John Bonnes

When does the journey that is the Minnesota Twins 2024 season officially begin? Opening Day? When pitchers and catchers report? I'll vote for the first time we see baseball, even if it's designed to be an exhibition game. Image courtesy of John Bonnes, Twins Daily That's especially true when it's a well-conceived exhibition game, and Friday night's 13-2 win over the University of Minnesota's Golden Gophers was. It's designed to draw Minnesotans back to the ballpark, featuring their hometown nine versus their hometown college team with half-price tickets. Add in a few pre-game festivities celebrating legendary U of M baseball coach John Anderson, who has announced his retirement after this season, and there was plenty to please the crowd. This initial game has also traditionally given the Twins a chance to showcase some of their top prospects, and they took advantage of that again. Twins Daily's #2 prospect Brooks Lee played shortstop and batted leadoff for the team, and #3 prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez played center field, batted sixth, and had an RBI. Also in the three innings that the starting lineups played, Twins Daily's Top 20 honorable mention Michael Helman hit a solo home run. The Gophers got to face some major league pitching, too. Chris Paddack returned to the mound as a starting pitcher after pitching for the Twins in relief late last season. His results were not exceptionally sharp, but he threw 40 pitches, and a handful of them were a new pitch. He checked a couple of other checkboxes, too, like pitching two innings. "Getting back up there for that second [inning]. That's the stuff we're trying to simulate as we prepare for the season," said Paddack afterward. If that sounds a little elementary, it is, but that's a lot of what spring training is all about. Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli's job is to get the 59 guys in camp through a series of steps, some of which are as simple as "field a fly ball for the first time in several months." If that also sounds elementary, it might be a little surprising that Twins centerfielder Byron Buxton said he was nervous about that earlier this week. That doesn't mean players are just going through the motions. Paddack is using these outings to become comfortable with a new slider that he hopes to use to complement his fastball/changeup-heavy repertoire. He's worked on it last year while he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and he's worked on it this offseason, but now the clock is ticking. "In season, it's hard to develop a pitch," explains Paddack. "I have four days, and then that fifth day, I'm out there, and I gotta throw my best stuff. I can't rely on a pitch that might not be there at the big league level." So yes, these are designed to be exhibition games, but they're also designed as a journey towards the regular season. Friday night was one of the first steps, and based on the hoots and hollers of the crowd, it's a journey they're looking forward to. View full article

FORT MYERS - Aaron and John talk about the things we've learned in Twins camp so far, including about Byron Buxton, Chris Paddack, Brooks Lee, Jose Miranda, Jorge Alcala, and Edouard Julien, plus reacting to Joe Pohlad's comments about payroll, and how crossword puzzles and Settlers of Catan is taking over the clubhouse. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

If you thought this offseason was depressing, wait until next year. Image courtesy of © David Berding-USA TODAY Sports FORT MYERS--Reality delivered a slap in the face to Twins Territory yesterday, and followed it up with an eye-gouge for good measure. First, fans hoping for some late-offseason roster additions were told in no uncertain terms by ownership that the Twins will not sign one of the remaining big free agents. But the bad news didn’t end there. “But without a question, the television situation is having an impact on our business,” Joe Pohlad explained to Jason DeRusha on WCCO radio. “But beyond that, we’re also just trying to right-size our business.” Those last three words are chilling to anyone who has followed the Twins' growth into a contender, because that growth has included spending money. Over the last two years, they've invested additional dollars into big contracts for players like Byron Buxton, Pablo López, and Carlos Correa. "Right-size" means this dormant offseason isn’t a one-year blip. It means the team is, as Pohlad said later in the show, “going to live pretty much where we’re at right now.” Right now, the Twins payroll, per our Back-of-the-Napkin calculations below, sits at about $122M. There is some thought that the Twins could add another player to bring the payroll closer to $130M, though that is less likely as faith grows in internal outfield options. As things sit right now, that figure breaks down as follows: The roster picture gets a little murkier as we look forward a year to 2025. Still, thanks to guaranteed contracts, arbitration estimates, and a few reasonable assumptions like “free agents tend to leave,” as Peter Labuza wrote for us yesterday, the picture is clearer than one might expect. That doesn’t mean it’s pretty. If the Twins want to retain the core of their team for 2025, payroll will need to climb to around $139M next year. That projection already assumes some significant departures and replacements by cheaper options. For instance, Max Kepler, who is in the last year of a $10-million contract, leaves and is replaced by Trevor Larnach. It makes similar assumptions about Kyle Farmer ($6.3 million), Carlos Santana ($5.25 million), and Anthony DeSclafani ($4 million). But payroll still climbs $17 million over this year’s level, even if they don’t bring any free agents in. Why? Because many of the Twins’ core players will likely get mandated raises next year through arbitration. These include Ryan Jeffers, Alex Kirilloff, Royce Lewis, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Jhoan Duran, and Griffin Jax. Here are the projections: A “right-sized” payroll means that not only did the Twins have almost nothing to spend this past offseason, but they could have absolutely nothing to spend next year--or, worse, less than nothing, meaning they would need to trade away a player to free up payroll, as they did with Jorge Polanco this offseason. It’s also worth noting that this all represents, in most cases, a best-case scenario. It assumes Matt Wallner, Edouard Julien, and Royce Lewis continue to thrive; that Brooks Lee and Louis Varland can earn MLB spots despite likely starting in Triple A; and that Ober, Ryan, and Chris Paddack all stay healthy and productive enough to become fixtures in the rotation. In short, it violates Minnesota sports fans’ implicit knowledge that “what can go wrong will go wrong.” It is implicit knowledge that was verified yesterday when ownership made clear that they were kneecapping - er, right-sizing - a team who made it to the ALDS last year. View full article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins choosing money over availability with their new TV deal, and why not spending that money would make a bad situation even more frustrating for fans, plus picking the biggest storylines to watch in spring training as camp begins in Fort Myers. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

