John Bonnes

0:00 Gleeman & The Geek: Twins Diamond Awards, 2027 payroll, and over/under results 2:51 Twins Diamond Awards with no ceremony and no TwinsFest during the lockout 4:24 Most Valuable Twin: Aaron's vote for Taj Bradley 9:10 Cody Clemens wins Twins team MVP 14:14 Twins Pitcher of the Year: Taj Bradley 14:41 Most Improved Twin: Brooks Lee 16:09 Twins Rookie of the Year: Connor Prielipp 17:49 Defensive Player of the Year: Byron Buxton over ... Ryan Kreidler? 20:25 Byron Buxton wins the Twins leadership award 20:53 Louie Varland wins Upper Midwest Player of the Year after the Twins traded him 22:21 Media Good Guy: Ryan Jeffers three-peats 26:36 Twins minor league awards: Walker Jenkins and Adrian Bohorquez 27:22 The case for Marek Houston as minor league player of the year 33:56 Twins 2027 payroll: what $100 million actually buys 38:29 Why matching the 2023 Twins payroll now means $175 million or more 40:33 No winter meetings: how the lockout reshapes the MLB offseason 41:39 2027 MLB free agent class: Tarik Skubal and a lot of Josh Bell types 44:32 Ryan Jeffers and the qualifying offer 46:37 Replacing Jeffers: a thin catcher market and the Victor Caratini problem 51:09 What happens with Alex Jackson 56:59 MLB Trade Rumors arbitration projections 58:52 Tender now, trade later? The Trevor Larnach decision 1:04:31 Charlie Walters reports a Twins sale to Varde Partners is heating up 1:12:30 What private equity ownership could mean for the Twins 1:18:47 Spring training over/under review: Aaron's prediction slump 1:21:46 Why 10 of 15 American League teams finished under their Vegas win totals 1:23:21 AL East over/unders: Tampa Bay Rays win 98 games 1:25:18 Baltimore Orioles disappoint despite Pete Alonso's 40 homers 1:26:48 Boston Red Sox: Aaron gets one right 1:28:03 Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s nine-homer season 1:30:00 New York Yankees win 93 games 1:31:28 AL West over/unders: all five teams go under, starting with the Angels 1:32:00 The Athletics' injury-wrecked season 1:33:15 Texas Rangers fall short 1:34:21 Houston Astros' front office decline 1:36:47 Seattle Mariners and Cal Raleigh's collapse 1:37:30 Aaron's George Costanza plan: pick the opposite 1:39:55 AL Central over/unders: Chicago White Sox make the playoffs 1:41:45 Twins over/under: Aaron takes the over and wins 1:44:38 Cleveland Guardians win the AL Central 1:45:42 Kansas City Royals sink to 69 wins 1:46:26 Detroit Tigers sell and fade 1:47:56 Final tally over/under tally. 1:50:37 Wrap-up and offseason schedule You can listen by downloading us from: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, GleemanAndTheGeek.com, or by clicking this link, or by watching/listening below. View full article

