Hunter McCall

I should’ve mentioned he’s a gold glove fielder and much better base runner than Sano!

There is none. As you said, just like any player, talent can either be drafted or acquired!

Maybe I should’ve used different descriptors😂

I appreciate it! I agree that it’s unlikely that Lee gets traded, but he’s the most valuable trade chip in a crowded crop of high end infield prospect talent, so if the Twins decided to let it all hang out, Lee would make sense. I don’t consider it too much of a stretch, especially with the Twins also possessing the number 5 pick in the draft this year. As far as adding Gallen to a pretty solid rotation, I’ll say this; good is good, better is better. When it comes to chasing championships, any major improvements that can be made at the deadline should be made. I’m not saying the Twins will be in position to sell out at the deadline, but if they are, they have the pieces to make something like this happen and really go for it. Again, thank you for the comment and support!

Gotta love Jim Mora😂 great comment!

Is that why I was so sleepy when I returned!?😂 Optimistic? Yes. Dumb? Maybe. I just gotta have faith in my Twinkies!

As a sports book connoisseur, I sure do wish I had this answer😂 great comment!

Thanks for the read and comment!

The Gallen trade is more so a fun little dream of mine that I insist on keeping alive! It’s unlikely to happen, but if it does some people might actually think I’m smart!😂 Kepler bounced back nicely! Not quite 2019 nicely, but he found a middle ground!

He was! And he bounced back rather nicely! (Not 2019 nice, however😉)

I agree it’s unlikely….. however….. never say never. The Cubs traded Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease for Jose Quintana in 2017. This was a case of big prospect package for big arm in hopes of winning another World Series. Big prospects get traded all the time and with the depth of middle infield prospects the Twins have, none of them should be untouchable if they’re competitive at the deadline.

I visited the future, and you won't believe what I saw! Image courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Jeff Hanisch, Jordan Johnson – USA Today Sports After reading one article on quantum physics, I decided I was prepared to build the first-ever functional time machine. I should have waited and watched how the 2023 Minnesota Twins season played out, but I just had to know now! I worked tirelessly constructing a device that could vault me to October to get a peak at how the season shook out. What I found may surprise some, so without further ado, here are five headlines from the Minnesota Twins 2023 season. Joey Gallo Receives MVP Consideration One of the more highly criticized moves of the offseason was the Twins signing Joey Gallo to a one-year contract. Despite being a two-time all-star for the Texas Rangers in 2019 and 2021, Gallo's career .199 batting average has turned off many of the more "traditional" style Twins fans. However, I am here to tell you that in 2023 Joey Gallo will exceed all expectations and find himself receiving MVP votes at the end of the season. With the new limitations of shifts, Gallo's batting average climbs to .234, and he continues to draw walks at a clip higher than 90% of the league-leading to a .398 OBP. Gallo also belts 38 home runs which are ... second most on the team? Buxton Hammers 40 Bombs Byron Buxton's health has been his Achilles heel throughout his career, playing in more than 92 games only once. However, Buxton's fortune changes in 2023, as he appears in 126 games for the Twins. Even though only 85 of those games are in center field, Buxton has a massive impact on the club, contributing 8.4 WAR. Buxton improves his 97th percentile rank in average exit velocity in 2022, bumping up to the 99th in 2023. Buxton remains one of the most elite power hitters in the game, belting 41 home runs. Pablo López Flashes Ace Potential When the Minnesota Twins acquired López for Luis Arraez in a trade with the Miami Marlins, the thought was that López would best fit the rotation as a number two or three pitcher. Throughout the offseason, he worked on making adjustments to his pitches. He reshaped his slider to become more of a sweeper and worked on his cutter. Both these pitches work very well in 2023 and accompany his elite changeup nicely. His new pitch mix eventually leads López to posting a 12-4 record with a 3.24 ERA. I'm sure this news is music to Twins' fans' ears, but the following headline may be a bit more controversial. Twins Go All in on Gallen at the Deadline When the Minnesota Twins enter the trade deadline in first place in the AL Central for a second straight year, they have to choose an aggressive push, similar to last year, or mainly standing still as they did in 2019. This time, the Twins push every last chip in the middle of the table in pursuit of a championship. On July 31st, they acquire Zac Gallen from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Brooks Lee and Bailey Ober. The Twins use the depth they've built in the rotation and in the infield to acquire the ace they have been waiting for. Gallen gives the Twins a powerful arm they can lean on throughout the playoff push, plus team control through 2025. A Star is Born While the Twins' injury situation in 2023 is much less drastic than in 2022, they still experience some bumps and bruises. This causes prospect Edouard Julien to be called up to the major league club as an extra utility man. Julien continues to display a high-level OBP skill while adding extra power to his profile. He has a stellar campaign and comes in third place in the AL Rookie of the Year voting behind Gunnar Henderson of the Oriels and Oscar Colas of the White Sox. Unfortunately, due to my lack of knowledge and experience, my time machine only brought me to October 1st, so I could not see how the Twins fared in the playoffs. I can tell you they exceeded regular-season expectations, going 94-68, winning the American League Central, and securing the number three seed in the AL behind the Astros and Yankees. One thing is sure; I am very excited to watch the 2023 Minnesota Twins! What are your bold predictions for 2023? Let me know below! Go, Twins! View full article

