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The Twins saw a trio of young players establish themselves at the big-league level in 2023. Would the front office consider trading a young player to fix holes at other parts of the roster? Image courtesy of Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports The Twins must be creative this winter to fill some of the club’s different needs. Minnesota needs a playoff-caliber starter to replace Sonny Gray in the rotation and a replacement for Michael A. Taylor in center field. Adding a right-handed bench bat and upgrading the bullpen would be nice, but those may be luxuries the team can’t afford while cutting payroll. It’s a tough spot for the front office, but they have previously shown the ability to be creative. Many trade rumors this winter have swirled around the club, including shopping veteran players with higher contracts, like Kyle Farmer, Christian Vazquez, and Jorge Polanco. Unfortunately, trade value for those player types will bring back a minimal return. Instead, the front office can look to trade some of their young, established MLB players to capitalize on their value. It will likely take a combination of moves to free up payroll and add impact players at positions of need. Here is a look at three young players the Twins might consider including in trades this winter. Each player’s surplus trade value is from Baseball Trade Values. Edouard Julien, 2B Surplus Trade Value: $35.3 million Julien has been an intriguing prospect over the last two seasons, and fans saw the value he provides at the plate. In 109 games, he hit .263/.381/.459 (.839) with 16 doubles and 16 home runs. His defense made strides at second base, but he’s still considered a below-average defender. Minnesota traded Luis Arraez last winter, when it was clear the club wasn’t confident in his ability to play second base. Julien might be in a similar position, and he has more years of team control than Arraez did last winter. If Polanco was traded, the assumption was that Julien would take over the second base duties. If Julien was also dealt, the Twins have other young options who might be ready to step into the role, including Austin Martin and Brooks Lee. Matt Wallner, OF Surplus Trade Value: $23.3 million Like Julien, Wallner is supposed to be the heir apparent at a position occupied by a current veteran. If the Twins trade Kepler, Wallner can slide over to right field and be part of the team’s line-up for most of the next decade. In 2023, Wallner hit .249/.370/.507(.877) with 11 doubles and 14 home runs across 76 games. The Twins can also look to include Wallner in a trade because his value might never be higher. Wallner’s offensive profile will come with many strikeouts and inconsistent contact. Other corner outfield options include Trevor Larnach, Nick Gordon, and Austin Martin. Wallner has been a great story as a Minnesota native, but the timing might be suitable for the Twins to maximize his value on the trade market. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF Surplus Trade Value: $19.7 million The Twins might consider other top prospects untouchable, like Lee and Walker Jenkins. Rodriguez is the team’s other consensus top-100 prospect, which can make other teams value his potential upside. Rodriguez was added to the team’s 40-man roster this winter and is projected to spend next season at Double-A. It's interesting to consider that Baseball Trade Values believes Rodriguez has much lower value than the other more established players, but that might be reflection of his extreme high-risk/high-reward profile. There are no indications that the Twins want to part with Rodriguez, but the organization will likely need to trade multiple prospects to acquire a frontline starting pitcher. Minnesota’s winning window is open right now, which might force the front office to be aggressive. Minnesota obviously has other highly valued players at or close to the big league, but some of those options might be untouchable in the eyes of the Twins. Will the front office consider trading any of the players mentioned above? Do you agree with the trade values? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

