Search the Community

Generally, only a few players in a given MLB organization can be considered entirely off the table. The concept of an “untouchable” player may differ from person to person, and from circumstance to circumstance. Still, it’s essential to consider how the Twins may consider this definition and who fits it within the organization. Untouchable status deals with factors from both the trading and receiving team. What does this player mean to the Twins and how they plan to operate going forward? How much risk does the player carry for the acquiring team, and how much does that weigh into how much they're willing to pay? In some situations, questions such as these just won't line up to create a realistic deal that each team is willing to agree to. Not every GM is Jerry Dipoto willing to take on considerable risk. Regarding an MLB-ready player, being considered untouchable often has more to do with what they could bring back in a realistic trade and whether it would outweigh the value the player is already providing to the team. Julio Rodriguez is likely an untouchable asset for the Seattle Mariners as a young, perennial MVP candidate center fielder. They could surely get a haul if they made him available in trade. Still, his value as an already-established MLB player will likely outweigh the value of just about any realistic combination of prospects who have yet to prove it in The Show. He’s also become the face of the franchise and a fan favorite, so it’s almost impossible to imagine him on the move anytime soon. It should be even more challenging to consider prospects untouchable. This classification would be based entirely on how much value a team thinks they could have in the future. It’s a complex determination, given how often even top prospects flame out due to either performance or injury. So, which Twins are most likely to be considered untouchable? *Note: Players with no-trade clauses, such as Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton, are not considered* Pablo Lopez The Twins had been searching for a front-line starter for years, and they found it when they acquired López. Still just 29 years old, the team's ace is under team control at a below-market rate for four more years. The only way the Twins would even consider moving López in a competitive window would be for another impact starting pitcher, plus some significant sweeteners. It’s probably not a realistic package a team would offer. Royce Lewis Lewis has a lot going for him on and off the field. He’s tied to this front office as the first draft pick they made--No. 1 overall in 2017. His path to the majors has been winding, but he played a significant role in ending the dreaded postseason losing streak with his two homers against Toronto in Game 1. He appears to be the kind of player around whom you can build a championship team, and the Twins are likely to do just that. It may not be long until an extension is in place. Royce is sticking around. Walker Jenkins As the team’s top prospect, Jenkins was considered a candidate for the first overall selection if drafted in a different year. After utterly dominating the minors with a near-1.000 OPS across three levels in 2023, Jenkins has the upside of a legitimate superstar. At only 18 years of age, he carries plenty of risk. Still, it’s hard to imagine the type of return it would take for the Twins to ship him out without seeing more of what he can do in the minor leagues. Brooks Lee The Twins' top prospect before Jenkins was picked, Lee is thought of highly in the organization and within the fan base. As he nears the MLB level, he doesn’t currently have a place to play, with second and third base covered several times over. The Twins would love to see how his career plays out in Minnesota. Still, it’s fair to wonder whether his lack of an immediate position and less dominant 2023 season makes him a candidate to be included in a trade for an impact acquisition. Edouard Julien The Twins will undoubtedly receive calls on Julien this winter as they try to deal with their infield log jam. He’s shown an elite eye at the plate, and can hit for power out of the leadoff spot. His defense is a work in progress, but he improved down the stretch in 2023. Julien should be another core piece across the diamond from Lewis in the future, but the organization’s history of dealing elite hitters with defensive concerns is worth considering (See Luis Arraez). Joe Ryan Ryan would be firmly in the untouchable category if he had finished 2023 anywhere near the way he started it. He was a legitimate front-end starter with team control through 2027 before his second half went completely off the rails following injury. Still, the whole body of work was solid, and it’s hard to envision the Twins parting ways with a controllable starting pitcher who has sometimes flashed elite skills when they already need a Sonny Gray replacement. Jhoan Duran It takes a lot for a reliever to be considered untouchable, and Durán could be one of the few in the game in that conversation. The Twins bullpen would drop from (arguably) an above-average unit to firmly below-average without the fireballer. That being said, as important as Duran is to the team, it's hard to imagine this regime in particular holding him out of trade talks if a reliever-desperate team was dangling a starting pitcher. Emmanuel Rodriguez The ceiling remains sky-high for E-Rod, with an OPS over .850 in High-A in 2023, and he’ll likely start 2024 in Wichita. Strikeouts remain a huge concern, and the bust potential attached to that weakness makes it worth wondering whether the Twins would dangle him in a deal with a team that thinks highly of him. If they think he can stick in center field and iron out the strikeouts, they may have him off the table in trade talks. In all reality, there are likely somewhere between one and three names on this list who are genuinely untouchable in the Twins' eyes. Serious teams don’t take more players than that off the table in trade talks. There are likely some shocking moves on the way, as we’ve seen from the last few offseasons under this regime, and we should expect to see a couple of beloved players sent packing. Which players in the organization are genuinely untouchable? Are there any?

When Derek Falvey went into the offseason last year, he had a few key areas to supplement Rocco Baldelli’s roster. In looking to build the Twins while hoping to avoid being dealt massive blows by injury, he sought to bring in veterans with upside. Kyle Farmer was a starting caliber option at shortstop if Carlos Correa landed elsewhere. Joey Gallo could start in both the outfield and at first base. Willi Castro and Donovan Solano would be vital supplemental roster pieces. The Twins acquired each of those players based on their previous track record. If the front office failed to upgrade in those positions, at the very least, they would have capable veteran options going into the 2023 season. The Twins organization was in a much different place last offseason, however. They had a broadcast deal that assured ownership of millions in revenue. The team has acknowledged that the 2024 payroll will be lower without it. Should the Twins decrease payroll by up to $25 million, as has been discussed, bringing in multiple veterans isn’t going to be an option for rotational pieces. That isn’t very pleasant by some measures, but it also reflects where the Twins organization is as a whole. Minnesota has no reason to sign a rotational outfielder north of $10 million this offseason, and Correa is the shortstop, so Farmer at $7 million doesn’t make as much sense. The budget dropping isn’t ideal, but it was sure to happen with the emergence of young talent anyway. Edouard Julien, Royce Lewis, and Matt Wallner have all taken starting roles, and barring an extension, each of them will make the major league minimum. With how the Twins youth stepped up a season ago, fans should be excited about this prospect depth. No one within the Twins organization will ask Austin Martin or Brooks Lee to play significant roles on Opening Day. However, blocking them with a veteran making a couple of million while they are this close doesn’t make much sense either. Minnesota tendered a deal to Castro this offseason so that he will return to his utility role. For now, Nick Gordon will remain on the roster at $1 million. Beyond that, Martin could find himself working towards that type of production after a wildly successful 2023 season. Jose Miranda has the opportunity to bounce back if he’s healthy, and Yunior Severino was recently added to the 40-man roster as well. From a pitching perspective, more will be asked of Brent Headrick as he looks to settle in, and David Festa could be an arm that emerges from a Bailey Ober trajectory in 2024. Matt Canterino should be back and healthy, while the hope would be that Jorge Alcala or Simeon Woods Richardson becomes usable. Pablo Lopez has established the top of the rotation, and Ober, paired with Joe Ryan, makes three guarantees. Adding in Chris Paddack should stabilize things further. Paying for free agents is a minefield. You are looking to acquire the best talent while being forced to pay for previous production. On top of that, you’re getting aging commodities, and the goal of each player is to establish stability for the longest tenure possible. Routinely bringing in a one-year hired hitman is difficult, but it works well when things turn out like Solano or Michael A. Taylor (acquired via trade). A season ago, the Twins experienced a historic rookie class, and they got extensive production from them early and often during the season. Banking on that to repeat itself shouldn’t be the plan A. Still, in a season where Brooks Lee, Martin, Festa, Severino, Canterino, Marco Raya, and Tanner Schobel could all debut, it’s understandable to look within. Depth is something that every organization will always place a premium on, but being able to develop it saves substantial money, and there is a much more known track record with your talent. Minnesota’s farm system is flush with near-ready players, and they could be called upon when the first opportunities arise in 2024.

When the Twins drafted Brooks Lee in 2022, the scouting report showed an incredible ability to put the bat on the baseball. With decent pop and an insanely low strikeout rate, the Cal Poly shortstop worked his way into being a borderline top-5 prospect in the draft. That's why fans were rightfully excited when the Twins were able to scoop him with the 8th pick. Lee immediately entered MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospect list, and currently sits as the 18th overall prospect in the entire league. The hype around Lee is as high as it’s been, as fans get ready for him to make his way to the MLB roster. Already traveling through all minor-league levels and finishing 2023 with the St. Paul Saints, Lee appears close to making his MLB debut. Would it make sense to capitalize on Lee’s value and cash in on their current infield depth by trading Lee for an arm to replace Sonny Gray? The Twins have a logjam of infielders either at the major-league level or close to making their debut. Currently either on the MLB roster or carrying a 2024 ETA, according to MLB.com, the Twins have Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, Jorge Polanco, Willi Castro, Kyle Farmer, Lee, Yunior Severino, Austin Martin, and Jose Salas (unlikely to debut, but meets these criteria). As we saw in the 2023 offseason when the Twins traded Luis Arraez to the Marlins for Pablo Lopez, they are not afraid to capitalize on their depth to fill an area of need. The area of need again this year is a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. So, what’s the case for moving Lee? The first reason is that Lee is unlikely to play shortstop in MLB. The most likely path for Lee is at either third base or second base. The Twins currently have two young studs (in Lewis and Julien) holding down those spots for the foreseeable future. If Lee were to stick around, the Twins would likely find ways to make it work, but it would eventually force one of them to either move off their spot or DH regularly. You can never have too many quality bats, but it could get crowded quickly with the other names listed fighting for playing time. Another reason to consider packaging Lee is that, of the players listed above, Lee holds the most value. He’s also relatively unproven. While Lewis and Julien have shown to be impactful bats at the highest level, Lee hasn't exactly dominated in the minors. He spent his last 38 games in Triple A and posted a .732 OPS. He has also yet to post an OPS above .850 with any team in his young professional career. Lee hasn’t been bad, but he hasn’t lit the world on fire. He's shown himself to be a solid hitter, a potential everyday big-leaguer, but I’m not sure he possesses the star power that some think he does. Maybe the Twins should strike while the iron is hot and capitalize on his high prospect ranking to solidify their rotation. I think Lee will be a very good baseball player at the highest level. However, when you mix his current value with the Twins’ need for a top-of-the-rotation starter, it makes sense to consider packaging him for a guy who can help the already-solid roster take the next step. Just to take one example, Astros southpaw Framber Valdez is becoming the subject of some trade speculation this week. When trading prospects, you risk watching them become stars on another team, but there’s also a risk in holding them and watching them not pan out while their value depreciates. Could the next Pablo López be just one Brooks Lee away? What are your thoughts? Should the Twins consider packaging Brooks Lee for starting pitching help? Let me know. Go, Twins!