To add to this list, Jose Salas' ETA is 2024 and Emmanuel Rodriguez's ETA is 2025, so you could probably factor them in as high-end prospects reaching the majors in the not-so-distant future. For what it's worth, I do think if the Twins are competitive at the deadline (I think they will be), they should go all in on a trade by moving a top-tier prospect or two. Keep in mind the Twins also have the number 5 overall pick in the draft and they've had an affinity for college-age bats, so if that pattern holds true, they will likely add another bat to the "be here soon" list.

I like where your head's at! About a month ago I wrote an article about trading some of the wealth of talent in the upper minors for an ace To sum it up, if the Twins are in contention in July, I think they're great candidates to swing a deal for an ace! In here I mention Zac Gallen and Corbin Burnes as a couple potential targets. I do, however, believe the Twins will likely part with one of their more valuable prospects in the scenario. Unless Martin lights it up in the first half, he just doesn't have the value on the trade market necessary to headline a package for a difference making player, so the Twins may as well hold onto him and develop him. I think Lee, Lewis, and Salas (in order from most valuable to least valuable according to baseballtradevalues.com) are all possibilities to headline a deal. I am 1000% on board with something like this. Losing these prospects would be hard, but it is really tough to win in the MLB. If you have a chance to make a play at a deep playoff run, you have to take it. The Twins have put themselves in really good position with top-end minor league depth at a premium position (that's all without mentioning they have the number 5 overall pick in the 2023 draft), it might be wise of them to consider putting their chips in the middle of the table at the deadline! Thanks for the comment! It got me going on one of my fun little tangents!

The thought has always been that there's power in there to be tapped into. I agree with you, it's far too early to give up on it after one season in the system.

Let's not forget that 365 days ago the shortstop position was much less sure than it is now. It's easy to look back and say they should have moved Austin Martin off of shortstop, but at the time, Correa was on a short-term deal and Royce Lewis hadn't played since 2019 (and then tore his ACL again in May). They also didn't have Brooks Lee or Jose Salas. My point being, there was reason to believe if the Twins could make Austin Martin an average fielding shortstop, he would be the shortstop of the future. It's crazy how much has changed since then, but as I said in the article, that is why moving Martin around this year would be wise and valuable move for his future in the MLB!

Excellent analysis! Thank you for your post!

I just think he will struggle to find at bats if he isn't used as a super utility guy. In that role, he can be a plus defender all over and play three out of every four days. This role is so important, especially with a manager like Rocco Baldelli who values giving his players rest days. Martin is athletic and versatile enough to embrace this role. I don't think sticking him in right field and not letting him play anywhere else would be beneficial to him or the Twins. This is of course just my opinion. I do understand where you're coming from in the sense of mastering a position, and in most cases I would agree that that would be a wise path to take with a up-and-coming prospect. I just think Martin falls in a different category than most prospects.

You're absolutely correct! While Martin took a dip in some stats, he also added a ton in other departments. You mentioned the 35 steals which was massive, but he also cut down his strikeouts pretty dramatically as well. Martin's 2022 wasn't as disappointing as some people lead on. That is why it will be interesting to see how he performs in spring training!

It's going to be a massive spring for those two! Very excited to see how they perform!

