DocBauer

There's just mo way to replace Lopez barring some unheard of major ST trade. Just not going to happen. But someone has to take his spot in the rotation. If the Twins, deep down inside, really believe deep down that there's enough talent to compete for a winning record, and possibly squeeze in to the playoffs, I'd have no problem if they reached out to Littel or Giolito to "firm up" the rotation. Said veteran relieves a little pressure on other younger arms, and might ease the pressure on the bullpen as well. That veteran might even be flipped at the deadline for a solid prospect or two. BUT, I also have zero opposition to opening up that additional rotation spot for one of the "kids" to grab hold of it. The circumstances that provide opportunity with the Lopez injury stinks. But the silver lining could be a step forward for another young arm...or more since everyone but SWR still has options so you can role through all of them as needed...to potentially build a deeper, stronger rotation for the future. And isn't that we and the Twins have been hoping for? Simply for arguement sake, let's still assume Festa is going to the bullpen because that's best HIS future, as well as for the team. (It could be Matthews as well). That means 2 of Matthews, Abel, and Bradley fill out the rotation with 1 sitting at AAA to begin the season. That's exciting, and having that 6th arm sitting at St Paul has proven to NOT being an impeding as you are going to need that 6th arm at some point anyway. But since Matthews and Bradley are a little older, and have more ML experience, let's just say Abel is the "loser" and begins at AAA. That leaves the depth waiting in the wings to be Abel, Morris, Prielipp, Rojas, and possibly CJ Culpepper. Not bad. And St Paul still has some arms like Baker, and Bash, etc, who have started quite a few games in MILB. They can even run some piggyback games for the 5th spot if needed. I probably lean towards going with the younger arms and move a couple of them up and down as needed if someone needs a brief re-set at some point. Ignoring payroll entirely, that's probably best for the future of the rotation. And it's probably where I lean. But I'm not going to be upset if ownership OK's a veteran signing.

1] Home whites! Classic and classy. 2] Cream, optional home uniforms are a very close #2. 3] I probably bump the new navy above the road gray. I like the rent tweaks. 4] IMO, the gray slides down one spot because of the rent changes to the navy top, as stated. I really like the road grays. Again, classic and classy. They just need a little tweak to snaz them up a bit. Just not sure what that is. A little trim work maybe? 5] I appreciate the blue and yellow City Connects for being so different and all the imagination that went in to them. I don't hate them and I like the white pants better. But when I look at them, I just don't the Twins. **I still have a soft spot in my heart for the old powder blues.

Stinger, respectability, I've looked at his deal. I can find ZERO injury reports or anything negative about him as a ballplayer OTHER than NOT being a STUD and coming off a poor 2025. I have NEVER championed him as a STUD ballplayer. But he's a 12 WAR career ballplayer with solid production and solid career splits and a good enough glove to have earned some GG votes. He's NOT what the Twins need at 1B for the future ultimately. But his presence to extend the lineup, move Bell to DH exclusively, and move on from Larnach is exactly what this team needed. And apparently, with most teams already having a 1B intact, he's been removed from a potential $13M arbitration number, to a speculated $6-7M signing, to the Reds signing him on a MILB deal. Sorry, but this is malfeasance of roster construction! The Reds were AWAKE with opportunity while the Twins were sleeping. Lowe at 1B...even as a slightly above OPS player...with a solid performer and good glove at 1B makes Bell the primary DH. Clemens can still be a viable 5 position depth piece, and Wagaman goes to AAA. Outman should be gone tomorrow. You run with Martin and Roden in LF. And you have options in the OF with Jenkins, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, and even Festa. Even the questionable Festa offers more than what Outman offers. The FO BLEW the ability to add to the INF AND to the lineup with a competent 1B that would have little to nothing to add to the payroll. Tell me I'm wrong?

I agree. Just asking about someone doesn't mean you were IN on them. From what rumor states, they were actually IN on him with a similar deal he signed, similar to the initial deal Correa signed. 3yrs with OUTS available. He got $35M per. The Twins just couldn't match that.

I'm not sure if I read it, or heard it, but I recall Hendricks doing a showcase of sorts before the Twins signed him that seemed to indicate he was healthy and throwing around 95-96 again again. Something to that affect. Am I betting on him? No. But the ML portion of his deal maxes out. around $4M. If he has a good ST, he makes the club. If he's around 85-90% of his old self, he becomes a cheap, smart signing. If he doesn't look good, he's only a MILB invite. But it's not hard to hold out at least a little bit of hope. I'd still like to see Kopech on a 1yr make good deal and hope we get the GOOD version of him, rather than cling to hope. But I'm ALMOST betting on Hendricks making it on experience, guys and guile if he looks anything close to being back. He's over a year removed from TJ surgery. And his problem in 2025 was numbness in his fingers from a nerve being pinched. So his second surgery was to free up a nerve that was being pinched. So it wasn't a second TJ surgery. So for now, I'm going to say he surprises enough to make the club. Rogers is just not the old friend we love and remember. But while his time with the Reds post deadline trade wasn't very good, he was quite good with the Cubs up until then. I think he's got some gas left in the tank to help with some late IP work as a set up, and maybe occasional closer with Hendricks to at least start the season. Sands just wasn't the same in 2025 as the arm we saw in 2024. He was uneven to be sure. SOMEONE posted his August and September numbers...and I wish I could remember who and where to find them...that showed he threw really well in those final 2 months, with the exception of a really bad 10 game stretch. Based on stuff, his 2024, and most of his late 2025, he's got the potential to make a difference for the '26 pen. I see him in a potential Jax role as a fireman, but not the closer. Now, he still has to go put there and DO IT, but the potential is there. Despite the Twins being silent on the idea, I really believe Festa is destined for the pen. I think most of us agree on that. He's got a history of being very good 1 time through the order. There's always been concerns about his durability physically as a SP. His recent shoulder scare...supposedly mild, fixed, and ready to go...would seem to further advocate his move. Again, we've all discussed this previously. I think he starts out behind Hendricks, Rogers, and Sands initially, and then starts seeing more late IP work after a month or so. So you kinda have a top 4 there. Not exactly what you want, no extreme confidence, but a 4 arm mix of experience and youth that might get the job done most days. Not great, but not bad either. The Topa we have is just not the guy who was so damn good for Seattle in 2023. But he's not bad as a 6-7th IP guy to come in to start an inning. He's got some experience, and that helps. Not great, not bad. I just can't put a ton of faith in the 28yo Orze. Except, there's at least something to work with there in regard to velocity, good MILB K numbers, and a decent/solid 2025 rookie debut with the Rays. I wouldn't bet against Maki and Hawkins working with him and he overtakes Topa by June in the pen hierarchy. So now we're at 6 for 8 spots. Again, not great, not bad. Sorry, but there is NO WAY the Twins have 4 LH arms in their pen! THREE CAN BE AN ADVANTAGE if used properly. We've seen other teams do that, including a couple of Twins teams in the early '00's. I like the Banda pickup. He's not great, but he's solid, and experienced. I also like Chaffin on a MILB deal. And Funderburk, I believe, has an option left. BUT, not only does Funderburk have little to nothing to prove at AAA any longer, pressed in to more late IP action in 2025, he looked like a guy who has FINALLY turned a corner in trusting his stuff to be a legitimate MLRP worthy of being on the 26 man roster. I really like Chaffin. But I honestly think he's been signed in case Funderburk's sudden rise was an illusion. And I don't know if he's got some automatic OUT in his deal or not. But I'm going to put my $ on Funderburk FINALLY figuring it out late in '25 and it's not an illusion. He FINALLY realized his stuff can play, and he's learned how to sequence properly. So Funderburk is IN, and Chaffin will hopefully stick around in St Paul waiting for opportunity. That's an 8 man BP that isn't great, but might be OK. You notice what's missing? Other than Festa, there aren't the recent conversions. But that's not a bad thing. It means Lewis...a hopeful small shoulder issue...and Raya, Adams, and Klein get TIME in St Paul to make their adjustment to the PEN without being thrust to ML duty immediately. Even though I just made an 8 man pen that actually makes some sense based on talent, experience, and projections, let us not forget that guys get injured. And somehow, someway, the Twins ALWAYS seem to uncover a SOMEONE who is just ready to change their career, so a Hartwig, or Bash, or Altovilla could suddenly surprise as mid pen options at least. And that is NEVER a bad thing. I DON'T want to DREAM on a 85-90% version of Hendricks! But dammit, if we DO, it changes the whole dynamic of the pen to have a "decent" closer to work with other potential arms to make a "competent' BP. Even if said BP is just waiting for Festa, Sands, Raya, Lewis, and Klen, and a few others to debut and take things over later. The bullpen isn't exactly strong to begin 2026. But there is potential to not exactly such either.