The Mariners were reportedly willing to discuss trading some of their young pitching last trade deadline, and it’s easy to see why on their depth chart. With several younger arms emerging to complement some quality veteran options, they’re in a position where they may feel comfortable making a big move. The Twins have become surprising candidates for a big move in recent years. Perhaps the two sides could agree on a win-win deal this winter. A few arms in Seattle can likely be ruled out immediately. Luis Castillo just began a five-year, $108m deal that takes him off the table. Robbie Ray was injured last season in year three of a five-year, $115m deal. His eventual return in 2024 may be a factor in the Mariners looking to deal an arm. It can also be assumed that this bunch has no cheap options. If a deal develops, the Twins will be parting with serious capital. It’s worth looking at each potential option and why they may be enticing to the Twins front office. Logan Gilbert With almost 400 innings in the last two seasons with low to mid 3s ERAs, Gilbert has established himself as a front-end starting pitcher at age 26. The only reason the Mariners would even consider parting ways with such an asset is that they have so many other quality pitchers who are even younger. Gilbert is an established workhorse that could bring tremendous value. Controlled through 2028, Gilbert will be in arbitration into his 30s. Whichever organization Gilbert is in will control him for nearly all of his prime, and some believe he's capable of picking up a few more strikeouts, which would bring him to an even higher level. Gilbert would immediately fill Sonny Gray's shoes as the #2 behind Pablo Lopez, and the Twins would feel great penciling him into game two of a playoff series. George Kirby Kirby was more effective than Gilbert in 2023, throwing 190 innings with a 3.35 ERA. He’s certainly lived up to his first-round pedigree, as Kirby attacks the strike zone with a four-pitch mix and threw seven different pitches in 2023 at least once. The Twins have seen firsthand that when Kirby is on, he can make easy work of opposing lineups, and like Gilbert, there may be another level to his game when it comes to strikeouts as he matures. Kirby would also be a legitimate #2 behind Lopez, and his pedigree includes tremendous health and dominance on the mound. At just 25 with team control through 2029, Kirby may cost even more than Gilbert, and it’s possible he’s not on the trade block at all. Bryce Miller Miller is certainly a step down from the top two in Seattle, but there’s a lot to like. His profile resemble's Joe Ryan's fastball-heavy approach, but Miller averages over 95 mph on the heater. His offspeed was a work in progress, but he sometimes dominated despite his decline in the 2nd half as he neared his innings cap. Miller finished the season with just over 130 innings, creating a floor to build off of in 2024. Being less established, Miller should cost less, but his six years of team control still won’t make him cheap. Other Options Seattle’s rotation also consists of younger names such as Bryan Woo and Emerson Hancock, who only briefly debuted but carry pedigree and at least brief periods of success. It’s unlikely the Twins would take on such pitchers, but you never know what they may see that they could improve. Marco Gonzalez is also still in Seattle, and despite his season-ending early due to forearm issues, he’s been a solid pitcher for the entirety of his career. Should the Twins look in that direction, he could be a cheap back end of the rotation option. Cost The Mariners need more exciting options, particularly at second base, for the near future. This makes the Twins a perfect trade match. Edouard Julien has proven he’s a long-term solution at the position, which raises questions regarding players such as Jorge Polanco and top prospect Brooks Lee. With Polanco, as Twins fans know, the Mariners would get an immediate impact player at second base. Even with a reasonable $12m club option for 2025, the Twins would likely have to add significant prospect capital for someone on Gilbert or Kirby’s level. It would likely have to include a name like Emmanuel Rodriguez and other quality names. Brooks Lee could make up a significant part of a return if the Mariners are interested in him. It would be a big gamble on the Twins' part, but it could prove worthwhile if the Twins get a controllable Sonny Gray replacement in return. A trade with Seattle for a controllable starting pitcher would likely be shopping at the high end of the trade market. Sonny Gray’s possible departure can’t be understated, and this is where the Twins have to look. A trade with the Mariners would surely cost several well-known names. Is it worth it to pick up a potential front-of-the-rotation starting pitcher?

Some organizations are not planning on contending during the 2024 season, which likely means they would be willing to trade away current value for future long-term pieces. Contending teams like the Twins must find the right balance between supplementing the current roster and adding future assets to open the team’s winning window. The Twins' current roster includes significant depth on the position player side, so that’s a strength from which the team will make moves. Minnesota’s lost TV revenue means the club plans to cut payroll by $15-30 million next season. Veteran players like Jorge Polanco, Max Kepler, and Kyle Farmer are likely on the trading block to clear some salary space. After examining Minnesota’s roster, two player types are untouchable in trades. Current young players with surplus value moving forward and veteran players with high contracts and trade restrictions. Baseball Trade Values attempts to quantify each player's surplus value in a potential trade, so it’s easy to see why these players are untradeable. 1. Walker Jenkins, OF Surplus Trade Value: 45.1 The Twins selected Jenkins with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, and he’s already established himself as one of baseball’s best prospects. Minnesota pushed him to Low-A, and he posted a .989 OPS in his professional debut. His surplus trade value isn’t the highest in the organization because he is far from the big-league level. The Twins aren’t trading Jenkins because he is on his way to becoming a superstar. 2. Royce Lewis, SS/3B Surplus Trade Value: 44.2 The Twins saw how valuable Lewis can be to the line-up in the second half of last season. He added muscle to his frame while rehabbing from two ACL tears, increasing his power production. He will get an entire off-season to acclimate to third base, his new defensive home. On a team with big names like Correa and Buxton, Lewis is quickly becoming the face of the franchise. 3. Pablo Lopez, SP Surplus Trade Value: 43.1 The Twins have yearned for an ace since trading away Johan Santana was. Lopez stepped into that role last season, and the front office quickly signed him to an extension. He had some ups and downs during his first season with the Twins, but he was fantastic in October. He will be at the top of the team’s rotation through 2027. The Twins continue to try to add to their rotation, so there is no reason to try and trade Lopez. 4. Brooks Lee, SS/3B Surplus Trade Value: 48.1 Lee has the highest surplus trade value of any player in the Twins organization because he is on the cusp of the big leagues. He has a full six years of team control, with some of those years being at a minimal cost. Jenkins and Lee are ranked closely on many national prospect lists, but Lee has a lower floor, and Jenkins has a higher ceiling. The Twins were lucky to get both players in their respective drafts, and the hope is they are in the middle of the team’s line-up for the next decade. 5. Joe Ryan, SP Surplus Trade Value: 39.1 Near last year’s trade deadline, I wrote that Ryan was the team’s most valuable trade asset. His performance struggled in the middle of the season as he dealt with a groin injury. However, there is hope that Ryan can have a healthy 2024 and reach his full potential. Some of his trade value has decreased because he is in his last pre-arbitration season. Still, the Twins want Ryan to take the next step and prove he can be a player they rely on in the playoffs. How would you rank the players listed above? Would the Twins consider trading any of these players for the right starting pitcher? Leave a Comment and start the discussion.

The Twins could always draft or sign and then develop position players. Consider the names drafted and signed under the regimes of Mike Radcliff and Terry Ryan. It’s a Who’s Who of Twins hitters. Hunter. Mientkiewicz. Jones. Cuddyer. Morneau. Mauer. Kubel. Span. Buxton. Sano. Kepler. Polanco. And with many of the same people in the scouting department, we are again seeing emerging, talented position players. Many have debuted in recent years to varying success (and opportunity). Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, and Matt Wallner were keys to the Twins second-half success. Meanwhile, players like Ryan Jeffers, Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, Jose Miranda, and Nick Gordon have helped the Twins win over the past couple of seasons. While there are finally more pitchers in the Twins system to be excited about, there continue to be solid-hitting prospects around the diamond. Let’s take a look at some of the depth around the field that can be found in the Twins organization: Catchers The Twins have two catchers on the big-league roster, Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vazquez. Jeffers will not be eligible for free agency for three more years. Vazquez has two years remaining on his three-year deal. Jair Camargo was added to the Twins 40-man roster since the end of the World Series. The burly backstop showed his powerful arm and his power with the bat for the St. Paul Saints in 2023. He will likely return to the Saints to start the 2024 season and be the guy called up if there is a need. Chris Williams, who is not on the 40-man roster, has become one of Twins most prominent power prospects the past two years with the Saints. He can catch, but he’s got enough bat to be a DH or get time at first base if needed. Patrick Winkel was the primary catcher with the Double-A Wind Surge. He is arguably the best defensive backstop prospect, but he can also hit with extra-base power. Noah Cardenas spent the entire season at Cedar Rapids. He can hit and get on base at a strong clip while playing well behind the plate. Andrew Cossetti may have as much power potential and offensive prowess as any of these catching prospects. He split his first professional season between Ft. Myers and the High-A Kernels. He ended the season representing the Twins in the Arizona Fall League.

Baseball player development is a non-linear path, with players facing different obstacles on their way to the big-league level. Organizations can be aggressive with some top prospects and move them through the farm system quicker than expected. Other prospects might suffer injuries or poor play and be forced to repeat a level for multiple years. Every prospect follows a different journey, making it intriguing for fans to follow. Below is a look at the top 10 prospects in the Twins organization according to Twins Daily’s end-of-the-season voting. Not every outlet updates its ranking multiple times per year, but Twins Daily updates the player rankings and scouting reports monthly so there is a live view of each prospect's progress. Multiple names below are on pace to impact the Twins roster next season. 1. Walker Jenkins, OF ETA: 2026 The Twins took Jenkins with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft. He was promoted relatively aggressively during his professional debut by ending the year at Low-A. In 26 games, he hit .362/.417/.571 (.989) with five doubles, four triples, and three home runs. It’s expected that he will start the year in Fort Myers with a chance to play in Cedar Rapids at the end of 2024. That should put him on pace to reach the big leagues in the second half of 2026, at which point he'll be 21 years old. 2. Brooks Lee, SS/3B ETA: 2024 The 2023 campaign was Lee’s first full season as a professional after the Twins took him with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. He started the year at Double-A, posting an .841 OPS in 87 games. Minnesota promoted him to St. Paul in the season’s second half, and his OPS dipped to .731 at a level where he was over four years younger than the average age of the competition. Lee will start the year in St. Paul and be one injury away from making his big-league debut. 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF ETA: 2025 Rodriguez will have an advantage over other names on this list due to being added to the 40-man roster this winter. These roster spots are valuable, and it gives him a better chance at making his debut because the team might need to dig into their depth if there are multiple big-league injuries. Rodriguez played the 2023 season at High-A, hitting .240/.400/.463 (.863) with 38 extra-base hits in 99 games. The Twins will plan for him to spend the 2024 campaign at Double-A, which puts him on pace to debut in 2025. 4. Marco Raya, SP ETA: 2025 The Twins have taken a unique development path with Raya by aggressively promoting him while limiting his innings pitched. He ended last season at Double-A in his age-20 season. Between two levels, Raya posted a 4.02 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP in 62 2/3 innings spread across 22 starts. He never pitched more than four innings in an appearance and never threw more than 54 pitches. It seems likely for Raya to spend all of 2024 at Double-A unless the team continues to be aggressive with him. 5. David Festa, SP ETA: 2024 Festa emerged as one of the organization’s top pitching prospects last season after being taken in the 13th round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He pitched at Double-A and Triple-A with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. He posted an 11.6 K/9 in 92 1/3 innings across 24 appearances (22 starts). Minnesota faces a self-imposed payroll crunch next season, which may leave the team relying on internal options for added depth. Festa will be at Triple-A, waiting for his opportunity to join the Twins’ rotation at some point next season. 6. Charlee Soto, SP ETA: 2027 Soto has yet to make his professional debut after being drafted by the Twins with the 34th overall selection last June. He didn’t turn 18 until after the draft, so he has a lot of time to develop in the organization’s farm system. He will likely be the last player on this list to debut, but he has an exciting future with his pitching profile. 7. Austin Martin, 2B/OF ETA: 2024 Martin was the top-ranked prospect included in the Jose Berrios trade with Toronto, and he’s seen some ups and downs during his time with the Twins organization. He struggled during the 2022 season with a .683 OPS at Double-A before heading to the AFL and being one of the league’s best hitters. Last season, he injured his elbow during spring training, and there was some discussion that he’d need surgery. Martin rehabbed the elbow and posted a .791 OPS in 59 Triple-A games. The Twins have an opening in center field, and Martin might be able to take over that role at some point in 2024. 8. Brandon Winokur, OF ETA: 2027 Minnesota went well over-slot to sign Winokur for $1.5 million as a third-round pick. Winokur played 17 games during his professional debut and hit .288/.338/.546 (.884) with five doubles and four home runs. He has shown flashes of being a potential five-tool outfielder, but he is far from Target Field. Like Soto, he won’t debut for multiple seasons, and many things can go wrong with development along the way. 9. Luke Keaschall, 2B ETA: 2026 The Twins love to draft college bats, so the club targeted Keaschall with their second-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Minnesota was aggressive after signing him by having him play at three different levels and finishing the year with Cedar Rapids. In 31 games, he hit .288/.414/.478 (.892) with 14 extra-base hits. The Twins will likely have him return to High-A to begin 2024, which puts him on pace to debut during his age-23 season. 10. Tanner Schobel, 2B/3B ETA: 2025 Schobel was selected in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, so his development path shows what the Twins might follow with Keaschall. He split time in 2023 between High- and Double-A while posting a .776 OPS in 126 games. Minnesota continues to play him at second and third base, and this defensive flexibility might help him reach the big leagues even sooner. Do you agree with the ETAs listed for each prospect? Which player will have the most significant impact on the Twins next season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