Baseball's Joyful Lexicon (with apologies to Franklin Pierce Adams) Four little words make our hearts soar: Pitchers and catchers report Postseason wins! As Target Field roared! Pitchers and catchers report A phrase that's as sweet as Royce Lewis's swing Like Hornsby we stared out the window for spring Our goal's been reset to a championship ring! Pitchers and catchers report But no TV deal meant slashed payroll hell Pitchers and catchers report No chance to sign a Montgomery or Snell Pitchers and catchers report We wished "best of luck" to ace Sonny Gray Detroit gave Maeda his deserved payday The hardest "Bye-bye" was to Hip-hip Jorge Pitchers and catchers report So now we say "hi" to several new faces Pitchers and catchers report So many new arms in the bullpen's eight spaces! Pitchers and catchers report Okert, Staumont, Topa, and Jackson A DeSclafani joins in the action Carlos Santana's bat? 🎵 It's a hot one! 🎵 Pitchers and catchers report But also returning are all of those Pitchers and catchers report Who swept the Blue Jays, drew blood from the 'Stros Pitchers and catchers report Pablo and Duran, Ryan and Jax, Buxton, Lewis, Correa & Max AL Central, prepare for attacks! Pitchers and catchers report Finally, you take your turn as poet Pitchers and catchers report Channel your winter frustration and show it Pitchers and catchers report The comments below are a great place to bleat Two tens and three ‘levens provide you the beat (But add words wherever, if, like me, you cheat). Pitchers and catchers report View full article