Heartbroken for Pablo. He was really looking forward to pitching for his native country in the Classic and working with Santana. Heartbroken for the Twins, and us as fans. Pablo had a TJ surgery when he was 19yo. So after roughly 12 years of wear and tear on that replacement ligament, it's probably not totally unexpected it gave out. You don't want it to happen, and you hope it doesn't happen. But I do think it's a little speculative to say an injury last season, or ramping up a little early for the Classic caused this injury. It's possible it would have happened in April, if not now, were that the case. Strictly from a baseball perspective, with all due respect to the young arms...and I'm a prospect loving guy...TP and Zoll had discussed adding Valdez or possibly Peralta? I can't recall at the moment...but despite my initial skepticism, reports are they were fairly serious about Valdez. Take it as you will. But it APPEARS TP was actually serious about making a major ADD to the team to change the complexion of 2026. Do they pivot and possibly sign someone like Giolito now, as has been broached? Anyone is NO replacement for Lopez directly! And I'm as excited as anyone to see the younger arms hopefully take a step forward in 2026. But the team WILL need 7-8 SP at some point this season. And they're down a major arm right now. Perhaps adding another arm...that might prove tradeable at the deadline...the worst move they could make? I'd say no. Purely from a baseball perspective, if the Twins want to attempt W-L relevance in 2026, I think a veteran addition could make a lot more sense. One way or another, there's going to be opportunity for the young arms to all get shots in 2026. But this really, really sucks on so mamy levels.

I'm recently reminded of something Bonnes questioned about regarding the pen construction. Basically, he asked what might have been different if TP had been in charge in late October, or first of November. MIGHT have the Twins spent $7-8-9M on a competent FA, veteran arm that might change the completion of the current BP? Maybe. But that's water under the bridge at this point. I can even applaud moves made WITH Falvey, at this point, and recent moves made WITHOUT Falvey recently. Bell was a really good addition as a DH. Cantarni was a really good add as a replacement for Vazquez as the #2 catcher, who can also help at 1B once in a while. Both were good moves! Even unexpected in the case of Cantarini. With opportunity that might have been missed with the mismanagement of the entire FO situation, I can ALMOST applaud some recent pen additions that MIGHT turn out on the positive side, with some hope. Including a couple young SP moving to the pen. I can at leat see viable options that will play out. I like the pen even better if they take a shot a shot at the GOOD Kopech on a cheap deal to see what might happen. He's still looking for a deal! I wanted Rogers or Coulme or Thielbar, or even Caffin as a $3M addition, on a limited payroll to work with a hopeful development with Funderburk that proved to be true. Rogers was out based on early $ projections, but was a SURPRISE add for $2M. And while I've always liked Chaffin, he was my #4 option, I never expected him on a MILB deal that might make him, potentially, the #4 option if Funderburk's late season surge makes him a quality option. So the LH side of the pen actually looks semi solid with depth and options. CLEARLY it means the Twins are still focused on Prielipp as a SP option for now. Working on a 5 pitch format for now, and probably working towards 100-120 healthy IP i can get that. Why not? He could still debut late in 2026 as a BP option to get ML experience. He could ALWAYS transition to the BP at any time. But I am frankly pissed off'd at Zoll at this point. DON'T TELL ME HE'S NEW TO THE JOB! He's been 2nd in command for a couple of years now. I'm going to state something I've been yelling about for months now. The roster construction sucks. And it could have been so easily changed if you didn't stick with Larnach. At one point I had hoped the FO would get there crap together but clearly they haven't. There were recent rumors that Nathaniel Lowe was available for $6-7M. That's a pretty good bargain for a 12 WAR career 1B who is a switch hitter with solid splits and a good glove. He would have given the Twins a legitimate 1B, and allowed Clemens to just be a utility player only, and allow Bell to only be a DH. OH, but suddenly he was signed by the Reds on a MILB deal? WAY TO GO ZOLL! You're already proven to be incompetent in 2 weeks on the job. A couple interesting BP options doesn't excuse you from being part of massive roster mitskee

