South Dakota Tom

Your premise misses a vital point - the "actual" GM knows, right now, no questions asked, that the team will not pony up the money to sign Jeffers to a long-term deal. That 100% impacts your plan - we cannot carry 3 catchers on the roster long-term, with more catching in the pipeline. We have great needs and very few areas of depth, so yes, you trade Jeffers (but keep Ryan for another year). If we can get a cost-controlled starter (pre-arb, 1st year arb) for him, you do it in a minute. The flaw is that if we sit back and complain about the lack of spending, that the team's philosophy will change, and it won't. We (as armchair GM's, then) have to navigate by selling off impending free agents to keep the prospect pool and current lineup as strong as possible in years when we aren't going to win it all. 2026 is one of those years, no? The only justifications for keeping Jeffers are that you believe we are going to win it all this year, or you believe we can and will sign him to a long-term deal (or, potentially, that the optics of keeping him outweigh the competitive advantage of trying to improve the team for the future). I don't agree with any of those notions (and yes, I can still enjoy the team when I see them do the smart thing).

I think his best value to us is in the future; if he turns into a masher at 1B, great. If he remains as a cost-controlled 1B, 3B in a pinch, platoon whatever, that is still something. Right now, he's not good (see Trevor Larnach last year and the howls to give him away; see, also, Matt Wallner this year and same howls). A change of scenery might do him some good, but what does it do for us? There are 3 types of players you look to trade; 1) those on expiring contracts who won't sign with us again; 2) players who are blocking the future (i.e., positions of strength); 3) players who will bring back a haul and fill in gaps that are more valuable than the existing player. Royce is none of those things. We are not going to be blown away by any offers for him and shouldn't give him up just for a middling RP. Our infield isn't that deep right now.

I like the core of Lewis, Keaschall, Culpepper, Lee around the horn, and we DO have a need for a RH 1B on an everyday basis. If a man can play 3b, he should be able to play 1b. I would understand if Royce took some small offense to that (I would disagree, but understand) but if it puts you in the lineup every day with a young and hungry team, man, accept the role you're given. Then it's Martin, Buxton, (someone in AAA currently) in OF, with Larnach, Caratini, Bell, Clemens, Arcia? until we can start to upgrade the bench for the long haul (meaning, 2027, I suppose...). Keep using the season to audition relievers, sort out the AAA potential, and (because we're not a serious contender this year) trade Jeffers at the deadline for a young catcher who can pair with Caratini for one year and then Jackson or if Tait makes the leap by 2028. Would the Dodgers trade Dalton Rushing for a half-season of Jeffers?

In my head, this got sold by Falvey to ownership as "we better have someone reasonable when we trade Jeffers." It's no great stretch to suggest that there are going to be mid-season moves if this team is struggling, and swapping out Caratini's $7M/yr for Jeffers' $6.5 plus whatever Jeffers brings back sounds like something very Pohladian.

I sense, too, that the Twins believe that suppressing Ryan's 2026 salary (and, thereby, the incremental increase in his 2027 last-trip-through-arbitration salary) increases his trade value. If there's no extension, I don't foresee a settlement, sadly.

I think they just had our names at the door last year. That's my recollection anyway.

This is only a no-win situation if someone (anyone?) keeps trumpeting the notion that the team is on the verge of contention. They are not, barring multiple miracles (turnarounds from several players, an increase in payroll, retention of their best players). Therefore, the only "win-win" situation is to jettison anyone who is not going to be on the team in 2027 that will compete and start to trot out the players who will/could be part of that - so yes, that means that Jenkins, Culpepper, Rodriguez, Gonzales are brought up to scuffle for 2026 and half of 2027; we get further reinforcements by following the same game plan they followed at the deadline - gone are our good players, in are players with upside who are top-100 or pre-arb big leaguers. The only players on our roster who can get us those kinds of players (and are not on the 2027-2028 roster) are Lopez, Ryan, Buxton (maybe - I'd like to sell him on the notion that the team is going to grow and be great and they need him around to guide them), maybe Wallner. I truly don't mind if this teams stinks in 2026 if they follow this blueprint because I see the logic in it. I do mind if they keep Ryan and Lopez and try to patch holes with low-wattage veterans and follow the same path as the past two seasons. There is nothing worse in MLB than mediocrity - even being terrible is better than mediocrity, so long as while you are terrible you are relying on young players with at least a hope of a future.