You can listen by downloading us from: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, GleemanAndTheGeek.com, or by clicking this link, or by watching/listening below. 0:00 Intro: Black Stack beer and the end of the Twins season 1:16 Twins finish 77-85: met expectations, but the third straight late-season collapse 3:43 Offseason preview: key dates, the Pohlad press conference, and who's staying or leaving 4:41 Thank you, listeners: Aaron Gleeman's year leaving The Athletic and going independent 7:03 John Bonnes on independent publishers and the G&TG community 13:17 MLB offseason schedule: free agency opens after the World Series 13:47 Qualifying offer deadlines and how a QO affects a free agent's market 15:46 Arbitration tender deadline: keep or cut for Royce Lewis, Bailey Ober, Trevor Larnach 17:11 MLB lockout on November 30: no winter meetings, no Rule 5 draft? 18:50 Flashback: the 2021 lockout day, Byron Buxton's extension and Dylan Bundy 19:59 If a lockout cancels 2027, what happens to Pablo Lopez's contract? 22:52 GM meetings in November could replace the winter meetings 24:47 Both Gleeman and The Geek heading to the GM meetings? 32:10 Twins end-of-season press conference with Tom Pohlad, Jeremy Zoll, Derek Shelton 33:06 Pohlad skips the spin: "Our roster wasn't built for a 162-game season" 34:37 Pohlad backs Zoll and Shelton, blames the ownership mess 35:40 Could the Twins have made moves last winter? 37:40 Pitching coach Pete Maki fired 39:31 Twins payroll: Pohlad won't commit to a number or even a range 41:06 The baseline: why the first $105 million is already spoken for 42:58 Why the Twins should level-set payroll expectations with fans 44:40 Pohlad's words sound good, now he has to back them up 47:02 A one-month window and a weak free agent class 49:01 Is Jeremy Zoll more aggressive than Derek Falvey? 51:27 The lockout doesn't stop moves: lessons from the 2021 November frenzy 55:34 Staying or leaving: rating the Twins players whose futures are in doubt 57:36 Byron Buxton is staying (stop asking) 58:33 Ryan Jeffers: free agency and the qualifying offer decision 1:03:20 Why a qualifying offer to Jeffers is a low-risk move 1:09:02 Josh Bell: good bat, but no fit at first base or DH? 1:12:18 AJ Minter: the best fit of the Twins' free agents 1:19:05 Taylor Rogers: end of the line for a Twins bullpen great 1:21:25 Trevor Larnach: the left-handed logjam and an $8 million arbitration raise 1:29:23 Bailey Ober: the velocity is gone and the strikeouts are falling 1:34:38 Joe Ryan: trade him now with one year left, or keep him? 1:39:53 Pablo Lopez returning from Tommy John surgery 1:40:23 Royce Lewis: two and a half years of struggles at the plate 1:43:56 John and Aaron disagree: is Royce Lewis staying or leaving 1:49:55 Austin Martin and Matt Wallner 1:50:27 Wrap-up: Patreon mailbag next week View full article

You can listen by downloading us from: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, GleemanAndTheGeek.com, or by clicking this link, or by watching/listening below. 0:00 Intro: John checks off his last active MLB ballpark in Sacramento 2:03 Twins win first road series since July in San Francisco 2:03 Final series vs. Texas Rangers with the AL West title at stake 8:00 Final Twins games for Ryan Jeffers, Taylor Rogers, Josh Bell, Bailey Ober? 9:07 Will Kendry Rojas get a look before the season ends? 10:40 Walker Jenkins goes from 4-for-45 to above-average MLB hitter 14:15 Luke Keaschall reaches 10 home runs as his defense improves 20:50 Royce Lewis ends the season lost at the plate again 22:57 Ryan Jeffers slumps after nine straight starts at catcher 33:14 The Alex Jackson saga and Twins roster construction. 45:51 15 pitchers with a save: an AL record that reflects bullpen chaos 47:20 Hoffman passes Gomez as the Twins' top reliever 48:34 Septembers bullpen struggles and what it means for the offseason. 57:50 Connor Prielipp finishes his rookie season healthy with 140+ innings 1:03:42 Zebby Matthews: a 6.87 September ERA and a bullpen future? 1:06:05 Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, and the Twins' history of rotation-depth mirages 1:09:50 Derek Falvey joins the Mets front office 1:17:39 Daniel Adler parts ways with the Twins 1:23:55 Longtime scouting executive Deron Johnson let go 1:25:15 Is Tom Pohlad reshaping the organization or just saving money? 1:30:24 A Thad Levine interview and offseason plans for the show View full article

Nailed it.