The Twins have a good roster, but with potentially very little money to spend, as they start preparing for 2024. The Mets happen to be owned by a fellow with a lot of money who loves dynamic outfield prospects. Could a trade of Emmanuel Rodriguez for Pete Alonso make sense? Image courtesy of © Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports The Twins have a real team here. However, they fell short against the Astros, outclassed in their ability to take a professional at-bat. In addition to replacing the likely departing Sonny Gray, the Twins will have to decide whether adding a middle-of-the-lineup bat is worth pursuing. They could, and perhaps should, decide to allow the needed offensive improvement to come from within. Brooks Lee and Austin Martin will hopefully steal at-bats away from whatever middling veterans the Twins sign/retain. They will get a full season from Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien and Matt Wallner. Byron Buxton might reemerge, and there isn’t much reason to doubt Carlos Correa’s track record. Maybe we’ll see more of catcher-OPS-leader Ryan Jeffers. Still, that doesn’t sound particularly imposing unless all of those players play to their 85th percentile or so of performance, while all staying healthy. So it might make sense to add an established, durable bat. The problem is, the Twins may not have any money to spend, given their uncertain TV-rights situation. So they would either need to drop significant salary by trading Max Kepler or Jorge Polanco, or acquire a cheaper player that may cost a ransom in prospect capital from their middling farm system. Or maybe there is another way. Steve Cohen is still owner of the Mets, and may have a solution to the Twins conundrum that comes cheap salary-wise, while not costing their entire collection of top 100 prospects. The established bat in question is first baseman Pete Alonso. All five of his seasons have resulted in an OPS+ over 120. His lowest number of games played is 152 (he played 57 in 2020). His career platoon splits are separated by one hundredth of a percent. He has averaged 45 home runs per 162 games for his career, and while that may lead you to believe he is strikeout prone, that isn’t entirely true. His career strikeout rate is below the league average at 22.3% (vs 22.9% for the league). He has had multiple seasons in which he struck out under 20% of the time, pretty impressive for someone with that kind of power. Alonso will be 29 next year, in his final arbitration season. MLB Trade Rumors projects him for a hefty 22M salary. How would the cash-strapped Twins absorb that kind of salary? By trading away a prospect that catches Cohen’s eye. You see, Cohen is obsessed with building up his farm system, and has shown he is okay with throwing tens of millions of dollars to expedite the process, focusing on quality over quantity. He paid the Rangers 64M to take on the last year and a half of Max Scherzer’s contract in exchange for top prospect Luisangel Acuna, and the Astros got another 64M in exchange for Justin Verlander and their best prospect, Drew Gilbert. According to MLB.com, Gilbert ranks as the 52nd best overall prospect, while Acuna ranks 38th. In between them at 48th sits Emmanuel Rodriguez, the Twins’ third best prospect. It would seem to me that Cohen and his new PBO David Stearns, would be interested in acquiring a potential superstar slugger in Rodriguez in exchange for a player they don’t appear to be building around on an expiring salary. Chipping in 15M to make it happen would be pretty on brand, as well. Publicly, the Mets have expressed a desire to keep Alonso, however they were very direct towards Scherzer and Verlander in saying that 2024 will constitute a "competitive rebuild", leading to both pitchers agreeing to a trade. With Alonso a free agent in a year, he should be available. Rodriguez for one year of Alonso is still pretty risky. It's possible the “Polar Bear” would love playing for the Twins and be open to an extension a la Paul Goldschmidt with the Cardinals. But the reality is that any Alonso acquisition would likely be a one year pit stop for the slugger, while Rodriguez could debut as soon as 2024. And Rodriguez may be underrated at 48th best. Other publications have him ranked closer to the top 25, with immense power potential and elite strike zone recognition. His defense probably won’t be a major strength, but he runs pretty well and hit a huge grand slam in Cedar Rapids’ championship-clinching win a month ago. He’s been described as having a Max Muncy-type offensive profile, which paired with any sort of serviceable outfield defense and speed would be hugely valuable. But it probably means a batting average in the .210s, and that’s if things break right. If Rodriguez doesn’t adjust to the league and can’t get to his power, he’ll join a long list of failed power prospects who dominated the minor leagues but just had too many holes in their swing to thrive at the major league level. Brooks Lee is pretty much assured of being at least as good as, say, Gordon Beckham (terrible outcome, but rosterable), while Walker Jenkins could be Bryce Harper for all we know. We know prospects like Rodriguez flame out a lot, regardless of how great the farm system is. Some of the Muncy types make too little contact to matter, like the most recent iterations of Miguel Sano and Joey Gallo. Some guys are too passive at the plate, like the Twins were worried about with Edouard Julien. We also know the Twins have a somewhat similar player to Rodriguez in Matt Wallner, who has shown he can make at least some adjustments in the majors. To be clear, players like Rodriguez should be close to untouchable, but given the Mets' focus on stocking their minor league system with talent quickly, it might make more sense in this moment then it ever has to dangle him for a hitter like Alonso. What do you think? Would you pull the trigger on a trade like this one? View full article

Twins fans rightfully are excited about having high-quality pitchers and pitcher depth. However, what makes that even more exciting is that they have done so while continuing to get strong performances from young hitters too. 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. View full article

