Twins

When the Twins dismissed manager Paul Molitor at the end of the season, it set into motion a major overhaul of the coaching staff that's still underway.

Read on for a comprehensive breakdown of who's still in, who was sent out, and which names are worth monitoring for the newly vacant roles.

When the Twins announced their non-roster invites to major league spring training, Eric Farris was one of the least known players on the list to most. Sure, since you read Twins Daily, you’ve read his name quite frequently in the daily Minor League Reports the last two seasons. He came to the Twins before the 2013 season after getting big league time with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011 and 2012.

When the Twins announced the signing of Homer Bailey, I was very frustrated and confused. I wanted Wheeler or Ryu and instead saw Homer Bailey, so can you blame me? After my frustration died down I looked a bit more into Bailey and maybe, just maybe, he could be a solid starter.

When the Twins announced on Monday the stunning midseason dismissal of longtime general manager Terry Ryan, it was a promising signal to fans that the organization is taking its dismal state of affairs very seriously.

Unfortunately, that optimism quickly faded once the franchise's remaining top decision-makers began speaking about what's coming next.

When the Twins added C.J. Cron and essentially tabbed him as their 2019 first baseman, the move puzzled me. Not because of Cron so much as what his addition seemed to say about the lone incumbent at first base.

Is Tyler Austin being written out of Minnesota's plans already? Or is there still a way his very specific, very potent skills could be optimally put to use?

When the pitching is good, the bats go cold. When a starter gets shelled, the offense ignites. What is going on here?

Yesterday, the Twins trailed 8-0 after two innings, but stormed back to score the next seven runs. Tonight, they trailed 8-0 after four innings and managed to tie the ballgame. Unfortunately, neither comeback effort resulted in a victory, but it’s nice to see some life from the bats.

When the news broke of the Twins' trade of Aaron Hicks to the New York Yankees for John Ryan Murphy, the deal seamed reasonable enough. The club was dealing from an area of strength to address one of its greatest weaknesses. After seeing the free agent and trade markets evolve, things are starting to look worse.

When the Minnesota Twins' non-roster invitees to spring training were unveiled, there was a previously unreported name among the bunch. Long time New York Met, and former MVP candidate, Lucas Duda was heading to Fort Myers for the beginning of his 2019 season. Having signed C.J. Cron and with Tyler Austin already in tow, the minor league deal was the avenue for Lucas to get his chance with the Twins. The question is, will it work and should it?

When the Minnesota Twins signed Lewin Diaz for $1.4 million in 2013, he was a 16-year-old kid who was weighing in at a reported 210 pounds. Two years later he had grown to 263 and was being compared to having “Miguel Sano-type” power. That’s certainly intriguing but baseball has seemingly lost interest in the 30-plus home run guys who add no other value. So the question is, can Lewin Diaz provide some other value?

When the Minnesota Twins moved on from Terry Ryan and the set up that he’d built within the organization they aimed for a culture shift. The goal was to bring the franchise into the new age of baseball and become a leader rather than a follower. Now being there, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine are in the throws of needing to protect it.

When the Minnesota Twins kick off the 2019 American League Division Series against the New York Yankees they’ll do so with a matchup advantage that would not have been present a year ago. Looking through the lineup, rotation, and bullpen these two squads have plenty in common. That also rings true behind the plate, but in 2019 it’s the late-blooming prospect from New Mexico that has the upper hand. Gary Sanchez may have the fancy nickname, but it’s Mitch Garver that gets the spotlight.

When the Minnesota Twins hired Derek Falvey to rebuild the organization, the most significant task to tackle was to improve the pitching.

Pitching is one of the most important facets of baseball and being able to reach into one’s own minor league system for more talent is crucial to long-term success. For the Twins, numerous high draft pick arms have stalled out. While there are several graduates like Kyle Gibson or contributors like Jose Berrios or Tyler Duffey, the development pipeline has been rather scarce when it comes to providing Major League-ready pitching. In response, the Twins have had to spend big on free agent pitchers like Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes and Ervin Santana.

How exactly does Derek Falvey intend on improving the broken system?