DocBauer

First, Jeffers is younger, less expensive, and a FAR better hitter with more power. We can agree to disagree on his defense...and many of us do...but he calls a good game and handles the staff well. Why on earth would they trade him and have ZERO ML catchers available for 2026? Second, I can't explain the Twins lack of using Camargo when he was brought up last season. A lot has been made of him having a down 2024 with the bat. But he was good in 2022, and even better in 2023. For his MILB career he's thrown out 31% of base stealers. I've heard he's a good teammate, and never heard that he's poor/lousy handling a staff, calling a game, or awful defensively. And his bat in the upper minors is far superior to what Cartaya has done thus far. So I strongly object to him not being a ML catcher option. What I object to is the Twins not giving him an opportunity! I think grabbing Cargaya on a flier is a great idea! I've read he's had a back issue of some sort recently. Is that part of the reason for the sudden disappearance of his bat? Is there more to it? Does he need to make adjustments? Has he just been exposed as a poor hitting bat once he reached the upper levels? I don't have the answers. But based on his earlier numbers and reportedly solid defense, he's worth working with for 2025 to see if he can take another step. While I really applaud most of what the FO has done since they've been in charge, my biggest complaint has been sticking with poor performing players too long instead of looking internally at options. I despise picking on individuals, BUT, an injured and poor performing Farmer and a generally bad Margot in every way except for a couple decent months against LHP instead of giving Helman and Keirsey an actual opportunity to see if they could do better is organizational malpractice as far as I'm concerned. The same with Camargo. Why in hell wasn't he allowed to start a few games and just SEE what he looked like when the opportunity presented itself? That's what you DO when you have the "next man up". How else do you ever find out what you may, or may not, have in your system? But in NO WAY does Cartaya make Vazquez suddenly more of a trade target. That's preposterous. He's not ready for ML duty at this point. What he DOES do is provide encouragement for 2026 if his back is good and the Twins can help him find his hit tool again. IF the Twins move Vazquez, it's to clear all of his contract, maybe with a sweetener, or most of his contract. They would then sign someone like Diaz or McCann or Grandal on a cheap deal and spend any savings on a LHRP or RHOF type of player. Cartaya is a flier with a potential for the future if his previously good bat at lower levels can be fixed. It's a smart move. But in NO WAY does he affect the 2025 team or any future moves.

The Twins announced no further payroll cuts. Then there was a bit of an obscure quote like "we aren't necessarily looking to increase payroll either". My question has always been: " Does that mean not lower than $130M, but also NOT LOWER than the payroll looked at the end of the season with the team coming back intact WITH arbitration dollars and raises calculated in"? Because that would mean at least $135M and maybe $140M. Based on some rumors out there, and this recent comment, it would appear they are content to keep a status quo of around $140M. And why not? It's loose change with an impending $1.5B + pending sale. And if said sale goes through as quickly as possibly reported, the Pohlad's won't be making those payments anyway. In regard to no moves, and any possible moves, there are still some possibilities available. I think we all knew no MAJOR moves were going to happen until new owners came in. It's been my belief for some time that the BIG EARNING teams would still flash some big contracts. That's happened. But things have slowed to a crawl as of late. A lot of teams, including in the ALC, have sat pretty still so far. I've stated I expect some value signings to be available in January and early February as guys are just looking for a deal. Right now, that seems rather likely. The rumor mill has stated there are teams interested in Paddack, but Falvey is looking for a decent return value, and not just a salary dump. Maybe he's looking for a decent LHRP or a solid RHOF? Not sure about moving Vazquez unless they eat some $, or sweeten the deal to move him. It's possible they keep either, or both. IF either are moved, there's still a couple solid LHRP with good splits on the market that are looking for a home. There's a couple decent RHOF that fill a need that don't stink against RHP still waiting a place to play. There's even a couple catchers in wouldn't mind bringing in cheap if Vazquez's contract could be moved, or mostly moved. I seriously doubt any major trades or signings will take place this offseason. But I don't think we expected any. But it's still possible to work the margins for a needle nudge for the 2025 roster.

Unless I've missed something, I don't believe any invites have been made public yet in regard to ST. So my comments are a "wish list" for them to do so. I just think they need to give Eels and McCusker legitimate looks and not a couple games and sent across the road to the MILB complex kind of invites. Neither may make it. Both could. But they had good seasons...excellent in the case of Eeles...and may potentially help the club at some point in 2025. Eels will be 25yo this upcoming season...not exactly old...and McCusker will turn 27 near the end of May. I think each deserves something more than a cursory invite.