Draft tandem JD Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard team up for a new podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo 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 View full article

The Twins added two names to their 40-man roster and left eight others open to being taken in the rule 5 draft. Let’s review the moves and look at one player the Twins should look to acquire. View full video

Ahead of Tuesday's deadline to protect minor-leaguers from the upcoming Rule 5 draft, the Twins added two of their top 10 prospects to the 40-man roster, starting the clock on their major-league arrivals. A few other intriguing eligible players were left unprotected, meaning Minnesota will be at risk of losing them from the system next month. Image courtesy of William Parmeter, Mighty Mussels, and Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports The Twins got a head start on their 40-man roster moves earlier this month by adding infielder Yunior Severino and catcher Jair Camargo, keeping them from free agency and protecting them from teams seeking to add talent in the Rule 5 draft. They saved the easiest decisions for last. Today, the club added outfielders Emmanuel Rodriguez and Austin Martin, pushing their 40-man roster to 38. There was no way either of these two would be left unprotected. Both are highly promising players – Rodriguez ranks third on our top prospects list, Martin seventh – and both would have certainly been selected if left available. (Possibly with the top two picks.) Both Rodriguez and Martin are interesting figures in the Twins' offseason planning, for different reasons. Rodriguez is one of the team's best trade chips to dangle in the hunt for frontline pitching, while Martin's presence as a future center field option will influence the front office's decision-making at that position. Ultimately, the Twins added four prospects to their 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 eligibility deadline: Severino, Camargo, Rodriguez and Martin. That means a number of other Twins minor-leaguers WILL be left exposed when the Rule 5 takes place on December 6th. As a reminder, the stipulation of adding a player through this process means that player must remain on the active MLB roster for the entire 2024 season, or be put through waivers and offered back to his original team. With this in mind, players who could potentially be selected by other teams include: DaShawn Keirsey, OF – 26-year-old can run and play center capably, posted productive numbers in the high minors. Could easily be viewed as a fourth outfielder candidate in the majors right now, with a bit of helium. Anthony Prato, IF/OF – Defensively versatile right-handed hitter with strong OBP skills. Posted a .990 OPS in the inflated Triple-A environment. But there are a lot of players coming off big seasons in that league. Not a prospect, per se, but a solid ballplayer. Michael Helman, IF/OF – Finds himself in a similar boat as Prato, but his relatively advanced age (27) might remove any perception of remaining upside. After a great 2022 in St. Paul, injuries derailed most of his 2023 season. Aaron Sabato, 1B – Former first-round pick has been a major disappointment, but his power and patience give him a semblance of offensive floor. A non-competing team could try running him out there at first to see what happens. Jose Salas, IF – He's 20 and coming off a horrible season at Single-A. It's clear Salas would be overmatched in the majors but given his ceiling, it's not unthinkable a team like Oakland or KC could try to stash him in a utility role for the summer to steal him away long-term. Ricardo Olivar, C/CF - Yes, catcher and center fielder. Olivar had a strong performance in Low-A Fort Myers and hit a lot of doubles. While his bat is certainly not ready for prime time, his intriguing defensive profile could make him appealing to some team. Stay tuned to Twins Daily for more updates on offseason developments and breaking news. View full article

If the Twins are thinking ambitiously about trade targets this offseason, these are the types of players they'll need to consider parting with. 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. View full article

It's that time of the year again! Major League teams need to set their 40-man rosters in advance of the annual Rule 5 draft. Every team has decisions to make. Some are easy decisions. Some are hard decisions. And some teams will make mind-numbingly bad decisions. Or at least that's what their fans think. We cover the Rule 5 draft and more in the twelfth episode of Destination: The Show. 0:00 Intro 4:00 Craig Counsell to the Cubs 10:14 Kala'i Rosario wins the AFL Home Run Derby 14:32 Rule 5 - what is it? 18:35 What happens when a player is drafted? 21:00 How common is it to find a great player? 25:50 What teams are looking for? 27:30 Brewers Overview - main options 33:15 Other possible Milwaukee adds 36:37 Cubs Overview 48:50 Twins Overview You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at iTunes 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. Find Destination: The Show on all major podcast platforms including Spotify, iTunes, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. The show is available on Libsyn, our podcasting platform, in addition to YouTube. View full article

