving players up. With a good ST and an arm responding well, I can see Keaschall at AAA to start. IF he begins at AA, I doubt he's there long. And at some point, there will opportunity through injury...or maybe France just doesn't have it any longer...and Keaschall will get his opportunity. (Hoping Eeles does as well). But since Keaschall's offense seems legit, and he has the ability to help anywhere from DH to a position spot, all that matters is he CAN HELP, but it could be ANY role.

Looks like 11. I'm saying Chilli Davis wearing 44 batting from the LH side.

I'm sorry, but there's a lot of "picking on" Castro at this point. I could care less about him being the MVP for 2024. That award could have been given to Correa or Jax for what they did. Castro was like Polanco a couple years ago when Polanco answered the bell daily to be in the lineup when he was playing on 1 leg. When Castro came to the Twins in 2023 and "snuck" on to the roster due to injuries he was a "right place at the right time" addition. He was a decent Tigers prospect who might have been advanced sooner than he should have been. And Detroit wasn't known for turning out talent at the time. NOT patting our backs, but a few of us thought he MIGHT be a steal who would go to AAA and help. But he had a .750 OPS in 2023. And when he was selected as an All Star in 2024, his OPS was right around the same .750 OPS. And right about that time he developed some sort of back issue. Arguements could be made that he should have been shut down for a while vs being a TROOPER and still playing. MAYBE the almost 28yo Castro was a flash in the pan. But a healthy Castro has been a .750 OPS performer for 1 1/2 years as a Twin. I think he's STILL the Twins 10th man and an important part of 2025. Why would we concentrate on a 28yo having 1/2 of a poor season vs the 1 1/2 seasons we've seen him produce?

Jones is a good answer. But I'm going to say Denard Span.

There's a lot of debate about how Martin was developed in the minors. In college, he literally played everywhere, including 1B and the OF, though the majority of his time was spent at 3B. Was he versatile? Or could they not find a defensive home for him? I don't think the Jay's or the Twins thought he was a ML SS prospect. But the arguement i heard many times was he was a "natural OF" who could transition there any time. But they wanted to keep him in the dirt for as long as possible to see if he could be a viable option at 2B and 3B. The idea being that SS experience would help him at the other two spots. I still don't think that was the right way to handle him, but I can see the method in the madness there. He doesn't have the typical bat you'd want at 3B, and from what I saw last season, his defense at 2B is questionable. I'll give him credit that I saw a handful of solid plays at 2B in 2024. But I also saw a guy who was very tentative at times. What I saw in the OF was very disappointing. Yes, there were a handful of plays where he robbed a HR, or streaked in to the gap to haul in a slicing ball that were hilight material. But mostly what I saw was a guy who couldn't read the ball off of the bat and was either frozen for a moment, or took false steps in or back that kept him out of the play. I fully understand he was a rookie. I understand that there can be a difference reading the ball off the bat in a giant ML stadium vs a MILB park due to the lights and the decks. But there exists a very real ability to read a fly ball off the bat. Call it instinct if you will. Martin seemed better tracing balls off to the side, but couldn't read balls directed more towards him. When looking at his college career, and his professional career thus far, I think he was drafted primary as a HIT batter with some speed. He never has had real pop/power, and he's never really had a defensive home. I'll NEVER pick on a rookie having struggles in his debut! Not only is that unfair, but even STUD players often struggle initially. MLB is HARD! But he didn't exactly flash a potential bat as a rookie. And he looked out of place most days defensively. So I think Rocco's comments were more about his athleticism and "pumping up" Martin's confidence. But it does strike me as a little bit funny how poorly some view Julien's defense at 2B initially, before hard work got him to at least average, but because his bat suddenly went silent...and the defense SUDDENLY regressed at the same time...he's dead and gone as a ML SOPHOMORE, but Martin playing poor defense everywhere and not producing much of anything as a ROOKIE/FRESHMAN has a future. That makes ZERO sense to me. Why am I bringing up Julien here? It's because they are similar in roster construction and their futures for 2025 and beyond. With Bader on hand, Martin's role is as a LF/CF option who can cover 2B and be a PR. But other than 2B, Bader already has the OF covered, along with contributions from Castro. If Julien rediscovers and improves his approach, he's a LH bat the team is suddenly short of, and can play some 2B, DH, and MAYBE help at 1B. It's all good that the athletic, almost 26yo Martin has the potential to become a very good defensive player in the OF. He DOES have the potential to do so. But it's also just as possible that the almost 26yo Julien actually fits the 2025 roster better as a LH bat the team needs as a 2B/DH. What's even more interesting and ties these 2 players together is the FUTURE. Rodriguez and eventually Jenkins are in the OF relatively soon. So where does Martin fit as a great defensive player? His BAT had better produce as a quality role player. There's a HOLE for a RH OF bat, but is that Martin? If Julien "gets right" there's a potential role for him at 2B/1B/DH. But he's also competing against Lee taking over 2B, and Keaschall coming up. And I'm not even going in to the idea of Eeles turning out to be a viable ML ballplayer. So its great that Rocco wants to pump up Martin. He might surprise us with his bat and his defense. But if you look at what he needs to work on, and how you'd ideally want to build the 2025 roster, a rebound of Julien is the FIT you'd want to see. Martin should begin the season at AAA. BOTH are on the clock for prospects behind them.