I am very high on the Twins system and their collection of young talent. I also believe pre-arbitration players who have just passed rookie status should be included when ranking a system. I mean, Lee and Festa are not far removed from rookie status. Is the #3 ranking by ML Pipeline accurate? Maybe. I believe they rank in the top 10 by most pundits and publications. But at the end of the day, what matters is the GOOD ONES who make the team better because some will be traded, and some/most will never turn out for EVERY team. Personally, I think the Twins have a collection of high talent prospects as well as good depth. I say that because I still include Lee and Festa as potentially very good players, if not starts. Jenkins and Rodriguez have star potential. And Keaschall might not be far off. Were I in charge of the Twins, I say yet again I'd have Eeles and McCusker both in ST for a LONG look. I have more faith in Eeles, but your scouting department found a pair of interesting players who MIGHT just turn out to be good players, Eeles as a starter or utility player, McCusker as a RH 5th OF/DH. PLEASE stop dismissing potential on hand that might be good FO! The old adage for pitchers is have 5 or 6 in order to find 2 good ones, or something like that. Well, in addition to what SWR did last season, and Festa really looking good after his first couple of mediocre starts, AAA has Matthews, Morris, Raya, Lewis, Adams, and lefty Nowlin, who probably ends up in the pen. Culpepper isn't far behind. And while he's lower in level at the moment, if the brace procedure on Prielipp holds, look out! I think where some might argue against the Twins having depth is they're short at the AA level currently due to a number of factors. Not saying Wichita is devoid of talent and some potential...they aren't...but most of the top talent in the system is recently graduated, at St Paul, or in A ball. And speaking of A ball, Culpepper and DeAndrade just might be heir apparents to Correa, though I'm doubtful he moves off SS for at least 3 years. There are a handful of arms at A ball not named Prielipp that offer the potential to make serious jumps in 2025, and while the Latin signings in recent years have really only provided E Rodriguez as a top prospect, Olivar as a RH OF who MIGHT be able to play some catcher, the aforementioned DeAndrade, J Rodriguez, and Mercedes offer intrigue. Soto has a ways to go, but the kid is impressive as an individual, and has all the physical tools and pure stuff/potential you could ever spit out if you did a "Weird Science" experiment to build a starting pitcher. And I can't wait to see the debut of LHSP Dasan Hill in 2025. Winokur has room to develop of course. And I'm pretty sure he's not going to stick at SS much longer just based on size and physical development. But IMO he's one of the most intriguing prospects in the entire system. He could be anywhere from a washout athlete who never gets enough "control" of the zone to make it, to an All Star slugger who runs well and plays solid defense at 3B, or either corner OF spot, maybe CF if he doesn't grow too big and loses too much speed, to at WORST a major slugger at 1B who runs better, and is a better athlete than any typical 1B. Since we're primarily focusing on young/future talent, I'm going to be focusing a lot on the 2024 draft class. And I don't mean just Kaelen Culpepper and Billy Amick...both of whom might make jumps similar to Keaschall, or Kyle DeBarge, who didn't impress initially in SSS. Diaw is a catcher/outfielder who they should STICK at catcher as long as possible to see if he can handle the position. He's raw as can be, but has potential and is a much better athlete than you normally ever see in a backstop. It's my understanding that 4th round pick Ferrer was a pretty highly regarded catcher coming out of HS, who Florida State moved to the OF. I'm hoping the Twins move him back behind the plate to see what he can do. You DEVELOP CATCHERS. You don't often get to draft a Mauer type of player. A pair of 3B in Peyton Carr and Jay Thomason are of great interest. Carr is from a smaller school and had injury concerns, but performed well when healthy. And Thomason, an Air Force alum put up tremendous numbers that makes me wonder why he was available so late in the draft, despite not coming from a powerhouse conference. While the Twins drafted more position wise in 2024, grabbing some bats and athletes that might be "position questionable" there's some real potential if they put them in the right spot. Again, I'd be focusing on Diaw and Ferrer as potential catchers. Carr and Thomason might be potential steals at 3B. But they all only got a small taste of pro ball. What might they do in 2025 now that they are acclimated and have a full season to play? And, typically for recent drafts, the Twins didn't ignore arms despite Hill being the only early pitching pick. They still grabbed a lot of mid round selections. As of RIGHT NOW the 2023 pitching draft class hasn't looked as good as the 2022 class. And that's understandable as the 2022 class has exceeded expectations I'd say. But there's certainly potential there. But again, as has been typical in recent history, the 2024 draft selections of arms have barely thrown, if at all. So I'll be looking to see who steps forward in 2025. Not every draft class works out. But Sean Johnson and his staff have been on a good roll for several seasons now, even if the Latin signings haven't gained a lot of traction in recent seasons. (Why the Twins made changes there that might take a couple years to bear fruit). And I love to make long posts about things like "the system" because I think Johnson has put the system in good ordinance. And I always love to ramble, because i apparently have a lot to say. LOL. There's room to trade talent to fill spots. And I think that will happen. The Twins haven't ignored the catcher position, BUT post the drafting of Jeffers, they've either guessed wrong, developed wrong, or been unlucky with development. But the system and young talent looks pretty good to me. A few TOP talent prospects, depth in pitching looking good, and a good looking talent group at A ball, with a gap at the AA level, and a BUNCH of 2024 draft choices that are WILD CARDS I'll be following this next season to see how they do.