After freeing up additional payroll flexibility with the Jorge Polanco trade, the Twins have finally waded into the free agent waters in February, agreeing to a deal with free agent slugger and longtime division rival Carlos Santana to a one-year contract for $5 million. Image courtesy of USATSI_21488781_168390264_lowres Per Doogie Wolfson on Twitter, the Twins have agreed to a one-year contract with 37-year-old free agent Carlos Santana, who spent last season playing with the Pirates and Brewers. He's a first baseman who can plug in at that position and designated hitter, bringing impact depth and a respected veteran bat to Minnesota's explosive yet relatively inexperienced lineup. In a couple of key ways, Santana replaces what the Twins lost in Jorge Polanco. He's a switch-hitter who can factor into the middle of the lineup. Santana consistently gives tough at-bats and has been an amazingly consistent producer when on the field. In 14 seasons, he has posted an above-average OPS in 12, including 2023 (103 OPS+). He spent 10 of those seasons with Cleveland, who acquired him back in 2008 as a minor-leaguer from the Dodgers in a deal that included former Twin Casey Blake. Our Lou Hennessy wrote recently about what a smooth fit Santana is for the Twins, noting his strong production against southpaws, which makes him a nice platoon fit for Alex Kirilloff and the team's various DH options. Santana slashed .266/.354/.453 against LHP last year, and .276/.375/.443 in his lengthy career. Functionally, the Santana addition is not unlike the Donovan Solano signing from a year ago. Then, the Twins were seeking a low-cost but legit veteran bat capable of adding clubhouse leadership and providing depth at first base alongside a recovering Kirilloff. Solano ended up making 64 starts at first, and it the plan is probably to allocate a similar share there for Santana, alongside a rotational role at DH. The ultra-durable Santana made 603 plate appearances last year, and has eclipsed 600 in 11 of the last 12 one (non-COVID) seasons. But if he approaches that number this year, it would likely mean something went wrong elsewhere or Santana really surpassed expectations. Early in the offseason, I wrote about how Santana exemplified a player who could help change the Twins' offensive identity as an end-to-end strikeout factory. "Santana is a guy who can hit for power without striking out a ton, which is a combination the Twins would welcome," I suggested. "The veteran switch hitter has long been renowned for his discipline, with a 14.8% career walk rate alongside a 16.8% K-rate. His age (38 next April) means he'll likely be available on a one-year deal, but also increases the concern of steepening decline." Indeed, Santana has long been renowned for his patience. He posted a career-low 10.5% BB rate last year, but that still would've tied Polanco for fifth on the Twins. Santana's career 14.8% BB rate would've ranked second behind Edouard Julien (15.7%) and ahead of Joey Gallo (14.5%), who was also lost this offseason. The plate approach is not in doubt. The big question is if "Slamtana" can still hit. The Twins have struck gold with this type of late-career signing in the past (see: Nelson Cruz), but that's certainly not the norm. Santana, who turns 38 in April, showed serious decline in some key hitting metrics last year, going from a .372 xwOBA in 2022 (88th percentile) to .305 in 2023 (23rd percentile). His exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate all fell off the table. Thus he was available at this price, at this stage of the offseason. Santana has question marks but he's an extremely accomplished hitter who brings some much-needed attributes to the table for the Twins. They're taking a gamble that he's got more in the tank, but it's not a terribly high-stakes gamble. Stay tuned to Twins Daily for more details and analysis of their first significant free agent signings of the offseason. For now, let's hear your thoughts on the move! View full article

We have some good news and some bad news. Image courtesy of © Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports As part of the effort to emerge from bankruptcy proceedings, the owner of Bally Sports North, Diamond Sports Group, asked the court to approve a one-year deal to broadcast the Minnesota Twins on TV in 2024, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic. If that is approved, t would be good news for Twins fans hoping to watch the team on TV, but bad news for in-market fans hoping to stream the games: for another year, streaming would be limited to out-of-market households. The request is part of a plot twist that has proved to be a game-changer for the offseason saga surrounding the Twins' television and streaming rights. Last month, Diamond Sports, which had previously been faced with shutting down after 2024, reversed course, in part due to a partnership with Amazon. As a result, there was renewed interest in one-year, TV-only deals with several MLB teams, including the Twins. However, since Diamond wants to drive customers towards their TV channels, those deals preclude the Twins from distributing their games via streaming except to out-of-market customers. It is unknown just how much those TV rights are worth, though Drellich revealed earlier this week that similar one-year deals with MLB teams have been worth about 85% of the previous agreed-upon rate. The Twins admitted last year that they had been making $55M annually for the TV and streaming rights from Diamond. All of that revenue was in question this offseason, leading to a $25M-$30M cut in anticipated Opening Day payroll. As a result, the Twins have had a very quiet offseason, arguably getting worse, including trading away veteran second baseman Jorge Polanco to help free up payroll dollars. Conceivably, the Twins could have an additional $40M in gross revenue that wasn't fully expected before this latest pivot. Could that mean a late addition from a free agent market that still has several big names available? If so, there are no indications that is the case yet. The Twins have announced they'll refrain from publicly addressing the TV deal until the deal is approved by the court, which is scheduled for Friday, February 9th. View full article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' five-player trade with the Mariners for Jorge Polanco, potentially big news on the ongoing local television drama, Joe Mauer officially being a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and a great Winter Meltdown event thanks to Matt Wallner and Louie Varland. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