I find this topic to be fascinating, but I'm going to digress for a moment. I keep thinking about a comment Bonnes made recently where he stated that he wonders if FA might have been handled differently...particularly in the bullpen...had the ownership been settled late October or early November? Instead, Tom P took charge, when, the second week of December? Would TP worked with Zoll/Falvey differently? Might they have added a veteran arm for around $7-8-9M that might have been a decent, higher leverage arm, even on a 1yr deal? Because let's be honest, the cream of the crop was gone by the time he took charge of the organization. By then, Dominguez was the last possible arm available, and they would have never given him the $10M the Dirty Sox gave him. And I wouldn't have either. While there really wasn't anyone for the Twins to pursue as a backup SS, most of FA has actually fallen in the Twins favor. Opinions will vary, and I get that, but Bell for $7M as a DH was a solid add. And they got a really nice #2 CATCHER in Caratini...who can also help a little at 1B...also for $7M. I NEVER saw the Twins signing what I believed was the #1 option to work with Jeffers. Currently, there's actually a handful of somewhat competent, veteran FA SP options who might help the back end of a rotation still available, that the Twins don't need for once, but have in years past. There's also a really solid 1B/2B/3B...EMERGENCY SS...available in Ramon Urias, a switch hitter with almost neutral career splits, coming off a 2.0 WAR season still sitting there looking for a job. Unlike Clemens, he isn't really a corner OF option, and doesn't come close to having his power, but he MIGHT be a better roster fit over Clemens, or Wagaman, as a useful bench piece. What really pisses me off is an ACTUAL 1B in Nathaniel Lowe...over 12 WAR in his career but coming off a down year...just signed a MILB deal with the Reds Saturday! He's also a switch hitter with generally neutral splits, and is durable. He's also proven to be a solid 1B defensively. IMAGINE how much better the roster construction is with a VIABLE ML 1B and letting Bell just DH instead of clinging to Larnach on the roster? While FA RP options came FLYING off the board early, and things might have gone differently had TP been in charge earlier...damn the dysfunction of ownership...most of FA has fallen PERFECTLY in favor of Twins needs up until this point, save an actual SS capable utility player. It's HORRIBLE roster mismanagement that Larnach is still on the roster in place of Lowe. Maybe the Twins can partially correct their poor roster construction with someone like Urias to replace Wagaman as a better roster option due to greater versatility, especially since Clemens and Caratini can also help out at 1B and allow Bell to just be the primary DH? Again, forgive my indulgence for a RANT, but it all ultimately ties together. Had ownership had their sh*t together sooner, the pen might look different today by ONE major late inning addition. Had new GM Zoll been a little more on the button, maybe WE have Lowe on a cheap ML deal, or a better incentived MILB deal than the Reds. But my rambling was to prove a point, to rant, but to also reflect on the recent pen moves that HAVE happened. I can't and won't dismiss Hendricks for his cancer battle, which seems to have been overcome. THAT, didn't truly take his career off the rails. And while his almost immediate TJ surgery also doesn't take his career off the rails, we also know that despite generally good success these days from said procedure, it doesn't guarantee a return to the norm. Even then, it can take a full year to get full command back, even with a velocity return. What screwed up Hendricks' return was a nerve "out of place" or "pinched" that caused numbness in some of his fingers. Now, I'm not going to blow smoke that his second, relatively minor, procedure to release pressure on a nerve is going to get him back to being what he was 3yrs ago, but it's also hard to say he WON'T make it back with cancer beat, TJ well over a year plus removed, and reports that his velocity seemed to be back in order for the Twins to offer him a MILB deal with an obvious split contract. It's interesting that he has decided to not pitch for Australia in the Classic, as he wants to work on his rehab/ramp up with the Twins. Stringer speaks about making the roster. Maybe 6 weeks of ST allows that. Maybe he needs a little more time at St Paul just to get in a groove. So it's hard to predict his timetable for Opening Day. But if he's 85-90% of what he once was, this is a TREMENDOUS signing. But then again, it's only a MILB deal. The recent additions of Banda and Chaffin tells me TWO things. A] The Twins are prepared to carry 3 LHRP for matchups, with Rogers holding a position as an experienced arm for the later innings, and OTHER options in case the maturity shown by Funderburk in 2025 was an illusion. B] Prielipp, now up to 5 pitch offerings, is going to be continued as a SP, at least for NOW. He MIGHT still end up in the bullpen. But his goal is to actually "learn" how to set up hitters better. In EITHER role, I wonder how many have thought about that process? It's easy to say he has the STUFF to be a quality RP right NOW. But he's still learning how to set up hitters and maximize his pitches. MORE IP means MORE TIME to actually LEARN how to PITCH. I see him starting in St Paul with the idea of LEARNING and COMMANDING his STUFF with the idea of 100+ IP, and maybe even making a late 2026 debut with the Twins in the pen. From the remainder of the INVITES, I'm not sure I have a favorite to step forward. But the Twins always seem to find someone don't they? Altovilla COULD BE the next Stewart. He's always had decent stuff, but has always been injured. If he's actually healthy, for once, he could be a surprise. I kinda like Bash as a surprise who doesn't K a lot, but seems to get outs. But does the INF defense hurt him? I don't think we should sleep on Raya, Lewis, or Macleod. I know Raya is not an invite. But I can't resist including him. Just given a little AAA time to adjust to his new role, and only having to throw his best stuff for 1-2 IP, I have a feeling he might surprise. Unfortunately, Lewis has a reportedly mild shoulder issue that will keep him sidelined for a couple of weeks. He was probably starting 2026 in St Paul regardless. But I think we forget how good he looked before 2025. He could be a major surprise later in 2026. Macleod wasn't as bad as his ERA showed. After a solid AA, he was vastly inconsistent at St Paul. He was good some days, poor other days. But he shouldn't be dismissed for late 2026 despite recent 1yr additions. I'm still hoping for a surprise trade or FA signing. I guess, like most of us, I'm maybe hoping for a cheap Kopech signing with upside that might make a difference in the pen with a ring and a prayer. But I am also not as despondent as I was a few weeks ago with a couple "decent" options that might play out. I at least like having a multitude of options available to sort through. Just not sure I can predict who steps forward. But IF Hendricks could be 85-90% of what he once was, that could be huge for 2026.

Thank you. I had missed that. So let's take that as reality and run with it shall we? I'm no genius, but I can do math. Lol Assuming you simply can't actually PLAN on long shot Hendricks actually surprising and earning whatever prorated deal he MIGHT earn.... $10M minus the $3.6M combined for Rogers and Banda is $6.4M left. You sign Kopech on a 1yr make good and hope deal for $4-5M. (I mean, he's still looking for a job and he has an opportunity to pitch in high leverage for the Twins). So you have $1.4M left of the original $10M. (Or more). You move Larnach for a prospect, or, IDEALLY, you trade him for someone's #2 utility player, solid 26yo-ish utility player with some ability stuck at AAA...the next Newman, Punto, Castro...who can play a decent SS and you suddenly have a better utility option than the motley crew you already have on hand. You've now saved another $4.5M, roughly, to spend elsewhere. You sign Nathaniel Lowe as an ACTUAL ML 1B with a solid career coming off a bad 2025 for $6-7M based on current projections. That's ONLY $1.5-2.5M more than the left over $ previously mentioned. Bell is now the primary DH, Clemens gets to focus on being the utility player he's supposed to be, you probably got a better super utility player than what you've bought to camp, you have a decent, solid, proven full time 1B, and you've added another power arm to the back end of the bullpen that might make a difference. Current $105M payroll, add $10M, subtract another $4.5M, and add another $2.5M....all close approximates...and you have a $113M payroll. Still under $115. WAY under the opening day 2025 payroll, and about $9-10M less than the FINAL 2025 payroll after the firesale. Put another way, it's only $2-3M more than the current payroll and what's left of the proposed $10M after adding Rogers and Banda. LF, utility player, and final configuration of the 8 man bullpen are your camp battles. And even those could be predicted fairly easily at this point. And ownership and the FO can't find a way to make this happen?

He was recruited as a SS. He had a good, older player in front of him, so he played mostly 3B initially. And his junior season, he became his team's starting SS. When drafted, as a result, he had ONE college season as a starting SS. I think it's important to remember that in all discussions. By all reports, he played a very solid SS as a professional "rookie" in 2025. I'm sure there's room for development and improvement, but he's got a good arm, and is a good athlete. POTENTIALLY, Houston is a DYNAMIC SS who's bat has to only be decent to be the Twins eventual starting SS. But that's a different discussion for a different day. What's important in the NOW discussion is his ability to continue to mature and be a solid, dependable ML SS, at least in the short term. I have yet to read where he CAN'T be that kind of defender. And with all due respect and hope for Lee to improve this season...also with the bat...he's probably destined for a different spot in the INF, or being a competent super utility player for the Twins. K-Pepper chases a bit too much, most young hitters do initially, but he's also shown the ability to take BB, not K to an extreme, and I'd be willing to bet his chase rate will decline somewhat in 2026. My biggest concern is his ground ball rate. He's produced some really good offense, and power, while still fighting this issue. But it was also only his FIRST full season. Learning to not sell out, but LIFT the ball more often doesn't have to mean even more HR power...but it could...but rather more hard hit singles and more doubles where his speed comes in to play. Here's hoping his defense continues to improve, he chases a little less, and he learns to elevate the ball just a little more. That's really not a lot to ask for a talented young kid who's already off to a great start. It's just the kind of development and maturation you'd expect from a talented young prospect. With a little luck, the Twins will be healthy enough in 2026 that he won't be needed until around July so he'll get some solid AAA time to grow and produce for a few months.