I don't know what it is exactly, but the world is just better when it's baseball season. While it's still somewhat white and cold in the midwest...not so bad here in Nebraska, sorry for you folks further up north...baseball means the promise of spring and summer! Personally, I like the framework of this team. That's what makes the whole payroll/ownership situation so damned frustrating to me. I know a larger payroll doesn't guarantee winning. And the Twins have the largest payroll in the ALC, but with hope and no insult to France, and wishing him the very best in a Twins uniform, how much better does this team look with a decent, experienced BAT at 1B? I'm not a stick in the mud in the middle of a large pond of hopeful, but it irks me to see such a potential hole in the lineup. But I like the rotation and the young arms that have arrived, or are close to doing so. I like the pen a lot, especially with Coulombe added to fill the one glaring weaknesses that I think we all saw. He's not a fireballing ser up man, but he's a solid, proven LH arm who's affective against RH bats who you don't cringe when he comes in for the 6th or 7th...maybe the 8th inning certain situations...to get the job done. I/we can choose to lament Buxton's lengthy injury history, Lewis's somewhat shorter one, or the foot issues that have recently plagued Correa. OR, we can be optimistic that Lewis is ready to go, Correa's feet are now OK, and hopefully we get another 100 games out of Buxton. Dare we hope for more?? Those 3 are worth the price of admission to watch perform. So is Wallner when he squares up. So are many of the Twins arms. Give me those rose colored glasses and a sack full of hope, because it's spring, baseball is back, and there's enough talent here for a winning year. When I look at Rodriguez and Keaschall debuting sometime soon, Jenkins hopefully in 2026, and arms and young pitching depth we haven't seen since ??? and what we hope is a more invested new ownership group, I'm even more excited about 2026 and beyond. Go get 'em boys! It's baseball season and optimism is in the air like the smell of blossoms in the spring!

Oh, and did I miss Danny DeAndrade somewhere?

I had forgotten about Caden Kendle in the 5th round last season, so focused on other guys. I keep wondering if 4th round pick Ferrer shouldn't be put back at catcher. Rumor has it he was highly regarded as a HS recruit at the position. Nice to see the mention of Winoker as a future CF for the Twins. He's got a ways to go for sure, but I keep seeing him in the middle, flanked by Jenkins and Rodriguez in a couple of years.

It can be confusing for sure. Many times the "non roster invites" are former MLB players signed to MILB contracts like 1B/DH Ford in camp with the Twins. Or Castro a couple years ago. A SOMEONE who might blossom and surprise. Sometimes the MILB deals they sign INCLUDES an invite to camp. But often, they are just the team needing "bodies" to help out. Severino, for example, was a 40 man roster addition after his great 2023 season. After a somewhat disappointing 2024, he elected to stay with the Twins and they brought him in as an invite because 1B isn't exactly settled, and because they still see at least some potential there. All teams need multiple catchers to catch all the arms in camp, so more than a couple of them are brought in...despite not being legitimate competitors for a roster spot...just to handle the load. Sometimes, a NRI is a top prospect that might be CLOSE but not on the 40 man yet, and the FO and coaching staff wants to take a good look at them. Potential relief arms are very common for NRI. And once in a while you get a Stewart, or a Duarte who impressed and made the club in 2024 before blowing out his elbow after a couple appearances. But ST rosters mean NOTHING in the context of the 40 man roster in regard to ST games. The MILB players are only a couple hundreds of feet away from the rostered players. You can plug them in to your lineup or pitching staff with short notice. EXAMPLE: Rosario appeared in the game against the Braves and he's NOT an invited player. If the Twins wanted to bring Jenkins over tomorrow to play a couple of innings, he could with no issue. SOME of being invited means the team is LOOKING at you. Some are filling a limited purpose. Some are just being brought over to give them experience.

