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Catch up on all things Minnesota Twins from an insider's perspective without the added slant.

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Danny Do It All, Santana The Utility Man

Prior to the 2015 Major League Baseball season, there was no Twins player I was more down on that Danny Santana. After exploding onto the scene in 2014, and garnering some AL Rookie of the Year votes, regression was looking him right in the face. Unsustainable production at the plate caused worry, and the fears turned out to be more than warranted. In 2016, there's a different tune however. Santana could be one of the Twins most integral roster components.   In 2015, Santana produced an ugly .21
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Twins 25 Man Roster Projection

We are quickly coming to a close on the month of January, and that can only mean one thing, pitchers and catchers begin to report to spring training soon. For the Twins many of those players will funnel down to Fort Myers following the conclusion of Twins Fest. With a handful of exciting non-roster invitees this season, Minnesota should have plenty of competition for the active roster. The question is, who makes it come Opening Day?   We've taken a look at the lay of the land in the AL Central,
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

17
Minnesota Twins

Which Free Agent Starter Fits the Twins?

After unloading Jose Berrios at the trade deadline, watching Kenta Maeda go under the knife, and seeing Michael Pineda hit free agency, the Twins starting rotation is bare. Who is the top choice to bolster it?  As of right now you’d have to bank on either Bailey Ober or Joe Ryan being the Opening Day starter in 2022 for Rocco Baldelli. Both showed well in their rookie seasons, but if that’s the top of the rotation, there’s cause for concern in the year ahead. Minnesota failed tremendously o
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler in Minnesota Twins

7

Berrios In Line for Some Hardware?

The Minnesota Twins decided to forego an opportunity to upgrade their starting rotation this offseason. Michael Pineda returns from injury, and Kyle Gibson has rounded out into an above average hurler. The greatest development from the holdovers would be Jose Berrios taking another step forwards. An All Star in 2018, the Puerto Rican was recently tabbed as a dark horse for the AL Cy Young.   MLB.com’s Matt Kelly named the young Twins starter as one of six sleeper candidates for the 2019 AL Cy Yo
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

40 Man Suggesting Shuffles for Twins

After the Minnesota Twins signed veteran reliever Hansel Robles to a Major League deal this offseason, their 40-man roster was down to just four openings. Needing significant reinforcements still, it’s a good bet that addition by subtraction could be coming.   By my estimation Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have no less than players yet to acquire, but a more comfortable reality is probably in the ballpark of six. With that in mind, a shortage on 40-man spots becomes a reality, and swinging a deal
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2
Minnesota Twins

Assessing the Twins Trade Deadline

It’s been a few days since the Minnesota Twins allowed the dust to settle on their 2021 Trade Deadline moves. With some big names leaving the organization, and some big prospects entering, it’s time to take a look at the talent that moved places. The headliner was obviously the Jose Berrios move. As a fan, this one was always going to be hard to stomach. Berrios was drafted by the organization, developed, and became one of the best pitchers in Twins history. As it became increasingly eviden

What If Jake Odorizzi Is Minnesota’s Impact Arm?

Despite an opportunity to hit the open market after the 2019 season, Jake Odorizzi returned to the Twins on a $17.8 million qualifying offer. It ended up being below market value and could be even more of a coup if Odorizzi continues trending towards the impact arm this rotation covets.   One of the best moves the new regime has made since taking over was flipping middle infield prospect Jermaine Palacios to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Odo. Palacios is 23 years old, still at Double-A, and
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Next Man Up on the Bump

Right now, the Minnesota Twins have a tentative five-man starting rotation penciled in for 2019. Martin Perez was signed as a free agent to round out the group, and Michael Pineda will pitch for the first time in a Twins uniform. No matter how set the plan may be today however, there’s no denying a wrench will soon be thrown into it. How things are handled from there are worth speculating about.   The reality for the Twins is that they’ve burned through pitchers in recent seasons. Both in the ro
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Tyler Duffey Is Turning Heads

Tyler Duffey twirled his second straight impressive start for the Minnesota Twins as they took on the Orioles in Baltimore. The 24 year-old righty mowed down eight Orioles hitters, and he was on cruise control from the word go. As he's now made it two straight impressive starts, heads are starting to turn. The question is, should they be? And why wasn't Twins Territory already on notice?   Duffey was a 5th round pick out of Rice University by the Twins back in 2012. This season, he saw his first
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1
Minnesota Twins

Has A Twins Team Flopped This Hard?