After making the second round of the postseason for the first time in 20 years, the Twins' offseason goal was to improve. This trade makes them worse. We can save our praise until (if?) it leads to something more. Image courtesy of © David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports The optimist's view of Monday night's trade (which sent Jorge Polanco to the Mariners) is that, for a somewhat expensive, potentially redundant, oft-injured but talented veteran infielder, the Twins are getting: A top 100 High-A prospect, An effective, high-to-medium-leverage reliever, A banged-up but formerly solid starting pitcher, and An intriguing throw-in prospect arm. That is solid value. That is the kind of value levelheaded front offices get for a player one or two years away from becoming a free agent. It is the move a smart front office makes. It is also the move a front office makes when "Plan A" goes out the window. There are numerous positive impacts. It allows them to ensure that Edouard Julien will play every day. The Twins will gain payroll room to spend on other players. If Byron Buxton can play in center field, it opens up a spot at designated hitter for a further signing. These are all positive effects, which is why the deal was made. The problem was that "Plan A" was to "make the 2024 team better." Finding a deal that made next year's team better has been Derek Falvey's repeatedly stated goal this offseason. It was the correct goal, given that this team showed they are already the cream of the AL Central, winning the division by nine games last year. After snapping an 0-18 postseason loss streak, the next step was to become a team favored in an ALDS matchup. That wasn't going to be easy. Losing Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda to free agency would be tough enough. Losing another $30-40 million in payroll due to a TV-and-streaming clusterfunderburk made things considerably harder. A slow-moving free agent market hasn't helped. Nor has the fact that some of the better trade candidates belong to other AL Central teams, who are cautious about making deals within the division. Finally, there have also been some unforced errors, like offering Kyle Farmer about $6 million via arbitration in the hopes he would still be in demand on the trade market after being tendered. Given all that, it isn't surprising that the Twins have fallen short of their stated goal this offseason. Still, given the objective of improving the team, this deal is a detour--a circumbendibus. It may be a deal a rebuilding team makes. It may be a deal that a re-shuffling team makes. It may be a deal that gives an organization the flexibility it needs in a tough situation to find deals that do make the team better. Maybe this is the one step backward before the two steps forward. I'm assured by Twins' sources that is the plan. Given this management team's knack for making big moves late in the offseason, they deserve that benefit of the doubt. But we can heap praise on those moves when they happen; there's no need to pre-celebrate any more than we need to pre-commiserate. This trade just made the 2024 Twins worse. What's your temperature about the deal this morning? What next step could make you feel better or worse about it? View full article

Aaron and John are joined on Twins Daily's 2024 Winter Meltdown stage by Minnesota Twins Louie Varland and Matt Wallner. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

This year, Twins fans from anywhere can grab some of the unique items at the Diamond Awards' Silent Auction. Here are our favorites. Every year, the night before Twins Fest – which is this Thursday night, the 25th – the Twins, the BBWAA, and the U of M Foundation throw the Diamond Awards, one of the highlights of the offseason. Everyone gets all dressed up, Twins players get awards from BBWAA writers, we celebrate the previous season, look forward to the next one, and contribute to fighting some really crummy neurological diseases. One of the features of the Diamond Awards is the silent auction, which includes some unique items for bidding, especially for Twins fans. But this year, you can bid on the items even if you’re not at the event! Here are a few that caught my eye. St. Paul Hotel and St. Paul Grill I mean, talk about doing St. Paul in style! You get a staycation night at the Executive King Guest Room at the St. Paul Hotel and a dinner at the St. Paul Grill. The rest of the day is yours. Maybe a Saints game? A Wild game? Opera at the Ordway? I trust you’ll figure something out. Twins Greats of the 60s Autographed Ball If you have an older Twins fan in your life, imagine giving them this treasure. Harmon Killebrew, Jim Kaat, Mudcat Grant, Zoilo Versailles – and plenty more. Talk about a great conversation starter. Weber Smokefire Stealth Edition and Cover I know baseball and grilling hot dogs go together, but this blacked-out wood pellet bad boy is just MADE – literally – to smoke briskets. Also, roast, steam, and even stir-fry. But if you want to stick with grilling some dogs, I’m not going to kink-shame you. Royce Lewis Autographed Jersey Are you on the Royce Lewis bandwagon? Of course you are, and given that he’s one of the players receiving an award at the event, most of Twins Territory is. But all of Twins Territory doesn't have an autographed jersey, do they? Aren’t you the savvy one? Champions Club Tickets Be closer to the action than the pitcher is. Literally. The front row of the Champions Club sits at field level and is just 50 feet from home plate - 10 feet closer than the mound. Plus, the comped buffet and drinks and luxury. Every Twins fan should do it once. That’s just a taste, and for the complete list, just follow this link. But hurry – the bidding stops when dinner is served, which is 7 PM CT on the 25th. You’re going to get some great stuff, support a great cause, and be a part of one of the premier events on the Twins’ calendar. Go get ‘em. View full article