In the weird, crazy year and draft that was 2020, I remember liking the Raya selection very much. More than any other selection that year. Right or wrong, fair or not, when I read about his stuff and his success, I saw another Berrios. I felt if he was 2" taller and 15lbs heavier, he would have been a 2nd round selection. I thought the Twins got a potential steal. And I was SO disappointed when he had a shoulder issue and was held out in 2021. What's been so crazy about his career is that while he's been held back in regard to pitch count and innings thrown, the Twins have been VERY aggressive in promoting him. Despite all the consternation about how he's been used, he's at AAA ball as a 22yo! It's apparent they've felt his pure stuff and potential was so good they needed/wanted to move him up, while still limiting his workload. IMO, despite being on the 40 man, the goal is to increase his workload in 2025, while still holding him back to let his talent and development and workload all coalesce for 2026, and maybe late 2025. Festa and Matthews are ahead of him. But I'd wager if someone else is needed, Morris or Lewis would probably be promoted before him...with an obvious 40 man move to add them...and possibly Adams as well, simply because 2025 is about stretching him out, harnessing his stuff, and refining his command and approach. The kid gloves come off this season, but there's still work to be done. I'm NOT saying he's going to be a STUD part of the future rotation at this point. Maybe he will be?? But they seem to see him as an unpolished diamond that they are willing to take a little more time to perfect. IF he spends the entire season in AAA this year, realize he'd make his debut in 2026 as a 23yo. That's a pretty young rotation arm.

I was really disappointed in Funderburk's season as I had really high hopes following his 2023 work at St Paul and his Twins debut. But i hadn't realized he was that good/solid overall other than those handful of games pre injury. While he's not exactly young, we have to remember he turned 28 this past November, so he's not exactly old for a reliever. Further, he was a college draftee who was primarily a 1B in college before the Twins drafted hum as a pitcher. From there he was primarily a starter, but spent some time working out of the pen as well. So not debuting until age 27 is somewhat understandable. And he's got some pretty good stuff, and is a 10K per 9 guy overall as well. So no, I don't think 2025 is a "make or break" season for him, not only due to potential, but also the lack of LHP in the system. I do think he probably begins the season in St Paul though, just based on what is already a pretty crowded pen. But I do have to say that I'm really interested in what the Twins do this season with Nowlin. He finished the season in St Paul and I just can't see the Twins moving him back to AA at this point. He's been OK as a starter, but inconsistent. The HITS and K per 9 are solid, but he has control lapses. Still only 24yo, they may want to keep him stretched out. And I never want to move a talented young arms to the pen "too soon". But I suspect he could be VERY GOOD in the pen, and his BB issues would be mitigated somewhat there as well. ASSUMING Coulombe is only here for 1 season...and that's not carved in stone at all...Funderburk and Nowlin could potentially give the Twins a strong LH pen duo in 2026.

Thanks John! Great news on Zebby! Personally, I think Festa will be better than SWR and Paddack, especially if he can harness the curveball hes working on. I hate the idea of him probably being in AAA to begin the year, but I hated seeing Ober go down in '23 and that worked out fine. But if Paddack is "back", the depth sure is nice to have waiting in the wings. Have a lot of confidence in Matthews, especially with the added MPH. I think Morris gets pushed aside somewhat, but his 2024 was barely behind Zebby in impressive fashion. And I'm a big believer in Lewis, who lost time due to injury, and lost a little control and velocity. If he's back to his 2023 form, St Paul is LOADED with potential Twins rotation arms!

