Pretty big news out of The Athletic yesterday. Quoting inside sources, Rosenthal(with Dan Hayes contributing) reported that the Twins do not plan to trade any of the big 3; instead, they plan on contending in 2026 by relying on the core and adding some pieces. Naturally, this brought an out pouring of vitriol from Twin fans who have, rightly so, long dismissed anything positive coming from the FO/Pohlads. And while nothing is cast in concrete, Rosenthal and Hayes are well-respected reporters who are not noted for smoke and mirror reports, so this news might be the most credible report to date on the Twins’ plans for the offseason, as we head into the December meetings next week.
While scepticism of ownership is well merited, this pronouncement could be good news for Twins fans hoping for a competitive team next year. In addition to retaining these 3 players, there are other assets on this team: the rotation; a chance of one or two regulars rebounding,e.g., Lewis, Lee, Wallner and some promising newbies like Keaschall, ER, and Jenkins who could strengthen the offense at some point during the season. Yes, it’s still a long shot currently, but if ownership really intends to contend in 2026, they must add to the current $95MM roster at present.
Of course, this willingness to invest in the team is the big, yet still unanswered question. Our erstwhile reporters did not comment on budget caps, probably for the simple reason that this figure is still under wraps or discussion. Not that we fans should expect to hear such a figure from this secretive clan known for their banker’s mentality of looking only at the short term bottom line rather than planning for the future, but it is not unreasonable to expect the final payroll to at least approach a $120-125MM range. I say that only because contending in 2026, as the authors state, is an impossibility at current payroll. While we might not see $145MM budget again, at least under the Pohlad banner, their failure to add some major league talent to a depleted bullpen, 1B/DH, and to a lesser extent, the OF, would be a total betrayal to their fans, the FO and the players. Are they capable of such deception? Yes, but by so doing, would greatly reduce the value of the franchise – an action that seems inconsistent with their desire to cash in on their investment.
Maybe all this is a false hope, but I, for one, remain hopeful based on this latest news from The Athletic.