Back at the end of April I questioned whether or not the Twins were good. This team was expected to compete for the AL Central division, and there were real World Series aspirations. Now, owners of the worst record in baseball, it’s worth contemplating if any Twins team has flopped this badly.   We’re past the point of it being early, and there’s plenty of blame to go around, but much of it lands on the players in the dugout. Sure, Minnesota could go on a run and make it a relevant sum

Terry's Time Looming For Twins

Recently I wrote that the Twins have an absolute slew of problems. They are doing quite a few things poorly, and everything is going negatively all at just about the same time. If we're going to try and attribute things to one place, we're probably running a fool's errand. What is true however, is that Terry Ryan's ineptitude has become more of a focus than ever. Having taken over for his appointed heir, Bill Smith, Ryan has guided the Twins through some substantial rebuilding. The club had four
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

13

Kepler's Breakout Still In Progress

One of the most logical candidates to have a breakout season for the Minnesota Twins in 2018 was right fielder Max Kepler. The talented German had flashed ability to do it all down on the farm, and despite being a solid regular for Minnesota, didn't yet seem to have put it all together at the highest level. Now just under two months into the regular season, we've seen the start of the breakout, but rest assured that there's more to come.   In early April, I wrote about Kepler's approach at the p
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

7

Push May Shove Molitor Too Hard

Before the 2017 season began, I wrote that Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor may be managing for his career in 2017. The crux of the thought process is that he's unproven, age isn't on his side, and a new job isn't incredibly likely to present itself. Now into the early part of the season, it's beginning to appear that the Twins record may not be the determining factor in his employment status a year from now.   While not electrifying by any means, the Twins have gotten out to a nice start. A
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

4

Approaching a Critical Timing for Twins Injuries

This week is quite possibly the most important the Minnesota Twins will have embarked upon in 2020. Monday represents the halfway point in the 60-game sprint, while a week from then is the 2020 Trade Deadline. With plenty of guys on the shelf, it’s imperative Rocco’s boys keep winning and get healthy.   Starting out with three games on the road against the Cleveland Indians, Minnesota will miss both Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac but deal with Shane Bieber anyways. After leaving Ohio, they’ll tr
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Spending is Coming, Right?

Going into the offseason the Minnesota Twins had more free cash flow than any point in recent memory. Multiple free agents inked to one-year deals are gone, Joe Mauer’s mega contract ended (as well as his big-league career), and the front office is left with something like a $60 million gap between current dollars and the 2018 Opening Day mark. From this we should be able to deduce a windfall of dollars being spent right? Maybe not.   On Friday local columnist Patrick Reusse was a guest on the M
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

9

You're Wrong About Brian Dozier, And So Is MLB

Just under a month ago, I told you that Brian Dozier is entering elite territory amongst Major League Baseball. Since that time, Dozier has done nothing but squash my silly notion. Instead of entering elite territory, he instead has defined what elite is amongst Major League Baseball. At this point, you're probably wrong about the Twins second basemen, and so is the league itself. We are less than a week away from the midsummer classic. Major League Baseball has unfortunately pinned World Series
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

9

Does Top Pick Territory Salvage Season?