OK, time out here. I don't recall the exact numbers, but Berrios and the Twins weren't exactly miles apart as I recall. Berrios stated he wanted to go through the arbitration process for himself, but also to help set a precedent for future players. He was traded because the Twins wouldn't offer him an extension beyond a certain number, $ and years. He wasn't traded because he went through arbitration. Gordon went through arbitration and was traded for a LH Okert. The Twins wanted pitching help and it wasn't certain if Gordon was even going to make the roster or not. Neither player was a fixture for either team and both ended up being cut. Arraez was traded in a deal to bring in a front of the rotation SP in Lopez. Tell me where and how why the Twins did anything negative or vindictive for any of these 3 examples brought up? Secondly, the Twins have seldom ever actually GONE to arbitration with their players the past several seasons. Only 3 examples brought up here: a SP, a borderline ML utility player since DFA by his team, and a quality hitter traded for a front line SP. Many comments have been made in various articles over the years by FO personel and agents that the Falvey lead FO was held in high regard for being open and honest in their dealings. This includes super agent Boras who I can't recall ever saying a single negative thing about the current FO. Lastly, while the Ryan and Lewis numbers are a bit surprising, most of the numbers listed here are pretty close to projected estimates. ESTIMATES. And also, NONE of these players WENT through arbitration. They were all OFFERED arbitration. These were numbers agreed to between the Twins and the players and their agents. Ryan or Lewis and their agents thought the deals were unfair and wrong? They could have GONE to arbitration and argued a case. They didn't. Is anger and frustration for the Pohlad's and their budget and the handcuffing of the FO so tremendous that we have to invent anger and angst toward the FO that we have to invent new theories of underhanded dealings? Ryan and Lewis can easily earn a couple $100K back, plus, with good, healthy seasons. Both may be in line for extensions with a new ownership on hand. MILLIONS easily make up a couple hundred K really easily. This was NOT arbitration. These were all agreements made between the FO and the players and their reps INSTEAD of going to arbitration.

Just want to say that since I'm out of the normal market parameters, I'm able to watch the games on the ML package. While I have respect for defensive metrics, there's such a variance between who rates what in so many different ways, that I take it all with a grain of salt. Buxton's speed appears to be largely intact. What I saw in 2024 was, mostly, the same old fleet of foot, good tracking Buxton with a great arm. But what i also saw, at times, was a veteran player who has learned that risking his body the way he used to doesn't benefit the team as much as staying healthy. He still made some amazing plays! But he might be playing a couple steps deeper these days, and letting an occasional hit fall in order to keep himself in the lineup, etc. His knee isn't going to be perfect, but it appears to be "fixed" as well as it can be. I say again, if his hip is OK...a source of issues in the past while compensating for his knee...it's possible he's good for 120 games or so. I hope that's true. He makes a difference at the plate, but also in the field, even if he's less prone to abuse his body for tremendous plays as he did when younger. I don't care what defensive metrics say. I watched him in 2024 and he was still damn good in CF.

Yes, Keaschall could fill the 2B spot, and probably fill it well. However, Lewis and Lee might just fill 2B and 3B right out of the gate. Keaschall might end up as a super athletic 1B. Nothing wrong with that. Or maybe he replaces Castro as the Super Utility player on the roster. Maybe Eeles takes over 2B and Lewis moves to 1B, or Lee becomes a Super Utility INF and Lewis sticks at 3B and Keaschall is at 1B? Miranda is a DH/1B/3B option? Sooo many possibilities to fill up the INF, with Keaschall and Eeles also backup OF possibilities. (I haven't even mentioned Julien getting himself right again). Now, health and actual production have to be considered. And trades may happen. But isn't it exciting to look at the INF and all the possibilities for 2024 and beyond?