It's awards season for MLB. Jeremy and JD break down ROY awards in the AL and NL and talk through prospect promotion incentive draft picks, highlighting players from the Brewers, Cubs, and Twins most likely to earn their organization one in 2024. The guys dig into prospects added to 40 man rosters for each org to protect them from Rule 5 selection, in addition to highlighting a possible low cost pitching add for the Twins who was a 40-man roster casualty. You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at I-Tunes or Spotify, retweeting show related content on Twitter, and subscribing to the Twins Daily YouTube page. You can follow us @DTS_POD1, @J_D_Cameron, @Jeremynygaard, and @TheodoreTollef1 on Twitter. Send us your prospect and draft related questions for our next episode. 0:00 Intro 2:15 Sonny Gray Rejection 7:43 AL/NL Rookie of the Year 13:06 Prospect Promotion Incentive 25:35 Rule 5 Protection Day 30:09 Twins Additions 35:50 Brewers Additions 37:30 Cal Quantrill Pitch Usage 46:08 Cubs Additions 52:30 Questions

Pump the brakes on Brooks Lee. For that matter, the same applies to Austin Martin, Yunior Severino, Jair Camargo, Chris Williams, and DaShawn Keirsey. Lee is the third baseman of the future, hopefully. Martin, Severino, Camargo, Williams, and Keirsey will all likely appear in games for the Twins at some point during 2024, but we don’t need to put the cart before the horse. The Twins have a number of decisions to make with an already crowded infield, a questionable mix at first base, a backup catcher making $10 million in both 2024 and 2025, a hole in centerfield, and an unclear budget for making additions. Many of the aforementioned names could be written in as key contributors in those spots. However, none of those players are beating down the hatches. Lee has 60 games at AAA with a mediocre August and a solid September. Martin similarly has 59 games and one outstanding month in St. Paul. Severino and Keirsey have even less than that. Williams and Camargo are both in their mid-20s coming off great offensive years, but they still haven’t gotten a single plate appearance in MLB. None should be the answer to any question at the beginning of 2024. It would put the Twins in a very difficult spot. If Martin or Keirsey are your personal long-term answer in center field, you’re welcome to that. You might see Camargo as a long-term backup catcher, replacing Vazquez. Forcing that to happen in March is a problem. The recent success of rookies Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, and Matt Wallner has been incredible, but it’s important not to expect that level of production to be the norm, even for prospects at the top of organizational rankings. It’s not normal. Their success was exceptional. They themselves may struggle to find the same level of success going forward. So often prospects, even those who are hyped and go on to have great careers, struggle in their early stints. Names like Torii Hunter or Michael Cuddyer come to mind, struggling for years to find their footings before becoming mainstays in the Twins lineup for a decade. Other prospects don’t manage to get their footing at all, such as more recent examples like Stephen Gonsalves, Alex Meyer, Oswaldo Arcia, or Joe Benson. It’s difficult to project success, even in players at the upper levels of the minor leagues. Both Jose Miranda and Trevor Larnach have shown flashes of being very good players, but they have also gone through extended stretches that cast a cloud over their long-term outlook—and both were Opening Day starter in 2023. If that’s not the organization showing a reliance on them, I’m not sure what is. Fortunately, Miranda and Larnach were able to be replaced by Lewis and Wallner, respectively, but it would be foolish to assume that that outcome was always a given. What if the team didn’t open the season with Lewis and Wallner in reserve as alternative options? What if they were going to sink or swim with Miranda and Larnach? They would have been in trouble. Likewise, starting 2024 with upper minors depth in key roles is asking for the same. The Twins clearly have a philosophy in this type of situation, and it’s probably the right one—they want depth. That’s exposed in the acquisitions of players like Michael A. Taylor, Joey Gallo, and Donovan Solano. Granted, not all of these types of acquisitions are beneficial, but that’s kind of the point. They want options. Do those options sometimes block our favorite prospects on the depth chart? Sure. But it also allows those prospects to be a short-term backup plan, protecting them and the team. Blocking prospects is the cost of bringing in big league depth. Beginning the year with some sort of big leaguer in those roles ensures better talent is in the organization. Those same big leaguers wouldn’t take a minor league deal to serve as a backup to the prospects. The decision is effectively between bringing in an MLB veteran and having a top prospect as a backup or having a top prospect with a minor league veteran as a backup plan. One of those plans has a better rate of success. It’s risky business trusting a big league role to someone who’s never seen an MLB pitch, and it can go wrong in any number of ways, be it performance or injury. Sure, the MLB veteran could struggle or get injured too, but it’s much more comforting to be able to turn to a top prospect than a career minor leaguer in that event. If any of the aforementioned players do break camp with the team, it’s not the end of the world. They all have the potential to be competent pieces at minimum. It just shouldn’t be what any of us are clamoring for. They’ll be here when it’s time. Right now, the Twins have a division to win.

Here in the month of November, Twins Daily is providing offseason preview coverage with a phased thematic approach. Last week we took a deep dive on free agency possibilities; this week we're shining the spotlight inward with a focus on players currently in the Twins organization and how they might factor into the team's plans. Along with articles on the site that will explore this focus from every angle, we're also releasing a new section of the 2024 Offseason Handbook for TD Caretakers, which includes Seth's breakdown of organizational depth at every position, and a story from me ranking the 10 players in Twins organization who best blend tradeability with trade value. If you use the coupon code 2024HANDBOOK at checkout, all Caretaker packages are 25% off! You can read an excerpt from that story here, or become a Caretaker to access the whole thing! (If you are a Caretaker, you can scroll to the bottom of this page to download the full PDF for the chapter.) The Twins front office has not been shy about swinging big trades and giving up high-profile talent in the process. In the past we've seen them trade top pitching prospects Brusdar Graterol and Chase Petty to acquire frontline starters, and more recently, they gave up cherished team fixture Luis Arraez in the Pablo Lopez swap. These moves involved some painful losses, but they were also responsible for shaping the league-leading 2023 rotation. As the Twins endeavor to fill key gaps left in their starting pitching corps this offseason, history tells us there's a good chance they'll turn to the trade market. The other factor at play: Minnesota has a lot of players in the mix who look like plausible trade candidates. To their credit, the front office has built up some redundancies, or at least reasonable depth, to make certain quality players less essential to the future. The Twins have productive veterans they could be motivated to deal, as well as elite prospects they could use to aim exceptionally high in their hunt for controllable frontline pitching. Here's my take on 10 players who could realistically be traded this offseason, in order of how much value they might bring back by my estimation. I didn't include players who have no-trade clauses (Correa, Buxton) or players who I simply could not imagine being traded (Jeffers, MLB starting pitchers). I also didn't include players who are candidates to be traded, but have mostly neutral value because of their salaries (Farmer, Vazquez). 1. Brooks Lee, 3B Lee is not the Twins' top prospect, according to TD's rankings, but I do think he is their most valuable and viable trade chip. He's a truly elite prospect in the game – 18th overall in the season-ending MLB Pipeline rankings – and he is pretty clearly major-league ready or very close. Turning 23 next spring, Lee will be a cheap, controllable regular for years to come. He's established a solid floor while still offering an All-Star level ceiling. This blend of qualities makes him highly appealing to a wide range of rebuilding and contending teams. Placing Lee at the center of a trade package would put the Twins in the conversation for almost any hypothetical high-end pitcher on the market. And while losing him obviously would not be fun, we already find ourselves talking about how to make room for him in a crowded Twins infield next year. 2. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF Rodriguez is not quite the same caliber of prospect as Walker Jenkins (below), in absolute terms. However, I do think he has a special sort of intrigue that could make him alluring to front offices enamored by his rare skill set. To be clear, E-Rod's game is not without known flaws. He has a lot of swing-and-miss in his plate approach, with a 30% K-rate in three minor-league seasons helping contribute to a .242 batting average. He's also had some injury issues. But the corresponding strengths really jump out at you. He's a speedy, lefty-swinging center fielder whose power is uncommon and whose patience is almost unheard of. The 20-year-old has an absurd 21.3% career walk rate in the minors. While constantly facing more advanced competition, he has gotten on base more than 41% of the time. After leading the High-A Midwest League in OPS and finishing second in wOBA, Rodriguez is flying high, ready to tackle Double-A. His relative proximity to the majors adds to his value from a trade acquisition standpoint. 3. Walker Jenkins, OF If the Twins were to make their newly drafted top prospect available in trades, they could get a haul. And technically, that is an option on the table. An MLB rule change in 2015 made it so teams can trade draft picks in the same year they were selected, which was previously prohibited. Jenkins was a consensus top-five talent in a loaded draft, and followed up with an emphatic pro debut that puts him in the discussion as a top 10 global prospect. Still, it seems really unlikely the Twins would shop him already. And even if they did, any club drawn to his immense upside would also have to grapple with an added level of uncertainty compared to Lee and Rodriguez. Jenkins has played 26 total pro games and is likely multiple years away from the majors, even in a favorable scenario. Then again, when you're talking about the #16 prospect in baseball (per MLB Pipeline), you're talking about gargantuan trade capital.

The World Series concluded while we were recording. What better time to reflect on each organizations top prospects? As we get ready to enter the offseason, JD and Jeremy break down the Just Baseball Top 100 Prospects list in depth, digging into 2023 numbers for Emmanuel Rodriguez, Brooks Lee, and Walker Jenkins . You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at I-Tunes or Spotify, retweeting show related content on Twitter, and subscribing to the Twins Daily YouTube page. You can follow us @DTS_POD1, @J_D_Cameron, @Jeremynygaard, and @TheodoreTollef1 on Twitter. Send us your prospect and draft related questions for our next episode. 0:00 Intro - Halloween, Bremer, AFL 12:28 Top 100 Prospects 17:32 Tyler Black 25:19 Luis Lara 29:32 Matt Shaw 33:30 - Jacob Misiorowski 39:53 - Kevin Alcantara 44:00 - Emmanuel Rodriguez 50:12 - Owen Caissie 54:13 - Brooks Lee 1:00:00 - Jeferson Quero 1:02:58 - Cade Horton 1:07:35 - Pete Crow-Armstrong 1:09:32 - Walker Jenkins 1:13:00 - Jackson Chourio

