IndianaTwin

From the OP: That idea of different roles is a big part of what makes Klein such an interesting piece of this system heading into 2026. The season begins tonight at CHS Field when the Saints host a three-game weekend series against speedy Braiden Ward, old friend Mickey Gasper, top prospects Payton Tolle, Mikey Romero, and the Worcester Red Sox. Tickets are still available. ------------------------------------ @Sam Caulder, I would encourage not going to CHS Field tonight to try seeing the Saints, given that they will actually be in Indianapolis for a three-game series with the Indians. The Worcester series starts on Tuesday. (You had me panicked, because I am planning to go to tonight's game in Indy!)

Spiffy -- I like it!

I’m looking forward to catching the opener in Indy tomorrow evening.

To pinch run in the ninth.

I love it when Buxton hits stand-up doubles and ends up on third.

Agreed. And to add, I didn't question him coming back so early. The Twins were in a bit of a desperate situation -- it was the time of year when they were picking up Clemens and having to run with Gasper and Julien with Castro and Keaschall on the IL. They pretty much had to roll the dice on Lewis being close enough to contribute. If either Castro or Keaschall hadn't gone on the IL, I suspect Lewis would have had a longer rehab -- it was only about 10 days, after having an abbreviated spring training.

Another potential similarity is that the second-best pitcher was a 23-YO Jose Berrios turning in 1.9bWAR coming off an 8.10 ERA season in 2016. Abel is a 24-YO coming off an 8.36 ERA season during his stint with the Twins. It's not hard to imagine him or Bradley (or both) turning in a 1.9 bWAR. And for the record, SWR turned in a 2.2 last year, which would have been second best on the 2017 team.

The 2017 version of Taylor Rogers didn't get any saves. Ryan Pressley wasn't particularly impressive that year. I don't remember which part of this riffraff was the Opening Day bullpen, but I doubt it was viewed much more highly than this year's collection:

And if you are a LH OF, prepare for the wrath of TD.

If Lewis is cooked based on his 45 spring at bats, I assume we can also consider Lee cured based on his 54 at bats with an .817 OPS?

To clarify, that wasn’t directed at you but at the general sentiment on TD that’s wanted to get rid of them. Headed to N.C. this weekend to visit son and DIL in Raleigh area.

I might quibble a bit with the specifics of your 2027 lineup and they might not (probably won't) all arrive by the beginning of the year, but there's enough reality here to make me not understand the desire to trade Ryan and Lopez for even more prospects. The team you describe looks a lot different with Ryan and Lopez fronting the rotation than without them.

Not to mention that he’s had only 68 games at AAA.

He could well be the DFA when Arcia is added.

If you are thinking about pitch counts, Wallner’s 3.93 pitches per plate appearance last year trailed only Julien (4.17), Jeffers (4.03), Bader (3.98) and Clemens (3.94) among those with 200+ plate appearances. So essentially tied for second among returnees.

See: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/03/twins-release-liam-hendriks-opt-out.html As an Article XX(b) free agent (i.e. six-plus years of service, finished last season on a major league roster/injured list) who signed a minor league deal in free agency, Hendriks had uniform opt-out dates written into his contract: one a week before Opening Day, a second on May 1 and a third on June 1. When a player triggers an out clause of that nature, the team has 48 hours to either add him to the 40-man roster or release him back into free agency. The Twins opted for the latter route. ------ And from the OP: [Hendricks] carried multiple opt-out dates, including one a week before Opening Day, another on May 1, and a final date on June 1. Once triggered, the Twins had a 48-hour window to either add him to the 40-man roster or release him back into free agency. Minnesota ultimately chose the latter, ending what had been a quietly intriguing spring storyline. ----- So absent evidence to the contrary, Hendricks did opt out in that he forced the Twins to make a decision. Had he not done that, we don't know if the Twins would have released him from the minor league deal anyway, but Hendricks initiated the process. As did Chafin, per the following: As MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted this week, Chafin and Hendriks were among more than two dozen veteran players whose deals contained an automatic opt-out opportunity under the collective bargaining agreement. Infielder Orlando Arcia also fits that bill. Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports that Arcia decided not to trigger the out. Urshela didn’t have an automatic opt-out under the CBA, but Hayes suggests his camp negotiated one into his deal. ----- We also don't know what's happening behind the scenes. It's even possible the Twins said, "We're not ready to add you. As a veteran, you've earned yourself a shot to be signed elsewhere. If no one claims you, there's a spot for you here in St. Paul as we bide more time together." I'd be fine with them doing that for both Hendricks and Chafin. Less interested in Urshela.

As I said elsewhere, I'm a little surprised. And also a little disappointed -- I was rooting for the guy. Hopefully it's an "I'd like to test the water" and the Twins would consider taking him back if he doesn't get picked up, with possibility of starting in St. Paul if it's deemed he's not ready. However, sometimes these opt outs are a case of another team having communicated an interest to the player's agent (in a hypothetical sort of way, of course).

And now Hendricks granted his release. I'm a little surprised. Disappointed, actually -- I was rooting for him.

This article focuses on the offense, but I hope he is playing a corner OF spot at STP three days a week, assuming Buxton doesn't get bumped this year. ERod as well.

Also, the day before you celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary with a Royals game, get to KC on Saturday in time to visit the Negro League Baseball Museum if you've not already been there. If you have time for only one baseball-related add-on during the trip, that would be my recommendation. Bonus is that you are around the corner from Arthur Bryant's, one of the original classic KC BBQ spots.

I was able to knock off the last three a few years ago at 47, though I since needed to revisit Texas. I'm trying to decide whether Sacramento counts and whether I'm still in the Every Ballpark Club as a result. There seems an obvious solution, but it's not been discussed with Mrs. IT. PCH: High on the bucket list. I'd actually love to drive it one direction and take Amtrak the other. Pittsburgh: The other place where I'd consider splurging for an upgrade is PNC. The view from behind the plate may be the best in baseball. Of course, a Thursday game with the Marlins ought to be move downable. If not, the usher must be brutal. Milwaukee: Yes, tailgate. Even if it means stopping at a hardware store for one of those little disposable grills. Pike Place Market: Specifically the Pike Place Market Chowder Sampler. And the Daily Dozen Doughnut. The cinnamon, oh my...

Thanks for the stats class primer. Gotta love z-scores and standard deviations. It would be an interesting SABR project to review the scouting scales of the major league pool and see how closely the evaluations match an actual bell curve. Did only 5 percent get a composite 70 or more, for example? Are there actually 30s in the majors? There should be about 36 at that level and below.

Yeah, the LTOGY doesn't roll off the tongue in quite the same way.

What I do like about this year's throw-it-against-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks approach is that the things being thrown have considerably more talent than prior years' throwage.

@Nick Nelson, is there a summary of relief pitchers coming? For those of us who haven't been at spring training and with the number of moving parts, it would be nice to have a current summary of who's still in camp, who's hurt, etc.