Well, it's September now. Suffice to say, the baseball season hasn't quite gone as Minnesota fans would have hoped. It's been a trend since the halcyon days of 2023. We don't deserve hope or nice things, and it's all gone south. It's not all the Pohlads, either. There has been a lack of development among offensive prospects and unfortunate injuries, with the most impactful usually afflicting the pitching staff.
Where do the Twins go from here? I am personally of the opinion that the pitching on this team, if the starters can stay healthy, will be a strength for the next couple of years. The Twins haven't been able to lead their rotation with someone as good and cost controlled ass Joe Ryan since Johan Santana. They haven't had two at the top like Lopez and Ryan since Santana and Radke. The Twins have been in the pitching wilderness for a very long time.
But alas, the offense stinks, and owners still want a salary cap, which means the 2027 season is in a dire situation. The AL Central is always a winnable proposition, but with the Tigers and Royals ascendant, even if the Twins have the arms, the bats aren't likely to come around soon enough. If you are planning for 2026, you might as well also look ahead to 2027, and the concern that it may not even happen.
Hey, sidebar for a minute. The funny thing to me is that the Pohlads are absolutely going to push among the hardest for a salary cap, but the only way it would ever get done is if the Major League cap ends up around the luxury cap line. Cap or no cap, the Twins aren't going to come close to spending that much, so who cares?
Back on track.
If you are thinking about next year, with a real belief that 2027 isn't going to happen, then the window to make a decision on Ryan and Lopez is fast approaching. Either go for it in 2026, or punt. The Pohlads are still interested in selling the team, by the sounds of it, which probably means the Twins are punting.
It seems like the Red Sox are going to be the most interested in Joe Ryan, as they have been all along. The Twins have a lot of prospects waiting to break through, so I think the Twins will be inclined to add Major League talent in any trades. Given the Twins' difficulty in adding players that can actually hit, I imagine the Twins would build a trade around a position player. I think Wilyer Abreu is probably a major component of a likely return for Ryan, primarily because he has more time under team control than Jarren Duran.
The return Lopez would commend is going to be dampened by having a larger contract, as well as the injuries that have followed him the past couple of years. I think the Twins may be more inclined to find a trade partner willing to offer prospects in a Pablo Lopez deal. Baltimore still has a young core, and should be looking to return to contention, but this time with veteran leadership in the bullpen. Organizing a deal around Colby Mayo would give the Twins an option at first base, which has somehow become a nettlesome issue over the years.
Trevor Larnach is probably pushed out in this scenario. He's on the Joe Ryan/Pablo Lopez timeline as well, though, so it's probably for the best for all parties involved if he is perhaps included with one of the other deals. Bailey Ober is stuck in the middle as well, but may benefit from a change in scenery. Ryan Jeffers gets to play out his contract, as the Twins value veteran catchers, and the other options out there are anemic.
The Twins wouldn't likely be much good next year, but they would be full of young players trying to prove themselves, looking to get better. The bounceback into contention would be shorter than it would be with the attrition and hope model exercised by past Twins teams on the downslide. A guy can be optimistic.
Here is what the starting rotation would look like.
Simeon Woods-Richardson
Zebby Matthews
David Festa
Taj Bradley
Mick Abel
The bullpen would carry some assorted veteran free agents and starting pitching prospects that aren't working out, as well as Cole Sands, Kody Funderburk and Justin Topa.
The lineup would include
C Ryan Jeffers
1b Colby Mayo
2b Luke Keaschall
SS Brooks Lee
3b Royce Lewis
RF Matt Wallner
CF Byron Buxton
LF Wilyer Abreu
DH I don't know, Alan Roden?
Bench
Mickey Gasper
Kody Clemens
James Outman
Austin Martin
I've only included players currently on the 40 man aide from trade acquisition. Obviously, Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper and Emmannual Rodriguez will be considerations early in the season.
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