Heading into the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft, there was little belief within the Minnesota Twins that Brooks Lee would be available with the 8th overall pick. As the draft played out, however, Sean Johnson and the scouting department found themselves in an incredible position to find Lee within their reach. Lee quickly made that decision look even better as he rocketed through the system, posting a .839 OPS during his first 31 professional games and reaching Double-A. In 2023, Lee made it to St. Paul at the beginning of August after finishing Double-A with a .841 OPS (nearly 100 points above the Texas League's .751 average OPS in 2023). His offensive performance would tail off in September, but before that, he had a 23-game stretch with the Saints in which he slashed .287/.365/.500. More importantly, he was mere miles away from the ultimate goal of calling Target Field home. Lee has shown plenty of in-game power, but his profile at the plate is one of an all-around hitter. Being disciplined and commanding the zone while making consistent contact comes naturally. Defensively, he still looks the part of a shortstop. However, his future position with the Twins will be contingent on the presence of Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, and Edouard Julien. Given his hitterish qualities and strong glovework, he could contribute to Rocco Baldelli's plans in 2024 somewhere on the diamond. For someone who's been around the game since he could crawl, Lee knew his job would be different, but it's always hard to anticipate what that looks like once you experience it. Having a full professional season in the rearview has given him some perspective. "The season is obviously long, but you don't fully understand it until you're in the thick of it," Lee says. "The first year is all about learning; there are so many games to be played, so getting frustrated about a single game is pointless. You learn quickly how to get your body and mind in the best possible shape for the game ahead of you and take it day by day." Following his 125 games played in 2023, he now understands what is required in the offseason to prepare for that workload. Planning an attack for 2024 will include tweaks from his previous process, including trying to repair weaknesses exposed by higher-level pitching. "What I took away most from Triple-A was that the pitching was smarter and more precise," says Lee. "As I went up levels, those pitchers capitalized on going towards hitters weaknesses or being consistent with locating their wipeout pitches. It's hard to hit but even harder when you have a particular hole that an opposing pitcher can expose." Despite the late-season doldrums, Lee showed plenty of attractive attributes at the plate. Case in point, Lee had two opposite-field home runs with the Saints in early September that registered 103 and 104 MPH off the bat, respectively. Matt Wallner and Alex Kirilloff were the only Twins players to hit opposite field shots at a higher exit velocity. "My issue was that my great batting practice swing didn't translate into games," Lee says, diagnosing what he plans to work on this offseason. "I want to be in the right positions at load, launch, and follow-through. If I can do that, I can take my swing and tailor an approach I think will be most successful against whoever I'm facing." As part of his maturation, Lee also had a front-row seat to what Royce Lewis was doing on his rehab back to the big leagues. "Royce was most helpful as a hitter in Double-A and Triple-A when he rehabbed. He has a unique and specific way of dissecting pitchers and then creating his plan. He is so advanced, and it was super beneficial for me to hit behind him." Baseball has been part of Lee's blood, and his dad, Larry, has been a constant driving factor. The elder Lee, a lifelong college coach, has been the head coach at Cal Poly for the past 21 seasons. Coach Lee will undoubtedly be present to some degree in his son's development this offseason. "I hope all my offseasons revolve around working with my dad," he says. Lee says he will spend some much-needed time decompressing away from the game this December with his girlfriend. The majority of the offseason, however, involves training daily with two of his former teammates at Cal Poly. "I want to be more agile and quicker, so I must spend time on technique," Lee adds. The infielder has stolen just seven bases in 13 tries so far in his career, and with the renewed emphasis on base stealing, having that additional weapon makes him much more dangerous. Personal success is important to Lee, but baseball is a team game, and winning is the ultimate goal. The Twins did a lot of that this season, and while he saw some of the action in St. Paul, being locked in on a postseason run took things to another level. "It was impossible not to follow the postseason, especially with the Twins having a special year. I am even more excited to help the team because the veterans and young guys in the locker room know what it feels like to make it to the postseason and have had a taste of winning." If Lee can set himself up personally for success, plenty of team success will follow. He knows that 2024 could be a special year for him, but ultimately, one thing drives all motivation. "I am not chasing anything specific other than helping a team win as many games as possible. Winning takes care of everything." Minnesota saw success in 2023, and they'll look to expand on that in 2024. It was a season in which the youth made a high impact on the Twins. That can be the formula again next year, and Brooks Lee should be at the forefront of that movement.

It’s hard to imagine how the Twins’ season would have played out without the team’s trio of rookie players. Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, and Matt Wallner immediately impacted the roster and helped the club win its third division title in the last five seasons. This trio of rookies all had an OPS+ of 130 or higher while establishing themselves at baseball’s highest level. There have been few times in baseball history where a rookie trio has compiled better totals than Minnesota’s rookies last season. From a team construction standpoint, it would be in the team’s best interest if their prospect pipeline could continue to produce big-league talent, but that can’t always be the case. There are signs of other prospects joining the Twins next season and producing at a high level. Here’s a look at three players who could be Minnesota’s next great rookie trio. Brooks Lee, SS/3B TD Top Prospect Ranking: 2 The Twins have been aggressive with Lee since taking him with the 8th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. In his professional debut, he played at three levels and finished the season at Double-A, where the Wind Surge were on the way to the Texas League Championship Series. In 2023, Lee started the year at Double-A, hitting .292/.365/.476 (.841) with 31 doubles and 11 home runs in 87 games. He was promoted to Triple-A for the stretch run and posted a .731 OPS at a level where he was nearly 4.5 years younger than the average age of the competition. His bat has been his best tool since the Twins drafted him, but there are long-term questions about where he fits on the defensive spectrum. He’s played primarily shortstop in his pro career, but many evaluators feel he will shift to third base as he continues to add muscle to his frame. For the long term, the Twins could employ an infield with Lee at third and shift Lewis over to second base. 2024 Outlook: Lee will start next season in St. Paul, but he projects to make his big-league debut at some point next season. He’s one of the most advanced hitters to come through the Twins’ system in quite some time, and many national outlets will rank him highly on their top-100 lists this winter. Austin Martin, UTL TD Top Prospect Ranking: 7 Martin’s time in the Twins organization has been a bit of a roller coaster ride. Minnesota added Martin as one of the key prospects in the Jose Berrios trade with Toronto. At the time of the trade, he was considered one of baseball’s top 25 prospects. In 2022, he struggled with a .683 OPS at Double-A while dealing with some injuries. The Twins sent him to the Arizona Fall League following the season, and he destroyed the baseball by hitting .374/.454/.482 (.936) with seven extra-base hits in 21 games. Based on this performance, there were high hopes for him entering the 2023 season. Martin suffered a sprained ligament in his right elbow during spring training, and there was a chance he’d need to undergo Tommy John surgery. Instead, he rehabbed the injury and returned to the field in July. In 59 games, he hit .263/.387/.405 (.791) with 11 doubles and six home runs. His days at shortstop are likely behind him, but his athleticism allows him to play center field and second base regularly. 2024 Outlook: The Twins must continue to get Martin back on track so he can make a meaningful impact at the big-league level. Byron Buxton’s future in center field seems like a long shot, so Martin might be able to play a role at an essential up-the-middle defensive position. Yunior Severino, 2B/3B TD Top Prospect Ranking: 12 Severino had a tremendous season on his way to being named the TD Minor League Hitter of the Year. In 120 games, he hit .272/.352/.546 (.898) with 17 doubles and 35 home runs between Double- and Triple-A. The Twins player development team has worked hard with Severino to make more consistent contact, and he seemed to put it all together at the organization’s two highest minor league levels. Next year, he will be 24 and still young to be playing at Triple-A, so there is hope for him to make continued improvements in the years ahead. The Twins will need to add him to the 40-man roster this winter to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, which seems straightforward. Severino has continued to add to his defensive flexibility by playing 125 innings or more at three different infield positions (1B, 2B, 3B). This defensive versatility should help to make him an option when an injury impacts the team’s roster next season. 2024 Outlook: Other prospects will rate higher than Severino on national prospect lists, but he still has an opportunity to be an above-average player at the big-league level. There are other prospects ahead of him on the team’s depth chart, but look for him to debut in the second half of 2024. What kind of impact can these players have on the 2024 roster? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

In our first ever mailbag episode, Jeremy, JD and Theo discuss Kim Ng stepping down as the GM of the Marlins and talk through Twins, Brewers and Cubs prospects in the AFL. Jeremy and JD banter about the new Just Baseball Top 100 prospects lists before answering questions on Ben Ross and Jorel Ortega, Noah Miller, which Twins prospects are the most likely candidates to be MLB starters, which position player prospects other organizations would be the most interested in, and under the radar Twins prospects in the lower levels of the system You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at I-Tunes or Spotify, retweeting show related content on Twitter, and subscribing to the Twins Daily YouTube page. You can follow us @DTS_POD1, @J_D_Cameron, @Jeremynygaard, and @TheodoreTollef1 on Twitter. Send us your prospect and draft related questions for our next episode. 2:25 Kim Ng out as Marlins GM 8:32 AFL Updates 9:10 Twins in the AFL 14:21 Brewers in the AFL 17:09 Cubs in the AFL 21:10 Just Baseball Top 100 Prospects 31:45 (Twins-heavy) Listener Questions 32:22 Ben Ross/Jorel Ortega question 40:01 Upcoming International Free Agency 41:32 Noah Miller question 45:52 Which prospects to send to Driveline? 49:08 Which pitching prospects could be an MLB starter in the next two years? 55:05 Uncertainty in the infield 58:30 Buy/Sell prospects in the future 59:04 Which position players outside the top three would other teams be most interested in 1:02:10 Which prospects outside the Top 20 have a potential to break out in 2024

Alex Kirilloff is slated for labrum repair surgery in his right shoulder, and the Twins won't know a timeline until after the procedure takes place next week. Considering the nature of this type of significant surgery, there is a decent chance that his recovery will carry over into the 2024 season. At the very least, the Twins need to be thinking very seriously about what the short-term (and perhaps long-term) picture looks like at first base in AK's absence. Here are a few paths they could take this offseason to ensure the position is in good hands for next year. Re-sign Donovan Solano Perhaps the simplest answer. Signed for $2 million at the start of spring training, Solano proved to be a key fixture for the Twins. He led the team in starts at first base (64), and was a solid contributor with his .369 OBP and 110 OPS+. If the Twins wanted to run it back, they could probably do so on another inexpensive one-year deal. But, even if you're envisioning the solution at first base is somewhat of a stopgap, don't you want to aim higher? Solano turns 36 this offseason, has no power, and was not terribly impressive defensively. By almost any value-based metric he was a below-average player. He also left a bad taste in all our mouths by striking out three times in the elimination game against Houston. Donnie Barrels, your service is appreciated, but I think it's best for both sides to move on. Sign a different free agent first baseman Of course, there are plenty of other fish in the sea of free agency. But trust me when I say that this year's first base class is not very appealing. There's not really a star-caliber player in the bunch, unless you are targeting someone like Cody Bellinger or Jeimer Candelario as a first baseman. Rhys Hoskins is a slugger who'd look good in the middle of the Twins lineup, but he missed all of 2023 with a torn ACL suffered in the spring. Otherwise the pool consists of a bunch of older fading players who can hardly be trusted to be offer much more than Solano. Trade for a first baseman Trades are the more interesting avenue for outside additions, if you're looking for a real difference-maker at first base. Two names stand out as potential targets: Pete Alonso and Paul Goldschmidt. Alonso is an elite power hitter who fits with the offensive profile that Minnesota remains committed to. He's entering his last year ahead of arbitration and the woebegone Mets could seek to cash in rather than lose him for nothing. (Not to mention clear salary in pursuit of Shohei Ohtani.) Goldschmidt is coming off a relative down year, and entering his final season under contract at age 36. He's the kind of experienced veteran icon (and recent MVP) who would add another layer of respected leadership in the clubhouse. But he has a no-trade clause, and may prefer to stay in St. Louis even if their contention outlook is uncertain. An exciting big splash like Alonso or Goldschmidt would emphatically address first base for next year while keeping options open long-term. But either player would cost a ton to acquire. Is it worth it when you can turn to the following option? Solve for the problem internally Jose Miranda. Remember that guy? Okay, his own shoulder isn't looking like much of a sure thing either, but he remains a very relevant name on Minnesota's first base depth chart. And there are other players on hand who could aptly fill in at first base, at least on an interim basis. Edouard Julien got a couple of starts at first late in the 2023 season, and while the team seemed resistant to using him there much, they might feel differently if they can bring him along in spring training and let him own the position. This would of course open up second for Jorge Polanco, so it makes sense. Maybe Miranda or minor-league slugger Yunior Severino, who hit 35 home runs at AA/AAA this year, could plug in as a platoon bat alongside Julien. Another option: turn the keys over to Brooks Lee, who hasn't played first base yet as a pro but could almost certainly handle the assignment. This would open the door for Minnesota's top prospect to step in alongside the young nucleus. If the Twins (understandably) want Lee to get a little more seasoning in Triple-A, where he admittedly hasn't dominated yet, they can keep this idea in their back pocket. But the 22-year-old should be viewed as another depth piece in the first base equation. With all of these internal options being on the table, and with Kirilloff still being part of the plan at some point, I find it hard to believe the Twins will allocate major resources to a blockbuster addition at first base. If an opportunity materializes for someone like Alonso or Goldschmidt, the front office should definitely see it through. But they've got enough ready-made depth on hand that they should not feel overly pressured to add here, from my view. What do you think? What would be your plan at first base this offseason?