Tonkin is a solid, viable middle pen option. His numbers over the last couple of seasons prove that. We can point to how many times he was DFA OR we can point to the fact that he was IMMEDIATELY picked up by many teams. Why was he DFA so many times? Because he's over 30yo and not a back end RP and teams were playing the roster depth game. Why did everyone keep signing him or bringing him back? Because he's a very solid rubber arm, dependable middle man on the cheap. The Twins brought him back precisely due to what I stated above. He's a cheap, veteran, solid rubber arm middle man who's easy to cut if necessary. I actually feel sorry for the guy. Consider for a moment Pagan and how well he did for the Twins in 2023 once he was placed in a middle innings role. That's Tonkin. But it's also Topa, if he's ready to go. Tonkin isn't just a "throw away arm". An honest glimpse of his profile on Baseball Reference would show you he's actually worthy of being on board for his cheap deal. BUT, there is a point where we look at depth and potential and need to pause. Options be damned...and depth is nice...I believe in building the best damn pen you can! For a moment, let's forget Castellono. The BEST BP the Twins could put together would be Duran, Jax, Stewart, Sands, Alcala, Coulombe, Varland, and either Topa...who has an option...or Tonkin. To me it's a healthy Topa, hoping to prove 2023 was reality, or Tonkin as an older veteran who might be more proven. To ME that's the hierarchy. NOWHERE does Alcala fit as the 8th man, options be damned. Topa, with an option, or Tonkin is the last man. IF, Castellono surprises, he's STILL behind the more proven Alcala in my opinion. You just DON'T dismiss or suplant a productive powerful arm in the fold. INSTEAD, you use that arm more intelligently and worry more about the 8th spot in your pen, which concerns me.

I don't often bash Rocco, even if i don't always agree with him. But Alcala was POORLY used last season. He had thrown something like 20 innings due to injuries the previous 2yrs. But he's got the pure stuff to be very good 1 IP at a time. Especially coming off injury, he should have been handled as such. But he was frequently asked to throw 40-50 pitches at 2-3 innings per. And the "someone has to throw those innings" is either a horrible mismanagement of Rocco, or the FO. No wonder he was worn out later in the season. Topa has options, so does Varland. I want the best pen the Twins can assemble. But if they HAVE to protect depth, NO WAY should Alcala be sent down. The guy has paid his dues, and performed very well when used properly. I don't like the idea of protecting Castellano unless he looks GREAT in ST. If he does, then make a trade with the Phillies that makes sense. And if that doesn't work, let someone else take the temporary demotion to AAA before the inevitable injury/promotion of someone else. Name me a team that has a high K reliever that produces when used properly that would send said pitcher down? That's just awful roster management.

I have a basic principle that says when a guy rakes in college, and then rakes in MILB, and rakes at the ML level...even in a SSS and at least shows SOMETHING...I don't write him off when he struggles. It's just a general philosophy that doesn't ALWAYS hold true...some guys are just a flash in the pan and that's it...but I stand by what I've seen over the years. The problem with Julien is that he was just SO LOST after the first few weeks of 2024 that I don't know what to expect. I pretend to be pretty smart, LOL, but I don't have the expert eye on something that @chpettit19 put out there regarding Julien's swing path. Others are way smarter than me on such things. Some are even paid to figure that out! What i saw was a kid who was lost and then lost confidence. While some refuse to accept it, or didn't see enough to really know, he worked damn hard on his defense in 2023, and improved to the point where he was at least ML average at the position. And that's fine as long as the bat plays. But the defense went downhill when his bat went downhill last year. I was actually shocked how many times his "great eye" betrayed him and he was sent down with another K from a pitch right in his previous zone. Again, for whatever reason(s), the kid looked lost to me. And it looked like his confidence was gone. I HATE to bring up previous nightmares, but he reminded me of watching Gallo just HOPING he could earn a BB at times while at the plate. But Julien DOES have a good eye for the zone. He DOES have the ability to spray the field for hits, doubles, and some legitimate HR power. He DOES have a good work ethic. So he DOES have the ability to adjust...if his head is now clear...and adjust his swing, foul of some pitches like Larnach learned to do better, and maybe STRIKE more often. I sure hope that happens, as there's a really good offensive ballplayer in there, even though he's restricted to 2B/1B/DH. Unfortunately for him, if things go well in the INF going forward with talent on hand, and Keaschall not too far away, he might not have a FIXED position. But that's OK if his bat comes around. There's absolutely room for him. SIDE NOTE: A comment from Larnach last year...since he's been brought up...was something along the lines of...and I'm paraphrasing here... "I've hardly ever seen a FB since I turned pro! It's always been about fouling off the other stuff to finding something I could hit". Sounds a bit like Julien at this point.

