Twins

The date was July 14, 2008, and Yankee Stadium was buzzing with the excitement of baseballs being launched into the night. Kicking off the All-Star Game festivities was Chris Berman’s shining moment, the Home Run Derby. This particular event was highlighted by Josh Hamilton’s crazy performance, but everyone in Twins Territory remembers it for a different reason.

It’s beyond safe to say that things didn’t go well for the 2022 Minnesota Twins at the catcher position. They traded the starter, wound up with an unhealthy up-and-comer, and not even a change of scenery could help a former Yankee. Now how do they get the most out of the position? How about a platoon?

Spring training games start later this week, and the team's offseason moves are coming to a close. Looking around the AL Central, who are the most improved teams?

When the Twins acquired Gary Sánchez in that weird trade with the Yankees, I, like many Twins fans, groaned at the thought of having Sánchez on the Twins. Overall, he is a fine player, but his infamous moments of less-than-desirable hustle combined with aesthetically (although statistically mixed) defense did not attract pleasant thoughts. But after watching him play for nearly two months, I have some different thoughts. Let’s begin.

With the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline moved to August 2 this year, the Minnesota Twins have nine games left before the opportunity to acquire talent comes and goes. There’s no denying Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have work to do in that area, but how realistic is it that they have the talent to move?

This offseason the Minnesota Twins will unquestionably add a catcher to their organization. The 40-man roster currently boasts only one, and the free-agent landscape isn’t exactly appealing. So why not consider a trade with the Oakland Athletics?

The 2022 Minnesota Twins had plenty of uncertainty entering the year with regard to their bullpen. On the doorstep of Opening Day, Taylor Rogers was traded and the closer role immediately was a question mark. Fast-forward to 2023 and there are less questions, but a pair of arms could provide big answers.

The Twins offense has been a massive disappointment as a whole. Looking across the lineup, it’s hard to find much to be impressed with. This is also the case for Trevor Larnach, but taking a deeper dive tells a much different story.

As the trade deadline approaches, the separation between the contenders and the pretenders will continue to grow. One former Twins pitcher is having a breakout season, and plenty of teams will be interested in trading for him.

Going into this offseason, the Minnesota Twins know they must make some sort of addition behind the plate. The 40-man roster currently has just one catcher on it, and there are not ideal solutions throughout the system either. Unlike a time when Joe Mauer was a given, the Twins may have more questions than ever at catcher.

This offseason Major League Baseball decided to make rather sweeping rule changes. While we’ll see new base sizes, a pitch clock, and limited shifting, it’s the rule 2020 brought us that may continue to shake things up the most. Rob Manfred decided a runner will forever start on second during extra-innings for the regular season, and it’s a bit curious how much that could hurt the Minnesota Twins.

Entering the All-Star Break the Minnesota Twins own a two-game lead in the AL Central Division and currently have a 47.3% playoff probability per Fangraphs. They’ve been carried by the likes of Byron Buxton, Luis Arraez, and Jhoan Duran thus far. Who are the players that can help them capture another division title the rest of the way?