Everything didn't go perfectly for the Twins during the 2023 season, but there were some positive signs by the season's end. The team's playoff losing streak is over, and the fanbase doesn't need to focus on losses that happened in the past. Instead, the team will turn its focus to 2024 and beyond. So, are the Twins any closer to winning a World Series title compared to one year ago? Rocco Baldelli was clear in his post-game comments that he believes the Twins are ready to take the next step. "The team is hungry in a way that I don't think we probably even were before. You get a taste of something like this, you show this to people, what this looks like and what it is. We're not that far from playing in the World Series." Rookie Trio One reason for optimism with the Twins is the young core of players that established themselves during their rookie season. Minnesota became the first club since 1930 to have three rookies with an .830 or better OPS. Royce Lewis showed why he was considered one of baseball's top prospects by hitting .309/.372/.548 (.921) with 15 home runs and seven doubles in 58 games. His offensive output continued into October, where he became the first Twins batter since Kirby Puckett to have four home runs in the same postseason. Lewis wasn't the only rookie to leave his mark on the Twins. Matt Wallner also showcased multiple strengths during the 2023 season after being named the team's Minor League Player of the Year in 2022. In 76 games, Wallner hit .249/.370/.507 (.877) with 11 doubles, one triple, and 14 home runs. He also demonstrated a tremendous outfield arm, which can limit runners advancing on the base paths. Edouard Julien completed the Twins rookie trio and hit .263/.381/.459 (.839) in 109 games. He combined for 16 doubles, one triple, and 16 home runs with a 130 OPS+. Julien's defense at second base has improved significantly during the season, improving his projected value for future years. While these players impacted the 2023 season, other prospects are even more highly touted than this trio. Prospects on the Way Brooks Lee was named the Twins' Minor League Player of the Year after reaching Triple-A in his first full professional season. He hit .275/.347/.461 (.808) with 39 doubles, three triples, and 16 home runs between Double- and Triple-A. His OPS dropped by over 100 points after his promotion, but he was over four years younger than the average age of the competition in the International League. He will be considered a top-25 global prospect entering next season. Lee isn't the only prospect to get excited about in the Twins' system. Emmanuel Rodriguez played the entire 2023 season at High-A, where he was over two years younger than the average age of the competition. He posted a .940 OPS or higher in four-of-six months during the season. His biggest moments came in the deciding game of the Midwest League Championship Series when he hit a grand slam that put the Kernels in front. He won't rank as highly as Lee on national lists, but he has one of the highest ceilings of any prospect. AL Central and Playoff Picture The AL Central also provides an opportunity for the Twins to make the playoffs regularly in the coming years. Both Chicago and Kansas City finished with over 100 losses, and neither has a clear winning window in the immediate future. Cleveland was the team the Twins competed with for most of the season, but they fell apart down the stretch and finished ten games below the .500 mark. Detroit showed some positive signs in the second half to finish at 78-84, including some young players moving in the right direction. However, the Twins should be the AL Central favorites entering next season. MLB's playoff structure allows for upsets, and the best regular-season teams can struggle in October. Minnesota finished with a worse record than Toronto, who plays in a tougher division, but the Twins managed to sweep the Blue Jays out of the playoffs. Arizona was the last team into the NL playoffs, and they have swept their way into the NLCS. Anything can happen in the postseason, so the Twins must put themselves in a position for the playoffs and hope they can find some magic. Baseball is a funny game that can be hard to predict. Baldelli is right to look at this club and believe in the future. A World Series run isn't out of the question, but many things need to go right for that to happen. Baseball is a funny game that can be hard to predict. Do you believe the Twins are closer to a World Series title? What must they add to the roster to make that dream a reality? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

The Atlanta Braves are the class of MLB right now, and the breathless admiration of them from those in the game and those who analyze will continue whether you like it or not. The Braves tied the 2019 Twins home run record of 307 and have steamrolled the competition, including a decisive sweep of the Twins in June. They possess the best record in baseball and have all the underlying numbers to back it up. Don’t misunderstand me; they are really good. But how did they build this? A key aspect of their success is their penchant for extending star core players early in their career to team-friendly extensions. Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, Matt Olson, Spencer Strider and Sean Murphy are all excellent players under the age of thirty and will be with the team through at least 2028. None of those contracts have turned into regrets, either (so far) like the contracts for Evan White, Jon Singleton, or even Randy Dobnak did. Max Fried and Strider lead the rotation, and are great development stories. Bryce Elder is too, but their strength isn’t pitching, and they don’t have much beyond those three and Morton. That isn’t the worst thing; two aces and two mid rotation guys will play fine in October, and their team ERA is still a respectable 14th in baseball. So what makes the Brave's core precarious, and why do the Twins have a chance to supplant them in as the next homegrown powerhouse? Depth The Braves are top-heavy in both the pitching and hitting departments. No one has noticed on the hitting side because none of their players are hurt. Almost ever. Carlos Correa leads the Twins with 135 games played, which is solid considering his foot issues. The next highest is Donovan Solano with 127. All eight of the Braves non-catchers have played 130 games or more. And all of them, plus their great catching core, are healthy and available for the playoffs. That’s absurd, bordering on the absurdity of the Cleveland Guardians and their nearly injury-free 2022 season. Should anyone get hurt, Nicky Lopez and Kevin Pillar are their only options. The Braves also have the 27th ranked farm system according to MLB Pipeline and they already have $174 million committed to next year’s payroll, not counting arbitration salaries (about $80 million more than the Twins). Their only top 100 prospect is pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver, who is 20 and made it to the majors this year. If he isn’t great right away, Max Fried heads to free agency after next year, leaving Strider and the unproven Elder. Maybe Kyle Wright can return to form (he will miss 2024 rehabbing an injury). And what should occur if somehow one of their hitters actually deals with a significant injury (or underperformance)? There is no “next man up” outside of Vaughn Grissom, who is a decent prospect but probably can’t handle shortstop, where they are already playing Orlando Arcia and his career .681 OPS. What they are now, is what they are. Grissom also represents the best trade piece the Braves could use to acquire frontline starting pitching, which they may need as soon as this offseason. If he goes, Nicky Lopez steps in. The Twins have a multitude of A and B level prospects they could flip for pitching if they really needed to. Comparing Cores More credit should go towards the Twins front office for building a core similar to the Braves, but for less money and hardly any fanfare. It should last through the Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton contracts since most of the Twins contributors are making the minimum MLB salary. And although those team-friendly extensions could save the Braves some money, none of those players have hit six years of service time yet. They would still be controllable through this year with only Olson and Albies set to hit free agency this offseason had the Braves gone year to year. Let's compare the infielders each team has assembled for the future. The Twins have Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, Edouard Julien, and Brooks Lee, with Austin Martin and Jose Miranda as high upside depth pieces. They also signed Carlos Correa. They’ve traded away homegrown talents Luis Arraez, Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, too. The Braves have Riley, Olson, Albies, Arcia and Grissom. I'm not saying the Twins can bang with that group as currently constructed, but they have a lot more options if things go wrong (they do). Are the Braves infielders durable and capable of producing great counting stats? Sure. But that has very little predictive value and those 155 game seasons add up quickly in terms of health and performance. In the outfield, the Twins have Matt Wallner, Lewis, Trevor Larnach, Kirilloff, Martin, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins (with Buxton once in a while), all system-developed. The Braves have two homegrown (and great) outfielders in Harris and Acuna Jr., but you have to scroll a bit on their prospect lists to even find another hitter, much less an outfielder. Nobody matches Acuna, but in Jenkins and Lewis the Twins at least have some hope to develop a generational superstar of their own. To Extend or not Extend The Twins have the opportunity to extend, Braves-style, some of those players, but as luck would have it, none of them are set to become free agents until after the 2027 season. They could lock up guys like Kirilloff, Ryan Jeffers, Julien and Lewis, but only Jeffers will even reach three years of service time when the season is over. They have some time to decide who to commit to long-term, and who, like the Braves with Dansby Swanson, they decide to just go year to year with. Right now, every extension the Braves have handed out has worked flawlessly. But as I mentioned earlier, none of those contracts has entered into the years of potential free agency yet. It is those "bonus" years that will prove the extensions either smart, or disastrous. Consider the Twins' extensions of Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco. Their respective performance and health have been up and down, but the contracts they signed only really kicked in this year. Had they been up for free agency last offseason, as they were on track for originally, would the Twins have even offered them a qualifying offer? Probably not, but these things are tricky; Polanco and Kepler have been integral parts of the Twins' second half surge this year. Contrast that to Riley's contract. He would have been team controlled for two more years after this one, but with his massive contract (ten years, 212M), they are now locked into the next nine years, whether he remains effective or not. The Twins haven't proven much of anything yet, but they have seven homegrown players who could start on any playoff team, Correa, star-caliber depth in the minor leagues, and some (though not a lot) payroll space to supplement. The Braves are still good, I promise that I believe that. They have the star power to go 11-0 this October and would wipe the floor with the Twins in a playoff matchup currently. The greater point, is that the Twins have really built something here. Some draft luck played a part, as talents like Lee and Jenkins should not have been available to a contending club. But here we are, with potential/actual star position players as far as the eye can see, and a decent rotation floor with Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober all team-controlled for at least the next four years. Not only that, but unlike the Braves lineup, there are backup plans if things go south. Correa may continue to have foot issues, some of the Twins prospects will flame out, and injuries will always be a factor, but you have to like the Twins chances to feel confident in an assortment of plan B's. The Braves have won six straight division titles; the Twins should be able to follow suit in the Central.

