WilliesWorld24

Sell, Mortimer, Sell! Lee is not a future cornerstone player at any position - move it along. We have seen this movie before -past cornerstone 3B Jose Miranda. Great bat to ball skills, some slug/pop, better walk rate than Lee. Poor plate discipline with great bat to ball skills results in weak contact. MLB pitchers don’t need to throw strikes and Miranda has flailed his way out of the Twins plans and perhaps MLB. I appreciate the article, Nick, and want to have hope for the future. However, Brooks has no skills to dream on - not an above average fielder, poor range, decent arm strength, no speed - and a far below replacement level SS or 3B. Baseball is a game of outs and Lee is a prodigious offensive outmaker. Sub-.300 OBP is not ever workable, particularly with the Twins feeble offense unless he is Ozzie Smith 2.0 (and he is not). I am extremely skeptical that Brooks can hone his command at the plate and get into hitters counts, take walks, and stop getting himself out at the MLB level. I hope I am wrong. At best, Lee is a rotational utility infielder. Let’s see what Kalen Culpepper can do in 2026. Alternatively, as the Twins purge the roster of players not part of the next competitive window in 2028, let’s see if the FO can identify and acquire high ceiling hitters, premium talent, or lotto tickets for Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, Ryan Jeffers, Bailey Ober, Brooks Lee, Royce Lewis, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach …

I enjoyed your article, Alex. Thank you. A few other reasons: 6. Athleticism and energy - you missed the new /newish guys! Luke Keaschall, Alan Roden, Austin Martin, progress of the trade returns, the future with Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, Emma Rodriguez - dynamic talents. The last calendar year of Twins baseball was boring, sluggish, dysfunctional, abysmal - don’t slug, don’t get on base, don’t take extra bases, poor to mediocre fielders (excluding Buxton), poor execution. Something was wrong and perhaps the reset will bring a more exciting brand of baseball and a more stable foundation. I know that am ready for energy, speed, and athleticism (slug and on base with competent relievers would be nice too). 7. You love baseball and the Twins. We have only so many seasons in us all. Enjoy baseball. Our beautiful outdoor stadium. Every day is an opportunity to see something new - amazing, crazy, silly, dumb, fortuitous, clutch, nightmarish plays from the best players in the world. 8. Renewal. Hey - as Twins fans, we lived through the cheapness of Cal Griffith, seeing Rod Carew, Johan Santana, Tom Brunansky, Frank Viola, Aggie, Jason Bartlett, Matt Garza, JJ Hardy, Carlos Gomez, our entire competent bullpen and Carlos Correa and lived to see new beginnings, wonderful/miserable returns, and we will get through this again. Interested to see how this plays out. With potential ownership changes, will the Twins keep Ryan, Pablo, Jeffers, and anyone else who does not fit the competitive window (2028?) or will the new owner extend Ryan and augment the team? We will see.

We have 0 MLB-ready SS in the system. Lee won’t stay on SS. Even Royce coming back at 100% - he will not stay at SS (3B, 2B or OF). Martin is not a SS. The FO likely has come to this conclusion. We will need to sign or trade for a premium SS - or we are not serious about contending in the foreseeable future.

Not a ton of options on the FA market. I would prefer Correa at SS to Judge for big $$$ - much more important position and system gap. Mitch Hanigar would look good playing a corner at Target Field in a Twins uniform. Could also see Wil Myers, Jurickson Profar, or Garlick. Best bet is Garlick and then Royce Lewis in LF/3B rotation.

Really enjoyed your article, Seth. Edouard Julien had a great first year and I am intrigued by the speed, pop, OBP combo. Where and when do you see him landing at Target Field if his development continues (a big if admittedly for prospects)? Thinking more broadly at the future middle infield of the Twins, I am skeptical about the ability for Martin & Lewis to stick at SS for different reasons (Martin seems to have a similar arm as Polanco and Lewis’ bat and hands/SS fluidity are iffy from Keith Law and others). Could Jermaine Palacios get a shot after a strong AA season last year? What is your view on him as a 24 year old prospect that showed more with the bat? Could this be a Miranda-lite non-linear prospect development or is he at best another utility guy that can play infield but not SS? And since he is not on the 40 man roster, could he open some eyes working with the full Twins staff? I would rather give him a shot than resigning Andrelton or an aging and defensively limited Iglesias on the cheap to bridge a 2022 season - if we have a MLB season. Thanks again for the article when we should be talking Twins spring training.

Great work, Seth! Really appreciate the article before Friday. A few questions for you and the forum: 1. Do you think the Rule 5 decisions give insight to the Twins 2022 reload (trades and fee agents to compete in 2022), retool (off season moves to be competitive in 2023-24), or rebuild (move mlb assets to be competitive in 2025+) plans? Or stated differently, do you think the Rule 5 strategy this off-season differs if the Twins are trying to win this year versus in a few years? 2. Do you think Wander Javier or Jermaine Palacios gets picked up if not protected? Twins depth is poor at SS IMO - particularly if Cavacao, Martin, or Lewis can’t stick? 3. What do you think about Severino as this year’s Baddoo? Thanks again!

I am not sure that this is the takeaway regarding Berrios. It seems that Berrios was set on becoming a FA once he got this close to FA rather than signing an extension. It is likely that the Twins $$ extension proposals were not in line with current FA starting pitching market, but it also seems from Berrios’ comments that he wanted to be a young SP FA and max his return. So the Twins had to move him. I completely agree on Buxton. We don’t know the $$$ on incentives that led to the breakdown, but I am afraid of a similar outcome with Byron and Berrios. And then the blueprint in 2022 looks very different for me. Appreciate your comment and dialogue.

Hey Cory - excellent, thoughtful, creative and realistic effort. Thank you for sharing. How many trade scenarios did you run through? I think the Twins and Marlins line up well for both clubs, I could see a trade for SP#2/3 with Miami rather than the Manea trade. And where do you think your team finishes 2022 based upon these moves? Thanks again - enjoyed your blueprint. Sean

With the Twins 2021 season hopes long gone, why do the Twins still keep Andrelton Simmons and JT Riddle on the Twins and Saints respective rosters? Wouldn’t it be helpful to evaluate potential 40 man roster decisions with promotions and pruning the AAAA veteran players that were important stopgaps if the Twins had injuries while competing for the playoffs but no longer needed for that role? I would like to see Jermaine Palacios at SS for the Twins or the Saints this year. Similarly, I would like to see Celestino for Cave, Miranda for Austudillo, Moran, Hamilton/Cano, Strotman up for Albers, Coloumbe, Barnes. What do you think? If we do not see the player on the 40 man next year, why wait? The development clock is ticking. As an aside,, if Maeda is out, it may trigger a more extensive rebuild in the off-season. Kepler, Donaldson, Duffey, Rogers and possibly Buxton - I hope not, his ceiling is so high we will never get equal value. Anyway, a refresh of the roster for the last month may help decision making and inject some interest - even if it disrupts the Saints playoff run.

Kirilloff and Edwar Colina. Everyone else has been lapped by the field in the minors, particularly Dobnak and Smeltzer. Twins bet on Dobnak with a new slider would improve him further and it was a disaster. Good luck, but next man up. Pruning this list helps avoid the next Baddoo situation.