Just a sticking point first, Miranda didn't have a bad season really. He was really, really good until he hurt his back. I could easily get carried away with who I'm excited about or watching, but will TRY to keep it brief. No more injuries has Rodriguez with the Twins by mid season, IMO. Just a SUPER talented player! I do expect a few growing pains, however, as he needs to strike a better balance between being properly aggressive and being overly passive looking for BB. AAA and ML pitchers are going to have better control than he's seen so far. Jenkins hopefully raking at AA and at least finishing the season at St Paul, if not being their by mid season, has got to be one of the more exciting players to watch. I'm also high on Eeles as what he did in 2024 was so good it's hard to believe he was a 1 year wonder. Future starter or really nice utility player is yet to be determined. I'm not as high on McCusker, but the guy has shown a steady rise and steady improvement. Might he be a RH corner OF/DH as a late bloomer? ASSUMING Paddack is moved...and he might not be...Festa is in the rotation. If Paddack ISN'T moved, one of Festa or SWR is in AAA. But let's say the Sheriff is gone. St Paul has Matthews, Morris, Raya, Lewis, Adams and Nowlin all as rotation options. (I think Nowlin still ends up in the pen at some point). And what if the Twins make a deal with the Phillies to keep Castellano instead of keeping him stashed on the roster? That's 6-7 rotation arms not including guys like Headrick or Ynoa as fill ins. Or Culpepper ready to move up to AAA at some point. Whether it's now, or the deadline, or even next offseason, the Twins are going to be able to/have to move a couple arms in a deal for someone. Maybe a young catcher? Speaking of pitching, I'm SUPER EXCITED to see what a healthy Prielipp does in 2025! Breakout pitchers not already mentioned? Kyle Jones might be the best bet after being slowed a bit in 2024. But I'd keep an eye out for Christian Macleod, Tanner Hall, and Ty Langenberg. Looking lower in the system, I'm going to be watching Soto closely. What kind of a step does he take this upcoming season? VERY excited to see the debut of Dasan Hill. On the player side, is DeAndrade healthy and ready to go? He missed the AFL, but he could be in AA fairly quickly if his upward trend continues. And young OF Jose Rodriguez and Yasser Mercedes have exciting potential. Rodriguez had a poor 2024, can he take a step forward? Mercedes flashed. Is he ready for Cedar Rapids? And I can't fail to mention Winokur. He's one of the most intriguing players in the entire system. And i agree he's probably 3yrs away, but his combination of power, good speed, and surprising athleticism for such a tall/long prospect is crazy. As of today, he's a possible CF option. He might end up at 3B or a corner OF spot eventually just due to his body filling out. At WORST, he could be an athletic, powerful 1B who can move and run far better than any typical 1B. I'm leaving out a few guys of course, but that's more or less the key guys I'm looking at. There's a good 4 or 5 guys from the 2024 draft who have barely played so far that I'm not even mentioning that could jump up really quickly.

Only comment I'm going to make at this time is that that the Pohlad's made an announcement they had put the Twins franchise up for sale. Based on the potential expediance of a potential sale, I'd have to believe there were boardroom conversations before said public announcements were made. The hope is an ownership that will love baseball and the Twins and will invest in the team and the fandom to grow the franchise in a competitive nature and make it something we can all rally around and support. I think any negative thoughts about what Falvey has done and built or not done due to financial considerations should be shelved until any new owners are ACTUALLY in place.

I'm with you 100% on Eeles. I GET that he's a bit of a flier from the Independent leagues and has ONE season in the Twins system. And it might just be ONE single season, magical ride and a good story for an underdog who got a chance. BUT, we're talking about a kid who RAKED in college at a lower level, and then RAKED as a 5th year senior at a well respected program. I think it's obvious his physical stature and a single season at a top program kept him from being drafted. Kudos to the Twins scouting department for finding him in the first place. ONE season probably should keep him out of the top prospect listings. I get that. But IMO you just DON'T ignore what's right in front of you in regard to a prospect. And it's my one major complaint with our FO, placing too much emphasis on ML Veteran status and accepting poor production vs giving a younger player, maybe a late bloomer or surprise player, a real shot. Were I in charge, I'd have BOTH Eeles and McCusker in ST as non roster invites as more than a cursory invite. I want to see if McCusker MIGHT be a late blooming bat that might help in the future. I have my doubts, but he's done well, grown, and done well. Is it at all possible he might be a ML player? But good story or not, Eeles wasn't just good, he was DOMINATE at every level, including AAA. He might be short, but he isn't small. He's got some speed, some life in his bat, a good eye. And he's reportedly a hard worker. I understand "show me twice" considering being undrafted. But the FO is just wrong if they don't give him a good look in ST.

I don't disagree with your sentiment. But the problem wasn't just injuries...though that played a part...and it wasn't regression of Julien or the adjustments/injury that held Lee down...that also played a part...it was a lack of offensive consistency that was a major issue. The Twins were in the top 10 in total run production...maybe 4th or 5th??...but it was the up and down inconsistency that held them back. They'd score 7 runs each game in a series followed by 1-3 per game the next series. A quality opponent and a good SP can make you look bad of course. But too many poor series, and too many wasted opportunities with runners on base and in scoring position and sometimes we couldn't even get a decent fly ball to score a runner from 3rd with less than 2 out was maddening at times. If you read between the lines from comments made here and there, it felt like there was a disconnect between the "game plan" that was laid out and what the players did or didn't do. I think the talent and ability to hit, get on base, hit doubles, hit HR, score runs, is there. You don't finish near the top in runs scored and NOT have that ability. I don't know if it's better planning, better communication, or something as simple and old fashioned as "choking up on the bat with 2 strikes" that has been the issue. But if the new coaches can just "unlock" a better approach in situational hitting, then greater consistency should hopefully come. I've just seen way too many well pitched games turn in to losses due to a lack of clutch hitting the past couple of years.