Lewis doesn't need me to defend him, but I'm compelled to make a couple points: 1] He stated he didn't want to move to 2B DURING the season because he was afraid he'd blow a play in an important game since he hadn't had any real time to adjust to the position. Why does this part of the 2024 discussion get left out? (He was also probably a little frustrated with his own performance at the time). In fact, he's worked pit at 2B in the offseason, though it looks like that idea may have been scrapped already by the Twins. 2] He's represented by "super agent" Scott Boras. If the Twins offer was really too low, or insulting, you never heard a word from Boras or Lewis about it. And he COULD have refused and gone to arbitration. A really good OP by Matthew! A good read and some good quotes. But he did sort of stop short of the whole story. For all intent and purposes a PAIR of ACL injuries basically cost Lewis 2yrs of playing time. While rehabbing, he got bigger and stronger. That's not necessarily a bad thing unto itself. But 2 ACL injuries and more muscle, I'm pretty sure the 60 grade speed is gone. Doesn't mean he's slow, but he's not the same physically that he once was. Now, adding muscle, getting stronger, rehabbing, is different than actually playing the game in full drive mode. So barely seeing the field for TWO YEARS, i don't think a few injuries are out of the question when returning to the field again. It stinks! But I don't think his soft tissue injuries are out of left field, no pun intended. What was alluded to, but not included in the OP, is that this offseason he's been working with a previous physical therapist/trainer he trusts and has worked with previously. Their intent was for him to work on flexibility, and quickness, overall conditioning to help avoid those soft tissue injuries going forward. Does that mean after actually playing a longer season than he has for some time, and all the hard offseason work mean his injury history is behind him? No. But I think a full picture of his situation and the work he's done needs to be presented in full context. He figures out the throwing glitch he developed in 2024, he's primed to become a very solid 3B and maybe the Twins best overall bat. And yes, KNOCK ON WOOD his hard work is going to keep him on the field more in 2025 and beyond. I just think a full, complete picture is needed here when discussing what he's been through, the hard work he's put in, and what might be.

OF: Larnach, Buxton, Wallner, Bader. All set with these 4. Larnach backs up Wallner when he needs a day off. Bader plays CF and LF, is a late game PR and defensive replacement. INF: Lewis, Correa, Lee, Miranda/France. Lee is who the Twins want and who they need at 2B. He stabilizes the infield defense, and he's a lot better hitter than what we saw in 2024. He can help cover SS as well. IF France has a decent spring, he's on the club to open. He's the most experienced 1B available, and he's going to have to play himself off the roster. Miranda will share some 1B time, play a little 3B still, and might end up as the primary DH. SUPER UTILITY: Castro, and we know this. He really needs to remain in this role as much as possible. CATCHER: Jeffers and Vazquez. #13: It's between Julien and Martin. Castro does everything Martin does, but better. The team is short on LH bats. Julien improved his defense in 2023 and then forgot he did so when he also forgot how to hit. But #1, he needs to hit again. Being a backup 2B and #3 1B is less important than his bat coming back. I'm betting Julien's bat is better than Martin's and that's more important than having a backup to Castro. So Julien makes it as the 13th man in a close call. Martin, Keirsey, and Gasper are "next men up" in no particular order. I can't shake the feeling Gasper might surprise, even on a limited basis, as a contact and solid OB guy at some/various point (s) during the season.

I like the starting staff and the pen a lot, based on current construction. But what's odd to me is that I can like what I see even knowing there's probably a couple of better arms, with more upside, that might not be on the opening day roster. (Festa and Varland for example). I think the question comes down to the quality of the offense. Not saying they WILL, but Wallner and Lewis each have 30 HR potential. And while he almost certainly won't play enough games to do it, Buxton will probably be on a 30 HR pace and settle for around 18-20. Correa is a 20 HR type of hitter and great hitter overall. Jeffers stroked 20 bombs in 2024 while on a time share at catcher and occasional DH appearances. Even if the new and improved Larnach never hits 20 bombs, he's good for upper teens. Castro has 1 1/2 healthy seasons out of 2 with a .750 OPS as a fill in and table setter 10th man. The question then becomes what do they get out of 2B, 1B, and DH? Or, in other words, can Lee take over 2B and produce anywhere as hoped? How well does Miranda produce if he gets a full season? Is there any chance that the France we signed is anything like the version he showed in 2021-22? Or maybe the version that was pretty good for the first couple of months in 2024? The Twins offense ranked high in 2024 in regard to total run production. The problem was...as detailed well by @Muppet...the run scoring was inconsistent. That's why we have new hitting coaches this season. The potential to have a pretty good offense is actually there. I'm worried they missed an opportunity by not adding a good bat this offseason due to the budget constraints. Maybe the new owners allow for a mid season addition. Maybe Rodriguez and/or Keaschall come up to help deepen and spark thr offense at some point. But with the pitching they have, it's not as if they have a lousy offense, or no growth potential. What they need...other than health...is an offense that doesn't run so hot and cold.