We’ll have a couple of veterans and a rookie sponsor at this year’s Meltdown. Anyone who has attended any Twins Daily parties likely knows Sotastick. They’ve been providing unique designs revolving around Minnesota sports for the better part of a decade. Landon, Sotostick’s owner, will be at the Winter Meltdown with a booth of some our your favorite designs to ogle and purchase. They’ll also be providing giveaways for our raffle, for those who complete the Six of a Kind Baseball Trading Card challenge. You probably also know Fan HQ, either for their assortment of sports memorabilia or their memorable autograph signings. They’re also donating a gift for our social media giveaway, and it couldn’t be more timely: a Joe Mauer signed picture! We’ll also be joined by a newcomer: DJ’s Glove Repair. Its owner, Jimmy Lonetti, will have a table to provide minor repairs to baseball gloves or you can drop off your gloves to pick up at their South Minneapolis shop later. He’ll also have a nice selection of used gloves for sale and some vintage gloves for display. He’ll also be providing a $85 give certificate (the cost of a full re-lace) and a fully restored Tony Oliva glove for the raffles. The whole thing takes place over Twins Fest weekend, on Saturday, January 27th, 5-9 PM, at The Pourhouse, just three blocks from Target Field and Twins Fest. Every guest will get the brilliant 2024 Winter Meltdown pint glass, two complimentary Forgotten Star craft beers, and a Twins Daily matchbook. Besides our sponsors booths, guests will have activities like the Six of a Kind Baseball Trading Card game and the Last Fan standing game. But of course the big draw is going to be Louie Varland and Matt Wallner, our first ever active Twins players, stopping by for an interview and meet-and-greet with attendees. If that all sounds almost too great to be true, you’ll understand that tickets are limited and going fast. They are available exclusively to Twins Daily Caretakers, who get one ticket free and can also purchase up to three extra tickets for just $20 each. (Retail price is $60 apiece!) You can become a Twins Daily Caretaker for as low as $4 per month and enjoy exclusive content and benefits while supporting our writing team and community. Sign up here! Or, if you're already a Caretaker (or if you become one), look for your link and promo code at the end of this message. But don’t delay in grabbing your tickets as we may still run out! We still have one big announcement to make: who our special guest will be this year. So follow us on Twitter and Facebook for that big news, or stop by Twins Daily to hear all about it! View full article

The highlight of Twins Daily’s Winter Meltdown is undoubtedly the interviews with our special Twins’ guests, Louie Varland and Matt Wallner. But we’re going to keep you busy throughout the event. Today, we can announce two of our favorite activities will return. Six of a Kind Each attendee will receive six retro baseball cards when they enter. The goal is to trade with friend and strangers to get six players who have something in common: same team, same position, same pose, they all have facial hair, etc. Once they do they can trade them in for a raffle ticket. Especially difficult ones will get two raffle tickets. The raffle tickets will let you qualify for various prizes throughout the event, ranging from gift cards to bobbleheads. Last Fan Standing Every attendee will get a red and green card when they enter the event. Midway through the event we’ll play a trivia game in which each question has a true or false answer. As long as the attendee gets the answer correct, they get to keep standing and playing. If they get it wrong, they have to drop out. We keep going until we have a last fan standing to win a special prize. This is not a passive event. We’ll be mixing and mingling and talking Twins and hot stove all night long. It’s the one time our readers and writers and other local media members can all come together, so we want to make the most of it. You won’t want to miss it, so here are all the details: The event takes place Twins Fest weekend, on Saturday, January 27th, 5-9 PM, at The Pourhouse, just three blocks from Target Field and Twins Fest! Every guest will receive two complimentary Forgotten Star craft beers, including our Twins Daily/Forgotten Star Ale Central Champs Pale Ale! Every guest will get the brilliant 2024 Winter Meltdown pint glass designed by Brock Beauchamp. Every guest will get a Twins Daily matchbook. For the first time our special guests will be active Twins players! We’ll have special appearances by Louis Varland and Matt Wallner and other notable guests for Q&A sessions and handshakes. This year, we have limited tickets available, only 250 in total, and for now, they are exclusively for Twins Daily Caretakers. Caretakers get one ticket free and can also purchase up to three extra tickets for just $20 each. (Retail price is $60 apiece!) Become a Twins Daily Caretaker for as low as $4 per month and enjoy exclusive content, benefits, and support for our writing team and community. Sign up here! If you're already a Caretaker (or if you become one), look for your link and promo code at the end of this message. But don’t delay in grabbing your tickets as we may still run out! We’re STILL not done. Besides the activities and camaraderie, we’ll have some booths set up for sponsors that sports and especially baseball fans will want to visit. We’ll talk about those tomorrow, so follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more news, or stop by tomorrow to learn more. View full article