John Bonnes

Are you “baseball” enough? Minnesota’s local SABR “Halsey Hall” Chapter is having their Fall Meeting on Saturday, November 2, and it’s going to be a day you won’t want to miss. Headlining the event is none other than Mark “Lunch” McKenzie, legendary coach from Concordia University in St. Paul, and he's set to deliver a talk that's sure to hit it out of the park. Lunch McKenzie isn’t just any coach. With a stellar 20-year career, 456 wins, and two Northern Sun Conference Tournament championships under his belt, he’s a true baseball mastermind. He’s coached top-tier talent, earning Northern Sun Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2005. He made history in 2003 and 2008 with the Golden Bears, and you can expect some behind-the-scenes stories, expert insight, and tips. For the statheads: McKenzie will be speaking from 10 to 11:30 a.m., giving you plenty of time to absorb his wisdom, enjoy lunch, and dive into even more baseball nerdiness throughout the day. But That’s Not All! Check Out These Research Presentations The day will also be chock full of baseball research you won’t want to miss, with research presentations scattered throughout the day, including: Sam Sundermeyer: "Last Ounce of Magic – Win Probability of the 2009 Twins" Ever wondered if the 2009 Twins’ magical run to the division title was as improbable as it felt? Sam Sundermeyer will dig deep into win probability stats to bring clarity to the story. If you geek out over probability models and want to relive one of the greatest seasons in Minnesota Twins history, this presentation is for you! Stew Thornley: "Werden’s All-Stars vs. The Old Guards" This is a must-see if you love baseball history. Learn about Perry Werden, a towering figure in Twin Cities baseball, and the 1933 charity game that pitted his team against the best of Minneapolis' past players. You’ll even get a chance to see a historic oversized souvenir bat from the game, courtesy of the Hennepin History Museum. It’s baseball memorabilia at its finest! Bob Tholkes: "In The Year of Baseball Fever (1867): Baseball Clubs" Step back in time to 1867, when the sport of baseball was spreading like wildfire across the country. Bob Tholkes will use contemporary primary sources to explore the culture of baseball clubs during this transformative year. Think you know everything about baseball’s early years? Think again. Wrap It Up with Trivia! To cap off the day, challenge yourself with a high-energy trivia quiz led by Howard Luloff. Expect questions that will test your baseball knowledge down to the finest details! The event takes place at Faith Mennonite Church, 2720 E. 22nd Street in Minneapolis. Registration kicks off at 8:15 a.m., and the program starts at 8:45. Admission, which includes lunch, is just $10—cash or check accepted at the door. Whether you're into sabermetrics, historical deep dives, or just want to soak up knowledge from a coaching legend, this is the ultimate meeting for true baseball nerds. Don’t miss out on a chance to talk stats, history, and strategy with fellow fans and experts alike. View full article

Aaron and John talk about the Yankees vs. Dodgers World Series matchup, the Twins hiring Matt Borgschulte as their new (old) hitting coach, the team MVP debate and other end-of-season awards, reviewing our over/under picks, and a clip from our chat with Phil Miller of the Star Tribune. 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

Every year, the Twins Diamond Awards are a spectacular event. But this year’s banquet is shaping up to be something truly extraordinary. Why? Just look at the award winners this year! Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Ryan Jeffers, Griffin Jax, and Willie Castro will receive awards. And now, here's your exclusive invitation to experience this unforgettable night with fellow Twins fans from Twins Daily. A Night of Glamour, Impact, and Baseball Greatness The 20th Annual Diamond Awards offer so much more than a memorable evening; it’s your chance to rub shoulders with the best of the Twins’ organization—all while supporting a powerful cause. You’ll be joining several of the award winners mentioned above and other prominent Twins figures and alumni for a night of celebration and impact. This star-studded event occurs the night before Twins Fest—Thursday, January 23rd at The Armory. What better way to kick off Twins Fest weekend than by mingling with the team’s biggest names in an elegant setting, all while contributing to a meaningful cause? An Exclusive Opportunity to Make a Difference Tickets are $250 each, and they support a truly noble cause: proceeds benefit the University of Minnesota's fight against devastating diseases like ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), ataxia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and Parkinson’s disease. By attending, you’re not just treating yourself to a unique experience—you’re helping to fund life-changing research that can save lives. Join the Twins Elite: A Night You Won’t Forget This event isn’t just for baseball fans—it’s for people who want to make a difference. It's a night where philanthropy, community, and elite sportsmanship unite. You can join Twins Daily writers and executives and be part of a select group of fans and benefactors who believe in the power of both baseball and giving back. And if you're already a Twins enthusiast? You’ll feel right at home. Whether it’s chatting baseball at exclusive Twins Daily tables, or connecting with others who share your passion, this is your opportunity to immerse yourself in the magic of the game, alongside the people who make it happen. When you sign up, just make sure you fill in “Twins Daily” when it asks for your organization. Act Fast—Early Bird Pricing For Tickets Is Now! Time is running out on a special deal. If you purchase your ticket by November 29th, you’ll get $50 off your ticket for the event. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this remarkable evening. Join us for the 20th Annual Diamond Awards, an event where you’ll celebrate baseball, connect with players and fans, and contribute to a cause that matters. Don’t wait—click the link below to buy your tickets now. Let’s make a difference together! BUY TICKETS HERE View full article

Aaron and John discuss the Minnesota Twins being for sale and announcing a new TV deal for 2025. 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

Aaron and John talk about putting the Twins’ mess of a season to rest, the firing of GM Thad Levine and four coaches, Joe Pohlad’s comments on payroll, and the least bad option between cheering for the Yankees or the Guardians. 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