The Twins had lofty goals of establishing a sea of roster depth heading into 2023 and were successful in doing so. They’ve held onto struggling veterans all season, sometimes at the expense of younger, better players to ensure they avoid a repeat of the 2022 collapse. The marathon is ending, and as they finish the home stretch of the regular season and approach the postseason, it’s time for a change in philosophy. Along with the misfortune of the Twins potentially losing their starting shortstop and third baseman, comes a bit of good fortune in regard to who can qualify for a postseason roster. Any player in the organization can be deemed eligible for postseason play as long as they were in the organization as of September 1 and are replacing an injured player. This includes legitimate prospects who are big parts of the Twins' future, such as Brooks Lee. One could argue that Brooks Lee has had something of a down season relative to his debut in 2022. That does include an .841 OPS in Double-A, even if his .708 OPS with St. Paul leaves much to be desired. So why should Lee get the call when it appears he has work left to do with the Saints? If the Twins are without Carlos Correa for the playoffs, very much still an if at this point, this likely pushes Kyle Farmer into a full-time role at shortstop. While Farmer has certainly been a solid contributor to the Twins this season, he’s far from a player you want starting every day, especially in the postseason. Farmer’s .708 OPS is a slight improvement on his 2022 numbers, but there are several things to consider before handing him the keys to a starting job when it matters most. He’s always been a lefty masher, and while that wasn’t quite true to the same degree this year, he was still nearly 20% above league average against southpaws. He’s a valuable piece to be able to pull off the bench in a big spot, especially now that Jordan Luplow is likely out of the picture. Farmer has also posted a .687 OPS against righties this season, a number that suggests tough times ahead when the Twins are facing an opposing team’s best pitchers, many of which will be right-handed. There are going to be games where Christian Vázquez and Kyle Farmer are paired together at the bottom of the order, likely making the trip through the bottom of the lineup a cakewalk for opposing pitchers. So why should we expect Brooks Lee to do any better? For as much as it looks like Lee has to prove in the minor leagues, nearly all of this has to do with hitting left-handed pitching. Lee has posted a .607 OPS against left-handed pitchers, and an .866 against righties. It sets up a perfect situation where he could be lifted for Farmer later in games should a big spot arise with a left-handed reliever coming in. It seems like a tall task, but if anyone is up to it, why wouldn’t it be top prospect Brooks Lee? For anyone thinking “The Twins would never do this”, they found themselves in a similar situation in 2020 when Josh Donaldson and Byron Buxton weren’t able to play in the three-game playoff. Alex Kirilloff made his MLB debut in the postseason having not played above Double-A, and not having played organized ball at all that year due to the pandemic shutdown. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and in this case, the Twins still have a week plus to call Lee up and get his feet wet in an MLB atmosphere. It may seem like a panic response, but Kyle Farmer as the Twins potential everyday postseason shortstop just isn’t a good scenario. Likely to contribute nothing offensively against what will likely be right-handed heavy pitching staffs, the downside is as low as it gets, and the upside is extremely limited. That’s not to say Brooks Lee’s floor is any higher, but at least he has the potential of a top prospect and a track record of mashing southpaws. The potential for him to meaningfully impact a postseason contest should outweigh what will likely be a zero offensively paired with merely capable defense from Kyle Farmer. Hopefully, it’s all a non-factor, and Carlos Correa is ready to return come October. It doesn’t hurt to plan for a worst-case scenario though. Brooks Lee is a legitimate piece of the Twins future, and even if he comes up for this stretch and begins next season back in the minors for a bit, it’s hard to imagine the experience hurting him. The Twins have spent much of the season conceding to veterans and their experience. Now that the playoffs near, the possibility of Brooks Lee’s talent shining and impacting a postseason game should outweigh the veteran status and perceived “safety” of someone like Kyle Farmer. Do you agree?

TRANSACTIONS OF Byron Buxton begins MLB rehab assignment with St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Toledo 2 Box Score Playing with a full complement of Twins rehabbing talent again on Thursday night, the Saints had Byron Buxton batting second as the designated hitter while Joey Gallo batted third and was in left field. Nick Gordon had a scheduled day off. The pitchers, Chris Paddack, Brock Stewart, and Jorge Alcala were all available out of the bullpen. Making his final start of the season, now as the Saints single-season strikeouts record holder, was Randy Dobnak. Chris Williams, fresh off his franchise-record 21st home run, was out of the lineup on Thursday night. It was St. Jude night at the ballpark, and there’s still an opportunity to join Randy and Aerial Dobnak for the walk/run on Saturday. Kicking off the scoring, Toledo grabbed a first inning run off of Dobnak and the action was underway. Former Twins prospect Bryan Sammons started for the Mud Hens. While he recorded eight strikeouts in six scoreless innings, Dobnak nearly matched him. The Saints starter worked six innings allowing just one run on three hits and four walks. Dobnak struck out seven to finish his season with 115. Andrew Bechtold came on for his 20th appearance on the mound this season. While he’s been wild all year for St. Paul, pumping triple-digits continues to be fun to dream on. After striking out the first batter he saw, Bechtold walked the next, gave up a single, and then walked another to load the bases. A sacrifice fly then made it a 2-0 lead for Toledo. Bechtold got out of the inning before more damage was done. Continuing the trend of former Twins prospects, Andrew Vasquez came on in relief of Sammons for Toledo in the seventh inning. After a Brooks Lee single, Kyle Garlick rolled a ground ball to the hot corner. Rather than the third baseman starting an easy double play, he threw the ball at Lee sliding into second, and it went sailing into right field. Lee came around to score with Garlick finishing the play on third base as the tying run. After hitting Jair Camargo, Vasquez uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Garlick to score and tie the game. Hernan Perez ripped a single back through the middle, just out of the shortstop’s reach, and brought Camargo in from second base. For the first time on the evening, St. Paul had a lead. After a Michael Helman single put runners on first and second, Byron Buxton stepped in for the fourth time with a pair of strikeouts to his credit. Buxton swung at a first pitch slider, from newly inserted righty Garrett Hill, and rolled it back up the middle to score another run. Joey Gallo walked to load the bases, but the Saints couldn’t push another one across and it was 4-2 headed to the eighth inning. Buxton was lifted for pinch runner Chris Williams, and his night of rehab work was done. Going 1-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts and the single, Buxton will look to get more action in before St. Paul ends their season on Sunday afternoon. Curtis Taylor worked a scoreless inning for St. Paul to open the eighth inning, and the Saints didn't add on in their final frame. Ronny Henriquez came on to close it out in the ninth inning. He got a strikeout before issuing a walk, and then struck out another Mud Hens hitter to leave just one final out. Henriquez put the tying run on with a second free pass, and the go ahead run stepped in. Colt Keith flew out and this one was over. St. Paul moved to 20 games over .500 with their 83rd win. Helman and Perez were the only two Saints to grab a pair of hits. Just three games remain at CHS Field for the year, and there are still great seats available. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Randy Dobnak (St. Paul) - 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Hernan Perez (St. Paul) - 2-for-3, R, RBI, 2B, K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 1-4, R, K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-4, 3 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (6:37PM CST) - LHP Blayne Enlow Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s game!

Just four more games to go in the Twins minor league season. The Saints will play four more home games. The rest of the affiliates seasons are done. However, the Cedar Rapids Kernels season ended on Wednesday night in the best way a season can end... with a championship!! Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Before Wednesday’s morning game in Cincinnati, the Twins placed shortstop Carlos Correa on the Injured List. To take his spot on the Twins roster, the team called up outfielder Trevor Larnach. AWARDS Before they played their games on Wednesday, the Cedar Rapids Kernels learned that several of their players were recognized for their work in the Midwest League. Former Twins draft pick, prospect, infielder and outfielder Brian Dinkelman was named the league’s Manager of the Year. The Kernels had the best record in the league at 82-50. This is his fourth season as the Kernels’ manager after spending several seasons as the team’s hitting coach. Outfielder Kala’i Rosario led the Midwest League with 21 home runs and 94 RBI. He was named a league All-Star and the Midwest League’s MVP. His 94 RBI were 21 more than second on the list. He ranked among the Top 10 in the league in Slugging Percentage (.467), OPS (.831), Hits (112), Doubles (27), and Walks (75). In addition, he had 13 outfield assists from his right field position. This is the second straight year in which a member of the Kernels was named the league’s MVP. Last season, you may recall, Christian Encarnacion-Strand won the award. In addition to Rosario, the Kernels had three more players make the postseason All Star team. Outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez was named as the designated hitter. He hit .240/.400/.463 with 16 homers. He had 92 walks which was tied for best in the league. Infielder Tanner Schobel was named the All Star third baseman. He played 77 games for the Kernels before his promotion to Wichita. He was leading the league in home runs when he was promoted and still ranked in the top five in several other categories. Finally, Miguel Rodriguez was named the most dominant reliever. He also was promoted to Wichita but not until early August. He had a 2.85 ERA. He had 42 strikeouts and just 11 walks in 41 innings. He also had 14 Saves. On Tuesday, Fort Myers catcher/outfielder Ricardo Olivar was named to the Florida State League All Star team. In 100 games, the 22-year-old from Venezuela hit .285/.403/.452 (.855) with 28 doubles, 10 homers, 58 RBI and 59 walks. In nearly 650 innings split between catcher and the outfield, he had just four errors on the season. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 6, Toledo 3 Box Score Simeon Woods Richardson started on Wednesday night for the Saints against the Tigers top affiliate. He gave up a run in the top of the first and two in the third inning, but he kept battling and completed 5 2/3 innings. He gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out four batters. Austin Brice recorded four outs. He gave up two hits, but no runs. Finally Cole Sands worked two scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit and struck out two batters. The Saints tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning when Brooks Lee’s eighth Saints double scored Austin Martin, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Down 3-1, the Saints mounted a rally in the bottom of the fourth inning. The inning started with walks by Gilberto Celestino and Anthony Prato. That brought Chris Williams to the plate and along with giving the Saints a lead, he also made a little Saints history. His 21st home run of the year placed him ahead of Brent Rooker who had 20 homers for the Saints in 2021, their first year as a Twins affiliate. Two batters later, Brooks Lee launched his fifth home run since joining the Saints to give the team a 5-3 lead. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the team got a little insurance. Lee led off with a walk. Yunior Severino was then hit by a pitch. After a ground out advanced both runners, DaShawn Keirsey singled to drive in Lee with the team’s sixth run. The Saints have just four more games remaining, but for those of you near the Twin Cities, all four games are at CHS Field. Check out a game or four this weekend. Click here to order tickets. And… be sure to watch The Saint of Second Chances on Netflix. Great documentary on former Saints owner Mike Veeck, his family’s history in the game, and how the Saints opportunity may have been the best thing for him. KERNELS NUGGETS MWL Championship Game 2 Cedar Rapids 4, Great Lakes 2 Box Score The teams got through four-and-a-half innings on Tuesday night before the rains came and the game was suspended. Righty Andrew Morris started the game and gave up one run on three hits over five innings. He had seven strikeouts with no walks. On Wednesday, the game continued. The Kernels immediately tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when Carson McCusker singled in Luke Keaschall. In the top of the sixth, Mike Paredes came in and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in just a third of an inning. None of the singles were hit hard, but they were very well placed. John Klein came in for his first Kernels appearance in Cedar Rapids. He gave up one run on three hits over 2 2/3 innings. He had five strikeouts. AJ Labas worked a scoreless ninth inning. Down 4-1 going to the bottom of the ninth, the Kernels mounted an intriguing comeback. The inning started with back-to-back walks to Jose Salas and Carson McCusker. Noah Miller followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Loons manager, Daniel Nava, went to his closer, lefty Benony Robles. The southpaw got Emmanuel Rodriguez to strike out on three pitches. Kala’i Rosario came to the plate with chants of “MVP! MVP!” ringing through the stadium. He fell behind 1-2 but was able to work a walk to load the bases with one out. Unfortunately, an infield fly and a strikeout ended the game and sent this series to a winner-take-all Game 3. MWL Championship Series Game 3 Cedar Rapids 7, Great Lakes 6 Box Score Because of the suspended game, Game 3 was reduced to just a seven inning game. Despite jumping out to a big lead early, this game wasn’t decided until that 21st out landed in Emmanuel Rodriguez’s glove. The Kernels won their first Midwest League championship since 1994! In the bottom of the first inning, the Kernels got singles from Noah Miller and Kala’i Rosario. Miller scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Andrew Cossetti to give the team the 1-0 lead. Starting pitcher Cory Lewis had his second straight 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second, and the Kernels supported him in grand style in the bottom of the inning. Luke Keaschall and Noah Cardenas started the inning with walks. After a strikeout, Carson McCusker walked to load the bases. Following a pitching change, there was another strikeout. But Emmanuel Rodriguez came to the plate and launched his third home run of this three-game series, a grand slam to give the Kernels a 5-0 lead after two innings. Lewis gave up a leadoff single in the third inning, but the runner was quickly erased on a Miller-to-Keaschall-to-Ortega double play. So through three innings, Lewis faced nine batters. Lewis gave up a run in the fourth inning on a walk and later a single. However, the fifth inning did not go well for him. After a leadoff single, he got a fly out and a force out. Things were looking good. However, back-to-back singles gave the Loons a second run and ended Lewis’s game. Gabriel Yanez came with runners on the corners. Catcher Dalton Rushing, the top prospect in the Dodgers organization and a Top 50 prospect in the game, greeted him with a two-run double which cut the Kernels lead to 5-4. The Kernels responded well in the bottom of the fifth inning. Rodriguez led off with a walk, and Rosario followed with a single. A wild pitch advanced runners to second and third base. After one out, Jorel Ortega walked to load the bases. Luke Keaschall followed by working a walk that scored Rodriguez. Noah Cardenas then flew out to left field, deep enough to allow Rosario to score a second insurance run and make it 7-4 Kernels. Yanez remained in the game for the sixth inning. He got a groundout and a strikeout before giving up a double. Manager Brian Dinkelman went to his closer, John Stankiewicz, hoping for a four-out save. The right-hander recorded a strikeout to end the threat. The Kernels coaxed three more walks in the bottom of the sixth but were unable to add on. On to the top of the seventh inning, three outs from a championship… but it couldn’t just be easy, right? Stankiewicz started the inning with an infield pop out. However, the next batter was hit by a pitch. However, a ground ball to short meant a force out at second but no out at first base. That brought Rushing to the plate again. And, as you would expect, he launched a long home run to cut the Kernels lead to 7-6. Fortunately, after falling behind the next batter 2-0, Stankiewicz got a flyout to Emmanuel Rodriguez. He made the catch, and the celebration ensued! TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 2-for-3, 2B(8), HR(5), 2 R, 2 RBI, K Pitcher of the Day – John Klein (Cedar Rapids) - 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 45 pitches, 32 strikes (71.1%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 2-for-3, BB, 2B(8), HR(5), 2 R, 2 RBI, K. #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - Game 2 (1-for-4, BB, 3 K), Game 3 (1-for-2, 2 BB, HR(3), 2 R, 4 RBI) #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, BB, 2B(11), R, 2 K #10 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - Game 2 (2-for-4, R, K), Game 3 (0-for-1, 2 BB, R, RBI) #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - Game 2 (0-for-4, BB, K), Game 3 (2-for-3, BB, R, SB, K). #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-for-2, BB, 2B(2), HBP #15 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 95 pitches, 61 strikes (64.2%) #19 - Cory Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - Game 3 (4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 69 pitches, 45 strikes (65.2%)) THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Toledo @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (5-9, 5.31 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics!