Granted the primary issue is just keeping his stuff out of the middle where it can be pounded. Even if he does that, like all pitchers, he's going to offer up a mistake or two. It just happens. But what I always saw when watching his games, or reading the box scores the next day if I didn't, his runs usually came in bunches, usually in the same inning, and often after he pitched 2 or 3 or even 4 successful innings. I'm not sure what the answer to my observation is, other than I think perhaps his stuff just got timed and perhaps better "recognized" after going through the lineup once. I can see him being a very effective 1-2 inning reliever with high K totals. He keeps the HR numbers down, he might even fit as a setup man. I think he's probably one of the Twins best 8 pen arms. It's a little disappointing/unsettling that he'll probably begin the season in St Paul in order to keep as many arms as possible as some guys don't have options any longer.

Really liked what I saw of Festa. A little strange to me all the applause SWR has received for a quality 2024 that saves the rotation, but the even more talented Festa always seems to have a question mark attached to him. Because of his first couple of starts not going so well? If his control doesn't go bonkers, I think he surpasses SWR for the #4 spot, especially if his curveball can be at least a decent offering. Gives the batter something else to think about. I'm not sure what Lee's ceiling is. But I know the glove is there and he does seem to have the baseball instinct gene. Do we make a big deal out of a rookie struggling while dealing with a bum shoulder? Or do we focus more on the college and MILB numbers that all show a really good hitter? On the floor side of things, I see Lee being a consistent .270-ish hitter with a solid .340-ish OB% while being a consistent 30+ doubles and mid teens HR producer, all with a good glove. I'd take that. That's a really good ballplayer. He hits better than that, with an even better OB%, and even just a little more power, he's a borderline star player. Agree with @tony&rodneythat Eeles is being overlooked somewhat. Not by everyone. And with only a single season on the organization, I wouldn't put him on this list either. But if he's not in ST getting a long look for 2025 and the future after what he did last season, someone is being very short-sighted.

It's pretty rare to draft a 1B in the 1st round of the draft unless said 1B is pretty special. Well, if you look at what Sabato did in his first two seasons at North Carolina, optimism was warranted for a bat first, 27th selection. He hit, he got on base, and he flashed great power potential. Unfortunately, his sophomore season was cut short, and the reality is there wasn't enough information, apparently, to tell the Twins there was a hole in his potential. I didn't like the pick when it was made, but at least there was logic in the potential he offered. IIRC I wasn't crazy about Soularie as he seemed more athlete than ballplayer. But in a short draft and a lack of information to work with, I guess drafting athletic potential wasn't a horrible choice. But it sure didn't turn out well. Raya was easily my favorite selection. He wasn't the biggest guy in the world, but he had some good stuff for his age and seemed to have a competitive fire in him. Rosario has been promoted pretty aggressively, and being his league MVP following the 2023 shows his potential. He's probably more DH than OF, but he's reportedly got a strong arm. Hopefully he can polish his OF skills enough to play there. But a powerful DH isn't a bad thing either. Not a good draft for the Twins. Raya remains the one bright hope. But with only 4 picks in 5 rounds and limited scouting and performance to draw from, getting even a single difference maker could mark the draft as relatively successful.

Personally, I'd like to keep Paddack for the same reasons I think he's valuable to other teams. He's under 30yo, not overly expensive in the least, he's further removed from his surgery so the hope is for greater consistency in his velocity, and if his feel for his change comes back, he's potentially as good as a #3. I'd rather open with him, have Festa and SWR battle for the final spot, and the other begins the season at St Paul as Ober did in 2023. Fair? No. But the depth for the entire system just got better. All that being said, he's the most logical trade candidate to free up $ to add SOMETHING to the roster. Word has it he could be moved at any time, but Falvey wants more than a salary dump and is holding out for a decent return. My guess would be Paddack and a lower level prospect for a cost controlled 4th OF or possible, controlled LH pen arm.

Two comments have been publicly made. 1] The Twins stated they were not looking to cut payroll any further. 2] They also stated they weren't expecting to add to payroll. The gray area is the fact they've never stated $130M or the proposed end of 2024 season and expected cost of bringing the team back as is, which pretty much puts the expected payroll of $134-140M. Since, to my recollection, and actual, firm $ amount has yet to be stated, conjecture varies with $130M being the starting point based on the 2024 opening day number.

Am I content? No way. I wanted to be the team to sign Goldschmidt for 1yr and $13-14M hoping for that one more good year in the sun. Another $8-9M ish on a proven LHRP and RHOF with good career splits. (No more platoon specialists). The $ wouldn't have been outlandish. And it sure would be nice for the outgoing ownership to spend a little as a "going away present" when they are poised for a $1.5B + payday in the future. But am I desperate or despondent? No. The collapse late last season, IMO, often clouds an honest view of the team as currently constructed. Yes, health is an issue. This is a different team with Lewis and Correa healthy for the season. Could throw Miranda in there as well considering how good he's looked when healthy. Buxton? You take what you can get, which is hopefully 100 plus games. There are questions. There's also talent, and more talent on the way. I like the rotation, I'm encouraged by the depth, and I feel the same about the pen. Better health...and they're due...and just more overall consistency from the bats can make this offense pretty darn good. Do they win 82 or 92? I don't know. But there's real talent on this club. How healthy that talent is over a full season and how well the younger guys step up will make the difference.