Ownership’s reassurance that the Twins won’t further cut payroll in 2025 aren’t at all reassuring. Even with free agents like Max Kepler and Carlos Santana departing, Twins Daily estimates the Twins' payroll will need to increase by as much as $10 million just to keep the core of their team intact. The dominant story of the Twins' 2023-24 offseason (and 2024 season) was ownership’s decision to slash approximately $30 million from the 2023 payroll. Doing so meant trading away Jorge Polanco, shopping for bargain-level relievers, and essentially sitting out the trade deadline. The worst fears of fans and Twins employees about the ramifications of that decrease--roughly 20 percent--came to fruition when a six-week swoon resulted in the Twins missing the postseason by a handful of games. But even worse news awaits the team in 2025, as significant built-in raises to several key players will require the team to raise payroll if they want to keep the core of this 82-win team intact. Even with free-agent departures like Max Kepler (who made $10 million in 2024), Carlos Santana ($5.25 million), Kyle Farmer ($6.3 million), Anthony DeSclafani ($4 million, for the Twins; the rest of his eight-figure salary was paid by the Giants and Mariners), and Caleb Thielbar ($3.225 million), the Twins will have even less money to spend than last offseason, unless there is a significant increase in payroll from ownership. That’s because the payroll will rise organically, due to built-in raises for players under contract and those who get raises via MLB’s arbitration process. For instance, the Twins have a contract with Pablo López that will start paying him $21.5 million annually in 2025, up from $8 million in 2024. Similarly, since Chris Paddack was still returning from Tommy John surgery, he was only paid $2.5 million this year. But he’s under contract for $7.5 million next year. The bigger issue is MLB’s arbitration process, which gives significant raises to players as they get closer to free agency. The Twins have over half a dozen key players who will get significant raises as a result of this process--and still be a bargain at their new salaries. They include third baseman Royce Lewis, catcher Ryan Jeffers, outfielder Trevor Larnach, starting pitchers Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober, and relievers Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax. None of these players will receive an enormous raise, but increases of even $1-4 million for each mean any savings of departing free agents are quickly consumed. Above is a back-of-the-napkin analysis of the 2025 Twins payroll, including reported contract values and estimated arbitration awards. It is a starting point for the offseason; it shows what the Twins roster might look like if the 2025 season started today, absent their outgoing free agents. It shows a 26-man payroll of approximately $132 million, compared to a 26-man payroll of approximately $122 million for 2024. You may cringe a little as you review the names on the list, but remember, this is not meant to be a roster projection. It's a payroll projection. For instance, I don’t think the Twins will be comfortable with Edouard Julien as their designated hitter. But he’s the in-house option right now, and to replace him, they’ll need to pay someone quite a bit more than the roughly $800,000 that Julien would make. Furthermore, subtracting salaries from this payroll projection isn’t necessarily easy. Christian Vázquez may not be worth $10 million as a backup catcher. However, MLB contracts are guaranteed, so the Twins need to find another team to pay him some substantial portion of that to remove his salary from this list. Ditto Paddack and his $7.5 million. You may want to trade Carlos Correa to save $36 million, but Correa has a no-trade clause in his contract. He’s not going anywhere. The same goes for Byron Buxton and his $15 million salary. Looking closer at the list, you'll soon find that any payroll cuts start hurting. Can Ryan or Ober and their approximate $4 million 2025 salaries be traded away, to be replaced with David Festa or Zebby Matthews and the $800,000 or less that they’d make? Sure, and the Twins could get a valuable player or prospect package in return. But will that help or hurt the 2025 team’s chances of making the postseason? Flipping the possibilities, can we really picture the front office trading away a prospect of meaningful value in a bundle with Vázquez or Paddack for a marginal return, just to clear money they might spend elsewhere? They've never shown an appetite for that kind of move before, even under similar pressures. So, ownership's reassurance that payroll won’t be cut further should not be viewed as reassuring. A static payroll will still require Derek Falvey and the Twins front office to ask and answer some tough questions this offseason. If payroll doesn’t increase, additional cuts will likely be necessary just to maintain most of the team's core. If the front office wants to improve or add players, they’ll need to be especially creative--or talk the Pohlads into restoring their investment in the team to the modest but acceptable standard they set a few years ago. What would you do if you were in Falvey's shoes? How much more money would the Pohlads need to put back into the pot to ease these pressures? Let your voice be heard in the comments. View full article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' infuriating inability to even put up a fight during their six-week fall out of contention, the step-by-step wrecking of fan morale 10 months in the making, the long list of individual players who contributed to the collapse, and why the big-picture outlook might not be getting any rosier. 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

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' month-long collapse, an excruciating series in Cleveland, the trickle down effect of ownership slashing payroll by $30 million, and how the Twins can still salvage their season simply by playing decently for nine games. 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

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' depth being put to the test by injuries and poor moves, why the path to the playoffs is still clear with a decent September, the latest on Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa injuries, the timelines for Brooks Lee and Louie Varland, and what happened to Max Kepler. 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

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' bullpen meltdowns exposing a lack of quality depth, the latest on Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa injuries, the start of a crucial nine-game home stand, and why rookie starting pitchers like Simeon Woods Richardson have been so big all season. 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

Aaron and John talk about the Twins being forced to rely on rookies in the rotation, Byron Buxton joining Carlos Correa on the injured list, first impressions of Zebby Matthews, and giving props to Christian Vàzquez and Carlos Santana. 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