I do recall Zoll saying the Twins weren't done and were looking to add 2, maybe even 3 arms to the pen. I don't recall any numbers like $10M possibly available. Did I miss that somewhere? Currently, the entire 8 man pen would probably cost $10M or less. So MAYBE there's still room to add Kopech for a 1yr $4M "make good" kind of deal? While that wouldn't be any sort of guarantee of being a GOOD signing, it would fill me with some HOPE of getting the good version of Kopech and could change the dynamic of the pen in a hurry. I guess we'll see. I DON'T dislike the Hendricks signing. It's only a MILB deal that probably offers up a bump in salary to maybe $2-3M, possibly with escalators involved. We'll see how he pitches for Australia, and in ST. He's a comeback flier at this point, and that is all. I'm rooting for him, but expecting nothing. He was still dominate in 2022. He lost 2023 due to Hodgkins Lymphoma. After overcoming that, he blew out his arm and needed TJ surgery, so that wiped out 2024. And then he needed a secondary procedure in 2025. But what if that 2nd procedure...and I'm still not quite certain what it was...works to stabilize his elbow? Might we get an 85-90% version of him? If so, he ends up being a 1yr steal and it's a really good story. But again, I'm still not betting on it. Rogers, Funderburk, and Banda, as of TODAY, probably all make the opening day pen. That can be a good thing for Shelton if he uses them judiciously: Rogers helping on the back end, and Funderburk and Banda able to help in the 5th-7th innings to close an inning, or run a full inning that has 2 LH batters coming up. If we get the 2024 version of Sands back, or close to it...and he did pretty well the last 2 months of 2025 except for a poor 10 game stretch as well...he's also part of the back end. The problem is another good, strong RH arm for the late innings. And you just can't bank on a Hendricks return. I think Festa might be that arm. The bad news is he hasn't done it before. The good news is he has a good, powerful arm and HAS ML experience where some of the other, younger arms have yet to debut. Topa is OK, but he's a "start a clean inning" middle man. Orze has some upside still, I'd wager, after having a pretty solid 2025 with Tampa. But as of now, he'd still project as another middle man, barring a big upswing. (He's also got options if someone else outperforms him). Regardless, as of TODAY, Sands, Topa, Orze, Rogers, Funderburk, and Banda would be written in with a collection of ink and pencil. But let's go ahead and put Festa in there as well since it does seem to be his destiny. That's 7 spots of 8 potentially filled. It could be worse. Rogers has still been recently solid, and has tons of experience. Sands and Festa have power and some nasty stuff/potential. That's your backend trio. It could be worse? The others offer some mix and match for the middle innings when you assume that, generally, most days the rotation will give you 5 innings. (I'm assuming health). There's enough arms in camp for SOMEONE to emerge as the 8th man, and a history of the Twins FINDING that "surprise" that can help. It could be worse. It could be worse? The biggest issue, IMO, is not Rogers suddenly falling off a cliff, or you talent/potential of Festa. It's not having ANOTHER RH arm to make the backend a foursome you can kinda/sorta depend on and be excited about. And I really don't know how ANY trade is going to bring in that kind of arm. So it's GOT to be a surprise by Hendricks, a signing of Kopech and getting the good version of him, or Matthews/Bradley/Abel taking on that responsibility. I think the 2nd half of the season can see the bullpen stabilize, and improve, with solid depth after some of the converts at both the ML and AAA level settle in. But CAN the early season pen hold together enough to actually close out enough games to not ruin the season in the early going? I still have a lot of disagreement on position player construction, and a couple of ideas that could help fix that without spending more than a couple $M to do so. But that's a different discussion. I think the pen has a CHANCE to be OK through April and May, get gradually better, but SOMEONE else HAS to be added to the back end od the pen or the Twins are going to lose too many games that they have a chance to win. Is that a Kopech signing? Is it another SP option being moved? IDK the exact answer. But SOMEONE better figure out WHO that SOMEONE is.

I saw the Hendricks move coming. I didn't see this one. And while I'm not excited about Banda, he fills a role on the cheap. While the International $ given in the trade doesn't come from the actual payroll, he is, in affect, costing a little more than $2M. I'm not sure that just adding Coulome for $2.5-3M wouldn't have been the better move. I don't have a problem with 3 LH in the pen. That can actually be an advantage if used properly. Rogers will be used on the back end of the pen in some sort of set up, closer by committee set up initially. If the growth we saw from Funderburk is close to being real, he could still be the #2 LH option. And if he suddenly regressed, Banda can be that #2 option. Now IF Maki and company can tweak Banda's changeup, even a little, he becomes a better addition. But he's no pen savior AT ALL. What he is is a basic replacement for Coulombe. 5th or 6th inning, he can come in to get that last LH batter out to finish things off. Or, he can start and inning when the batters line up with 2 LH in the inning. But he's not a set up man. He's a decent, solid middle inning LH arm who can help. And I'm OK with that.

Tom reminds me of real and fictional bosses/owners who are in over their heads, and have no clue how a business is run. "We're going to be great because we want to be great! And we're going to cut pay, and some benefits, and ask everyone to work more, but in the end, we're going to be GREAT!" Tom might be a good business man. And he might make that portion of the team better. I hope that he does! But he's a self admitted neophyte in regards to running a professional MLB team. Here's a hint Tom, let the baseball people run the team. Here's another hint Tom, DON'T tell us your family BLEW the offseason following 2023, and that you want to somewhat slowly roll the payroll back up again...which I can actually accept and get behind...and then tell us all you want a smaller payroll than the $122M-ish you FINISHED with in 2025 and expect your team to COMPETE. And you're a business man? Hmmm...maybe not a very good one. You want a good product but you won't invest in your family's PRIMARY nutegg? Wow! Hint #3, when you call season ticket holders and they hang up on you, or don't answer, do you actually understand what's going on? So let's go back to your proclamation about "going big or going home". So your idea of that is having a roster that would struggle in 2026 because you want to invest yearly and build and want 2026 to be competitive without actual investment is what? Some sort of fantasy only because your WILL will make it so? Congratulations Tom, you must have found a golden lamp you rubbed the right way. If you want to ACTUALLY be serious, then give Zole the ability to actually spend the the closing of the 2025 season. How crazy is it that we have to practically BEG for ownership to spend ONLY how they finished 2025? Even at that, they could still move Larnach for WHATEVER...prospect, RP, utility player...and still add Lowe at 1B to actually build a position player roster that makes sense. You want Hoskins instead? OK. It still makes more sense than stretching Clemens to being an every day player, and allows Bell to be the primary DH. Lowe is just sitting there with quality production over his career and a 12.2 career WAR and an OBVIOUS hole/need at 1B and Tom thinks everything is OK? And he only costs a couple $M beyond Larnach's deal? (That needs to be moved). OK, screw being super smart, sign Ramon Urias as a utility player for around $3-4M max. He can play 1B/2B/3B and brings a competent glove and bat. It's a move I would have made ALONG with Lowe if only OWNERSHIP didn't have their head up their ass. Funny thing, BOTH are still available as solid ML players. ONE, Lowe, really changes the roster and it's depth, and should be a no brainer yesterday. I don't dislike Clemens. But I would have signed Urias as competion to deepen the bench. And now he's even cheaper. But Tom is the ONLY reason why things are quiet. Just imagine, for a moment, Larnach is gone, the Twins sign an ACTUAL 1B with a good glove and solid bat with good splits, and a solid, veteran utility player to compete with Clemens. And they could probably add 1 additional RP option on a flier and STILL be at $120M or below. Reminder, the FINAL 2025 payroll ended up around $122M. So take your "compete" BS Tom! At least Joe gave a damn about the Twins. In the few weeks you've been on the job, you've already proven you're just another speak mouth of your whole family. Prove me wrong Tom. Prove us all wrong.