You’re right, I think shortstop is out of the question. With Correa resigning, I think they take this opportunity to get him time just about everywhere else. He will be a valuable tool for the Twins when he arrives!

With his versatility, there’s a lot the Twins can do with him. I think they spend the next year playing him all over the diamond and try molding him into a super-utility type player. There’s going to be a lot of mouths to feed so I think Martin claims a role as a no-true-home kind of athlete. I think he will be a very good player for the Twins in coming years!

Exactly right! I still think very highly of Austin Martin and think the Twins will find a way to carve out a role for him in the future!

Austin Martin still has a chance to cement himself as a top prospect alongside Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee. Don't give up on him just yet. Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports When Austin Martin was drafted fifth overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2020 MLB First-Year Player Draft, it was considered one of the steals of the draft. Martin was viewed as the best pure hitter in the draft, and most people thought he would go number two overall behind Spencer Torkelson. Fast forward to July 2021. The Twins were having a disappointing season at 43-61 and decided to sell off some talent at the deadline. They accomplished this task by trading starting pitcher Jose Berrios to the Blue Jays in exchange for Simeon Woods Richardson and Martin, the number 16 overall prospect then, according to MLB.com. When Martin entered the organization following the trade, he immediately became the Twins top prospect, jumping everyone in the farm system including Royce Lewis. Martin was considered by all an elite prospect as recently as last spring, so it’s difficult to give up on him following just one down year. Martin's ups and downs are well documented, and he has tumbled off most top prospect boards, but does he have the ability to re-enter the conversation of future Twins infield studs with Lewis and Brooks Lee? Can he use spring training to prove that he belongs? For the most part, we won't talk much about the past, but Martin did finish 2022 on a high note, attributing an .827 OPS in September. Another encouraging area for Martin happens to be an eerily similar high note experienced by Lewis in 2019 when he was seen as a failing prospect, which was his performance in the Arizona Fall League. The Arizona Fall League takes place after the standards season in the minors wraps up and allows prospects to get extra games before the winter. In 2019, Lewis participated in the AFL and won the league MVP award with a slash line of .353/.411/.565 (.975). His performance was exciting for Twins fans because he struggled at the plate in the minors that season. As he started to slide down top prospect boards, there was worry that the once number-one overall pick might be a bust. In the AFL, Lewis experimented with eliminating his high leg kick, and the results were promising. With the 2020 minor league season canceled and Lewis tearing his ACL in 2021, the AFL was the last action we saw from him leading into the 2022 season. Although Lewis was limited to 46 games due to another tear in the same ACL, he mashed in 2022. Whether in Triple-A or the MLB, Lewis was explosive at the plate, putting to rest the doubt that he could live up to the lofty expectations that come with being drafted number one overall. In 2021, Martin experienced similar success as Lewis once had in the AFL. In 21 games, Martin put together a .374/.454/.482 (.936) slash line and added 10 stolen bases. He adjusted his approach at the plate and hitting mechanics, and although the sample size was small, the results showed immediately. Martin is undoubtedly riding some positive momentum heading into spring training. Still, a quick look at the future outlook of the Twins' defense shows a rather crowded group that may make it difficult for Martin to find a permanent spot. His top two positions are shortstop and center field, but those two spots are held down at the major league level by Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton for the next six years. Lewis, Lee, Jose Miranda, Trevor Larnach, and Alex Kirilloff also have to have assumed roles in the Twins' plans, but there is something that Martin possesses that could make him more valuable to the team and give him a place should he prove he belongs. Martin is a phenomenal athlete with enough versatility to play anywhere on the field. If he can get himself back on track and force the Twins to find a role for him, he would excellently fit the mold of a super-utility man, just as Marwin Gonzalez did for the Twins in 2019 and 2020. Finding a defensive home for Martin may be easy, as he possesses the athleticism and versatility to play almost anywhere on the field. Spring Training 2023 will be a very interesting and important one for Austin Martin. He is a supremely talented baseball player with plenty of tools that could make him an above-average everyday player at the MLB level. Martin has the opportunity over the next two months to prove that his adjustments in the AFL were legitimate and that he possesses defensive versatility. If he can do so, he could force himself back into the Twins' plans and re-enter the conversation of top prospect with Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee. View full article