In this episode, we debate the ceiling of Twins outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez, talk through potential 2024 ROY candidates for the Twins, Cubs, and Brewers, and answer listener questions on AFL rosters and the Twins 2022 pitching draft haul. You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at I-Tunes or Spotify, retweeting show related content on Twitter, and subscribing to the Twins Daily YouTube page. You can follow us @DTS_POD1, @J_D_Cameron, @Jeremynygaard, and @TheodoreTollef1 on Twitter. Send us your prospect and draft related questions for our next episode. 5:50 Emmanuel Rodriguez Debate 7:32 Background Context 10:15 Jeremy's Case 14:09 Jamie's Counterpoints 22:00 Plenty of back-and-forth on-and-off topic 31:02 2024 Rookie of the Year candidates 34:57 Twins 36:20 Cubs 41:00 Brewers 45:00 Take our best shot at a Rookie of the Year next year 49:00 Listener Questions 49:25 Twins potential AFL players 52:52 Brooks Lee and David Festa 2024 outlook 55:50 Last year's pitching haul

Stories of the demise of Minnesota’s farm system were perhaps exaggerated. The Twins did notably move a handful of good prospects in the past few years to acquire the likes of Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle and Jorge Lopez, with the last two deals of course not looking so great at the moment. With the exodus of some young talent, there was chatter about Minnesota’s system taking a hit, and it certainly did from a depth perspective. However, I think we’ve seen enough from a handful of Minnesota youngsters to still feel pretty good about the system, both from a real baseball and fantasy perspective. In terms of minor league prospects, Brooks Lee and Walker Jenkins continue to look like studs, while David Festa has gotten off to an encouraging start at the Triple-A level, and Austin Martin has rehabbed some of his stock with the Saints this season as well. Emmanuel Rodriguez is also still an intriguing long-term prospect for dynasty players. Looking at players already in the majors, Royce Lewis is the obvious dynasty riser, and I have more on him below. Edouard Julien has also seen his stock climb dramatically in the past year. Meanwhile, Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez and Jhoan Duran aren’t quite as young as Lewis and Julien and perhaps don’t have as much upside in dynasty formats, but all three have boosted their outlooks this year. The trio is still in their 20s, so plenty of good baseball should be ahead. Overall, these five players are likely the best Minnesota dynasty targets when considering both immediate impact and long-term upside. It’s a pretty solid group that fantasy managers can feel comfortable investing in. Let’s now take a look at some key injury updates, plus which Twins have their stock rising and falling from a fantasy perspective due to results from the past week as well as a prospect to keep an eye on. I’ll also take a look at the week ahead and highlight some matchups to target and avoid. Twins Injury Updates Michael A. Taylor Expected return: This week Taylor took batting practice and ran the bases last week as he recovers from a hamstring strain. It looks like a return is imminent, which could cut into Willi Castro’s playing time in center field. Brock Stewart Expected return: Sept. 22 Stewart began a rehab assignment with the Saints on Friday and looked sharp. He’ll likely get in a few more appearances for St. Paul, and assuming everything goes well, he should return from his elbow issue when the Twins start their final homestand of the season. Chris Paddack Expected return: Late September Paddack tossed 58 pitches in a rehab game for Double-A Wichita last week after previously logging 54 pitches in his first rehab game. The righty is still hoping to help the Twins at the end of the regular season and possibly in the playoffs, with a long-relief role his likely landing spot as he returns from Tommy John surgery. Byron Buxton Expected return: Late September Buxton’s hamstring injury remains a mystery hanging over the team. He was pulled from a rehab assignment in early September and has yet to pick it back up. He could still return at the end of the month and give the squad a jolt, though fantasy players shouldn’t count on anything more from Buxton at this point. Nick Gordon Expected return: Late September or 2024 Gordon suffered a fractured tibia earlier this year but could work his way back before the regular season ends. He started a rehab assignment with the Saints on Friday and will likely need a little time there considering his long layoff. Gordon could give the Twins a dynamic bench option for the postseason but likely won’t have any more fantasy impact in 2023. Stock Rising: Royce Lewis ESPN ownership: 48% We’re running out of words to describe what Lewis has been doing. He’s now batting .311 this year with a .923 OPS, 14 home runs (including four grand slams!) and 51 RBI across 55 games. Over the course of 162 games, that comes out to around 41 long balls and 150 RBI. I still can’t believe that his ownership is under 50%, and managers who’ve enjoyed Royce’s run could very well be in line to win their leagues. Lewis should rocket up draft boards in 2024, particularly in dynasty formats considering he's still only 24. Stock Falling: Dallas Keuchel ESPN ownership: 1% Keuchel is not scheduled to start again this season as he shifts to a relief role, which makes room for Bailey Ober’s return to the rotation. The veteran southpaw had a few nice moments, though he has an 8.03 ERA across his last three starts, so he may be running out of gas. Either way, his fantasy value is essentially zero as a long reliever, so managers should look elsewhere. Prospect Spotlight: Walker Jenkins (Single-A Fort Myers) Jenkins quickly earned a promotion from the Florida Complex League, and the 18-year-old has continued to mash for his new team. Across 12 games for Fort Myers, he’s batting .392 with a 1.054 OPS and 10 RBI. The offensive talent is clear, and while Jenkins likely won’t appear with the Twins until 2025 at the earliest, he’s a definite target in dynasty formats. Upcoming Week Matchup Notes 3 Games vs Cincinnati (Connor Phillips, Ben Lively, Hunter Greene) 3 Games at Los Angeles Angels (Griffin Canning, Tyler Anderson, Reid Detmers) The Twins will face the Reds for the first time this year, which means getting a closer look at former Minnesota prospects Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. While Cincinnati has been strong on offense, the pitching matchups don’t look particularly daunting. Same goes for the Angels, so it could be a big week for Minnesota hitters. Two-Start Starting Pitchers Joe Ryan is set to start Monday and Sunday. As noted, the Reds are a tricky matchup, but if Ryan can navigate that one, he could be in line for two wins this week with the Angels struggling lately and playing without both Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. Twins Fantasy Hitters to Watch Greene probably has the best pure stuff of anyone Minnesota will face this week, but no one on the slate looks too scary. Phillips has an ERA over 8.00 and is currently at Triple-A, while Lively and Anderson have ERAs above 5.00. Those are the spots I’d focus on in DFS. Phillips and Lively are both righties, so Julien, Max Kepler and Alex Kirilloff are good targets. Anderson is a lefty, so Lewis and Carlos Correa probably deserve a bump. Frankly, Lewis looks matchup-proof at this point, and with middling pitchers on the docket this week, he could be in line for a huge week. As noted above, he should probably be more widely owned, so now could be a good time to scoop Lewis up if he’s still out there in your league. Willi Castro also merits a quick shoutout, as he’s batting .304 this month with a pair of home runs and stolen bases. He’s been dynamic for Minnesota when given the opportunity, and while the return of Taylor could cut into Castro’s role, I think he’s a good bargain option in DFS whenever he’s in the lineup. Which Twins are you most excited about in dynasty leagues? Let me know in the COMMENTS, plus post your thoughts on the matchups this week.

SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 9, St. Paul 2 Box Score The Saints played a matinee on Thursday, with Randy Dobnak taking the mound. He worked 5 2/3 innings but allowed six runs on nine hits. Dobnak walked just two while striking out four but did allow a home run. The additional strikeouts helped to set the Saints single-season strikeout record. His 107 strikeouts took the lead from teammate Ronny Henriquez. With St. Paul and Iowa battling for playoff position, Matt Mervis started things off with his 20th home run of the year. The two-run shot gave Iowa a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Jair Camargo answered with a home run of his own, a solo shot, to make it 2-1 in the second inning. Unfortunately, the Cubs kept adding, and by the seventh inning, they held a 6-1 lead. Brooks Lee looked to keep the Saints close with a double that plated Michael Helman and brought them within a grand slam. However, a tough seventh inning saw three runs score, and Iowa was up by a comfortable 9-2 margin. Chris Williams stepped in with the bases loaded and just one out in the eighth. Unable to get the big hit, he put up a sacrifice fly that brought Camargo home and made it a six-run game. Carlos Luna finished the game on the mound, working 1 1/3 innings after his recent transfer from Double-A. Lee led off the ninth inning with his second double of the day, but an Austin Martin groundout and Yunior Severino strikeout didn't bring him in. Kyle Garlick went down looking at that's how this one ended. Camargo had three hits Thursday afternoon, with Lee adding his two doubles. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 5, Midland 4 Box Score Travis Adams took the pill Thursday night for Wichita and worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He was cruising until a four-run fifth inning did him in. Adams didn't walk anyone and struck out five on the evening. The good guys got on the board when David Banuelos homered for the 10th time. His solo shot made it a 1-0 game in the second inning. In the third inning, Alerick Soularie did his best impression of Banuelos, launching his own solo home run. Midland got a run back in the fifth inning to halve the lead and keep Wichita on their toes. Adams faced serious damage during the inning, with runners on first and second still having no outs. Instead of getting a double play ball, William Simoneit launched a three-run blast to take the lead 4-2. Working for the comeback, Jake Rucker singled home both Dalton Shuffield and Banuelos in the sixth inning to tie things up before Will Holland drove in Ben Ross for the lead. Ahead 5-4, Wichita needed the pitching to hold it down. Curtis Taylor did just that throwing 2 2/3 inning of scoreless relief before Francis Peguero grabbed the last out, with the Wind Surge emerged victorious. Both Soularie and Rucker recorded a pair of hits on the evening. Rucker also added a pair of RBI for himself. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Peoria 4 Box Score Needing a win to extend their season, the Kernels sent Cory Lewis to the mound. He turned in a strong performance going four innings, allowing just a single run. He scattered four hits and didn't allow a run while striking out four. While Cedar Rapids was already up against a 1-0 deficit in the series, their bodies were also up against it. Despite playing against some internal adversity, the Kernels showed up in a big way. After giving up a run in the third inning, Cedar Rapids answered with four of their own during the fourth inning. Scoring all four runs before recording an out was a strong response. Jose Salas scored Luke Keaschal to tie the game, and then Jeferson Morales went ya-ya, scoring Noah Cardenas and Salas in the process. Still without Peoria recording an out, Noah Miller launched a two-run shot, scoring Carson McCusker and making it a 6-1 game. Malik Barrington took over for Lewis and ran into trouble during the sixth inning. He gave up a run and had two runners on before recording the third out of the inning. Jorel Ortega put himself on the board with a seventh-inning solo blast, and the home run made it a 7-2 game for Cedar Rapids. McCusker added some additional insurance with a double that scored both Cardenas and Morales. Both Miller and McCusker had two hits on the night with both adding a pair of RBI. Morales drove in three runs on his own as well. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cory Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Jair Camargo (St. Paul) - 3-4, 2 R, RBI, HR(19), K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 2-5, RBI #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-2, 3 BB #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-4, K #10 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R ,K #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, BB, 3 K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 0-5, 4 K #19 - Cory Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (7:08PM CST) - LHP Blayne Enlow Midland @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP C.J. Culpepper Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games!