There's no question a couple of starters are going to transition that haven't been announced as of yet. Probably because they're going to still be rotation options to begin ST. You've got to see who's really throwing well and is showing improvement and looks ready, and also see who is maybe a step behind and ready for the pen. I do think Festa is obvious for all the reasons that have been repeatedly gone over. But who's the next best candidate. Is it Matthews? Or is he just being named because he's shown mixed results so far? I mean, has Bradley really shown henhas a brighter future than Matthews at this point? Honestly, I don't have an opinion beyond Festa. I just want the Twins to be smart enough to make the right decisions. It would really stink to see Matthews, for example, moved to the pen and then see Bradley not take a step forward. Did they make the wrong choice? The Twins coaches and scouts and instructors are a lot closer to the situation than we are. Surely they can look at pitcher A and pitcher B, understand their stuff and their command, and decide who has the brighter future in the rotation, and who has the brighter future in the pen. For arguements sake, let's move Matthews to the pen with Festa since the idea has been broached. OK, done. Where is your rotation depth? Abel and Morris would seem next in line working at St Paul as the 6th and 7th options. That's not bad. Hopefully the Twins are rightly optimistic about Rojas. As of TODAY, he's probably option #8, hopefully not needed until later in the summer, if at all. I'm guessing for NOW CJ Culpepper stays as a SP. That could change down the road, but the Twins need depth, St Paul needs starters, and CJ could use a healthy 2026 to see where he ultimately fits. Potentially, that's some pretty decent depth. My gut tells me the Twins are still going to add 1 more FA arm for depth and experience. Is that someone like Kopech or Hendricks on a 1yr make good deal? IDK. But 1 more FA...not discounting a possible trade...will be added. So your pen is Sands, hopefully, returning more to his 2024 performance level. Rogers offers experience...and still solid results in recent years...as the #1 LH option for the latter innings. Topa is OK, but needs to come in with the bases clean. (At least he's "been there done that" before). Funderburk is the #2 LH, and that's not horrible if his 2025 maturation is close to real. Orze has at least shown some potential in relatively SSS. Can he at least be a decent 6th inning arm? How much potential might he have? (He's got options available) And again, I'm expecting ONE additional add. Who and how good remains TBD. And in this scenario, Festa and Matthews are converted. And neither has anything left to prove at AAA. They might be gradually built up to 8th and 9th inning roles, or they might get thrown in to the deep end immediately, but they shouldn't need more time at St Paul. So Sands, Rogers, Topa, Funderburk, Orze, VETERAN ADD, Festa, and Matthews. That's 8 unless my brain is forgetting someone. That might not be great, but you can see the makings of a decent pen. All the more so with Festa and Matthews maturing quickly in their roles to join Sands and Rogers for the back end. But like the rotation, you need depth. So who's next? Invariably, the Twins always seem to find SOMEONE off the proverbial "scrapheap" who surprises. I'm just not going to predict who, but it does seem to happen. Adams, no surprise, is fully converted. He's got decent velocity, a decent breaking ball, but his FB is too straight. Is he a tweak away from more movement and greater velocity when only tossing 1-2 innings? Raya, by all accounts, has some good offerings. But with previous struggles as a starter, and ZERO ML experience, he's going to need AAA time in his new role to actually find some success. I remember rumors of Lewis possibly converting. He's flashed at times, and shown real K ability. Can his velocity jump, refine ONE breaking ball, and then flash that crazy knuckleball as a 3rd option? I think he might be really good in the pen, but like Raya, he could really use some time in St Paul's pen adjusting to his new role. And I have a gut feeling Klein could be really good! While his AAA debut wasn't great to begin with, he settled down and finished solid. He's a big, strong kid with some solid offerings and good K results. I could see HIM jumping in to the discussion really quickly. And then there's the Prielipp debate. It's really hard not to dream about him remaining a SP option and getting in 100+ IP for St Paul in 2026, refining his offerings and approach, and learning how to better sequence and put batters away more quickly. And it's not as if he's old. But does he have a better, brighter, more immediate future in the pen rather than continuing a build up? It's not hard to see him as a potential late inning fireman/setup option from the LH side as early as June. So eliminating a potential veteran surprise, rebound candidate, and ONLY focusing on the younger arms: Adams, Raya, Lewis, Klein, and Prielipp are next in line. Ideally, they can all get a couple months in the Saints bullpen to adjust to their new roles. But you can start to see a decent ML pen, with more arms on the way, and a better pen from June/July onwards vs opening day. For giggles, keep an eye on a trio of MILB kids who might step up and be ready to contribute later in the year: Christian MacLeod, LHP...mentioned by another poster...is a former SP at AAA already converted to the pen. He was really good at AA last season, but was inconsistent when he reached AAA around mid season. He lowers his BB numbers, he just might contribute sooner rather than later as a depth option. Jaylin Nowlin, LHP. The kid has good velocity, good K numbers, a funky delivery, and can be nasty at times. But his BB numbers just don't work. He converted to the pen in '25. And he was in ST for a while last season. He runs hot and cold. A little more control, he could be with St Paul quickly. Hunter Hoopes, RHP. If you've never heard of him, it's OK. But you should take a moment to look him up. Basically, he was at a training facility, with a bit of a running start, and threw 107mph. The Twins signed him out of the Independent Leagues and he was a professional rookie in 2025. He basically BLEW AWAY the competition at low and high A last season before running in to some trouble at AA late in the season. The Twins sent him to the AFL this offseason where he also put up bad numbers. But let that fool you. That was about getting in work for 2026. Of course he doesn't throw 107 in real games. But he sits in the high 90's. And he'll begin 2026 at AA Wichita. But a little more command, and refinement of his secondary offerings, he could be in AAA by mid season. It's unusual to have optimism for MILB RP as we're just so used to seeing the Twins convert SP to the pen with good results. But these 3 INCLUDE 2 MILB SP who have recently converted already, and 1 flier that could be a surprise. I CAN see the makings of a "competent" bullpen to open the season. And I can see a bullpen that's better, and deeper, from June/July onwards. I guess I'm just trusting Maki and others of making the right choices. POTENTIAL can either be an ugly word, or a good word. It depends on the outcome. I know this might sound silly to most of you, but I can ALMOST see a better pen the first couple of months vs the position player roster. But I can see BOTH being better from June/July onwards. But will that be too late to save the 2026 season?

Come on guys, St Paul is filled with OF, 1B options, and maybe catcher options. This is nothing more than giving St Paul another INF option to put a competent team on the field. He's a LONG way from being a ML option at this point.