You can listen by downloading us from: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, GleemanAndTheGeek.com, or by clicking this link, or by watching/listening below. 0:00 Intro 0:45 Why the game recaps have stopped: the Twins are playing out the string 2:21 Worst team in the American League down the stretch for a third straight year 3:50 15-27 since August 1: as bad as after the 2025 fire sale, and this time they were trying 6:38 John's counterpoint: at least there are rookies worth watching 9:02 "Something is fundamentally wrong": player development, injuries and defense 11:47 Derek Shelton, Jeremy Zoll, Tom Pohlad: new names, same organization 14:13 Are there basic philosophies that lead to the Twins fading every August and September? 16:48 The 72.5-win over/under, and the fear that a youth movement becomes an excuse not to spend 18:20 Ryan Jeffers as team MVP, and the veterans who won't be back in 2027 27:08 Byron Buxton hip surgery: what we know about the timeline for spring training 30:58 The play in Sacramento that ended Buxton's season 35:18 Buxton's contract: two years left, $15 million, full no-trade clause 37:43 Planning the 2027 Twins outfield: Buxton, Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Luke Keaschall, Alan Roden 40:19 The Twins need a bat at first base or DH, and they're losing Jeffers 42:17 Walker Jenkins breaks out: three hits and a game-tying homer off Ben Joyce's 101 mph fastball 44:21 Should the Twins be worried about Walker Jenkins? 51:11 Hrbek, Buxton, Koskie, Kepler: Twins who started just as badly 52:50 Emmanuel Rodriguez homers in his debut, then slumps. Life with rookies 55:15 Rodriguez and prospect "freezer burn": seven years on the radar and still only 23 59:36 How Walker Jenkins handled the media during his slump 1:03:46 Was 2026 a wasted season? Thumbs down on the post-hype prospects 1:05:18 Cleaning out the fridge: an empty fridge and a garbage can full of expired corn salad 1:07:25 Luke Keaschall is a leadoff hitter to build around, if they can find him a position 1:08:51 Brooks Lee's step forward: 25 homers and better defense at third base 1:10:14 Kaelen Culpepper holds his own; Matt Wallner washes out; Royce Lewis's brutal finish 1:14:19 Twins pitching: Taj Bradley and Connor Prielipp step up, Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan step back 1:15:09 Culpepper's hamstring injury, his defense at shortstop, and Marek Houston on the way 1:20:13 Why Culpepper staying under 130 at-bats helps the Twins' farm system rankings 1:22:23 Ben Ross auditions to be the backup shortstop: Ross vs. Ryan Kreidler 1:28:48 Kendry Rojas could return for a final outing or two 1:30:31 The last Twins games for Jeffers, Ober, Trevor Larnach, Lewis and Taylor Rogers? 1:32:59 The case for adding $50 million in payroll around a young, cheap core 1:37:54 Twins draft lottery watch: a top-seven pick is within reach 1:41:17 Wrap-up: John previews his trip to San Francisco and Oracle Park View full article

You can listen by downloading us from: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, GleemanAndTheGeek.com, or by clicking this link, or by watching/listening below. 0:00 Welcome: Twins on life support after Chicago and Detroit 3:13 Which of the three end-of-year collapses hurt the most? 4:17 Rock-bottom fan expectations vs. the 78-win projection 15:11 Wasted season or treading water? Who actually stepped forward 16:33 Did the Twins find a core on which to build? 20:02 Still waiting on Byron Buxton's hip surgery decision 25:03 Playoff ticket presale email lands during a collapse 25:47 The 2009 $100 bet: 4.5 games back with 16 to play 30:19 Is the fan base any more optimistic than a year ago? 31:51 Tom Pohlad's grace period is over: why this offseason matters 48:39 Joe Ryan's return start and the Connor Prielipp piggyback 50:14 Austin Martin activated, Gabriel Gonzalez optioned 53:51 Ryan Jeffers' nine straight starts and the Victor Caratini contract 56:41 Walker Jenkins: great plate discipline, whiffing on fastballs 1:00:35 Matt Wallner tells the Star Tribune he's done in Minnesota 1:07:59 Five reasons the season went south (Aaron's article) 1:08:28 Reason one: post-hype prospects who didn't step up 1:23:46 The core has moved on: Keaschall, Culpepper, Jenkins, Jeffers 1:26:37 Reason two: the offseason. Five signings, $16M, 1.7 WAR 1:32:33 Reason three: the bullpen. This was the plan 1:38:37 Reason four: the defense by the numbers 1:42:50 Reason five: injuries. Yeah, but 1:49:49 Why the lineup isn't the problem but still might need to be a focus 1:54:48 Wrap: Sweep Cleveland or bust View full article

You can listen by downloading us from: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, GleemanAndTheGeek.com, or by clicking this link, or by watching/listening below. 0:00 Intro 0:48 Twenty-two games left and a 3-3 homestand that wasn't enough 2:02 Playoff odds at nine percent, and the 14-8 finish they'd need 4:30 Resilient, or unable to handle success 6:38 Trying to avoid a third straight second-half collapse under an all-new regime 9:45 Now or never, starting with the White Sox in Chicago 11:47 The early-season bullpen and infield defense that cost them 13:00 Opponents' bad defense has handed the Twins 20-plus runs 14:33 The bad bullpen was the plan, and the plan worked 20:34 Byron Buxton says he needs hip surgery 23:48 When playing through pain stops helping the team 27:08 The 2023 knee surgery that bought Buxton three good years 32:17 First impressions of Walker Jenkins after a week 35:23 Why Culpepper hit right away and Jenkins hasn't 40:26 Why Jenkins is batting ninth, and where he belongs later 42:51 Watching a pennant race and the future at the same time 46:54 The last times the Twins got to do both at once 51:32 Garrett Acton up, Ben Ross up, Kyler Fedko released 55:43 Shelton explains why Emmanuel Rodriguez stayed at Triple-A 1:02:42 Joe Ryan's rehab start, and whether he skips the second one 1:08:51 What the final three weeks do to Joe Ryan's trade value 1:11:03 Connor Prielipp's workload, and stuff that hasn't faded 1:14:45 Andrew Morris opens a game, and his future in the bullpen 1:20:25 Matt Canterino pitches for the first time since 2022 1:26:00 The Angels sell for $4 billion after twenty years of failure 1:26:45 What the Padres sale should teach Tom Pohlad 1:31:40 Are the Twins suddenly worth $2.3 billion? 1:38:35 Back Monday on Patreon View full article

You can listen by downloading us from: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, GleemanAndTheGeek.com, or by clicking this link, or by watching/listening below. https://youtu.be/VAuvO-62QSg Timestamps 0:00 Walker Jenkins is coming up! It's an Emergency! 2:17 Twins playoff odds fall from 40% to 10% after a 1-5 West Coast trip 5:33 Byron Buxton and Miguel Sanó in 2015 — which debut does Jenkins resemble? 8:49 Kaelen Culpepper set the bar for what a great three weeks looks like 10:17 Resiliency, or an inability to build on anything? 12:37 White Sox and Tigers at home: now or never in the AL Central 14:11 The call-up is about Byron Buxton's hip, not Jenkins' bat 15:57 The Triple-A prospect wave that injuries wiped out 22:44 Ticket sales, attendance and a packed press box for the debut 25:30 Luke Keaschall in center field has been rough 29:14 Jenkins' defense and the young Max Kepler defensive scouting report 34:18 Debunking the 40-man roster and lockout excuse for keeping Jenkins down 35:48 365 days at Triple-A: Jenkins has more experience than you think 38:39 The best Twins prospect since Buxton, and how few holes are in his game 50:46 Why Walker Jenkins' swing looks like Joe Mauer's 1:00:42 Target Field is a tough park for left-handed power 1:05:27 What's a good baseline for Jenkins? 1:06:59 Buxton, Mauer, Rivas, Guzmán, Ortiz: the five Twins to play at 21 years old 1:15:24 When does playing hurt stops being selfless? 1:19:00 The roster math: Buxton, Alex Jackson or Alan Roden — pick two 1:25:39 Joe Ryan is nearing a rehab assignment 1:27:14 Emmanuel Rodriguez is healthy, hot, and out of options 1:32:34 Von Lackey promoted to High-A after passing the lemon test 1:39:43 Aaron on the Dane Moore show — and the Jonathan Kuminga timing View full article