Minnesota has employed Jorge Polanco for the entirety of his professional career. Signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, Polanco debuted for the Ron Gardenhire Twins at 20. He played for Paul Molitor and is now coached by Rocco Baldelli. As an elder statesman of the franchise at 30, he has only known Minnesota. Coming into the year, it seemed unlikely that Polanco would reach the necessary 550 plate appearances for his 2024 option to vest. Injuries allowed him to play just 104 games last year, and he has only surpassed 550 plate appearances twice previously in nine major league seasons. Having missed time again this season and trending towards something like 85 games played, Polanco and the Twins will have a decision to make. Minnesota gave Polanco a $10.5 million vesting option when he was extended before the 2019 season. Polanco and Max Kepler were signed to long-term deals simultaneously, and they are now reaching the option years of those contracts. If the Twins were to cast Polanco aside, he would receive a $1 million buyout. Through 39 games, Polanco had bottomed out with a .680 OPS. He then missed most of June and almost all of July. Returning after the All-Star Break, on the 28th of July, he has played in 38 games for the Twins since. Across that stretch, he owns a .269/.380/.470 slash line with six doubles and seven home runs. In his last 25 games, Polanco has posted a .954 OPS and has been among the hottest hitters in Minnesota’s lineup. Polanco will represent a veteran presence at second base alongside rookie Edouard Julien as the Twins trend toward the postseason. The emergence of the Canadian is among the top reasons the Twins may opt against forking out $10.5 million at the same position next season, but Polanco has at least made it a conversation. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine not only have to construct a roster for 2024 with financial implications in mind, but they also have many top prospects pushing for big-league playing time. Royce Lewis has already joined Julien on the dirt for the Twins, and while he could move to a new position, Brooks Lee is also at the doorstep. Austin Martin isn’t the same infield prospect he was when Minnesota acquired him in exchange for Jose Berrios, but he’s another player that should factor in a year from now. Keeping Polanco may be less about the dollars and more about where his playing time will come. On top of that, the Twins will need to have some level of belief that he will be healthy enough to be a contributor next season. Playing less than 100 games and at 31-years-old, footing a $10.5 million bill for Polanco could be tough to swallow. At 1.4 fWAR, Fangraphs values his production as worth $10.8 million, but an organization surely would like to see a surplus from a player rather than a break-even point. What the Twins do with the long-tenured infielder for 2024 remains to be seen, and much of that could still be decided by how he maintains down the stretch and into the postseason. Still, considering the slow start and injuries this year, it’s notable that Polanco has made this a conversation. Much like Kepler, the player he signed alongside, turning a future into a discussion rather than an expected conclusion is something to be proud of. The Twins will need Polanco to continue producing like a veteran leader in the postseason, and if he does, there could be a greater reward for him yet.

TRANSACTIONS With the affiliates off on Monday, there were multiple transactions to catch up with on Tuesday: RHP Louie Varland was recalled by the Minnesota Twins to pitch out of their bullpen. In a corresponding move, RHP Cole Sands was sent back to the Saints. UT Michael Helman was assigned to the St. Paul Saints, making his return to Triple-A. Replacing Helman in Wichita, was IF Ben Ross from the Kernels. The Wind Surge activated RHP Isaac Mattson. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 11, Louisville 3 Box Score The Saints got on the board first in the second inning when DaShawn Keirsey Jr., Yunior Severino, and Austin Martin all drew walks to load the bases. Jair Camargo brought in one with a sac fly, but Hernan Perez then lined out to keep them to just one run. Right-hander Blayne Enlow got the starting nod for the Saints and was solid through the first three innings. He scattered four hits, allowed one earned run, and struck out three. In the top of the fourth inning, the good guys broke through with a two-out rally. Martin, Camargo, and Perez all drew walks to prompt a move to the bullpen for the Bats, and Michael Helman brought them all in with a double. Alex Kirilloff followed with a run-scoring single, and it was 5-1 St. Paul. They tacked on two more runs in the fifth when Trevor Larnach led off with a single. Two batters later, Severino launched his sixth home run with the Saints, and 30th of the season to make it 7-1. Hunter McMahon was the first reliever summoned from the Saints bullpen and pitched into the fifth inning. He allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out two. He gave way to Austin Schulfer who went the next 1 2/3 innings, allowing one walk and striking out one. Jordan Balazovic started the seventh and worked around a single and a walk for a scoreless frame. In the eighth, a walk was followed by an RBI double before he was lifted for Austin Brice. In 1 2/3 innings, Balazovic was charged with one earned run on two hits and three walks. Brice finished off the final 1 1/3 innings, giving up one run on one hit and a walk. He struck out two. With the score still 7-1 in the top of the eighth, the Saints put it even farther out of reach as the first four hitters of the inning reached base, with Brooks Lee putting an explanation point on the game by slugging a grand slam the opposite way. Kirilloff (3-for-5, R, 2B, RBI) and Trevor Larnach (2-for-5, R, 2B) led the way with multiple hits for the St. Paul offense. Every hitter in the lineup scored at least one run, and Helman (1-for-5, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI, K), Lee (1-for-4, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB, K), and Severino (1-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K) each drove in multiple runners. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 1, Corpus Christi 5 Box Score The Wind Surge were held to just five hits on Tuesday and were never able to mount a rally against the Hooks’ pitching, so not a whole lot to recap here. Their lone run came on Alex Isola’s 19th home run of the season in the fourth inning to give them a 1-0 lead, but it did not hold up. Starter Jaylen Nowlin was excellent in five innings, allowing just one earned run on two hits. He also walked three, but was able to work around them by punching out six. The bullpen duo of Francis Peguero (2 IP, 2 H, ER, K) and Denny Bentley (1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 K) was not able to keep that going however, allowing four runs over the final three innings. Yoyner Fajardo led the way out of the leadoff spot with two hits and a walk. As a team the Wind Surge were just 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, and left only three men on base in a game that took just two hours to complete. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Wisconsin 3 Box Score The Kernels hit the ground running early in this one, with an Emmanuel Rodriguez triple being followed by a Kala’i Rosario home run for a 2-0 lead before their starting pitcher stepped on the mound. That was righty Andrew Morris, who was excellent in the month of August, going 5-0 with a 2.00 ERA in five starts. He wasn’t able to make it to the fifth in this one, but it also could have been a lot worse. In 3 2/3 innings he gave up eight hits (all singles) and walked three, but managed to allow only three runs. He also struck out three. When he left the game in the fourth inning, his team was still in the lead thanks to a three-run third inning from his lineup. Kyler Fedko led off with his sixth home run, before consecutive walks to Noah Miller and Rodriguez put more ducks on the pond. An error led to the second run of the inning, and a sac fly from Jorel Ortega capped it off. The Kernels added an insurance run in the fifth thanks to an RBI double from Miller to score Fedko, who had walked to start the inning. The Cedar Rapids bullpen took it from there, shutting down the Timber Rattlers the rest of the way after Morris’ departure. Gabriel Yanez picked up his first win with the Kernels by completing 2 1/3 innings. He gave up two hits and struck out three. Malik Barrington (2 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K) and John Stankiewicz (S, 1 IP, H, K) held Wisconsin scoreless the rest of the way. Fedko led the way with multiple hits, collecting a double in addition to his home run, and also drew two walks. Rodriguez and Fedko each scored two runs. The Cedar Rapids Kernels are your second half, and undisputed full-season, Midwest League West Division Champions, with their record sitting at 81-46, the best in all of the minor leagues. MUSSEL MATTERS Bradenton 10, Fort Myers 5 Box Score Starting pitcher Juan Mercedes was ambushed for three runs in the first inning, but settled in pretty good from there. He was able to complete five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits (two home runs accounting for most of the damage) and two walks. He struck out three. The Mighty Mussels got consecutive singles to the second inning, but it took a throwing error from the catcher for them to get a run across to cut the lead to two. In the fourth Rubel Cespedes led off with his thirteenth home run of the season, making the score 4-2 Bradenton. Wilker Reyes came on from the bullpen for Fort Myers to start the sixth inning and delivered a scoreless frame. Back out for the seventh however, he ran into trouble and was lifted after giving up a bases loaded double, allowing two runs to score. In 1 2/3 innings, Reyes was charged with two earned runs on three hits, one walk, and a hit batter, while striking out one. In the bottom of the eighth the Fort Myers lineup finally broke through for a crooked number on the scoreboard, closing the lead to just one run. The big hit came from Walker Jenkins, who delivered a two-run triple that made it 6-4. He then scored the third run of the inning on a groundout from Ricardo Olivar. Zach Veen came on after Reyes’ exit and got the next six outs. He did not allow a hit, but two walks led to two earned runs in the ninth inning. the next pitcher, Juan Mendez, wasn’t much better as he gave up a three-run home run and three walks before being lifted himself. Danny Moreno finally stopped the bleeding by getting a ground ball, but the score was now 10-5. The Mighty Mussels then went down in order to end the game. Jay Harry (2-for-4, R, 2B) and Cespedes (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, RBI, 2 K) had multiple hits in the loss. Jenkins finished 1-for-2 with a run scored, a pair of walks, and is now batting .441 with a 1.192 OPS in eight games with Fort Myers. Oh, and he’s also struck out only once. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Jaylen Nowlin, Wichita Wind Surge (5 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day - Brooks Lee, St. Paul Saints (1-for-4, R, Grand Slam, 4 RBI, BB, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out our full top 20 list here and how they performed on Tuesday below! #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, R, GS HR (3), 4 RBI, BB, K #2 - Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) - 1-for-2, R, 3B (2), 2 RBI, 2 BB #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, 2 R, 3B (9), 2 BB, K #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, R, 2 BB #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 0-for-3, BB #10 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 2B (2) #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, R, HR (20), 3 RBI, BB, K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, R, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB #17 - Danny De Andrade (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (5:35 PM CDT) - RHP David Festa (1-0, 1.80 ERA) Wichita @ Corpus Christi (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Carlos Luna (2-8, 5.56 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (12:10 PM CDT) - RHP Cory Lewis (4-1, 2.53 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CDT) - RHP Chris Paddack (MLB Rehab Assignment) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games!