For me, this OP addresses 2 primary items: 1] Roden himself. 2] Poor roster construction. Let's stick with the more positive #1 item first. While not a TOP prospect, Roden was a high #3 draft choice for a reason. He's demonstrated in his MILB career to be a quality hitter with discipline, contact, and a high OB% as a result. He's got some legitimate POP, even if he doesn't have more than double digit HR power. He's also got decent speed, and has been successful at SB at an 87% clip in MILB. Based on various reports...and some general belief from the Twins...he's a capable CF to give Buxton days off here and there. And he can reportedly play both corners quite well. Thus, why is Outman still on the roster instead of even a marginal veteran FA RP that might ACTUALLY help the bullpen depth. Ultimately, Roden is PROBABLY a solid 4th OF who also has 1B experience, who should have a solid ML career based on talent level and defensive flexibility. He SHOULD be the starting LF to begin 2026 unless he just has a lousy ST. The Twins NEED more speed, athleticism, and better defense. Well, Roden does that in LF, while also covering CF/RF to give Buxton and Wallner days, or half days off. I just don't buy in any theory a rookie only having 136ML AB and struggling as a warning sign. I believe service time will remove "rookie status" from Roden, but come on the kid will basically still be a rookie in '26. POTENTIALLY, he works with Keaschall as a pair of solid hitters, OB, contact hitters with POP and some speed at the top of the order. OR...depending how Shelton wants to construct his lineup...he's a potential bottom of the order "flip" producer in the lineup. And Martin IS part of this discussion. A solid Roden should be playing about 75% of the time between LF, and covering CF/RF. There's still plenty of room for Martin to play LF...and can be the #3 CF and #3 2B potentially...when Roden gets a day off, or plays CF/RF. And while he doesn't have as much pop as Roden, he's a similar hitter in many respects. And he fits the same role as a contributor either at the top, or bottom, of the lineup, depending how Shelton builds it daily. But LF suddenly provides defense, athleticism, and speed. Aren't we looking for that? Once again, why is Outman even still on the roster? If Buxton has an injury that keeps him out for a couple of weeks instead of just needing a day off, what do you do? Well, 2 of your TOP prospects sitting at AAA are CF options waiting for opportunity. And 1 is already on the 40 man roster! Once again, why is Outman even still around? Because a poor ML player, except for 1 year, is better than playing a 26yo with potential? I'm hopeful no ghost of Falvey ego will prevent Zole from just letting Outman pass through waivers and MAYBE signing up with St Paul, even though I don't know he has much potential there considering younger, better talent on hand. For a team looking for defense, speed, and athleticism, the Twins would be borderline stupid if they didn't go the younger, more potential route. Unless, of course, Roden just had a really poor ST. But I just can't escape POOR position player construction! Even IF the Twins are holding on to Outman as a "just in case someone is injured or just has a lousy ST", where does Larnach POSSIBLY fit in? He's the primary LF? What happened to more speed and athleticism to make the team BETTER? And ONCE AGAIN, how does Outman even figure in at that point? Do you keep Martin...or maybe Outman as ANOTHER LH OF...and just punt on Martin...and put Roden back at AAA to play with Rodriguez, Jenkins, Gonzalez, and Fedko and Rosario? What the hell is the point? Being the primary DH and someone else playing LF daily you still have the same issue. Martin or Roden plays LF while Larnach is the primary DH and you again punt on Martin or Roden as options, much less the dead albatross that is Outman to have a 4th OF. It's comical how poor the current player roster construction is! Let Martin and Roden not only prove themselves in ST, but don't be afraid to run with younger, more athletic talent. ESPECIALLY considering you have THREE TOP 10 talents in the OF sitting at AAA with a solid top 20-25 options like Rosario and Olivar ready to join in, plus a potential wild card like Fedko as a kid who just might be a late blooming 4th OF type. And that leads me to the #2 point that I am as tired about posting as you are reading what I have to say. (Sigh). Position player wise, you couldn't ask for a better outcome than has been presented to TOM, and Zole. MOVE Larnach for whatever you can get. SOMEONE must need a fairly cheap $4.5M LH DH part time OF for a prospect of semi decent quality, or package him with a solid 20-25 prospect for a BP arm, a solid AAA utility player...I'd love the next possible Castro or Newman, or Punto be brought back at this point. But for a cheap 2026 Twins payroll, I just want Larnach moved for WHATEVER...even though I think he's a pretty solid player...and just free up $ even if he doesn't bring back an immediate return. Why? Because it might not be too late to help fix the position roster!! Honestly, Roden and Martin SHOULD hold down the LF portion of the roster/lineup not only for potential, and the prospects set to arrive, but also because WHY IN THE HELL WOULDN'T YOU BE TRYING TO HAVE THE BEST PLAYER ROSTER YOU CAN? OOPS. Did I do that? It's NOT yet too late for Tom to allow Zole to FIX the player roster at least. Again, the FA market has fallen in the Twins favor in regards to position players. I will GLADLY admit to eating crow if the Twins dump Larnach and spend a lousy $2-3M more for a solid, rebounding, 30yo Lowe at 1B. But suddenly the lineup starts to actually makes sense. Lowe is a solid 1B who is decent bat with neutral splits and has proven every day availability. He's coming off a poor season that makes him cheap, but has a solid career at only 30yo. Now Bell gets to DH every day. And ONLY being a DH, his WAR...for those counting...might be 2-3 ONLY being a DH. And we have a career 12.2 WAR 1B has been in conversation for a GG here and there. And suddenly Clemens is what he is supposed to be. A decent, 5 position player who brings some power value from the LH side, without being stretched as a starter anywhere. It ALSO allows freedom for him to be the 5th OF. So Roden and Martin claim LF with the ability for Roden to be a sort of every day 4th OF. And we move Larnach for whatever we can get and no prospects are blocked. And the FO, with Larnach moved only needs a couple $M to add an ACTUAL ML 1B. How does all of this make so much sense?

ACTUALLY I had only briefly considered Hendricks as an option. Wouldn't it be interesting to see him "come home" for 1 more year in the sun? I don't think Kopech will get anything close to what he wants. He's a volatile arm who needs a good year to warrant a better contract in 2027. So I'm not sure the Twins are completely out of the picture. I think the Twins 2026 bullpen just might be comparable to the lineup. Who holds the table until the best comes to play? But focused on JUST the bullpen, why can't Sands be the next Jax based on 2024 and parts of 2025? Jax was NOTHING as a SP before he became an outstanding RP. Same with many previous Twins pitchers. Funderburk may, or may not have turned a corner. I hope he has. And Rogers is still competent, but not the Rogers we knew. But there's a hopeful competency level there. Topa, healthy, with no runners on base, has some competency starting an inning. Who the hell is Orze and what kind of upside does he have? What this bullpen needs is a couple of RP who have enough experience to just not crap their uniform when called on besides Rogers. I believe Festa, and another of Bradley, Matthews, or Abel are headed to the pen, along with Raya, Lewis, and Klein. But it would make a hell of a lot more sense to add a couple decent, solid veterans to mitigate the transition. I honestly think the bullpen could look very different come June 1st, if not sooner, with arms like Festa, Klein, Raya, Lewis, and possibly Prielipp. And Festa could be Opening Dsy.

I don't know about Hrbek ever playing hockey. Maybe he did. But I wonder if you might be confusing him with Morneau, who also played hockey, and was drafted as a catcher before being moved to 1B. Regardless, I applaud this move. It's a shame he didn't get a chance to play the whole AFL season and get some time at 1B. I LOVE and appreciate good defense EVERYWHERE in the field. But the truth is LF and 1B ARE the 2 positions where you can "hide" mediocre defense in favor of a good bat. Or maybe temporarily hide said mediocre defense while a player grows in to the position to become better. But I don't believe the Twins should stop with Mendez. St Paul currently has Jenkins, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, depth piece Fedko, AND Rosario and Olivar ready to advance along with Mendez. You AREN'T moving Jenkins or Rodriguez, of course. Fedko has played some 1B. For that matter, Roden has as well. Both Gonzalez and Rosario have strong arms, but might only be mediocre OF defensively. Why not move one of them to 1B as well? Most players have spent at least a little time in their youth playing in the dirt. But there is an obvious difference from that and being primarily an OF most of their career. But even an OF has to scoop some balls. And is tracking a ball so much different than a throw that's a little off target? I am NOT minimizing the differences of INF vs OF, but even if you're a bit slow, if you have decent "foot athleticism" might you not be a decent 1B in time? A poor analogy, but an OF has to sprint. A 1B has to have the ability to "dance". If either Gonzalez or Rosario has decent feet, they should have the ability to learn 1B, even if it takes a while to become GOOD at the position. It's just AMAZING to me the previous Twins seasons have been about "shoving" someone to 1B instead of trying to develop one. Other than DH, it's the ONE position where you can vastly improve your offense with a solid BAT, even if you have an average defender. Plus defense is just that, a plus. But where has been the internal imagination to actually CREATE a 1B?

