The first rule of spring training is not to get too excited about spring training stats. That being said, Alan Roden is maybe making the Louis Varland trade look like a better deal, as he has eight hits in 22 at-bats, with one homer and a steal. For sure, a positive after he finished last season with a .191/.261/.294 slash line with two home runs and one steal in 153 plate appearances. Mick Abel is also doing his best to take the sting out of the Jhoan Duran trade, as through three starts, he has a 39% strikeout rate and a 0% walk rate and has yet to give up a single run through 10 innings. Of course, he did finish last season with a 6.23 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP through 39 innings, so let’s not get too excited. But hope does somewhat spring right now, and we’re going to need all the positivity we can get for this long season.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

In the World of Baseball: