DocBauer

Going to start by saying I'm not here to BASH Martin in any way, nor am I giving up on him as a useful ballplayer. He was a rookie for goodness sake! To the OP's question: "How encouraged should we be by Austin Martin's rookie season?" I'd answer "mildly encouraged". Again, he was a rookie. And rookies often hit speed bumps. He didn't stink, he showed a little speed, he hit a little bit, and kept his OB% above .300. But a few points: 1] I believe the Twins did him no favors by keeping him at SS as long as they did. I understand why they did so: if you have any chance to play in the dirt...3B/2B...might as well play some SS to learn more of the subtleties of playing in the dirt. But once it became obvious he was never going to be able to play there at all, barring emergency, he should have been moved earlier. 2] I wish once and for all...not JUST relating to Martin...we could BURY this imaginary nuance of MILB players ONLY being shuffled to different positions as being a Twins centric idea. It's NOT the Twins simply embracing "position less baseball". EVERY MILB team moves it's players around the field. It's been done this way forever. Only a few players ONLY play a single primary position, either because it's all they can...think 1B and CATCHER...or because they're a special talent, TOP prospect at a premium position. Prospects play different positions to see if they CAN so that they might fit needs at the ML level someday, and because other prospects need opportunities to play as well, and because MILB teams also have a limited roster, just like ML teams, and need to fill a lineup, and they want everyone to see playing time to develop. While Martin was probably left too long at SS, we need to stop this mantra about the Twins moving prospects around. It's just part of being on a MILB team, AND evaluating the future of a prospect. 3] To my knowledge, NOBODY ever proclaimed Martin had 20-30 HR power locked in his body ready to explode. As it stands today, Martin would seem to have similar "power" to Luis Arraez, just for reference sake. The stats aren't hard to look up. Some doubles power, little HR power. But Arraez is a very special BAT who does things very, very few players are capable of. Nothing Martin has done so far indicates he's even close to being a "special" hitter post college. If you are ZERO threat for XB pop/power, ML pitchers will eat you alive at some point unless you have amazing bat to ball skills to go along with a great eye. I'd really like to believe Martin HAS THE ABILITY to find a little more pop/power to spray the ball down the line, in to the gaps, and hit more doubles, leg out a few triples, crank the occasional HR, but at LEAST give a ML pitcher pause. To Martin's credit, he did have 20 XB hits in 233 official AB. Not bad for a rookie. 4] Reports spread around was that he was a "natural" OF who could transition there easily. That's not what I saw at all. I did see a handful of plays in CF and LF where he made some great catches. From my perspective, it seemed like he was much better with balls moving away from him vs balls hit directly at him. That's a big problem for an OF, especially one playing CF, as I saw WAY too many false steps that lead to hits and XB hits. That's a problem! He was average at best at 2B, with a few great plays with scoops in the hole to get the out at 1B. As of NOW, his glove isn't worthy of a utility player, especially with limited offense. CONCLUSION: Once again, he was only a rookie feeling his way. But he doesn't have any defensive value at the moment, and a very limited offensive profile at the moment. Honestly, TODAY, I'd have more faith in guys like Keirsey, Helman and maybe surprise prospect Eeles to actually HIT, run, pop a little, and play good defense. That DOESN'T mean he can't work hard this offseason, and in ST, to refine his defense and bat to be a quality reserve player. But he'd better do so, because I see other prospects hot on his tail that seem to be better options fairly soon. FINAL NOTE: FWIW, I don't like having a prospect up and not letting them play. (Camargo, Keirsey, Helman as examples). But for those who want to complain about Martin's usage against certain pitching sides, he actually hit better, and had a better SLG % against RH arms in 2024 than LH arms. I don't know if that's consistent with his college or MILB career, but the numbers are there.

So Festa needs better command of his secondary pitches in order to put guys away quicker, which extends his IP ability, and will lower his HR propensity. Got it. Simple enough. Absolutely not trolling here. I'm just stating...tongue in cheek a bit...that it really might be that simple for him. The velocity is there. Anlot if the time, I thought his change and slider were better than his fastball. And frankly, for a rookie making in his debut, season I thought he looked solid to good most appearances. I can see the potential. A little more consistency and I can see a 6 IP starter with double digit K's consistently. Again, I liked what I saw. A 4th offering would be nice, and he might be working on one as we speak, but the 3 he's got look very good to me. Of course, every young pitcher "just needs" more consistency to be really good, right?

I understand the premise here, but can't agree with the outcome. I just don't see Severino as any sort of replacement for Castro other than being a switch hitter. I'm in the "hope" camp on Severino continuing to improve and being a viable 1B/DH option in the near future who MIGHT still be able to play a little 3B and OF corner. Curious, was he the selection because he's a switch hitter? Because he MIGHT be ready now? While he's a RH bat, and not ready yet, Keaschall is a much better comp as a potential replacement for Castro. Simply based on how the Twins have played himself in the field, Keaschall may end up playing 1B/2B/LF/ RF. With his arm repaired, it's possible he might play some SS or 3B, but I'm not sure if he would be as good as Castro at those spots. He's probably an even better hitter with more power potential and similar speed. There's a few other potential options further down the system that aren't proven yet, but if their bat picks up, Schobel, Ross, DeBarge, and even Culpepper. For that matter, i think Eeles might be a closer comp to Castro vs Severino. I agree with @riverbrian that the Twins need to stay away from short side options as much as possible. A RH shouldn't ONLY be able to perform against LHP. While Castro's splits have varied, he's had success against both sides of the mound. And while his overall OPS for 2024 was only a little above league average, his bad back skewed his final numbers from where he was at mid season when he went to the All Star game. HOWEVER, what really sets Castro apart, IMO, is his ability to be a quality 10th man EVEN IF his OPS is only around league average. IMO, he's quality at 2B/3B/LF and solid at SS/CF. With a decent bat, some pop, and good speed/athleticism he's well worth $6.5M as a full time player at one of his best spots, even as a league average producer. (He's better than that healthy) Being able to be that 10th man increases his overall value. I understand and appreciate the idea of trying to move on and "replace" him in a different manner due to payroll issues. I don't think Severino is a replacement, maybe a PART of doing so, if/when he's ready for the ML level. Unfortunately, I think a true replacement for him is a half season to a full season away from within the system. I think it would be a real shame if he has to be moved before next season considering his projected $ cost and value to the team simply due to penny pinching that might be forced.

What SHOULD happen? On their way out the door, the Pohlad's grant something like a $150M payroll. That means everyone back that Falvey wants, $15M more in payroll to play with, and thr opportunity to add some more depending on moves here can make to free up additional $, such as moving Paddack to someone looking for an inexpensive veteran to flesh out their rotation. What WILL happen? Probably enough payroll to just being everyone back ($13M) and leave it up to Falvey how to create flexibility. That leaves a handful of spots that need to be discussed, a couple additions needed, and little to nothing to work with. CATCHER: I've been steadfastly opposed to moving Vazquez. The $14M TOTAL for 2 catchers isn't crazy and who replaces Vazquez? HOWEVER, from what Miller says and what Gleeman has heard from other sources, if Vazquez and his $10M actually could be moved, I think the FO is going to be forced to do so. Jeffers takes on more of a 60%-65% game split, and Camargo possibly contents for the backup job. There might be a cheap defense first option out there to bring in, but it's probably Camargo at this point. At least there's a good arm and some bat potential. I don't like it, but not sure Falvey has much choice. INFIELD: A healthy Correa, new shoes and no more plantar issues, SS is set, and both Lee and Castro are OK for days off. Lewis only turned 25yo in June. He's got the ability and arm to play 3B. There's no reason to jump the gun early and move him to 1B at this point. HOWEVER, if Lee is healthy, ready to go, and the bat is back as well, he can lock up 2B and still provide backup help at SS. BUT, if Lewis does happen to struggle, then I can see Lee to 3B and Lewis to 1B. But again, I'm not jumping the gun. As to 1B, I agree on keeping Kirilloff... who still has an option...for somewhere around $1.8M-ish via arbitration. I like ONE MORE CHANCE to be healthy and produce vs cutting him loose too early. (Long shot I know). Castro and possibly Eeles are 2B options, along with Julien, who I'm putting at 1B with Miranda. I'm betting the Julien who produced in college, who produced in MILB, who produced his rookie ML season is the REAL version and not what we saw in 2024. There's not a lot if other options than these guys, and Severino as the dark horse option, eventually at least. Not so certain Keaschall won't become a factor by mid season. OUTFIELD: I place priority on a RH bat that doesn't stink against RH pitching as a priority over acquiring a backup CF. Why? Because Castro is OK there occasionally, Keirsey and Helman are solid options defensively, have speed, and deserve a shot to see if they can stick, Martin is young enough and athletic enough to offer up at least a little hope, and Rodriguez might be ready by mid year. I don't have much/any $ to work with, but at least I have some options to work with. I don't on the RH bat side of things really. ROTATION: Move Paddack if possible, to save some $ for the few moves you can. Don't you dare trade any of the top 3. BULLPEN: Better self scouting would help. Hoffman has been great for the Phillies the last couple of years and all we had to was keep him instead of cutting him at the end of ST. Hiw about using what's on hand better? Alcala for a single IP. How valuable is Funderburk if he gets back to his 2023 command, which was better than this season for sure. Time to put Headrick in the pen as another LH option. What LH FA is out there coming off a bad season, or a former SP who's never put it together and is ready to become a reliever? They need to get smart on this one as it's a need. The base of the pen looks pretty strong at this point. Even if Vazquez and Paddack were both moved, Falvey isn't going to have a lot of $ to work with. It might be enough for a couple solid pieces but that's about it. Self scouting is going to be as important as external scouting. That's not to imply all doom and gloom, only that internal improvement and "being smarter" in scouting are going to be keys to building the 2025 roster.

A hard NO to all 3 offerings listed, unless you have any lingering concerns about players currently rostered and you want Iglesias on a small, 1 yr deal for 2B. At least he can hit a little. But while he may be fast, he doesn't steal bases. So other than taking an extra base, he doesn't do anything but provide a mediocre 1 year fix for much of anything. IMO, one of the biggest mistakes the FO made in 2024...I'm a supporter but will call out disagreements...was not allowing Helman and Keirsey LEGITIMATE opportunities to display any potential they might have when injuries hit and the roster was floundering. You should ALWAYS look internally if you have guys actually PRODUCING at the AAA level! Look, I bring up Helam and Keirsey A LOT. I've done it before the season began, during the season, and now after the season. That DOESN'T mean I think either of these guys are any sort of guarantee, or will even stick for anything other than the short term. There's actually a number of players in the system, in the top 20+, that are athletic and fast, and some can even hit and have power/pop. But Helman and Keirsey are both college players that had some early injuries, then missed 2020, and have bloomed late. BOTH have been riding impressive 2 year streaks of hitting, OB%, pop/power, and are athletic, speedy players, who have been forced to sit in the system instead of getting opportunities when injuries struck. Why? Why wouldn't you look internally when guys YOU DRAFTED have done well? Helman is a RH version of Castro, with possibly better OF defense, and more power. While he's had a couple injuries the past couple of seasons, he's been excellent at the plate and on the bases. They've even brought him to ST each of the past two seasons. Keirsey was the higher draft choices, has been at least as good of a hitter, with similar pop/power, and at least as much speed and SB ability. They gave a chance to a similar age Castro as a FA signing and were well rewarded by doing so. Is the fact that he had MLB service time the only reason he got a chance to develop with the Twins? You got a HUGE reward by giving him a chance. But you didn't offer up a same age, and a slightly older age, player(s) a reasonable opportunity to see what they could do given a legitimate opportunity? A couple years ago the FO was smart enough to bring in BOTH Stewart AND Jeff Hoffman as fliers for the pen. Both impressed. Stewart, as I recall, went to AAA briefly and then was recalled. Hoffman pitched as well, if not better, and was cut. And he's been a mainstay in the Phillies pen for 2 consecutive seasons now. IMAGINE having BOTH of them in the Twins pen the past 2 years? My biggest complaint with the FO is INTERNAL scouting at times. Honestly, it's a pretty small blip all things considered, but they also allowed LHRP Coulombe to leave for nothing to the Orioles that same season. You want to add some speed? Great. Speed alone means nothing. You want to add speed and athleticism to your roster? Then go ahead and do what you've done the last couple of drafts and add some better speed/athletic players to the system. And again, if you follow the draft, the IL signings, and the MILB system, you will see more speed and athleticism being brought on board. But that doesn't change 2025. And the options presented in the OP offer little to nothing other than a pipedream of SOMEONE SUDDENLY learning how to hit and steal bases. Even with a rise in payroll, and/if a move or two to add more $ to make a move, what combo player who can hit, play defense, maybe provide some power, and adds speed is even available? I suppose the FO could trade 3 top 20 prospects to someone for such a player that's cost controlled, but it isn't happening. It's too late to see if either Helman or Keirsey are REMOTELY proven that they might enhance the 2025 roster. A MISSED opportunity by the FO. But with questions about 1B and another RH bat of at least DECENT quality who can not stink against RH pitching, they are left to internal options that have been ignored thus far. If at all possible, the FO should be looking for a RH OF that can hit LH pitching but be "OK" against RH arms. They SHOULD be looking at Keirsey, Helman, AND Martin EVERY SINGLE DAY in ST next February to see if ANY of them have the ability to contribute, even for the short term for other prospects on their way. They also should ABSOLUTELY bring Eeles in as a non roster invite! He might ONLY be a good story. But considering how he obliterated MILB even at the AAA level, how could you NOT want to give someone like that an honest look? Speed/athleticism is not totally void on the current roster with health. Better base running should be stressed for sure. But more speed and athleticism is not just coming. It's POTENTIALLY better if you give your own backyard a legitimate chance to show what they might be able to do.

To be clear, I value defense, want defense, understand how defense helps your pitchers, and the last thing you want is to give up extra rubs, that sometimes come from extra opportunities for not making an out. That's part of the reason I'm sold on having Keirsey as a backup OF for 2025, if he can provide anything close to league average offensively. I DON'T CARE if he bats LH. Buxton is RH, 75% of the pitchers faced are RH, so to me it's a non issue that Keirsey bats LH. I want his defense and speed on the basepaths unless he's just lousy as a hitter. (Martin provides a low bar to clear based on 2024). And I don't see the Twins spending $ on a different option. Wallner is not Kepler defensively, but Kepler isn't quite once he was previously. Not a knock on him, just what I believe to be true from numbers and watching him. Wallner has gotten better, will get better, has that cannon, and will provide more offense. When you have to choose better offense or better defense, I'd go with better offense. I think the majority of managers and FO would agree with that. A run scored is more valuable than a "possible" run scoring opportunity for the opposition due to a missed play. The final runs scored numbers by the Twins the last 2 seasons pita them near the top in MLB. But it was the inconsistency of the offense that cost the hitting coaches their jobs. Think the first half of 2023, the first and last months of 2024. Of course injuries affected the offense. But even still, there were too many stretches of poor production, and too many missed opportunities in close games that hurt as much or more than a drop off in RF, per the intent of the OP. A lottle more speed and athleticism wouldn't hurt, of course, and another reason why I'm looking hard at Keirsey as a bench option. And i just really don't like a RH option like Margot who can only hit LH arms. I sure don't know WHO at this time, but I'd like to have a 5th OF who can beat up on LH pitching, but not stink against RH arms. Look how much Margot was pressed in to starting games last year? The "platoon only" idea sounds good until reality sets in. Sorry if I'm repeating myself from earlier. I'm not anti-defense, I'm pro better, more consistent offense. As things sit today, I'm more concerned...not worried, that's too strong of a word...about the INF defense. A healthy Correa and Lewis pretty much locks down the left side offensively and defensively. Lee's glove and instincts pretty much anywhere. Fully healthy, does he build on his experiences this season and the bat plays up in 2025 as hoped/expected? I'm more than OK with Castro's overall glove work in the INF, but I like him better in his super utility role instead of sticking at one spot. And that brings up the current unknown at 1B. But that's a different arguement for a different thread I guess. I'm more concerned about 1B than I am RF and Kepler moving on.

His rise was a great story. I've never had a problem with his contract. Its really not for much, should never have a negative affect on the rest of the payroll, and as pointed out previously, it's allowed him to be the "good soldier" who's been added, cut, and then re-signed with the Saints. While he really never was anything but a backend starter, he filled that role decently, and probably would have for a couple more years except that his finger got hurt. I applaud him for not giving up on his dream. If he continues to persue it beyond 2025, I'm betting it will be in a different organization. As far as his role in 2025, despite all the talented young arms at AAA next season, there's always room for depth. Guys get hurt, guys get promoted, and he'll be a swing man for the Saints. I think he'd have to take another step forward before he'd see time with the Twins again.

Alan Newman...who I believe may have coaches in the Twins system for a while, Alan Sontag and Toby Nivens were 3 other top prospects along with the aforementioned Banks Gasser, Bumgarner and Pittman. IIRC, Bumgarner, Gasser, and Nivens were the big 3, with all the others close behind, and all in the top 10 at one point I believe. I still recall a headline...Baseball America I believe...that stated the Twins would soon have the pitchers to match their lineup.

Roger, it's my understanding that both Raya and Rosario are available for the rule 5 draft this season. FWIW, fellow 2020 draft choices Sabato and Alerick Soularie are also both available. I don't believe anyone believes Sabato is going to be selected, or the athletic, oft injured and unproven Soularie. Raya is an easy 40 man add and protect. Rosario is more of an unknown. While he had a great 2023 at Cedar Rapids...MVP of the league IIRC...and had a wonderful stint in the AFL last year...he had an OK but not great 2024 at AA before injury wrecked his season. If he does well in the AFL again this turn, he might force the Twins to protect him. Still, he'd be awfully hard for a drafting team to hide on their roster jumping from a partial season of AA to MLB with K and defensive question marks. I'm betting he's a safe non add to the 40 man.

I'm excited to have anything to watch in regard to MILB players now that the season is done. Rosario needs the extra work with so much time missed. While not a TOP prospect, with somewhat questionable defense and contact ability, he has a good arm I've heard, and really took a step forward in 2023. Not sure the Twins will need to protect him even with a good 2nd showing in the AFL though. Still young enough and with enough questions to be answered he'd be a tough stash. Ross seemed like a small school still when drafted. But he really struggled in 2024. While most of the pitching in the AFL is about A+ level, more AB and adjustments will hopefully get him ready for a rebounded as a prospect in 2025. Honestly, I think the arms the Twins have sent are primarily older, questionable prospects who are there to make adjustments, get IP in, but mostly to prove they should be kept, in addition to where they might be placed in 2025. The EXCEPTION is Kyle Bragg, IMO. I had almost forgotten about him. The lefty was a late, 17th round, pick in 2023 and didn't throw after being selected. He only appeared in 6 games in 2024 for 8.1 IP. I don't recall any news about an injury, but I'd have to believe there had to be one to have him so limited at this point. I think his appearance here is about IP, prove he's healthy, and see if he can be counted on in 2025 for a spot at Cedar Rapids if he does well.

What absolutely befuddles me is upping Buxton...though his base salary isn't really that large...signing Correa, and then signing Lopez to an extension over the previous handful of seasons. And while I don't have the numbers in front of me...and am too lazy to look them up right now...the team payroll inched higher and higher over consecutive seasons before the big cut in 2024. At worst, payroll stayed status quo and the Twins continued to rank about 16-17 in MLB. Further, while the FO didn't add at the deadline in 2023...and that might have been the right call...they had previously. They usually ended with a higher payroll at season end than they began with. So adding $, even some, wasn't a big issue. So what in hades suddenly changed??? I've never been a big Pohlad basher until 2024. While I hated the Bally re-up, and have never thought the team was marketed properly, or run with tremendous efficiency, I find it incredulous that they could have been SO LIMITED in thought that they didn't recognize changes brewing up ahead, especially when MLB had already been talking about changes coming. My OPINION...based on some deduction and other opinions and information I hadn't previously been aware of until recently...is that there have been changes and potential shortages within the financial structure of the Pohlad family interests. I guess they've sold off a handful of businesses the past couple of years, for whatever reasons. (Business is business). But of their $3.8B reported wealth, approximately $1.5B of that would be the Twins presumably, which is not a liquid investment. Is it possible that the family, as a whole, are looking for greater liquid assets to move in a different direction, or fund current ventures? I tend to believe Joe is a baseball and Twins fan. I tend to believe Jim is also, at least to a degree. But what if the other 8 members of the family don't feel that way? Considering budget increases and the general sense and comments surrounding Joe previously, and the sudden about turn, I'm wondering if everyone else just forced him to pull back and cut his legs out from under him. It's just speculation, but seems to make some sense to me. After 40 years of owning the team, probably without a great interest in MLB as an entity, it just feels like the family decided enough was enough and it's time to cash in and move on. Other than better ownership that's more invested in the team, what I'm really hoping for is that the FO is "granted" a final small bump in $ for 2025 as sort of a last hurrah before cashing in. With a projected payroll of $135M on the books if everyone returns, would they give the FO a final budget of $150M? It would be up to Falvey as to how to use that $15M bump, or make a couple moves to gain a little more working capital to play with, but at least provide that bump. Again, just speculation on my part, but kind of makes sense to me. And I'm probably spitting in the wind about a payroll ceiling bump, but with a projected $1.5B-ish selling price of the Twins, it sure would be nice for a $15M "drop in the bucket-pocket change" increase in the 2025 payroll as an exit "good will" offering.

I've been harping on this for a couple weeks now. Figuring out 1B is one of the 3 biggest holes I see on the roster currently. There's only a couple guys in FA that could provide a quality solution there, but doubt the Twins are going to spend any major $ this offseason, and I sure don't want them to gut the roster to add a 1B. They'd be much more likely to trade a prospect...or two...in a deal for a young 1B that's cost controlled for a few years. But shouldn't you be able to fill 1B internally rather than trade young prospects to do so?? With all due respect to Santana, he surprised me greatly with how well he produced this season, overall. And while none of his numbers were exactly great, and he's simply not the player he was in his youth, he was a solid contributor all but the first month of the season. And the defense was as good as advertised. And I wouldn't object very strongly if the Twins brought him back for another season. BUT, after 3 poor seasons he had a bit of a renaissance in 2023, and maintained that in 2024 for the Twins. Can we really expect/hope for a THIRD season in a row of his recent caliber of play at age 39yo? I'm hoping the Twins can afford to bring back Kirilloff and his remaining option back for another shot at being hopefully healthy for a full season for once. That's a lot of HOPE! But I'd rather give him one more shot rather than move on a year too soon. Frankly, I have my doubts he's going to be part of the solution here, but again, I'd like to give it a shot. I think Miranda and Julien are the best in house options at this point. Miranda was outstanding last year before the back issue. Can he stay healthy for a full season? If so, he's a viable part of the 1B situation. Despite a really poor 2024 from Julien, I still believe there's a good hitter in there. He was excellent in the minors, and really good in his rookie season with the Twins. I'm betting the one horrendous season is the outlier at this point. If I'm right, he and Miranda are going to spend a lot of time at 1B and DH and this whole OP becomes a pretty moot point. RE: Royce Lewis, I have no issues with his defense at 3B most days. And I think he's only going to get better. I've never been aware of any issues throwing the ball until last year, so I'd like to believe it was a glitch and he'll iron that part of his game out. I do think Lee is every bit as good, or better, at 3B as Lewis is. If Lee is 100% and is hitting the way we all hope, and the way he was mashing at AAA last year, I think a viable argument can be made to put him at 3B and move Lewis to 1B. That ISN'T some kind of punishment for Lewis. It means Lee is as good or better at 3B, and Lewis has the tools to be an excellent defensive 1B to go along with a potentially awesome bat. And who says you can't have a good athlete at 1B? You want as many good athletes as you can get, and put your best players/bats on the filed and in the lineup on a daily basis. I've never understood the thought that a good athlete was "wasted" by playing 1B, or corner OF. I mean, if E Rodriguez is a legitimate CF but Buxton is just better, and ER moves to a corner spot, is he really being "wasted" there? So why not Keaschall at 1B at some point in 2025? He played there some last season, mostly due to his ailing shoulder, and is big enough for the spot, and a fine athlete. Why not him at 1B? Just because he can play INF and OF doesn't mean he'd be wasted as a potentially fine 1B with a great offensive game.

Helman is like Keirsey in that early injuries and the missed 2020 season make them late bloomers. The problem is the clock is ticking fast. Another problem is the lack of opportunities they've been given when injuries hit and there was an opening for them to get a shot. Now, it's almost, get ONE MORE chance, and IMO that's a little unfair to them Assuming little to no payroll increase, the Twins might be forced to give a longer look at both Keirsey and Helman to at least begin 2025. While Helman CAN play all over, I think his best value might be as a 4th OF, same with Keirsey, who is exclusively an OF. With little to nothing $ to spend to add, is an opening day OF of Larnach, Buxton, and Wallner with Keirsey and Helman as dual 4th OF really that bad? Keirsey plays all 3 OF spots...a legitimate CF option defensively, Helman close behind and speed off the bench...and Helman is the RH bat in the OF to spell either Wallner or Larnach against LHP and provide some pop, as well as providing some speed. Castro remains part of the OF equation if kept. OBVIOUSLY, if either or neither Keirsey or Helman can hit their weight, they don't make an impact at all. But what if they CAN hit some? I don't like breaking down the 2025 roster to the 12th and 13th position players being older, late blooming prospects who've been given no opportunity at this point save a cup of coffee, BUT, each does offer versatility defensively, especially Helman, as well as decent gloves and speed and athleticism that's lacking on the roster right now. It's by no means an ideal situation. But sometimes you need to look in your own backyard, or garage, and see if you've got something useful to work with. Neither might have a long tenure with the Twins, but each is at least an interesting option they should be looking at for at least a short term option that might help.

While Kepler's glove will be missed for sure, his defense did appear to slip some recently. Wallner will not be as good as Kepler, but that cannon he has will make up for missed opportunities in the field. Repetition, especially being the primary RF, will smooth some edges. He moves well when he gets going. And the offense makes up for some defense as well. Personally, I think Larnach looks OK in LF, and has looked OK in RF previously. Not great, but solid. I think his arm is better than he's being credited with here. From what I've seen previously, I'd say it's average at worst, and probably slightly above. Rodriguez isn't ready yet, but will hopefully be about July. I do think Keirsey is ready, at least for a role. He provides quality defense at all 3 spots, and provides a legitimate backup in CF to Buxton, which is needed. I don't want to see another Margot in CF. If Keirsey can hit at all...and his last 2 MILB seasons indicate he has ability, he deserves a serious shot to be that defensive replacement/depth option and speed on the basepaths, which is something the Twins are lacking. If he could hit even .230-.240 with some pop, speed, defense, and not K like crazy, I'd put him on the roster if he shows well in ST. I understand Martin was a rookie with only half a AAA season coming in to 2024. There's lots of room to grow. And he needs to. We kept hearing how he was a natural OF, but he looked completely lost at times. There's little pop/power in his bat so far, and last I checked, he actually hit better against RH pitching than he did LH pitching. Which isn't awful considering 75% of all pitchers are RH. But he didn't hit well regardless. That means the Twins still need a RH bat for the OF, even if or maybe even more if Keirsey can fill a role on the 2025 team. I've said it before, but will say it again, IF Kiersey could do this, it's great. (Rodriguez eventually replaces him more than likely). But SOMEHOW the Twins need to come up with a RH corner OF who doesn't stink against RH pitching. Any RH role playing OF WILL end up playing more than JUST as a LHP smashers. So whoever they can find needs to be able to at least hold his own against RHP instead of being an embarrassment at the plate. Seriously, right now, I'd trust journeyman Helman more than Martin from internal options. So a SOMEONE who can be that RH bat feels pretty important to me. Maybe a younger bat languishing on someone's bench for a pitching prospect? The OF defense will go down at least somewhat with Kepler gone. But the offense will also make up for some of that.

I think the pen is fine right now from the RH side of things...including some depth options...as long as half of them aren't all injured at once again. Duran, Jax, Stewart, Sands, Varland, Alcala, and Topa looks really good to me. But I confess I had forgotten about Bischoff. Even more depth with Henriquez, Winder, and dare we to dream on Canterino? Hadn't thought as much about Adams, but I can see it now. Things aren't so great from the PORT SIDE of things. I'm still a fan of Funderburk if we can see more of the control he flashed in 2023. Huge fan of Moran's stuff. But even if 100% and throwing bullets, he's always had some control issues. How long will it take him to get under control? I see him more as a June reinforcement type, but am hoping for more. The one guy i don't believe that has been mentioned in Headrick. I think he's perfect...as a former starter...to go 1-2 IP and hopefully be relatively effective against RH bats. Sorry, I don't want Prielipp anywhere near a bullpen unless it's just to get some more IP in 2025, and he's performing so well, might as well do it in September for the Twins. Please, nothing that could derail him from being a potential rotation mainstay on the near future. Generally speaking, I don't think pitching is an issue for the Twins next season. (With the question mark of LHRP options). I'm more worri3d about 1B, a backup CF we can really trust...at least defensively...and a RH bat for the OF that doesn't turn in to a windmill when he faces RH arms.

Eeles will turn 25yo within weeks. He's not young, but he sure isn't old. If he had been picked with one of the Twins last choices in the past couple of drafts instead of having to go the indie route, and had this meteoric rise, I wonder what his prospect ranking might be? IMO, he should be brought in to ST next season as a non roster invite. He should be given a fair chance to see if he's ready, or how close to ready he might be. Every time I go back and look at his season, I'm constantly blown away by what he did, including at AAA. IF things go a certain way, there's room for both Castro and Eeles, I agree. Because part of what makes Castro so valuable is his ability to play everywhere.

Pablo began each of his 2 Twins seasons rather slow, and then picked it up BIG TIME. Unfortunately, he got in a groove a little later this season than last. But if he was a FA this season, he's easily getting $25-30M per season. He's actually underpaid based on age, stuff, results, while still offering additional upside. Moving him DEFLATES the overall value of the team in regard to a potential new owner. He's actually an ASSET that's PART of the purchase of the ballclub! Moving him is a TERRIBLE idea short term as well as long term to the product on the field, as well as removing an asset for the new buyer. Awful idea.

In and vacuum, all of the arbitration numbers make sense and most all should be brought back. You aren't going to find better options elsewhere on the market. If the budget weren't so tight, I could Tonkin back on such a cheap deal to contend as a veteran middle man who's had a decent career. But I just don't see it happening. I absolutely bring back Topa, banking on his knee being solid, he could be a "steal" at his number. I could see Kirilloff gone, but again, with an option remaining, and possessing talent if he could ever stay healthy for a season, the reward could easily outperform the $. But similar to Tonkin, you might have to draw a line at some point. Castro is a tough call based on payroll. He's not JUST a utility player. He's a full time, daily player and 2024 All Star who just happens to play EVERYWHERE. His $ number is more than fair! It would a damn shame to see him gone by a budget being too tight to keep him. Again, in a vacuum, all of these numbers are fair and make sense. Basically, if you bring everyone back, payroll is pretty much set. If Paddack can be moved, you get a little wiggle room for an inexpensive add or two around the fringes of the roster. MILB players to be protected? I agree on Raya. With him being unpolished still, and having missed so much time this season, do we really need to protect Rosario at this point? Nowlin, as a LH arm with good stuff who reached AAA briefly to end the season, I can see him protected. He's a perfect candidate to be grabbed in rule 5 and stashed based on potential. I wouldn't risk a LH arm with his potential being selected. He's a keeper to me. I think most of all the remaining rule 5/possibly protected MILB players are safe to not be protected. I can see a handful of prospects moved in small deals to grab a couple inexpensive options to fill in the 2025 roster. Guys stuck behind veterans, guys who are solid young players who haven't hit their stride yet, a solid bench guy who hasn't gotten a shot yet, etc. But for the most part, I think 2025 is going to be a rewind with the anticipation of better team health and the continued development of the Twins younger players.

What i recall was a lof of prospects, and some vets who were on rehab or worked with him during ST, really speaking in glowing terms of him and his approach. Based on that, I was rather bummed when the Twins didn't hold on to him and promote him. But it's pretty hard to turn down a job with a ML club. We'll see how it turns out.

I think Soto is more than an honorable mention. Hard to argue against Prielipp if he's healthy. If he makes a little better contact this year, chases a little less, I can absolutely see Winokur as a top 100. Based on 2023 and a strong partial 2024, I can see Cory Lewis jumping in to the top 100 if his velocity ticks up a couple notches.

Home against the Lions next week right? Lions looking good. MAYBE a loss on their turf later in the season? But the buy week gets Jones healthy, time to get prepare, and Donaldson a chance to just relax and settle down and bit. And MAYBE, Hockenson to debut? This SHOULD BE a W.

Let me start with the basics of the OP: 1] DURAN: Despite not appearing as good/dominate, despite a slight decrease in velocity, his peripherals and overall success and conversion rates were just fine. The fact we have to "worry" about a reliever "only" throwing 99-101 mph consistently and touching 102 vs tossing 100-103 and touching 104 is ludicrous. His curve is amazing, his splinker very good, and the velocity is still there. His problem was a slip in overall command, IMO. Just a blip? Was he thrown off by the early missed time and just never got quite 100%? IDK. I think a little better command, a change in sequencing, or maybe even a different mix of velocity here and there to keep batters off balance might make a difference. The other 29 teams in MLB would take him in a heartbeat. 2] STEWART: Its NEVER a good thing when a pitcher has any kind of surgery. Goodness knows Stewart has had his share of injuries and procedures in his career. FWIW, his shoulder surgery was described as a "cleanup procedure". In baseball talk, that means there was no actual damage to be repaired, rather, there was some scar tissue and rough edges to smooth out. That's a good report! That means no further issues popping up...always a risk...but no major rehab or potential career ending issues. If this is all accurate from the doctor's report, he'll be ready 100% for 2025. But considering his history, that also means 1 IP at a time, no back to back games, and probably only 50-ish IP. I can live with that. 3] VARLAND: There is ZERO guarantee that Varland becomes a bullpen STUD in 2025, or the years to come. But he's got some really solid stuff, and the velocity certainly plays up in a more limited role. We've actually seen some positive results over the past 2 seasons, even in SSS. Even when he failed as a SP, we often saw most games where he was very good for multiple IP before unraveling. (To be fair, he didn't ALWAYS unravel). He's meant to be in the pen, and that's where he's going to be going forward, probably available for 2 IP at times. When you throw hard and miss your target, you're going to get hammered once in a while. Happens to everyone. But as he adjusts more and more to his new role, I think he's going to be solid, with the potential to be very good. With that being said, IMO, the ONE issue is a LH arm the pen can rely on. I'd rather have a GOOD RH arm on the mound instead of a mediocre LH one that can ONLY get LH bats out. That's the difference of Thielbar the past few seasons vs an Okert. LOOGY's are a thing of the past. Let me rewind for a moment and take a step back to look at the potential of the 2025 pen: Duran, Jax, Stewart, Sands, Alcala...used properly as a 1 IP who can dominate in that role more often than not...and the aforementioned Varland. If Topa's knee is ready to go next season, he's only around $1.5-1.8M...Jay Jackson territory...for a guy who was vital for Seattle in 2023 with 70 IP. IMO, he's an easy keeper as a middle innings reliever. This is an excellent place to start! Depth is offered in Henriquez...starting to adjust and flash a little after an injury filled 2023...and possibly Winder still. I fully agree that Canterino is probably/maybe dropped from the 40 man...who is going to draft him and keep him rostered all season?...BUT if/when healthy/ready to throw, he's destined for the pen at this point. He might be a serious option at some point. Duarte really showed promise to begin 2024 before his elbow blew out. At some point, he might be back to help. Everyone sort of laughs and makes negative comments when the Twins sign some random AAAA FA type, but that's how they got Thielbar, and Stewart, others previously, and COULD have had Hoffman, no with the Phillies, if they had been smart enough to keep him. (I won't ever excuse the FO for that mistake). So they need to continue to add depth arms with the possibility they might uncover something. And that brings us back to the need for a LEFTY presence in the pen. Both Funderburk and Headrick are STRAPPING LH arms that have some velocity. As former starters, you'd like to think they have the experience and mix of pitches to not be destroyed by RH hitters. We saw that from Funderburk in 2023, not so much this past season. At some point in 2025...right away or later...I'd like to think Jovani Moran will take a step forward with his slider/change combo to help out. But while there's potential there, there's also nothing close to proven. Financial restraints aren't going to allow the FO to sign any LHRP to any kind of big deal. (They missed/weren't allowed to add a couple solid additions at the deadline). Even a mediocre $2-3M deal is questionable, though potentially affordable. Honestly, I haven't had time or energy at this point to look at available options that might be coming off rough seasons and might be looking for a deal. And THAT'S who the Twins should be looking at. For that matter, they should be looking at LHSP who just haven't made it yet consistently at the ML level, for whatever reason, and grab 1 or 2 of those arms. The cost shouldn't be high, even for a $1M plus, possibly with incentives, IDK. But Falvey and his crew should be looking really hard for that diamond in the rough for a down arm with potential, or that PREVIOUS SP that could be really good once they accept the idea they can be part of something. They get ONE quality LHRP they can count on, have another solid arm or two on hand who might, hopefully will, take a step forward, the 2025 pen looks REALLY GOOD to me. Nothing says SP prospects can't get their feet wet at the ML level if needed. But to be a truly elite pen, IMO, you need ONE LH option that's pretty reliable day to day. A SECOND solid option is better. MAYBE Funderburk or Headrick or Moran...eventually...takes the #1 spot. Right now, today. I'd see them as the secondary option. But I'd sure feel better if they could make an ADD to be the #1 LH option that Thielbar used to be. ONE major addition, whoever it might be, might just make the 2025 bullpen excellent.

Never an OPS below .810 in his entire career until 2023. (Not including .808 in a brief rookie appearance). But that .810 career low was followed by a very significant drop to .716 in 2024. At his age, has time simply caught him? Or similar to Santana last season, does he have another solid year left? He's tantalizing enough, IMO, that I'd snag him if his situation turns out to be similar to Cruz a couple years ago where the market wasn't very good and nobody seemed to want to go in deep on him. So the Twins got Cruz for around $14-15M IIRC. If the market for Goldschmidt follows similar form...and it easily could considering age, down 2024, and revenue drops...the Twins could move Paddack and save around $7.5M. That's about half of what this scenario says he could be had for in an ideal situation. That means adding another $7-8M to the payroll to make it happen, and/or the removal of additional payroll to compensate Let's not forget, we might want to more than just a 1B. We might want and OF or a pen arm as well. And even on the low $ end, that's still additional payroll cost. So I don't see it happening. But it would surely only be a 1year deal, so that shouldn't affect any sale of the team. But would the Pohlad's agree to actually raise payroll a little bit to add a potentially big bat like this? I'm betting a slim and borderline none chance. But I can at least see a scenario where it's not oit of the question.

Just want to say I have ZERO clue about the Pohlad's financial situation. I don't spend any time following them other than in regard to the Twins directly, and various reports I hear once in a while that they've done this or that in the community and the such. (I'm not in Minnesota). But there's been some speculation about liquidity of their assets in regard to some investments they've sold off, others they've invested in, and is, perhaps, part of the reason they might be looking to sell is to "cash in" on their Twins investment at this time. NOT saying this is known, or accurate, but it does feel like a logical possibility at least.

Well said. Spot on, IMO. And while it's difficult for me to comment on a couple points, I guess I'm just more optimistic than some, despite the disappointing end of 2024. 1] CHAMPIONSHIP UPSIDE? Yes. Thers a lot of talent on the club, there's more on its way up, and what you need to do is be a good team who can compete and get in the playoffs. Disappointment brings about emotional responses. The Twibs have been competitive since this FO took over, despite some poor endings. 2] RESPECTED FO: Absolutely. The players all speak about how much the love being a Twin, and how they are treated. Agents and personnel from other teams have often commented on the respect they have for how the Twins FO is run. TARGET FIELD AS A DESTINATION AND FAN SUPPORT FOR LOCAL TEAMS: I'm not local. I've, unfortunately, only been to TF once. It was beautiful and all I imagined. When the Twins play well, fans tend to come. They were ravenous in their support for the playoffs in 2023. Again, I'm not local, but that's my outside looking in observation. GROWTH OPPORTUNITY AND A DISTRESSED ASSET: I think these are obviously connected. A new owner should be smart enough to see the long view here. Winning the fans back will take time, but doing so will increase attendance as long as the product on the field is in winning competition mode. And while there are obvious questions about revenue right now, if MLB doesn't just drop the ball, streaming and financial growth is the way of now, and the future, and revenues will grow. I liked how MLB stepped up to help supplement teams that were forced to go to streaming in 2023. They may have to continue that going forward, creating a different form of revenue sharing that doesn't include all teams at this point. But there's a really good chance about half the league will be on this new platform come 2026. As I stated in the OP about "what I'd do as the new owner" I mentioned bringing in some smart people to find new opportunities for revenue growth and that's going to be paramount to any new ownership. You can grow your own brand outside of the streaming service itself if you're inventive. Sorry, but the Twins have been lazy and short sighted in this regard for some time. I think the ballpark, roster, MILB system, and FO are all healthy and positives. Any new owner should be pleased, if not ecstatic about what's in place already. The "job" is creating growth of fan support and financial opportunities, which are closely related. Having to really focus on those specific areas vs having to rebuild the organization makes their job a great deal easier. I'm not worried about someone just looking for a money grab to flip, or a team to move somewhere else. Considering an economy that is still slow, a locked in lease for 15 more years, I don't feel anyone is going to invest in a sports team for any kind of flip or move. They'd be buying because they want to own a professional sports team. There's a lot of other area out there they could find that would potentially offer a bigger short term gain than a future return on a sports franchise. Additionally, not all owners of teams come from that location. Witness the Wilf family that hails from the east coast...I want to say New Jersey...who bought the Vikings. I rather doubt they were Viking fans who achieved their life long dream. While they are certainly Viking fans NOW, their intent was to be PART of sports ownership. Pretty sure that would be the case here with an out of state owner. Personally, I think the Twins are a very attractive opportunity for someone who sees what's already there, and future growth potential.