Not saying he's a lost cause and shouldn't be looked at. But he hasn't hit or shown much if a bat at all in 2yrs except for a little power flash. And while I don't know about his defense overall, his CS% had fallen off a cliff to 20% or less at the same time. I wouldn't spend much to get him. But if the scouting department loves him, than a low A or rookie level prospect would be OK.

This is exactly what I saw last season. I saw a player that didn't know who and what he was. I'm not picking on anyone, but I never understood so many posters proclaiming the idea that Martin was ready for regular ML playing time after a good AFL and barely a half season of good production at the AAA level in 2023. There was a reason the Twins were trying to alter his swing and approach to add a little more power to his game. It wasn't about being a HR hitter. It was about being able to hit the ball HARD for singles, doubles, and yes, SOME HR power. I'm confounded by reports that if he didn't stick to the INF, he was a "natural" OF. Except for a couple good plays, i saw a poor OF who couldn't read the ball off the bat. As a 2B, I saw a mix of a couple good plays, some really bad ones, and was average at best The graphics and explanations tell me he CAN see the zone and make solid contact. But he's got to find an ability to DRIVE the ball better, or he's just not going to make it. Defense isn't just athleticism. It's recognition of the ball off the bat. If he can learn that, he's got a future as a utility player defensively. If he can't he's a 2B only who has a TON of talent that will quickly burry him unless his bat suddenly exploded. I'm hoping his defense improves big time through hard work. I'm hoping his approach and confidence takes another step forward and he starts to drive the ball and make things happen. I understand his development has been a bit unusual. But at some point, his natural ability SHOULD take hold and start to show through. And a disappointing rookie season shouldn't be held against him. But he's just got to show SOMETHING in 2025 to prove his draft status, and brief AFL and half season in AAA in 2023 wasn't an illusion.

So I'm the kind of "idiot" fan that LOVES recruiting season, spring ball, the NFL draft and preseason, spring training and the MILB season, and even the MLB draft. I'm the guy who scribbles depth charts and lineups for my teams. Yes...I have a sickness. LOL. So this kind of talk is something I love and live for, even while the Vikings are enjoying a WONDERFUL season! I actually made a rather long "docbauer" post months ago concerning 2025. So here goes nothing! Lol. I don't want to make this about Darnold, but I must to some degree. After watching the post Packers win locker room scene from the team, I'm really starting to wonder if Darnold isn't "the choice" for the entirety of the team. No slight to the potential of McCarthy. Darnold is the elephant in the room in regard to the immediate future of the club. Without him, the Vikings have a TON of $ to spend on FA and the resigning of current Vikings, and a staff and system that would probably turn McCarthy in to a very good NFL QB. WITH Darnold, they still have $ to spend on FA, and resigns, but it shrinks quite a bit. They might franchise Darnold and keep McCarthy for a year, or hitch their wagon to Darnold and move McCarthy for picks. VERDICT...to be determined. Now, simply getting that out of the way, as good and deep and talented as this team is, I can see room to make additions and changes for 2025 and beyond. It would be great to just bring back the current team as is and make a few additions. Problem is, the team has a lot of good players on expiring deals. And that kind of goes back to the whole Darnold speculation/debate. I see a 2 year plan with an as of yet undetermined amount of $ to spend...Darnold again...and a limited 2025 draft choice situation. NEEDS: CB: Resign Murphy. Then sign the best CB you can to team with him and the retuning Blackmon. But you also need to draft or sign ONE MORE CB to really establish depth. It could be via the draft, or another FA, or it might be as simple as keeping Gilmore for one more year. Griffen wouldn't be a bad alternative. SAFETY: At some point, Smith is going to hang it up. I'm not convinced he's done after this season. Either way, they need to keep Bynum and add a safety in one of the next 2 drafts for depth and potential. OLB: What an embarrassment of riches. I'd love to resign Jones, but it might not be possible. But there's enough here to absorb his loss. ILB: Just keeping what they have is perfectly fine. DL: They need at least ONE DL to take this unit to another level. Is that through FA or the draft? It could be a NT to let Phillips slide outside, or an outside guy and keep Phillips inside still. I'd probably resign Bullard, and make that ONE add. Redmond looks like an exciting keeper, and LDR and Taimani look like potential steals as depth pieces. WR: There's really no need here. The depth is so good there's practice squad players that would be on the roster for many teams. TE: Bring back Mundt and we're set. But I still like the potential of Muse. RB: At some point, we need a RB of the future. Recent history has shown you don't have to select one in the 1st round to get a good one. I'm betting Jones comes back, and I really like Akers as a backup, but they need a young back soon. OL: I actually think Risner's run blocking this season has been as good, or better, than his pass blocking. He's good, loved by fans and teammates. Bradburry is OK, but certainly not great, and has one more year on his current deal. They need a STUD at EITHER G or C to take the OL to another level. I think I'd keep Risner, work he and Brandel at both G spots next preseason to find the best fit, and draft a top center to be Bradburry's replacement. NEEDS OVER 2025 AND 2026 FA AND DRAFTS; IOL DL CB× 2 RB S IF they can keep most of the current roster intact as is...and that's not necessarily easy...that's what's needed to keep things going. I'd love to speculate on what to do with the limited picks we have in 2025, but how can we until we have clarication on the whole Darnold/McCarthy situation?