We're officially in the MLB offseason (congrats Rangers, btw). Here is a discussion on the current state of the Minnesota Twins 40-man roster and some decisions facing the front office. It's a good situation to be in, but it appears the Twins are in a bit of a roster crunch. View full video

Emmanuel Rodriguez has one of the highest ceilings of any prospect to come through the Twins system in quite some time. Two paths are facing the front office regarding Rodriguez, and this winter might go a long way in deciding his fate with the club. Image courtesy of Steve Buhr, Twins Daily The Twins signed Emmanuel Rodriguez to a $2.5 million bonus during the 2019 international signing period. At the time, MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 8 prospect in his signing class, but there is a long road to the big leagues for players signed as teenagers. Rodriguez wouldn’t make his professional debut until the 2021 season because of the pandemic. He showcased plenty of skills during his first season in the FCL, including hitting 10 home runs in 37 games. Minnesota moved him to full-season action for his age-19 campaign, and he combined for a 1.044 OPS in 47 games. Unfortunately, a torn meniscus ended his season, but he had already established himself as one of baseball’s best prospects. The 2023 season would be a memorable one for Rodriguez and the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Rodriguez was a fixture in the middle of the lineup while posting an .836 OPS in 105 games. There were some up-and-down moments in the season’s early months, but he turned it on for the team’s stretch run. In August and September, he posted a .959 OPS with 18 extra-base hits in 36 games. He also hit the go-ahead home run in the deciding game of the Midwest League Championship Series. Rodriguez will likely spend most of the 2024 season at Double-A when he will be 21. The Twins can face two different paths with Rodriguez this winter. Path 1: Trade Rodriguez for Frontline Starting Pitching The Twins’ current front office has shown a willingness to trade highly rated prospects for starting pitching. Some of these trades haven’t worked out in the team’s favor (see Tyler Mahle), but most of the team’s 2023 rotation was compiled by trade. The Twins are likely losing Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda to free agency, which puts the club in a position to need more rotational depth, especially playoff-caliber starters. The Twins have two prospects in their system that rank higher than Rodriguez, which could make him a more expendable option. Brooks Lee and Walker Jenkins are consensus top-20 prospects, and they would likely be untouchable in trade talks. Rodriguez has shown some flaws, including strikeouts and time missed due to injury, that might make the Twins willing to part ways with him if it brings back a pitcher that can help the team win in October. The Twins will attempt to add a starter this winter, and Rodriguez is the player I’d be trying to shop. Path 2: Continue to Develop Rodriguez The Twins aren’t going to give Rodriguez away in a trade, so the club might decide to keep him for the upcoming season. During the winter months, it can be challenging to convince teams to trade a top-tier starting pitcher because every team feels like they have a chance to compete next season. Both World Series teams lost over 100 games two seasons ago, so there is hope for any team to make a quick turnaround. The best time to trade Rodriguez might be next season’s trade deadline when there are clear buyers and sellers, but that also means he will need to play well to start 2024. Double-A can be challenging, especially for a player young for the level. Last season, Rodriguez was over two years younger than the average age of the competition at his level, and that age gap would likely increase next season. There were only two at-bats where he faced a pitcher younger than himself last season. That age gap can make it challenging for prospects to show their true talent level. His plate discipline is among the best in the Twins system, as he accumulated 92 walks in 99 games. However, his strikeout rate decreased (26.0%) after cutting back in this area during the 2022 season (38.2%). He also continues to play nearly all his defensive innings in center field. He may have to move to a corner spot as he continues to add muscle, so his current defensive position would add to his trade value. If he continues trending upward, he might join Lee and Jenkins near the top of baseball’s national prospect rankings. What path will the Twins follow with Rodriguez? Will he make his big-league debut in a Twins uniform? Leave a COMMENT and start the conversation. View full article

Draft tandem JD Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard team up for a new podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo 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 View full article

Only one team ends the year on a high note, with 29 others dealing with the agony of defeat. After a successful season, how close are the Twins to a World Series run? Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports 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. View full article

Everyone loves exalting the virtues of the Atlanta Braves championship core. But it won't last as long as you think, and the Twins have built a roster about 90% as good, that is cheaper and potentially more sustainable. Image courtesy of Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports 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. View full article