He's cheap and has a solid history. Even in a "down" 2025 he wasn't terrible, and we all know relievers are volatile year to year generally speaking. I mean, I actually have some confidence that Funderburk...with the opportunity presented to him post deadline...might have actually raised his game and started to "figure it out". But what if...hopefully not...that was an illusion. Only the Twins really know how confident we should feel about him. But why not another, cheap, solid, LH option in case Funderburk turns back to a pumpkin? The problem is we still have ZERO idea about the payroll. Granted it's now Tom instead of Joe, and Zole instead of Falvey, but HISTORY would indicate the vault isn't closed yet. The Twins have often made late signings just before ST began, or even as it begins. I'd have no problem with Banda as his contract is pretty small. But if $1.6M is pushing the payroll wall even a bit, I think I'd hold back and use that for a "decent" RH option. There's not a lot left other than the "roll the dice" Kopech, who I'm IN on, but there are a handful of "Clippard" types for around $2M that MIGHT be better options.

Personally, I don't think Jeffers is going anywhere. Currently at AAA they have Cardenas and Winkel. I'm fairly high on Cardenas as a future backup with a bat and OB/contact approach that won't embarrass at the plate. Winkel...well...they like his defense and how he handles a staff, but the bat is pretty poor. They will both, undoubtedly, end up in camp with Banuelos to handle the number of pitchers on hand. But the only "catcher" from AA that's ready to move up is Olivar. And frankly, he's much more of a LF than a true catcher. And between the daily, active roster and the reserve list, you've got to have 3 available. That's why the signing of Banuelos. Now, it's POSSIBLE Jackson passes through waivers...if not traded during ST to a team with injuries and in need...and ends up with the Saints. But you can't plan on that at this point. That's why Banuelos was signed.

We're definitely on the same page. The only thing I disagree with is Caratini blocking any addition of Lowe. Caratini and Jeffers are a nice catching duo and they only cost about $1-1.5M more than last season's duo. And while it's nice Caratini can help some at 1B, his most important role is working behind/with Jeffers. Larnach's $, a couple $M more for Lowe, is a lot better roster construction with Wagaman down in AAA. I just don't see Caratini preventing a Lowe signing as his contract really should have little $ impact. And also on the same page regarding Roden giving Buxton days off, Rodriguez and Jenkins are sitting at AAA not only for opportunity, but as longer Buck replacements if he misses time to actual injury. Just no need for Outman in any capacity. It's not too late to tweak the roster. Come on Tom!

I doubt the team was ever in on Valdez. More than likely they were talking about other players and some ideas and somewhere in the conversation Valdez comes up as just part of the conversation and the topic quickly changes. So I don't know that the Twins have a lot of open $ to still work with. Kopech has the potential to help at least. And maybe there's another $2M arm to be had like Suter, just for example, that might "finish" the bullpen for now. As I posted elsewhere, if they really had a little more $ to play with, knowing there are no more expensive pen arms, how about trying to move Larnach and his $4.5M for a unity option better than what we have, and then add another $3M to the saved Larnach money and add Nathaniel Lowe? The payroll is still under $120M, 1B has an actual 1B playing there on a daily basis, (with wolid career aplits), Bell gets to DH daily, Clemens gets to remain a bench player, and LF has more speed and defense with Martin and Roden and no further Larnach in the OF temptation. We might even find a better utility option for the INF if the Larnach trade works put ideally. (I'd settle for another Al Newman at this point). 1B and LF are improved, nobody is really blocked, Roden can give Buxton days off here and there, and the payroll still ends up at or slightly less than how 2025 ended after the firesale. Nothing there is GREAT, but at least it's a more balanced roster.

Work with me here. The player roster is a but of a mess of puzzle pieces that don't exactly fit together. As I wrote in the recent OP about roster construction 3.0, there is an awkward path to sorta make the roster work. But what if ONE signing could change the player roster in to something that actually makes sense? IMO, that ONE signing is Nathaniel Lowe. No, he's NOT a STUD signing that changes an entire lineup as a DANGEROUS BAT. But he's a really solid player that DOES change an awkward roster to one that starts to make sense. Lowe was a good, solid player for Tampa and Texas for a number of years. While he once had a 27HR season, he's really more of a 18HR type of player. He isn't special, but he's solid, and at still only 30yo, he has a respectable 12.2 career WAR. His career quad slash line is a very respectable: .264/ .347/ .424/ .771. While not an All Star or Silver Slugger contender, that is a QUALITY ML hitter. And being a LH hitter, his career splits against LHP is pretty solid. Simply, that means he doesn't have to be platooned. Further, he's usually available for about 140 games per season. That availability is also a real positive, especially considering previous Twins injury issues. So other than not actually being an All Star type player, what are the negatives? Well, he ended up with the worst season of his career in 2025. Between Washington and his trade to the BoSox...he was better for the Nationals...he ended up with a quad slash line of: .228/ .307/ .381/ .689. So he was a slightly below average ML hitter. But even then, his 44XBH (18HR) and 84 RBI would have made him one of the better BATS on the 2025 Twins. SO WHY IS HE AVAILABLE? Because he's solid but not a STUD despite a solid career, and is coming off a poor season. His projected arbitration number was around $12.5-13M. And the BoSox decided they weren't going to pay that. And apparently, nobody else wants to pay him close to that either, and probably have their 1B already accounted for. Offseason projections vary, but it's been speculated he might only get a deal for around $6-7M. I saw more around $8-10M at one point when the offseason began. SO HOW DOES HE CHANGE THE 2026 TWINS? Simply because he's a legitimate, decent 1B who has solid career numbers, a generally neutral split against LHP...which I've mentioned...and is durable. He's a PERFECT fit for a team that DOESN'T have a legitimate every day 1B and desperately needs one. Let's examine contract options. Whether it's 1yr, or 2yrs, his value might be as little as $7M per either way. But let's go bonkers and say it's as high as $10M. (ST is right around the corner and he's still sitting at home, but I'll go high for arguments sake). 1] Bell, NOT playing 1B other than occasionally, if at all, is probably a 2 WAR player, or better, as ONLY a DH. (His career WAR is affected by defense limitations). 2] Clemens...not exactly a DAILY player...gets to be a hot/cold LH power bat as a bench player who can play 5 positions, with 3B his weakest spot, but he can play it. 3] All the more reason to move Larnach for SOMETHING. By himself, he brings back a A+ or maybe even a decent AA prospect. COMBINED with a decent prospect top 25 range maybe, he might help bring in a decent RP option. Maybe another team's version of Varland. OR, maybe, he just brings in another team's solid utility player who can play SS. Maybe it's even a really solid 26yo MILB utility player/SS that's sitting at AAA that has more projection than the current option the Twins currently have. THAT would be MY target. A possible Castro, or Castro-lite just sitting there with some talent who projects as better than the current options. The most important issue is the removal of his $4.5M off the books. That pays for at least half of Lowe's contract! 4] LF now belongs to some sort of quasi platoon of Martin and Roden. They get the opportunity to show what they can do with the glove and their bats. The Twins from reports I've heard, is considered to be a decent CF to give Buxton days off. If Martin's vast improvement in LF could carry over even little to CF, he could be a #3 option there. Were Buck to have an IL stint for any reason, 2 of your top 4 prospects are CF sitting at AAA, with one already on the 40 man. So absolutely no reason for Outman to be around. SO WHAT IS THE OUTCOME? Bell becomes the primary DH, where he can excel. You have a solid, experienced, daily 1B that doesn't have to be platooned. Clemens remains as a decent utility player, helping the bench. And you improve the defense in LF, and at 1B, while also improving the depth of the every day lineup. The cost for Lowe is somewhere between $7-10M, depending on what you read. And Larnach removed covers at least half of Lowe's signing. NOBODY is actually blocked from AAA. And the only "hole" on the position side is the utility/SS spot. And MAYBE a Larnach trade could help there as well? More speed and defense in LF, a better, decent proven 1B with a decent bat and glove, and the $ cost is pretty small with Larnach gone. Tell me this doesn't make massive sense for 2026.