I'm definitely interested. I'm speculating that his good results and numbers indicate he's got a good change to go along with his slider and average fastball. The velocity might tick up a notch or two were he in the pen. And that's where I'd want him, as a replacement for Thielbar who could/should be at least decent against RH bats. The problem is, someone is going to offer him between $5-7M as a SP. Rumor has it teams are interested in Paddack, but Falvey is holding out for something decent in return, and not a salary dump exclusively. IDK id that means a decent prospect, or a ML ready player. I stole the idea from elsewhere, (can't remember where), that the Cubs might be a good fit for a young RHOF, maybe with the Twins throwing in someone from the lower levels to sweeten the deal. But let's say something like that happens. Potentially, the Twins could make him that same $5-7M deal for 2yrs, or a 1 and 1 type of deal, to add to the rotation mix and one of SWR or Festa goes to St Paul similar to what Ober did at the begining of 2023. Suddenly the rotation depth is even better, though unfair to the "loser" of the final spot competition. But I still like him better in the pen, but he'd be worth giving a serious look-see in the rotation initially. He could then move to the pen if it doesn't work out and the next man up takes his spot in the rotation. That's where a 1 and 1 type of deal works in the Twins favor. They don't want to spend $5M + on a setup man. I only need to squint a little bit to see a fit here. It makes some sense. But not only do I see someone offering as good of a deal, but probably a guaranteed 2yr deal. Not sure the Twins like him enough to do that, and risk the pen option at the projected cost. Maybe they do! But if the had some $ cleared in a Paddack deal, I have the feeling they'd rather run with the arms on hand and add a solid bat instead.

I don't think Lewis to 1B is a bad idea at all. What you want is the best starting 8/9 that you can put on the field on a mostly daily basis. In regards to the INF, 2 or the 4 spots will be Correa...locking down SS for a good three more years I'd say...and Lewis at 2B or 3B, wherever they feel is the ideal spot for him. Other than developing a strange throwing motion last season, for whatever reason, I have no doubt he'd be a fine 3B. I think he'd be great at 2B as well. A healthy Lee is ready, or will be soon. I think he's ready if 100%, and I'd expect him to be. But Keaschall is the real deal, IMO. What if Julien gets his game back? He really improved at 2B before sliding back to rather average/poor when he struggled with his hitting issues. What if Eeles is a poor man's Altuve and not just a nice story? And what if Culpepper follows a trajectory like Keaschall has been on? He could be ready by 2027, MAYBE by late 2026. Lewis at 1B is NOT a waste of his talent. I'm reminded of guys like Ertstad and Bellinger who played BOTH CF AND 1B. They did it because they could, and you had a better than normal athlete at 1B when they did. It's not a waste of talent to simply find the best spots for your best players and get them all on the field. That being said, Keaschall and Lewis are both 6' and around the 190-200lb range, Lewis probably a little bigger. So maybe Keaschall is as good or the better choice for 1B. And Lewis may have the better arm. We'll see how Keaschall's arm responds/develops post TJ surgery. No, it's not a bad idea at all to suggest Lewis at 1B. It might make the most sense to get the best starting 4 on the field. But for now, I believe he'll stick at 3B or 2B. And just like Lewis might be a good fit at 1B, I can see Keaschall possibly there as well.

Nothing wrong with platooning on small basis to look for the best match ups. Larnach and Wallner against a tough LHP that day? Go ahead and sit one and put Helman in that day. The other LH OF starts and plays. The other LH OF is available later in the game if needed. Playing to an advantage is smart baseball. But to not only sit and not develop, or even attempt to develop, a young LH batter in favor of a limited RH bat is inexcusable and I think all the reasons why have been laid out well by @riverbrian and others. But what is really crazy to me is the veritable obsession the Twins have regarding facing LHP. I know they were surprisingly poor a couple years ago, for a couple of years, but I think they have attempted a correction course that is clearly an overcorrection. Within a 162 game season, statistically speaking, you should only be facing a LHSP 25% of the time. That's 40 games. So we can't have too many LH hitters because ONE QUARTER of total games played MIGHT put us at a disadvantage? What about the other 122 games started by RHP? On top of that, aren't the majority of RP ALSO RH? So once again, why be afraid to lean too LH in regard to your hitters due to 25% or fewer arms even being LH? Absolutely maddening to me.