Agree with Major League Ready - $30M doesn’t make this a good team. It doesn’t put fans in the seats. It doesn’t add TV revenue. With what happened in late July, the only wise “baseball move” is to trade Ryan and Lopez (and Wallner) for a top 100 or pre-arb catcher, 1b, and two starting pitchers and run out a $60M team full of youngsters (and Byron) and let them pretend to be the 1986 Twins. Just a year (and solid experience, which they won’t get by obtaining even one FA) or two away from Keashall, Jenkins, Rodriguez, Culpepper being the new core (plus $ to spend in 2027 to plug any gaps with one-year vets). That’s what $400M just bought.

One can squint really hard and see a strong team for next year (assuming Lopez and Ryan and Jeffers are not traded), IF we get strong performances from a myriad of hitters who have, largely, underperformed in 2025. I'm talking a better average for Wallner, repetition and health for Buxton and Jeffers, continued strength for Keaschall, and elevated performance for Lewis, Martin, and Lee. Pretty certain Larnach is gone. Not counting on Clemens, Gaspar, Julien, Miranda, Kiersey, Outman or Roden (either as cornerstones or part of the solution, but I'd take it if they were). If you can see that group performing, a patchwork quilt of a relief corps, and some combination of Abel, Bradley, Ober, Matthews, Woods Richardson, Festa, Prielipp, Kendry Rojas, turning into a rotation and a bullpen, then I think you hold on to these guys. I don't see that, and have to squint to the point of blindness. And if that is the case, you target 2027 and substitute Lopez and Ryan for ML-ready hitters (2nd catcher, power RH 1B) in pre-arb as well as AA/AAA high starting pitching prospects, keep the payroll frighteningly low and play the kids all next year. In that scenario, I extend Jeffers two years, aggressively promote our top prospects by mid-season (Jenkins, Culpepper, Rodriguez) so that by year's end we field a team of Jeffers/2nd catcher, 1B guy we get in trade, Keaschall, (or Keaschall goes to 1B when Culpepper arrives and Lee goes to 2b), Lewis, Jenkins, Rodriguez, Buxton, Wallner is DH. Rotation is Ober, Abel, Bradley, Matthews, Rojas, bp now has Prielipp, Festa, Woods Richardson as long man, Raya, while keeping Sands and Funderburk, maybe Topa and some names we haven't thought of yet. Is that a great team? Probably not, but by 2027/2028 they are young, cost-controlled, but with experience beyond their years (which, last I checked, when coupled with a veteran pick-up or two, was the formula for our now-approaching-40-year last high water mark). Too many here are calling this sort of thinking "giving up" or abandoning the fan base. I don't see that as the case at all, but rather a strategy of realizing that the current core is not going to make it, and aligning the stars for a couple years down the road, while keeping the financial powder dry to add to that core when the next contention window appears. Short term - yes, it stinks, but it is the most viable long-term strategy. And it evaporates if you cling to the squinting.

They have leaned so heavily into the "team that hits the most home runs wins playoff games" philosophy that they built a team that doesn't make the playoffs. I would much rather watch a team steal bases, pressure the defense, defend well themselves, and advance runners than wait for walks and home runs. If you squint hard enough, you can see the beginnings of a team like that, so (hoping against hope) that is part of the plan.

I feel sorry for the fanbase, the players who aren't jettisoned, and the digestive system of the person who wrote the press release for the owners....

I would love to see him sign a two-year minor league deal with us - his potential, while sidetracked, is still high in my eyes. Assuming, of course, that he's up for another year of rehab and still wants to do this.

Can’t they just leave Canterino on the 40-man long enough (as teams do with rookies they are trying to manipulate service time with) that he doesn’t earn a full year of service and then assign him in May if they then need the 40-man spot? I’m not trying to be facetious or make jokes about his unfortunate injury history. I truly hope he’s someone we see play for the home 9 for years to come. He is seemingly already at a point where he’ll be under team control well into his 30s. Wishing all these guys some good breaks and long careers as they chase their dreams.

I paid attention throughout to see how the relievers were doing. Cody Lawyerson was about an inch from an immaculate inning.

Curious why Peyton Eeles didn't get an invite; guy did nothing but rake and hustle from indy ball to AAA and 2b is a (potential) revolving door.