THIS! While Kowar is no means an exciting signing, he's only 28yo. He's got velocity and a pedigree...for what it's worth...that had him as a high draft choice. The fact that his career ML ERA is abhorrent is also juxtaposed by a fairly decent ERA, and his best to date. That brings at least a little optimism. Can the Twins "fix" him to get more out of him? Just because the Royals couldn't doesn't mean he's not "fixable". While a SSS, Seattle got the best out of him so far in his ML career. He's at the age where maybe the mental part of his game is starting to come together. Does he need a different arm angle? Can Maki and/or Hawkins find that difference making adjustment that suddenly unlocks some potential? Maybe they can, and maybe they can't. But literally every year there are former top arms that hit the right age/experience level in their careers, end up with the right team and coaches, and suddenly everything coalesces to bring an arm from "what ever happened" to "who saw this coming"? In fairly recent history, Thielbar was a fairly low prospect for the Twins who flashed a little bit, and then was quickly put of MLB. He bounced around for a few years, and then had a good AAA seasons for the Tigers. For some reason, Detroit didn't see value and let him walk. He came back to the Twins and we all know the results that came from that. Look, Kowar might just be another arm in the history of MLB that was a high draftee that just didn't turn out. But at 28yo with velocity and a slider on hand, it's also possible the Twins braintrust adds a MPH or two, changes his arm angle, and suddenly his stuff plays up. This is a smart flier. He might disappear tomorrow. But he might also be a tweak away from being a solid pen arm. It's not a bad dart throw.

OK, so I'm late to this one due to work today. Still, I have my thoughts. The position player side is not exactly well put together, but I think it's workable, if not ideal. 1] CATCHER: Jeffers is the PRIMARY, catching about 100-105 games. He's been begging for the opportunity, and he's strong enough to handle that, IMO. Think 2 games on, one game off. You can even juggle that a little with scheduled off days where he occasionally gets 2 days off. Caratini is the #2, but he can also play 1B once in a while, but we'll get to that. I have zero issues with Jeffers getting a half day off here and there as a RH DH against LHP with Caratini behind the dish. I mean, how often does a catcher get removed from a game in this situation and you lose the DH? Very, very seldom. Jackson should be traded, if possible, maybe during ST if someone has an injury and needs help. Otherwise, let someone claim him and pay his salary. OR, he passes through waivers and probably signs with St Paul. 2] INFIELD: 3 spots are set between Lewis, Lee, and Keaschall, who should PLAY 2B. STOP with the whole OF crap and just let him settle in to 2B! If you want a few games here and there to just keep him in play, OK. But that's IT! IMO, while I'm not crazy about it, let Clemens and Wagaman be a platoon at 1B. We just shouldn't be at this point of roster construction, but it is what it is. We want to maximize what we actually HAVE. Caratini also figures in as an occasional 1B so Clemens can move around as needed. This also allows Bell to be the primary DH, and who only has to play 1B here and there. This improves the 1B defense, even to a small degree. And it allows Clemens to slide to 2B, or an OF corner here and there as a utility player. Wagaman is an emergency 3B, as is Clemens, but we're not talking ideal here. We're talking about working with what we have. Beyond Clemens playing a lot of 1B, and still being a functional utility player at 4 other spots since there are other possible 1B options, WHO is the utility player who can actually play SS? I'm talking out my backside here, to be honest, as I just don't know enough about Gray and Kreidler to make a judgment. Reportedly, Kreidler is the real deal at SS, and can also play a good CF. But in an admittedly SSS at the ML level, he can't hit his way out of a paper bag. And he's only been about a .240 hitter in MILB. So how "well" does he have to hit to be a defensive specialist and have a ML roster spot? And how well does Gray play SS? Because really, Gray and a POSSIBLE resurgence of Arcia...on a MILB deal...hitting around .200 makes them look like Silver Sluggers compared to Kreidler. As of TODAY, I'm going to say Gray opens as the utility player because he can at least rip open a hole in the proverbial paper bag at least. This might be the single worst position player move that has been made. OUTFIELD: With Falvey now removed, it's my hope that EGO is removed, and so will be Outman. He didn't impress defensively with the Twins, and simply hasn't hit a lick except for his 2023 season. And he's NOT part of any sort of future. Wallner is in RF, and will also face a lot of LHP. He's at least shown SOME improvement over the years doing so, you can't platoon everyone, and at some point in any game, he'll still end up facing a RHP. Buxton is the lock for CF. Martin and Roden both have something to prove. But neither needs more AAA time. They immediately improve the LF defense, which is important. POTENTIALLY, each provides a decent bat with some OB ability, some speed, and some power in the case of Roden. PLUS, Roden seems able to play a competent CF when Buxton needs a day off. IF the massive improvement Martin has made in LF could carry over even partially to CF, he could be a THIRD option there. (*I'm leaving Kreidler out of this part of the conversation). It could be a solid quasi platoon. (Roden also has the potential to be part of the 1B situation). What happens if Buxton gets hurt and is gone for a couple of weeks? Well, 2 of your TOP 4 prospects are CF sitting at AAA, so again, no need for Outman to be included in ANY discussion! FIVE OF feels a little lite? Remember Clemens is also a competent corner OF. It's not an IDEAL position player roster, but it can work. Why no Larnach? Because despite being a decent ballplayer, he doesn't FIT. He's moved by himself for a AA player, or A+ player with some potential. COMBINED with a solid prospect, he might even help add a decent RP option for the 2026 team. But honestly, I'd be really happy if he could bring back an even better Utility INF than what we currently have on hand. ROTATION: Lopez, Ryan, Ober, and SWR. Ober appears to be healthy and ready to again. IF the SWR we saw to close 2025 with his splitter is for real, there could be a debate as to whether he or Ober is our #3. That's the good news. Who is #5 is the major question. On the surface, you'd have to say Bradley based on experience. But it's just not that simple. While Bradley has experienced ML success, he's also regressed some. But the potential is there. Meanwhile, Matthews may have just as much talent, but hasn't quite put it together yet. But the potential is also there. Also, Abel has just as good of stuff as either of those two. So who STEPS FORWARD during ST? It's really nice to have arms of this quality on hand, but SOMEONE has to grab that #5 spot. Honestly, from 1-5, the Twins have POTENTIALLY one of the best rotations in MLB. (*notice I left Festa off the list deliberately). I've preached how good the St Paul rotation could be with Bradley/Matthews, Abel, Morris, Rojas, and possibly Prielipp and CJ Culpepper could be. But what's more important? The Saints having PRIME prospects 5 deep, or the Twins having the best STAFF they can put together? And that leads us to.... BULLPEN: I don't know if HE knows it yet, but Festa is going to open the season in the pen for all the reasons that have been discussed at length. Sands, Topa, Funderburk, and probably Orze are part of the pen. There remains a HINT that there is room to add. But there's not much left in FA. Maybe Kopech on a cheap 1yr deal with hopes 2026 is a healthy season? That makes a lot of sense and shouldn't cost much. And then maybe another experienced arm like Suter? I'd BEG for a couple of options just to have a couple experienced arms to hold the fort down for a couple of months to allow for Raya, Klein, and Lewis to adjust being RP. But considering ML need and opportunity, we shouldn't be dismissive of Matthews, Abel, and Bradley also being converted. It's just not about Twins need, but about their career as well. It would be a ridiculous usage of arm talent to ONLY play the depth piece at AAA. So SOMEONE beyond Festa is going to be transitioned. I think ST is going to figure that out. But it would still be a lot easier with a couple decent, experienced arms just to ease the young arms in to their roles.