Honestly, I don't understand this signing at all, except for some added thump for St Paul. I'd much rather give the younger Severino a shot than Ford. Severino might fall on his face. But he's younger and at least provides the POTENTIAL to MAYBE do something good. I don't know that Sabato has earned a shot at AAA as poor as his 2024 season was. He probably gets the bump anyway just to see if he can rectify his career. But right now, Severino would be the primary 1B at St Paul, even though he's can play a little 3B, Gasper provides depth if not on the Twins, (shudder), and Keaschall can also help at 1B as well. The only HOPE I can see from Ford, barring a miraculous turnaround, is a mediocre partial season with Seattle in 2023. Gasper, at the least, is a potential contact switch hitter who will take a BB and can be a #3 catcher in an emergency situation. I'd rather see Severino get a real shot instead of a failed ML retread. And I'd rather see BOTH of Helman AND Martin on the roster as younger guys with some speed and position flexibility to offer up potential and hope vs a multi-year journeyman failure getting ST AB. I'm not trying to be mean to Ford or anyone, but when you're a mid market team and you have talent in your system that MIGHT do well, why continue to waste AB...even in ST...on guys that have proven previously they don't have what it takes?

First things first: RUMORS: 1]Rumor has it teams have inquired about Paddack and he could be moved quickly. Problem is Falvey wants something of decent quality back and not just a cash dump. 2] Rumor has it Falvey and Joe Pohlad may be going to the rest of the family to ask for a budget increase...say $140M ish...to avoid any sort of pure salary dump or trading of a high profile type players and hurt the team as a whole. Take those things as you will. Lewis at 2B or 3B still creates a perceived "hole" according to Fangraphs. A healthy Lee fixes one of those holes. Yet again, he was good in ST, good at St Paul, good for 10-14 days before he hurt his shoulder. He'll play good defense wherever he's placed...depending on where they see the best fit for Lewis...and the question is "readiness". Was he bad just because he was hurt? Because he was a rookie? Both? If he's close to the HITTER he's projected to be, and can hit 30+ doubles and around 15-16 HR, he's a good ballplayer. He might be better than that in the long run, but I'd take that for 2025 in a heartbeat. I'm a little puzzled by LF considering the good season Larnach had, including a good finish. Does Fangraphs just not like him? Or is LF just so stacked that they'd still be in the teens with Larnach? Also a little puzzled by the catcher spot. As bad as Vazquez was, and even though some of Jeffers production came at DH, they still combined for 28HR and 91 RBI. Not saying Jeffers doesn't need to find greater consistency, or that I wouldn't want to find a better bat than Vazquez, but even eliminating Jeffers DH production, they were still productive as a platoon in 2024. 1B is what it is barring a move. I'm not expecting greatness from Miranda. BUT, we've seen who he is when healthy. If he could play about 130 games there, I think 1B would be at least solid, if not pretty good. NOT saying everything is rosie, just saying 3 of those spots may not be as bad as what is projected. I'm uncertain the Twins would grab a full time DH. They might if the bat can make a difference. Especially with Castro as the 10th man, it's easy to make the DH spot a revolving door for a half day off for another position player. I'd be interested in JD Martinez as a primary DH, but not sure he moves the needle enough to take up that final spot. But I agree 100% that ONE good bat could lengthen the lineup and create more lineup/roster flexibility and depth. Diaz and Lowe would be excellent additions if a trade didn't hurt too much. And the contracts could fit IF Paddack and Vazquez were moved. I'd rather have that ONE bat vs nickel and dimeing for a couple lesser players. But now you have to have a couple $M left for the best catcher you can still sign...maybe Elias Diaz for $2M...to work with Jeffers. Paddack and a decent A level or rookie level prospect for a RHOF and Vazquez plus a similar prospect to clear his salary and you MIGHT have enough room for a veteran catcher and that ONE decent bat to add. But I think you're still looking at ownership approving a $135-140M payroll to get it done. I really like the makeup and depth in the bullpen, but I shy away from Fangraphs #1 ranking, if for no reason than missing a proven, quality LH. And I like the rotation very much, and the young talent at St Paul, as long as they aren't pressed in to service too soon. I like the options at LF and 2B more than Fangraphs. I'm mixed on C due to Jeffers and the unknown quantity to pair with him. I'd be surprised at a DH only based on how the Twins approach that spot, especially with Rodriguez and Keaschall waiting in the wings to add at some point in 2025. But I do generally like most of the team as constructed already. Fangraphs and I agree with that, FWIW. I think the collapse last season and being "too close" in a collective eye towards the roster we sometimes don't give enough credit to the team we have. I think the more distant and neutral eye of someone like Fangraphs see the team in a different light.