If you're still following along with the Twins, you've nearly made it through the 2016 Major League Baseball season. Just 19 games remain, and Minnesota needs to win 10 of them to avoid 100 losses for just the second time in franchise history, and first since 1982. To be sure, a year full of losing is far from fun, but does a top pick in the upcoming draft make it feel any less gloomy?   Baseball is a different beast than basketball and football. While the top pick in the draft holds immense val
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

10

Twins Found Something Special In Draft

On June 12, 2017 the Minnesota Twins found themselves making the first overall pick in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Hunter Greene was the trendy cover boy, while Brendan McKay was the two-way star, and Kyle Wright was the dominant pitcher. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine opted to take Royce Lewis, the super athlete and elite high school shortstop. The pick looked solid enough at the time, but since, it's only looked more and more like a slam dunk.   Recently, Baseball America, Keith Law
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

4

Who Are The Twins Adding In September?

As the summer draws to a close, the Major League Baseball season is again set to throw us a roster shakeup. With teams having their rosters expand from 25 players to 40, there will be a host of additions to big league clubs across the sport. For a team like the Twins in the midst of a Postseason race, each call up could prove integral when it comes to squeaking out an extra win or two. The question is, who's on their way up?   To refresh, virtually the only stipulation for September roster expan
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

12

Twins Reduce Clarity With Roster Cuts

This morning, first year manager Paul Molitor announced the next handful of roster cuts for the Minnesota Twins. As the team whittles down its roster to 25 players prior to Opening Day a week from Monday, the group of Fort Myers is going to get smaller. With 31 players now left in camp, Molitor has six more players he must send packing. The latest round however may have caused more confusion than clarity.   Amongst the roster moves this morning, the Minnesota Twins elected to send out position p
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

9

The Future Twins and What's Ahead

Over the past week or so, the Minnesota Twins have certainly brought a higher level of intrigue to their 2018 season. Despite getting so little out of their offense for so long, they've at least made the idea of being sellers, one worth questioning. Ultimately I'm not sure 2018 is salvageable, but expecting them to again be competitive in 2019 is a very real proposition. For those wondering about what's even further out, this one is for you.   I have been sitting on this question from "twins dud
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

What Do Twins Have In Santiago?

Last season, the Minnesota Twins jettisoned Ricky Nolasco to the Los Angeles Angeles. The move was widely applauded as it purged Nolasco's contract from Minnesota and got him out of the rotation. What was overlooked however, was that former top prospect Alex Meyer was thrown in, and Hector Santiago was coming back to the Twins.   There's no kind way to put it, Nolasco was a disaster in Minnesota. Terry Ryan over-extended himself by spending on starting pitching that had almost no chance of payin
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

8

Bottom Line Brings Twins Changes

The Minnesota Twins have just over a week's worth of baseball games left in 2016. As the season draws to a close, Paul Molitor's troops are certain to lose 100 games, and they may end up posting the worst record in team history. Although we've seen Jim Pohlad move on from long time General Manager Terry Ryan this season, the reality is that it's the bank account that reigns supreme.   Here's what we know right now. In the middle of the summer, the Twins gave Terry Ryan his walking papers. They w
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Aaron Hicks 2.0 Is Ready

In the spring of 2013, the Minnesota Twins promoted former first round pick, Aaron Hicks, to the Opening Day roster following spring training. That spring, he hit .370/.407/.644 with four home runs and 18 runs batted in across just 73 at bats. After dealing Denard Span and Ben Revere during the offseason, Minnesota needed their next ceneterfield, and they believed Hicks was the future. Fast forward to 2015, and you know how the story went. Fortunately for Hicks, the next chapter is yet to be wri
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

14

The Next Twins Bat Is Ready

As the summer has drug on, the Minnesota Twins have been noted to need some right handed hitting help. Whether the roster is constructed with eight relievers, or the more efficient seven, a boost could be given to the 25 man with a strong hitter on the right side of the plate. For quite some time, Mitch Garver has made a case to be that guy, and it's time to take notice.   Thus far this season, Kennys Vargas has been shuttled between Triple-A Rochester and the big leagues six times. He's often b
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

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